money, for rents come in mighty slowly. My mother grows
very unpleasant and troublesome and my father mighty infirm through
his old distemper, which altogether makes me mighty thoughtfull. Having
heard all this and bid her welcome I to the office, where late, and so
home, and after a little more talk with my wife, she to bed and I after
her.

20th. Up, and after an houre or two's talke with my poor wife, who gives
me more and more content every day than other, I abroad by coach to
Westminster, and there met with Mrs. Martin, and she and I over the
water to Stangold, and after a walke in the fields to the King's Head,
and there spent an houre or two with pleasure with her, and eat a tansy
and so parted, and I to the New Exchange, there to get a list of all
the modern plays which I intend to collect and to have them bound
up together. Thence to Mr. Hales's, and there, though against his
particular mind, I had my landskipp done out, and only a heaven made in
the roome of it, which though it do not please me thoroughly now it
is done, yet it will do better than as it was before. Thence to Paul's
Churchyarde, and there bespoke some new books, and so to my ruling
woman's and there did see my work a doing, and so home and to my office
a little, but was hindered of business I intended by being sent for to
Mrs. Turner, who desired some discourse with me and lay her condition
before me, which is bad and poor. Sir Thomas Harvey intends again to
have lodgings in her house, which she prays me to prevent if I can,
which I promised. Thence to talke generally of our neighbours. I find
she tells me the faults of all of them, and their bad words of me and my
wife, and indeed do discover more than I thought. So I told her, and so
will practise that I will have nothing to do with any of them. She ended
all with a promise of shells to my wife, very fine ones indeed, and
seems to have great respect and honour for my wife. So home and to bed.

21st. Up betimes and to the office, there to prepare some things against
the afternoon for discourse about the business of the pursers and
settling the pursers' matters of the fleete according to my proposition.
By and by the office sat, and they being up I continued at the office to
finish my matters against the meeting before the Duke this afternoon,
so home about three to clap a bit of meate in my mouth, and so away with
Sir W. Batten to White Hall, and there to the Duke, but he being to go
abroad