of the
handsomest and most usefull roomes in my house. So that what with this
room and the room on my leads my house is half as good again as it was.
All this afternoon about this till I was so weary and it was late I
could do no more but finished the room. So I did not get out to the
office all the day long. At night spent a good deale of time with my
wife and Mercer teaching them a song, and so after supper to bed.

28th. Up and to the office. At noon dined at home. After dinner abroad
with my wife to Hales's to see only our pictures and Mrs. Pierce's,
which I do not think so fine as I might have expected it. My wife to her
father's, to carry him some ruling work, which I have advised her to let
him do. It will get him some money. She also is to look out again for
another little girle, the last we had being also gone home the very same
day she came. She was also to look after a necklace of pearle, which she
is mighty busy about, I being contented to lay out L80 in one for her.
I home to my business. By and by comes my wife and presently after, the
tide serving, Balty took leave of us, going to sea, and upon very good
terms, to be Muster-Master of a squadron, which will be worth L100 this
yeare to him, besides keeping him the benefit of his pay in the Guards.
He gone, I very busy all the afternoon till night, among other things,
writing a letter to my brother John, the first I have done since my
being angry with him, and that so sharpe a one too that I was sorry
almost to send it when I had wrote it, but it is preparatory to my
being kind to him, and sending for him up hither when he hath passed his
degree of Master of Arts. So home to supper and to bed.

29th (Lord's day). Up, and to church, where Mr. Mills, a lazy, simple
sermon upon the Devil's having no right to any thing in this world. So
home to dinner, and after dinner I and my boy down by water to Redriffe
and thence walked to Mr. Evelyn's, where I walked in his garden till he
come from Church, with great pleasure reading Ridly's discourse, all my
way going and coming, upon the Civill and Ecclesiastical Law. He being
come home, he and I walked together in the garden with mighty pleasure,
he being a very ingenious man; and the more I know him, the more I love
him. His chief business with me was to propose having my cozen Thomas
Pepys in Commission of the Peace, which I do not know what to say to
till I speake with him, but should be glad of it and will put him u