up my wife and
calling at Bennet's, our late mercer, who is come into Covent Garden
to a fine house looking down upon the Exchange; and I perceive many
Londoners every day come; and Mr. Pierce hath let his wife's closett,
and the little blind bed chamber, and a garret to a silke man for L50
fine, and L30 per annum, and L40 per annum more for dieting the master
and two prentices. So home, not agreeing for silk for a petticoat for
her which she desired, but home to dinner and then back to White Hall,
leaving my wife by the way to buy her petticoat of Bennet, and I to
White Hall waiting all day on the Duke of Yorke to move the King for
getting Lanyon some money at Plymouth out of some oyle prizes brought
in thither, but could get nothing done, but here Mr. Dugdale I hear the
great loss of books in St. Paul's Church-yarde, and at their Hall also,
which they value about L150,000; some booksellers being wholly undone,
among others, they say, my poor Kirton. And Mr. Crumlu all his books and
household stuff burned; they trusting St. Fayth's, and the roof of the
church falling, broke the arch down into the lower church, and so all
the goods burned. A very great loss. His father hath lost above L1000 in
books; one book newly printed, a Discourse, it seems, of Courts. Here
I had the hap to see my Lady Denham: and at night went into the
dining-room and saw several fine ladies; among others, Castlemayne, but
chiefly Denham again; and the Duke of Yorke taking her aside and talking
to her in the sight of all the world, all alone; which was strange, and
what also I did not like. Here I met with good Mr. Evelyn, who cries
out against it, and calls it bitchering,--[This word was apparently of
Evelyn's own making.]--for the Duke of Yorke talks a little to her,
and then she goes away, and then he follows her again like a dog. He
observes that none of the nobility come out of the country at all to
help the King, or comfort him, or prevent commotions at this fire; but
do as if the King were nobody; nor ne'er a priest comes to give the King
and Court good council, or to comfort the poor people that suffer; but
all is dead, nothing of good in any of their minds: he bemoans it, and
says he fears more ruin hangs over our heads. Thence away by coach, and
called away my wife at Unthanke's, where she tells me she hath bought a
gowne of 15s. per yard; the same, before her face, my Lady Castlemayne
this day bought also, which I seemed vexed for, thoug