hers, and here we had a bad dinner
of our preparing, and did discourse something of our business of our
prizes, which was the work of the day. I staid till dinner was over, and
there being no use of me I away after dinner without taking leave, and
to the New Exchange, there to take up my wife and Mercer, and to Temple
Bar to the Ordinary, and had a dish of meat for them, they having not
dined, and thence to the King's house, and there saw "The Numerous
Lieutenant," a silly play, I think; only the Spirit in it that grows
very tall, and then sinks again to nothing, having two heads breeding
upon one, and then Knipp's singing, did please us. Here, in a box above,
we spied Mrs. Pierce; and, going out, they called us, and so we staid
for them; and Knipp took us all in, and brought to us Nelly; a most
pretty woman, who acted the great part of Coelia to-day very fine,
and did it pretty well: I kissed her, and so did my wife; and a mighty
pretty soul she is. We also saw Mrs. Halls which is my little Roman-nose
black girl, that is mighty pretty: she is usually called Betty. Knipp
made us stay in a box and see the dancing preparatory to to-morrow for
"The Goblins," a play of Suckling's, not acted these twenty-five years;
which was pretty; and so away thence, pleased with this sight also, and
specially kissing of Nell. We away, Mr. Pierce and I, on foot to his
house, the women by coach. In our way we find the Guards of horse in
the street, and hear the occasion to be news that the seamen are in
a mutiny, which put me into a great fright; so away with my wife and
Mercer home preparing against to-morrow night to have Mrs. Pierce and
Knipp and a great deal more company to dance; and, when I come home,
hear of no disturbance there of the seamen, but that one of them, being
arrested to-day, others do go and rescue him. So to the office a little,
and then home to supper, and to my chamber awhile, and then to bed.

24th. Up, and to the office, full of thoughts how to order the business
of our merry meeting to-night. So to the office, where busy all the
morning. [While we were sitting in the morning at the office, we were
frighted with news of fire at Sir W. Batten's by a chimney taking fire,
and it put me into much fear and trouble, but with a great many hands
and pains it was soon stopped.] At noon home to dinner, and presently to
the office to despatch my business, and also we sat all the afternoon to
examine the loss of The Bredagh, wh