Mr. Lowther
and his wife and mine, and into a box, forsooth, neither of them being
dressed, which I was almost ashamed of. Sir W. Pen and I in the pit, and
here saw "The Mayden Queene" again; which indeed the more I see the more
I like, and is an excellent play, and so done by Nell, her merry part,
as cannot be better done in nature, I think. Thence home, and there I
find letters from my brother, which tell me that yesterday when he wrote
my mother did rattle in the throat so as they did expect every moment
her death, which though I have a good while expected did much surprise
me, yet was obliged to sup at Sir W. Pen's and my wife, and there
counterfeited some little mirth, but my heart was sad, and so home after
supper and to bed, and much troubled in my sleep of my being crying by
my mother's bedside, laying my head over hers and crying, she almost
dead and dying, and so waked, but what is strange, methought she had
hair over her face, and not the same kind of face as my mother really
hath, but yet did not consider that, but did weep over her as my mother,
whose soul God have mercy of.

26th. Up with a sad heart in reference to my mother, of whose death I
undoubtedly expect to hear the next post, if not of my father's also,
who by his pain as well as his grief for her is very ill, but on my own
behalf I have cause to be joyful this day, it being my usual feast day,
for my being cut of the stone this day nine years, and through God's
blessing am at this day and have long been in as good condition of
health as ever I was in my life or any man in England is, God make me
thankful for it! But the condition I am in, in reference to my mother,
makes it unfit for me to keep my usual feast. Unless it shall please
God to send her well (which I despair wholly of), and then I will make
amends for it by observing another day in its room. So to the office,
and at the office all the morning, where I had an opportunity to speak
to Sir John Harman about my desire to have my brother Balty go again
with him to sea as he did the last year, which he do seem not only
contented but pleased with, which I was glad of. So at noon home to
dinner, where I find Creed, who dined with us, but I had not any time
to talk with him, my head being busy, and before I had dined was called
away by Sir W. Batten, and both of us in his coach (which I observe his
coachman do always go now from hence towards White Hall through Tower
Street, and it is the best