and saw a piece of "Rollo," a play I like not much, but
much good acting in it: the house very empty. So away home, and I a
little to the office, and then to Sir Robert Viner's, and so back,
and find my wife gone down by water to take a little ayre, and I to
my chamber and there spent the night in reading my new book, "Origines
Juridiciales," which pleases me. So to supper and to bed.

18th. Up, and to read more in the "Origines," and then to the office,
where the news is strong that not only the Dutch cannot set out a fleete
this year, but that the French will not, and that he hath given the
answer to the Dutch Embassador, saying that he is for the King of
England's, having an honourable peace, which, if true, is the best
news we have had a good while. At the office all the morning, and there
pleased with the little pretty Deptford woman I have wished for long,
and she hath occasion given her to come again to me. After office I to
the 'Change a little, and then home and to dinner, and then by coach
with my wife to the Duke of York's house, and there saw "The Wits," a
play I formerly loved, and is now corrected and enlarged: but, though I
like the acting, yet I like not much in the play now. The Duke of York
and [Sir] W. Coventry gone to Portsmouth, makes me thus to go to
plays. So home, and to the office a little and then home, where I find
Goodgroome, and he and I did sing several things over, and tried two or
three grace parts in Playford's new book, my wife pleasing me in singing
her part of the things she knew, which is a comfort to my very heart. So
he being gone we to supper and to bed.

19th. Up, and to the office all the morning, doing a great deal of
business. At noon to dinner betimes, and then my wife and I by coach
to the Duke's house, calling at Lovett's, where I find my Lady
Castlemayne's picture not yet done, which has lain so many months there,
which vexes me, but I mean not to trouble them more after this is done.
So to the playhouse, not much company come, which I impute to the heat
of the weather, it being very hot. Here we saw "Macbeth,"

[See November 5th, 1664. Downes wrote: "The Tragedy of Macbeth,
alter'd by Sir William Davenant; being drest in all it's finery, as
new cloaths, new scenes, machines as flyings for the Witches; with
all the singing and dancing in it. The first compos'd by Mr. Lock,
the other by Mr. Channell and Mr. Joseph Preist; it being all
exc