is one of the
most extraordinary cases that ever I saw or understood; but it is true.
This day Mr. Sheply is come to town and to see me, and he tells me my
father is very well only for his pain, so that he is not able to stir;
but is in great pain. I would to God that he were in town that I might
have what help can be got for him, for it troubles me to have him live
in that condition of misery if I can help it.

17th. Up, and to the office, where all the morning upon some accounts
of Mr. Gawden's, and at noon to the Three Tuns to dinner with Lord
Bruncker, Sir J. Minnes, W. Batten, W. Pen, and T. Harvy, where very
merry, and my Lord Bruncker in appearance as good friends as ever,
though I know he has a hatred to me in heart. After dinner to my house,
where Mr. Sheply dined, and we drank and talked together. He, poor man,
hath had his arm broke the late frost, slipping in going over Huntingdon
Bridge. He tells me that jasper Trice and Lewes Phillips and Mr.
Ashfield are gone from Brampton, and he thinks chiefly from the height
of Sir J. Bernard's carriage, who carries all things before him there,
which they cannot bear with, and so leave the town, and this is a great
instance of the advantage a man of the law hath over all other people,
which would make a man to study it a little. Sheply being gone, there
come the flageolet master, who having had a bad bargain of teaching my
wife by the year, she not practising so much as she should do, I did
think that the man did deserve some more consideration, and so will give
him an opportunity of 20s. a month more, and he shall teach me, and this
afternoon I begun, and I think it will be a few shillings well spent.
Then to Sir R. Viner's with 600 pieces of gold to turn into silver, for
the enabling me to answer Sir G. Carteret's L3000; which he now draws
all out of my hand towards the paying for a purchase he hath made for
his son and my Lady Jemimah, in Northamptonshire, of Sir Samuel Luke,
in a good place; a good house, and near all her friends; which is a
very happy thing. Thence to St. James's, and there spoke with Sir W.
Coventry, and give him some account of some things, but had little
discourse with him, there being company with him, and so directly home
again and then to my office, doing some business, and so to my house,
and with my wife to practice on the flageolet a little, and with great
pleasure I see she can readily hit her notes, but only want of practice
makes her