ith the other in the midst of their masse. But all things very rich and
beautiful; and I see the papists have the wit, most of them, to bring
cushions to kneel on, which I wanted, and was mightily troubled to
kneel. All being done, and I sorry for my coming, missing of what I
expected; which was, to have had a child born and dressed there, and a
great deal of do: but we broke up, and nothing like it done: and there
I left people receiving the Sacrament: and the Queen gone, and ladies;
only my Lady Castlemayne, who looked prettily in her night-clothes, and
so took my coach, which waited, and away through Covent Garden, to set
down two gentlemen and a lady, who come thither to see also, and did
make mighty mirth in their talk of the folly of this religion. And so
I stopped, having set them down and drank some burnt wine at the Rose
Tavern door, while the constables come, and two or three Bellmen went
by,

25th. It being a fine, light, moonshine morning, and so home round the
city, and stopped and dropped money at five or six places, which I was
the willinger to do, it being Christmas-day, and so home, and there find
my wife in bed, and Jane and the maids making pyes, and so I to bed, and
slept well, and rose about nine, and to church, and there heard a dull
sermon of Mr. Mills, but a great many fine people at church; and so
home. Wife and girl and I alone at dinner--a good Christmas dinner, and
all the afternoon at home, my wife reading to me "The History of the
Drummer of Mr. Mompesson," which is a strange story of spies, and worth
reading indeed. In the evening comes Mr. Pelling, and he sat and supped
with us; and very good company, he reciting to us many copies of good
verses of Dr. Wilde, who writ "Iter Boreale," and so to bed, my boy
being gone with W. Hewer and Mr. Hater to Mr. Gibson's in the country to
dinner and lie there all night.

26th. Up and to Westminster, and there to the Swan, and by chance met
Mr. Spicer and another 'Chequer clerk, and there made them drink, and
there talked of the credit the 'Chequer is now come to and will in a
little time, and so away homeward, and called at my bookseller's, and
there bought Mr. Harrington's works, "Oceana," &c., and two other books,
which cost me L4, and so home, and there eat a bit, and then with my
wife to the King's playhouse, and there saw "The Surprizall;" which did
not please me to-day, the actors not pleasing me; and especially Nell's
acting of a serious part