there spent the evening
talking with my wife and piping, and pleased with our chimney-piece, and
so to bed.

15th. Up, and to the office, where all the morning busy, and after
dinner with my wife, Mercer, and Deb., to the King's playhouse, and
there saw "Love's Mistresse" revived, the thing pretty good, but full of
variety of divertisement. So home and to my business at the office, my
eyes bad again, and so to bed.

16th (Lord's day). All the morning at my Office with W. Hewer, there
drawing up my Report to the Duke of York, as I have promised, about
the faults of this Office, hoping thereby to have opportunity of doing
myself [something]. At noon to dinner, and again with him to work all
the afternoon till night, till I was weary and had despatched a good
deal of business, and so to bed after hearing my wife read a little.

17th. Up, and by water to White Hall, and so to St. James's, and thence
with Mr. Wren by appointment in his coach to Hampstead, to speak with
the Atturney-general, whom we met in the fields, by his old route and
house; and after a little talk about our business of Ackeworth, went and
saw the Lord Wotton's house and garden, which is wonderfull fine: too
good for the house the gardens are, being, indeed, the most noble that
ever I saw, and brave orange and lemon trees. Thence to Mr. Chichley's
by invitation, and there dined with Sir John, his father not coming
home. And while at dinner comes by the French Embassador Colbert's
mules, the first I eversaw, with their sumpter-clothes mighty rich, and
his coaches, he being to have his entry to-day: but his things, though
rich, are not new; supposed to be the same his brother

[A mistake of Pepys's. Colbert de Croissy, then in England, had
himself been the French Plenipotentiary at Aix-la-Chapelle.--B.]

had the other day, at the treaty at Aix-la-Chapelle, in Flanders. Thence
to the Duke of York's house, and there saw "Cupid's Revenge," under the
new name of "Love Despised," that hath something very good in it, though
I like not the whole body of it. This day the first time acted here.
Thence home, and there with Mr. Hater and W. Hewer late, reading over
all the principal officers' instructions in order to my great work upon
my hand, and so to bed, my eyes very ill.

18th. Up, and to my office about my great business betimes, and so to
the office, where all the morning. At noon dined, and then to the office
all the afternoon also, and in t