ing a gentleman of my Lord
Middleton's looking for me about the payment of the L1000 lately ordered
to his Lord, in advance of his pay, which shall arise upon his going
Governor to Tangier, I did go to his Lord's lodgings, and there spoke
the first time with him, and find him a shrewd man, but a drinking man,
I think, as the world says; but a man that hath seen much of the world,
and is a Scot. I offered him my service, though I can do him little; but
he sends his man home with me, where I made him stay, till I had gone to
Sir W. Pen, to bespeak him about Mr. Hater, who, contrary to my fears,
did appear very friendly, to my great content; for I was afraid of his
appearing for his man Burroughs. But he did not; but did declare to me
afterwards his intentions to desire an excuse in his own business, to
be eased of the business of the Comptroller, his health not giving him
power to stay always in town, but he must go into the country. I did
say little to him but compliment, having no leisure to think of his
business, or any man's but my own, and so away and home, where I find
Sir H. Cholmly come to town; and is come hither to see me: and he is a
man that I love mightily, as being, of a gentleman, the most industrious
that ever I saw. He staid with me awhile talking, and telling me his
obligations to my Lord Sandwich, which I was glad of; and that the Duke
of Buckingham is now chief of all men in this kingdom, which I knew
before; and that he do think the Parliament will hardly ever meet again;
which is a great many men's thoughts, and I shall not be sorry for it.
He being gone, I with my Lord Middleton's servant to Mr. Colvill's, but
he was not in town, and so he parted, and I home, and there to dinner,
and Mr. Pelling with us; and thence my wife and Mercer, and W. Hewer and
Deb., to the King's playhouse, and I afterwards by water with them, and
there we did hear the Eunuch (who, it seems, is a Frenchman, but long
bred in Italy) sing, which I seemed to take as new to me, though I
saw him on Saturday last, but said nothing of it; but such action and
singing I could never have imagined to have heard, and do make good
whatever Tom Hill used to tell me. Here we met with Mr. Batelier and his
sister, and so they home with us in two coaches, and there at my house
staid and supped, and this night my bookseller Shrewsbury comes, and
brings my books of Martyrs, and I did pay him for them, and did this
night make the young women before