and my wife to read to me,
and then with much content to bed. This day Lord Brouncker tells me that
the making Sir J. Minnes a bare Commissioner is now in doing, which I am
glad of; but he speaks of two new Commissioners, which I do not believe.

25th (Lord's day). Up, and discoursing with my wife about our house and
many new things we are doing of, and so to church I, and there find Jack
Fenn come, and his wife, a pretty black woman: I never saw her before,
nor took notice of her now. So home and to dinner, and after dinner
all the afternoon got my wife and boy to read to me, and at night W.
Batelier comes and sups with us; and, after supper, to have my head
combed by Deb., which occasioned the greatest sorrow to me that ever
I knew in this world, for my wife, coming up suddenly, did find me
embracing the girl.... I was at a wonderful loss upon it, and the girle
also, and I endeavoured to put it off, but my wife was struck mute and
grew angry, and so her voice come to her, grew quite out of order, and
I to say little, but to bed, and my wife said little also, but could not
sleep all night, but about two in the morning waked me and cried, and
fell to tell me as a great secret that she was a Roman Catholique and
had received the Holy Sacrament, which troubled me, but I took no
notice of it, but she went on from one thing to another till at last it
appeared plainly her trouble was at what she saw, but yet I did not know
how much she saw, and therefore said nothing to her. But after her much
crying and reproaching me with inconstancy and preferring a sorry girl
before her, I did give her no provocation, but did promise all fair
usage to her and love, and foreswore any hurt that I did with her, till
at last she seemed to be at ease again, and so toward morning a little
sleep, and so I with some little repose and rest

26th. Rose, and up and by water to White Hall, but with my mind mightily
troubled for the poor girle, whom I fear I have undone by this, my
[wife] telling me that she would turn her out of doors. However, I was
obliged to attend the Duke of York, thinking to have had a meeting of
Tangier to-day, but had not; but he did take me and Mr. Wren into his
closet, and there did press me to prepare what I had to say upon the
answers of my fellow-officers to his great letter, which I promised
to do against his coming to town again, the next week; and so to other
discourse, finding plainly that he is in trouble, and app