ng done, and my clerks gone, my wife did
towards bedtime begin to be in a mighty rage from some new matter that
she had got in her head, and did most part of the night in bed rant
at me in most high terms of threats of publishing my shame, and when I
offered to rise would have rose too, and caused a candle to be light to
burn by her all night in the chimney while she ranted, while the knowing
myself to have given some grounds for it, did make it my business to
appease her all I could possibly, and by good words and fair promises
did make her very quiet, and so rested all night, and rose with perfect
good peace, being heartily afflicted for this folly of mine that did
occasion it, but was forced to be silent about the girle, which I have
no mind to part with, but much less that the poor girle should be undone
by my folly. So up with mighty kindness from my wife and a thorough
peace, and being up did by a note advise the girle what I had done and
owned, which note I was in pain for till she told me she had burned it.
This evening Mr. Spong come, and sat late with me, and first told me of
the instrument called parallelogram,

[This useful instrument, used for copying maps, plans, drawings, &c.
either of the same size, or larger or smaller than the originals, is
now named a pantograph.]

which I must have one of, shewing me his practice thereon, by a map of
England.

28th. So by coach with Mr. Gibson to Chancery Lane, and there made oath
before a Master of Chancery to the Tangier account of fees, and so to
White Hall, where, by and by, a Committee met, my Lord Sandwich there,
but his report was not received, it being late; but only a little
business done, about the supplying the place with victuals. But I
did get, to my great content, my account allowed of fees, with great
applause by my Lord Ashly and Sir W. Pen. Thence home, calling at one or
two places; and there about our workmen, who are at work upon my wife's
closet, and other parts of my house, that we are all in dirt. So after
dinner with Mr. Gibson all the afternoon in my closet, and at night to
supper and to bed, my wife and I at good peace, but yet with some little
grudgings of trouble in her and more in me about the poor girle.

29th. At the office all the morning, where Mr. Wren first tells us
of the order from the King, came last night to the Duke of York, for
signifying his pleasure to the Sollicitor-General for drawing up a
Commission for