reading, and so to supper and to bed.

30th. Up, and vexed a little to be forced to pay 40s. for a glass of my
coach, which was broke the other day, nobody knows how, within the door,
while it was down; but I do doubt that I did break it myself with my
knees. After dinner, my wife and I to the Duke's playhouse, and there
did see King Harry the Eighth; and was mightily pleased, better than I
ever expected, with the history and shows of it. We happened to sit by
Mr. Andrews, our neighbour, and his wife, who talked so fondly to his
little boy. Thence my wife and I to the 'Change; but, in going, our
neere horse did fling himself, kicking of the coachbox over the pole;
and a great deal of trouble it was to get him right again, and we forced
to 'light, and in great fear of spoiling the horse, but there was no
hurt. So to the 'Change, and then home, and there spent the evening
talking, and so to supper and to bed.

31st. Up, and at the Office all the morning. At noon Capt. Ferrers and
Mr. Sheres

[Henry Sheres accompanied Lord Sandwich in his embassy to Spain, and
returned to England in September, 1667, bearing letters from the
ambassador (see September 8th, 22nd, 27th). He was an officer in
the Ordnance, and served under Lord Dartmouth at the demolition of
the Mole at Tangier in 1683. He was knighted about 1684. He
translated Polybius (2 vols. 8vo., 1693), and also some of the
"Dialogues" of Lucian, included in the translation published in 1711
(3 vols. 8vo.). Pepys bequeathed him a ring, and he died about
1713.]

come to me to dinner, who did, and pretty pleased with their talk of
Spayne; but my wife did not come down, I suppose because she would
not, Captain Ferrers being there, to oblige me by it. They gone, after
dinner, I to the office, and then in the evening home, being the last
day of the year, to endeavour to pay all bills and servants' wages, &c.,
which I did almost to L5 that I know that I owe in the world, but to the
publique; and so with great pleasure to supper and to bed, and, blessed
be God! the year ends, after some late very great sorrow with my wife
by my folly, yet ends, I say, with great mutual peace and content, and
likely to last so by my care, who am resolved to enjoy the sweet of
it, which I now possess, by never giving her like cause of trouble. My
greatest trouble is now from the backwardness of my accounts, which I
have not seen the bottom of no