he did design to pinch me with them, at which, in dismay, I rose up,
and with a few words she laid them down; and did by little and, little,
very sillily, let all the discourse fall; and about two, but with much
seeming difficulty, come to bed, and there lay well all night, and long
in bed talking together, with much pleasure, it being, I know, nothing
but her doubt of my going out yesterday, without telling her of my
going, which did vex her, poor wretch! last night, and I cannot blame
her jealousy, though it do vex me to the heart.

13th. So up and by coach to Sir W. Coventry's, but he gone out, so I to
White Hall, and thence walked out into the Park, all in the snow, with
the Duke of York and the rest, and so home, after visiting my Lady
Peterborough, and there by invitation find Mr. Povy, and there was also
Talbot Pepys, newly come from Impington, and dined with me; and after
dinner and a little talk with Povy about publick matters, he gone, and
I and my wife and Talbot towards the Temple, and there to the King's
playhouse, and there saw, I think, "The Maiden Queene," and so home and
to supper and read, and to bed. This day come home the instrument I have
so long longed for, the Parallelogram.

14th. Up and to the office, where all the morning busy, and so home to
dinner, where Goodgroome with us, and after dinner a song, and then to
the office, where busy till night, and then home to work there with
W. Hewer to get ready some Tangier papers against to-morrow, and so to
supper and to bed.

15th. Up, and by coach to Sir W. Coventry, where with him a good while
in his chamber, talking of one thing or another; among others, he
told me of the great factions at Court at this day, even to the sober
engaging of great persons, and differences, and making the King cheap
and ridiculous. It is about my Lady Harvy's being offended at Doll
Common's acting of Sempronia, to imitate her; for which she got my Lord
Chamberlain, her kinsman, to imprison Doll: when my Lady Castlemayne
made the King to release her, and to order her to act it again, worse
than ever, the other day, where the King himself was: and since it was
acted again, and my Lady Harvy provided people to hiss her and fling
oranges at her: but, it seems the heat is come to a great height, and
real troubles at Court about it. Thence he and I out of doors, but he
to Sir J. Duncomb, and I to White Hall through the Park, where I met
the King and the Duke of York, and so