s clerk, but now set up for
himself--a conceited, silly fellow, but one they make mightily of--my
cozen Roger Pepys, and his wife, and two daughters. I had a noble dinner
for them, as I almost ever had, and mighty merry, and particularly
myself pleased with looking on Betty Turner, who is mighty pretty. After
dinner, we fell one to one talk, and another to another, and looking
over my house, and closet, and things; and The. Turner to write a letter
to a lady in the country, in which I did, now and then, put in half a
dozen words, and sometimes five or six lines, and then she as much, and
made up a long and good letter, she being mighty witty really, though
troublesome-humoured with it. And thus till night, that our musick come,
and the Office ready and candles, and also W. Batelier and his sister
Susan come, and also Will. Howe and two gentlemen more, strangers,
which, at my request yesterday, he did bring to dance, called Mr.
Ireton and Mr. Starkey. We fell to dancing, and continued, only with
intermission for a good supper, till two in the morning, the musick
being Greeting, and another most excellent violin, and theorbo, the best
in town. And so with mighty mirth, and pleased with their dancing of
jigs afterwards several of them, and, among others, Betty Turner,
who did it mighty prettily; and, lastly, W. Batelier's "Blackmore and
Blackmore Mad;" and then to a country-dance again, and so broke up with
extraordinary pleasure, as being one of the days and nights of my life
spent with the greatest content; and that which I can but hope to repeat
again a few times in my whole life. This done, we parted, the strangers
home, and I did lodge my cozen Pepys and his wife in our blue chamber.
My cozen Turner, her sister, and The., in our best chamber; Bab., Betty,
and Betty Turner, in our own chamber; and myself and my wife in the
maid's bed, which is very good. Our maids in the coachman's bed; the
coachman with the boy in his settlebed, and Tom where he uses to lie.
And so I did, to my great content, lodge at once in my house, with the
greatest ease, fifteen, and eight of them strangers of quality. My wife
this day put on first her French gown, called a Sac, which becomes her
very well, brought her over by W. Batelier.

3rd. Up, after a very good night's rest, and was called upon by Sir H.
Cholmly, who was with me an hour, and though acquainted did not stay
to talk with my company I had in the house, but away, and then I to my