8th: At the office all the morning. At noon dined at home. After dinner
my wife and I to my Lady batten's, it being the first time my wife hath
been there, I think, these two years, but I had a mind in part to take
away the strangenesse, and so we did, and all very quiett and kind. Come
home, I to the taking my wife's kitchen accounts at the latter end of
the month, and there find 7s. wanting, which did occasion a very high
falling out between us, I indeed too angrily insisting upon so poor a
thing, and did give her very provoking high words, calling her beggar,
and reproaching her friends, which she took very stomachfully and
reproached me justly with mine; and I confess, being myself, I cannot
see what she could have done less. I find she is very cunning, and when
she least shews it hath her wit at work; but it is an ill one, though I
think not so bad but with good usage I might well bear with it, and the
truth is I do find that my being over-solicitous and jealous and froward
and ready to reproach her do make her worse. However, I find that now
and then a little difference do no hurte, but too much of it will make
her know her force too much. We parted after many high words very angry,
and I to my office to my month's accounts, and find myself worth L1270,
for which the Lord God be praised! So at almost 2 o'clock in the
morning I home to supper and to bed, and so ends this month, with great
expectation of the Hollanders coming forth, who are, it seems, very high
and rather more ready than we. God give a good issue to it!

MARCH 1664-1665

March 1st. Up, and this day being the day than: by a promise, a great
while ago, made to my wife, I was to give her L20 to lay out in clothes
against Easter, she did, notwithstanding last night's falling out, come
to peace with me and I with her, but did boggle mightily at the parting
with my money, but at last did give it her, and then she abroad to buy
her things, and I to my office, where busy all the morning. At noon I to
dinner at Trinity House, and thence to Gresham College, where Mr. Hooke
read a second very curious lecture about the late Comett; among other
things proving very probably that this is the very same Comett that
appeared before in the year 1618, and that in such a time probably
it will appear again, which is a very new opinion; but all will be in
print. Then to the meeting, where Sir G. Carteret's two sons, his owne,
and Sir N. Slaning, were admitted of the