--["King
Henry IV.," Part I, act v., sc. 4.]--and so we broke up, and to the
Duke, and there did our usual business. So I to the Parke and there met
Creed, and he and I walked to Westminster to the Exchequer, and thence
to White Hall talking of Tangier matters and Vernatty's knavery, and so
parted, and then I homeward and met Mr. Povy in Cheapside, and stopped
and talked a good while upon the profits of the place which my Lord
Bellasses hath made this last year, and what share we are to have of
it, but of this all imperfect, and so parted, and I home, and there find
Mrs. Mary Batelier, and she dined with us; and thence I took them to
Islington, and there eat a custard; and so back to Moorfields, and
shewed Batelier, with my wife, "Polichinello," which I like the more I
see it; and so home with great content, she being a mighty good-natured,
pretty woman, and thence I to the Victualling office, and there with Mr.
Lewes and Willson upon our Victualling matters till ten at night, and so
I home and there late writing a letter to Sir W. Coventry, and so home
to supper and to bed. No newes where the Dutch are. We begin to think
they will steale through the Channel to meet Beaufort. We think our
fleete sayled yesterday, but we have no newes of it.

30th. Up and all the morning at the office, dined at home, and in the
afternoon, and at night till two in the morning, framing my great letter
to Mr. Hayes about the victualling of the fleete, about which there has
been so much ado and exceptions taken by the Generalls.

31st. To bed at 2 or 3 in the morning and up again at 6 to go by
appointment to my Lord Bellasses, but he out of town, which vexed me.
So back and got Mr. Poynter to enter into, my book while I read from my
last night's notes the letter, and that being done to writing it fair.
At noon home to dinner, and then the boy and I to the office, and there
he read while I writ it fair, which done I sent it to Sir W. Coventry
to peruse and send to the fleete by the first opportunity; and so pretty
betimes to bed. Much pleased to-day with thoughts of gilding the backs
of all my books alike in my new presses.

SEPTEMBER 1666

September 1st. Up and at the office all the morning, and then dined at
home. Got my new closet made mighty clean against to-morrow. Sir W. Pen
and my wife and Mercer and I to "Polichinelly," but were there horribly
frighted to see Young Killigrew come in with a great many more young
sparks; but w