Commons' House, and those not examinable by
them, but only by the House of Lords. Thence with my Lord Bruncker to
Gresham College, the first time after the sicknesse that I was there,
and the second time any met. And here a good lecture of Mr. Hooke's
about the trade of felt-making, very pretty. And anon alone with me
about the art of drawing pictures by Prince Rupert's rule and machine,
and another of Dr. Wren's;

[Afterwards the famous Sir Christopher Wren. He was one of the
mainstays of the Royal Society.]

but he says nothing do like squares, or, which is the best in the world,
like a darke roome,--[The camera obscura.]--which pleased me mightily.
Thence with Povy home to my house, and there late settling accounts
with him, which was very troublesome to me, and he gone, found Mr. Hill
below, who sat with me till late talking, and so away, and we to bed.

22nd. Up, and to the office, where sat all the morning. At noon home to
dinner and thence by coach with my wife for ayre principally for her.
I alone stopped at Hales's and there mightily am pleased with my wife's
picture that is begun there, and with Mr. Hill's, though I must [owne]
I am not more pleased with it now the face is finished than I was when I
saw it the second time of sitting. Thence to my Lord Sandwich's, but he
not within, but goes to-morrow. My wife to Mrs. Hunt's, who is lately
come to towne and grown mighty fat. I called her there, and so home
and late at the office, and so home to supper and to bed. We are much
troubled that the sicknesse in general (the town being so full of
people) should be but three, and yet of the particular disease of the
plague there should be ten encrease.

23rd. Up betimes, and out of doors by 6 of the clock, and walked (W.
Howe with me) to my Lord Sandwich's, who did lie the last night at his
house in Lincoln's Inne Fields. It being fine walking in the morning,
and the streets full of people again. There I staid, and the house full
of people come to take leave of my Lord, who this day goes out of towne
upon his embassy towards Spayne. And I was glad to find Sir W. Coventry
to come, though I know it is only a piece of courtshipp. I had much
discourse with my Lord, he telling me how fully he leaves the King his
friend and the large discourse he had with him the other day, and how he
desired to have the business of the prizes examined before he went, and
that he yielded to it, and it is done as far as it conce