link,
walked home, it being mighty cold but dry, yet bad walking because very
slippery with the frost and treading. Home and to my chamber to set down
my journal, and then to thinking upon establishing my vows against the
next year, and so to supper and to bed.

3rd. Up, and to the office, where we sat all the morning. At noon by
invitation to dinner to Sir W. Pen's, where my Lord Bruncker, Sir W.
Batten, and his lady, myself, and wife, Sir J. Minnes, and Mr. Turner and
his wife. Indifferent merry, to which I contributed the most, but a mean
dinner, and in a mean manner. In the evening a little to the office, and
then to them, where I found them at cards, myself very ill with a cold
(the frost continuing hard), so eat but little at supper, but very merry,
and late home to bed, not much pleased with the manner of our
entertainment, though to myself more civil than to any. This day, I hear,
hath been a conference between the two Houses about the Bill for examining
Accounts, wherein the House of Lords their proceedings in petitioning the
King for doing it by Commission is, in great heat, voted by the Commons,
after the conference, unparliamentary. The issue whereof, God knows.

4th. Up, and seeing things put in order for a dinner at my house to-day,
I to the office awhile, and about noon home, and there saw all things in
good order. Anon comes our company; my Lord Bruncker, Sir W. Pen, his
lady, and Pegg, and her servant, Mr. Lowther, my Lady Batten (Sir W.
Batten being forced to dine at Sir K. Ford's, being invited), Mr. Turner
and his wife. Here I had good room for ten, and no more would my table
have held well, had Sir J. Minnes, who was fallen lame, and his sister,
and niece, and Sir W. Batten come, which was a great content to me to be
without them. I did make them all gaze to see themselves served so nobly
in plate, and a neat dinner, indeed, though but of seven dishes. Mighty
merry I was and made them all, and they mightily pleased. My Lord
Bruncker went away after dinner to the ticket-office, the rest staid, only
my Lady Batten home, her ague-fit coming on her at table. The rest merry,
and to cards, and then to sing and talk, and at night to sup, and then to
cards; and, last of all, to have a flaggon of ale and apples, drunk out of
a wood cupp,

[A mazer or drinking-bowl turned out of some kind of wood, by
preference of maple, and especially the spotted or speckled variety
called "bir