n Cocke, who would have borrowed money
of me, but I had the grace to deny him, he would have had 3 or L400) I
with Cocke and Mr. Temple (whose wife was just now brought to bed of a
boy, but he seems not to be at all taken with it, which is a strange
consideration how others do rejoice to have a child born), to Sir G.
Carteret's, in Lincoln's Inn Fields, and there did dine together, there
being there, among other company, Mr. Attorney Montagu, and his fine lady,
a fine woman. After dinner, I did understand from my Lady Jemimah that
her brother Hinchingbroke's business was to be ended this day, as she
thinks, towards his match, and they do talk here of their intent to buy
themselves some new clothes against the wedding, which I am very glad of.
After dinner I did even with Sir G. Carteret the accounts of the interest
of the money which I did so long put out for him in Sir R. Viner's hands,
and by it I think I shall be a gainer about L28, which is a very good
reward for the little trouble I have had in it. Thence with Sir Philip
Carteret to the King's playhouse, there to see "Love's Cruelty," an old
play, but which I have not seen before; and in the first act Orange Moll
come to me, with one of our porters by my house, to tell me that Mrs.
Pierce and Knepp did dine at my house to-day, and that I was desired to
come home. So I went out presently, and by coach home, and they were just
gone away so, after a very little stay with my wife, I took coach again,
and to the King's playhouse again, and come in the fourth act; and it
proves to me a very silly play, and to everybody else, as far as I could
judge. But the jest is, that here telling Moll how I had lost my journey,
she told me that Mrs. Knepp was in the house, and so shews me to her, and
I went to her, and sat out the play, and then with her to Mrs. Manuel's,
where Mrs. Pierce was, and her boy and girl; and here I did hear Mrs.
Manuel and one of the Italians, her gallant, sing well. But yet I confess
I am not delighted so much with it, as to admire it: for, not
understanding the words, I lose the benefit of the vocalitys of the
musick, and it proves only instrumental; and therefore was more pleased to
hear Knepp sing two or three little English things that I understood,
though the composition of the other, and performance, was very fine.
Thence, after sitting and talking a pretty while, I took leave and left
them there, and so to my bookseller's, and paid for the books