hat broke up.
Creed and I into the Park, and walked, a most pleasant evening, and so
took coach, and took up my wife, and in my way home discovered my trouble
to my wife for her white locks,

[Randle Holmes says the ladies wore "false locks set on wyres, to
make them stand at a distance from the head," and accompanies the
information with the figure of a lady "with a pair of locks and
curls which were in great fashion in 1670" (Planche's "Cyclopaedia
of Costume;" Vol. i., p. 248).]

swearing by God, several times, which I pray God forgive me for, and
bending my fist, that I would not endure it. She, poor wretch,

[A new light is thrown upon this favourite expression of Pepys's
when speaking of his wife by the following quotation from a Midland
wordbook: "Wretch, n., often used as an expression of endearment or
sympathy. Old Woman to Young Master: 'An''ow is the missis to-day,
door wretch?' Of a boy going to school a considerable distance off
'I met 'im with a bit o' bread in 'is bag, door wretch'" ("A
Glossary of Words and Phrases used in S.E. Worcestershire," by Jesse
Salisbury. Published by the English Dialect Society, 1894).]

was surprized with it, and made me no answer all the way home; but there
we parted, and I to the office late, and then home, and without supper to
bed, vexed.

12th (Lord's day). Up, and to my chamber, to settle some accounts there,
and by and by down comes my wife to me in her night-gown, and we begun
calmly, that upon having money to lace her gown for second mourning, she
would promise to wear white locks no more in my sight, which I, like a
severe fool, thinking not enough, begun to except against, and made her
fly out to very high terms and cry, and in her heat told me of keeping
company with Mrs. Knipp, saying, that if I would promise never to see her
more--of whom she hath more reason to suspect than I had heretofore of
Pembleton--she would never wear white locks more. This vexed me, but I
restrained myself from saying anything, but do think never to see this
woman--at least, to have her here more, but by and by I did give her money
to buy lace, and she promised to wear no more white locks while I lived,
and so all very good friends as ever, and I to my business, and she to
dress herself. Against noon we had a coach ready for us, and she and I to
White Hall, where I went to see whether Sir G. Carteret was at dinne