at matter in it. The company that came in
with me into the box, were all Frenchmen that could speak no English,
but Lord! what sport they made to ask a pretty lady that they got among
them that understood both French and English to make her tell them what
the actors said. Thence to my Lord's, and saw him, and staid with him
half an hour in his chamber talking about some of mine and his own
business, and so up to bed with Mr. Moore in the chamber over my Lord's.

3rd. Rose, and without taking leave or speaking to my Lord went out
early and walked home, calling at my brother's and Paul's Churchyard,
but bought nothing because of my oath, though I had a great mind to it.
At my office, and with my workmen till noon, and then dined with my
wife upon herrings, the first I have eat this year, and so to my workmen
again. By and by comes a gentleman to speak with my wife, and I found
him to be a gentleman that had used her very civilly in her coming up
out of the country, on which score I showed him great respect, and found
him a very ingenious gentleman, and sat and talked with him a great
while. He gone, to my workmen again, and in the evening comes Captain
Ferrers, and sat and talked a great while, and told me the story of
his receiving his cut in the hand by falling out with one of my Lord's
footmen. He told me also of the impertinence and mischief that Ned
Pickering has made in the country between my Lord and all his servants
almost by his finding of faults, which I am vexed to hear, it being a
great disgrace to my Lord to have the fellow seen to be so great still
with him. He brought me a letter from my father, that appoints the day
for the Court at Brampton to be the 13th of this month; but I perceive
he has kept the letter in his pocket these three days, so that if the
day had been sooner, I might have been spilt. So that it is a great
folly to send letters of business by any friend that require haste. He
being gone I to my office all the evening, doing business there till
bedtime, it being now my manner since my wife is come to spend too much
of my daytime with her and the workmen and do my office business at
night, which must not be after the work of the house is done. This night
late I had notice that Dekins, the merchant, is dead this afternoon
suddenly, for grief that his daughter, my Morena, who has long been ill,
is given over by the Doctors. For both which I am very sorry. So home
and to bed.

4th. To my office