e Exchange
to my uncle Wight about my intention of purchasing at Brampton. So back
again home and at night to bed. Thanks be to God I am very well again
of my late pain, and to-morrow hope to be out of my pain of dirt and
trouble in my house, of which I am now become very weary. One thing I
must observe here while I think of it, that I am now become the most
negligent man in the world as to matters of news, insomuch that,
now-a-days, I neither can tell any, nor ask any of others.

20th. At home the greatest part of the day to see my workmen make an
end, which this night they did to my great content.

21st. This morning going to my father's I met him, and so he and I went
and drank our morning draft at the Samson in Paul's Churchyard, and eat
some gammon of bacon, &c., and then parted, having bought some green
Say--[A woollen cloth. "Saye clothe serge."--Palsgrave.]--for curtains
in my parler. Home, and so to the Exchequer, where I met with my uncle
Wight, and home with him to dinner, where among others (my aunt being
out of town), Mr. Norbury and I did discourse of his wife's house and
land at Brampton, which I find too much for me to buy. Home, and in the
afternoon to the office, and much pleased at night to see my house begin
to be clean after all the dirt.

22nd. Abroad all the morning about several businesses. At noon went and
dined with my Lord Crew, where very much made of by him and his lady.
Then to the Theatre, "The Alchymist,"--[Comedy by Ben Jonson, first
printed in 1612.]--which is a most incomparable play. And that being
done I met with little Luellin and Blirton, who took me to a friend's
of theirs in Lincoln's Inn fields, one Mr. Hodges, where we drank great
store of Rhenish wine and were very merry. So I went home, where I found
my house now very clean, which was great content to me.

23rd (Lord's day). In the morning to church, and my wife not being well,
I went with Sir W. Batten home to dinner, my Lady being out of town,
where there was Sir W. Pen, Captain Allen and his daughter Rebecca, and
Mr. Hempson and his wife. After dinner to church all of us and had a
very good sermon of a stranger, and so I and the young company to walk
first to Graye's Inn Walks, where great store of gallants, but above
all the ladies that I there saw, or ever did see, Mrs. Frances Butler
(Monsieur L'Impertinent's sister) is the greatest beauty. Then we went
to Islington, where at the great house I entertained them as wel