more than ever we did in our lives before, together. And so home,
where I have a new fight to fight with my wife, who is under new trouble
by some news she hath heard of Deb.'s being mighty fine, and gives out
that she has a friend that gives her money, and this my wife believes to
be me, and, poor wretch! I cannot blame her, and therefore she run into
mighty extremes; but I did pacify all, and were mighty good friends, and
to bed, and I hope it will be our last struggle from this business, for I
am resolved never to give any new occasion, and great peace I find in my
mind by it. So to supper, she and I to bed.

19th. Up, and to the office, where all the morning, and at noon, eating
very little dinner, my wife and I by hackney to the King's playhouse, and
there, the pit being full, satin a box above, and saw "Catiline's
Conspiracy," yesterday being the first day: a play of much good sense and
words to read, but that do appear the worst upon the stage, I mean, the
least diverting, that ever I saw any, though most fine in clothes; and a
fine scene of the Senate, and of a fight, that ever I saw in my life. But
the play is only to be read, and therefore home, with no pleasure at all,
but only in sitting next to Betty Hall, that did belong to this house, and
was Sir Philip Howard's mistress; a mighty pretty wench, though my wife
will not think so; and I dare neither commend, nor be seen to look upon
her, or any other now, for fear of offending her. So, our own coach
coming for us, home, and to end letters, and so home, my wife to read to
me out of "The Siege of Rhodes," and so to supper, and to bed.

20th (Lord's day). Up, and with my wife to church, and then home, and
there found W. Joyce come to dine with me, as troublesome a talking
coxcombe as ever he was, and yet once in a year I like him well enough. In
the afternoon my wife and W. Hewer and I to White Hall, where they set me
down and staid till I had been with the Duke of York, with the rest of us
of the Office, and did a little business, and then the Duke of York in
good humour did fall to tell us many fine stories of the wars in Flanders,
and how the Spaniards are the [best] disciplined foot in the world; will
refuse no extraordinary service if commanded, but scorn to be paid for it,
as in other countries, though at the same time they will beg in the
streets: not a soldier will carry you a cloak-bag for money for the world,
though he will beg a penny, and will d