and so I spent all this evening till eleven at night singing with them,
till I was tired of them, because of the swaggering fellow with the base,
though the girl Mercer did mightily commend him before to me. This night
je had agreed par' alter at Deptford, there par' avoir lain con the moher
de Bagwell, but this company did hinder me.

30th. Up, and put on a new summer black bombazin suit, and so to the
office; and being come now to an agreement with my barber, to keep my
perriwig in good order at 20s. a-year, I am like to go very spruce, more
than I used to do. All the morning at the office and at noon home to
dinner, and so to the King's playhouse, and there saw "Philaster;" where
it is pretty to see how I could remember almost all along, ever since I
was a boy, Arethusa, the part which I was to have acted at Sir Robert
Cooke's; and it was very pleasant to me, but more to think what a
ridiculous thing it would have been for me to have acted a beautiful
woman. Thence to Mr. Pierces, and there saw Knepp also, and were merry;
and here saw my little Lady Katherine Montagu come to town, about her
eyes, which are sore, and they think the King's evil, poor, pretty lady.
Here I was freed from a fear that Knepp was angry or might take advantage
to declare the essay that je did the other day, quand je was con her
. . . Thence to the New Exchange, and there met Harris and Rolt, and one
Richards, a tailor and great company-keeper, and with these over to Fox
Hall, and there fell into the company of Harry Killigrew, a rogue newly
come back out of France, but still in disgrace at our Court, and young
Newport and others, as very rogues as any in the town, who were ready to
take hold of every woman that come by them. And so to supper in an
arbour: but, Lord! their mad bawdy talk did make my heart ake! And here I
first understood by their talk the meaning of the company that lately were
called Ballets; Harris telling how it was by a meeting of some young
blades, where he was among them, and my Lady Bennet

[Evidently adopted as a cant expression. The woman here alluded to
was a procuress well known in her day, and described in the "Tatler"
(No. 84) as "the celebrated Madam Bennet." We further learn, from
the "Spectator" (No. 266), that she was the Lady B. to whom
Wycherley addressed his ironical dedication of "The Plain Dealer,"
which is considered as a masterpiece of raillery. It is worthy of