Lacy could
dance. Thence to the New Exchange, to buy some things; and, among
others, my wife did give me my pair of gloves, which, by contract, she
is to give me in her L30 a-year. Here Mrs. Smith tells us of the great
murder thereabouts, on Saturday last, of one Captain Bumbridge, by one
Symons, both of her acquaintance; and hectors that were at play, and in
drink: the former is killed, and is kinsman to my Lord of Ormond, which
made him speak of it with so much passion, as I overheard him this
morning, but could not make anything of it till now, but would they
would kill more of them. So home; and there at home all the evening;
and made Tom to prick down some little conceits and notions of mine,
in musique, which do mightily encourage me to spend some more thoughts
about it; for I fancy, upon good reason, that I am in the right way of
unfolding the mystery of this matter, better than ever yet.

12th. Up, and to the Office, where, by occasion of a message from the
Treasurers that their Board found fault with Commissioner Middleton,
I went up from our Board to the Lords of the Treasury to meet our
Treasurers, and did, and there did dispute the business, it being about
the matter of paying a little money to Chatham Yard, wherein I find the
Treasurers mighty supple, and I believe we shall bring them to reason,
though they begun mighty upon us, as if we had no power of directing
them, but they, us. Thence back presently home, to dinner, where I
discern my wife to have been in pain about where I have been, but said
nothing to me, but I believe did send W. Hewer to seek me, but I take no
notice of it, but am vexed. So to dinner with my people, and then to the
Office, where all the afternoon, and did much business, and at it late,
and so home to supper, and to bed. This day, meeting Mr. Pierce at White
Hall, he tells me that his boy hath a great mind to see me, and is going
to school again; and Dr. Clerke, being by, do tell me that he is a fine
boy; but I durst not answer anything, because I durst not invite him to
my house, for fear of my wife; and therefore, to my great trouble, was
forced to neglect that discourse. But here Mr. Pierce, I asking him
whither he was going, told me as a great secret that he was going to his
master's mistress, Mrs. Churchill, with some physic; meaning for the pox
I suppose, or else that she is got with child. This evening I observed
my wife mighty dull, and I myself was not mighty fond, because