now past all use almost; and I am
mighty hot upon trying the late printed experiment of paper tubes.

[An account of these tubulous spectacles ("An easy help for decayed
sight") is given in "The Philosophical Transactions," No. 37, pp.
727,731 (Hutton's Abridgment, vol. i., p. 266). See Diary, August
12th and 23rd, post.]

AUGUST 1668

August 1st. All the morning at the office. After dinner my wife, and
Deb., and I, to the King's house again, coming too late yesterday to
hear the prologue, and do like the play better now than before; and,
indeed, there is a great deal of true wit in it, more than in the common
sort of plays, and so home to my business, and at night to bed, my eyes
making me sad.

2nd. (Lord's day). Up and at home all the morning, hanging, and removing
of some pictures, in my study and house. At noon Pelling dined with me.
After dinner, I and Tom, my boy, by water up to Putney, and there heard
a sermon, and many fine people in the church. Thence walked to Barne
Elmes, and there, and going and coming, did make the boy read to me
several things, being now-a-days unable to read myself anything, for
above two lines together, but my eyes grow weary. Home about night, and
so to supper and then to bed.

3rd. Up, and by water to White Hall and St. James's, where I did much
business, and about noon meeting Dr. Gibbons, carried him to the Sun
taverne, in King Street, and there made him, and some friends of his,
drink; among others, Captain Silas Taylor, and here did get Gibbons to
promise me some things for my flageolets. So to the Old Exchange, and
then home to dinner, and so, Mercer dining with us, I took my wife
and her and Deb. out to Unthanke's, while I to White Hall to the
Commissioners of the Treasury, and so back to them and took them out to
Islington, where we met with W. Joyce and his wife and boy, and there
eat and drank, and a great deal of his idle talk, and so we round by
Hackney home, and so to sing a little in the garden, and then to bed.

4th. Up, and to my office a little, and then to White Hall about a
Committee for Tangier at my Lord Arlington's, where, by Creed's being
out of town, I have the trouble given me of drawing up answers to the
complaints of the Turks of Algiers, and so I have all the papers put
into my hand. Here till noon, and then back to the Office, where sat a
little, and then to dinner, and presently to the office, where come to
me my Lord Bel