er I was in in my life), a little woman comes stumbling to the
entry steps in the dark; whom asking who she was, she enquired for my
house. So knowing her voice, and telling her 'su donna' is come home
she went away. But, Lord! in what a trouble was I, when she was gone,
to recollect whether this was not the second time of her coming, but at
last concluding that she had not been here before, I did bless myself
in my good fortune in getting home before her, and do verily believe she
had loitered some time by the way, which was my great good fortune, and
so I in a-doors and there find all well. So my heart full of joy, I to
the office awhile, and then home, and after supper and doing a little
business in my chamber I to bed, after teaching Barker a little of my
song.

12th. Up, and to the office, where we sat all the morning, with several
things (among others) discoursed relating to our two new assistant
controllers, but especially Sir W. Pen, who is mighty troublesome in it.
At noon home to dinner, and then to the office again, and there did much
business, and by and by comes Mr. Moore, who in discourse did almost
convince me that it is necessary for my Lord Sandwich to come home end
take his command at sea this year, for that a peace is like to be. Many
considerations he did give me hereupon, which were very good both in
reference to the publick and his private condition. By and by with Lord
Bruncker by coach to his house, there to hear some Italian musique: and
here we met Tom Killigrew, Sir Robert Murray, and the Italian Signor
Baptista, who hath composed a play in Italian for the Opera, which T.
Killigrew do intend to have up; and here he did sing one of the acts. He
himself is the poet as well as the musician; which is very much, and did
sing the whole from the words without any musique prickt, and played
all along upon a harpsicon most admirably, and the composition most
excellent. The words I did not understand, and so know not how they are
fitted, but believe very well, and all in the recitativo very fine. But
I perceive there is a proper accent in every country's discourse, and
that do reach in their setting of notes to words, which, therefore,
cannot be natural to any body else but them; so that I am not so much
smitten with it as, it may be, I should be, if I were acquainted with
their accent. But the whole composition is certainly most excellent; and
the poetry, T. Killigrew and Sir R. Murray, who understood t