"yes, and was afeard,"
but rose with the other maid, and found nothing; but heard a noise in
the great stack of chimnies that goes from Sir J. Minnes through our
house; and so we sent, and their chimnies have been swept this morning,
and the noise was that, and nothing else. It is one of the most
extraordinary accidents in my life, and gives ground to think of Don
Quixote's adventures how people may be surprised, and the more from an
accident last night, that our young gibb-cat

[A male cat. "Gib" is a contraction of the Christian name Gilbert
(Old French), "Tibert".

"I am melancholy as a gib-cat"

Shakespeare, I Henry IV, act i., sc. 3.

Gib alone is also used, and a verb made from it--"to gib," or act
like a cat.]

did leap down our stairs from top to bottom, at two leaps, and frighted
us, that we could not tell well whether it was the cat or a spirit, and
do sometimes think this morning that the house might be haunted. Glad
to have this so well over, and indeed really glad in my mind, for I
was much afeard, I dressed myself and to the office both forenoon
and afternoon, mighty hard putting papers and things in order to my
extraordinary satisfaction, and consulting my clerks in many things,
who are infinite helps to my memory and reasons of things, and so being
weary, and my eyes akeing, having overwrought them to-day reading so
much shorthand, I home and there to supper, it being late, and to bed.
This morning Sir W. Pen and I did walk together a good while, and
he tells me that the Houses are not likely to agree after their free
conference yesterday, and he fears what may follow.

30th. Up, and to the office, where all the morning, and then by coach
to Arundel House, to the election of Officers for the next year; where I
was near being chosen of the Council, but am glad I was not, for I could
not have attended, though, above all things, I could wish it; and do
take it as a mighty respect to have been named there. The company
great, and the elections long, and then to Cary House, a house now of
entertainment, next my Lord Ashly's; and there, where I have heretofore
heard Common Prayer in the time of Dr. Mossum, we after two hours' stay,
sitting at the table with our napkins open, had our dinners brought,
but badly done. But here was good company. I choosing to sit next
Dr. Wilkins, Sir George Ent, and others whom I value, there talked