two
or three years absence. She is come to put out her sister and brothers
to school at Putney. After a little talk, I over Tower Hill with them to
a lady's they go to visit, and so away with my wife, whose being dressed
this day in fair hair did make me so mad, that I spoke not one word to
her in our going, though I was ready to burst with anger. So to White
Hall to the Committee of Tangier, where they were discoursing about laws
for the civil government of the place, but so dull and so little to the
purpose that I fell to slumber, when the fear of being seen by Sir W.
Coventry did trouble me much afterwards, but I hope he did not. After
that broke up. Creed and I into the Park, and walked, a most pleasant
evening, and so took coach, and took up my wife, and in my way home
discovered my trouble to my wife for her white locks,

[Randle Holmes says the ladies wore "false locks set on wyres, to
make them stand at a distance from the head," and accompanies the
information with the figure of a lady "with a pair of locks and
curls which were in great fashion in 1670" (Planche's "Cyclopaedia
of Costume;" Vol. i., p. 248).]

swearing by God, several times, which I pray God forgive me for, and
bending my fist, that I would not endure it. She, poor wretch,

[A new light is thrown upon this favourite expression of Pepys's
when speaking of his wife by the following quotation from a Midland
wordbook: "Wretch, n., often used as an expression of endearment or
sympathy. Old Woman to Young Master: 'An''ow is the missis to-day,
door wretch?' Of a boy going to school a considerable distance off
'I met 'im with a bit o' bread in 'is bag, door wretch'" ("A
Glossary of Words and Phrases used in S.E. Worcestershire," by Jesse
Salisbury. Published by the English Dialect Society, 1894).]

was surprized with it, and made me no answer all the way home; but there
we parted, and I to the office late, and then home, and without supper
to bed, vexed.

12th (Lord's day). Up, and to my chamber, to settle some accounts there,
and by and by down comes my wife to me in her night-gown, and we begun
calmly, that upon having money to lace her gown for second mourning, she
would promise to wear white locks no more in my sight, which I, like a
severe fool, thinking not enough, begun to except against, and made her
fly out to very high terms and cry, and in her heat told me of keeping
com