m for a new wife; for they will all
be unsafe under the Duke of York. He says the King and Parliament will
agree; that is, that the King will do any thing that they will have him.
We together to the Exchequer about our Tangier orders, and so parted at
the New Exchange, where I staid reading Mrs. Phillips's poems till my
wife and Mercer called me to Mrs. Pierces, by invitation to dinner,
where I find her painted, which makes me loathe her, and the nastiest
poor dinner that made me sick, only here I met with a Fourth Advice to
the Painter upon the coming in of the Dutch to the River and end of the
war, that made my heart ake to read, it being too sharp, and so true.
Here I also saw a printed account of the examinations taken, touching
the burning of the City of London, shewing the plot of the Papists
therein; which, it seems, hath been ordered and to have been burnt by
the hands of the hangman, in Westminster Palace. I will try to get one
of them. After dinner she showed us her closet, which is pretty, with
her James's picture done by Hales, but with a mighty bad hand, which is
his great fault that he do do negligently, and the drapery also not
very good. Being tired of being here, and sick of their damned sluttish
dinner, my wife and Mercer and I away to the King's play-house, to see
the "Scornfull Lady;" but it being now three o'clock there was not one
soul in the pit; whereupon, for shame, we would not go in, but, against
our wills, went all to see "Tu Quoque" again, where there is a pretty
store of company, and going with a prejudice the play appeared better
to us. Here we saw Madam Morland, who is grown mighty fat, but is very
comely. But one of the best arts of our sport was a mighty pretty lady
that sat behind, that did laugh so heartily and constantly, that it did
me good to hear her. Thence to the King's house, upon a wager of mine
with my wife, that there would be no acting there today, there being
no company: so I went in and found a pretty good company there, and saw
their dance at the end of he play, and so to the coach again, and to the
Cock ale house, and there drank in our coach, and so home, and my wife
read to me as last night, and so to bed vexed with our dinner to-day,
and myself more with being convinced that Mrs. Pierce paints, so that
henceforth to be sure I shall loathe her.

17th. Up, and at the office all the morning, where Mr. Wren come to us
and sat with us, only to learn, and do intend to come