e men of the Court, have been these four or
five days a-hunting at Bagshot.

22nd (Lord's day). At my chamber all the morning making up some
accounts, to my great content. At noon comes Mr. Sheres, whom I find a
good, ingenious man, but do talk a little too much of his travels. He
left my Lord Sandwich well, but in pain to be at home for want of money,
which comes very hardly. Most of the afternoon talking of Spain, and
informing him against his return how things are here, and so spent most
of the afternoon, and then he parted, and then to my chamber busy till
my eyes were almost blind with writing and reading, and I was fain to
get the boy to come and write for me, and then to supper, and Pelling
come to me at supper, and then to sing a Psalm with him, and so parted
and to bed, after my wife had read some thing to me (to save my eyes)
in a good book. This night I did even my accounts of the house, which
I have to my great shame omitted now above two months or more, and
therefore am content to take my wife's and mayd's accounts as they give
them, being not able to correct them, which vexes me; but the fault
being my own, contrary to my wife's frequent desires, I cannot find
fault, but am resolved never to let them come to that pass again. The
truth is, I have indulged myself more in pleasure for these last two
months than ever I did in my life before, since I come to be a person
concerned in business; and I doubt, when I come to make up my accounts,
I shall find it so by the expence.

23rd. Up, and walked to the Exchange, there to get a coach but failed,
and so was forced to walk a most dirty walk to the Old Swan, and there
took boat, and so to the Exchange, and there took coach to St. James's
and did our usual business with the Duke of York. Thence I walked over
the Park to White Hall and took water to Westminster, and there, among
other things, bought the examinations of the business about the Fire of
London, which is a book that Mrs. Pierce tells me hath been commanded to
be burnt. The examinations indeed are very plain. Thence to the Excise
office, and so to the Exchange, and did a little business, and so home
and took up my wife, and so carried her to the other end, where I 'light
at my Lord Ashly's, by invitation, to dine there, which I did, and
Sir H. Cholmly, Creed, and Yeabsly, upon occasion of the business of
Yeabsly, who, God knows, do bribe him very well for it; and it is pretty
to see how this great man do