they having sat all day; and
with great difficulty have got a vote for giving the King L300,000, not to
be raised by any land-tax. The sum is much smaller than I expected, and
than the King needs; but is grounded upon Mr. Wren's reading our estimates
the other day of L270,000, to keep the fleete abroad, wherein we demanded
nothing for setting and fitting of them out, which will cost almost
L200,000, I do verily believe: and do believe that the King hath no cause
to thank Wren for this motion. I home to Sir W. Coventry's lodgings, with
him and the Lieutenant of the Tower, where also was Sir John Coventry, and
Sir John Duncomb, and Sir Job Charleton. And here a great deal of good
discourse: and they seem mighty glad to have this vote pass, which I did
wonder at, to see them so well satisfied with so small a sum, Sir John
Duncomb swearing, as I perceive he will freely do, that it was as much as
the nation could beare. Among other merry discourse about spending of
money, and how much more chargeable a man's living is now more than it was
heretofore, Duncomb did swear that in France he did live of L100 a year
with more plenty, and wine and wenches, than he believes can be done now
for L200, which was pretty odd for him, being a Committee-man's son, to
say. Having done here, and supped, where I eat very little, we home in
Sir John Robinson's coach, and there to bed.

27th. All the morning at the office, and at noon home to dinner, and
thence with my wife and Deb. to the King's House, to see "The Virgin
Martyr," the first time it hath been acted a great while: and it is mighty
pleasant; not that the play is worth much, but it is finely acted by Becke
Marshall. But that which did please me beyond any thing in, the whole
world was the wind-musique when the angel comes down, which is so sweet
that it ravished me, and indeed, in a word, did wrap up my soul so that it
made me really sick, just as I have formerly been when in love with my
wife; that neither then, nor all the evening going home, and at home, I
was able to think of any thing, but remained all night transported, so as
I could not believe that ever any musick hath that real command over the
soul of a man as this did upon me: and makes me resolve to practice
wind-musique, and to make my wife do the like.

28th. Up, and to the office, where all the morning doing business, and
after dinner with Sir W. Pen to White Hall, where we and the rest of us
presented a grea