Treasurer's, Sir Thomas Clifford, where I did go and eat some oysters;
which while we were at, in comes my Lord Keeper and much company; and so I
thought it best to withdraw. And so away, and to the Swedes Agent's, and
there met Mr. Povy; where the Agent would have me stay and dine, there
being only them, and Joseph Williamson, and Sir Thomas Clayton; but what
he is I know not. Here much extraordinary noble discourse of foreign
princes, and particularly the greatness of the King of France, and of his
being fallen into the right way of making the kingdom great, which [none]
of his ancestors ever did before. I was mightily pleased with this
company and their discourse, so as to have been seldom so much in all my
life, and so after dinner up into his upper room, and there did see a
piece of perspective, but much inferior to Mr. Povy's. Thence with Mr.
Povy spent all the afternoon going up and down among the coachmakers in
Cow Lane, and did see several, and at last did pitch upon a little
chariott, whose body was framed, but not covered, at the widow's, that
made Mr. Lowther's fine coach; and we are mightily pleased with it, it
being light, and will be very genteel and sober: to be covered with
leather, and yet will hold four. Being much satisfied with this, I
carried him to White Hall; and so by coach home, where give my wife a good
account of my day's work, and so to the office, and there late, and so to
bed.
6th. Up, and presently my wife up with me, which she professedly now do
every day to dress me, that I may not see Willet, and do eye me, whether I
cast my eye upon her, or no; and do keep me from going into the room where
she is among the upholsters at work in our blue chamber. So abroad to
White Hall by water, and so on for all this day as I have by mistake set
down in the fifth day after this mark.
[In the margin here is the following: "Look back one leaf
for my mistake."]
In the room of which I should have said that I was at the office all the
morning, and so to dinner, my wife with me, but so as I durst not look
upon the girle, though, God knows, notwithstanding all my protestations I
could not keep my mind from desiring it. After dinner to the office
again, and there did some business, and then by coach to see Roger Pepys
at his lodgings, next door to Arundell House, a barber's; and there I did
see a book, which my Lord Sandwich hath promised one to me of, "A
Description of the Escuriall
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