15th.  All the morning at the Commissioners of the Navy about getting out my bill for L650 for the last quarter, which I got done with a great deal of ease, which is not common.  After that with Mr. Turner to the Dolphin and drunk, and so by water to W. Symons, where D. Scobell with his wife, a pretty and rich woman.  Mrs. Symons, a very fine woman, very merry after dinner with marrying of Luellin and D. Scobell’s kinswoman that was there.  Then to my Lord who told me how the King has given him the place of the great Wardrobe.  My Lord resolves to have Sarah again.  I to my father’s, and then to see my uncle and aunt Fenner.  So home and to bed.

16th.  Rose betimes and abroad in one shirt, which brought me a great cold and pain.  Murford took me to Harvey’s by my father’s to drink and told me of a business that I hope to get L5 by.  To my Lord, and so to White Hall with him about the Clerk of the Privy Seal’s place, which he is to have.

Then to the Admiralty, where I wrote same letters.  Here Coll.  Thompson told me, as a great secret; that the Nazeby was on fire when the King was there, but that is not known; when God knows it is quite false.  Got a piece of gold from Major Holmes for the horse of Dixwell’s I brought to town.  Dined at Mr. Crew’s, and after dinner with my Lord to Whitehall.  Court attendance infinite tedious.  Back with my Lord to my Lady Wright’s and staid till it had done raining, which it had not done a great while.  After that at night home to my father’s and to bed.

17th (Lord’s day).  Lay long abed.  To Mr. Mossum’s; a good sermon.  This day the organs did begin to play at White Hall before the King.—­[All organs were removed from churches by an ordinance dated 1644.]—­Dined at my father’s.  After dinner to Mr. Mossum’s again, and so in the garden, and heard Chippell’s father preach, that was Page to the Protector, and just by the window that I stood at sat Mrs. Butler, the great beauty.  After sermon to my Lord.  Mr. Edward and I into Gray’s Inn walks, and saw many beauties.  So to my father’s, where Mr. Cook, W. Bowyer, and my coz Roger Wharton supped and to bed.

18th.  To my Lord’s, where much business and some hopes of getting some money thereby.  With him to the Parliament House, where he did intend to have gone to have made his appearance to-day, but he met Mr. Crew upon the stairs, and would not go in.  He went to Mrs. Brown’s, and staid till word was brought him what was done in the House.  This day they made an end of the twenty men to be excepted from pardon to their estates.  By barge to Stepny with my Lord, where at Trinity House we had great entertainment.  With, my Lord there went Sir W. Pen, Sir H. Wright, Hetly, Pierce; Creed, Hill, I and other servants.  Back again to the Admiralty, and so to my Lord’s lodgings, where he told me that he did look after the place of the Clerk of the Acts—­[The letters patent appointing Pepys to the office of Clerk of the Acts is dated