26th.  Early to White Hall, thinking to have a meeting of my Lord and the principal officers, but my Lord could not, it being the day that he was to go and be admitted in the House of Lords, his patent being done, which he presented upon his knees to the Speaker; and so it was read in the House, and he took his place.  I at the Privy Seal Office with Mr. Hooker, who brought me acquainted with Mr. Crofts of the Signet, and I invited them to a dish of meat at the Leg in King Street, and so we dined there and I paid for all and had very good light given me as to my employment there.  Afterwards to Mr. Pierces, where I should have dined but I could not, but found Mr. Sheply and W. Howe there.  After we had drunk hard we parted, and I went away and met Dr. Castle, who is one of the Clerks of the Privy Seal, and told him how things were with my Lord and me, which he received very gladly.  I was this day told how Baron against all expectation and law has got the place of Bickerstaffe, and so I question whether he will not lay claim to wait the next month, but my Lord tells me that he will stand for it.  In the evening I met with T. Doling, who carried me to St. James’s Fair,

[August, 1661:  “This year the Fair, called St. James’s Fair, was kept the full appointed time, being a fortnight; but during that time many lewd and infamous persons were by his Majesty’s express command to the Lord Chamberlain, and his Lordship’s direction to Robert Nelson, Esq., committed to the House of Correction.”—­Rugge’s Diurnal.  St; James’s fair was held first in the open space near St. James’s Palace, and afterwards in St. James’s Market.  It was prohibited by the Parliament in 1651, but revived at the Restoration.  It was, however, finally suppressed before the close of the reign of Charles ii.]

and there meeting with W. Symons and his wife, and Luellin, and D. Scobell’s wife and cousin, we went to Wood’s at the Pell Mell

     [This is one of the earliest references to Pall Mall as an inhabited
     street, and also one of the earliest uses of the word clubbing.]

(our old house for clubbing), and there we spent till 10 at night, at which time I sent to my Lord’s for my clerk Will to come to me, and so by link home to bed.  Where I found Commissioner Willoughby had sent for all his things away out of my bedchamber, which is a little disappointment, but it is better than pay too dear for them.

27th:  The last night Sir W. Batten and Sir W. Pen came to their houses at the office.  Met this morning and did business till noon.  Dined at home and from thence to my Lord’s where Will, my clerk, and I were all the afternoon making up my accounts, which we had done by night, and I find myself worth about L100 after all my expenses.  At night I sent to W. Bowyer to bring me L100, being that he had in his hands of my Lord’s. in keeping, out of which I paid Mr. Sheply all that remained due to my Lord upon my balance, and took the rest home with me late at night.  We got a coach, but the horses were tired and could not carry us farther than St. Dunstan’s.  So we ’light and took a link and so home weary to bed.