24th.  Office, and thence with Sir William Batten and Sir William Pen to the parish church to find out a place where to build a seat or a gallery to sit in, and did find one which is to be done speedily.  Hence with them to dinner at a tavern in Thames Street, where they were invited to a roasted haunch of venison and other very good victuals and company.  Hence to Whitehall to the Privy Seal, but nothing to do.  At night by land to my father’s, where I found my mother not very well.  I did give her a pint of sack.  My father came in, and Dr. T. Pepys, who talked with me in French about looking out for a place for him.  But I found him a weak man, and speaks the worst French that ever I heard of one that had been so long beyond sea.  Hence into Pant’s Churchyard and bought Barkley’s Argenis in Latin, and so home and to bed.  I found at home that Captain Burr had sent me 4 dozen bottles of wine today.  The King came back to Whitehall to-night.

25th.  This morning Mr. Turner and I by coach from our office to Whitehall (in our way I calling on Dr. Walker for the papers I did give him the other day, which he had perused and found that the Duke’s counsel had abated something of the former draught which Dr. Walker drew for my Lord) to Sir G. Carteret, where we there made up an estimate of the debts of the Navy for the Council.  At noon I took Mr. Turner and Mr. Moore to the Leg in King Street, and did give them a dinner, and afterward to the Sun Tavern, and did give Mr. Turner a glass of wine, there coming to us Mr. Fowler the apothecary (the judge’s son) with a book of lute lessons which his father had left there for me, such as he formerly did use to play when a young man, and had the use of his hand.  To the Privy Seal, and found some business now again to do there.  To Westminster Hall for a new half-shirt of Mrs. Lane, and so home by water.  Wrote letters by the post to my Lord and to sea.  This night W. Hewer brought me home from Mr. Pim’s my velvet coat and cap, the first that ever I had.  So to bed.

26th (Lord’s day).  With Sir W. Pen to the parish church, where we are placed in the highest pew of all, where a stranger preached a dry and tedious long sermon.  Dined at home.  To church again in the afternoon with my wife; in the garden and on the leads at night, and so to supper and to bed.

27th.  This morning comes one with a vessel of Northdown ale from Mr. Pierce, the purser, to me, and after him another with a brave Turkey carpet and a jar of olives from Captain Cuttance, and a pair of fine turtle-doves from John Burr to my wife.  These things came up to-day in our smack, and my boy Ely came along with them, and came after office was done to see me.  I did give him half a crown because I saw that he was ready to cry to see that he could not be entertained by me here.  In the afternoon to the Privy Seal, where good store of work now toward the end of the month.  From thence with Mr. Mount, Luellin, and others to the Bull head till late, and so home, where about to o’clock Major Hart came to me, whom I did receive with wine and anchovies, which made me so dry that I was ill with them all night, and was fain to have the girle rise and fetch me some drink.