the Abbey, where I expected to hear Mr. Baxter or Mr. Rowe preach their farewell sermon, and in Mr. Symons’s pew I sat and heard Mr. Rowe.  Before sermon I laughed at the reader, who in his prayer desires of God that He would imprint his word on the thumbs of our right hands and on the right great toes of our right feet.  In the midst of the sermon some plaster fell from the top of the Abbey, that made me and all the rest in our pew afeard, and I wished myself out.  After sermon with Mr. Pierce to Whitehall, and from thence to my Lord, but Diana did not come according to our agreement.  So calling at my father’s (where my wife had been this afternoon but was gone home) I went home.  This afternoon, the King having news of the Princess being come to Margate, he and the Duke of York went down thither in barges to her.

24th (Office day).  From thence to dinner by coach with my wife to my Cozen Scott’s, and the company not being come, I went over the way to the Barber’s.  So thither again to dinner, where was my uncle Fenner and my aunt, my father and mother, and others.  Among the rest my Cozen Rich.  Pepys,

     [Richard Pepys, eldest son of Richard Pepys, Lord Chief Justice of
     Ireland.  He went to Boston, Mass., in 1634, and returned to England
     about 1646.]

their elder brother, whom I had not seen these fourteen years, ever since he came from New England.  It was strange for us to go a gossiping to her, she having newly buried her child that she was brought to bed of.  I rose from table and went to the Temple church, where I had appointed Sir W. Batten to meet him; and there at Sir Heneage Finch Sollicitor General’s chambers, before him and Sir W. Wilde,

[William Wilde, elected Recorder on November 3rd, 1659, and appointed one of the commissioners sent to Breda to desire Charles ii. to return to England immediately.  He was knighted after the King’s return, called to the degree of Serjeant, and created a baronet, all in the same year.  In 1668 he ceased to be Recorder, and was appointed judge of the Court of Common Pleas.  In 1673 he was removed to the King’s Bench.  He was turned out of his office in 1679 on account of his action in connection with the Popish Plot, and died November 23rd of the same year.]

Recorder of London (whom we sent for from his chamber) we were sworn justices of peace for Middlesex, Essex, Kent, and Southampton; with which honour I did find myself mightily pleased, though I am wholly ignorant in the duty of a justice of peace.  From thence with Sir William to Whitehall by water (old Mr. Smith with us) intending to speak with Secretary Nicholas about the augmentation of our salaries, but being forth we went to the Three Tuns tavern, where we drank awhile, and then came in Col.  Slingsby and another gentleman and sat with us.  From thence to my Lord’s to enquire whether they have had any thing from my Lord or no.  Knocking at the door, there passed me Mons. L’Impertinent [Mr. Butler] for whom I took a coach and went with him to a dancing meeting in Broad Street, at the house that was formerly the glass-house, Luke Channel, Master of the School, where I saw good dancing, but it growing late, and the room very full of people and so very hot, I went home.