15th.  My father came and drank his morning draft with me, and sat with me till I was ready, and so he and I about the business of the cloth.  By and by I left him and went and dined with my Lady, who, now my Lord is gone, is come to her poor housekeeping again.  Then to my father’s, who tells me what he has done, and we resolved upon two pieces of scarlet, two of purple, and two of black, and L50 in linen.  I home, taking L300 with me home from Alderman Backwell’s.  After writing to my Lord to let him know what I had done I was going to bed, but there coming the purser of the King’s yacht for victualls presently, for the Duke of York is to go down to-morrow, I got him to promise stowage for these things there, and so I went to bed, bidding Will go and fetch the things from the carrier’s hither, which about 12 o’clock were brought to my house and laid there all night.

16th (Lord’s day).  But no purser coming in the morning for them, and I hear that the Duke went last night, and so I am at a great loss what to do; and so this day (though the Lord’s day) staid at home, sending Will up and down to know what to do.  Sometimes thinking to continue my resolution of sending by the carrier to be at Deal on Wednesday next, sometimes to send them by sea by a vessel on purpose, but am not yet come to a resolution, but am at a very great loss and trouble in mind what in the world to do herein.  The afternoon (while Will was abroad) I spent in reading “The Spanish Gypsey,” a play not very good, though commended much.  At night resolved to hire a Margate Hoy, who would go away to-morrow morning, which I did, and sent the things all by him, and put them on board about 12 this night, hoping to have them as the wind now serves in the Downs to-morrow night.  To-bed with some quiet of mind, having sent the things away.

17th.  Visited this morning by my old friend Mr. Ch.  Carter, who staid and went to Westminster with me, and there we parted, and I to the Wardrobe and dined with my Lady.  So home to my painters, who are now about painting my stairs.  So to the office, and at night we all went to Sir W. Pen’s, and there sat and drank till 11 at night, and so home and to bed.

18th.  All this morning at home vexing about the delay of my painters, and about four in the afternoon my wife and I by water to Captain Lambert’s, where we took great pleasure in their turret-garden, and seeing the fine needle-works of his wife, the best I ever saw in my life, and afterwards had a very handsome treat and good musique that she made upon the harpsicon, and with a great deal of pleasure staid till 8 at night, and so home again, there being a little pretty witty child that is kept in their house that would not let us go without her, and so fell a-crying by the water-side.  So home, where I met Jack Cole, who staid with me a good while, and is still of the old good humour that we were of at school together, and I am very glad to see him.  He gone, I went to bed.