[Whilst a hat (see January 28th, 1660-61, ante) cost only 35s.  See also Lord Sandwich’s vexation at his beaver being stolen, and a hat only left in lieu of it, April 30th, 1661, ante; and April 19th and 26th, 1662, Post.—­B.]

28th.  At home all the morning practising to sing, which is now my great trade, and at noon to my Lady and dined with her.  So back and to the office, and there sat till 7 at night, and then Sir W. Pen and I in his coach went to Moorefields, and there walked, and stood and saw the wrestling, which I never saw so much of before, between the north and west countrymen.  So home, and this night had our bed set up in our room that we called the Nursery, where we lay, and I am very much pleased with the room.

29th.  By a letter from the Duke complaining of the delay of the ships that are to be got ready, Sir Williams both and I went to Deptford and there examined into the delays, and were satisfyed.  So back again home and staid till the afternoon, and then I walked to the Bell at the Maypole in the Strand, and thither came to me by appointment Mr. Chetwind, Gregory, and Hartlibb, so many of our old club, and Mr. Kipps, where we staid and drank and talked with much pleasure till it was late, and so I walked home and to bed.  Mr. Chetwind by chewing of tobacco is become very fat and sallow, whereas he was consumptive, and in our discourse he fell commending of “Hooker’s Ecclesiastical Polity,” as the best book, and the only one that made him a Christian, which puts me upon the buying of it, which I will do shortly.

30th (Lord’s day).  To church, where we observe the trade of briefs is come now up to so constant a course every Sunday, that we resolve to give no more to them.

[It appears, from an old Ms. account-book of the collections in the church of St. Olave, Hart Street, beginning in 1642, still extant, that the money gathered on the 30th June, 1661, “for several inhabitants of the parish of St. Dunstan in the West towards their losse by fire,” amounted to “xxs. viiid.”  Pepys might complain of the trade in briefs, as similar contributions had been levied fourteen weeks successively, previous to the one in question at St. Olave’s church.  Briefs were abolished in 1828.—­B.]

A good sermon, and then home to dinner, my wife and I all alone.  After dinner Sir Williams both and I by water to Whitehall, where having walked up and down, at last we met with the Duke of York, according to an order sent us yesterday from him, to give him an account where the fault lay in the not sending out of the ships, which we find to be only the wind hath been against them, and so they could not get out of the river.  Hence I to Graye’s Inn Walk, all alone, and with great pleasure seeing the fine ladies walk there.  Myself humming to myself (which now-a-days is my constant practice since I begun to learn to sing) the trillo, and found by use