to visit my Lady Batten and was going home again our way, we went to the Theatre, but coming late, and sitting in an ill place, I never had so little pleasure in a play in my life, yet it was the first time that ever I saw it, “Victoria Corombona.”  Methinks a very poor play.  Then at night troubled to get my wife home, it being very dark, and so we were forced to have a coach.  So to supper and to bed.

3rd.  At the office all the morning; dined at home, and in the afternoon Mr. Moore came to me, and he and I went to Tower Hill to meet with a man, and so back all three to my house, and there I signed a bond to Mr. Battersby, a friend of Mr. Moore’s, who lends me L50, the first money that ever I borrowed upon bond for my own occasion, and so I took them to the Mitre and a Portugal millon with me; there sat and discoursed in matters of religion till night with great pleasure, and so parted, and I home, calling at Sir W. Batten’s, where his son and his wife were, who had yesterday been at the play where we were, and it was good sport to hear how she talked of it with admiration like a fool.  So home, and my head was not well with the wine that I drank to-day.

4th.  By coach to White Hall with Sir W. Pen.  So to Mr. Montagu, where his man, Mons. Eschar, makes a great com plaint against the English, that they did help the Spaniards against the French the other day; and that their Embassador do demand justice of our King, and that he do resolve to be gone for France the next week; which I, and all that I met with, are very glad of.  Thence to Paternoster Row, where my Will did receive the L50 I borrowed yesterday.  I to the Wardrobe to dinner, and there staid most of the afternoon very merry with the ladies.  Then Captain Ferrers and I to the Theatre, and there came too late, so we staid and saw a bit of “Victoria,” which pleased me worse than it did the other day.  So we staid not to see it out, but went out and drank a bottle or two of China ale, and so home, where I found my wife vexed at her people for grumbling to eat Suffolk cheese, which I also am vexed at.  So to bed.

5th.  At the office all the morning, then dined at home, and so staid at home all the afternoon putting up my Lord’s model of the Royal James, which I borrowed of him long ago to hang up in my room.  And at night Sir W. Pen and I alone to the Dolphin, and there eat some bloat-herrings

[To bloat is to dry by smoke, a method chiefly used to cure herrings or bloaters.  “I have more smoke in my mouth than would blote a hundred herrings.”—­Beaumont and Fletcher, Island Princess.  “Why, you stink like so many bloat-herrings newly taken out of the chimney.”—­Ben Jonson, “Masque of Augurs.”]

and drank good sack.  Then came in Sir W. Warren and another and staid a while with us, and then Sir Arnold Brames, with whom we staid late and till we had drank too much wine.  So home and I to bed pleased at my afternoon’s work in hanging up the shipp.  So to bed.