22nd.  At the office all the morning.  At noon Sir Williams both and I by water down to the Lewes, Captain Dekins, his ship, a merchantman, where we met the owners, Sir John Lewes and Alderman Lewes, and several other great merchants; among others one Jefferys, a merry man that is a fumbler, and he and I called brothers, and he made all the mirth in the company.  We had a very fine dinner, and all our wives’ healths, with seven or nine guns apiece; and exceeding merry we were, and so home by barge again, and I vexed to find Griffin leave the office door open, and had a design to have carried away the screw or the carpet in revenge to him, but at last I would not, but sent for him and chid him, and so to supper and to bed, having drank a great deal of wine.

23rd (Lord’s day).  This morning was brought me my boy’s fine livery, which is very handsome, and I do think to keep to black and gold lace upon gray, being the colour of my arms, for ever.  To church in the morning, and so home with Sir W. Batten, and there eat some boiled great oysters, and so home, and while I was at dinner with my wife I was sick, and was forced to vomit up my oysters again, and then I was well.  By and by a coach came to call me by my appointment, and so my wife and I carried to Westminster to Mrs. Hunt’s, and I to Whitehall, Worcester House, and to my Lord Treasurer’s to have found Sir G. Carteret, but missed in all these places.  So back to White Hall, and there met with Captn.  Isham, this day come from Lisbon, with letters from the Queen to the King.  And he did give me letters which speak that our fleet is all at Lisbon;

[One of these letters was probably from John Creed.  Mr. S. J. Davey, of 47, Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, in 1889 had in his possession nine long letters from Creed to Pepys.  In the first of these, dated from Lisbon, March, 1662, Creed wrote:  “My Lord Embassador doth all he can to hasten the Queen’s Majestie’s embarquement, there being reasons enough against suffering any unnecessary delay.”  There appear to have been considerable delays in the arrangements for the following declaration of Charles ii. was dated June 22nd, 1661:  “Charles R. Whereas his Maj. is resolved to declare, under his Royall hand and seale, the most illustrious Lady Infanta of Portugall to be his lawfull wife, before the Treaty shall be signed by the King of Portugall; which is to be done only for the better expediting the marriage, without sending to Rome for a dispensation, which the laws of Portugall would require if the said most Illustrious Infanta were to be betrothed in that Kingdome,” &c.]

and that the Queen do not intend to embarque sooner than tomorrow come fortnight.  So having sent for my wife, she and I to my Lady Sandwich, and after a short visit away home.  She home, and I to Sir G. Carteret’s about business, and so home too, and Sarah having her fit we went to bed.