22d (Lord’s day).  Up betimes and in my office wrote out our bill for the Parliament about our being made justices of Peace in the City.  So home and to church, where a dull formall fellow that prayed for the Right Hon. John Lord Barkeley, Lord President of Connaught, &c.  So home to dinner, and after dinner my wife and I and her woman by coach to Westminster, where being come too soon for the Christening we took up Mr. Creed and went out to take some ayre, as far as Chelsey and further, I lighting there and letting them go on with the coach while I went to the church expecting to see the young ladies of the school, Ashwell desiring me, but I could not get in far enough, and so came out and at the coach’s coming back went in again and so back to Westminster, and led my wife and her to Captain Ferrers, and I to my Lord Sandwich, and with him talking a good while; I find the Court would have this Indulgence go on, but the Parliament are against it.  Matters in Ireland are full of discontent.  Thence with Mr. Creed to Captain Ferrers, where many fine ladies; the house well and prettily furnished.  She [Mrs. Ferrers] lies in, in great state, Mr. G. Montagu, Collonel Williams, Cromwell that was,

[Colonel Williams—­“Cromwell that was”—­appears to have been Henry Cromwell, grandson of Sir Oliver Cromwell, and first cousin, once removed, to the Protector.  He was seated at Bodsey House, in the parish of Ramsey, which had been his father’s residence, and held the commission of a colonel.  He served in several Parliaments for Huntingdonshire, voting, in 1660, for the restoration of the monarchy; and as he knew the name of Cromwell would not be grateful to the Court, he disused it, and assumed that of Williams, which had belonged to his ancestors; and he is so styled in a list of knights of the proposed Order of the Royal Oak.  He died at Huntingdon, 3rd August, 1673. (Abridged from Noble’s “Memoirs of the Cromwells,” vol. i., p. 70.)—­B.]

and Mrs. Wright as proxy for my Lady Jemimah, were witnesses.  Very pretty and plentiful entertainment, could not get away till nine at night, and so home.  My coach cost me 7s.  So to prayers, and to bed.  This day though I was merry enough yet I could not get yesterday’s quarrel out of my mind, and a natural fear of being challenged by Holmes for the words I did give him, though nothing but what did become me as a principal officer.

23rd.  Up betimes and to my office, before noon my wife and I eat something, thinking to have gone abroad together, but in comes Mr. Hunt, who we were forced to stay to dinner, and so while that was got ready he and I abroad about 2 or 3 small businesses of mine, and so back to dinner, and after dinner he went away, and my wife and I and Ashwell by coach, set my wife down at her mother’s and Ashwell at my Lord’s, she going to see her father and mother, and I to Whitehall, being fearful almost, so poor a spirit I have, of meeting Major Holmes.