Mrs. Pierce, who continues her complexion as well as ever, and hath, at this day, I think, the best complexion that ever I saw on any woman, young or old, or child either, all days of my life.  Also Mrs. Clerke’s kinswoman sings very prettily, but is very confident in it; Mrs. Clerke herself witty, but spoils all in being so conceited and making so great a flutter with a few fine clothes and some bad tawdry things worne with them.  But the charge of the barge lies heavy upon me, which troubles me, but it is but once, and I may make Pierce do me some courtesy as great.  Being come home, I weary to bed with sitting.  The reason of Dr. Clerke’s not being here was the King’s being sicke last night and let blood, and so he durst not come away to-day.

7th.  Up, and this day begun, the first day this year, to put off my linnen waistcoat, but it happening to be a cool day I was afraid of taking cold, which troubles me, and is the greatest pain I have in the world to think of my bad temper of my health.  At the office all the morning.  Dined at home, to my office to prepare some things against a Committee of Tangier this afternoon.  So to White Hall, and there found the Duke and twenty more reading their commission (of which I am, and was also sent to, to come) for the Royall Fishery, which is very large, and a very serious charter it is; but the company generally so ill fitted for so serious a worke that I do much fear it will come to little.  That being done, and not being able to do any thing for lacke of an oathe for the Governor and Assistants to take, we rose.  Then our Committee for the Tangier victualling met and did a little, and so up, and I and Mr. Coventry walked in the garden half an hour, talking of the business of our masts, and thence away and with Creed walked half an hour or more in the Park, and thence to the New Exchange to drink some creame, but missed it and so parted, and I home, calling by the way for my new bookes, viz., Sir H. Spillman’s “Whole Glossary,” “Scapula’s Lexicon,” and Shakespeare’s plays, which I have got money out of my stationer’s bills to pay for.  So home and to my office a while, and then home and to bed, finding myself pretty well for all my waistecoate being put off to-day.  The king is pretty well to-day, though let blood the night before yesterday.

8th.  Up and called out by my Lord Peterborough’s gentleman to Mr. Povy’s to discourse about getting of his money, wherein I am concerned in hopes of the L50 my Lord hath promised me, but I dare not reckon myself sure of it till I have it in my main,—­[hand.]—­for these Lords are hard to be trusted.  Though I well deserve it.  I staid at Povy’s for his coming in, and there looked over his stables and every thing, but notwithstanding all the times I have been there I do yet find many fine things to look on.  Thence to White Hall a little, to hear how the King do, he not having been well these three days.  I find that he is pretty well again.  So to Paul’s Churchyarde about my books, and to the binder’s and directed the doing of my Chaucer,