to themselves, and then another story that he valued not all the world’s curses, for two pence he shall get at any time the prayers of some poor body that is worth a 1000 of all their curses; Lord Norwich drawing a tooth at a health.  Another time, he and Pinchbacke and Dr. Goffe, now a religious man, Pinchbacke did begin a frolick to drink out of a glass with a toad in it that he had taken up going out to shit, he did it without harm.  Goffe, who knew sacke would kill the toad, called for sacke; and when he saw it dead, says he, “I will have a quick toad, and will not drink from a dead toad.”

     ["They swallow their own contradictions as easily as a hector can
     drink a frog in a glass of wine.”—­Benlivoglio and Urania, book v.,
     p. 92, 3rd edit.—­B.]

By that means, no other being to be found, he escaped the health.  Thence home, and dined, and to Deptford and got all my pictures put into wherries, and my other fine things, and landed them all very well, and brought them home, and got Sympson to set them all up to-night; and he gone, I and the boy to finish and set up my books, and everything else in my house, till two o’clock; in the morning, and then to bed; but mightily troubled, and even in my sleep, at my missing four or five of my biggest books.  Speed’s Chronicle and Maps, and the two parts of Waggoner, and a book of cards, which I suppose I have put up with too much care, that I have forgot where they are; for sure they are not stole.  Two little pictures of sea and ships and a little gilt frame belonging to my plate of the River, I want; but my books do heartily trouble me.  Most of my gilt frames are hurt, which also troubles me, but most my books.  This day I put on two shirts, the first time this year, and do grow well upon it; so that my disease is nothing but wind.

20th.  Up, much troubled about my books, but cannot, imagine where they should be.  Up, to the setting my closet to rights, and Sir W. Coventry takes me at it, which did not displease me.  He and I to discourse about our accounts, and the bringing them to the Parliament, and with much content to see him rely so well on my part.  He and I together to Broad Streete to the Vice-Chamberlain, and there discoursed a while and parted.  My Lady Carteret come to town, but I did not see her.  He tells me how the fleete is come into the Downes.  Nothing done, nor French fleete seen:  we drove all from our anchors.  But he says newes is come that De Ruyter is dead, or very near it, of a hurt in his mouth, upon the discharge of one of his own guns; which put him into a fever, and he likely to die, if not already dead.  We parted, and I home to dinner, and after dinner to the setting things in order, and all my people busy about the same work.  In the afternoon, out by coach, my wife with me, which we have not done several weeks now, through all the ruines, to shew her them, which frets her much, and is a sad sight indeed.  Set her down at her brother’s,