19th.  Lay long in bed, so to the office, where all the morning.  At noon dined with Sir W. Warren at the Pope’s Head.  So back to the office, and there met with the Commissioners of the Ordnance, where Sir W. Pen being almost drunk vexed me, and the more because Mr. Chichly observed it with me, and it was a disparagement to the office.  They gone I to my office.  Anon comes home my wife from Brampton, not looked for till Saturday, which will hinder me of a little pleasure, but I am glad of her coming.  She tells me Pall’s business with Ensum is like to go on, but I must give, and she consents to it, another 100.  She says she doubts my father is in want of money, for rents come in mighty slowly.  My mother grows very unpleasant and troublesome and my father mighty infirm through his old distemper, which altogether makes me mighty thoughtfull.  Having heard all this and bid her welcome I to the office, where late, and so home, and after a little more talk with my wife, she to bed and I after her.

20th.  Up, and after an houre or two’s talke with my poor wife, who gives me more and more content every day than other, I abroad by coach to Westminster, and there met with Mrs. Martin, and she and I over the water to Stangold, and after a walke in the fields to the King’s Head, and there spent an houre or two with pleasure with her, and eat a tansy and so parted, and I to the New Exchange, there to get a list of all the modern plays which I intend to collect and to have them bound up together.  Thence to Mr. Hales’s, and there, though against his particular mind, I had my landskipp done out, and only a heaven made in the roome of it, which though it do not please me thoroughly now it is done, yet it will do better than as it was before.  Thence to Paul’s Churchyarde, and there bespoke some new books, and so to my ruling woman’s and there did see my work a doing, and so home and to my office a little, but was hindered of business I intended by being sent for to Mrs. Turner, who desired some discourse with me and lay her condition before me, which is bad and poor.  Sir Thomas Harvey intends again to have lodgings in her house, which she prays me to prevent if I can, which I promised.  Thence to talke generally of our neighbours.  I find she tells me the faults of all of them, and their bad words of me and my wife, and indeed do discover more than I thought.  So I told her, and so will practise that I will have nothing to do with any of them.  She ended all with a promise of shells to my wife, very fine ones indeed, and seems to have great respect and honour for my wife.  So home and to bed.