New Exchange to find one, but could not.  So down to the Milke-house, and drank three glasses of whay, and then up into the Strand again, and there met with a coach, and so to Joyce’s and took up my father, wife, sister, and Mercer, and to Islington, where we drank, and then our tour by Hackney home, where, after a little, business at my office and then talke with my Lady and Pegg Pen in the garden, I home and to bed, being very weary.

18th.  Up betimes and in my chamber most of the morning setting things to rights there, my Journall and accounts with my father and brother, then to the office a little, and so to Lumbard Streete, to borrow a little money upon a tally, but cannot.  Thence to the Exchequer, and there after much wrangling got consent that I should have a great tally broken into little ones.  Thence to Hales’s to see how my father’s picture goes on, which pleases me mighty well, though I find again, as I did in Mrs. Pierce’s, that a picture may have more of a likeness in the first or second working than it shall have when finished, though this is very well and to my full content, but so it is, and certainly mine was not so like at the first, second, or third sitting as it was afterward.  Thence to my Lord Bellasses, by invitation, and there dined with him, and his lady and daughter; and at dinner there played to us a young boy, lately come from France, where he had been learning a yeare or two on the viallin, and plays finely.  But impartially I do not find any goodnesse in their ayres (though very good) beyond ours when played by the same hand, I observed in several of Baptiste’s’

[Jean Baptiste Lulli, son of a Tuscan peasant, born 1633, died 1687.  He invented the dramatic overture.  “But during the first years of Charles ii. all musick affected by the beau mond run in the french way; and the rather because at that time the master of the court musick in France, whose name was Baptista (an Italian frenchifyed) had influenced the french style by infusing a great portion of the Italian harmony into it, whereby the ayre was exceedingly improved” (North’s “Memoires of Musick,” ed.  Rimbault, 1846, p, 102).]

(the present great composer) and our Bannister’s.  But it was pretty to see how passionately my Lord’s daughter loves musique, the most that ever I saw creature in my life.  Thence after dinner home and to the office and anon to Lumbard Streete again, where much talke at Colvill’s, he censuring the times, and how matters are ordered, and with reason enough; but, above all, the thinking to borrow money of the City, which will not be done, but be denied, they being little pleased with the King’s affairs, and that must breed differences between the King and the City.  Thence down by water to Deptford, to order things away to the fleete and back again, and after some business at my office late home to supper and to bed.  Sir W. Coventry is returned this night from the fleete, he being the activest man in the world, and we all (myself particularly) more afeard of him than of the King or his service, for aught I see; God forgive us!  This day the great newes is come of the French, their taking the island of St. Christopher’s’ from us; and it is to be feared they have done the like of all those islands thereabouts this makes the city mad.