5th (Lord’s day).  Lay in bed most of the morning, then up and down to my chamber, among my new books, which is now a pleasant sight to me to see my whole study almost of one binding.  So to dinner, and all the afternoon with W. Hewer at my office endorsing of papers there, my business having got before me much of late.  In the evening comes to see me Mr. Sheply, lately come out of the country, who goes away again to-morrow, a good and a very kind man to me.  There come also Mr. Andrews and Hill, and we sang very pleasantly; and so, they being gone, I and my wife to supper, and to prayers and bed.

6th.  Up and with Sir J. Minnes and Sir W. Pen to St. James’s, but the Duke is gone abroad.  So to White Hall to him, and there I spoke with him, and so to Westminster, did a little business, and then home to the ’Change, where also I did some business, and went off and ended my contract with the “Kingfisher” I hired for Tangier, and I hope to get something by it.  Thence home to dinner, and visited Sir W. Batten, who is sick again, worse than he was, and I am apt to think is very ill.  So to my office, and among other things with Sir W. Warren 4 hours or more till very late, talking of one thing or another, and have concluded a firm league with him in all just ways to serve him and myself all I can, and I think he will be a most usefull and thankfull man to me.  So home to supper and to bed.  This being one of the coldest days, all say, they ever felt in England; and I this day, under great apprehensions of getting an ague from my putting a suit on that hath lain by without ayring a great while, and I pray God it do not do me hurte.

7th.  Up and to my office, where busy all the morning, and at home to dinner.  It being Shrove Tuesday, had some very good fritters.  All the afternoon and evening at the office, and at night home to supper and to bed.  This day, Sir W. Batten, who hath been sicke four or five days, is now very bad, so as people begin to fear his death; and I am at a loss whether it will be better for me to have him die, because he is a bad man, or live, for fear a worse should come.

8th.  Up and by coach to my Lord Peterborough’s, where anon my Lord Ashly and Sir Thomas Ingram met, and Povy about his accounts, who is one of the most unhappy accountants that ever I knew in all my life, and one that if I were clear in reference to my bill of L117 he should be hanged before I would ever have to do with him, and as he understands nothing of his business himself, so he hath not one about him that do.  Here late till I was weary, having business elsewhere, and thence home by coach, and after dinner did several businesses and very late at my office, and so home to supper and to bed.

9th.  Up and to my office, where all the morning very busy.  At noon home to dinner, and then to my office again, where Sir William Petty come, among other things to tell me that Mr. Barlow

     [Thomas Barlow, Pepys’s predecessor as Clerk of the Acts, to whom he
     paid part of the salary.  Barlow held the office jointly with Dennis
     Fleeting.]