dinner the worst dressed that ever I eat any, then home, and there found Kate Joyce and Harman come to see us.  With them, after long talk, abroad by coach, a tour in the fields, and drunk at Islington, it being very pleasant, the dust being laid by a little rain, and so home very well pleased with this day’s work.  So after a while at my office to supper and to bed.  This day we hear that the Duke and the fleete are sailed yesterday.  Pray God go along with them, that they have good speed in the beginning of their worke.

22nd.  Up, and Mr. Caesar, my boy’s lute-master, being come betimes to teach him, I did speak with him seriously about the boy, what my mind was, if he did not look after his lute and singing that I would turn him away; which I hope will do some good upon the boy.  All the morning busy at the office.  At noon dined at home, and then to the office again very busy till very late, and so home to supper and to bed.  My wife making great preparation to go to Court to Chappell to-morrow.  This day I have newes from Mr. Coventry that the fleete is sailed yesterday from Harwich to the coast of Holland to see what the Dutch will do.  God go along with them!

23rd (Lord’s day).  Mr. Povy, according to promise, sent his coach betimes, and I carried my wife and her woman to White Hall Chappell and set them in the Organ Loft, and I having left to untruss went to the Harp and Ball and there drank also, and entertained myself in talke with the mayde of the house, a pretty mayde and very modest.  Thence to the Chappell and heard the famous young Stillingfleete, whom I knew at Cambridge, and is now newly admitted one of the King’s chaplains; and was presented, they say, to my Lord Treasurer for St. Andrew’s, Holborne, where he is now minister, with these words:  that they (the Bishops of Canterbury, London, and another) believed he is the ablest young man to preach the Gospel of any since the Apostles.  He did make the most plain, honest, good, grave sermon, in the most unconcerned and easy yet substantial manner, that ever I heard in my life, upon the words of Samuell to the people, “Fear the Lord in truth with all your heart, and remember the great things that he hath done for you.”  It being proper to this day, the day of the King’s Coronation.  Thence to Mr. Povy’s, where mightily treated, and Creed with us.  But Lord! to see how Povy overdoes every thing in commending it, do make it nauseous to me, and was not (by reason of my large praise of his house) over acceptable to my wife.  Thence after dinner Creed and we by coach took the ayre in the fields beyond St. Pancras, it raining now and then, which it seems is most welcome weather, and then all to my house, where comes Mr. Hill, Andrews, and Captain Taylor, and good musique, but at supper to hear the arguments we had against Taylor concerning a Corant, he saying that the law of a dancing Corant is to have every barr to end in a pricked crochet and quaver, which I did deny, was very strange.  It proceeded till I vexed him, but all parted friends, for Creed and I to laugh at when he was gone.  After supper, Creed and I together to bed, in Mercer’s bed, and so to sleep.