I walked to my Lord Bruncker, whom I heard was at Alderman Hooker’s, hoping to see and salute Mrs. Lethulier, whom I did see in passing, but no opportunity of beginning acquaintance, but a very noble lady she is, however the silly alderman got her.  Here we sat talking a great while, Sir The.  Biddulph and Mr. Vaughan, a son-in-law of Alderman Hooker’s.  Hence with my Lord Bruncker home and sat a little with him and so home to bed.

25th (Christmas-day).  To church in the morning, and there saw a wedding in the church, which I have not seen many a day; and the young people so merry one with another, and strange to see what delight we married people have to see these poor fools decoyed into our condition, every man and woman gazing and smiling at them.  Here I saw again my beauty Lethulier.  Thence to my Lord Bruncker’s by invitation and dined there, and so home to look over and settle my papers, both of my accounts private, and those of Tangier, which I have let go so long that it were impossible for any soul, had I died, to understand them, or ever come to any good end in them.  I hope God will never suffer me to come to that disorder again.

26th.  Up, and to the office, where Sir J. Minnes and my Lord Bruncker and I met, to give our directions to the Commanders of all the ships in the river to bring in lists of their ships’ companies, with entries, discharges, &c., all the last voyage, where young Seymour, among 20 that stood bare, stood with his hat on, a proud, saucy young man.  Thence with them to Mr. Cuttle’s, being invited, and dined nobly and neatly; with a very pretty house and a fine turret at top, with winding stairs and the finest prospect I know about all Greenwich, save the top of the hill, and yet in some respects better than that.  Here I also saw some fine writing worke and flourishing of Mr. Hore, he one that I knew long ago, an acquaintance of Mr. Tomson’s at Westminster, that is this man’s clerk.  It is the story of the several Archbishops of Canterbury, engrossed in vellum, to hang up in Canterbury Cathedrall in tables, in lieu of the old ones, which are almost worn out.  Thence to the office a while, and so to Captain Cocke’s and there talked, and home to look over my papers, and so to bed.

27th.  Up, and with Cocke, by coach to London, there home to my wife, and angry about her desiring a mayde yet, before the plague is quite over.  It seems Mercer is troubled that she hath not one under her, but I will not venture my family by increasing it before it be safe.  Thence about many businesses, particularly with Sir W. Warren on the ’Change, and he and I dined together and settled our Tangier matters, wherein I get above L200 presently.  We dined together at the Pope’s Head to do this, and thence to the goldsmiths, I to examine the state of my matters there too, and so with him to my house, but my wife was gone abroad to Mrs. Mercer’s, so we took boat, and it being darke and the thaw having