12th.  Up, and to the office, where we sat all the morning, with several things (among others) discoursed relating to our two new assistant controllers, but especially Sir W. Pen, who is mighty troublesome in it.  At noon home to dinner, and then to the office again, and there did much business, and by and by comes Mr. Moore, who in discourse did almost convince me that it is necessary for my Lord Sandwich to come home end take his command at sea this year, for that a peace is like to be.  Many considerations he did give me hereupon, which were very good both in reference to the publick and his private condition.  By and by with Lord Bruncker by coach to his house, there to hear some Italian musique:  and here we met Tom Killigrew, Sir Robert Murray, and the Italian Signor Baptista, who hath composed a play in Italian for the Opera, which T. Killigrew do intend to have up; and here he did sing one of the acts.  He himself is the poet as well as the musician; which is very much, and did sing the whole from the words without any musique prickt, and played all along upon a harpsicon most admirably, and the composition most excellent.  The words I did not understand, and so know not how they are fitted, but believe very well, and all in the recitativo very fine.  But I perceive there is a proper accent in every country’s discourse, and that do reach in their setting of notes to words, which, therefore, cannot be natural to any body else but them; so that I am not so much smitten with it as, it may be, I should be, if I were acquainted with their accent.  But the whole composition is certainly most excellent; and the poetry, T. Killigrew and Sir R. Murray, who understood the words, did say was excellent.  I confess I was mightily pleased with the musique.  He pretends not to voice, though it be good, but not excellent.  This done, T. Killigrew and I to talk:  and he tells me how the audience at his house is not above half so much as it used to be before the late fire.  That Knipp is like to make the best actor that ever come upon the stage, she understanding so well:  that they are going to give her L30 a-year more.  That the stage is now by his pains a thousand times better and more glorious than ever heretofore.  Now, wax-candles, and many of them; then, not above 3 lbs. of tallow:  now, all things civil, no rudeness anywhere; then, as in a bear-garden then, two or three fiddlers; now, nine or ten of the best then, nothing but rushes upon the ground, and every thing else mean; and now, all otherwise:  then, the Queen seldom and the King never would come; now, not the King only for state, but all civil people do think they may come as well as any.  He tells me that he hath gone several times, eight or ten times, he tells me, hence to Rome to hear good musique; so much he loves it, though he never did sing or play a note.  That he hath ever endeavoured in the late King’s time, and in this, to introduce good musique, but he never could do it, there never having been any musique here better than ballads.  Nay, says, “Hermitt poore” and “Chevy Chese”