14th (Lord’s day).  Up, and to read a little in my new History of Turkey, and so with my wife to church, and then home, where is little Michell and my pretty Betty and also Mercer, and very merry.  A good dinner of roast beef.  After dinner I away to take water at the Tower, and thence to Westminster, where Mrs. Martin was not at home.  So to White Hall, and there walked up and down, and among other things visited Sir G. Carteret, and much talk with him, who is discontented, as he hath reason, to see how things are like to come all to naught, and it is very much that this resolution of having of country Admirals should not come to his eares till I told him the other day, so that I doubt who manages things.  From him to Margaret’s Church, and there spied Martin, and home with her . . . . . but fell out to see her expensefullness, having bought Turkey work, chairs, &c.  By and by away home, and there took out my wife, and the two Mercers, and two of our mayds, Barker and Jane, and over the water to the Jamaica House, where I never was before, and there the girls did run for wagers over the bowling-green; and there, with much pleasure, spent little, and so home, and they home, and I to read with satisfaction in my book of Turkey, and so to bed.

15th.  Lay long in bed, and by and by called up by Sir H. Cholmly, who tells me that my Lord Middleton is for certain chosen Governor of Tangier; a man of moderate understanding, not covetous, but a soldier of fortune, and poor.  Here comes Mr. Sanchy with an impertinent business to me of a ticket, which I put off.  But by and by comes Dr. Childe by appointment, and sat with me all the morning making me bases and inward parts to several songs that I desired of him, to my great content.  Then dined, and then abroad by coach, and I set him down at Hatton Garden, and I to the King’s house by chance, where a new play:  so full as I never saw it; I forced to stand all the while close to the very door till I took cold, and many people went away for want of room.  The King, and Queene, and Duke of York and Duchesse there, and all the Court, and Sir W. Coventry.  The play called “The Change of Crownes;” a play of Ned Howard’s, the best that ever I saw at that house, being a great play and serious; only Lacy did act the country-gentleman come up to Court, who do abuse the Court with all the imaginable wit and plainness about selling of places, and doing every thing for money.  The play took very much.  Thence I to my new bookseller’s, and there bought “Hooker’s Polity,” the new edition, and “Dugdale’s History of the Inns of Court,” of which there was but a few saved out of the fire, and Playford’s new Catch-book, that hath a great many new fooleries in it.  Then home, a little at the office, and then to supper and to bed, mightily pleased with the new play.