18th.  Up, and to read more in the “Origines,” and then to the office, where the news is strong that not only the Dutch cannot set out a fleete this year, but that the French will not, and that he hath given the answer to the Dutch Embassador, saying that he is for the King of England’s, having an honourable peace, which, if true, is the best news we have had a good while.  At the office all the morning, and there pleased with the little pretty Deptford woman I have wished for long, and she hath occasion given her to come again to me.  After office I to the ’Change a little, and then home and to dinner, and then by coach with my wife to the Duke of York’s house, and there saw “The Wits,” a play I formerly loved, and is now corrected and enlarged:  but, though I like the acting, yet I like not much in the play now.  The Duke of York and [Sir] W. Coventry gone to Portsmouth, makes me thus to go to plays.  So home, and to the office a little and then home, where I find Goodgroome, and he and I did sing several things over, and tried two or three grace parts in Playford’s new book, my wife pleasing me in singing her part of the things she knew, which is a comfort to my very heart.  So he being gone we to supper and to bed.

19th.  Up, and to the office all the morning, doing a great deal of business.  At noon to dinner betimes, and then my wife and I by coach to the Duke’s house, calling at Lovett’s, where I find my Lady Castlemayne’s picture not yet done, which has lain so many months there, which vexes me, but I mean not to trouble them more after this is done.  So to the playhouse, not much company come, which I impute to the heat of the weather, it being very hot.  Here we saw “Macbeth,”

[See November 5th, 1664.  Downes wrote:  “The Tragedy of Macbeth, alter’d by Sir William Davenant; being drest in all it’s finery, as new cloaths, new scenes, machines as flyings for the Witches; with all the singing and dancing in it.  The first compos’d by Mr. Lock, the other by Mr. Channell and Mr. Joseph Preist; it being all excellently perform’d, being in the nature of an opera, it recompenc’d double the expence; it proves still a lasting play.”]

which, though I have seen it often, yet is it one of the best plays for a stage, and variety of dancing and musique, that ever I saw.  So being very much pleased, thence home by coach with young Goodyer and his own sister, who offered us to go in their coach.  A good-natured youth I believe he is, but I fear will mind his pleasures too much.  She is pretty, and a modest, brown girle.  Set us down, so my wife and I into the garden, a fine moonshine evening, and there talking, and among other things she tells me that she finds by W. Hewer that my people do observe my minding my pleasure more than usual, which I confess, and am ashamed of, and so from this day take upon me to leave it till Whit-Sunday.  While we were sitting in the garden comes Mrs. Turner