he told me how the pretty woman that I always loved at the beginning of Cheapside that sells child’s coats was served by the Lady Bennett (a famous strumpet), who by counterfeiting to fall into a swoon upon the sight of her in her shop, became acquainted with her, and at last got her ends of her to lie with a gentleman that had hired her to procure this poor soul for him.  To Westminster to my Lord’s, and there in the house of office vomited up all my breakfast, my stomach being ill all this day by reason of the last night’s debauch.  Here I sent to Mr. Bowyer’s for my chest and put up my books and sent them home.  I staid here all day in my Lord’s chamber and upon the leads gazing upon Diana, who looked out of a window upon me.  At last I went out to Mr. Harper’s, and she standing over the way at the gate, I went over to her and appointed to meet to-morrow in the afternoon at my Lord’s.  Here I bought a hanging jack.  From thence by coach home by the way at the New Exchange

[In the Strand; built, under the auspices of James I., in 1608, out of the stables of Durham House, the site of the present Adelphi.  The New Exchange stood where Coutts’s banking-house now is.  “It was built somewhat on the model of the Royal Exchange, with cellars beneath, a walk above, and rows of shops over that, filled chiefly with milliners, sempstresses, and the like.”  It was also called “Britain’s Burse.”  “He has a lodging in the Strand . . . to watch when ladies are gone to the china houses, or to the Exchange, that he may meet them by chance and give them presents, some two or three hundred pounds worth of toys, to be laughed at”—­Ben Jonson, The Silent Woman, act i. sc. 1.]

I bought a pair of short black stockings, to wear over a pair of silk ones for mourning; and here I met with The.  Turner and Joyce, buying of things to go into mourning too for the Duke, which is now the mode of all the ladies in town), where I wrote some letters by the post to Hinchinbroke to let them know that this day Mr. Edw.  Pickering is come from my Lord, and says that he left him well in Holland, and that he will be here within three or four days.  To-day not well of my last night’s drinking yet.  I had the boy up to-night for his sister to teach him to put me to bed, and I heard him read, which he did pretty well.

23rd (Lord’s day).  My wife got up to put on her mourning to-day and to go to Church this morning.  I up and set down my journall for these 5 days past.  This morning came one from my father’s with a black cloth coat, made of my short cloak, to walk up and down in.  To church my wife and I, with Sir W. Batten, where we heard of Mr. Mills a very good sermon upon these words, “So run that ye may obtain.”  After dinner all alone to Westminster.  At Whitehall I met with Mr. Pierce and his wife (she newly come forth after childbirth) both in mourning for the Duke of Gloucester.  She went with Mr. Child to Whitehall chapel and Mr. Pierce with me to