did understand from my Lady Jemimah that her brother
Hinchingbroke’s business was to be ended this
day, as she thinks, towards his match, and they do
talk here of their intent to buy themselves some new
clothes against the wedding, which I am very glad of.
After dinner I did even with Sir G. Carteret the accounts
of the interest of the money which I did so long put
out for him in Sir R. Viner’s hands, and by
it I think I shall be a gainer about L28, which is
a very good reward for the little trouble I have had
in it. Thence with Sir Philip Carteret to the
King’s playhouse, there to see “Love’s
Cruelty,” an old play, but which I have not
seen before; and in the first act Orange Moll come
to me, with one of our porters by my house, to tell
me that Mrs. Pierce and Knepp did dine at my house
to-day, and that I was desired to come home.
So I went out presently, and by coach home, and they
were just gone away so, after a very little stay with
my wife, I took coach again, and to the King’s
playhouse again, and come in the fourth act; and it
proves to me a very silly play, and to everybody else,
as far as I could judge. But the jest is, that
here telling Moll how I had lost my journey, she told
me that Mrs. Knepp was in the house, and so shews me
to her, and I went to her, and sat out the play, and
then with her to Mrs. Manuel’s, where Mrs. Pierce
was, and her boy and girl; and here I did hear Mrs.
Manuel and one of the Italians, her gallant, sing well.
But yet I confess I am not delighted so much with
it, as to admire it: for, not understanding the
words, I lose the benefit of the vocalitys of the
musick, and it proves only instrumental; and therefore
was more pleased to hear Knepp sing two or three little
English things that I understood, though the composition
of the other, and performance, was very fine.
Thence, after sitting and talking a pretty while, I
took leave and left them there, and so to my bookseller’s,
and paid for the books I had bought, and away home,
where I told my wife where I had been. But she
was as mad as a devil, and nothing but ill words between
us all the evening while we sat at cards—W.
Hewer and the girl by—even to gross ill
words, which I was troubled for, but do see that I
must use policy to keep her spirit down, and to give
her no offence by my being with Knepp and Pierce,
of which, though she will not own it, yet she is heartily
jealous. At last it ended in few words and my
silence (which for fear of growing higher between
us I did forbear), and so to supper and to bed without
one word one to another. This day I did carry
money out, and paid several debts. Among others,
my tailor, and shoemaker, and draper, Sir W. Turner,
who begun to talk of the Commission of accounts, wherein
he is one; but though they are the greatest people
that ever were in the nation as to power, and like
to be our judges, yet I did never speak one word to
him of desiring favour, or bidding him joy in it,
but did answer him to what he said, and do resolve