baisado Deb., which je had a great mind to), left
them to go to their coach, and I to the office, where
all the morning busy, and so at noon with my other
clerks (W. Hewer being a day’s journey with
my wife) to dinner, where Mr. Pierce come and dined
with me, and then with Lord Brouncker (carrying his
little kinswoman on my knee, his coach being full),
to the Temple, where my Lord and I ’light and
to Mr. Porter’s chamber, where Cocke and his
counsel, and so to the attorney’s, whither the
Sollicitor-Generall come, and there, their cause about
their assignments on the L1,250,000 Act was argued,
where all that was to be said for them was said, and
so answered by the Sollicitor-Generall beyond what
I expected, that I said not one word all my time,
rather choosing to hold my tongue, and so mind my
reputation with the Sollicitor-Generall, who did mightily
approve of my speech in Parliament, than say anything
against him to no purpose. This I believe did
trouble Cocke and these gentlemen, but I do think this
best for me, and so I do think that the business will
go against them, though it is against my judgment,
and I am sure against all justice to the men to be
invited to part with their goods and be deceived afterward
of their security for payment. Thence with Lord
Brouncker to the Royall Society, where they were just
done; but there I was forced to subscribe to the building
of a College, and did give L40; and several others
did subscribe, some greater and some less sums; but
several I saw hang off: and I doubt it will spoil
the Society, for it breeds faction and ill-will, and
becomes burdensome to some that cannot, or would not,
do it. Here, to my great content, I did try
the use of the Otacousticon,—[Ear trumpet.]—which
was only a great glass bottle broke at the bottom,
putting the neck to my eare, and there I did plainly
hear the dashing of the oares of the boats in the
Thames to Arundell gallery window, which, without it,
I could not in the least do, and may, I believe, be
improved to a great height, which I am mighty glad
of. Thence with Lord Brouncker and several of
them to the King’s Head Taverne by Chancery
Lane, and there did drink and eat and talk, and, above
the rest, I did hear of Mr. Hooke and my Lord an account
of the reason of concords and discords in musique,
which they say is from the equality of vibrations;
but I am not satisfied in it, but will at my leisure
think of it more, and see how far that do go to explain
it. So late at night home with Mr. Colwell,
and parted, and I to the office, and then to Sir W.
Pen to confer with him, and Sir R. Ford and Young,
about our St. John Baptist prize, and so home, without
more supper to bed, my family being now little by
the departure of my wife and two maids.