17th (Friday).  Called up by Balty’s coming, who gives me a good account of his voyage, and pleases me well, and I hope hath got something.  This morning paid the Royall Society L1 6s., and so to the office all the morning.  At noon home to dinner with my people, and there much pretty discourse of Balty’s.  So by coach to White Hall:  the coachman on Ludgate Hill ’lighted, and beat a fellow with a sword, 2s. 6d.  Did little business with the Duke of York.  Hear that the House is upon the business of Harman, who, they say, takes all on himself.  Thence, with Brouncker, to the King’s house, and saw “The Surprizall,” where base singing, only Knepp,’ who come, after her song in the clouds, to me in the pit, and there, oranges, 2s.  After the play, she, and I, and Rolt, by coach, 6s. 6d., to Kensington, and there to the Grotto, and had admirable pleasure with their singing, and fine ladies listening to us:  with infinite pleasure, I enjoyed myself:  so to the tavern there, and did spend 16s. 6d., and the gardener 2s.  Mighty merry, and sang all the way to the town, a most pleasant evening, moonshine, and set them at her house in Covent Garden, and I home and to bed.

18th (Saturday).  Up, and my bookseller brought home books, bound—­the binding comes to 17s.  Advanced to my maid Bridget L1.  Sir W. Pen at the Office, seemingly merry.  Do hear this morning that Harman is committed by the Parliament last night, the day he come up, which is hard; but he took all upon himself first, and then when a witness come in to say otherwise, he would have retracted; and the House took it so ill, they would commit him.  Thence home to dinner with my clerks, and so to White Hall by water, 1s., and there a short Committee for Tangier, and so I to the King’s playhouse, 1s., and to the play of the “Duke of Lerma,” 2s. 6d., and oranges, 1s.  Thence by coach to Westminster, 1s., and the House just up, having been about money business, 1s.  So home by coach, 3s., calling in Duck Lane, and did get Des Cartes’ Musique in English,’ and so home and wrote my letters, and then to my chamber to save my eyes, and to bed.

19th (Sunday).  Lay long.  Roger Pepys and his son come, and to Church with me, where W. Pen was, and did endeavour to shew himself to the Church.  Then home to dinner, and Roger Pepys did tell me the whole story of Harman, how he prevaricated, and hath undoubtedly been imposed on, and wheedled; and he is called the miller’s man that, in Richard the Third’s time, was hanged for his master.

[The story alluded to by Pepys, which belongs not to the reign of Richard iii., but to that of Edward vi., occurred during a seditious outbreak at Bodmin, in Cornwall, and is thus related by Holinshed:  “At the same time, and neare the same place [Bodmin], dwelled a miller, that had beene a greate dooer in that rebellion, for whom also Sir Anthonie Kingston sought:  but the miller being thereof warned, called a