25th.  All day at home doing something in order to the fitting of my house.  In the evening to Westminster about business.  So home and to bed.  This night the vault at the end of the cellar was emptied.

26th.  Office.  My father and Dr. Thomas Pepys dined at my house, the last of whom I did almost fox with Margate ale.  My father is mightily pleased with my ordering of my house.  I did give him money to pay several bills.  After that I to Westminster to White Hall, where I saw the Duke de Soissons go from his audience with a very great deal of state:  his own coach all red velvet covered with gold lace, and drawn by six barbes, and attended by twenty pages very rich in clothes.  To Westminster Hall, and bought, among, other books, one of the Life of our Queen, which I read at home to my wife; but it was so sillily writ, that we did nothing but laugh at it:  among other things it is dedicated to that paragon of virtue and beauty, the Duchess of Albemarle.  Great talk as if the Duke of York do now own the marriage between him and the Chancellor’s daughter.

27th.  In London and Westminster all this day paying of money and buying of things for my house.  In my going I went by chance by my new Lord Mayor’s house (Sir Richard Browne), by Goldsmith’s Hall, which is now fitting, and indeed is a very pretty house.  In coming back I called at Paul’s Churchyard and bought Alsted’s Encyclopaedia,’ which cost me 38s.  Home and to bed, my wife being much troubled with her old pain.

28th (Lord’s day).  There came some pills and plaister this morning from Dr. Williams for my wife.  I to Westminster Abbey, where with much difficulty, going round by the cloysters, I got in; this day being a great day for the consecrating of five Bishopps, which was done after sermon; but I could not get into Henry the Seventh’s chappell.  So I went to my Lord’s, where I dined with my Lady, and my young Lord, and Mr. Sidney, who was sent for from Twickenham to see my Lord Mayor’s show to-morrow.  Mr. Child did also dine with us.  After dinner to White Hall chappell; my Lady and my Lady Jemimah and I up to the King’s closet (who is now gone to meet the Queen).  So meeting with one Mr. Hill, that did know my Lady, he did take us into the King’s closet, and there we did stay all service-time, which I did think a great honour.  We went home to my Lord’s lodgings afterwards, and there I parted with my Lady and went home, where I did find my wife pretty well after her physic.  So to bed.

29th.  I up early, it being my Lord Mayor’s day,

[When the calendar was reformed in England by the act 24 Geo. II. c. 23, different provisions were made as regards those anniversaries which affect directly the rights of property and those which do not.  Thus the old quarter days are still noted in our almanacs, and a curious survival of this is brought home to payers of income tax.  The fiscal year still begins on old