9th.  Up, and to the office, where sat all the morning, and after noon to the office again till night, mighty busy getting Mr. Fist to come and help me, my own clerks all busy, and so in the evening to ease my eyes, and with my wife and Deb. and Betty Turner, by coach to Unthanke’s and back again, and then to supper and to bed.

10th.  Up, and to attend the Council, but all in vain, the Council spending all the morning upon a business about the printing of the Critickes, a dispute between the first Printer, one Bee that is dead, and the Abstractor, who would now print his Abstract, one Poole.  So home to dinner, and thence to Haward’s to look upon an Espinette, and I did come near the buying one, but broke off.  I have a mind to have one.  So to Cooper’s; and there find my wife and W. Hewer and Deb., sitting, and painting; and here he do work finely, though I fear it will not be so like as I expected:  but now I understand his great skill in musick, his playing and setting to the French lute most excellently; and speaks French, and indeed is an excellent man.  Thence, in the evening, with my people in a glass hackney-coach to the park, but was ashamed to be seen.  So to the lodge, and drank milk, and so home to supper and to bed.

11th.  At the office all the morning.  After dinner to the King’s playhouse, to see an old play of Shirly’s, called “Hide Parker” the first day acted; where horses are brought upon the stage but it is but a very moderate play, only an excellent epilogue spoke by Beck Marshall.  Thence home and to my office, and then to supper and to bed, and overnight took some pills,

12th.  Which work with me pretty betimes, being Lord’s day, and so I within all day.  Busy all the morning upon some accounts with W. Hewer, and at noon, an excellent dinner, comes Pelling and W. Howe, and the latter staid and talked with me all the afternoon, and in the evening comes Mr. Mills and his wife and supped and talked with me, and so to bed.  This last night Betty Michell about midnight cries out, and my wife goes to her, and she brings forth a girl, and this afternoon the child is christened, and my wife godmother again to a Betty.

13th.  Up, and to my office, and thence by water to White Hall to attend the Council, but did not, and so home to dinner, and so out with my wife, and Deb., and W. Hewer towards Cooper’s, but I ’light and walked to Ducke Lane, and there to the bookseller’s; at the Bible, whose moher je have a mind to, but elle no erat dentro, but I did there look upon and buy some books, and made way for coming again to the man, which pleases me.  Thence to Reeves’s, and there saw some, and bespoke a little perspective, and was mightily pleased with seeing objects in a dark room.  And so to Cooper’s, and spent the afternoon with them; and it will be an excellent picture.  Thence my people all by water to Deptford, to see Balty, while I to buy my espinette,

     [Espinette is the French term for a small harpsichord, at that time
     called in England a spinet.  It was named from a fancied resemblance
     of its quill plectra to spines or thorns.]