mirth and raillery offended the former so much, that
he did give Tom Killigrew a box on the ear in the
King’s presence, which do much give offence to
the people here at Court, to see how cheap the King
makes himself, and the more, for that the King hath
not only passed by the thing, and pardoned it to Rochester
already, but this very morning the King did publickly
walk up and down, and Rochester I saw with him as
free as ever, to the King’s everlasting shame,
to have so idle a rogue his companion. How Tom
Killigrew takes it, I do not hear. I do also
this day hear that my Lord Privy Seale do accept to
go Lieutenant into Ireland; but whether it be true
or no, I cannot tell. So calling at my shoemaker’s,
and paying him to this day, I home to dinner, and
in the afternoon to Colonel Middleton’s house,
to the burial of his wife, where we are all invited,
and much more company, and had each of us a ring:
and so towards evening to our church, where there
was a sermon preached by Mills, and so home. At
church there was my Lord Brouncker and Mrs. Williams
in our pew, the first time they were ever there or
that I knew that either of them would go to church.
At home comes Castle to me, to desire me to go to
Mr. Pedly, this night, he being to go out of town
to-morrow morning, which I, therefore, did, by hackney-coach,
first going to White Hall to meet with Sir W. Coventry,
but missed him. But here I had a pleasant rencontre
of a lady in mourning, that, by the little light I
had, seemed handsome. I passing by her, I did
observe she looked back again and again upon me, I
suffering her to go before, and it being now duske.
I observed she went into the little passage towards
the Privy Water-Gate, and I followed, but missed her;
but coming back again, I observed she returned, and
went to go out of the Court. I followed her,
and took occasion, in the new passage now built, where
the walke is to be, to take her by the hand, to lead
her through, which she willingly accepted, and I led
her to the Great Gate, and there left her, she telling
me, of her own accord, that she was going as far as,
Charing Cross; but my boy was at the gate, and so je
durst not go out con her, which vexed me, and my mind
(God forgive me) did run apres her toute that night,
though I have reason to thank God, and so I do now,
that I was not tempted to go further. So to
Lincoln’s Inn, where to Mr. Pedly, with whom
I spoke, and did my business presently: and I
find him a man of very good language, and mighty civil,
and I believe very upright: and so home, where
W. Batelier was, and supped with us, and I did reckon
this night what I owed him; and I do find that the
things my wife, of her own head, hath taken (together
with my own, which comes not to above L5), comes to
above L22. But it is the last, and so I am the
better contented; and they are things that are not
trifles, but clothes, gloves, shoes, hoods, &c.
So after supper, to bed.