17th (Lord’s day).  At church in the morning, a stranger preached a good honest and painfull sermon.  My wife and I dined upon a chine of beef at Sir W. Batten’s, so to church again.  Then home, and put some papers in order.  Then to supper at Sir W. Batten’s again, where my wife by chance fell down and hurt her knees exceedingly.  So home and to bed.

18th.  This morning early Sir W. Batten went to Rochester, where he expects to be chosen Parliament man.  At the office all the morning, dined at home and with my wife to Westminster, where I had business with the Commissioner for paying the seamen about my Lord’s pay, and my wife at Mrs. Hunt’s.  I called her home, and made inquiry at Greatorex’s and in other places to hear of Mr. Barlow (thinking to hear that he is dead), but I cannot find it so, but the contrary.  Home and called at my Lady Batten’s, and supped there, and so home.  This day an ambassador from Florence was brought into the town in state.  Good hopes given me to-day that Mrs. Davis is going away from us, her husband going shortly to Ireland.  Yesterday it was said was to be the day that the Princess Henrietta was to marry the Duke d’Anjou’ in France.  This day I found in the newes-booke that Roger Pepys is chosen at Cambridge for the town, the first place that we hear of to have made their choice yet.  To bed with my head and mind full of business, which do a little put me out of order, and I do find myself to become more and more thoughtful about getting of money than ever heretofore.

19th.  We met at the office this morning about some particular business, and then I to Whitehall, and there dined with my Lord, and after dinner Mr. Creed and I to White-Fryars, where we saw “The Bondman” acted most excellently, and though I have seen it often, yet I am every time more and more pleased with Betterton’s action.  From thence with him and young Mr. Jones to Penell’s in Fleet Street, and there we drank and talked a good while, and so I home and to bed.

20th.  At the office all the morning, dined at home and Mr. Creed and Mr. Shepley with me, and after dinner we did a good deal of business in my study about my Lord’s accounts to be made up and presented to our office.  That done to White Hall to Mr. Coventry, where I did some business with him, and so with Sir W. Pen (who I found with Mr. Coventry teaching of him upon the map to understand Jamaica).

     [Sir William Penn was well fitted to give this information, as it
     was he who took the island from the Spaniards in 1655.]

By water in the dark home, and so to my Lady Batten’s where my wife was, and there we sat and eat and drank till very late, and so home to bed.  The great talk of the town is the strange election that the City of London made yesterday for Parliament-men; viz.  Fowke, Love, Jones, and . . . men that are so far from being episcopall that they are thought to be Anabaptists; and chosen with a great deal of zeal, in spite of the other party that thought themselves very strong, calling out in the Hall, “No Bishops! no Lord Bishops!” It do make people to fear it may come to worse, by being an example to the country to do the same.  And indeed the Bishops are so high, that very few do love them.