17th.  Visited this morning by my old friend Mr. Ch.  Carter, who staid and went to Westminster with me, and there we parted, and I to the Wardrobe and dined with my Lady.  So home to my painters, who are now about painting my stairs.  So to the office, and at night we all went to Sir W. Pen’s, and there sat and drank till 11 at night, and so home and to bed.

18th.  All this morning at home vexing about the delay of my painters, and about four in the afternoon my wife and I by water to Captain Lambert’s, where we took great pleasure in their turret-garden, and seeing the fine needle-works of his wife, the best I ever saw in my life, and afterwards had a very handsome treat and good musique that she made upon the harpsicon, and with a great deal of pleasure staid till 8 at night, and so home again, there being a little pretty witty child that is kept in their house that would not let us go without her, and so fell a-crying by the water-side.  So home, where I met Jack Cole, who staid with me a good while, and is still of the old good humour that we were of at school together, and I am very glad to see him.  He gone, I went to bed.

19th.  All the morning almost at home, seeing my stairs finished by the painters, which pleases me well.  So with Mr. Moore to Westminster Hall, it being term, and then by water to the Wardrobe, where very merry, and so home to the office all the afternoon, and at night to the Exchange to my uncle Wight about my intention of purchasing at Brampton.  So back again home and at night to bed.  Thanks be to God I am very well again of my late pain, and to-morrow hope to be out of my pain of dirt and trouble in my house, of which I am now become very weary.  One thing I must observe here while I think of it, that I am now become the most negligent man in the world as to matters of news, insomuch that, now-a-days, I neither can tell any, nor ask any of others.

20th.  At home the greatest part of the day to see my workmen make an end, which this night they did to my great content.

21st.  This morning going to my father’s I met him, and so he and I went and drank our morning draft at the Samson in Paul’s Churchyard, and eat some gammon of bacon, &c., and then parted, having bought some green Say—­[A woollen cloth.  “Saye clothe serge.”—­Palsgrave.]—­for curtains in my parler.  Home, and so to the Exchequer, where I met with my uncle Wight, and home with him to dinner, where among others (my aunt being out of town), Mr. Norbury and I did discourse of his wife’s house and land at Brampton, which I find too much for me to buy.  Home, and in the afternoon to the office, and much pleased at night to see my house begin to be clean after all the dirt.

22nd.  Abroad all the morning about several businesses.  At noon went and dined with my Lord Crew, where very much made of by him and his lady.  Then to the Theatre, “The Alchymist,”—­[Comedy by Ben Jonson, first printed in 1612.]—­which is a most incomparable play.  And that being done I met with little Luellin and Blirton, who took me to a friend’s of theirs in Lincoln’s Inn fields, one Mr. Hodges, where we drank great store of Rhenish wine and were very merry.  So I went home, where I found my house now very clean, which was great content to me.