pleasant to hear an ordinary lady hard by us, that it seems did not know her before, say, being told who she was, that “she was well enough.”  Thence home, and I ended and sent away my letter to Mr. Coventry (having first read it and had the opinion of Sir W. Warren in the case), and so home to supper and to bed, my cold being pretty well gone, but my eye remaining still snare and rhumey, which I wonder at, my right eye ayling nothing.

8th.  Up with some little discontent with my wife upon her saying that she had got and used some puppy-dog water, being put upon it by a desire of my aunt Wight to get some for her, who hath a mind, unknown to her husband, to get some for her ugly face.  I to the office, where we sat all the morning, doing not much business through the multitude of counsellors, one hindering another.  It was Mr. Coventry’s own saying to me in his coach going to the ’Change, but I wonder that he did give me no thanks for my letter last night, but I believe he did only forget it.  Thence home, whither Luellin came and dined with me, but we made no long stay at dinner; for “Heraclius” being acted, which my wife and I have a mighty mind to see, we do resolve, though not exactly agreeing with the letter of my vowe, yet altogether with the sense, to see another this month, by going hither instead of that at Court, there having been none conveniently since I made my vowe for us to see there, nor like to be this Lent, and besides we did walk home on purpose to make this going as cheap as that would have been, to have seen one at Court, and my conscience knows that it is only the saving of money and the time also that I intend by my oaths, and this has cost no more of either, so that my conscience before God do after good consultation and resolution of paying my forfeit, did my conscience accuse me of breaking my vowe, I do not find myself in the least apprehensive that I have done any violence to my oaths.  The play hath one very good passage well managed in it, about two persons pretending, and yet denying themselves, to be son to the tyrant Phocas, and yet heire of Mauritius to the crowne.  The garments like Romans very well.  The little girle is come to act very prettily, and spoke the epilogue most admirably.  But at the beginning, at the drawing up of the curtaine, there was the finest scene of the Emperor and his people about him, standing in their fixed and different pastures in their Roman habitts, above all that ever I yet saw at any of the theatres.  Walked home, calling to see my brother Tom, who is in bed, and I doubt very ill of a consumption.  To the office awhile, and so home to supper and to bed.

9th.  Up pretty betimes to my office, where all day long, but a little at home at dinner, at my office finishing all things about Mr. Wood’s contract for masts, wherein I am sure I shall save the King L400 before I have done.  At night home to supper and to bed.

10th.  Up and to the office, where all the morning doing business, and at noon to the ’Change and there very busy, and so home to dinner with my wife, to a good hog’s harslet,