Produced by David Widger
(Unabridged)
1661-62. January 1st. Waking this morning out of my sleep on a sudden, Idid with my elbow hit my wife a great blow over her face and nose, whichwaked her with pain, at which I was sorry, and to sleep again. Up andwent forth with Sir W. Pen by coach towards Westminster, and in my wayseeing that the "Spanish Curate" was acted today, I light and let him goalone, and I home again and sent to young Mr. Pen and his sister to goanon with my wife and I to the Theatre. That done, Mr. W. Pen came to meand he and I walked out, and to the Stacioner's, and looked over somepictures and traps for my house, and so home again to dinner, and by andby came the two young Pens, and after we had eat a barrel of oysters wewent by coach to the play, and there saw it well acted, and a good play itis, only Diego the Sexton did overdo his part too much. From thence home,and they sat with us till late at night at cards very merry, but the jestwas Mr. W. Pen had left his sword in the coach, and so my boy and he runout after the coach, and by very great chance did at the Exchange meetwith the coach and got his sword again. So to bed.
2nd. An invitation sent us before we were up from my Lady Sandwich's, tocome and dine with her: so at the office all the morning, and at noonthither to dinner, where there was a good and great dinner, and thecompany, Mr. William Montagu and his Lady (but she seemed so far from thebeauty that I expected her from my Lady's talk to be, that it put me intoan ill humour all the day, to find my expectation so lost), Mr. Rurttballand Townsend and their wives. After dinner, borne by water, and so to theoffice till night, and then I went forth, by appointment, to meet with Mr.Grant, who promised to meet me at the Coffee-house to bring me acquaintedwith Cooper the great limner in little, but they deceived me, and so Iwent home, and there sat at my lute and singing till almost twelve atnight, and so to bed. Sir Richd. Fanshaw is come suddenly from Portugall,but nobody knows what his business is.
3rd. Lay long in bed, and so up and abroad to several places about pettybusinesses. Among others to Tom's, who I find great hopes of that he willdo well, which I am glad of, and am not now so hasty to get a wife for himas I was before. So to dinner to my Lord Crew's with him and his Lady,and after dinner to Faithorne's, and there bought some pictures of him;and while I was there, comes by the King's life-guard, he being gone toLincoln's Inn this afternoon to see the Revells there; there being,according to an old custom, a prince and all his nobles, and other mattersof sport and charge. So home, and up to my chamber to look over my papersand other things, my mind being much troubled for these four or five daysbecause of my present great expense, and will be so till I cast up and seehow my estate stands, and that I am loth to do for fear I have spent toomuch, and delay it the rather that I may pay for my pictures and mywife's, and the book that I am buying for Paul's S