e, and there buying "The Indian Emperour," newly printed, and
so home to dinner, where I had Mr. Clerke, the sollicitor, and one
of the Auditor's clerks to discourse about the form of making up my
accounts for the Exchequer, which did give me good satisfaction, and so
after dinner, my wife, and Mercer, who grows fat, and Willett, and I, to
the King's house, and there saw "The Committee," a play I like well,
and so at night home and to the office, and so to my chamber about my
accounts, and then to Sir W. Pen's to speak with Sir John Chichly, who
desired my advice about a prize which he hath begged of the King, and
there had a great deal of his foolish talk of ladies and love and I know
not what, and so home to supper and to bed.

29th. Up, and at the office, my Lord Bruncker and I close together
till almost 3 after noon, never stirring, making up a report for the
Committee this afternoon about the business of discharging men by
ticket, which it seems the House is mighty earnest in, but is a foolery
in itself, yet gives me a great deal of trouble to draw up a defence for
the Board, as if it was a crime; but I think I have done it to very good
purpose. Then to my Lady Williams's, with her and my Lord, and there did
eat a snapp of good victuals, and so to Westminster Hall, where we find
the House not up, but sitting all this day about the method of bringing
in the charge against my Lord Chancellor; and at last resolved for a
Committee to draw up the heads, and so rose, and no Committee to sit
tonight. Here Sir W. Coventry and Lord Bruncker and I did in the Hall
(between the two Courts at the top of the Hall) discourse about a letter
of [Sir] W. Coventry's to Bruncker, whereon Bruncker did justify his
discharging men by ticket, and insists on one word which Sir W.
Coventry would not seem very earnest to have left out, but I did see him
concerned, and did after labour to suppress the whole letter, the thing
being in itself really impertinent, but yet so it is that [Sir] W.
Coventry do not desire to have his name used in this business, and I
have prevailed with Bruncker for it. Thence Bruncker and I to the King's
House, thinking to have gone into a box above, for fear of being seen,
the King being there, but the play being 3 acts done we would not give
4s., and so away and parted, and I home, and there after a little supper
to bed, my eyes ill, and head full of thoughts of the trouble this
Parliament gives us.

30th. All the