t
easily part) leading me as far as Fenchurch Street to the Mitre, where
we drank a glass of wine and so parted, and I home and to bed.

Thus ends the month. My maid Jane newly gone, and Pall left now to do
all the work till another maid comes, which shall not be till she goes
away into the country with my mother. Myself and wife in good health. My
Lord Sandwich in the Straits and newly recovered of a great sickness at
Alicante. My father gone to settle at Brampton, and myself under much
business and trouble for to settle things in the estate to our content.
But what is worst, I find myself lately too much given to seeing of
plays, and expense, and pleasure, which makes me forget my business,
which I must labour to amend. No money comes in, so that I have been
forced to borrow a great deal for my own expenses, and to furnish my
father, to leave things in order. I have some trouble about my brother
Tom, who is now left to keep my father's trade, in which I have great
fears that he will miscarry for want of brains and care. At Court things
are in very ill condition, there being so much emulacion, poverty, and
the vices of drinking, swearing, and loose amours, that I know not what
will be the end of it, but confusion. And the Clergy so high, that all
people that I meet with do protest against their practice. In short, I
see no content or satisfaction any where, in any one sort of people. The
Benevolence

[A voluntary contribution made by the subjects to their sovereign.
Upon this occasion the clergy alone gave L33,743: See May 31st,
1661.--B]

proves so little, and an occasion of so much discontent every where;
that it had better it had never been set up. I think to subscribe L20.
We are at our Office quiet, only for lack of money all things go to
rack. Our very bills offered to be sold upon the Exchange at 10 per
cent. loss. We are upon getting Sir R. Ford's house added to our Office.
But I see so many difficulties will follow in pleasing of one another in
the dividing of it, and in becoming bound personally to pay the rent of
L200 per annum, that I do believe it will yet scarce come to pass. The
season very sickly every where of strange and fatal fevers.

SEPTEMBER 1661

September 1st (Lord's day). Last night being very rainy [the rain] broke
into my house, the gutter being stopped, and spoiled all my ceilings
almost. At church in the morning, and dined at home with my wife. After
dinner to Sir