ich I confess
I am not in present condition through my late laziness to give any good
answer to. But here do D. Gawden give me a good cordiall this morning, by
telling me that he do give me five of the eight hundred pounds on his
account remaining in my hands to myself, for the service I do him in my
victualling business, and L100 for my particular share of the profits of
my Tangier imployment as Treasurer. This do begin to make my heart glad,
and I did dissemble it the better, so when Sir W. Coventry did come, and
the rest met, I did appear unconcerned, and did give him answer pretty
satisfactory what he asked me; so that I did get off this meeting without
any ground lost, but rather a great deal gained by interposing that which
did belong to my duty to do, and neither [Sir] W. Coventry nor (Sir) W.
Yen did oppose anything thereunto, which did make my heart very glad. All
the morning at this work, Sir W. Pen making a great deal of do for the
fitting him in his setting out in his employment, and I do yield to any
trouble that he gives me without any contradiction. Sir W. Coventry being
gone, we at noon to dinner to Sir W. Pen's, he inviting me and my wife,
and there a pretty good dinner, intended indeed for Sir W. Coventry, but
he would not stay. So here I was mighty merry and all our differences
seemingly blown over, though he knows, if he be not a fool, that I love
him not, and I do the like that he hates me. Soon as dined, my wife and I
out to the Duke's playhouse, and there saw "Heraclius," an excellent play,
to my extraordinary content; and the more from the house being very full,
and great company; among others, Mrs. Steward, very fine, with her locks
done up with puffes, as my wife calls them: and several other great ladies
had their hair so, though I do not like it; but my wife do mightily--but
it is only because she sees it is the fashion. Here I saw my Lord
Rochester and his lady, Mrs. Mallet, who hath after all this ado married
him; and, as I hear some say in the pit, it is a great act of charity, for
he hath no estate. But it was pleasant to see how every body rose up when
my Lord John Butler, the Duke of Ormond's son, come into the pit towards
the end of the play, who was a servant--[lover]--to Mrs. Mallet, and now
smiled upon her, and she on him. I had sitting next to me a woman, the
likest my Lady Castlemayne that ever I saw anybody like another; but she
is a whore, I believe, for she is acquainted