evil, saying that nothing but ignorance could
do this. I was pleased at heart all this while. At last moved to have
Lord Bruncker desired to return, which he did, and I read the petty
warrants all the day till late at night, that I was very weary, and
troubled to have my private business of my office stopped to attend this,
but mightily pleased at this falling out, and the truth is [Sir] W. Pen do
make so much noise in this business of his, and do it so little and so
ill, that I think the King will be little the better by changing the hand.
So up and to my office a little, but being at it all day I could not do
much there. So home and to supper, to teach Barker to sing another piece
of my song, and then to bed.

9th. To the office, where we sat all the morning busy. At noon home to
dinner, and then to my office again, where also busy, very busy late, and
then went home and read a piece of a play, "Every Man in his
Humour,"--[Ben Jonson's well-known play.]--wherein is the greatest
propriety of speech that ever I read in my life: and so to bed. This noon
come my wife's watchmaker, and received L12 of me for her watch; but
Captain Rolt coming to speak with me about a little business, he did judge
of the work to be very good work, and so I am well contented, and he hath
made very good, that I knew, to Sir W. Pen and Lady Batten.

10th (Lord's day). Up and with my wife to church, where Mr. Mills made an
unnecessary sermon upon Original Sin, neither understood by himself nor
the people. Home, where Michell and his wife, and also there come Mr.
Carter, my old acquaintance of Magdalene College, who hath not been here
of many years. He hath spent his time in the North with the Bishop of
Carlisle much. He is grown a very comely person, and of good discourse,
and one that I like very much. We had much talk of our old acquaintance
of the College, concerning their various fortunes; wherein, to my joy, I
met not with any that have sped better than myself. After dinner he went
away, and awhile after them Michell and his wife, whom I love mightily,
and then I to my chamber there to my Tangier accounts, which I had let run
a little behind hand, but did settle them very well to my satisfaction,
but it cost me sitting up till two in the morning, and the longer by
reason that our neighbour, Mrs. Turner, poor woman, did come to take her
leave of us, she being to quit her house to-morrow to my Lord Bruncker,
who hath used her ver