ut in recitativo
the sense much helps him, for there is but one proper way of discoursing
and giving the accents. Having done our discourse, we all took coaches,
my Lord's and T. Killigrew's, and to Mrs. Knipp's chamber, where this
Italian is to teach her to sing her part. And so we all thither, and
there she did sing an Italian song or two very fine, while he played the
bass upon a harpsicon there; and exceedingly taken I am with her singing,
and believe that she will do miracles at that and acting. Her little girl
is mighty pretty and witty. After being there an hour, and I mightily
pleased with this evening's work, we all parted, and I took coach and
home, where late at my office, and then home to enter my last three days'
Journall; and so to supper and to bed, troubled at nothing, but that these
pleasures do hinder me in my business, and the more by reason of our being
to dine abroad to-morrow, and then Saturday next is appointed to meet
again at my Lord Bruncker's lodgings, and there to have the whole quire of
Italians; but then I do consider that this is all the pleasure I live for
in the world, and the greatest I can ever expect in the best of my life,
and one thing more, that by hearing this man to-night, and I think Captain
Cooke to-morrow, and the quire of Italians on Saturday, I shall be truly
able to distinguish which of them pleases me truly best, which I do much
desire to know and have good reason and fresh occasion of judging.

13th. Up, and by water to White Hall, where to the Duke of York, and
there did our usual business; but troubled to see that, at this time,
after our declaring a debt to the Parliament of L900,000, and nothing paid
since, but the debt increased, and now the fleete to set out; to hear that
the King hath ordered but L35,000 for the setting out of the fleete, out
of the Poll Bill, to buy all provisions, when five times as much had been
little enough to have done any thing to purpose. They have, indeed,
ordered more for paying off of seamen and the Yards to some time, but not
enough for that neither. Another thing is, the acquainting the Duke of
York with the case of Mr. Lanyon, our agent at Plymouth, who has trusted
us to L8000 out of purse; we are not in condition, after so many promises,
to obtain him a farthing, nor though a message was carried by Sir G.
Carteret and Sir W. Coventry to the Commissioners for Prizes, that he
might have L3000 out of L20,000 worth of prizes to be s