ery modest. Thence to the
Chappell and heard the famous young Stillingfleete, whom I knew at
Cambridge, and is now newly admitted one of the King's chaplains;
and was presented, they say, to my Lord Treasurer for St. Andrew's,
Holborne, where he is now minister, with these words: that they (the
Bishops of Canterbury, London, and another) believed he is the ablest
young man to preach the Gospel of any since the Apostles. He did make
the most plain, honest, good, grave sermon, in the most unconcerned
and easy yet substantial manner, that ever I heard in my life, upon the
words of Samuell to the people, "Fear the Lord in truth with all your
heart, and remember the great things that he hath done for you." It
being proper to this day, the day of the King's Coronation. Thence to
Mr. Povy's, where mightily treated, and Creed with us. But Lord! to see
how Povy overdoes every thing in commending it, do make it nauseous
to me, and was not (by reason of my large praise of his house) over
acceptable to my wife. Thence after dinner Creed and we by coach took
the ayre in the fields beyond St. Pancras, it raining now and then,
which it seems is most welcome weather, and then all to my house, where
comes Mr. Hill, Andrews, and Captain Taylor, and good musique, but at
supper to hear the arguments we had against Taylor concerning a Corant,
he saying that the law of a dancing Corant is to have every barr to end
in a pricked crochet and quaver, which I did deny, was very strange. It
proceeded till I vexed him, but all parted friends, for Creed and I to
laugh at when he was gone. After supper, Creed and I together to bed, in
Mercer's bed, and so to sleep.

24th. Up and with Creed in Sir W. Batten's coach to White Hall. Sir
W. Batten and I to the Duke of Albemarle, where very busy. Then I to
Creed's chamber, where I received with much ado my two orders about
receiving Povy's monies and answering his credits, and it is strange how
he will preserve his constant humour of delaying all business that comes
before him. Thence he and I to London to my office, and back again to
my Lady Sandwich's to dinner, where my wife by agreement. After dinner
alone, my Lady told me, with the prettiest kind of doubtfullnesse,
whether it would be fit for her with respect to Creed to do it, that is,
in the world, that Creed had broke his desire to her of being a servant
to Mrs. Betty Pickering, and placed it upon encouragement which he had
from some discourse of h