b," which is very merry, but only so by gesture, not wit at all,
which methinks is beneath the House. So walked home, it being a very
hard frost, and I find myself as heretofore in cold weather to begin to
burn within and pimples and pricks all over my body, my pores with cold
being shut up. So home to supper and to cards and to bed.

5th. Up, it being very cold and a great snow and frost tonight. To the
office, and there all the morning. At noon dined at home, troubled at
my wife's being simply angry with Jane, our cook mayde (a good servant,
though perhaps hath faults and is cunning), and given her warning to
be gone. So to the office again, where we sat late, and then I to my
office, and there very late doing business. Home to supper and to the
office again, and then late home to bed.

6th. Lay long in bed, but most of it angry and scolding with my wife
about her warning Jane our cookemayde to be gone and upon that she
desires to go abroad to-day to look a place. A very good mayde she is
and fully to my mind, being neat, only they say a little apt to scold,
but I hear her not. To my office all the morning busy. Dined at home.
To my office again, being pretty well reconciled to my wife, which I
did desire to be, because she had designed much mirthe to-day to end
Christmas with among her servants. At night home, being twelfenight, and
there chose my piece of cake, but went up to my viall, and then to bed,
leaving my wife and people up at their sports, which they continue till
morning, not coming to bed at all.

7th. Up and to the office all the morning. At noon dined alone, my wife
and family most of them a-bed. Then to see my Lady Batten and sit with
her a while, Sir W. Batten being out of town, and then to my office
doing very much business very late, and then home to supper and to bed.

8th (Lord's day). Up betimes, and it being a very fine frosty day, I and
my boy walked to White Hall, and there to the Chappell, where one Dr.
Beaumont' preached a good sermon, and afterwards a brave anthem upon the
150 Psalm, where upon the word "trumpet" very good musique was made. So
walked to my Lady's and there dined with her (my boy going home), where
much pretty discourse, and after dinner walked to Westminster, and there
to the house where Jane Welsh had appointed me, but it being sermon time
they would not let me in, and said nobody was there to speak with me. I
spent the whole afternoon walking into the Church and Abbey,