miscarriages, and, if
they thought good, to present it to the House; and so it was carried.
They did also vote this day thanks to be given to the Prince and Duke of
Albemarle, for their care and conduct in the last year's war, which is a
strange act; but, I know not how, the blockhead Albemarle hath strange
luck to be loved, though he be, and every man must know it, the heaviest
man in the world, but stout and honest to his country. This evening late,
Mr. Moore come to me to prepare matters for my Lord Sandwich's defence;
wherein I can little assist, but will do all I can; and am in great fear
of nothing but the damned business of the prizes, but I fear my Lord will
receive a cursed deal of trouble by it.

24th. Up, and to the office, where all the morning very busy, and at noon
took Mr. Hater home with me to dinner, and instantly back again to write
what letters I had to write, that I might go abroad with my wife, who was
not well, only to jumble her, and so to the Duke of York's playhouse; but
there Betterton not being yet well, we would not stay, though since I hear
that Smith do act his part in "The Villaine," which was then acted, as
well or better than he, which I do not believe; but to Charing Cross,
there to see Polichinelli. But, it being begun, we in to see a Frenchman,
at the house, where my wife's father last lodged, one Monsieur Prin, play
on the trump-marine,

[The trumpet marine is a stringed instrument having a triangular-
shaped body or chest and a long neck, a single string raised on a
bridge and running along the body and neck. It was played with a
bow.]

which he do beyond belief; and, the truth is, it do so far outdo a trumpet
as nothing more, and he do play anything very true, and it is most
admirable and at first was a mystery to me that I should hear a whole
concert of chords together at the end of a pause, but he showed me that it
was only when the last notes were 5ths or 3rds, one to another, and then
their sounds like an Echo did last so as they seemed to sound all
together. The instrument is open at the end, I discovered; but he would
not let me look into it, but I was mightily pleased with it, and he did
take great pains to shew me all he could do on it, which was very much,
and would make an excellent concert, two or three of them, better than
trumpets can ever do, because of their want of compass. Here we also saw
again the two fat children come out of Ireland,