mad part, do beyond
all imitation almost. [It pleased us mightily to see the natural
affection of a poor woman, the mother of one of the children brought on
the stage: the child crying, she by force got upon the stage, and took up
her child and carried it away off of the stage from Hart.] Many fine faces
here to-day. Thence home, and there to the office late, and then home to
supper and to bed. I am told to-day, which troubles me, that great
complaint is made upon the 'Change, among our merchants, that the very
Ostend little pickaroon men-of-war do offer violence to our merchant-men,
and search them, beat our masters, and plunder them, upon pretence of
carrying Frenchmen's goods. Lord! what a condition are we come to, and
that so soon after a war!

29th (Lord's day). Up, and at my chamber all the day, both morning and
afternoon (only a little at dinner with my wife alone), upon the settling
of my Tangier accounts towards the evening of all reckonings now against
the new year, and here I do see the great folly of letting things go long
unevened, it being very hard for me and dangerous to state after things
are gone out of memory, and much more would be so should I have died in
this time and my accounts come to other hands, to understand which would
never be. At night comes Mrs. Turner to see us; and there, among other
talk, she tells me that Mr. William Pen, who is lately come over from
Ireland, is a Quaker again, or some very melancholy thing; that he cares
for no company, nor comes into any which is a pleasant thing, after his
being abroad so long, and his father such a hypocritical rogue, and at
this time an Atheist. She gone, I to my very great content do find my
accounts to come very even and naturally, and so to supper and to bed.

30th. Up before day, and by coach to Westminster, and there first to Sir
H. Cholmly, and there I did to my great content deliver him up his little
several papers for sums of money paid him, and took his regular receipts
upon his orders, wherein I am safe. Thence to White Hall, and there to
visit Sir G. Carteret, and there was with him a great while, and my Lady
and they seem in very good humour, but by and by Sir G. Carteret and I
alone, and there we did talk of the ruinous condition we are in, the King
being going to put out of the Council so many able men; such as my Lord
Anglesey, Ashly, Hopis, Secretary Morrice (to bring in Mr. Trevor), and
the Archbishop of Canterbury, and