nks for my letter last night, but I believe he did only forget it.
Thence home, whither Luellin came and dined with me, but we made no long
stay at dinner; for "Heraclius" being acted, which my wife and I have a
mighty mind to see, we do resolve, though not exactly agreeing with the
letter of my vowe, yet altogether with the sense, to see another this
month, by going hither instead of that at Court, there having been none
conveniently since I made my vowe for us to see there, nor like to be
this Lent, and besides we did walk home on purpose to make this going
as cheap as that would have been, to have seen one at Court, and my
conscience knows that it is only the saving of money and the time also
that I intend by my oaths, and this has cost no more of either, so that
my conscience before God do after good consultation and resolution of
paying my forfeit, did my conscience accuse me of breaking my vowe, I do
not find myself in the least apprehensive that I have done any violence
to my oaths. The play hath one very good passage well managed in it,
about two persons pretending, and yet denying themselves, to be son
to the tyrant Phocas, and yet heire of Mauritius to the crowne. The
garments like Romans very well. The little girle is come to act very
prettily, and spoke the epilogue most admirably. But at the beginning,
at the drawing up of the curtaine, there was the finest scene of the
Emperor and his people about him, standing in their fixed and different
pastures in their Roman habitts, above all that ever I yet saw at any of
the theatres. Walked home, calling to see my brother Tom, who is in bed,
and I doubt very ill of a consumption. To the office awhile, and so home
to supper and to bed.

9th. Up pretty betimes to my office, where all day long, but a little
at home at dinner, at my office finishing all things about Mr. Wood's
contract for masts, wherein I am sure I shall save the King L400 before
I have done. At night home to supper and to bed.

10th. Up and to the office, where all the morning doing business, and at
noon to the 'Change and there very busy, and so home to dinner with my
wife, to a good hog's harslet,

[Harslet or haslet, the entrails of an animal, especially of a hog,
as the heart, liver, &c.]

a piece of meat I love, but have not eat of I think these seven years,
and after dinner abroad by coach set her at Mrs. Hunt's and I to White
Hall, and at the Privy Seale I enquired, and found the