lay
talking all the while, among other things of religion, wherein I am
sorry so often to hear my wife talk of her being and resolving to die a
Catholique,
[Mrs. Pepys's leaning towards Roman Catholicism was a constant
trouble to her husband; but, in spite of his fears, she died a
Protestant (Dr. Milles's certificate.)]
and indeed a small matter, I believe, would absolutely turn her, which
I am sorry for. Up at noon to dinner, and then to my chamber with a fire
till late at night looking over my brother Thomas's papers, sorting of
them, among which I find many base letters of my brother John's to him
against me, and carrying on plots against me to promote Tom's having
of his Banbury' Mistress, in base slighting terms, and in worse of my
sister Pall, such as I shall take a convenient time to make my father
know, and him also to his sorrow. So after supper to bed, our people
rising to wash to-morrow.
21st. Up, and it snowing this morning a little, which from the mildness
of the winter and the weather beginning to be hot and the summer to come
on apace, is a little strange to us. I did not go abroad for fear of my
tumour, for fear it shall rise again, but staid within, and by and by
my father came, poor man, to me, and my brother John. After much talke
and taking them up to my chamber, I did there after some discourse bring
in any business of anger--with John, and did before my father read all
his roguish letters, which troubled my father mightily, especially to
hear me say what I did, against my allowing any thing for the time to
come to him out of my owne purse, and other words very severe, while
he, like a simple rogue, made very silly and churlish answers to me, not
like a man of any goodness or witt, at which I was as much disturbed as
the other, and will be as good as my word in making him to his cost know
that I will remember his carriage to me in this particular the longest
day I live. It troubled me to see my poor father so troubled, whose good
nature did make him, poor wretch, to yield, I believe, to comply with my
brother Tom and him in part of their designs, but without any ill intent
to me, or doubt of me or my good intentions to him or them, though it do
trouble me a little that he should in any manner do it. They dined with
me, and after dinner abroad with my wife to buy some things for her,
and I to the office, where we sat till night, and then, after doing some
business at my closet,
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