ter that time till day, and then I
rose and by coach (taking Captain Grove with me and three bottles of
Tent, which I sent to Mrs. Lane by my promise on Saturday night last) to
White Hall, and there with the rest of our company to the Duke and did
our business, and thence to the Tennis Court till noon, and there saw
several great matches played, and so by invitation to St. James's;
where, at Mr. Coventry's chamber, I dined with my Lord Barkeley, Sir G.
Carteret, Sir Edward Turner, Sir Ellis Layton, and one Mr. Seymour, a
fine gentleman; were admirable good discourse of all sorts, pleasant and
serious. Thence after dinner to White Hall, where the Duke being busy at
the Guinny business, the Duke of Albemarle, Sir W. Rider, Povy, Sir J.
Lawson and I to the Duke of Albemarle's lodgings, and there did some
business, and so to the Court again, and I to the Duke of York's
lodgings, where the Guinny company are choosing their assistants for
the next year by ballotting. Thence by coach with Sir J. Robinson,
Lieutenant of the Tower, he set me down at Cornhill, but, Lord! the
simple discourse that all the way we had, he magnifying his great
undertakings and cares that have been upon him for these last two years,
and how he commanded the city to the content of all parties, when
the loggerhead knows nothing almost that is sense. Thence to the
Coffee-house, whither comes Sir W. Petty and Captain Grant, and we fell
in talke (besides a young gentleman, I suppose a merchant, his name Mr.
Hill, that has travelled and I perceive is a master in most sorts of
musique and other things) of musique; the universal character; art
of memory; Granger's counterfeiting of hands and other most excellent
discourses to my great content, having not been in so good company a
great while, and had I time I should covet the acquaintance of that
Mr. Hill. This morning I stood by the King arguing with a pretty Quaker
woman, that delivered to him a desire of hers in writing. The King
showed her Sir J. Minnes, as a man the fittest for her quaking religion,
saying that his beard was the stiffest thing about him, and again
merrily said, looking upon the length of her paper, that if all she
desired was of that length she might lose her desires; she modestly
saying nothing till he begun seriously to discourse with her, arguing
the truth of his spirit against hers; she replying still with these
words, "O King!" and thou'd him all along. The general talke of the
towne