at with his wife and Matt. Joyce an hour or two, and
so her husband not being at home, away I went and in Cheapside spied him
and took him into the coach. Home, and there I found my Lady Jemimah,
and Anne, and Madamoiselle come to see my wife, whom I left, and to talk
with Joyce about a project I have of his and my joyning, to get some
money for my brother Tom and his kinswoman to help forward with her
portion if they should marry. I mean in buying of tallow of him at a low
rate for the King, and Tom should have the profit; but he tells me the
profit will be considerable, at which I was troubled, but I have agreed
with him to serve some in my absence. He went away, and then came Mr.
Moore and sat late with me talking about business, and so went away and
I to bed.

22nd. After taking leave of my wife, which we could hardly do kindly,
because of her mind to go along with me, Sir W. Pen and I took coach and
so over the bridge to Lambeth, W. Bodham and Tom Hewet going as clerks
to Sir W. Pen, and my Will for me. Here we got a dish of buttered eggs,
and there staid till Sir G. Carteret came to us from White Hall, who
brought Dr. Clerke with him, at which I was very glad, and so we set
out, and I was very much pleased with his company, and were very merry
all the way .... We came to Gilford and there passed our time in the
garden, cutting of sparagus for supper, the best that ever I eat in my
life but in the house last year. Supped well, and the Doctor and I to
bed together, calling cozens from his name and my office.

23d. Up early, and to Petersfield, and there dined well; and thence got
a countryman to guide us by Havant, to avoid going through the Forest;
but he carried us much out of the way, and upon our coming we sent away
an express to Sir W. Batten to stop his coming, which I did project to
make good my oath, that my wife should come if any of our wives came,
which my Lady Batten did intend to do with her husband. The Doctor and
I lay together at Wiard's, the chyrurgeon's, in Portsmouth, his wife
a very pretty woman. We lay very well and merrily; in the morning,
concluding him to be of the eldest blood and house of the Clerkes,
because that all the fleas came to him and not to me.

24th. Up and to Sir G. Carteret's lodgings at Mrs. Stephens's, where
we keep our table all the time we are here. Thence all of us to the
Pay-house; but the books not being ready, we went to church to the
lecture, where there was my Lord