ir G. Carteret telling me what the Councell
hath ordered about the ships designed to carry horse from Ireland to
Portugall, which is now altered. I got a coach and so home, sending the
boat away without me. At home I found my wife discontented at my being
abroad, but I pleased her. She was in her new suit of black sarcenet and
yellow petticoat very pretty. So to bed.

19th. Long in bed, sometimes scolding with my wife, and then pleased
again, and at last up, and put on my riding cloth suit, and a camelott
coat new, which pleases me well enough. To the Temple about my
replication, and so to my brother Tom's, and there hear that my father
will be in town this week. So home, the shops being but some shut and
some open. I hear that the House of Commons do think much that they
should be forced to huddle over business this morning against the
afternoon, for the King to pass their Acts, that he may go out of town.

[To ears accustomed to the official words of speeches from the
throne at the present day, the familiar tone of the following
extracts from Charles's speech to the Commons, on the 1st of March;
will be amusing: "I will conclude with putting you in mind of the
season of the year, and the convenience of your being in the
country, in many respects, for the good and welfare of it; for you
will find much tares have been sowed there in your absence. The
arrival of my wife, who I expect some time this month, and the
necessity of my own being out of town to meet her, and to stay some
time before she comes hither, makes it very necessary that the
Parliament be adjourned before Easter, to meet again in the winter.
.... The mention of my wife's arrival puts me in mind to
desire you to put that compliment upon her, that her entrance into
the town may be with more decency than the ways will now suffer it
to be; and, to that purpose, I pray you would quickly pass such laws
as are before you, in order to the amending those ways, and that she
may not find Whitehall surrounded with water." Such a bill passed
the Commons on the 24th June. From Charles's Speech, March 1st,
1662.--B.]

But he, I hear since, was forced to stay till almost nine o'clock at
night before he could have done, and then he prorogued them; and so
to Gilford, and lay there. Home, and Mr. Hunt dined with me, and were
merry. After dinner Sir W. Pen and his daughter, and