and so to church, where I all alone, and found Will
Griffin and Thomas Hewett got into the pew next to our backs, where our
maids sit, but when I come, they went out; so forward some people are to
outrun themselves. Here we had a lazy, dull sermon. So home to dinner,
where my brother Tom came to me, and both before and after dinner he and
I walked all alone in the garden, talking about his late journey and his
mistress, and for what he tells me it is like to do well. He being gone,
I to church again, where Mr. Mills, making a sermon upon confession, he
did endeavour to pull down auricular confession, but did set it up by
his bad arguments against it, and advising people to come to him to
confess their sins when they had any weight upon their consciences, as
much as is possible, which did vex me to hear. So home, and after an
hour's being in my office alone, looking over the plates and globes, I
walked to my uncle Wight's, the truth is, in hopes to have seen and been
acquainted with the pretty lady that came along with them to dinner
the other day to Mr. Rawlinson, but she is gone away. But here I staid
supper, and much company there was; among others, Dr. Burnett, Mr. Cole
the lawyer, Mr. Rawlinson, and Mr. Sutton, a brother of my aunt's, that
I never saw before. Among other things they tell me that there hath been
a disturbance in a church in Friday Street; a great many young people
knotting together and crying out "Porridge"

[A nickname given by the Dissenters to the Prayer-Book. In Mrs.
Behn's "City Heiress" (1682), Sir Anthony says to Sir Timothy, "You
come from Church, too." Sir Timothy replies, "Ay, needs must when
the Devil drives--I go to save my bacon, as they say, once a month,
and that too after the Porridge is served up." Scott quotes, in his
notes to "Woodstock," a pamphlet entitled, "Vindication of the Book
of Common Prayer, against the contumelious Slanders of the Fanatic
party terming it Porridge."]

often and seditiously in the church, and took the Common Prayer Book,
they say, away; and, some say, did tear it; but it is a thing which
appears to me very ominous. I pray God avert it. After supper home and
to bed.

25th. Up early, and among my workmen when they came, and set them
in good order at work on all hands, which, though it at first began
angrily, yet I pleased myself afterwards in seeing it put into a good
posture, and so I left them, and away by wate