by coach to my house, and then to Mrs. Mercer's, where I met with her two
daughters, and a pretty-lady I never knew yet, one Mrs. Susan Gayet, a
very pretty black lady, that speaks French well, and is a Catholick, and
merchant's daughter, by us, and here was also Mrs. Anne Jones, and after
sitting and talking a little, I took them out, and carried them through
Hackney to Kingsland, and there walked to Sir G. Whitmore's house, where I
have not been many a day; and so to the old house at Islington, and eat,
and drank, and sang, and mighty merry; and so by moonshine with infinite
pleasure home, and there sang again in Mercer's garden. And so parted, I
having there seen a mummy in a merchant's warehouse there, all the middle
of the man or woman's body, black and hard. I never saw any before, and,
therefore, it pleased me much, though an ill sight; and he did give me a
little bit, and a bone of an arme, I suppose, and so home, and there to
bed.

13th. Up, and by water to White Hall, and so to Sir H. Cholmly's, who not
being up I made a short visit to Sir W. Coventry, and he and I through the
Park to White Hall, and thence I back into the Park, and there met Sir H.
Cholmly, and he and I to Sir Stephen Fox's, where we met and considered
the business of the Excise, how far it is charged in reference to the
payment of the Guards and Tangier. Thence he and I walked to Westminster
Hall and there took a turn, it being holyday, and so back again, and I to
the mercer's, and my tailor's about a stuff suit that I am going to make.
Thence, at noon, to Hercules Pillars, and there dined all alone, and so to
White Hall, some of us attended the Duke of York as usual, and so to
attend the Council about the business of Hemskirke's project of building a
ship that sails two feet for one of any other ship, which the Council did
agree to be put in practice, the King to give him, if it proves good,
L5000 in hand, and L15,000 more in seven years, which, for my part, I
think a piece of folly for them to meddle with, because the secret cannot
be long kept. So thence, after Council, having drunk some of the King's
wine and water with Mr. Chevins, my Lord Brouncker, and some others, I by
water to the Old Swan, and there to Michell's, and did see her and drink
there, but he being there je ne baiser la; and so back again by water to
Spring Garden all alone, and walked a little, and so back again home, and
there a little to my viall, and so to bed, Mrs