nd the
getting of the bills well over for my building of my house here, which
however are as small and less than any of the others. Sir W. Pen it
seems is fallen very ill again. So to my arithmetique again to-night,
and so home to supper and to bed.

4th (Lord's day). Up and to church, where a lazy sermon, and so home
to dinner to a good piece of powdered beef, but a little too salt. At
dinner my wife did propound my having of my sister Pall at my house
again to be her woman, since one we must have, hoping that in that
quality possibly she may prove better than she did before, which I take
very well of her, and will consider of it, it being a very great trouble
to me that I should have a sister of so ill a nature, that I must be
forced to spend money upon a stranger when it might better be upon her,
if she were good for anything. After dinner I and she walked, though it
was dirty, to White Hall (in the way calling at the Wardrobe to see how
Mr. Moore do, who is pretty well, but not cured yet), being much afeard
of being seen by anybody, and was, I think, of Mr. Coventry, which so
troubled me that I made her go before, and I ever after loitered behind.
She to Mr. Hunt's, and I to White Hall Chappell, and then up to walk up
and down the house, which now I am well known there, I shall forbear
to do, because I would not be thought a lazy body by Mr. Coventry and
others by being seen, as I have lately been, to walk up and down doing
nothing. So to Mr. Hunt's, and there was most prettily and kindly
entertained by him and her, who are two as good people as I hardly know
any, and so neat and kind one to another. Here we staid late, and so to
my Lord's to bed.

5th. Up and to the Duke, who himself told me that Sir J. Lawson was come
home to Portsmouth from the Streights, who is now come with great renown
among all men, and, I perceive, mightily esteemed at Court by all.
The Duke did not stay long in his chamber; but to the King's chamber,
whither by and by the Russia Embassadors come; who, it seems, have a
custom that they will not come to have any treaty with our or any King's
Commissioners, but they will themselves see at the time the face of the
King himself, be it forty days one after another; and so they did to-day
only go in and see the King; and so out again to the Council-chamber.
The Duke returned to his chamber, and so to his closett, where Sir
G. Carteret, Sir J. Minnes, Sir W. Batten, Mr. Coventry, and myself
atten