to some settlement for her sake, by making a will as soon as I
can. Up and to church, where Mr. Mills made an ordinary sermon, and so
home and dined with great pleasure with my wife, and all the afternoon
first looking out at window and seeing the boys playing at many several
sports in our back yard by Sir W. Pen's, which reminded me of my own
former times, and then I began to read to my wife upon the globes with
great pleasure and to good purpose, for it will be pleasant to her and
to me to have her understand these things. In the evening at the
office, where I staid late reading Rushworth, which is a most excellent
collection of the beginning of the late quarrels in this kingdom, and so
home to supper and to bed, with good content of mind.

26th. Up and walked forth first to the Minerys to Brown's, and there
with great pleasure saw and bespoke several instruments, and so to
Cornhill to Mr. Cades, and there went up into his warehouse to look
for a map or two, and there finding great plenty of good pictures, God
forgive me! how my mind run upon them, and bought a little one for my
wife's closett presently, and concluded presently of buying L10 worth,
upon condition he would give me the buying of them. Now it is true I did
still within me resolve to make the King one way or other pay for them,
though I saved it to him another way, yet I find myself too forward to
fix upon the expense, and came away with a resolution of buying them,
but do hope that I shall not upon second thoughts do it without a way
made out before I buy them to myself how to do [it] without charge to my
main stock. Thence to the Coffee-house, and sat long in good discourse
with some gentlemen concerning the Roman Empire. So home and found Mr.
Hollyard there, and he stayed and dined with us, we having a pheasant
to dinner. He gone, I all the afternoon with my wife to cards, and, God
forgive me! to see how the very discourse of plays, which I shall be at
liberty to see after New Year's Day next, do set my mind upon them, but
I must be forced to stint myself very strictly before I begin, or else I
fear I shall spoil all. In the evening came my aunt Wight's kinswoman to
see how my wife do, with a compliment from my aunt, which I take kindly
as it is unusual for her to do it, but I do perceive my uncle is very
kind to me of late. So to my office writing letters, and then to read
and make an end of Rushworth, which I did, and do say that it is a book
the mos