d so fill myself with vain expectation of pleasure and go without it.

7th. Up, weary, about 9 o'clock, and then out by coach to White Hall to
attend the Lords of the Treasury about Tangier with Sir Stephen Fox, and
having done with them I away back again home by coach time enough to
dispatch some business, and after dinner with Sir W. Pen's coach (he being
gone before with Sir D. Gawden) to White Hall to wait on the Duke of York,
but I finding him not there, nor the Duke of York within, I away by coach
to the Nursery, where I never was yet, and there to meet my wife and
Mercer and Willet as they promised; but the house did not act to-day; and
so I was at a loss for them, and therefore to the other two playhouses
into the pit, to gaze up and down, to look for them, and there did by this
means, for nothing, see an act in "The Schoole of Compliments" at the Duke
of York's house, and "Henry the Fourth" at the King's house; but, not
finding them, nor liking either of the plays, I took my coach again, and
home, and there to my office to do business, and by and by they come home,
and had been at the King's House, and saw me, but I could [not] see them,
and there I walked with them in the garden awhile, and to sing with Mercer
there a little, and so home with her, and taught her a little of my "It is
decreed," which I have a mind to have her learn to sing, and she will do
it well, and so after supper she went away, and we to bed, and there made
amends by sleep for what I wanted last night.

8th. Up, and it being dirty, I by coach (which I was forced to go to the
charge for) to White Hall, and there did deliver the Duke of York a
memorial for the Council about the case of Tangiers want of money; and I
was called in there and my paper was read. I did not think fit to say
much, but left them to make what use they pleased of my paper; and so went
out and waited without all the morning, and at noon hear that there is
something ordered towards our help, and so I away by coach home, taking up
Mr. Prin at the Court-gate, it raining, and setting him down at the
Temple: and by the way did ask him about the manner of holding of
Parliaments, and whether the number of Knights and Burgesses were always
the same? And he says that the latter were not; but that, for aught he
can find, they were sent up at the discretion, at first, of the Sheriffes,
to whom the writs are sent, to send up generally the Burgesses and
citizens of their county: