playhouse, and
meeting Creed took him up, and there saw "The Scornfull Lady" well acted;
Doll Common doing Abigail most excellently, and Knipp the widow very well,
and will be an excellent actor, I think. In other parts the play not so
well done as used to be, by the old actors. Anon to White Hall by coach,
thinking to have seen a play there to-night, but found it a mistake, so
back again, and missed our coach[man], who was gone, thinking to come time
enough three hours hence, and we could not blame him. So forced to get
another coach, and all three home to my house, and there to Sir W.
Batten's, and eat a bit of cold chine of beef, and then staid and talked,
and then home and sat and talked a little by the fireside with my wife and
Creed, and so to bed, my left eye being very sore. No business publick or
private minded all these two days. This day a house or two was blown up
with powder in the Minorys, and several people spoiled, and many dug out
from under the rubbish.

28th. Up, and Creed and I walked (a very fine walk in the frost) to my
Lord Bellasses, but missing him did find him at White Hall, and there
spoke with him about some Tangier business. That done, we to Creed's
lodgings, which are very pretty, but he is going from them. So we to
Lincoln's Inne Fields, he to Ned Pickering's, who it seems lives there,
keeping a good house, and I to my Lord Crew's, where I dined, and hear the
newes how my Lord's brother, Mr. Nathaniel Crew, hath an estate of 6 or
L700 per annum, left him by the death of an old acquaintance of his, but
not akin to him at all. And this man is dead without will, but had, above
ten years since, made over his estate to this Mr. Crew, to him and his
heirs for ever, and given Mr. Crew the keeping of the deeds in his own
hand all this time; by which, if he would, he might have taken present
possession of the estate, for he knew what they were. This is as great an
act of confident friendship as this latter age, I believe, can shew. From
hence to the Duke's house, and there saw "Macbeth" most excellently acted,
and a most excellent play for variety. I had sent for my wife to meet me
there, who did come, and after the play was done, I out so soon to meet
her at the other door that I left my cloake in the playhouse, and while I
returned to get it, she was gone out and missed me, and with W. Hewer away
home. I not sorry for it much did go to White Hall, and got my Lord
Bellasses to get me