some gammon of bacon, &c., and then parted, having bought some green
Say--[A woollen cloth. "Saye clothe serge."--Palsgrave.]--for curtains in
my parler. Home, and so to the Exchequer, where I met with my uncle
Wight, and home with him to dinner, where among others (my aunt being out
of town), Mr. Norbury and I did discourse of his wife's house and land at
Brampton, which I find too much for me to buy. Home, and in the afternoon
to the office, and much pleased at night to see my house begin to be clean
after all the dirt.

22nd. Abroad all the morning about several businesses. At noon went and
dined with my Lord Crew, where very much made of by him and his lady. Then
to the Theatre, "The Alchymist,"--[Comedy by Ben Jonson, first printed in
1612.]--which is a most incomparable play. And that being done I met with
little Luellin and Blirton, who took me to a friend's of theirs in
Lincoln's Inn fields, one Mr. Hodges, where we drank great store of
Rhenish wine and were very merry. So I went home, where I found my house
now very clean, which was great content to me.

23rd (Lord's day). In the morning to church, and my wife not being well,
I went with Sir W. Batten home to dinner, my Lady being out of town, where
there was Sir W. Pen, Captain Allen and his daughter Rebecca, and Mr.
Hempson and his wife. After dinner to church all of us and had a very
good sermon of a stranger, and so I and the young company to walk first to
Graye's Inn Walks, where great store of gallants, but above all the ladies
that I there saw, or ever did see, Mrs. Frances Butler (Monsieur
L'Impertinent's sister) is the greatest beauty. Then we went to
Islington, where at the great house I entertained them as well as I could,
and so home with them, and so to my own home and to bed. Pall, who went
this day to a child's christening of Kate Joyce's, staid out all night at
my father's, she not being well.