begun), and there after great patience and little expectation, from so
poor beginning, I saw three acts of "The Mayd in ye Mill" acted to my
great content. But it being late, I left the play and them, and by water
through bridge home, and so to Mr. Turner's house, where the Comptroller,
Sir William Batten, and Mr. Davis and their ladies; and here we had a most
neat little but costly and genteel supper, and after that a great deal of
impertinent mirth by Mr. Davis, and some catches, and so broke up, and
going away, Mr. Davis's eldest son took up my old Lady Slingsby in his
arms, and carried her to the coach, and is said to be able to carry three
of the biggest men that were in the company, which I wonder at. So home
and to bed.

30th (Fast day). The first time that this day hath been yet observed: and
Mr. Mills made a most excellent sermon, upon "Lord forgive us our former
iniquities;" speaking excellently of the justice of God in punishing men
for the sins of their ancestors. Home, and John Goods comes, and after
dinner I did pay him L30 for my Lady, and after that Sir W. Pen and I into
Moorfields and had a brave talk, it being a most pleasant day, and besides
much discourse did please ourselves to see young Davis and Whitton, two of
our clerks, going by us in the field, who we observe to take much pleasure
together, and I did most often see them at play together. Back to the Old
James in Bishopsgate Street, where Sir W. Batten and Sir Wm. Rider met him
about business of the Trinity House. So I went home, and there understand
that my mother is come home well from Brampton, and had a letter from my
brother John, a very ingenious one, and he therein begs to have leave to
come to town at the Coronacion. Then to my Lady Batten's; where my wife
and she are lately come back again from being abroad, and seeing of
Cromwell, Ireton, and Bradshaw hanged and buried at Tyburn. Then I home.

["Jan. 30th was kept as a very solemn day of fasting and prayer.