and in the afternoon to the office. There sat late, and so home and to
bed.

15th (Lord's day). To church in the morning, where our young Reader begun
the first day to read. Sir W. Pen dined with me and we were merry. Again
to church and so home, and all alone read till bedtime, and so to prayers
and to bed. I have been troubled this day about a difference between my
wife and her maid Nell, who is a simple slut, and I am afeard we shall
find her a cross-grained wench. I am now full of study about writing
something about our making of strangers strike to us at sea; and so am
altogether reading Selden and Grotius, and such other authors to that
purpose.

16th. Up by five o'clock this morning by candlelight (which I have not
done for many a day), being called upon by one Mr. Bollen by appointment,
who has business to be done with my Lord Privy Seal this morning, and so
by coach, calling Mr. Moore at the Wardrobe, to Chelsy, and there did get
my Lord to seal it. And so back again to Westminster Hall, and thence to
my Lord Sandwich's lodging, where I met my wife (who had been to see Mrs.
Hunt who was brought to bed the other day of a boy), and got a joint of
meat thither from the Cook's, and she and I and Sarah dined together, and
after dinner to the Opera, where there was a new play ("Cutter of Coleman
Street"),

[Cutter, an old word for a rough swaggerer: hence the title of
Cowley's play. It was originally called "The Guardian," when acted
before Prince Charles at Trinity College, Cambridge, on March 12th,
1641.]

made in the year 1658, with reflections much upon the late times; and it