and other things, my mind being much troubled for these four or five days
because of my present great expense, and will be so till I cast up and see
how my estate stands, and that I am loth to do for fear I have spent too
much, and delay it the rather that I may pay for my pictures and my
wife's, and the book that I am buying for Paul's School before I do cast
up my accompts.

4th. At home most of the morning hanging up pictures, and seeing how my
pewter sconces that I have bought will become my stayres and entry, and
then with my wife by water to Westminster, whither she to her father's and
I to Westminster Hall, and there walked a turn or two with Mr. Chetwin
(who had a dog challenged of him by another man that said it was his, but
Mr. Chetwin called the dog, and the dog at last would follow him, and not
his old master, and so Chetwin got the dog) and W. Symons, and thence to
my wife, who met me at my Lord's lodgings, and she and I and old East to
Wilkinson's to dinner, where we had some rost beef and a mutton pie, and a
mince-pie, but none of them pleased me. After dinner by coach my wife and
I home, and I to the office, and there till late, and then I and my wife
to Sir W. Pen's to cards and supper, and were merry, and much
correspondence there has been between our two families all this Christmas.
So home and to bed.

5th (Lord's day). Left my wife in bed not well . . . and I to church,
and so home to dinner, and dined alone upon some marrow bones, and had a
fine piece of rost beef, but being alone I eat none. So after dinner
comes in my brother Tom, and he tells me how he hath seen the father and
mother of the girl which my cozen Joyces would have him to have for a
wife, and they are much for it, but we are in a great quandary what to do
therein, L200 being but a little money; and I hope, if he continues as he
begins, he may look out for one with more. To church, and before sermon