have him stay a week longer, and then he shall go. So to the office, and
there Mr. Coventry and I sat till noon, and then I stept to the Exchange,
and so home to dinner, and after dinner with my wife to the Duke's
Theatre, and saw the second part of "Rhodes," done with the new Roxalana;
which do it rather better in all respects for person, voice, and judgment,
then the first Roxalana. Home with great content with my wife, not so
well pleased with the company at the house to-day, which was full of
citizens, there hardly being a gentleman or woman in the house; a couple
of pretty ladies by us that made sport in it, being jostled and crowded by
prentices. So home, and I to my study making up my monthly accounts,
which is now fallen again to L630 or thereabouts, which not long since was
L680, at which I am sorry, but I trust in God I shall get it up again, and
in the meantime will live sparingly. So home to supper and to bed.

28th (Lord's day). Up and, with my wife to church, and coming out, went
out both before my Lady Batten, he not being there, which I believe will
vex her. After dinner my wife to church again, and I to the French
church, where I heard an old man make a tedious, long sermon, till they
were fain to light candles to baptize the children by. So homewards,
meeting my brother Tom, but spoke but little with him, and calling also at
my uncle Wight's, but met him and her going forth, and so I went directly
home, and there fell to the renewing my last year's oaths, whereby it has
pleased God so much to better myself and practise, and so down to supper,
and then prayers and bed.

29th. Up and walked to Whitehall, where the Duke and Mr. Coventry being
gone forth I went to Westminster Hall, where I staid reading at Mrs.
Mitchell's shop, and sent for half a pint of sack for her. Here she told
me what I heard not of before, the strange burning of Mr. De Laun, a
merchant's house in Loathbury, and his lady (Sir Thomas Allen's daughter)