gossiping, where much company and good cheer. There was the King's
Falconer, that lives by Paul's, and his wife, an ugly pusse, but brought
him money. He speaking of the strength of hawkes, which will strike a
fowle to the ground with that force that shall make the fowle rebound a
great way from ground, which no force of man or art can do, but it was
very pleasant to hear what reasons he and another, one Ballard, a rich man
of the same Company of Leathersellers of which the Joyces are, did give
for this. Ballard's wife, a pretty and a very well-bred woman, I took
occasion to kiss several times, and she to carve, drink, and show me great
respect. After dinner to talk and laugh. I drank no wine, but sent for
some water; the beer not being good. A fiddler was sent for, and there
one Mrs. Lurkin, a neighbour, a good, and merry poor woman, but a very
tall woman, did dance and show such tricks that made us all merry, but
above all a daughter of Mr. Brumfield's, black, but well-shaped and
modest, did dance very well, which pleased me mightily. I begun the
Duchess with her, but could not do it; but, however, I came off well
enough, and made mighty much of her, kissing and leading her home, with
her cozen Anthony and Kate Joyce (Kate being very handsome and well, that
is, handsomely dressed to-day, and I grew mighty kind and familiar with
her, and kissed her soundly, which she takes very well) to their house,
and there I left them, having in our way, though nine o'clock at night,
carried them into a puppet play in Lincolnes Inn Fields, where there was
the story of Holofernes, and other clockwork, well done. There was at
this house today Mr. Lawrence, who did give the name, it seems, to my
cozen Joyce's child, Samuel, who is a very civil gentleman, and his wife a
pretty woman, who, with Kate Joyce, were stewards of the feast to-day, and
a double share cost for a man and a woman came to 16s., which I also would
pay, though they would not by any means have had me do so. I walked home
very well contented with this afternoon's work, I thinking it convenient
to keep in with the Joyces against a bad day, if I should have occasion to