to me, wherein he had enclosed one from Commissioner Pett complaining of
his being defeated in his attempt to suspend two pursers, wherein the
manner of his doing it, and complaint of our seeing him (contrary to our
promises the other day), deserted, did make us laugh mightily, and was
good sport to think how awkwardly he goes about a thing that he has no
courage of his own nor mind to do. Mr. Coventry answered it very
handsomely, but I perceive Pett has left off his corresponding with me any
more. Thence to fetch my wife from Mrs. Hunt's, where now he was come in,
and we eat and drunk, and so away (their child being at home, a very
lively, but not pretty at all), by water to Mrs. Turner's, and there made
a short visit, and so home by coach, and after supper to prayers and to
bed, and before going to bed Ashwell began to make her complaint, and by
her I do perceive that she has received most base usage from my wife,
which my wife sillily denies, but it is impossible the wench could invent
words and matter so particularly, against which my wife has nothing to say
but flatly to deny, which I am sorry to see, and blows to have past, and
high words even at Hinchinbrooke House among my Lady's people, of which I
am mightily ashamed. I said nothing to either of them, but let them talk
till she was gone and left us abed, and then I told my wife my mind with
great sobriety of grief, and so to sleep.

14th. Awake, and to chide my wife again, and I find that my wife has got
too great head to be brought down soon, nor is it possible with any
convenience to keep Ashwell longer, my wife is so set and convinced, as
she was in Sarah, to make her appear a Lyer in every small thing that we
shall have no peace while she stays. So I up and to my office doing
several businesses in my study, and so home to dinner. The time having
outslipt me and my stomach, it being past, two a-clock, and yet before we
could sit down to dinner Mrs. Harper and her cousin Jane came, and we
treated and discoursed long about her coming to my wife for a chamber