8th. Up with some little discontent with my wife upon her saying that she
had got and used some puppy-dog water, being put upon it by a desire of my
aunt Wight to get some for her, who hath a mind, unknown to her husband,
to get some for her ugly face. I to the office, where we sat all the
morning, doing not much business through the multitude of counsellors, one
hindering another. It was Mr. Coventry's own saying to me in his coach
going to the 'Change, but I wonder that he did give me no thanks for my
letter last night, but I believe he did only forget it. Thence home,
whither Luellin came and dined with me, but we made no long stay at
dinner; for "Heraclius" being acted, which my wife and I have a mighty
mind to see, we do resolve, though not exactly agreeing with the letter of
my vowe, yet altogether with the sense, to see another this month, by
going hither instead of that at Court, there having been none conveniently
since I made my vowe for us to see there, nor like to be this Lent, and
besides we did walk home on purpose to make this going as cheap as that
would have been, to have seen one at Court, and my conscience knows that
it is only the saving of money and the time also that I intend by my
oaths, and this has cost no more of either, so that my conscience before
God do after good consultation and resolution of paying my forfeit, did my
conscience accuse me of breaking my vowe, I do not find myself in the
least apprehensive that I have done any violence to my oaths. The play
hath one very good passage well managed in it, about two persons
pretending, and yet denying themselves, to be son to the tyrant Phocas,
and yet heire of Mauritius to the crowne. The garments like Romans very
well. The little girle is come to act very prettily, and spoke the
epilogue most admirably. But at the beginning, at the drawing up of the
curtaine, there was the finest scene of the Emperor and his people about
him, standing in their fixed and different pastures in their Roman
habitts, above all that ever I yet saw at any of the theatres. Walked
home, calling to see my brother Tom, who is in bed, and I doubt very ill