almost spoiled by falling down, and getting his leg over the pole; but all
mended presently, and after riding up and down, home. Set Madamoiselle at
home; and we home, and to my office, whither comes Mr. Bland, and pays me
the debt he acknowledged he owed me for my service in his business of the
Tangier Merchant, twenty pieces of new gold, a pleasant sight. It cheered
my heart; and he being gone, I home to supper, and shewed them my wife;
and she, poor wretch, would fain have kept them to look on, without any
other design but a simple love to them; but I thought it not convenient,
and so took them into my own hand. So, after supper, to bed.

3rd. Up, and being ready, went by agreement to Mr. Bland's and there
drank my morning draft in good chocollatte, and slabbering my band sent
home for another, and so he and I by water to White Hall, and walked to
St. James's, where met Creed and Vernatty, and by and by Sir W. Rider, and
so to Mr. Coventry's chamber, and there upon my Lord Peterborough's
accounts, where I endeavoured to shew the folly and punish it as much as I
could of Mr. Povy; for, of all the men in the world, I never knew any man
of his degree so great a coxcomb in such imployments. I see I have lost
him forever, but I value it not; for he is a coxcomb, and, I doubt, not
over honest, by some things which I see; and yet, for all his folly, he
hath the good lucke, now and then, to speak his follies in as good words,
and with as good a show, as if it were reason, and to the purpose, which
is really one of the wonders of my life. Thence walked to Westminster
Hall; and there, in the Lords' House, did in a great crowd, from ten
o'clock till almost three, hear the cause of Mr. Roberts, my Lord Privy
Seal's son, against Win, who by false ways did get the father of Mr.
Roberts's wife (Mr. Bodvill) to give him the estate and disinherit his
daughter. The cause was managed for my Lord Privy Seal by Finch the
Solicitor [General]; but I do really think that he is truly a man of as
great eloquence as ever I heard, or ever hope to hear in all my life.