20th. Up, and a while to my office, and then home with Mr. Deane till
dinner, discoursing upon the business of my Lord Chancellor's timber in
Clarendon Parke, and how to make a report therein without offending him;
which at last I drew up, and hope it will please him. But I would to God
neither I nor he ever had had any thing to have done with it! Dined
together with a good pig, and then out by coach to White Hall, to the
Committee for Fishing; but nothing done, it being a great day to-day there
upon drawing at the Lottery of Sir Arthur Slingsby. I got in and stood by
the two Queenes and the Duchesse of Yorke, and just behind my Lady
Castlemayne, whom I do heartily adore; and good sport it was to see how
most that did give their ten pounds did go away with a pair of globes only
for their lot, and one gentlewoman, one Mrs. Fish, with the only blanke.
And one I staid to see drew a suit of hangings valued at L430, and they
say are well worth the money, or near it. One other suit there is better
than that; but very many lots of three and fourscore pounds. I observed
the King and Queenes did get but as poor lots as any else. But the wisest
man I met with was Mr. Cholmley, who insured as many as would, from
drawing of the one blank for 12d.; in which case there was the whole
number of persons to one, which I think was three or four hundred. And so
he insured about 200 for 200 shillings, so that he could not have lost if
one of them had drawn it, for there was enough to pay the L10; but it
happened another drew it, and so he got all the money he took. I left the
lottery, and went to a play, only a piece of it, which was the Duke's
house, "Worse and Worse;" just the same manner of play, and writ, I
believe, by the same man as "The Adventures of Five Hours;" very pleasant
it was, and I begin to admire Harris more than ever. Thence to
Westminster to see Creed, and he and I took a walk in the Parke. He is
ill, and not able yet to set out after my Lord, but will do to-morrow. So
home, and late at my office, and so home to bed. This evening being
moonshine I played a little late upon my flageolette in the garden. But