things tell me that by his microscope of his owne making he do discover
that the wings of a moth is made just as the feathers of the wing of a
bird, and that most plainly and certainly. While we were talking came by
several poor creatures carried by, by constables, for being at a
conventicle. They go like lambs, without any resistance. I would to God
they would either conform, or be more wise, and not be catched! Thence
parted with him, mightily pleased with his company, and away homeward,
calling at Dan Rawlinson, and supped there with my uncle Wight, and then
home and eat again for form sake with her, and then to prayers and to bed.

8th. Up and abroad with Sir W. Batten, by coach to St. James's, where by
the way he did tell me how Sir J. Minnes would many times arrogate to
himself the doing of that that all the Board have equal share in, and more
that to himself which he hath had nothing to do in, and particularly the
late paper given in by him to the Duke, the translation of a Dutch print
concerning the quarrel between us and them, which he did give as his own
when it was Sir Richard Ford's wholly. Also he told me how Sir W. Pen (it
falling in our discourse touching Mrs. Falconer) was at first very great
for Mr. Coventry to bring him in guests, and that at high rates for
places, and very open was he to me therein. After business done with the
Duke, I home to the Coffee-house, and so home to dinner, and after dinner
to hang up my fine pictures in my dining room, which makes it very
pretty, and so my wife and I abroad to the King's play-house, she giving
me her time of the last month, she having not seen any then; so my vowe is
not broke at all, it costing me no more money than it would have done upon
her, had she gone both her times that were due to her. Here we saw
"Flora's Figarys." I never saw it before, and by the most ingenuous
performance of the young jade Flora, it seemed as pretty a pleasant play
as ever I saw in my life. So home to supper, and then to my office late,
Mr. Andrews and I to talk about our victualling commission, and then he