"Man's life's a game at tables, and he may
Mend his bad fortune by his wiser play."

Wit's Recre., i. 250, reprint, 1817.]

and to bed.

12th. Up, and walked to the office, where we sat late, and thence to
dinner home with Sir J. Minnes, and so to the office, where writing
letters, and home in the evening, where my wife shews me a letter from her
brother speaking of their father's being ill, like to die, which, God
forgive me! did not trouble me so much as it should, though I was indeed
sorry for it. I did presently resolve to send him something in a letter
from my wife, viz. 20s. So to bed.

13th. Up, and walked to Greenwich, taking pleasure to walk with my minute
watch in my hand, by which I am come now to see the distances of my way
from Woolwich to Greenwich, and do find myself to come within two minutes
constantly to the same place at the end of each quarter of an houre. Here
we rendezvoused at Captain Cocke's, and there eat oysters, and so my Lord
Bruncker, Sir J. Minnes, and I took boat, and in my Lord's coach to Sir W.
Hickes's, whither by and by my Lady Batten and Sir William comes. It is a
good seat, with a fair grove of trees by it, and the remains of a good
garden; but so let to run to ruine, both house and every thing in and
about it, so ill furnished and miserably looked after, I never did see in
all my life. Not so much as a latch to his dining-room door; which saved
him nothing, for the wind blowing into the room for want thereof, flung
down a great bow pott that stood upon the side-table, and that fell upon
some Venice glasses, and did him a crown's worth of hurt. He did give us