the greatest vapourer in the world, this Colonell Wyndham says; and one to
whom only, with Jacke Asheburnel and Colonel Legg, the King's removal to
the Isle of Wight from Hampton Court was communicated; and (though
betrayed by their knavery, or at best by their ignorance, insomuch that
they have all solemnly charged one another with their failures therein,
and have been at daggers-drawing publickly about it), yet now none greater
friends in the world. We dined, and in comes Mrs. Owen, a kinswoman of my
Lord Bruncker's, about getting a man discharged, which I did for her, and
by and by Mrs. Pierce to speake with me (and Mary my wife's late maid, now
gone to her) about her husband's business of money, and she tells us how
she prevented Captain Fisher the other day in his purchase of all her
husband's fine goods, as pearls and silks, that he had seized in an
Apothecary's house, a friend of theirs, but she got in and broke them open
and removed all before Captain Fisher came the next day to fetch them
away, at which he is starke mad. She went home, and I to my lodgings. At
night by agreement I fetched her again with Cocke's coach, and he come and
we sat and talked together, thinking to have had Mrs. Coleman and my
songsters, her husband and Laneare, but they failed me. So we to supper,
and as merry as was sufficient, and my pretty little Miss with me; and so
after supper walked [with] Pierce home, and so back and to bed. But,
Lord! I stand admiring of the wittinesse of her little boy, which is one
of the wittiest boys, but most confident that ever I did see of a child of
9 years old or under in all my life, or indeed one twice his age almost,
but all for roguish wit. So to bed.

4th. Several people to me about business, among others Captain Taylor,
intended Storekeeper for Harwich, whom I did give some assistance in his
dispatch by lending him money. So out and by water to London and to the
'Change, and up and down about several businesses, and after the observing
(God forgive me!) one or two of my neighbour Jason's women come to towne,