presently by appointment my wife. I spent the afternoon upon a song of
Solyman's words to Roxalana that I have set, and so with my wife walked
and Mercer to Mrs. Pierce's, where Captain Rolt and Mrs. Knipp, Mr.
Coleman and his wife, and Laneare, Mrs. Worshipp and her singing daughter,
met; and by and by unexpectedly comes Mr. Pierce from Oxford. Here the
best company for musique I ever was in, in my life, and wish I could live
and die in it, both for musique and the face of Mrs. Pierce, and my wife
and Knipp, who is pretty enough; but the most excellent, mad-humoured
thing, and sings the noblest that ever I heard in my life, and Rolt, with
her, some things together most excellently. I spent the night in extasy
almost; and, having invited them to my house a day or two hence, we broke
up, Pierce having told me that he is told how the King hath done my Lord
Sandwich all the right imaginable, by shewing him his countenance before
all the world on every occasion, to remove thoughts of discontent; and
that he is to go Embassador, and that the Duke of Yorke is made generall
of all forces by land and sea, and the Duke of Albemarle,
lieutenant-generall. Whether the two latter alterations be so, true or
no, he knows not, but he is told so; but my Lord is in full favour with
the King. So all home and to bed.

7th. Up and to the office, where very busy all day. Sir G. Carteret's
letter tells me my Lord Sandwich is, as I was told, declared Embassador
Extraordinary to Spayne, and to go with all speed away, and that his
enemies have done him as much good as he could wish. At noon late to
dinner, and after dinner spent till night with Mr. Gibson and Hater
discoursing and making myself more fully [know] the trade of pursers, and
what fittest to be done in their business, and so to the office till
midnight writing letters, and so home, and after supper with my wife about
one o'clock to bed.