suddenly he draws the Heavens, laying a darke ground and then lightening
it when and where he will. Thence to walk all alone in the fields behind
Grayes Inne, making an end of reading over my dear "Faber fortunae," of my
Lord Bacon's, and thence, it growing dark, took two or three wanton turns
about the idle places and lanes about Drury Lane, but to no satisfaction,
but a great fear of the plague among them, and so anon I walked by
invitation to Mrs. Pierces, where I find much good company, that is to
say, Mrs. Pierce, my wife, Mrs. Worshipp and her daughter, and Harris the
player, and Knipp, and Mercer, and Mrs. Barbary Sheldon, who is come this
day to spend a weeke with my wife; and here with musique we danced, and
sung and supped, and then to sing and dance till past one in the morning;
and much mirthe with Sir Anthony Apsley and one Colonell Sidney, who lodge
in the house; and above all, they are mightily taken with Mrs. Knipp.
Hence weary and sleepy we broke up, and I and my company homeward by coach
and to bed.

15th. Lay till it was full time to rise, it being eight o'clock, and so
to the office and there sat till almost three o'clock and then to dinner,
and after dinner (my wife and Mercer and Mrs. Barbary being gone to
Hales's before), I and my cozen Anthony Joyce, who come on purpose to
dinner with me, and he and I to discourse of our proposition of marriage
between Pall and Harman, and upon discourse he and I to Harman's house and
took him to a taverne hard by, and we to discourse of our business, and I
offered L500, and he declares most ingenuously that his trade is not to be
trusted on, that he however needs no money, but would have her money
bestowed on her, which I like well, he saying that he would adventure 2 or
L300 with her. I like him as a most good-natured, and discreet man, and,
I believe, very cunning. We come to this conclusion for us to meete one
another the next weeke, and then we hope to come to some end, for I did
declare myself well satisfied with the match. Thence to Hales's, where I