dinner was over, and there being no use of me I away after dinner without
taking leave, and to the New Exchange, there to take up my wife and
Mercer, and to Temple Bar to the Ordinary, and had a dish of meat for
them, they having not dined, and thence to the King's house, and there saw
"The Numerous Lieutenant," a silly play, I think; only the Spirit in it
that grows very tall, and then sinks again to nothing, having two heads
breeding upon one, and then Knipp's singing, did please us. Here, in a
box above, we spied Mrs. Pierce; and, going out, they called us, and so we
staid for them; and Knipp took us all in, and brought to us Nelly; a most
pretty woman, who acted the great part of Coelia to-day very fine, and did
it pretty well: I kissed her, and so did my wife; and a mighty pretty soul
she is. We also saw Mrs. Halls which is my little Roman-nose black girl,
that is mighty pretty: she is usually called Betty. Knipp made us stay in
a box and see the dancing preparatory to to-morrow for "The Goblins," a
play of Suckling's, not acted these twenty-five years; which was pretty;
and so away thence, pleased with this sight also, and specially kissing of
Nell. We away, Mr. Pierce and I, on foot to his house, the women by coach.
In our way we find the Guards of horse in the street, and hear the
occasion to be news that the seamen are in a mutiny, which put me into a
great fright; so away with my wife and Mercer home preparing against
to-morrow night to have Mrs. Pierce and Knipp and a great deal more
company to dance; and, when I come home, hear of no disturbance there of
the seamen, but that one of them, being arrested to-day, others do go and
rescue him. So to the office a little, and then home to supper, and to my
chamber awhile, and then to bed.

24th. Up, and to the office, full of thoughts how to order the business
of our merry meeting to-night. So to the office, where busy all the
morning. [While we were sitting in the morning at the office, we were
frighted with news of fire at Sir W. Batten's by a chimney taking fire,