and went out of doors to the office and there staid, and would not go to
our intended meeting, which vexed me to the blood, and my wife sent twice
or thrice to me, to direct her any way to dress her, but to put on her
cloth gown, which she would not venture, which made me mad: and so in the
evening to my chamber, vexed, and to my accounts, which I ended to my
great content, and did make amends for the loss of our mirth this night,
by getting this done, which otherwise I fear I should not have done a good
while else. So to bed.

30th. Up, and to the office, where all the morning. At noon dined at
home, being without any words friends with my wife, though last night I
was very angry, and do think I did give her as much cause to be angry with
me. After dinner I walked to Arundell House, the way very dusty, the day
of meeting of the Society being changed from Wednesday to Thursday, which
I knew not before, because the Wednesday is a Council-day, and several of
the Council are of the Society, and would come but for their attending the
King at Council; where I find much company, indeed very much company, in
expectation of the Duchesse of Newcastle, who had desired to be invited to
the Society; and was, after much debate, pro and con., it seems many being
against it; and we do believe the town will be full of ballads of it.
Anon comes the Duchesse with her women attending her; among others, the
Ferabosco,2 of whom so much talk is that her lady would bid her show her
face and kill the gallants. She is indeed black, and hath good black
little eyes, but otherwise but a very ordinary woman I do think, but they
say sings well. The Duchesse hath been a good, comely woman; but her
dress so antick, and her deportment so ordinary, that I do not like her at
all, nor did I hear her say any thing that was worth hearing, but that she
was full of admiration, all admiration. Several fine experiments were
shown her of colours, loadstones, microscopes, and of liquors among
others, of one that did, while she was there, turn a piece of roasted