26th. Up and to Westminster, and there to the Swan, and by chance met Mr.
Spicer and another 'Chequer clerk, and there made them drink, and there
talked of the credit the 'Chequer is now come to and will in a little
time, and so away homeward, and called at my bookseller's, and there
bought Mr. Harrington's works, "Oceana," &c., and two other books, which
cost me L4, and so home, and there eat a bit, and then with my wife to the
King's playhouse, and there saw "The Surprizall;" which did not please me
to-day, the actors not pleasing me; and especially Nell's acting of a
serious part, which she spoils. Here met with Sir W. Pen, and sat by him,
and home by coach with him, and there to my office a while, and then home
to supper and to bed. I hear this day that Mrs. Stewart do at this day
keep a great court at Somerset House, with her husband the Duke of
Richmond, she being visited for her beauty's sake by people, as the Queen
is, at nights; and they say also that she is likely to go to Court again,
and there put my Lady Castlemayne's nose out of joynt. God knows that
would make a great turn. This day I was invited to have gone to my cozen
Mary Pepys' burial, my uncle Thomas' daughter, but could not.

27th. Up, and by water to White Hall, and there walked with Creed in the
Matted gallery till by and by a Committee for Tangier met: the Duke of
York there; and there I did discourse over to them their condition as to
money, which they were all mightily, as I could desire, satisfied with,
but the Duke of Albemarle, who takes the part of the Guards against us in
our supplies of money, which is an odd consideration for a dull, heavy
blockhead as he is, understanding no more of either than a goose: but the
ability and integrity of Sir W. Coventry, in all the King's concernments,
I do and must admire. After the Committee up, I and Sir W. Coventry
walked an hour in the gallery, talking over many businesses, and he tells
me that there are so many things concur to make him and his Fellow
Commissioners unable to go through the King's work that he do despair of