doing business, and also reading a little of "L'escholle des filles,"
which is a mighty lewd book, but yet not amiss for a sober man once to
read over to inform himself in the villainy of the world. At noon home to
dinner, where by appointment Mr. Pelting come and with him three friends,
Wallington, that sings the good base, and one Rogers, and a gentleman, a
young man, his name Tempest, who sings very well indeed, and understands
anything in the world at first sight. After dinner we into our
dining-room, and there to singing all the afternoon. (By the way, I must
remember that Pegg Pen was brought to bed yesterday of a girl; and, among
other things, if I have not already set it down, that hardly ever was
remembered such a season for the smallpox as these last two months have
been, people being seen all up and down the streets, newly come out after
the smallpox.) But though they sang fine things, yet I must confess that I
did take no pleasure in it, or very little, because I understood not the
words, and with the rests that the words are set, there is no sense nor
understanding in them though they be English, which makes me weary of
singing in that manner, it being but a worse sort of instrumental musick.
We sang until almost night, and drank mighty good store of wine, and then
they parted, and I to my chamber, where I did read through "L'escholle des
filles," a lewd book, but what do no wrong once to read for information
sake . . . . And after I had done it I burned it, that it might not be
among my books to my shame, and so at night to supper and to bed.

10th. Up, and by coach to Westminster, and there made a visit to Mr.
Godolphin, at his chamber; and I do find him a very pretty and able
person, a man of very fine parts, and of infinite zeal to my Lord
Sandwich; and one that says he is, he believes, as wise and able a person
as any prince in the world hath. He tells me that he meets with
unmannerly usage by Sir Robert Southwell, in Portugall, who would sign
with him in his negociations there, being a forward young man: but that my