11th. At the office all the morning, where comes a damned summons to
attend the Committee of Miscarriages to-day, which makes me mad, that I
should by my place become the hackney of this Office, in perpetual trouble
and vexation, that need it least. At noon home to dinner, where little
pleasure, my head being split almost with the variety of troubles upon me
at this time, and cares, and after dinner by coach to Westminster Hall,
and sent my wife and Deb. to see "Mustapha" acted. Here I brought a book
to the Committee, and do find them; and particularly Sir Thomas Clarges,
mighty hot in the business of tickets, which makes me mad to see them bite
at the stone, and not at the hand that flings it, and here my Lord
Brouncker unnecessarily orders it that he is called in to give opportunity
to present his report of the state of the business of paying by ticket,
which I do not think will do him any right, though he was made believe
that it did operate mightily, and that Sir Fresh. Hollis did make a mighty
harangue and to much purpose in his defence, but I believe no such effects
of it, for going in afterward I did hear them speak with prejudice of it,
and that his pleading of the Admiral's warrant for it now was only an
evasion, if not an aspersion upon the Admirall, and therefore they would
not admit of this his report, but go on with their report as they had
resolved before. The orders they sent for this day was the first order
that I have yet met with about this business, and was of my own single
hand warranting, but I do think it will do me no harm, and therefore do
not much trouble myself with it, more than to see how much trouble I am
brought to who have best deported myself in all the King's business.
Thence with Lord Brouncker, and set him down at Bow Streete, and so to the
Duke of York's playhouse, and there saw the last act for nothing, where I
never saw such good acting of any creature as Smith's part of Zanger; and
I do also, though it was excellently acted by---------, do yet want
Betterton mightily. Thence to the Temple, to Porter's chamber, where
Cocke met me, and after a stay there some time, they two and I to