10th. Up, and to attend the Council, but all in vain, the Council
spending all the morning upon a business about the printing of the
Critickes, a dispute between the first Printer, one Bee that is dead, and
the Abstractor, who would now print his Abstract, one Poole. So home to
dinner, and thence to Haward's to look upon an Espinette, and I did come
near the buying one, but broke off. I have a mind to have one. So to
Cooper's; and there find my wife and W. Hewer and Deb., sitting, and
painting; and here he do work finely, though I fear it will not be so like
as I expected: but now I understand his great skill in musick, his playing
and setting to the French lute most excellently; and speaks French, and
indeed is an excellent man. Thence, in the evening, with my people in a
glass hackney-coach to the park, but was ashamed to be seen. So to the
lodge, and drank milk, and so home to supper and to bed.

11th. At the office all the morning. After dinner to the King's
playhouse, to see an old play of Shirly's, called "Hide Parker" the first
day acted; where horses are brought upon the stage but it is but a very
moderate play, only an excellent epilogue spoke by Beck Marshall. Thence
home and to my office, and then to supper and to bed, and overnight took
some pills,

12th. Which work with me pretty betimes, being Lord's day, and so I
within all day. Busy all the morning upon some accounts with W. Hewer,
and at noon, an excellent dinner, comes Pelling and W. Howe, and the
latter staid and talked with me all the afternoon, and in the evening
comes Mr. Mills and his wife and supped and talked with me, and so to bed.
This last night Betty Michell about midnight cries out, and my wife goes
to her, and she brings forth a girl, and this afternoon the child is
christened, and my wife godmother again to a Betty.