to me, and tell me that he had read, and do like of, my answers to the
objections which he did give me the other day, about the Navy; and so did
W. Coventry too, who told me that the Duke of York had shown him them: So
to White Hall a little and the Chequer, and then by water home to dinner
with my people, where Tong was also this day with me, whom I shall employ
for a time, and so out again and by water to Somerset House, but when come
thither I turned back and to Southwarke-Fair, very dirty, and there saw
the puppet-show of Whittington, which was pretty to see; and how that idle
thing do work upon people that see it, and even myself too! And thence to
Jacob Hall's dancing on the ropes, where I saw such action as I never saw
before, and mightily worth seeing; and here took acquaintance with a
fellow that carried me to a tavern, whither come the musick of this booth,
and by and by Jacob Hall himself, with whom I had a mind to speak, to hear
whether he had ever any mischief by falls in his time. He told me, "Yes,
many; but never to the breaking of a limb:" he seems a mighty strong man.
So giving them a bottle or two of wine, I away with Payne, the waterman.
He, seeing me at the play, did get a link to light me, and so light me to
the Beare, where Bland, my waterman, waited for me with gold and other
things he kept for me, to the value of L40 and more, which I had about me,
for fear of my pockets being cut. So by link-light through the bridge, it
being mighty dark, but still weather, and so home, where I find my draught
of "The Resolution" come, finished, from Chatham; but will cost me, one
way or other, about L12 or L13, in the board, frame, and garnishing, which
is a little too much, but I will not be beholden to the King's officers
that do it. So to supper, and the boy to read to me, and so to bed. This
day I met Mr. Moore in the New Exchange, and had much talk of my Lord's
concernments. This day also come out first the new five-pieces in gold,
coined by the Guiny Company; and I did get two pieces of Mr. Holder.

[Guineas took their name from the gold brought from Guinea by the