is supposed, on fire. The King and Court were here, it seems, and stopped
the fire by blowing up of the next house. The King and Court went out of
town to Newmarket this morning betimes, for a week. So home, and there to
my chamber, and got my wife to read to me a little, and so to supper and
to bed. Coming home this night I did call at the coachmaker's, and do
resolve upon having the standards of my coach gilt with this new sort of
varnish, which will come but to 40s.; and, contrary to my expectation, the
doing of the biggest coach all over comes not to above L6, which is [not]
very much.

27th. Up, and to the Office, where all the morning. At noon home to
dinner, and then to the Office again, where the afternoon busy till late,
and then home, and got my wife to read to me in the Nepotisme,

[The work here mentioned is a bitter satire against the Court Rome,
written in Italian, and attributed to Gregorio Leti. It was first
printed in 1667, without the name or place of printer, but it is
from the press of the Elzevirs. The book obtained by Pepys was
probably the anonymous English translation, "Il Nipotismo di Roma:
or the history of the Popes nephews from the time of Sixtus the IV.
to the death the last Pope Alexander the VII. In two parts. Written
originally Italian in the year 1667 and Englished by W. A. London,
1669" 8vo. From this work the word Nepotism is derived, and is
applied to the bad practice of statesmen, when in power, providing
lucrative places for their relations.]

which is very pleasant, and so to supper and to bed. This afternoon was
brought to me a fresh Distringas upon the score of the Tangier accounts
which vexes me, though I hope it will not turn to my wrong.