Diary, February 1667/68 | Page 7

meet again to-day, are likely to
fall heavy on the business of the Duke of Buckingham's pardon; and I

shall be glad of it: and that the King hath put out of the Court the two
Hides, my Lord Chancellor's two sons, and also the Bishops of
Rochester and Winchester, the latter of whom should have preached
before him yesterday, being Ash Wednesday, and had his sermon ready,
but was put by; which is great news: He gone, we sat at the office all
the morning, and at noon home to dinner, and my wife being gone
before, I to the Duke of York's playhouse; where a new play of
Etherige's, called "She Would if she Could;" and though I was there by
two o'clock, there was 1000 people put back that could not have room
in the pit: and I at last, because my wife was there, made shift to get
into the 18d. box, and there saw; but, Lord! how full was the house, and
how silly the play, there being nothing in the world good in it, and few
people pleased in it. The King was there; but I sat mightily behind, and
could see but little, and hear not all. The play being done, I into the pit
to look (for) my wife, and it being dark and raining, I to look my wife
out, but could not find her; and so staid going between the two doors
and through the pit an hour and half, I think, after the play was done;
the people staying there till the rain was over, and to talk with one
another. And, among the rest, here was the Duke of Buckingham to-day
openly sat in the pit; and there I found him with my Lord Buckhurst,
and Sidly, and Etherige, the poet; the last of whom I did hear mightily
find fault with the actors, that they were out of humour, and had not
their parts perfect, and that Harris did do nothing, nor could so much as
sing a ketch in it; and so was mightily concerned while all the rest did,
through the whole pit, blame the play as a silly, dull thing, though there
was something very roguish and witty; but the design of the play, and
end, mighty insipid. At last I did find my wife staying for me in the
entry; and with her was Betty Turner, Mercer, and Deb. So I got a
coach, and a humour took us, and I carried them to Hercules Pillars,
and there did give them a kind of a supper of about 7s., and very merry,
and home round the town, not through the ruines; and it was pretty how
the coachman by mistake drives us into the ruines from London-wall
into Coleman Street: and would persuade me that I lived there. And the
truth is, I did think that he and the linkman had contrived some roguery;
but it proved only a mistake of the coachman; but it was a cunning
place to have done us a mischief in, as any I know, to drive us out of
the road into the ruines, and there stop, while nobody could be called to

help us. But we come safe home, and there, the girls being gone home,
I to the office, where a while busy, my head not being wholly free of
my trouble about my prize business, I home to bed. This evening
coming home I did put my hand under the coats of Mercer and did
touch her thigh, but then she did put by my hand and no hurt done, but
talked and sang and was merry.

7th. Up, and to the office, to the getting of my books in order, to carry
to the Commissioners of Accounts this morning. This being done, I
away first to Westminster Hall, and there met my cozen, Roger Pepys,
by his desire, the first time I have seen him since his coming to town,
the Parliament meeting yesterday and adjourned to Monday next; and
here he tells me that Mr. Jackson, my sister's servant, is come to town,
and hath this day suffered a recovery on his estate, in order to the
making her a settlement. The young man is gone out of the Hall, so I
could not now see him, but here I walked a good while with my cozen,
and among other things do hear that there is a great triall between my
Lord Gerard and Carr to-day, who is indicted for his life at the King's
Bench, for running from his colours; but all do say that my Lord Gerard,
though he designs the ruining of this man, will not get any thing by it.
Thence to the Commissioners of Accounts, and there presented