retends　not　to　voice；　though　it　be　good；　but　not　excellent。　　This　done；　T。　Killigrew　and　I　to　talk：　　and　he　tells　me　how　the　audience　at　his　house　is　not　above　half　so　much　as　it　used　to　be　before　the　late　fire。　　That　Knipp　is　like　to　make　the　best　actor　that　ever　come　upon　the　stage；　she　understanding　so　well：　　that　they　are　going　to　give　her　30l。　a…year　more。　　That　the　stage　is　now　by　his　pains　a　thousand　times　better　and　more　glorious　than　ever　heretofore。　Now　wax…candles；　and　many　of　them；　then　not　above　3　lbs。　of　tallow：　　now　all　things　civil；　no　rudeness　any　where；　then；　as　in　a　bear…garden：　　then　two　or　three　fiddlers；　now　nine　or　ten　of　the　best：　　then　nothing　but　rushes　upon　the　ground；　and　every　thing　else　mean；　now　all　otherwise：　　then　the　Queene　seldom　and　the　King　never　would　come；　now；　not　the　King　only　for　state；　but　all　civil　people　do　think　they　may　come　as　well　as　any。　　He　tells　me　that　he　hath　gone　several　times　（eight　or　ten　times；　he　tells　me；）　hence　to　Rome；　to　hear　good　musique；　so　much　he　loves　it；　though　he　never　did　sing　or　play　a　note。　　That　he　hath　ever　endeavoured　in　the　late　King's　time　and　in　this　to　introduce　good　musique；　but　he　never　could　do　it；　there　never　having　been　any　musique　here　better　than　ballads。　　And　says　〃Hermitt　poore〃　and　〃Chiny　Chese〃　was　all　the　musique　we　had；　and　yet　no　ordinary　fiddlers　get　so　much　money　as　ours　do　here；　which　speaks　our　rudeness　still。　　That　he　hath　gathered　our　Italians　from　several　Courts　in　Christendome；　to　come　to　make　a　concert　for　the　King；　which　he　do　give　200l。　a…year　a…piece　to；　but　badly　paid；　and　do　come　in　the　room　of　keeping　four　ridiculous　Gundilows；　he　having　got　the　King　to　put　them　away；　and　lay　out　money　this　way。　　And　indeed　I　do　commend　him　for　it；　for　I　think　it　is　a　very　noble　undertaking。　He　do　intend　to　have　some　times　of　the　year　these　operas　to　be　performed　at　the　two　present　theatres；　since　he　is　defeated　in　what　he　intended　in　Moorefields　on　purpose　for　it。　And　he　tells　me　plainly　that　the　City　audience　was　as　good　as　the　Court；　but　now　they　are　most　gone。　　Baptista　tells　me　that　Giacomo　Charissimi　＇Giacomo　Chiarissimi；　Maestro　di　Cappella　of　the　Church　of　St。　Apollinare　in　the　German　College　at　Rome；　an　excellent　Italian　musician。　　He　lived　to　be　90。BURNEY。＇　　is　still　alive　at　Rome；　who　was　master　to　Vinnecotio；　who　is　one　of　the　Italians　that　the　King　hath　here；　and　the　chief　composer　of　them。　　My　great　wonder　is；　how　this　man　do　to　keep　in　memory　so　perfectly　the　musique　of　the　whole　act；　both　for　the　voice　and　the　instrument　too。　　I　confess　I　do　admire　it：　　but　in　recitative　the　sense　much　helps　him；　for　there　is　but　one　proper　way　of　discoursing　and　giving　the　accents。　　Having　done　our　discourse；　we　all　took　coaches　（my　Lord's　and　T。　Killigrew's）　and　to　Mrs。　Knipp's　chamber；　where　this　Italian　is　to　teach　her　to　sing　her　part。　　And　so　we　all　thither；　and　there　she　did　sing　an　Italian　song　or　two　very　fine；　while　he　played　the　bass　upon　a　harpsicon　there；　and　exceedingly　taken　I　am　with　her　singing；　and　believe　she　will　do　miracles　at　that　and　acting。
  13th。　　To　the　Duke　of　York；　and　there　did　our　usual　business；　but　troubled　to　see　that　at　this　time；　after　our　declaring　a　debt　to　the　Parliament　of　900；000l。　and　nothing　paid　since；　but　the　debt　encreased；　and　now　the　fleet　to　set　out；　to　hear　that　the　King　hath　ordered　but　35；000l。　for　the　setting　out　of　the　fleet；　out　of　the　Poll　Bill　to　buy　all　provisions；　when　five　times　as　much　had　been　little　enough　to　have　done　any　thing　to　purpose。　　They　have；　indeed；　ordered　more　for　paying　off　of　seamen　and　the　Yards　to　some　time；　but　not　enough　for　that　neither。　　A　foul　evening　this　was　to…night；　and　I　mightily　troubled　to　get　a　coach　home；　and；　which　is　now　my　common　practice；　going　over　the　ruins　in　the　night；　I　rid　with　my　sword　drawn　in　the　coach。
  14th。　　By　coach　to　my　Lord　Chancellor's；　and　there　a　meeting：　the　Duke　of　York；　Duke　of　Albemarle；　and　several　other　Lords　of　the　Commission　of　Tangier。　　And　there　I　did　present　a　state　of　my　accounts；　and　managed　them　well　and　my　Lord　Chancellor　did　say；　though　he　was　in　other　things　in　an　ill　humour；　that　no　man　in　England　was　of　more　method；　nor　made　himself　better　understood；　than　myself。　　But　going；　after　the　business　of　money　was　over；　to　other　businesses；　of　settling　the　garrison；　he　did　fling　out；　and　so　did　the　Duke　of　York；　two　or　three　severe　words　touching　my　Lord　Bellasses：　　that　he　would　have　no　Governor　come　away　from　thence　in　less　than　three　years：　　no；　though　his　lady　were　with　child。　　〃And；〃　says　the　Duke　of　York；　〃there　should　be　no　Governor　continue　so；　longer　than　three　years。〃〃And；〃　says　Lord　Arlington；　〃when　our　rules　are　once　set；　and　upon　good　judgment　declared；　no　Governor　should　offer　to　alter　them。〃　　〃We　must　correct　the　many　things　that　are　amiss　there；　for　（says　the　Lord　Chancellor）　you　must　think　we　do　hear　of　more　things　amiss　than　we　are　willing　to　speak　before　our　friends'　faces。〃　　My　Lord　Bellasses　would　not　take　notice　of　their　reflecting　on　him；　and　did　wisely。　　H。　Cholmly　and　I　to　the　Temple；　and　there　walked　in　the　dark　in　the　walks　talking　of　news；　and　he　surprises　me　with　the　certain　news　that　the　King　did　last　night　in　Council　declare　his　being　in　treaty　with　the　Dutch：　　that　they　had　sent　him　a　very　civil　letter；　declaring　that　if　nobody　but　themselves　were　concerned；　they　would　not　dispute　the　place　of　treaty；　but　leave　it　to　his　choice；　but　that　being　obliged　to　satisfy　therein　a　prince　of　equal　quality　with　himself；　they　must　except　any　place　in　England　or　Spain。　　Also　the　King　hath　chosen　the　Hague；　and　thither　hath　chose　my　Lord　Hollis　and　Harry　Coventry　to　go　Embassadors　to　treat；　which　is　so　mean　a　thing　as　all　the　world　will　believe　that　we　do　go　to　beg　a　peace　of　them；　whatever　we　pretend。　　And　it　seems　all　our　Court　are　mightily　for　a　peace；　taking　this　to　be　the　time　to　make　one　while　the　King　hath　money；　that　he　may　save　something　of　what　the　Parliament　hath　given　him　to　put　him　out　of　debt；　so　as　he　may　need　the　help　of　no　more　Parliaments；　as　to　the　point　of　money：　　but　our　debt　is　so　great；　and　expence　daily　so　encreased；　that　I　believe　little　of　the　money　will　be　saved　between　this　and　the　making　of　the　peace　up。　But　that　which　troubles　me　most　is；　that　we　have　chosen　a　son　of　Secretary　Morris；　a　boy　never　used　to　any　business；　to　go　Secretary　to　the　Embassy。
  14th。　　This　morning　come　up　to　my　wife's　bedside；　I　being　up　dressing　myself；　little　Will　Mercer　to　be　her　Valentine；　and　brought　her　name　writ　upon　blue　paper　in　gold　letters；　done　by　himself；　very　pretty；　and　we　were　both　well　pleased　with　it。　　But　I　am　also　this　year　my　wife's　Valentine；　and　it　will　cost　me　5l。；　but　that　I　must　have　laid　out　if　we　had　not　been　Valentines。
  15th。　　Pegg　Pen　is　married　this　day　privately：　　no　friends　but　two　or　three　relations　of　his　and　hers。　　Borrowed　many　things　of　my　kitchen　for　dressing　their　dinner。　　This　wedding；　being　private；　is　imputed　to　its　being　just　before　Lent；　and　so　in　vain　to　make　new　clothes　till　Easter；　that　they　might　see　the　fashions　as　they　are　like　to　be　this　summer；　which　is　reason　good　enough。
  16th。　　To　my　Lord　Brouncker's；　and　there　was　Sir　Robert　Murray；　a　most　excellent　man　of　reason　and　learning；　and　understands　the　doctrine　of　musique；　and　every　thing　else　I　could　discourse　of；　very　finely。　　Here　come　Mr。　Hooke；　Sir　George　Ent；　Dr。　Wren；　and　many　others；　and　by　and　by　the　musique；　that　is　to　say；　Signior　Vincentio；　who　is　the　master　composer；　and　six　more；　whereof　two　eunuches　（so　tall　that　Sir　T。　Harvy　said　well　that　he　believes　they　do　grow　large　as　our　oxen　do）；　and　one　woman　very　well　dressed　and　handsome　enough；　but　would　not　be　kissed；　as　Mr。　Killigrew；　who　brought　the　company　in；　did　acquaint　us。　　They　sent　two　harpsicons　before；　and　by　and　by　after　tuning　them　they　begun；　and；　I　confess；　very　good　musique　they　made；　that　is；　the　composition　exceeding　good；　but　yet　not　at　all　more　pleasing　to　me　than　what　I　have　heard　in　English　by　Mrs。　Knipp；　Captain　Cocke；　and　others。　　Their　justness　in　keeping　time　by　practice　much　before　any　that　we　have；　unless　it　be　a　good　band　of　practiced　fiddlers。　　I　find　that　Mrs。　Pierce's　little　girl　is　my　Valentine；　she　having　drawn　me；　which　I　was　not　sorry　for；　it　easing　me　of　something　more　that　I　must　have　given　to　others。　But　here　I　do　first　observe　the　fashion　of　drawing　of　mottos　as　well　as　names；　so　that　Pierce；　who　drew　my　wife；　did　draw　also　a　motto；　and　this　girl　drew　another　for　me。　　What　mine　was　I　have　forgot；　but　my　wife's　was；　〃Most　courteous　and　most　fair：〃　which　as　it　may　be　used；　or　an　anagram　made　upon　each　name；　might　be　very；　pretty。　　One　wonder　I　observed　to…day；　that　there　was　no　musique　in　the　morning　to　call　up　our　new…married　people；　which　is　very　mean　methinks。
  17th。　　Staid　till　the　council　was　up；　and　attended　the　King　and　Duke　of　York　round　the　Park；　and　was　asked　several　questions　by　both；　but　I　was　in　pain　lest　they　should　ask　me　what　I　could　not　answer；　as　the　Duke　of　York　did　the　value　of　the　hull　of　the　St。　Patricke　lately　lost；　which　I　told　him　I　could　not　presently　answer：　　though　I　might　have　easily　furnished　myself　to　answer　all　those　questions。　　They　stood　a　good　while　to　see　th