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Wednesday 8 April 1663

Up betimes and to my office, and by and by, about 8 o'clock, to the Temple to Commissioner Pett lately come to town and discoursed about the affairs of our office, how ill they go through the corruption and folly of Sir W. Batten and Sir J. Minnes.  Thence by water to White Hall, to chappell; where preached Dr. Pierce, the famous man that preached the sermon so much cried up, before the King against the Papists.  His matter was the Devil tempting our Saviour, being carried into the Wilderness by the spirit.  And he hath as much of natural eloquence as most men that ever I heard in my life, mixed with so much learning.  After sermon I went up and saw the ceremony of the Bishop of Peterborough's paying homage upon the knee to the King, while Sir H. Bennet, Secretary, read the King's grant of the Bishopric of Lincoln, to which he is translated. His name is Dr. Lany.  Here I also saw the Duke of Monmouth, with his Order of the Garter, the first time I ever saw it.  I am told that the University of Cambridge did treat him a little while since with all the honour possible, with a comedy at Trinity College, and banquet; and made him Master of Arts there.  All which, they say, the King took very well. Dr. Raynbow,  Master of Magdalen, being now Vice-Chancellor.  Home by water to dinner, and with my father, wife, and Ashwell, after dinner, by water towards Woolwich, and in our way I bethought myself that we had left our poor little dog that followed us out of doors at the waterside, and God knows whether he be not lost, which did not only strike my wife into a great passion but I must confess myself also; more than was becoming me.  We immediately returned, I taking another boat and with my father went to Woolwich, while they went back to find the dog.  I took my father on board the King's pleasure boat and down to Woolwich, and walked to Greenwich thence and turning into the park to show my father the steps up the hill, we found my wife, her woman, and dog attending us, which made us all merry again, and so took boats, they to Deptford and so by land to Half-way house, I into the King's yard and overlook them there, and eat and drank with them, and saw a company of seamen play drolly at our pence, and so home by water.  I a little at the office, and so home to supper and to bed, after having Ashwell play my father and me a lesson upon her Tryangle.