Up and to the office. At noon dined at home. After dinner abroad with my wife to Hales’s to see only our pictures and Mrs. Pierce’s, which I do not think so fine as I might have expected it. My wife to her father’s, to carry him some ruling work, which I have advised her to let him do. It will get him some money. She also is to look out again for another little girle, the last we had being also gone home the very same day she came. She was also to look after a necklace of pearle, which she is mighty busy about, I being contented to lay out 80l. in one for her.
I home to my business. By and by comes my wife and presently after, the tide serving, Balty took leave of us, going to sea, and upon very good terms, to be Muster-Master of a squadron, which will be worth 100l. this yeare to him, besides keeping him the benefit of his pay in the Guards.
He gone, I very busy all the afternoon till night, among other things, writing a letter to my brother John, the first I have done since my being angry with him, and that so sharpe a one too that I was sorry almost to send it when I had wrote it, but it is preparatory to my being kind to him, and sending for him up hither when he hath passed his degree of Master of Arts. So home to supper and to bed.
my only work is to look
to look after
the tide
serving a sea I keep
the noon till night
I let be
Erasure poem derived from The Diary of Samuel Pepys, Saturday 28 April 1666.