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Lay long in bed, talking with my wife, she being
unwilling to have me go abroad, being and declaring herself jealous of my going
out, for fear of my going to Deb ; which I do deny – for which God
forgive me, for I was no sooner out about noon but I did go by coach directly
to Somerset House and there enquired among the porters there for Dr Allbun ;
and the first I spoke with told me he knew him, and that he was newly gone into
Lincoln's Inn Fields, but whither he could not tell me, but that one of his
fellows, not then in the way, did carry a chest of drawers thither with him,
and that when he comes he would ask him. This put me in some hopes ; and I to
Whitehall and thence to Mr Povy's, but he at dinner ; and therefore I away and
walked up and down the Strand between the two turnstiles, hoping to see her out
of a window ; and then imployed a porter, one Osbeston, to find out this
Doctors lodgings thereabouts ; who by appointment comes to me to Hercules
Pillars, where I dined alone, but tells me that he cannot find out any such but
will enquire further. Thence back to Whitehall
to the Treasury a while, and thence to the Strand
; and towards night did meet with the porter that carried the chest of drawers
with this Doctor, but he would not tell me where he lived, being his good
maister he told me ; but if I would have a message to him, he would deliver it. At last, I told him my
business was not with him, but a little gent[le]woman, one Mrs Willet, that is
with him ; and sent him
to see how she did, from her friend in London,
and no other token. He goes while I walk in Somerset House ; at last he comes
back and tells me she is well, and that I may see her if I will – but no
more. So I could not be commanded by my reason, but I must go this very night ;
and so by coach, it being now dark, I to her, close by my tailor's ; and there
she came into the coach to me, and yo did besar her and tocar her thing, but
ella was against it and laboured with much earnestness, such as I believed to
be real. I did nevertheless give her the best counsel I could, to have a care
of her honour and to fear God and suffer no man para haver to do con her as yo
have done – which she promised. Yo did give her 20s and directions
para laisser sealed in paper at any time the name of the place of her being, at
Herringman's my bookseller in the Change – by which I might go para her.
And so home, and there told my wife a fair tale, God knows, how I spent the
whole day ; with which the poor wretch was satisfied, or at least seemed so ;
and so to supper and to bed. »