Pepy's Diary. 04 Dec 1667. At the office all the morning. At noon to dinner, and presently with my wife abroad, whom and her girle I leave at Unthanke's, and so to White Hall in expectation of waiting on the Duke of York (age 34) to-day, but was prevented therein, only at Mr. Wren's chamber there I hear that the House of Lords did send down the paper which my Chancellor (age 58) left behind him, directed to the Lords, to be seditious and scandalous; and the Commons have voted that it be burned by the hands of the hangman, and that the King (age 37) be desired to agree to it. I do hear, also, that they have desired the King (age 37) to use means to stop his escape out of the nation. Here I also heard [his brother] Mr. Jermin (age 31), who was there in the chamber upon occasion of Sir Thomas Harvy's (age 42) telling him of his brother's (age 34) having a child, and thereby taking away his hopes (that is, Mr. Jermin's) of £2000 a year. He swore, God damn him, he did not desire to have any more wealth than he had in the world, which indeed is a great estate, having all his uncle's, my [his uncle] Lord St. Alban's (age 62), and my Lord hath all the Queen-Mother's (age 58). But when Sir Thos. Harvy told him that "hereafter you will wish it more";-"By God", answers he, "I won't promise what I shall do hereafter". Thence into the House, and there spied a pretty woman with spots on her face, well clad, who was enquiring for the guard chamber; I followed her, and there she went up, and turned into the turning towards the chapel, and I after her, and upon the stairs there met her coming up again, and there kissed her twice, and her business was to enquire for Sir Edward Bishop, one of the serjeants at armes. I believe she was a woman of pleasure, but was shy enough to me, and so I saw her go out afterwards, and I took a Hackney coach, and away. I to Westminster Hall [Map], and there walked, and thence towards White Hall by coach, and spying Mrs. Burroughs in a shop did stop and 'light and speak to her; and so to White Hall, where I 'light and went and met her coming towards White Hall, but was upon business, and I could not get her to go any whither and so parted, and I home with my wife and girle (my wife not being very well, of a great looseness day and night for these two days).