Up betimes, and by water with W. Hewer to White Hall, and there to Mr. Wren, who gives me but small hopes of the favour I hoped for Mr. Steventon, Will’s uncle, of having leave, being upon the point of death, to surrender his place, which do trouble me, but I will do what I can. So back again to the Office, Sir Jer. Smith with me; who is a silly, prating, talking man; but he tells me what he hears, that Holmes and Spragg now rule all with the Duke of Buckingham, as to seabusiness, and will be great men: but he do prophesy what will be the fruit of it; so I do. So to the Office, where we sat all the morning; and at noon home to dinner, and then abroad again, with my wife, to the Duke of York’s playhouse, and saw “The Unfortunate Lovers;” a mean play, I think, but some parts very good, and excellently acted. We sat under the boxes, and saw the fine ladies; among others, my Lady Kerneguy, a who is most devilishly painted. And so home, it being mighty pleasure to go alone with my poor wife, in a coach of our own, to a play, and makes us appear mighty great, I think, in the world; at least, greater than ever I could, or my friends for me, have once expected; or, I think, than ever any of my family ever yet lived, in my memory, but my cozen Pepys in Salisbury Court. So to the office, and thence home to supper and to bed.
It was moued that the book lately presented to the Society by Mr. Boyle Entitled A Continuation of new Expts. Physico mechanicall [ http://echo.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/ECHOdocuViewful... ] might be pervsed by some members of the Society whereupo mr Hooke hauing the booke in his hands was desired to doe this.
"the favour I hoped for Mr. Steventon, Will’s uncle, of having leave, being upon the point of death, to surrender his place"
I assume that "surrender" in this context means "sell"? If he is on the point of death he is hardly going to ask for permission to merely retire.
The King's Virtuousi are still weighing Air!
Tony Eldridge --"the favour I hoped for Mr. Steventon, Will’s uncle, of having leave, being upon the point of death, to surrender his place"
See what you think Tony: apparently he was "trying to get permission to surrender his position to a nominee (so L&M). In 1663 he was a purser: he needed a qualified replacement.
Image[Illustrations de Selenographia. Sive lunae descriptio..
"... and saw “The Unfortunate Lovers;” a mean play, I think, but some parts very good, and excellently acted." Fourth time's the charm. He hated it the first three times.