December 16. Up betimes, and put on my red stuff-suit, with a shoulder belt, according to the new style, and the bands of my vest and tunique laced with fine lace, of the color of my suit; and so, very handsome, by coach to nibble a bit at Will's. Here I did meet Sir Samuel Pepys, who greeted me merrily and did tell me some gossip from court, and all the while started at my new suit and I think with envy. Whereupon I did tell him my tailor and it did please him much. Whereupon I sought the occasion to borrow six pounds which I was glad at my heart to get.

Thence to my book seller's shop to buy Des Cartes book of Musick which I think is not so good as his utterances on the nature of our souls and the natural light and the like. And thence by water to White Hall and there saw King Charles at Chapel; but staid not to hear anything, but went to walk in the Park and there among others was pleased to meet my friend John Dryden who did talk to meet my friend John Dryden who did talk to me of the purpose of poetry that it was to "instruct delightfully" and I sought to draw him out to talk of his "Marriage a la Mode." He did not understand when I did tell him one day it would delight young students even as a Christmas play so I turned to philosophy and I did hear him say that Nature was the source and end and test of art. This coming from so great a scholar pleased me much.

By and by I did meet Mr. Selden, accompanied by a pretty wench, who did look at me very pleasingly as if to say sometime je desire basier vous but being with my friend I had to forego the pleasure of doing the trick even there and then and took to talking of Mr. Selden's essays instead; which also are very good.

Thence by foot to fleet Street where I made merry at Devil tavern with much mutton and wine and heard loose gossip of the queen. By and by a strange drowsiness came upon me--I fear from too much mutton--and I did dream a most strange dream, one more fit to fall upon the mind of our prophetic Bacon than a poor Vagabond like me:

This strange dream did thrust me forward some three hundred years to a land which was called Newe England which today I hear is overrun by savages but in my dream it was most fair. And I sat in a room A in a building which looked like a storage house but which was called Emerson. And it was exactly at noon. And there I did sit as a Vagabond in search of truth; and did hear a most learned and interesting professor, a Dr. Prall, squeak with enthusiasm over Hobbes, a man of my own time and country. And, as I recall, I did delight very much to hear so much about my century; for I agree with the professor's remarks that the seventeenth century shows that change may be coincident with progress; and that is one of the most important revolutions in history. But this was my dream.

When I did awake from my nap I found it was too late to go to the play at Duke's. And so to the Tower by moonshine and thence to my chamber whereupon I did take a physik to settle the mutton and by and by to bed.