Diary of Samuel Pepys — Complete 1668 N.S.
by Samuel Pepys · English · Gutenberg #4195 · 708,458 chars · public domain (US)
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Title: Diary of Samuel Pepys — Complete 1668 N.S.
Author: Samuel Pepys
Editor: Baron Richard Griffin Braybrooke
Henry B. Wheatley
Translator: Mynors Bright
Release date: October 31, 2004 [eBook #4195]
Most recently updated: March 22, 2009
Language: English
Other information and formats: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/4195
Credits: Produced by David Widger
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DIARY OF SAMUEL PEPYS — COMPLETE 1668 N.S. ***
Produced by David Widger
THE DIARY OF SAMUEL PEPYS M.A. F.R.S.
CLERK OF THE ACTS AND SECRETARY TO THE ADMIRALTY
TRANSCRIBED FROM THE SHORTHAND MANUSCRIPT IN THE PEPYSIAN LIBRARY
MAGDALENE COLLEGE CAMBRIDGE BY THE REV. MYNORS BRIGHT M.A. LATE FELLOW
AND PRESIDENT OF THE COLLEGE
(Unabridged)
WITH LORD BRAYBROOKE'S NOTES
1968
By Samuel Pepys
Edited With Additions By
Henry B. Wheatley F.S.A.
LONDON
GEORGE BELL & SONS YORK ST. COVENT GARDEN
CAMBRIDGE DEIGHTON BELL & CO.
1893
JANUARY 1667-1668
January 1st. Up, and all the morning in my chamber making up some
accounts against this beginning of the new year, and so about noon
abroad with my wife, who was to dine with W. Hewer and Willet at Mrs.
Pierces, but I had no mind to be with them, for I do clearly find that
my wife is troubled at my friendship with her and Knepp, and so dined
with my Lord Crew, with whom was Mr. Browne, Clerk of the House of
Lords, and Mr. John Crew. Here was mighty good discourse, as there is
always: and among other things my Lord Crew did turn to a place in
the Life of Sir Philip Sidney, wrote by Sir Fulke Greville, which do
foretell the present condition of this nation, in relation to the
Dutch, to the very degree of a prophecy; and is so remarkable that I
am resolved to buy one of them, it being, quite throughout, a good
discourse. Here they did talk much of the present cheapness of corne,
even to a miracle; so as their farmers can pay no rent, but do fling
up their lands; and would pay in corne: but, which I did observe to my
Lord, and he liked well of it, our gentry are grown so ignorant in every
thing of good husbandry, that they know not how to bestow this corne:
which, did they understand but a little trade, they would be able to
joyne together, and know what markets there are abroad, and send it
thither, and thereby ease their tenants and be able to pay themselves.
They did talk much of the disgrace the Archbishop is fallen under with
the King, and the rest of the Bishops also. Thence I after dinner to the
Duke of York's playhouse, and there saw "Sir Martin Mar-all;" which I
have seen so often, and yet am mightily pleased with it, and think it
mighty witty, and the fullest of proper matter for mirth that ever was
writ; and I do clearly see that they do improve in their acting of it.
Here a mighty company of citizens, 'prentices, and others; and it makes
me observe, that when I begun first to be able to bestow a play on
myself, I do not remember that I saw so many by half of the ordinary
'prentices and mean people in the pit at 2s. 6d. a-piece as now; I going
for several years no higher than the 12d. and then the 18d. places,
though, I strained hard to go in then when I did: so much the vanity and
prodigality of the age is to be observed in this particular. Thence I to
White Hall, and there walked up and down the house a while, and do
hear nothing of anything done further in this business of the change of
Privy-counsellors: only I hear that Sir G. Savile, one of the Parliament
Committee of nine, for examining the Accounts, is by the King made a
Lord, the Lord Halifax; which, I believe, will displease the Parliament.
By and by I met with Mr. Brisband; and having it in my mind this
Christmas to (do what I never can remember that I did) go to see the
manner of the gaming at the Groome-Porter's, I having in my coming from
the playhouse stepped into the two Temple-halls, and there saw the dirty
'prentices and idle people playing; wherein I was mistaken, in thinking
to have seen gentlemen of quality playing there, as I think it was when
I was a little child, that one of my father's servants, John Bassum, I
think, carried me in his arms thither. I did tell Brisband of it, and he
did lead me thither, where, after staying an hour, they begun to play
at about eight at night, where to see how differently one man took
his losing from another, one cursing and swearing, and another only
muttering and grumbling to himself, a third without any apparent
discontent at all: to see how the dice will run good luck in one hand,
for half an hour together, and another have no good luck at all: to see
how easily here, where they play nothing but guinnys, a L100 is won or
lost: to see two or three gentlemen come in there drunk, and putting
their stock of gold together, one 22 pieces, the second 4, and the third
5 pieces; and these to play one with another, and forget how much each
of them brought, but he that brought the 22 thinks that he brought no
more than the rest: to see the different humours of gamesters to change
their luck, when it is bad, how ceremonious they are as to call for new
dice, to shift their places, to alter their manner of throwing, and that
with great industry, as if there was anything in it: to see how some old
gamesters, that have no money now to spend as formerly, do come and sit
and look on, as among others, Sir Lewis Dives, who was here, and hath
been a great gamester in his time: to hear their cursing and damning to
no purpose, as one man being to throw a seven if he could, and, failing
to do it after a great many throws, cried he would be damned if ever
he flung seven more while he lived, his despair of throwing it being so
great, while others did it as their luck served almost every throw:
to see how persons of the best quality do here sit down, and play with
people of any, though meaner; and to see how people in ordinary clothes
shall come hither, and play away 100, or 2 or 300 guinnys, without
any kind of difficulty: and lastly, to see the formality of the
groome-porter, who is their judge of all disputes in play and all
quarrels that may arise therein, and how his under-officers are there
to observe true play at each table, and to give new dice, is a
consideration I never could have thought had been in the world, had I
not now seen it. And mighty glad I am that I did see it, and it may be
will find another evening, before Christmas be over, to see it again,
when I may stay later, for their heat of play begins not till about
eleven or twelve o'clock; which did give me another pretty observation
of a man, that did win mighty fast when I was there. I think he won L100
at single pieces in a little time. While all the rest envied him his
good fortune, he cursed it, saying, "A pox on it, that it should come so
early upon me, for this fortune two hours hence would be worth something
to me, but then, God damn me, I shall have no such luck." This kind
of prophane, mad entertainment they give themselves. And so I, having
enough for once, refusing to venture, though Brisband pressed me hard,
and tempted me with saying that no man was ever known to lose the first
time, the devil being too cunning to discourage a gamester; and he
offered me also to lend me ten pieces to venture; but I did refuse, and
so went away, and took coach and home about 9 or to at night, where not
finding my wife come home, I took the same coach again, and leaving my
watch behind me for fear of robbing, I did go back and to Mrs. Pierces,
thinking they might not have broken up yet, but there I find my wife
newly gone, and not going out of my coach spoke only to Mr. Pierce in
his nightgown in the street, and so away back again home, and there to
supper with my wife and to talk about their dancing and doings at Mrs.
Pierces to-day, and so to bed.
2nd. Up, and with Sir J. Minnes by coach to White Hall, and there
attended the King and the Duke of York in the Duke of York's lodgings,
with the rest of the Officers and many of the Commanders of the fleete,
and some of our master shipwrights, to discourse the business of having
the topmasts of ships made to lower abaft of the mainmast; a business
I understand not, and so can give no good account; but I do see that by
how much greater the Council, and the number of Counsellors is, the more
confused the issue is of their councils; so that little was said to the
purpose regularly, and but little use was made of it, they coming to
a very broken conclusion upon it, to make trial in a ship or two. From
this they fell to other talk about the fleete's fighting this late war,
and how the King's ships have been shattered; though the King said that
the world would not have it that about ten or twenty ships in any fight
did do any service, and that this hath been told so to him himself, by
ignorant people. The Prince, who was there, was mightily surprised
at it, and seemed troubled: but the King told him that it was only
discourse of the world. But Mr. Wren whispered me in the eare, and said
that the Duke of Albemarle had put it into his Narrative for the House,
that not above twenty-five ships fought in the engagement wherein he
was, but that he was advised to leave it out; but this he did write
from sea, I am sure, or words to that effect: and did displease many
commanders, among others, Captain Batts, who the Duke of York said was
a very stout man, all the world knew; and that another was brought into
his ship that had been turned out of his place when he was a boatswain,
not long before, for being a drunkard. This the Prince took notice of,
and would have been angry, I think, but they let their discourse fall:
but the Duke of York was earnest in it. And the Prince said to me,
standing by me, "God damn me, if they will turn out every man that will
be drunk, they must turn out all the commanders in the fleete. What is
the matter if he be drunk, so when he comes to fight he do his work? At
least, let him be punished for his drunkenness, and not put out of his
command presently." This he spoke, very much concerned for this idle
fellow, one Greene. After this the King began to tell stories of the
cowardice of the Spaniards in Flanders, when he was there, at the siege
of Mardike and Dunkirke; which was very pretty, though he tells them but
meanly. This being done I to Westminster Hall, and there staid a little:
and then home, and by the way did find with difficulty the Life of Sir
Philip Sidney (the book I mentioned yesterday). And the bookseller told
me that he had sold four, within this week or two, which is more than
ever he sold in all his life of them; and he could not imagine what
should be the reason of it: but I suppose it is from the same reason of
people's observing of this part therein, touching his prophesying our
present condition here in England in relation to the Dutch, which is
very remarkable. So home to dinner, where Balty's wife is come to town;
she come last night and lay at my house, but being weary was gone to bed
before I come home, and so I saw her not before. After dinner I took
my wife and her girl out to the New Exchange, and there my wife bought
herself a lace for a handkercher, which I do give her, of about L3, for
a new year's gift, and I did buy also a lace for a band for myself, and
so home, and there to the office busy late, and so home to my chamber,
where busy on some accounts, and then to supper and to bed. This day my
wife shows me a locket of dyamonds worth about L40, which W. Hewer
do press her to accept, and hath done for a good while, out of his
gratitude for my kindness and hers to him. But I do not like that she
should receive it, it not being honourable for me to do it; and so do
desire her to force him to take it back again, he leaving it against her
will yesterday with her. And she did this evening force him to take it
back, at which she says he is troubled; but, however, it becomes me more
to refuse it, than to let her accept of it. And so I am well pleased
with her returning it him. It is generally believed that France is
endeavouring a firmer league with us than the former, in order to his
going on with his business against Spayne the next year; which I am, and
so everybody else is, I think, very glad of, for all our fear is, of
his invading us. This day, at White Hall, I overheard Sir W. Coventry
propose to the King his ordering of some particular thing in the
Wardrobe, which was of no great value; but yet, as much as it was, it
was of profit to the King and saving to his purse. The King answered
to it with great indifferency, as a thing that it was no great matter
whether it was done or no. Sir W. Coventry answered: "I see your Majesty
do not remember the old English proverb, 'He that will not stoop for a
pin, will never be worth a pound.'" And so they parted, the King bidding
him do as he would; which, methought, was an answer not like a King that
did intend ever to do well.
3rd. At the office all the morning with Mr. Willson and my clerks,
consulting again about a new contract with the Victualler of the Navy,
and at noon home to dinner, and then to the office again, where busy
all the afternoon preparing something for the Council about Tangier this
evening. So about five o'clock away with it to the Council, and there do
find that the Council hath altered its times of sitting to the mornings,
and so I lost my labour, and back again by coach presently round by the
city wall, it being dark, and so home, and there to the office, where
till midnight with Mr. Willson and my people to go through with the
Victualler's contract and the considerations about the new one, and so
home to supper and to bed, thinking my time very well spent.
4th. Up, and there to the office, where we sat all the morning; at noon
home to dinner, where my clerks and Mr. Clerke the sollicitor with me,
and dinner being done I to the office again, where all the afternoon
till late busy, and then home with my mind pleased at the pleasure of
despatching my business, and so to supper and to bed, my thoughts full,
how to order our design of having some dancing at our house on Monday
next, being Twelfth-day. It seems worth remembering that this day I did
hear my Lord Anglesey at the table, speaking touching this new Act
for Accounts, say that the House of Lords did pass it because it was a
senseless, impracticable, ineffectual, and foolish Act; and that my Lord
Ashly having shown this that it was so to the House of Lords, the Duke
of Buckingham did stand up and told the Lords that they were beholden
to my Lord Ashly, that having first commended them for a most grave and
honourable assembly, he thought it fit for the House to pass this Act
for Accounts because it was a foolish and simple Act: and it seems it
was passed with but a few in the House, when it was intended to have met
in a grand Committee upon it. And it seems that in itself it is not to
be practiced till after this session of Parliament, by the very words of
the Act, which nobody regarded, and therefore cannot come in force yet,
unless the next meeting they do make a new Act for the bringing it
into force sooner; which is a strange omission. But I perceive my Lord
Anglesey do make a mere laughing-stock of this Act, as a thing that can
do nothing considerable, for all its great noise.
5th (Lord's day). Up, and being ready, and disappointed of a coach, it
breaking a wheel just as it was coming for me, I walked as far as the
Temple, it being dirty, and as I went out of my doors my cozen Anthony
Joyce met me, and so walked part of the way with me, and it was to see
what I would do upon what his wife a little while since did desire,
which was to supply him L350 to enable him to go to build his house
again. I (who in my nature am mighty unready to answer no to anything,
and thereby wonder that I have suffered no more in my life by my
easiness in that kind than I have) answered him that I would do it, and
so I will, he offering me good security, and so it being left for me to
consider the manner of doing it we parted. Taking coach as I said before
at the Temple, I to Charing Cross, and there went into Unthanke's to
have my shoes wiped, dirty with walking, and so to White Hall, where
I visited the Vice-Chamberlain, who tells me, and so I find by others,
that the business of putting out of some of the Privy-council is over,
the King being at last advised to forbear it; for whereas he did design
it to make room for some of the House of Commons that are against him,
thereby to gratify them, it is believed that it will but so much the
more fret the rest that are not provided for, and raise a new stock of
enemies by them that are displeased, and so all they think is over: and
it goes for a pretty saying of my Lord Anglesey's up and down the Court,
that he should lately say to one of them that are the great promoters
of this putting him and others out of the Council, "Well," says he, "and
what are we to look for when we are outed? Will all things be set right
in the nation?" The other said that he did believe that many things
would be mended: "But," says my Lord, "will you and the rest of you be
contented to be hanged, if you do not redeem all our misfortunes and
set all right, if the power be put into your hands?" The other answered,
"No, I would not undertake that:"--"Why, then," says my Lord, "I and the
rest of us that you are labouring to put out, will be contented to be
hanged, if we do not recover all that is past, if the King will put the
power into our hands, and adhere wholly to our advice;" which saying as
it was severe, so generally people have so little opinion of those
that are likely to be uppermost that they do mightily commend my Lord
Anglesey for this saying. From the Vice-Chamberlain up and down the
house till Chapel done, and then did speak with several that I had a
mind to, and so intending to go home, my Lady Carteret saw and called me
out of her window, and so would have me home with her to Lincoln's Inn
Fields to dinner, and there we met with my Lord Brereton, and several
other strangers, to dine there; and I find him a very sober and serious,
able man, and was in discourse too hard for the Bishop of Chester,
who dined there; and who, above all books lately wrote, commending the
matter and style of a late book, called "The Causes of the Decay of
Piety," I do resolve at his great commendation to buy it. Here dined
also Sir Philip Howard, a Barkeshire Howard, whom I did once hear swear
publickly and loud in the matted gallery that he had not been at a wench
in so long a time. He did take occasion to tell me at the table that I
have got great ground in the Parliament, by my ready answers to all that
was asked me there about the business of Chatham, and they would never
let me be out of employment, of which I made little; but was glad to
hear him, as well as others, say it. And he did say also, relating to
Commissioner Pett, that he did not think that he was guilty of anything
like a fault, that he was either able or concerned to amend, but only
the not carrying up of the ships higher, he meant; but he said, three or
four miles lower down, to Rochester Bridge, which is a strange piece of
ignorance in a Member of Parliament at such a time as this, and after so
many examinations in the house of this business; and did boldly declare
that he did think the fault to lie in my Lord Middleton, who had the
power of the place, to secure the boats that were made ready by Pett,
and to do anything that he thought fit, and was much, though not
altogether in the right, for Spragg, that commanded the river, ought
rather to be charged with the want of the boats and the placing of them.
After dinner, my Lord Brereton very gentilely went to the organ, and
played a verse very handsomely. Thence after dinner away with Sir
G. Carteret to White Hall, setting down my Lord Brereton at my Lord
Brouncker's, and there up and down the house, and on the Queen's side,
to see the ladies, and there saw the Duchesse of York, whom few pay the
respect they used, I think, to her; but she bears all out, with a very
great deal of greatness; that is the truth of it. And so, it growing
night, I away home by coach, and there set my wife to read, and then
comes Pelling, and he and I to sing a little, and then sup and so to
bed.
6th. Up, leaving my wife to get her ready, and the maids to get a supper
ready against night for our company; and I by coach to White Hall, and
there up and down the house, and among others met with Mr. Pierce,
by whom I find, as I was afeard from the folly of my wife, that he
understood that he and his wife was to dine at my house to-day, whereas
it was to sup; and therefore I, having done my business at court, did go
home to dinner, and there find Mr. Harris, by the like mistake, come
to dine with me. However, we did get a pretty dinner ready for him; and
there he and I to discourse of many things, and I do find him a very
excellent person, such as in my whole [acquaintances] I do not know
another better qualified for converse, whether in things of his own
trade, or of other kinds, a man of great understanding and observation,
and very agreeable in the manner of his discourse, and civil as far as
is possible. I was mightily pleased with his company; and after dinner
did take coach with him, and my wife and girl, to go to a play, and to
carry him thither to his own house. But I 'light by the way to return
home, thinking to have spoke with Mrs. Bagwell, who I did see to-day in
our entry, come from Harwich, whom I have not seen these twelve months,
I think, and more, and voudrai avoir hazer alcun with her, sed she was
gone, and so I took coach and away to my wife at the Duke of York's
house, in the pit, and so left her; and to Mrs. Pierce, and took her and
her cozen Corbet, Knepp and little James, and brought them to the Duke's
house; and, the house being full, was forced to carry them to a box,
which did cost me 20s., besides oranges, which troubled me, though their
company did please me. Thence, after the play, stayed till Harris was
undressed, there being acted "The Tempest," and so he withall, all by
coach, home, where we find my house with good fires and candles
ready, and our Office the like, and the two Mercers, and Betty Turner,
Pendleton, and W. Batelier. And so with much pleasure we into the house,
and there fell to dancing, having extraordinary Musick, two viollins,
and a base viollin, and theorbo, four hands, the Duke of Buckingham's
musique, the best in towne, sent me by Greeting, and there we set in to
dancing. By and by to my house, to a very good supper, and mighty merry,
and good musick playing; and after supper to dancing and singing till
about twelve at night; and then we had a good sack posset for them, and
an excellent cake, cost me near 20s., of our Jane's making, which was
cut into twenty pieces, there being by this time so many of our company,
by the coming in of young Goodyer and some others of our neighbours,
young men that could dance, hearing of our dancing; and anon comes in
Mrs. Turner, the mother, and brings with her Mrs. Hollworthy, which
pleased me mightily. And so to dancing again, and singing, with
extraordinary great pleasure, till about two in the morning, and then
broke up; and Mrs. Pierce and her family, and Harris and Knepp by
coach home, as late as it was. And they gone, I took Mrs. Turner and
Hollworthy home to my house, and there gave wine and sweetmeats; but I
find Mrs. Hollworthy but a mean woman, I think, for understanding, only
a little conceited, and proud, and talking, but nothing extraordinary in
person, or discourse, or understanding. However, I was mightily pleased
with her being there, I having long longed for to know her, and they
being gone, I paid the fiddlers L3 among the four, and so away to bed,
weary and mightily pleased, and have the happiness to reflect upon it
as I do sometimes on other things, as going to a play or the like, to be
the greatest real comfort that I am to expect in the world, and that
it is that that we do really labour in the hopes of; and so I do really
enjoy myself, and understand that if I do not do it now I shall not
hereafter, it may be, be able to pay for it, or have health to take
pleasure in it, and so fill myself with vain expectation of pleasure and
go without it.
7th. Up, weary, about 9 o'clock, and then out by coach to White Hall to
attend the Lords of the Treasury about Tangier with Sir Stephen Fox,
and having done with them I away back again home by coach time enough
to dispatch some business, and after dinner with Sir W. Pen's coach (he
being gone before with Sir D. Gawden) to White Hall to wait on the Duke
of York, but I finding him not there, nor the Duke of York within, I
away by coach to the Nursery, where I never was yet, and there to meet
my wife and Mercer and Willet as they promised; but the house did not
act to-day; and so I was at a loss for them, and therefore to the other
two playhouses into the pit, to gaze up and down, to look for them,
and there did by this means, for nothing, see an act in "The Schoole of
Compliments" at the Duke of York's house, and "Henry the Fourth" at the
King's house; but, not finding them, nor liking either of the plays, I
took my coach again, and home, and there to my office to do business,
and by and by they come home, and had been at the King's House, and
saw me, but I could [not] see them, and there I walked with them in the
garden awhile, and to sing with Mercer there a little, and so home with
her, and taught her a little of my "It is decreed," which I have a mind
to have her learn to sing, and she will do it well, and so after supper
she went away, and we to bed, and there made amends by sleep for what I
wanted last night.
8th. Up, and it being dirty, I by coach (which I was forced to go to
the charge for) to White Hall, and there did deliver the Duke of York a
memorial for the Council about the case of Tangiers want of money; and
I was called in there and my paper was read. I did not think fit to say
much, but left them to make what use they pleased of my paper; and so
went out and waited without all the morning, and at noon hear that there
is something ordered towards our help, and so I away by coach home,
taking up Mr. Prin at the Court-gate, it raining, and setting him down
at the Temple: and by the way did ask him about the manner of holding of
Parliaments, and whether the number of Knights and Burgesses were always
the same? And he says that the latter were not; but that, for aught
he can find, they were sent up at the discretion, at first, of the
Sheriffes, to whom the writs are sent, to send up generally the
Burgesses and citizens of their county: and he do find that heretofore
the Parliament-men being paid by the country, several burroughs have
complained of the Sheriffes putting them to the charge of sending up
Burgesses; which is a very extraordinary thing to me, that knew not
this, but thought that the number had been known, and always the
same. Thence home to the office, and so with my Lord Brouncker and his
mistress, Williams, to Captain Cocke's to dinner, where was Temple
and Mr. Porter, and a very good dinner, and merry. Thence with Lord
Brouncker to White Hall to the Commissioners of the Treasury at their
sending for us to discourse about the paying of tickets, and so away,
and I by coach to the 'Change, and there took up my wife and Mercer and
the girl by agreement, and so home, and there with Mercer to teach
her more of "It is decreed," and to sing other songs and talk all the
evening, and so after supper I to even my journall since Saturday
last, and so to bed. Yesterday Mr. Gibson, upon his discovering by my
discourse to him that I had a willingness, or rather desire, to have him
stay with me, than go, as he designed, on Sir W. Warren's account, to
sea, he resolved to let go the design and wait his fortune with me,
though I laboured hard to make him understand the uncertainty of my
condition or service, but however he will hazard it, which I take mighty
kindly of him, though troubled lest he may come to be a loser by it, but
it will not be for want of my telling him what he was to think on and
expect. However, I am well pleased with it, with regard to myself, who
find him mighty understanding and acquainted with all things in the
Navy, that I should, if I continue in the Navy, make great use of him.
9th. Up, and to the office, having first been visited by my cozen
Anthony Joyce about the L350 which he desires me to lend him, and which
I have a mind enough to do, but would have it in my power to call it out
again in a little time, and so do take a little further time to consider
it. So to the office, where all the morning busy, and so home at noon to
dinner with my people, where Mr. Hollier come and dined with me, and
it is still mighty pleasant to hear him talk of Rome and the Pope, with
what hearty zeal and hatred he talks against him. After dinner to the
office again, where busy till night, very busy, and among other things
wrote to my father about lending Anthony Joyce the money he desires; and
I declare that I would do it as part of Pall's portion, and that Pall
should have the use of the money till she be married, but I do propose
to him to think of Mr. Cumberland rather than this Jackson that he is
upon; and I confess I have a mighty mind to have a relation so able a
man, and honest, and so old an acquaintance as Mr. Cumberland. I shall
hear his answer by the next [post]. At night home and to cards with my
wife and girle, and to supper late, and so to bed.
10th. Up, and with Sir Denis Gawden, who called me, to White Hall, and
there to wait on the Duke of York with the rest of my brethren, which we
did a little in the King's Greenroom, while the King was in Council: and
in this room we found my Lord Bristoll walking alone; which, wondering
at, while the Council was sitting, I was answered that, as being a
Catholique, he could not be of the Council, which I did not consider
before. After broke up and walked a turn or two with Lord Brouncker
talking about the times, and he tells me that he thinks, and so do every
body else, that the great business of putting out some of the Council to
make room for some of the Parliament men to gratify and wheedle them is
over, thinking that it might do more hurt than good, and not obtain much
upon the Parliament either. This morning there was a Persian in that
country dress, with a turban, waiting to kiss the King's hand in the
Vane-room, against he come out: it was a comely man as to features, and
his dress, methinks, very comely. Thence in Sir W. Pen's coach alone (he
going with Sir D. Gawden) to my new bookseller's, Martin's; and there
did meet with Fournier,
[George Fournier, a Jesuit, born at Caen in 1569, was the author of
several nautical works. His chief one, "L'Hydrographie," was
published at Paris in folio in 1663. A second edition appeared in
1667.]
the Frenchman, that hath wrote of the Sea and Navigation, and I could
not but buy him, and also bespoke an excellent book, which I met with
there, of China. The truth is, I have bought a great many books lately
to a great value; but I think to buy no more till Christmas next, and
those that I have will so fill my two presses that I must be forced to
give away some to make room for them, it being my design to have no more
at any time for my proper library than to fill them. Thence home and
to the Exchange, there to do a little business, where I find everybody
concerned whether we shall have out a fleete this next year or no, they
talking of a peace concluded between France and Spayne, so that the King
of France will have nothing to do with his army unless he comes to us;
but I do not see in the world how we shall be able to set out a fleete
for want of money to buy stores and pay men, for neither of which we
shall be any more trusted. So home to dinner, and then with my wife
and Deb. to the King's house, to see "Aglaura," which hath been always
mightily cried up; and so I went with mighty expectation, but do find
nothing extraordinary in it at all, and but hardly good in any degree.
So home, and thither comes to us W. Batelier and sat with us all the
evening, and to cards and supper, passing the evening pretty pleasantly,
and so late at night parted, and so to bed. I find him mightily troubled
at the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury opposing him in the business
he hath a patent for about the business of Impost on wine, but I do see
that the Lords have reason for it, it being a matter wherein money might
be saved to his Majesty, and I am satisfied that they do let nothing
pass that may save money, and so God bless them! So he being gone we to
bed. This day I received a letter from my father, and another from my
cozen Roger Pepys, who have had a view of Jackson's evidences of his
estate, and do mightily like of the man, and his condition and estate,
and do advise me to accept of the match for my sister, and to finish it
as soon as I can; and he do it so as, I confess, I am contented to have
it done, and so give her her portion; and so I shall be eased of one
care how to provide for her, and do in many respects think that it may
be a match proper enough to have her married there, and to one that may
look after my concernments if my father should die and I continue where
I am, and there[fore] I am well pleased with it, and so to bed.
11th. Lay some time, talking with my wife in bed about Pall's business,
and she do conclude to have her married here, and to be merry at it;
and to have W. Hewer, and Batelier, and Mercer, and Willet bridemen and
bridemaids, and to be very merry; and so I am glad of it, and do resolve
to let it be done as soon as I can. So up, and to the office, where
all the morning busy, and thence home to dinner, and from dinner with
Mercer, who dined with us, and wife and Deb. to the King's house, there
to see "The Wild-goose Chase," which I never saw, but have long longed
to see it, being a famous play, but as it was yesterday I do find that
where I expect most I find least satisfaction, for in this play I met
with nothing extraordinary at all, but very dull inventions and designs.
Knepp come and sat by us, and her talk pleased me a little, she telling
me how Mis Davis is for certain going away from the Duke's house,
the King being in love with her; and a house is taken for her, and
furnishing; and she hath a ring given her already worth L600: that the
King did send several times for Nelly, and she was with him, but what he
did she knows not; this was a good while ago, and she says that the King
first spoiled Mrs. Weaver, which is very mean, methinks, in a prince,
and I am sorry for it, and can hope for no good to the State from having
a Prince so devoted to his pleasure. She told me also of a play shortly
coming upon the stage, of Sir Charles Sidly's, which, she thinks, will
be called "The Wandering Ladys," a comedy that, she thinks, will be most
pleasant; and also another play, called "The Duke of Lerma;" besides
"Catelin," which she thinks, for want of the clothes which the King
promised them, will not be acted for a good while. Thence home, and
there to the office and did some business, and so with my wife for half
an hour walking in the moonlight, and it being cold, frosty weather,
walking in the garden, and then home to supper, and so by the fireside
to have my head combed, as I do now often do, by Deb., whom I love
should be fiddling about me, and so to bed.
12th (Lord's day). Up, and to dress myself, and then called into my
wife's chamber, and there she without any occasion fell to discourse
of my father's coming to live with us when my sister marries. This, she
being afeard of declaring an absolute hatred to him since his falling
out with her about Coleman's being with her, she declares against his
coming hither, which I not presently agreeing to, she declared, if he
come, she would not live with me, but would shame me all over the city
and court, which I made slight of, and so we fell very foul; and I do
find she do keep very bad remembrances of my former unkindness to her,
and do mightily complain of her want of money and liberty, which I will
rather hear and bear the complaint of than grant the contrary, and so we
had very hot work a great while: but at last I did declare as I intend,
that my father shall not come, and that he do not desire and intend it;
and so we parted with pretty good quiet, and so away, and being ready
went to church, where first I saw Alderman Backewell and his lady come
to our church, they living in Mark Lane; and I could find in my heart to
invite her to sit with us, she being a fine lady. I come in while they
were singing the 19th Psalm, while the sexton was gathering to his box,
to which I did give 5s., and so after sermon home, my wife, Deb., and I
all alone and very kind, full of good discourses, and after dinner I to
my chamber, ordering my Tangier accounts to give to the Auditor in a day
or two, which should have been long ago with him. At them to my great
content all the afternoon till supper, and after supper with my wife, W.
Hewer and Deb. pretty merry till 12 at night, and then to bed.
13th. Up, and Mr. Gibbs comes to me, and I give him instructions about
the writing fair my Tangier accounts against to-morrow. So I abroad with
Sir W. Pen to White Hall, and there did with the rest attend the Duke of
York, where nothing extraordinary; only I perceive there is nothing
yet declared for the next, year, what fleete shall be abroad. Thence
homeward by coach and stopped at Martin's, my bookseller, where I saw
the French book which I did think to have had for my wife to translate,
called "L'escholle des filles,"
["L'Escole des Filles," by Helot, was burnt at the foot of the
gallows in 1672, and the author himself was burnt in effigy.]
but when I come to look in it, it is the most bawdy, lewd book that
ever I saw, rather worse than "Putana errante," so that I was ashamed of
reading in it, and so away home, and there to the 'Change to discourse
with Sir H. Cholmly, and so home to dinner, and in the evening, having
done some business, I with my wife and girl out, and left them at
Unthanke's, while I to White Hall to the Treasury Chamber for an order
for Tangier, and so back, took up my wife, and home, and there busy
about my Tangier accounts against tomorrow, which I do get ready in good
condition, and so with great content to bed.
14th. At the office all the morning, and at noon home to dinner, and
after dinner with Mr. Clerke and Gibson to the Temple (my wife and
girle going further by coach), and there at the Auditor's did begin the
examining my Tangier accounts, and did make a great entry into it and
with great satisfaction, and I am glad I am so far eased. So appointing
another day for further part of my accounts, I with Gibson to my
bookseller, Martin, and there did receive my book I expected of China,
a most excellent book with rare cuts; and there fell into discourse
with him about the burning of Paul's when the City was burned; his house
being in the church-yard. And he tells me that it took fire first upon
the end of a board that, among others, was laid upon the roof instead
of lead, the lead being broke off, and thence down lower and lower: but
that the burning of the goods under St. Fayth's arose from the goods
taking fire in the church-yard, and so got into St. Fayth's Church; and
that they first took fire from the Draper's side, by some timber of
the houses that were burned falling into the church. He says that one
warehouse of books was saved under Paul's; and he says that there were
several dogs found burned among the goods in the church-yard, and but
one man, which was an old man, that said he would go and save a blanket
which he had in the church, and, being a weak old man, the fire overcome
him, and was burned. He says that most of the booksellers do design
to fall a-building again the next year; but he says that the Bishop of
London do use them most basely, worse than any other landlords, and says
he will be paid to this day the rent, or else he will not come to treat
with them for the time to come; and will not, on that condition either,
promise them any thing how he will use them; and, the Parliament
sitting, he claims his privilege, and will not be cited before the Lord
Chief justice, as others are there, to be forced to a fair dealing.
Thence by coach to Mrs. Pierce's, where my wife and Deb. is; and there
they fell to discourse of the last night's work at Court, where the
ladies and Duke of Monmouth and others acted "The Indian Emperour;"
wherein they told me these things most remark able: that not any woman
but the Duchesse of Monmouth and Mrs. Cornwallis did any thing but like
fools and stocks, but that these two did do most extraordinary well:
that not any man did any thing well but Captain O'Bryan, who spoke and
did well, but, above all things, did dance most incomparably. That she
did sit near the players of the Duke's house; among the rest, Mis Davis,
who is the most impertinent slut, she says, in the world; and the more,
now the King do show her countenance; and is reckoned his mistress, even
to the scorne of the whole world; the King gazing on her, and my Lady
Castlemayne being melancholy and out of humour, all the play, not
smiling once. The King, it seems, hath given her a ring of L700, which
she shews to every body, and owns that the King did give it her; and he
hath furnished a house for her in Suffolke Street most richly, which is
a most infinite shame. It seems she is a bastard of Colonell Howard, my
Lord Berkshire, and that he do pimp to her for the King, and hath got
her for him; but Pierce says that she is a most homely jade as ever she
saw, though she dances beyond any thing in the world. She tells me that
the Duchesse of Richmond do not yet come to the Court, nor hath seen
the King, nor will not, nor do he own his desire of seeing her; but hath
used means to get her to Court, but they do not take. Thence home, and
there I to my chamber, having a great many books brought me home from my
bookbinder's, and so I to the new setting of my books against the next
year, which costs me more trouble than I expected, and at it till two
o'clock in the morning, and then to bed, the business not being yet done
to my mind. This evening come Mr. Mills and his wife to see and sit and
talk with us, which they did till 9 o'clock at night, and then parted,
and I to my books.
15th. Up, and to the Office, where all the morning. At noon home to
dinner, and then to the Office again, where we met about some business
of D. Gawden's till candle-light; and then, as late as it was, I down to
Redriffe, and so walked by moonlight to Deptford, where I have not been
a great while, and my business I did there was only to walk up and down
above la casa of Bagwell, but could not see her, it being my intent to
have spent a little time con her, she being newly come from her husband;
but I did lose my labour, and so walked back again, but with pleasure
by the walk, and I had the sport to see two boys swear, and stamp, and
fret, for not being able to get their horse over a stile and ditch,
one of them swearing and cursing most bitterly; and I would fain, in
revenge, have persuaded him to have drove his horse through the ditch,
by which I believe he would have stuck there. But the horse would not
be drove, and so they were forced to go back again, and so I walked
away homeward, and there reading all the evening, and so to bed. This
afternoon my Lord Anglesey tells us that it is voted in Council to have
a fleete of 50 ships out; but it is only a disguise for the Parliament
to get some money by; but it will not take, I believe, and if it did,
I do not think it will be such as he will get any of, nor such as will
enable us to set out such a fleete.
16th. Up, after talking with my wife with pleasure, about her learning
on the flageolet a month or two again this winter, and all the rest of
the year her painting, which I do love, and so to the office, where sat
all the morning, and here Lord Anglesey tells us again that a fleete is
to be set out; and that it is generally, he hears, said, that it is but
a Spanish rhodomontado; and that he saying so just now to the Duke of
Albemarle, who come to town last night, after the thing was ordered, he
told him a story of two seamen: one wished all the guns of the ship were
his, and that they were silver; and says the other, "You are a
fool, for, if you can have it for wishing, why do you not wish them
gold?"--"So," says he, "if a rhodomontado will do any good, why do you
not say 100 ships?" And it is true; for the Dutch and French are said
to make such preparations as 50 sail will do no good. At noon home to
dinner with my gang of clerks, in whose society I am mightily pleased,
and mightily with Mr. Gibson's talking;
[Richard Gibson, so frequently noticed by Pepys, was a clerk in the
Navy Office. His collection of papers relating to the navy of
England A.D. 1650-1702, compiled, as he states, from the Admiralty
books in the Navy Office, are in the British Museum.--B.]
he telling me so many good stories relating to the warr and practices
of commanders, which I will find a time to recollect; and he will be an
admirable help to my writing a history of the Navy, if ever I do. So to
the office, where busy all the afternoon and evening, and then home.
My work this night with my clerks till midnight at the office was to
examine my list of ships I am making for myself and their dimensions,
and to see how it agrees or differs from other lists, and I do find so
great a difference between them all that I am at a loss which to take,
and therefore think mine to be as much depended upon as any I can make
out of them all. So little care there has been to this day to know or
keep any history of the Navy.
17th. Up, and by coach to White Hall to attend the Council there, and
here I met first by Mr. Castle the shipwright, whom I met there, and
then from the whole house the discourse of the duell yesterday between
the Duke of Buckingham, Holmes, and one Jenkins, on one side, and my
Lord of Shrewsbury, Sir John Talbot, and one Bernard Howard, on the
other side: and all about my Lady Shrewsbury,
[Anna Maria, daughter of Robert Brudenel, second Earl of Cardigan.
Walpole says she held the Duke of Buckingham's horse, in the habit
of a page, while he was fighting the duel with her husband. She
married, secondly, George Rodney Bridges, son of Sir Thomas Bridges
of Keynsham, Somerset, Groom of the Bedchamber to Charles IL, and
died April 20th, 1702. A portrait of the Countess of Shrewsbury, as
Minerva, by Lely.]
who is a whore, and is at this time, and hath for a great while been, a
whore to the Duke of Buckingham. And so her husband challenged him, and
they met yesterday in a close near Barne-Elmes, and there fought: and my
Lord Shrewsbury is run through the body, from the right breast through
the shoulder: and Sir John Talbot all along up one of his armes; and
Jenkins killed upon the place, and the rest all, in a little measure,
wounded. This will make the world think that the King hath good
councillors about him, when the Duke of Buckingham, the greatest man
about him, is a fellow of no more sobriety than to fight about a whore.
And this may prove a very bad accident to the Duke of Buckingham, but
that my Lady Castlemayne do rule all at this time as much as ever she
did, and she will, it is believed, keep all matters well with the
Duke of Buckingham: though this is a time that the King will be very
backward, I suppose, to appear in such a business. And it is pretty to
hear how the King had some notice of this challenge a week or two
ago, and did give it to my Lord Generall to confine the Duke, or take
security that he should not do any such thing as fight: and the Generall
trusted to the King that he, sending for him, would do it, and the King
trusted to the Generall; and so, between both, as everything else of the
greatest moment do, do fall between two stools. The whole House full
of nothing but the talk of this business; and it is said that my Lord
Shrewsbury's case is to be feared, that he may die too; and that may
make it much the worse for the Duke of Buckingham: and I shall not be
much sorry for it, that we may have some sober man come in his room
to assist in the Government. Here I waited till the Council rose, and
talked the while, with Creed, who tells me of Mr. Harry Howard's'
giving the Royal Society a piece of ground next to his house, to build
a College on, which is a most generous act. And he tells me he is a
very fine person, and understands and speaks well; and no rigid Papist
neither, but one that would not have a Protestant servant leave his
religion, which he was going to do, thinking to recommend himself to his
master by it; saying that he had rather have an honest Protestant than
a knavish Catholique. I was not called into the Council; and, therefore,
home, first informing myself that my Lord Hinchingbroke hath been
married this week to my Lord Burlington's daughter; so that that great
business is over; and I mighty glad of it, though I am not satisfied
that I have not a Favour sent me, as I see Attorney Montagu and the
Vice-Chamberlain have. But I am mighty glad that the thing is done. So
home, and there alone with my wife and Deb. to dinner, and after dinner
comes Betty Turner, and I carried them to the New Exchange, and thence
I to White Hall and did a little business at the Treasury, and so called
them there, and so home and to cards and supper, and her mother come
and sat at cards with us till past 12 at night, and then broke up and to
bed, after entering my journall, which made it one before I went to bed.
18th. At the office all the morning busy sitting. At noon home to
dinner, where Betty Turner dined with us, and after dinner carried my
wife, her and Deb. to the 'Change, where they bought some things, while
I bought "The Mayden Queene," a play newly printed, which I like at the
King's house so well, of Mr. Dryden's, which he himself, in his preface,
seems to brag of, and indeed is a good play. So home again, and I late
at the office and did much business, and then home to supper and to bed.
19th (Lord's day). My wife the last night very ill of those, and waked
me early, and hereupon I up and to church, where a dull sermon by our
lecturer, and so home to dinner in my wife's chamber, which she is a
little better. Then after dinner with Captain Perryman down to Redriffe,
and so walked to Deptford, where I sent for Mr. Shish out of the Church
to advise about my vessel, "The Maybolt," and I do resolve to sell,
presently, for any thing rather than keep her longer, having already
lost L100 in her value, which I was once offered and refused, and
the ship left without any body to look to her, which vexes me. Thence
Perryman and I back again, talking of the great miscarriages in the
Navy, and among the principal that of having gentlemen commanders. I
shall hereafter make use of his and others' help to reckon up and put
down in writing what is fit to be mended in the Navy after all our sad
experience therein. So home, and there sat with my wife all the evening,
and Mr. Pelting awhile talking with us, who tells me that my Lord
Shrewsbury is likely to do well, after his great wound in the late
dwell. He gone, comes W. Hewer and supped with me, and so to talk
of things, and he tells me that Mr. Jessop is made Secretary to the
Commissions of Parliament for Accounts, and I am glad, and it is pretty
to see that all the Cavalier party were not able to find the Parliament
nine Commissioners, or one Secretary, fit for the business. So he gone,
I to read a little in my chamber, and so to bed.
20th. Up, and all the morning at the office very busy, and at noon
by coach to Westminster, to the 'Chequer, about a warrant for Tangier
money. In my way both coming and going I did stop at Drumbleby's, the
pipe-maker, there to advise about the making of a flageolet to go low
and soft; and he do shew me a way which do do, and also a fashion of
having two pipes of the same note fastened together, so as I can play on
one, and then echo it upon the other, which is mighty pretty. So to my
Lord Crew's to dinner, where we hear all the good news of our making a
league now with Holland against the French power coming over them, or us
which is the first good act that hath been done a great while, and done
secretly, and with great seeming wisdom; and is certainly good for us
at this time, while we are in no condition to resist the French, if they
should come over hither; and then a little time of peace will give us
time to lay up something, which these Commissioners of the Treasury are
doing; and the world do begin to see that they will do the King's work
for him, if he will let them. Here dined Mr. Case, the minister, who,
Lord! do talk just as I remember he used to preach, and did tell a
pretty story of a religious lady, Queen of Navarre;
[Marguerite de Valois, Queen of Navarre, sister of Francis I. of
France. The "pretty story" was doubtless from her "Heptameron," a
work imitating in title and matter the "Decameron" of Boccaccio.
She is said to be the heroine of some of the adventures. It is fair
to add that she wrote also the "Miroir dune Ame Pecheresse,"
translated into English by Queen Elizabeth, the title of whose book
was "A Godly Medytacyon of the Christian Soules," published by John
Bale in 1548.--B.]
and my Lord also told a good story of Mr. Newman, the Minister in New
England, who wrote the Concordance, of his foretelling his death and
preaching a funeral sermon, and did at last bid the angels do their
office, and died. It seems there is great presumption that there will be
a Toleration granted: so that the Presbyterians do hold up their heads;
but they will hardly trust the King or the Parliament what to yield
them, though most of the sober party be for some kind of allowance to be
given them. Thence and home, and then to the 'Change in the evening,
and there Mr. Cade told me how my Lord Gerard is likely to meet with
trouble, the next sitting of Parliament, about [Carr] being set in the
pillory; and I am glad of it; and it is mighty acceptable to the world
to hear, that, among other reductions, the King do reduce his Guards,
which do please mightily. So to my bookbinder's with my boy, and there
did stay late to see two or three things done that I had a mind to see
done, and among others my Tangier papers of accounts, and so home to
supper and to bed.
21st. Up, and while at the office comes news from Kate Joyce that if I
would see her husband alive, I must come presently. So, after the office
was up, I to him, and W. Hewer with me, and find him in his sick bed (I
never was at their house, this Inne, before) very sensible in discourse
and thankful for my kindness to him, and his breath rattled in his
throate, and they did lay pigeons to his feet while I was in the house,
and all despair of him, and with good reason. But the story is that
it seems on Thursday last he went sober and quiet out of doors in the
morning to Islington, and behind one of the inns, the White Lion, did
fling himself into a pond, was spied by a poor woman and got out by some
people binding up hay in a barn there, and set on his head and got to
life, and known by a woman coming that way; and so his wife and friends
sent for. He confessed his doing the thing, being led by the Devil; and
do declare his reason to be, his trouble that he found in having forgot
to serve God as he ought, since he come to this new employment: and I
believe that, and the sense of his great loss by the fire, did bring him
to it, and so everybody concludes. He stayed there all that night, and
come home by coach next morning, and there grew sick, and worse and
worse to this day. I stayed awhile among the friends that were there,
and they being now in fear that the goods and estate would be seized
on, though he lived all this while, because of his endeavouring to drown
himself, my cozen did endeavour to remove what she could of plate out of
the house, and desired me to take my flagons; which I was glad of, and
did take them away with me in great fear all the way of being seized;
though there was no reason for it, he not being dead, but yet so fearful
I was. So home, and there eat my dinner, and busy all the afternoon, and
troubled at this business. In the evening with Sir D. Gawden, to Guild
Hall, to advise with the Towne-Clerke about the practice of the City and
nation in this case: and he thinks that it cannot be found self-murder;
but if it be, it will fall, all the estate, to the King. So we parted,
and I to my cozens again; where I no sooner come but news was brought
down from his chamber that he was departed. So, at their entreaty, I
presently took coach to White Hall, and there find Sir W. Coventry; and
he carried me to the King, the Duke of York being with him, and there
told my story which I had told him:
[This was not the only time that Pepys took trouble to save the
estate of a friend who had committed suicide. In the "Caveat Book"
in the Record Office, p. 42 of the volume for 1677, is the following
entry: "That no grant pass of the Estate of Francis Gurney of Maldon
in Essex, who drowned himself in his own well on Tuesday night ye
12th of this instant August, at the desire of Samuel Pepys, Esquire,
August 20, 1677."]
and the King, without more ado, granted that, if it was found, the
estate should be to the widow and children. I presently to each
Secretary's office, and there left caveats, and so away back again to my
cozens, leaving a chimney on fire at White Hall, in the King's closet;
but no danger. And so, when I come thither, I find her all in sorrow,
but she and the rest mightily pleased with my doing this for them; and,
indeed, it was a very great courtesy, for people are looking out for the
estate, and the coroner will be sent to, and a jury called to examine
his death. This being well done to my and their great joy, I home, and
there to my office, and so to supper and to bed.
22nd. Up, mightily busy all the morning at the office. At noon with
Lord Brouncker to Sir D. Gawden's, at the Victualling-Office, to dinner,
where I have not dined since he was Sheriff: He expected us; and a good
dinner, and much good company; and a fine house, and especially two
rooms, very fine, he hath built there. His lady a good lady; but my Lord
led himself and me to a great absurdity in kissing all the ladies, but
the finest of all the company, leaving her out, I know not how; and I
was loath to do it, since he omitted it. Here little Chaplin dined, who
is like to be Sheriff the next year; and a pretty humoured little man
he is. I met here with Mr. Talents, the younger, of Magdalene College,
Chaplain here to the Sheriff; which I was glad to see, though not
much acquainted with him. This day come the first demand from the
Commissioners of Accounts to us, and it contains more than we shall ever
be able to answer while we live, and I do foresee we shall be put to
much trouble and some shame, at least some of us. Thence stole away
after dinner to my cozen Kate's, and there find the Crowner's jury
sitting, but they could not end it, but put off the business to Shrove
Tuesday next, and so do give way to the burying of him, and that is all;
but they all incline to find it a natural death, though there are mighty
busy people to have it go otherwise, thinking to get his estate, but are
mistaken. Thence, after sitting with her and company a while, comforting
her: though I can find she can, as all other women, cry, and yet talk of
other things all in a breath. So home, and thereto cards with my wife,
Deb., and Betty Turner, and Batelier, and after supper late to sing.
But, Lord! how did I please myself to make Betty Turner sing, to see
what a beast she is as to singing, not knowing how to sing one note in
tune; but, only for the experiment, I would not for 40s. hear her sing
a tune: worse than my wife a thousand times, so that it do a little
reconcile me to her. So late to bed.
23rd. At the Office all the morning; and at noon find the Bishop of
Lincolne come to dine with us; and after him comes Mr. Brisband;
and there mighty good company. But the Bishop a very extraordinary
good-natured man, and one that is mightily pleased, as well as I am,
that I live so near Bugden, the seat of his bishopricke, where he is
like to reside: and, indeed, I am glad of it. In discourse, we think
ourselves safe for this year, by this league with Holland, which pleases
every body, and, they say, vexes France; insomuch that D'Estrades; the
French Embassador in Holland, when he heard it, told the States that
he would have them not forget that his master is at the head of 100,000
men, and is but 28 years old; which was a great speech. The Bishop
tells me he thinks that the great business of Toleration will not,
notwithstanding this talk, be carried this Parliament; nor for the
King's taking away the Deans' and Chapters' lands to supply his wants,
they signifying little to him, if he had them, for his present service.
He gone, I mightily pleased with his kindness, I to the office, where
busy till night, and then to Mrs. Turner's, where my wife, and Deb., and
I, and Batelier spent the night, and supped, and played at cards, and
very merry, and so I home to bed. She is either a very prodigal woman,
or richer than she would be thought, by her buying of the best things,
and laying out much money in new-fashioned pewter; and, among other
things, a new-fashioned case for a pair of snuffers, which is very
pretty; but I could never have guessed what it was for, had I not seen
the snuffers in it.
24th. Up before day to my Tangier accounts, and then out and to a
Committee of Tangier, where little done but discourse about reduction
of the charge of the garrison, and thence to Westminster about orders
at the Exchequer, and at the Swan I drank, and there met with a pretty
ingenious young Doctor of physic, by chance, and talked with him, and
so home to dinner, and after dinner carried my wife to the Temple, and
thence she to a play, and I to St. Andrew's church, in Holburne, at the
'Quest House, where the company meets to the burial of my cozen Joyce;
and here I staid with a very great rabble of four or five hundred people
of mean condition, and I staid in the room with the kindred till ready
to go to church, where there is to be a sermon of Dr. Stillingfleete,
and thence they carried him to St. Sepulchre's. But it being late,
and, indeed, not having a black cloak to lead her [Kate Joyce] with, or
follow the corps, I away, and saw, indeed, a very great press of people
follow the corps. I to the King's playhouse, to fetch my wife, and there
saw the best part of "The Mayden Queene," which, the more I see,
the more I love, and think one of the best plays I ever saw, and
is certainly the best acted of any thing ever the House did, and
particularly Becke Marshall, to admiration. Found my wife and Deb., and
saw many fine ladies, and sat by Colonell Reames, who understands and
loves a play as well as I, and I love him for it. And so thence home;
and, after being at the Office, I home to supper, and to bed, my eyes
being very bad again with overworking with them.
25th. Up, and to the office, where busy all the morning, and then at
noon to the 'Change with Mr. Hater, and there he and I to a tavern to
meet Captain Minors, which we did, and dined; and there happened to be
Mr. Prichard, a ropemaker of his acquaintance, and whom I know also,
and did once mistake for a fiddler, which sung well, and I asked him
for such a song that I had heard him sing, and after dinner did fall to
discourse about the business of the old contract between the King and
the East India Company for the ships of the King that went thither, and
about this did beat my brains all the afternoon, and then home and made
an end of the accounts to my great content, and so late home tired and
my eyes sore, to supper and to bed.
26th (Lord's day). Up, and with my wife to Church, and at noon home to
dinner. No strangers there; and all the afternoon and evening very late
doing serious business of my Tangier accounts, and examining my East
India accounts, with Mr. Poynter, whom I employed all this day, to
transcribe it fair; and so to supper, W. Hewer with us, and so the girl
to comb my head till I slept, and then to bed.
27th. It being weather like the beginning of a frost and the ground dry,
I walked as far as the Temple, and there took coach and to White Hall,
but the Committee not being met I to Westminster, and there I do hear
of the letter that is in the pamphlet this day of the King of France,
declaring his design to go on against Flanders, and the grounds of
it, which do set us mightily at rest. So to White Hall, and there a
committee of Tangier, but little done there, only I did get two or three
little jobs done to the perfecting two or three papers about my Tangier
accounts. Here Mr. Povy do tell me how he is like to lose his L400
a-year pension of the Duke of York, which he took in consideration of
his place which was taken from him. He tells me the Duchesse is a devil
against him, and do now come like Queen Elizabeth, and sits with the
Duke of York's Council, and sees what they do; and she crosses out this
man's wages and prices, as she sees fit, for saving money; but yet, he
tells me, she reserves L5000 a-year for her own spending; and my Lady
Peterborough, by and by, tells me that the Duchesse do lay up, mightily,
jewells. Thence to my Lady Peterborough's, she desiring to speak with
me. She loves to be taken dressing herself, as I always find her; and
there, after a little talk, to please her, about her husband's pension,
which I do not think he will ever get again, I away thence home, and all
the afternoon mighty busy at the office, and late, preparing a letter to
the Commissioners of Accounts, our first letter to them, and so home to
supper, where Betty Turner was (whose brother Frank did set out toward
the East Indies this day, his father and mother gone down with him to
Gravesend), and there was her little brother Moses, whom I examined, and
he is a pretty good scholar for a child, and so after supper to talk and
laugh, and to bed.
28th. Up, and to the office, and there with W. Griffin talking about
getting the place to build a coach-house, or to hire one, which I now do
resolve to have, and do now declare it; for it is plainly for my benefit
for saving money. By and by the office sat, and there we concluded on
our letter to the Commissioners of Accounts and to the several officers
of ours about the work they are to do to answer their late great
demands. At noon home to dinner, and after dinner set my wife and girl
down at the Exchange, and I to White Hall; and, by and by, the Duke of
York comes, and we had a little meeting, Anglesey, W. Pen, and I there,
and none else: and, among other things, did discourse of the want of
discipline in the fleete, which the Duke' of York confessed, and yet
said that he, while he was there, did keep it in a good measure, but
that it was now lost when he was absent; but he will endeavour to have
it again. That he did tell the Prince and Duke of Albemarle they would
lose all order by making such and such men commanders, which they would,
because they were stout men: he told them that it was a reproach to the
nation, as if there were no sober men among us, that were stout, to be
had. That they did put out some men for cowards that the Duke of York
had put in, but little before, for stout men; and would now, were he to
go to sea again, entertain them in his own division, to choose: and
did put in an idle fellow, Greene, who was hardly thought fit for
a boatswain by him: they did put him from being a lieutenant to a
captain's place of a second-rate ship; as idle a drunken fellow, he
said, as any was in the fleete. That he will now desire the King to let
him be what he is, that is, Admirall; and he will put in none but those
that he hath great reason to think well of; and particularly says, that;
though he likes Colonell Legg well, yet his son that was, he knows not
how, made a captain after he had been but one voyage at sea, he should
go to sea another apprenticeship, before ever he gives him a command. We
did tell him of the many defects and disorders among the captains, and
I prayed we might do it in writing to him, which he liked; and I am glad
of an opportunity of doing it. Thence away, and took up wife and girl,
and home, and to the office, busy late, and so to supper and to bed. My
wife this day hears from her father and mother: they are in France, at
Paris; he, poor good man! I think he is, gives her good counsel still,
which I always observed of him, and thankful for my small charities to
him. I could be willing to do something for them, were I sure not to
bring them over again hither. Coming home, my wife and I went and saw
Kate Joyce, who is still in mighty sorrow, and the more from something
that Dr. Stillingfleete should simply say in his sermon, of her
husband's manner of dying, as killing himself.
29th. Up betimes, and by coach to Sir W. Coventry, whom I found in his
chamber, and there stayed an hour and talked with him about several
things of the Navy, and our want of money, which they indeed do supply
us with a little, but in no degree likely to enable us to go on with the
King's service. He is at a stand where to have more, and is in mighty
pain for it, declaring that he believes there never was a kingdom
so governed as this was in the time of the late Chancellor and the
Treasurer, nobody minding or understanding any thing how things went or
what the King had in his Treasury, or was to have, nothing in the
world of it minded. He tells me that there are still people desirous
to overthrow him; he resolving to stick at nothing nor no person that
stands in his way against bringing the King out of debt, be it to
retrench any man's place or profit, and that he cares not, for rather
than be employed under the King, and have the King continue in this
condition of indigence, he desires to be put out from among them,
thinking it no honour to be a minister in such a government. He tells
me he hath no friends in the whole Court but my Lord Keeper and Sir
John Duncomb. He tells me they have reduced the charges of Ireland
above L70,000 a-year, and thereby cut off good profits from my Lord
Lieutenant; which will make a new enemy, but he cares not. He tells me
that Townsend, of the Wardrobe, is the eeriest knave and bufflehead that
ever he saw in his life, and wonders how my Lord Sandwich come to trust
such a fellow, and that now Reames and--------are put in to be overseers
there, and do great things, and have already saved a great deal of money
in the King's liverys, and buy linnen so cheap, that he will have them
buy the next cloth he hath, for shirts. But then this is with ready
money, which answers all. He do not approve of my letter I drew and the
office signed yesterday to the Commissioners of Accounts, saying that
it is a little too submissive, and grants a little too much and too soon
our bad managements, though we lay on want of money, yet that it will be
time enough to plead it when they object it. Which was the opinion of
my Lord Anglesey also; so I was ready to alter it, and did so presently,
going from him home, and there transcribed it fresh as he would have it,
and got it signed, and to White Hall presently and shewed it him, and so
home, and there to dinner, and after dinner all the afternoon and till
12 o'clock at night with Mr. Gibson at home upon my Tangier accounts,
and did end them fit to be given the last of them to the Auditor
to-morrow, to my great content. This evening come Betty Turner and the
two Mercers, and W. Batelier, and they had fiddlers, and danced, and
kept a quarter,--[A term for making a noise or disturbance.]--which
pleased me, though it disturbed me; but I could not be with them at all.
Mr. Gibson lay at my house all night, it was so late.
30th. Up, it being fast day for the King's death, and so I and Mr.
Gibson by water to the Temple, and there all the morning with Auditor
Wood, and I did deliver in the whole of my accounts and run them over in
three hours with full satisfaction, and so with great content thence,
he and I, and our clerks, and Mr. Clerke, the solicitor, to a little
ordinary in Hercules-pillars Ally--the Crowne, a poor, sorry place,
where a fellow, in twelve years, hath gained an estate of, as he says,
L600 a-year, which is very strange, and there dined, and had a good
dinner, and very good discourse between them, old men belonging to the
law, and here I first heard that my cozen Pepys, of Salisbury Court, was
Marshal to my Lord Cooke when he was Lord Chief justice; which beginning
of his I did not know to be so low: but so it was, it seems. After
dinner I home, calling at my bookbinder's, but he not within. When come
home, I find Kate Joyce hath been there, with sad news that her house
stands not in the King's liberty, but the Dean of Paul's; and so, if her
estate be forfeited, it will not be in the King's power to do her any
good. So I took coach and to her, and there found her in trouble, as I
cannot blame her. But I do believe this arises from somebody that hath a
mind to fright her into a composition for her estate, which I advise her
against; and, indeed, I do desire heartily to be able to do her service,
she being, methinks, a piece of care I ought to take upon me, for our
fathers' and friends' sake, she being left alone, and no friend so near
as me, or so able to help her. After having given her my advice, I home,
and there to my office and did business, and hear how the Committee for
Accounts are mighty active and likely to examine every thing, but let
them do their worst I am to be before them with our contract books
to-morrow. So home from the office, to supper, and to bed.
31st. Up; and by coach, with W. Griffin with me, and our Contract-books,
to Durham Yard, to the Commissioners for Accounts; the first time I ever
was there; and staid awhile before I was admitted to them. I did observe
a great many people attending about complaints of seamen concerning
tickets, and, among others, Mr. Carcasse, and Mr. Martin, my purser.
And I observe a fellow, one Collins, is there, who is employed by these
Commissioners particularly to hold an office in Bishopsgate Street,
or somewhere thereabouts, to receive complaints of all people about
tickets: and I believe he will have work enough. Presently I was called
in, where I found the whole number of Commissioners, and was there
received with great respect and kindness; and did give them great
satisfaction, making it my endeavour to inform them what it was they
were to expect from me, and what was the duty of other people; this
being my only way to preserve myself, after all my pains and trouble.
They did ask many questions, and demanded other books of me, which I did
give them very ready and acceptable answers to; and, upon the whole, I
observe they do go about their business like men resolved to go through
with it, and in a very good method; like men of understanding. They have
Mr. Jessop, their secretary: and it is pretty to see that they are fain
to find out an old-fashioned man of Cromwell's to do their business for
them, as well as the Parliament to pitch upon such, for the most
part, in the list of people that were brought into the House,
for Commissioners. I went away, with giving and receiving great
satisfaction; and so away to White Hall to the Commissioners of the
Treasury; where, waiting some time, I there met with Colonel Birch; and
he and I fell into discourse; and I did give him thanks for his kindness
to me in the Parliament-house, both before my face and behind my back.
He told me that he knew me to be a man of the old way for taking pains,
and did always endeavour to do me right, and prevent any thing that was
moved that might tend to my injury; which I was obliged to him for, and
thanked him. Thence to talk of other things, and the want of money and
he told me of the general want of money in the country; that land sold
for nothing, and the many pennyworths he knows of lands and houses upon
them, with good titles in his country, at 16 years' purchase: "and,"
says he, "though I am in debt, yet I have a mind to one thing, and that
is a Bishop's lease;" but said, "I will yet choose such a lease before
any other, yes," says he, plainly, "because I know they cannot stand,
and then it will fall into the King's hands, and I in possession shall
have an advantage by it." "And," says he, "I know they must fall, and
they are now near it, taking all the ways they can to undo themselves,
and showing us the way;" and thereupon told the a story of the present
quarrel between the Bishop and Deane of Coventry and Lichfield;
the former of which did excommunicate the latter, and caused his
excommunication to be read in the Church while he was there; and, after
it was read, the Deane made the service be gone through with, though
himself, an excommunicate, was present, which is contrary to the Canon,
and said he would justify the quire therein against the Bishop; and so
they are at law in the Arches about it; which is a very pretty story. He
tells me that the King is for Toleration, though the Bishops be against
it: and that he do not doubt but it will be carried in Parliament; but
that he fears some will stand for the tolerating of Papists with the
rest; and that he knows not what to say, but rather thinks that the
sober party will be without it, rather than have it upon those terms;
and I do believe so. Here we broke off, and I home to dinner, and after
dinner set down my wife and Deb. at the 'Change, and I to make a visit
to Mr. Godolphin
[William Godolphin, descended from a younger branch of that family,
which was afterwards ennobled in the person of Sidney, Earl
Godolphin, Lord Treasurer. William Godolphin was of Christ Church,
Oxford, and graduated M.A., January 14th, 1660-61. He was
afterwards secretary to Sir H. Bennet (Lord Arlington), and M.P. for
Camelford. He was a great favourite at Court, and was knighted on
August 28th, 1668. In the spring of 1669 he returned to Spain as
Envoy Extraordinary, and in 1671 he became Ambassador. On July
11th, 1696, he died at Madrid, having been for some years a Roman
Catholic.]
at his lodgings, who is lately come from Spain from my Lord Sandwich,
and did, the other day, meeting me in White Hall, compliment me
mightily, and so I did offer him this visit, but missed him, and so
back and took up my wife and set her at Mrs. Turner's, and I to my
bookbinder's, and there, till late at night, binding up my second part
of my Tangier accounts, and I all the while observing his working, and
his manner of gilding of books with great pleasure, and so home, and
there busy late, and then to bed. This day Griffin did, in discourse in
the coach, put me in the head of the little house by our garden, where
old goodman Taylor puts his brooms and dirt, to make me a stable of,
which I shall improve, so as, I think, to be able to get me a stable
without much charge, which do please me mightily. He did also in
discourse tell me that it is observed, and is true, in the late fire of
London, that the fire burned just as many Parish-Churches as there were
hours from the beginning to the end of the fire; and, next, that there
were just as many Churches left standing as there were taverns left
standing in the rest of the City that was not burned, being, I think he
told me, thirteen in all of each: which is pretty to observe.
FEBRUARY 1667-1668
February 1st. Up, and to the office pretty betimes, and the Board
not meeting as soon as I wished, I was forced to go to White Hall in
expectation of a Committee for Tangier, but when I come it was put off,
and so home again to the office, and sat till past two o'clock; where at
the Board some high words passed between Sir W. Pen and I, begun by me,
and yielded to by him, I being in the right in finding fault with him
for his neglect of duty. At noon home to dinner, and after dinner out
with my wife, thinking to have gone to the Duke of York's playhouse,
but was, to my great content in the saving my vow, hindered by coming a
little too late; and so, it being a fine day, we out to Islington, and
there to the old house and eat cheese-cakes and drank and talked, and so
home in the evening, the ways being mighty bad, so as we had no pleasure
in being abroad at all almost, but only the variety of it, and so to
the office, where busy late, and then home to supper and to bed, my head
mighty full of business now on my hands: viz., of finishing my Tangier
Accounts; of auditing my last year's Accounts; of preparing answers to
the Commissioners of Accounts; of drawing up several important letters
to the Duke of York and the Commissioners of the Treasury; the marrying
of my sister; the building of a coach and stables against summer, and
the setting many things in the Office right; and the drawing up a new
form of Contract with the Victualler of the Navy, and several other
things, which pains, however, will go through with, among others the
taking care of Kate Joyce in that now she is in at present for saving
her estate.
2nd (Lord's day). Wife took physick this day, I all day at home, and all
the morning setting my books in order in my presses, for the following
year, their number being much increased since the last, so as I am fain
to lay by several books to make room for better, being resolved to keep
no more than just my presses will contain. At noon to dinner, my wife
coming down to me, and a very good dinner we had, of a powdered leg of
pork and a loin of lamb roasted, and with much content she and I and
Deb. After dinner, my head combed an hour, and then to work again, and
at it, doing many things towards the setting my accounts and papers in
order, and so in the evening Mr. Pelling supping with us, and to supper,
and so to bed.
3rd. Up, and to the office, where with my clerks all the morning very
busy about several things there wherein I was behindhand. At noon home
to dinner, and thence after dinner to the Duke of York's house, to the
play, "The Tempest," which we have often seen, but yet I was pleased
again, and shall be again to see it, it is so full of variety, and
particularly this day I took pleasure to learn the tune of the seaman's
dance, which I have much desired to be perfect in, and have made myself
so. So home with my wife and Deb., and there at the office met to
my trouble with a warrant from the Commissioners of Accounts for my
attending them and Cocke two days hence, which I apprehend by Captain
Cocke's being to go also, to be about the prizes. But, however, there is
nothing of crime can be laid to my charge, and the worst that can be is
to refund my L500 profit, and who can help it. So I resolve not to be
troubled at it, though I fear I cannot bear it so, my spirit being very
poor and mean as to the bearing with trouble that I do find of myself.
So home, and there to my chamber and did some business,--and thence to
supper and to bed.
4th. Up, and to the office, where a full Board sat all the morning, busy
among other things concerning a solemn letter we intend to write to
the Duke of York about the state of the things of the Navy, for want
of money, though I doubt it will be to little purpose. After dinner I
abroad by coach to Kate Joyce's, where the jury did sit where they
did before, about her husband's death, and their verdict put off for
fourteen days longer, at the suit of somebody, under pretence of the
King; but it is only to get money out of her to compound the matter. But
the truth is, something they will make out of Stillingfleete's sermon,
which may trouble us, he declaring, like a fool, in his pulpit, that he
did confess that his losses in the world did make him do what he did.
This do vex me to see how foolish our Protestant Divines are, while the
Papists do make it the duty of Confessor to be secret, or else nobody
would confess their sins to them. All being put off for to-day, I took
my leave of Kate, who is mightily troubled at it for her estate sake,
not for her husband; for her sorrow for that, I perceive, is all over. I
home, and, there to my office busy till the evening, and then home, and
there my wife and Deb. and I and Betty Turner, I employed in the putting
new titles to my books, which we proceeded on till midnight, and then
being weary and late to bed.
5th. Up, and I to Captain Cocke's, where he and I did discourse of our
business that we are to go about to the Commissioners of Accounts about
our prizes, and having resolved to conceal nothing but to confess the
truth, the truth being likely to do us most good, we parted, and I to
White Hall, where missing of the Commissioners of the Treasury, I to the
Commissioners of Accounts, where I was forced to stay two hours before I
was called in, and when come in did take an oath to declare the truth to
what they should ask me, which is a great power; I doubt more than the
Act do, or as some say can, give them, to force a man to swear against
himself; and so they fell to enquire about the business of prize-goods,
wherein I did answer them as well as I could, answer them in everything
the just truth, keeping myself to that. I do perceive at last, that,
that they did lay most like a fault to me was, that I did buy goods upon
my Lord Sandwich's declaring that it was with the King's allowance, and
my believing it, without seeing the King's allowance, which is a thing
I will own, and doubt not to justify myself in. That that vexed me most
was, their having some watermen by, to witness my saying that they were
rogues that they had betrayed my goods, which was upon some discontent
with one of the watermen that I employed at Greenwich, who I did think
did discover the goods sent from Rochester to the Custom-House officer;
but this can do me no great harm. They were inquisitive into the
minutest particulars, and the evening great information; but I think
that they can do me no hurt, at the worst, more than to make me refund,
if it must be known, what profit I did make of my agreement with Captain
Cocke; and yet, though this be all, I do find so poor a spirit within
me, that it makes me almost out of my wits, and puts me to so much pain,
that I cannot think of anything, nor do anything but vex and fret, and
imagine myself undone, so that I am ashamed of myself to myself, and do
fear what would become of me if any real affliction should come upon
me. After they had done with me, they called in Captain Cocke, with whom
they were shorter; and I do fear he may answer foolishly, for he did
speak to me foolishly before he went in; but I hope to preserve myself,
and let him shift for himself as well as he can. So I away, walked to
my flageolet maker in the Strand, and there staid for Captain Cocke, who
took me up and carried me home, and there coming home and finding dinner
done, and Mr. Cooke, who come for my Lady Sandwich's plate, which I must
part with, and so endanger the losing of my money, which I lent upon my
thoughts of securing myself by that plate. But it is no great sum--but
L60: and if it must be lost, better that, than a greater sum. I away
back again, to find a dinner anywhere else, and so I, first, to the Ship
Tavern, thereby to get a sight of the pretty mistress of the house, with
whom I am not yet acquainted at all, and I do always find her scolding,
and do believe she is an ill-natured devil, that I have no great desire
to speak to her. Here I drank, and away by coach to the Strand, there
to find out Mr. Moore, and did find him at the Bell Inn, and there
acquainted him with what passed between me and the Commissioners to-day
about the prize goods, in order to the considering what to do about my
Lord Sandwich, and did conclude to own the thing to them as done by the
King's allowance, and since confirmed. Thence to other discourse, among
others, he mightily commends my Lord Hinchingbroke's match and Lady,
though he buys her L10,000 dear, by the jointure and settlement his
father makes her; and says that the Duke of York and Duchess of York
did come to see them in bed together, on their wedding-night, and how my
Lord had fifty pieces of gold taken out of his pocket that night, after
he was in bed. He tells me that an Act of Comprehension is likely to
pass this Parliament, for admitting of all persuasions in religion
to the public observation of their particular worship, but in certain
places, and the persons therein concerned to be listed of this, or that
Church; which, it is thought, will do them more hurt than good, and
make them not own, their persuasion. He tells me that there is a pardon
passed to the Duke of Buckingham, my Lord of Shrewsbury, and the rest,
for the late duell and murder;
[The royal pardon was thus announced in the "Gazette" of February
24th, 1668: "This day his Majesty was pleased to declare at the
Board, that whereas, in contemplation of the eminent services
heretofore done to his Majesty by most of the persons who were
engaged in the late duel, or rencounter, wherein William Jenkins was
killed, he Both graciously pardon the said offence: nevertheless, He
is resolved from henceforth that on no pretence whatsoever any
pardon shall be hereafter granted to any person whatsoever for
killing of any man, in any duel or rencounter, but that the course
of law shall wholly take place in all such cases." The warrant for
a pardon to George, Duke of Buckingham, is dated January 27th, 1668;
and on the following day was issued, "Warrant for a grant to
Francis, Earl of Shrewsbury, of pardon for killing William Jenkins,
and for all duels, assaults, or batteries on George, Duke of
Buckingham, Sir John Talbot, Sir Robert Holmes, or any other,
whether indicted or not for the same, with restitution of lands,
goods, &c." ("Calendar of State Papers," 1667-68, pp. 192,193).]
which he thinks a worse fault than any ill use my late Lord Chancellor
ever put the Great Seal to, and will be so thought by the Parliament,
for them to be pardoned without bringing them to any trial: and that my
Lord Privy-Seal therefore would not have it pass his hand, but made it
go by immediate warrant; or at least they knew that he would not pass
it, and so did direct it to go by immediate warrant, that it might not
come to him. He tells me what a character my Lord Sandwich hath sent
over of Mr. Godolphin, as the worthiest man, and such a friend to him
as he may be trusted in any thing relating to him in the world; as one
whom, he says, he hath infallible assurances that he will remaine his
friend which is very high, but indeed they say the gentleman is a fine
man. Thence, after eating a lobster for my dinner, having eat nothing
to-day, we broke up, here coming to us Mr. Townsend of the Wardrobe, who
complains of the Commissioners of the Treasury as very severe against my
Lord Sandwich, but not so much as they complain of him for a fool and
a knave, and so I let him alone, and home, carrying Mr. Moore as far as
Fenchurch Street, and I home, and there being vexed in my mind about my
prize businesses I to my chamber, where my wife and I had much talk of
W. Hewer, she telling me that he is mightily concerned for my not being
pleased with him, and is herself mightily concerned, but I have
much reason to blame him for his little assistance he gives me in
my business, not being able to copy out a letter with sense or true
spelling that makes me mad, and indeed he is in that regard of as little
use to me as the boy, which troubles me, and I would have him know
it,--and she will let him know it. By and by to supper, and so to bed,
and slept but ill all night, my mind running like a fool on my prize
business, which according to my reason ought not to trouble me at all.
6th. Up, and to the office, where all the morning,, and among other
things Sir H. Cholmly comes to me about a little business, and there
tells me how the Parliament, which is to meet again to-day, are likely
to fall heavy on the business of the Duke of Buckingham's pardon; and I
shall be glad of it: and that the King hath put out of the Court the two
Hides, my Lord Chancellor's two sons, and also the Bishops of Rochester
and Winchester, the latter of whom should have preached before him
yesterday, being Ash Wednesday, and had his sermon ready, but was put
by; which is great news: He gone, we sat at the office all the morning,
and at noon home to dinner, and my wife being gone before, I to the Duke
of York's playhouse; where a new play of Etherige's, called "She Would
if she Could;" and though I was there by two o'clock, there was 1000
people put back that could not have room in the pit: and I at last,
because my wife was there, made shift to get into the 18d. box, and
there saw; but, Lord! how full was the house, and how silly the play,
there being nothing in the world good in it, and few people pleased in
it. The King was there; but I sat mightily behind, and could see but
little, and hear not all. The play being done, I into the pit to look
(for) my wife, and it being dark and raining, I to look my wife out, but
could not find her; and so staid going between the two doors and through
the pit an hour and half, I think, after the play was done; the people
staying there till the rain was over, and to talk with one another. And,
among the rest, here was the Duke of Buckingham to-day openly sat in
the pit; and there I found him with my Lord Buckhurst, and Sidly, and
Etherige, the poet; the last of whom I did hear mightily find fault
with the actors, that they were out of humour, and had not their parts
perfect, and that Harris did do nothing, nor could so much as sing
a ketch in it; and so was mightily concerned while all the rest did,
through the whole pit, blame the play as a silly, dull thing, though
there was something very roguish and witty; but the design of the play,
and end, mighty insipid. At last I did find my wife staying for me in
the entry; and with her was Betty Turner, Mercer, and Deb. So I got a
coach, and a humour took us, and I carried them to Hercules Pillars, and
there did give them a kind of a supper of about 7s., and very merry, and
home round the town, not through the ruines; and it was pretty how the
coachman by mistake drives us into the ruines from London-wall into
Coleman Street: and would persuade me that I lived there. And the truth
is, I did think that he and the linkman had contrived some roguery; but
it proved only a mistake of the coachman; but it was a cunning place to
have done us a mischief in, as any I know, to drive us out of the road
into the ruines, and there stop, while nobody could be called to help
us. But we come safe home, and there, the girls being gone home, I to
the office, where a while busy, my head not being wholly free of my
trouble about my prize business, I home to bed. This evening coming home
I did put my hand under the coats of Mercer and did touch her thigh, but
then she did put by my hand and no hurt done, but talked and sang and
was merry.
7th. Up, and to the office, to the getting of my books in order, to
carry to the Commissioners of Accounts this morning. This being done, I
away first to Westminster Hall, and there met my cozen, Roger Pepys, by
his desire, the first time I have seen him since his coming to town, the
Parliament meeting yesterday and adjourned to Monday next; and here he
tells me that Mr. Jackson, my sister's servant, is come to town, and
hath this day suffered a recovery on his estate, in order to the making
her a settlement. The young man is gone out of the Hall, so I could not
now see him, but here I walked a good while with my cozen, and among
other things do hear that there is a great triall between my Lord Gerard
and Carr to-day, who is indicted for his life at the King's Bench, for
running from his colours; but all do say that my Lord Gerard, though he
designs the ruining of this man, will not get any thing by it. Thence
to the Commissioners of Accounts, and there presented my books, and was
made to sit down, and used with much respect, otherwise than the other
day, when I come to them as a criminal about the business of the prizes.
I sat here with them a great while, while my books were inventoried.
And here do hear from them by discourse that they are like to undo the
Treasurer's instruments of the Navy by making it a rule that they
shall repay all money paid to wrong parties, which is a thing not to be
supported by these poor creatures the Treasurer's instruments, as it
is also hard for seamen to be ruined by their paying money to whom they
please. I know not what will be the issue of it. I find these gentlemen
to sit all day, and only eat a bit of bread at noon, and a glass of
wine; and are resolved to go through their business with great severity
and method. Thence I, about two o'clock, to Westminster Hall, by
appointment, and there met my cozen Roger again, and Mr. Jackson, who
is a plain young man, handsome enough for Pall, one of no education
nor discourse, but of few words, and one altogether that, I think, will
please me well enough. My cozen had got me to give the odd sixth L100
presently, which I intended to keep to the birth of the first child: and
let it go--I shall be eased of the care, and so, after little talk,
we parted, resolving to dine together at my house tomorrow. So there
parted, my mind pretty well satisfied with this plain fellow for my
sister, though I shall, I see, have no pleasure nor content in him, as
if he had been a man of reading and parts, like Cumberland, and to the
Swan, and there sent for a bit of meat and eat and drank, and so to
White Hall to the Duke of York's chamber, where I find him and my
fellows at their usual meeting, discoursing about securing the Medway
this year, which is to shut the door after the horse is stole. However,
it is good. Having done here, my Lord Brouncker, and W. Pen, and I, and
with us Sir Arnold Breames, to the King's playhouse, and there saw a
piece of "Love in a Maze," a dull, silly play, I think; and after the
play, home with W. Pen and his son Lowther, whom we met there, and then
home and sat most of the evening with my wife and Mr. Pelting, talking,
my head being full of business of one kind or other, and most such as do
not please me, and so to supper and to bed.
8th. Up, and to the office, where sat all day, and at noon home, and
there find cozen Roger and Jackson by appointment come to dine with me,
and Creed, and very merry, only Jackson hath few words, and I like him
never the worse for it. The great talk is of Carr's coming off in all
his trials, to the disgrace of my Lord Gerard, to that degree, and the
ripping up of so many notorious rogueries and cheats of my Lord's, that
my Lord, it is thought, will be ruined; and, above all things, do skew
the madness of the House of Commons, who rejected the petition of this
poor man by a combination of a few in the House; and, much more, the
base proceedings (just the epitome of all our publick managements in
this age), of the House of Lords, that ordered him to stand in the
pillory for those very things, without hearing and examining what he
hath now, by the seeking of my Lord Gerard himself, cleared himself of,
in open Court, to the gaining himself the pity of all the world, and
shame for ever to my Lord Gerard. We had a great deal of good discourse
at table, and after dinner we four men took coach, and they set me down
at the Old Exchange, and they home, having discoursed nothing today with
cozen or Jackson about our business. I to Captain Cocke's, and there
discoursed over our business of prizes, and I think I shall go near to
state the matter so as to secure myself without wrong to him, doing nor
saying anything but the very truth. Thence away to the Strand, to my
bookseller's, and there staid an hour, and bought the idle, rogueish
book, "L'escholle des filles;" which I have bought in plain binding,
avoiding the buying of it better bound, because I resolve, as soon as
I have read it, to burn it, that it may not stand in the list of books,
nor among them, to disgrace them if it should be found. Thence home,
and busy late at the office, and then home to supper and to bed. My wife
well pleased with my sister's match, and designing how to be merry at
their marriage. And I am well at ease in my mind to think that that care
will be over. This night calling at the Temple, at the Auditor's, his
man told me that he heard that my account must be brought to the view
of the Commissioners of Tangier before it can be passed, which though I
know no hurt in it, yet it troubled me lest there should be any or any
designed by them who put this into the head of the Auditor, I suppose
Auditor Beale, or Creed, because they saw me carrying my account another
way than by them.
9th (Lord's day). Up, and at my chamber all the morning and the office
doing business, and also reading a little of "L'escholle des filles,"
which is a mighty lewd book, but yet not amiss for a sober man once to
read over to inform himself in the villainy of the world. At noon home
to dinner, where by appointment Mr. Pelting come and with him three
friends, Wallington, that sings the good base, and one Rogers, and a
gentleman, a young man, his name Tempest, who sings very well indeed,
and understands anything in the world at first sight. After dinner we
into our dining-room, and there to singing all the afternoon. (By the
way, I must remember that Pegg Pen was brought to bed yesterday of a
girl; and, among other things, if I have not already set it down, that
hardly ever was remembered such a season for the smallpox as these last
two months have been, people being seen all up and down the streets,
newly come out after the smallpox.) But though they sang fine things,
yet I must confess that I did take no pleasure in it, or very little,
because I understood not the words, and with the rests that the words
are set, there is no sense nor understanding in them though they be
English, which makes me weary of singing in that manner, it being but a
worse sort of instrumental musick. We sang until almost night, and drank
mighty good store of wine, and then they parted, and I to my chamber,
where I did read through "L'escholle des filles," a lewd book, but what
do no wrong once to read for information sake.... And after I had done
it I burned it, that it might not be among my books to my shame, and so
at night to supper and to bed.
10th. Up, and by coach to Westminster, and there made a visit to Mr.
Godolphin, at his chamber; and I do find him a very pretty and able
person, a man of very fine parts, and of infinite zeal to my Lord
Sandwich; and one that says he is, he believes, as wise and able a
person as any prince in the world hath. He tells me that he meets with
unmannerly usage by Sir Robert Southwell, in Portugall, who would sign
with him in his negociations there, being a forward young man: but that
my Lord mastered him in that point, it being ruled for my Lord here,
at a hearing of a Committee of the Council. He says that if my Lord can
compass a peace between Spain and Portugall, and hath the doing of it
and the honour himself, it will be a thing of more honour than ever any
man had, and of as much advantage. Thence to Westminster Hall, where
the Hall mighty full: and, among other things, the House begins to sit
to-day, and the King come. But, before the King's coming, the House of
Commons met; and upon information given them of a Bill intended to be
brought in, as common report said, for Comprehension, they did mightily
and generally inveigh against it, and did vote that the King should be
desired by the House (and the message delivered by the Privy-counsellers
of the House) that the laws against breakers of the Act of Uniformity
should be put in execution: and it was moved in the House that, if any
people had a mind to bring any new laws into the House, about religion,
they might come, as a proposer of new laws did in Athens, with ropes
about their necks. By and by the King comes to the Lords' House, and
there tells them of his league with Holland, and the necessity of a
fleete, and his debts; and, therefore, want of money; and his desire
that they would think of some way to bring in all his Protestant
subjects to a right understanding and peace one with another; meaning
the Bill of Comprehension. The Commons coming to their House, it was
moved that the vote passed this morning might be suspended, because of
the King's speech, till the House was full and called over, two days
hence: but it was denied, so furious they are against this Bill: and
thereby a great blow either given to the King or Presbyters, or, which
is the rather of the two, to the House itself, by denying a thing
desired by the King, and so much desired by much the greater part of the
nation. Whatever the consequence be, if the King be a man of any stomach
and heat, all do believe that he will resent this vote. Thence with
Creed home to my house to dinner, where I met with Mr. Jackson, and find
my wife angry with Deb., which vexes me. After dinner by coach away to
Westminster; taking up a friend of Mr. Jackson's, a young lawyer, and
parting with Creed at White Hall. They and I to Westminster Hall, and
there met Roger Pepys, and with him to his chamber, and there read over
and agreed upon the Deed of Settlement to our minds: my sister to have
L600 presently, and she to be joyntured in L60 per annum; wherein I
am very well satisfied. Thence I to the Temple to Charles Porter's
lodgings, where Captain Cocke met me, and after long waiting, on
Pemberton,
[Francis Pemberton, afterwards knighted, and made Lord Chief Justice
of the King's Bench in 1679. His career was a most singular one, he
having been twice removed from the Bench, and twice imprisoned by
the House of Commons. He twice returned to the bar, and after his
second return he practised with great success as a serjeant for the
next fourteen years till his death, June 10th, 1697. Evelyn says,
"He was held to be the most learned of the judges and an honest man"
("Diary," October 4th, 1683).]
an able lawyer, about the business of our prizes, and left the matter
with him to think of against to-morrow, this being a matter that do much
trouble my mind, though there be no fault in it that I need fear the
owning that I know of. Thence with Cocke home to his house and there
left him, and I home, and there got my wife to read a book I bought
to-day, and come out to-day licensed by Joseph Williamson for Lord
Arlington, shewing the state of England's affairs relating to France at
this time, and the whole body of the book very good and solid, after
a very foolish introduction as ever I read, and do give a very good
account of the advantage of our league with Holland at this time. So,
vexed in my mind with the variety of cares I have upon me, and so to
bed.
11th. At the office all the morning, where comes a damned summons to
attend the Committee of Miscarriages to-day, which makes me mad, that
I should by my place become the hackney of this Office, in perpetual
trouble and vexation, that need it least. At noon home to dinner, where
little pleasure, my head being split almost with the variety of
troubles upon me at this time, and cares, and after dinner by coach to
Westminster Hall, and sent my wife and Deb. to see "Mustapha"
acted. Here I brought a book to the Committee, and do find them; and
particularly Sir Thomas Clarges, mighty hot in the business of tickets,
which makes me mad to see them bite at the stone, and not at the hand
that flings it, and here my Lord Brouncker unnecessarily orders it that
he is called in to give opportunity to present his report of the state
of the business of paying by ticket, which I do not think will do him
any right, though he was made believe that it did operate mightily, and
that Sir Fresh. Hollis did make a mighty harangue and to much purpose in
his defence, but I believe no such effects of it, for going in afterward
I did hear them speak with prejudice of it, and that his pleading of the
Admiral's warrant for it now was only an evasion, if not an aspersion
upon the Admirall, and therefore they would not admit of this his
report, but go on with their report as they had resolved before. The
orders they sent for this day was the first order that I have yet met
with about this business, and was of my own single hand warranting,
but I do think it will do me no harm, and therefore do not much trouble
myself with it, more than to see how much trouble I am brought to who
have best deported myself in all the King's business. Thence with Lord
Brouncker, and set him down at Bow Streete, and so to the Duke of York's
playhouse, and there saw the last act for nothing, where I never saw
such good acting of any creature as Smith's part of Zanger; and I do
also, though it was excellently acted by---------, do yet want Betterton
mightily. Thence to the Temple, to Porter's chamber, where Cocke met me,
and after a stay there some time, they two and I to Pemberton's chamber,
and there did read over the Act of calling people to account, and did
discourse all our business of the prizes; and, upon the whole, he
do make it plainly appear, that there is no avoiding to give these
Commissioners satisfaction in everything they will ask; and that
there is fear lest they may find reason to make us refund for all the
extraordinary profit made by those bargains; and do make me resolve
rather to declare plainly, and, once for all, the truth of the whole,
and what my profit hath been, than be forced at last to do it, and in
the meantime live in gain, as I must always do: and with this resolution
on my part I departed, with some more satisfaction of mind, though with
less hopes of profit than I expected. It was pretty here to see the
heaps of money upon this lawyer's table; and more to see how he had
not since last night spent any time upon our business, but begun with
telling us that we were not at all concerned in that Act; which was a
total mistake, by his not having read over the Act at all. Thence to
Porter's chamber, where Captain Cocke had fetched my wife out of
the coach, and there we staid and talked and drank, he being a very
generous, good-humoured man, and so away by coach, setting Cocke at his
house, and we with his coach home, and there I to the office, and there
till past one in the morning, and so home to supper and to bed, my mind
at pretty good ease, though full of care and fear of loss. This morning
my wife in bed told me the story of our Tom and Jane:--how the rogue did
first demand her consent to love and marry him, and then, with pretence
of displeasing me, did slight her; but both he and she have confessed
the matter to her, and she hath charged him to go on with his love to
her, and be true to her, and so I think the business will go on, which,
for my love to her, because she is in love with him, I am pleased with;
but otherwise I think she will have no good bargain of it, at least if
I should not do well in my place. But if I do stand, I do intend to give
her L50 in money, and do them all the good I can in my way.
12th. Up, and to the office, where all the morning drawing up
my narrative of my proceedings and concernments in the buying of
prize-goods, which I am to present to the Committee for Accounts; and
being come to a resolution to conceal nothing from them, I was at great
ease how to draw it up without any inventions or practise to put me to
future pain or thoughts how to carry on, and now I only discover what my
profit was, and at worst I suppose I can be made but to refund my profit
and so let it go. At noon home to dinner, where Mr. Jackson dined with
me, and after dinner I (calling at the Excise Office, and setting my
wife and Deb. at her tailor's) did with Mr. Jackson go to find my cozen
Roger Pepys, which I did in the Parliament House, where I met him and
Sir Thomas Crew and Mr. George Montagu, who are mighty busy how to save
my Lord's name from being in the Report for anything which the Committee
is commanded to report to the House of the miscarriages of the late war.
I find they drive furiously still in the business of tickets, which is
nonsense in itself and cannot come to any thing. Thence with cozen Roger
to his lodgings, and there sealed the writings with Jackson, about my
sister's marriage: and here my cozen Roger told me the pleasant passage
of a fellow's bringing a bag of letters to-day, into the lobby of the
House, and left them, and withdrew himself without observation. The bag
being opened, the letters were found all of one size, and directed with
one hand: a letter to most of the Members of the House. The House was
acquainted with it, and voted they should be brought in, and one opened
by the Speaker; wherein if he found any thing unfit to communicate, to
propose a Committee to be chosen for it. The Speaker opening one, found
it only a case with a libell in it, printed: a satire most sober and
bitter as ever I read; and every letter was the same. So the House fell
a-scrambling for them like boys: and my cozen Roger had one directed to
him, which he lent me to read. So away, and took up my wife, and setting
Jackson down at Fetter Lane end, I to the old Exchange to look Mr.
Houblon, but, not finding him, did go home, and there late writing a
letter to my Lord Sandwich, and to give passage to a letter of great
moment from Mr. Godolphin to him, which I did get speedy passage for
by the help of Mr. Houblon, who come late to me, and there directed the
letter to Lisbon under cover of his, and here we talked of the times,
which look very sad and distracted, and made good mirth at this day's
passage in the House, and so parted; and going to the gate with him, I
found his lady and another fine lady sitting an hour together, late at
night, in their coach, while he was with me, which is so like my wife,
that I was mighty taken with it, though troubled for it. So home to
supper and to bed. This day Captain Cocke was with the Commissioners of
Accounts to ask more time for his bringing in his answer about the prize
goods, and they would not give him 14 days as he asks, but would give
only two days, which was very hard, I think, and did trouble me for fear
of their severity, though I have prepared my matter so as to defy it.
13th. Up, and to the office, where all the morning. At noon home to
dinner, and thence with my wife and Deb. to White Hall, setting, them at
her tailor's, and I to the Commissioners of the Treasury, where myself
alone did argue the business of the East India Company against their
whole Company on behalf of the King before the Lords Commissioners, and
to very good effect, I think, and with reputation. That business being
over, the Lords and I had other things to talk about, and among the
rest, about our making more assignments on the Exchequer since they bid
us hold, whereat they were extraordinary angry with us, which troubled
me a little, though I am not concerned in it at all. Waiting here some
time without, I did meet with several people, among others Mr. Brisband,
who tells me in discourse that Tom Killigrew hath a fee out of the
Wardrobe for cap and bells,
[The Lord Chamberlain's Records contain a copy of a warrant dated
July 12th, 1661, "to deliver to Mr. Killegrew thirty yards of
velvett, three dozen of fringe, and sixteene yards of Damaske for
the year 1661." The heading of this entry is "Livery for ye jester"
(Lowe's "Betterton," p. 70).]
under the title of the King's Foole or jester; and may with privilege
revile or jeere any body, the greatest person, without offence, by the
privilege of his place. Thence took up my wife, and home, and there busy
late at the office writing letters, and so home to supper and to bed.
The House was called over to-day. This morning Sir G. Carteret come to
the Office to see and talk with me: and he assures me that to this day
the King is the most kind man to my Lord Sandwich in the whole world;
that he himself do not now mind any publick business, but suffers things
to go on at Court as they will, he seeing all likely to come to ruin:
that this morning the Duke of York sent to him to come to make up one
of a Committee of the Council for Navy Affairs; where, when he come, he
told the Duke of York that he was none of them: which shews how things
are now-a-days ordered, that there should be a Committee for the
Navy; and the Lord Admiral not know the persons of it! And that Sir G.
Carteret and my Lord Anglesey should be left out of it, and men wholly
improper put into it. I do hear of all hands that there is a great
difference at this day between my Lord Arlington and Sir W. Coventry,
which I am sorry for.
14th (Valentine's day). Up, being called up by Mercer, who come to be my
Valentine, and so I rose and my wife, and were merry a little, I staying
to talk, and did give her a guinny in gold for her Valentine's gift.
There comes also my cozen Roger Pepys betimes, and comes to my wife, for
her to be his Valentine, whose Valentine I was also, by agreement to be
so to her every year; and this year I find it is likely to cost L4 or L5
in a ring for her, which she desires. Cozen Roger did come also to speak
with Sir W. Pen, who was quoted, it seems, yesterday by Sir Fr. Hollis
to have said that if my Lord Sandwich had done so and so, we might have
taken all the Dutch prizes at the time when he staid and let them go.
But Sir W. Pen did tell us he should say nothing in it but what would do
my Lord honour, and he is a knave I am able to prove if he do otherwise.
He gone, I to my Office, to perfect my Narrative about prize-goods; and
did carry it to the Commissioners of Accounts, who did receive it with
great kindness, and express great value of, and respect to me: and
my heart is at rest that it is lodged there, in so full truth and
plainness, though it may hereafter prove some loss to me. But here I
do see they are entered into many enquiries about prizes, by the great
attendance of commanders and others before them, which is a work I am
not sorry for. Thence I away, with my head busy, but my heart at pretty
good ease, to the Old Exchange, and there met Mr. Houblon. I prayed him
to discourse with some of the merchants that are of the Committee
for Accounts, to see how they do resent my paper, and in general my
particular in the relation to the business of the Navy, which he hath
promised to do carefully for me and tell me. Here it was a mighty pretty
sight to see old Mr. Houblon, whom I never saw before, and all his
sons about him, all good merchants. Thence home to dinner, and had much
discourse with W. Hewer about my going to visit Colonel Thomson, one of
the Committee of Accounts, who, among the rest, is mighty kind to me,
and is likely to mind our business more than any; and I would be glad to
have a good understanding with him. Thence after dinner to White
Hall, to attend the Duke of York, where I did let him know, too, the
troublesome life we lead, and particularly myself, by being obliged to
such attendances every day as I am, on one Committee or another. And
I do find the Duke of York himself troubled, and willing not to be
troubled with occasions of having his name used among the Parliament,
though he himself do declare that he did give directions to Lord
Brouncker to discharge the men at Chatham by ticket, and will own it,
if the House call for it, but not else. Thence I attended the King and
Council, and some of the rest of us, in a business to be heard about the
value of a ship of one Dorrington's:--and it was pretty to observe how
Sir W. Pen making use of this argument against the validity of an oath,
against the King, being made by the master's mate of the ship, who was
but a fellow of about 23 years of age--the master of the ship, against
whom we pleaded, did say that he did think himself at that age capable
of being master's mate of any ship; and do know that he, himself, Sir W:
Pen, was so himself, and in no better degree at that age himself: which
word did strike Sir W. Pen dumb, and made him open his mouth no more;
and I saw the King and Duke of York wink at one another at it. This
done, we into the gallery; and there I walked with several people, and
among others my Lord Brouncker, who I do find under much trouble still
about the business of the tickets, his very case being brought in; as
is said, this day in the Report of the Miscarriages. And he seems to
lay much of it on me, which I did clear and satisfy him in; and would
be glad with all my heart to serve him in, and have done it more than
he hath done for himself, he not deserving the least blame, but
commendations, for this. I met with my cozen Roger Pepys and Creed;
and from them understand that the Report was read to-day of the
Miscarriages, wherein my Lord Sandwich is [named] about the business
I mentioned this morning; but I will be at rest, for it can do him no
hurt. Our business of tickets is soundly up, and many others: so they
went over them again, and spent all the morning on the first, which is
the dividing of the fleete; wherein hot work was, and that among great
men, Privy-Councillors, and, they say, Sir W. Coventry; but I do not
much fear it, but do hope that it will shew a little, of the Duke of
Albemarle and the Prince to have been advisers in it: but whereas they
ordered that the King's Speech should be considered today, they took
no notice of it at all, but are really come to despise the King in all
possible ways of chewing it. And it was the other day a strange saying,
as I am told by my cozen Roger Pepys, in the House, when it was moved
that the King's speech should be considered, that though the first part
of the Speech, meaning the league that is there talked of, be the only
good publick thing that hath been done since the King come into England,
yet it might bear with being put off to consider, till Friday next,
which was this day. Secretary Morrice did this day in the House, when
they talked of intelligence, say that he was allowed but L70 a-year for
intelligence,--[Secret service money]--whereas, in Cromwell's time, he
[Cromwell] did allow L70,000 a-year for it; and was confirmed therein by
Colonel Birch, who said that thereby Cromwell carried the secrets of
all the princes of Europe at his girdle. The House is in a most broken
condition; nobody adhering to any thing, but reviling and finding fault:
and now quite mad at the Undertakers, as they are commonly called,
Littleton, Lord Vaughan, Sir R. Howard, and others that are brought over
to the Court, and did undertake to get the King money; but they despise,
and would not hear them in the House; and the Court do do as much,
seeing that they cannot be useful to them, as was expected. In short,
it is plain that the King will never be able to do any thing with this
Parliament; and that the only likely way to do better, for it cannot do
worse, is to break this and call another Parliament; and some do think
that it is intended. I was told to-night that my Lady Castlemayne is so
great a gamester as to have won L5000 in one night, and lost L25,000
in another night, at play, and hath played L1000 and L1500 at a cast.
Thence to the Temple, where at Porter's chamber I met Captain Cocke,
but lost our labour, our Counsellor not being within, Pemberton, and
therefore home and late at my office, and so home to supper and to bed.
15th. Up betimes, and with Captain Cocke my coach to the Temple to his
Counsel again about the prize goods in order to the drawing up of his
answer to them, where little done but a confirmation that our best
interest is for him to tell the whole truth, and so parted, and I home
to the office, where all the morning, and at noon home to dinner, and
after dinner all the afternoon and evening till midnight almost, and
till I had tired my own backe, and my wife's, and Deb.'s, in titleing
of my books for the present year, and in setting them in order, which
is now done to my very good satisfaction, though not altogether so
completely as I think they were the last year, when my mind was more at
leisure to mind it. So about midnight to bed, where my wife taking some
physic overnight it wrought with her, and those coming upon her with
great gripes, she was in mighty pain all night long, yet, God forgive
me! I did find that I was most desirous to take my rest than to ease
her, but there was nothing I could do to do her any good with.
16th (Lord's day). Up, and to my chamber, where all the morning making a
catalogue of my books, which did find me work, but with great pleasure,
my chamber and books being now set in very good order, and my chamber
washed and cleaned, which it had not been in some months before, my
business and trouble having been so much. At noon Mr. Holliard put
in, and dined with my wife and me, who was a little better to-day. His
company very good. His story of his love and fortune, which hath been
very good and very bad in the world, well worth hearing. Much discourse
also about the bad state of the Church, and how the Clergy are come
to be men of no worth in the world; and, as the world do now generally
discourse, they must be reformed; and I believe the Hierarchy will in a
little time be shaken, whether they will or no; the King being offended
with them, and set upon it, as I hear. He gone, after dinner to have my
head combed, and then to my chamber and read most of the evening till
pretty late, when, my wife not being well, I did lie below stairs in our
great chamber, where I slept well.
17th. Up, and to the office, where all the morning till noon getting
some things more ready against the afternoon for the Committee of
Accounts, which did give me great trouble, to see how I am forced to
dance after them in one place, and to answer Committees of Parliament
in another. At noon thence toward the Committee, but meeting with Sir W.
Warren in Fleet Street he and I to the Ordinary by Temple Bar and there
dined together, and to talk, where he do seem to be very high now in
defiance of the Board, now he says that the worst is come upon him
to have his accounts brought to the Committee of Accounts, and he do
reflect upon my late coldness to him, but upon the whole I do find that
he is still a cunning fellow, and will find it necessary to be fair
to me, and what hath passed between us of coldness to hold his tongue,
which do please me very well. Thence to the Committee, where I did
deliver the several things they expected from me, with great respect and
show of satisfaction, and my mind thereby eased of some care. But thence
I to Westminster Hall, and there spent till late at night walking to and
again with many people, and there in general I hear of the great high
words that were in the House on Saturday last, upon the first part of
the Committee's Report about the dividing of the fleete; wherein some
would have the counsels of the King to be declared, and the reasons of
them, and who did give them; where Sir W. Coventry laid open to them the
consequences of doing that, that the King would never have any honest
and wise men ever to be of his Council. They did here in the House talk
boldly of the King's bad counsellors, and how they must be all turned
out, and many of them, and better; brought in: and the proceedings of
the Long-Parliament in the beginning of the war were called to memory:
and the King's bad intelligence was mentioned, wherein they were bitter
against my Lord Arlington, saying, among other things, that whatever
Morrice's was, who declared he had but L750 a-year allowed him for
intelligence, the King paid too dear for my Lord Arlington's, in giving
him L10,000 and a barony for it. Sir W. Coventry did here come to his
defence, in the business of the letter that was sent to call back Prince
Rupert, after he was divided from the fleete, wherein great delay was
objected; but he did show that he sent it at one in the morning, when
the Duke of York did give him the instructions after supper that night,
and did clear himself well of it: only it was laid as a fault, which
I know not how he removes, of not sending it by an express, but by
the ordinary post; but I think I have heard he did send it to my Lord
Arlington's; and that there it lay for some hours; it coming not to Sir
Philip Honiwood's hand at Portsmouth till four in the afternoon that
day, being about fifteen or sixteen hours in going; and about this,
I think, I have heard of a falling out between my Lord Arlington,
heretofore, and W. Coventry. Some mutterings I did hear of a design of
dissolving the Parliament; but I think there is no ground for it
yet, though Oliver would have dissolved them for half the trouble and
contempt these have put upon the King and his councils. The dividing
of the fleete, however, is, I hear, voted a miscarriage, and the not
building a fortification at Sheernesse: and I have reason every hour to
expect that they will vote the like of our paying men off by ticket; and
what the consequence of that will be I know not, but I am put thereby
into great trouble of mind. I did spend a little time at the Swan, and
there did kiss the maid, Sarah. At noon home, and there up to my wife,
who is still ill, and supped with her, my mind being mighty full of
trouble for the office and my concernments therein, and so to supper
and talking with W. Hewer in her chamber about business of the office,
wherein he do well understand himself and our case, and it do me
advantage to talk with him and the rest of my people. I to bed below as
I did last night.
18th. Up by break of day, and walked down to the old Swan, where I find
little Michell building, his booth being taken down, and a foundation
laid for a new house, so that that street is like to be a very fine
place. I drank, but did not see Betty, and so to Charing Cross stairs,
and thence walked to Sir W. Coventry's,
[Sir William Coventry's love of money is said by Sir John Denham to
have influenced him in promoting naval officers, who paid him for
their commissions.
"Then Painter! draw cerulian Coventry
Keeper, or rather Chancellor o' th' sea
And more exactly to express his hue,
Use nothing but ultra-mariuish blue.
To pay his fees, the silver trumpet spends,
And boatswain's whistle for his place depends.
Pilots in vain repeat their compass o'er,
Until of him they learn that one point more
The constant magnet to the pole doth hold,
Steel to the magnet, Coventry to gold.
Muscovy sells us pitch, and hemp, and tar;
Iron and copper, Sweden; Munster, war;
Ashley, prize; Warwick, custom;
Cart'ret, pay;
But Coventry doth sell the fleet away."--B.]
and talked with him, who tells me how he hath been persecuted, and how
he is yet well come off in the business of the dividing of the fleete,
and the sending of the letter. He expects next to be troubled about the
business of bad officers in the fleete, wherein he will bid them name
whom they call bad, and he will justify himself, having never disposed
of any but by the Admiral's liking. And he is able to give an account of
all them, how they come recommended, and more will be found to have
been placed by the Prince and Duke of Albemarle than by the Duke of York
during the war, and as no bad instance of the badness of officers he
and I did look over the list of commanders, and found that we could
presently recollect thirty-seven commanders that have been killed in
actuall service this war. He tells me that Sir Fr. Hollis is the main
man that hath persecuted him hitherto, in the business of dividing the
fleete, saying vainly that the want of that letter to the Prince hath
given him that, that he shall remember it by to his grave, meaning the
loss of his arme; when, God knows! he is as idle and insignificant a
fellow as ever come into the fleete. He tells me that in discourse on
Saturday he did repeat Sir Rob. Howard's words about rowling out of
counsellors, that for his part he neither cared who they rowled in, nor
who they rowled out, by which the word is become a word of use in the
House, the rowling out of officers. I will remember what, in mirth, he
said to me this morning, when upon this discourse he said, if ever there
was another Dutch war, they should not find a Secretary; "Nor," said I,
"a Clerk of the Acts, for I see the reward of it; and, thanked God! I
have enough of my own to buy me a good book and a good fiddle, and I
have a good wife;"--"Why," says he, "I have enough to buy me a good
book, and shall not need a fiddle, because I have never a one of your
good wives." I understand by him that we are likely to have our business
of tickets voted a miscarriage, but [he] cannot tell me what that will
signify more than that he thinks they will report them to the King and
there leave them, but I doubt they will do more. Thence walked over St.
James's Park to White Hall, and thence to Westminster Hall, and there
walked all the morning, and did speak with several Parliament-men-among
others, Birch, who is very kind to me, and calls me, with great respect
and kindness, a man of business, and he thinks honest, and so long
will stand by me, and every such man, to the death. My business was
to instruct them to keep the House from falling into any mistaken vote
about the business of tickets, before they were better informed. I
walked in the Hall all the morning with my Lord Brouncker, who was in
great pain there, and, the truth is, his business is, without reason, so
ill resented by the generality of the House, that I was almost troubled
to be seen to walk with him, and yet am able to justify him in all, that
he is under so much scandal for. Here I did get a copy of the report
itself, about our paying off men by tickets; and am mightily glad to see
it, now knowing the state of our case, and what we have to answer to,
and the more for that the House is like to be kept by other business
to-day and to-morrow, so that, against Thursday, I shall be able to draw
up some defence to put into some Member's hands, to inform them, and I
think we may [make] a very good one, and therefore my mind is mightily
at ease about it. This morning they are upon a Bill, brought in to-day
by Sir Richard Temple, for obliging the King to call Parliaments every
three years; or, if he fail, for others to be obliged to do it, and to
keep him from a power of dissolving any Parliament in less than forty
days after their first day of sitting, which is such a Bill as do speak
very high proceedings, to the lessening of the King; and this they will
carry, and whatever else they desire, before they will give any money;
and the King must have money, whatever it cost him. I stepped to the
Dog Tavern, and thither come to me Doll Lane, and there we did drink
together, and she tells me she is my valentine.... Thence, she being
gone, and having spoke with Mr. Spicer here, whom I sent for hither to
discourse about the security of the late Act of 11 months' tax on which
I have secured part of my money lent to Tangier. I to the Hall, and
there met Sir W. Pen, and he and I to the Beare, in Drury Lane, an
excellent ordinary, after the French manner, but of Englishmen; and
there had a good fricassee, our dinner coming to 8s., which was mighty
pretty, to my great content; and thence, he and I to the King's house,
and there, in one of the upper boxes, saw "Flora's Vagarys," which is
a very silly play; and the more, I being out of humour, being at a play
without my wife, and she ill at home, and having no desire also to be
seen, and, therefore, could not look about me. Thence to the Temple,
and there we parted, and I to see Kate Joyce, where I find her and her
friends in great ease of mind, the jury having this day given in their
verdict that her husband died of a feaver. Some opposition there was,
the foreman pressing them to declare the cause of the feaver, thinking
thereby to obstruct it: but they did adhere to their verdict, and would
give no reason; so all trouble is now over, and she safe in her estate,
which I am mighty glad of, and so took leave, and home, and up to my
wife, not owning my being at a play, and there she shews me her ring of
a Turky-stone set with little sparks of dyamonds,
[The turquoise. This stone was sometimes referred to simply as the
turkey, and Broderip ("Zoological Recreations") conjectured that the
bird (turkey) took its name from the blue or turquoise colour of the
skin about its head.]
which I am to give her, as my Valentine, and I am not much troubled at
it. It will cost me near L5--she costing me but little compared with
other wives, and I have not many occasions to spend on her. So to my
office, where late, and to think upon my observations to-morrow, upon
the report of the Committee to the Parliament about the business of
tickets, whereof my head is full, and so home to supper and to bed.
19th. Up, and to the office, where all the morning drawing up an answer
to the Report of the Committee for miscarriages to the Parliament
touching our paying men by tickets, which I did do in a very good manner
I think. Dined with my clerks at home, where much good discourse of
our business of the Navy, and the trouble now upon us, more than we
expected. After dinner my wife out with Deb., to buy some things against
my sister's wedding, and I to the office to write fair my business I did
in the morning, and in the evening to White Hall, where I find Sir W.
Coventry all alone, a great while with the Duke of York, in the King's
drawing-room, they two talking together all alone, which did mightily
please me. Then I did get Sir W. Coventry (the Duke of York being gone)
aside, and there read over my paper, which he liked and corrected, and
tells me it will be hard to escape, though the thing be never so fair,
to have it voted a miscarriage; but did advise me and my Lord Brouncker,
who coming by did join with us, to prepare some members in it, which we
shall do. Here I do hear how La Roche, a French captain, who was once
prisoner here, being with his ship at Plymouth, hath played some freakes
there, for which his men being beat out of the town, he hath put up his
flag of defiance, and also, somewhere thereabout, did land with his men,
and go a mile into the country, and did some pranks, which sounds pretty
odd, to our disgrace, but we are in condition now to bear any thing.
But, blessed be God! all the Court is full of the good news of my Lord
Sandwich's having made a peace between Spain and Portugall, which is
mighty great news, and, above all, to my Lord's honour, more than any
thing he ever did; and yet I do fear it will not prevail to secure him
in Parliament against incivilities there. Thence, took up my wife at
Unthanke's, and so home, and there my mind being full of preparing my
paper against to-morrow for the House, with an address from the office
to the House, I to the office, very late, and then home to supper and to
bed.
20th. Up, and to the office a while, and thence to White Hall by coach
with Mr. Batelier with me, whom I took up in the street. I thence by
water to Westminster Hall, and there with Lord Brouncker, Sir T. Harvy,
Sir J. Minnes, did wait all the morning to speak to members about our
business, thinking our business of tickets would come before the House
to-day, but we did alter our minds about the petition to the House,
sending in the paper to them. But the truth is we were in a great hurry,
but it fell out that they were most of the morning upon the business
of not prosecuting the first victory; which they have voted one of the
greatest miscarriages of the whole war, though they cannot lay the fault
anywhere yet, because Harman is not come home. This kept them all the
morning, which I was glad of. So down to the Hall, where my wife by
agreement stayed for me at Mrs. Michell's, and there was Mercer and the
girl, and I took them to Wilkinson's the cook's in King Street (where
I find the master of the house hath been dead for some time), and there
dined, and thence by one o'clock to the King's house: a new play, "The
Duke of Lerma," of Sir Robert Howard's: where the King and Court was;
and Knepp and Nell spoke the prologue most excellently, especially
Knepp, who spoke beyond any creature I ever, heard. The play designed to
reproach our King with his mistresses, that I was troubled for it, and
expected it should be interrupted; but it ended all well, which salved
all. The play a well-writ and good play, only its design I did not like
of reproaching the King, but altogether a very good and most serious
play. Thence home, and there a little to the office, and so home to
supper, where Mercer with us, and sang, and then to bed.
21st. At the office all the morning to get a little business done, I
having, and so the whole office, been put out of doing any business
there for this week by our trouble in attending the Parliament. Hither
comes to me young Captain Beckford, the slopseller, and there presents
me a little purse with gold in it, it being, as he told me, for his
present to me, at the end of the last year. I told him I had not done
him any service I knew of. He persisted, and I refused, but did at
several denials; and telling him that it was not an age to take presents
in, he told me he had reason to present me with something, and desired
me to accept of it, which, at his so urging me, I did, and so fell to
talk of his business, and so parted. I do not know of any manner of
kindness I have done him this last year, nor did expect any thing. It
was therefore very welcome to me, but yet I was not fully satisfied in
my taking it, because of my submitting myself to the having it objected
against me hereafter, and the rather because this morning Jacke Fen come
and shewed me an order from the Commissioners of Accounts, wherein they
demand of him an account upon oath of all the sums of money that have
been by him defalked or taken from any man since their time, of enquiry
upon any payments, and if this should, as it is to be feared, come to
be done to us, I know not what I shall then do, but I shall take
counsel upon it. At noon by coach towards Westminster, and met my Lord
Brouncker, and W. Pen, and Sir T. Harvey, in King's Street, coming away
from the Parliament House; and so I to them, and to the French ordinary,
at the Blue Bells, in Lincolne's Inn Fields, and there dined and talked.
And, among other things, they tell me how the House this day is still
as backward for giving any money as ever, and do declare they will
first have an account of the disposals of the last Poll-bill, and eleven
months' tax: and it is pretty odde that the very first sum mentioned
in the account brought in by Sir Robert Long, of the disposal of the
Poll-bill money, is L5000 to my Lord Arlington for intelligence; which
was mighty unseasonable, so soon after they had so much cried out
against his want of intelligence. The King do also own but L250,000,
or thereabouts, yet paid on the Poll-bill, and that he hath charged
L350,000 upon it. This makes them mad; for that the former Poll-bill,
that was so much less in its extent than the last, which took in all
sexes and qualities, did come to L350,000. Upon the whole, I perceive
they are like to do nothing in this matter to please the King, or
relieve the State, be the case never so pressing; and, therefore, it
is thought by a great many that the King cannot be worse if he should
dissolve them: but there is nobody dares advise it, nor do he consider
any thing himself. Thence, having dined for 20s., we to the Duke of York
at White Hall, and there had our usual audience, and did little but talk
of the proceedings of the Parliament, wherein he is as much troubled as
we; for he is not without fears that they do ayme at doing him hurt;
but yet he declares that he will never deny to owne what orders he hath
given to any man to justify him, notwithstanding their having sent to
him to desire his being tender to take upon him the doing any thing of
that kind. Thence with Brouncker and T. Harvey to Westminster Hall, and
there met with Colonel Birch and Sir John Lowther, and did there in the
lobby read over what I have drawn up for our defence, wherein they own
themselves mightily satisfied; and Birch, like a particular friend, do
take it upon him to defend us, and do mightily do me right in all
his discourse. Here walked in the Hall with him a great while, and
discoursed with several members, to prepare them in our business against
to-morrow, and meeting my cozen Roger Pepys, he showed me Granger's
written confession,
[Pepys here refers to the extraordinary proceedings which occurred
between Charles, Lord Gerard, and Alexander Fitton, of which a
narrative was published at the Hague in 1665. Granger was a witness
in the cause, and was afterwards said to be conscience-stricken from
his perjury. Some notice of this case will be found in North's
"Examen," p. 558; but the copious and interesting note in Ormerod's
"History of Cheshire," Vol. iii., p. 291, will best satisfy the
reader, who will not fail to be struck by the paragraph with which
it is closed-viz., "It is not improbable that Alexander Fitton, who,
in the first instance, gained rightful possession of Gawsworth under
an acknowledged settlement, was driven headlong into unpremeditated
guilt by the production of a revocation by will which Lord Gerard
had so long concealed. Having lost his own fortune in the
prosecution of his claims, he remained in gaol till taken out by
James II. to be made Chancellor of Ireland (under which character
Hume first notices him), was knighted, and subsequently created Lord
Gawsworth after the abdication of James, sat in his parliament in
Dublin in 1689, and then is supposed to have accompanied his fallen
master to France. Whether the conduct of Fitton was met, as he
alleges, by similar guilt on the part of Lord Gerard, God only can
judge; but his hand fell heavily on the representatives of that
noble house. In less than half a century the husbands of its two
co-heiresses, James, Duke of Hamilton, and Charles, Lord Mohun, were
slain by each other's hands in a murderous duel arising out of a
dispute relative to the partition of the Fitton estates, and
Gawsworth itself passed to an unlineal hand, by a series of
alienations complicated beyond example in the annals of this
country."--B.]
of his being forced by imprisonment, &c., by my Lord Gerard, most
barbarously to confess his forging of a deed in behalf of Fitton, in the
great case between him [Fitton] and my Lord Gerard; which business is
under examination, and is the foulest against my Lord Gerard that ever
any thing in the world was, and will, all do believe, ruine him; and I
shall be glad of it. Thence with Lord Brouncker and T. Harvey as far as
the New Exchange, and there at a draper's shop drawing up a short note
of what they are to desire of the House for our having a hearing before
they determine any thing against us, which paper is for them to show to
what friends they meet against to-morrow, I away home to the office, and
there busy pretty late, and here comes my wife to me, who hath been at
Pegg Pen's christening, which, she says, hath made a flutter and noise;
but was as mean as could be, and but little company, just like all the
rest that that family do. So home to supper and to bed, with my head
full of a defence before the Parliament tomorrow, and therein content
myself very well, and with what I have done in preparing some of the
members thereof in order thereto.
22nd. Up, and by coach through Ducke Lane, and there did buy Kircher's
Musurgia, cost me 35s., a book I am mighty glad of, expecting to find
great satisfaction in it. Thence to Westminster Hall and the lobby, and
up and down there all the morning, and to the Lords' House, and heard
the Solicitor-General plead very finely, as he always do; and this was
in defence of the East India Company against a man that complains of
wrong from them, and thus up and down till noon in expectation of our
business coming on in the House of Commons about tickets, but they being
busy about my Lord Gerard's business I did give over the thoughts of
ours coming on, and so with my wife, and Mercer, and Deb., who come to
the Hall to me, I away to the Beare, in Drury Lane, and there bespoke a
dish of meat; and, in the mean time, sat and sung with Mercer; and, by
and by, dined with mighty pleasure, and excellent meat, one little dish
enough for us all, and good wine, and all for 8s., and thence to the
Duke's playhouse, and there saw "Albumazar," an old play, this the
second time of acting. It is said to have been the ground of B. Jonson's
"Alchymist;" but, saving the ridicuiousnesse of Angell's part, which
is called Trinkilo, I do not see any thing extraordinary in it, but was
indeed weary of it before it was done. The King here, and, indeed, all
of us, pretty merry at the mimique tricks of Trinkilo. So home, calling
in Ducke Lane for the book I bought this morning, and so home, and wrote
my letters at the office, and then home to supper and to bed.
23rd (Lord's day). Up, and, being desired by a messenger from Sir G.
Carteret, I by water over to Southwarke, and so walked to the Falkon, on
the Bank-side, and there got another boat, and so to Westminster, where
I would have gone into the Swan; but the door was locked; and the girl
could not let me in, and so to Wilkinson's in King Street, and there
wiped my shoes, and so to Court, where sermon not yet done I met with
Brisband; and he tells me, first, that our business of tickets did come
to debate yesterday, it seems, after I was gone away, and was voted
a miscarriage in general. He tells me in general that there is great
looking after places, upon a presumption of a great many vacancies;
and he did shew me a fellow at Court, a brother of my Lord Fanshaw's, a
witty but rascally fellow, without a penny in his purse, that was asking
him what places there were in the Navy fit for him, and Brisband tells
me, in mirth, he told him the Clerke of the Acts, and I wish he had it,
so I were well and quietly rid of it; for I am weary of this kind of
trouble, having, I think, enough whereon to support myself. By and by,
chapel done, I met with Sir W. Coventry, and he and I walked awhile
together in the Matted Gallery; and there he told me all the proceedings
yesterday: that the matter is found, in general, a miscarriage, but no
persons named; and so there is no great matter to our prejudice yet,
till, if ever, they come to particular persons. He told me Birch was
very industrious to do what he could, and did, like a friend; but they
were resolved to find the thing, in general, a miscarriage; and says,
that when we shall think fit to desire its being heard, as to our own
defence, it will be granted. He tells me how he hath, with advantage,
cleared himself in what concerns himself therein, by his servant
Robson, which I am glad of. He tells me that there is a letter sent by
conspiracy to some of the House, which he hath seen, about the matter of
selling of places, which he do believe he shall be called upon to-morrow
for: and thinks himself well prepared to defend himself in it; and
then neither he, nor his friends for him, are afeard of anything to
his prejudice. Thence by coach, with Brisband, to Sir G. Carteret's, in
Lincoln's Inn Fields, and there dined: a good dinner and good company;
and after dinner he and I alone, discoursing of my Lord Sandwich's
matters; who hath, in the first business before the House, been very
kindly used beyond expectation, the matter being laid by, till his
coming home and old Mr. Vaughan did speak for my Lord, which I am mighty
glad of. The business of the prizes is the worst that can be said, and
therein I do fear something may lie hard upon him; but, against this, we
must prepare the best we can for his defence. Thence with G. Carteret to
White Hall, where I, finding a meeting of the Committee of the Council
for the Navy, his Royal Highness there, and Sir W. Pen, and, some of the
Brethren of the Trinity House to attend, I did go in with them; and it
was to be informed of the practice heretofore, for all foreign nations,
at enmity one with another, to forbear any acts of hostility to one
another, in the presence of any of the King of England's ships, of
which several instances were given: and it is referred to their further
enquiry, in order to the giving instructions accordingly to our ships
now, during the war between Spain and France. Would to God we were in
the same condition as heretofore, to challenge and maintain this our
dominion! Thence with W. Pen homeward, and quite through to Mile End,
for a little ayre; the days being now pretty long, but the ways mighty
dirty, and here we drank at the Rose, the old house, and so back again,
talking of the Parliament and our trouble with them and what passed
yesterday. Going back again, Sir R. Brookes overtook us coming to town;
who hath played the jacke with us all, and is a fellow that I must trust
no more, he quoting me for all he hath said in this business of tickets;
though I have told him nothing that either is not true, or I afeard to
own. But here talking, he did discourse in this stile: "We,"--and "We"
all along,--"will not give any money, be the pretence never so great,
nay, though the enemy was in the River of Thames again, till we know
what is become of the last money given;" and I do believe he do speak
the mind of his fellows, and so let them, if the King will suffer it. He
gone, we home, and there I to read, and my belly being full of my dinner
to-day, I anon to bed, and there, as I have for many days, slept not an
hour quietly, but full of dreams of our defence to the Parliament and
giving an account of our doings. This evening, my wife did with great
pleasure shew me her stock of jewells, encreased by the ring she hath
made lately as my Valentine's gift this year, a Turky stone' set with
diamonds: and, with this and what she had, she reckons that she hath
above L150 worth of jewells, of one kind or other; and I am glad of it,
for it is fit the wretch should have something to content herself with.
24th. Up, and to my office, where most of the morning, entering my
journal for the three days past. Thence about noon with my wife to the
New Exchange, by the way stopping at my bookseller's, and there leaving
my Kircher's Musurgia to be bound, and did buy "L'illustre Bassa," in
four volumes, for my wife. Thence to the Exchange and left her; while
meeting Dr. Gibbons there, he and I to see an organ at the Dean of
Westminster's lodgings at the Abby, the Bishop of Rochester's; where
he lives like a great prelate, his lodgings being very good; though at
present under great disgrace at Court, being put by his Clerk of the
Closet's place. I saw his lady, of whom the 'Terrae Filius' of Oxford
was once so merry;
[A scholar appointed to make a satirical and jesting speech at an
Act in the University of Oxford. Mr. Christopher Wordsworth gives,
in his "Social Life at the English Universities in the Eighteenth
Century," 1874, a list of terra-filii from 1591 to 1713 (pp. 296-
298, 680). The 'terrae filius' was sometimes expelled the
university on account of the licence of his speech. The practice
was discontinued early in the eighteenth century.]
and two children, whereof one a very pretty little boy, like him, so fat
and black. Here I saw the organ; but it is too big for my house, and the
fashion do not please me enough; and therefore will not have it. Thence
to the 'Change back again, leaving him, and took my wife and Deb.
home, and there to dinner alone, and after dinner I took them to the
Nursery,--[Theatre company of young actors in training.]--where none of
us ever were before; where the house is better and the musique better
than we looked for, and the acting not much worse, because I expected as
bad as could be: and I was not much mistaken, for it was so. However,
I was pleased well to see it once, it being worth a man's seeing to
discover the different ability and understanding of people, and the
different growth of people's abilities by practise. Their play was a
bad one, called "Jeronimo is Mad Again," a tragedy. Here was some good
company by us, who did make mighty sport at the folly of their acting,
which I could not neither refrain from sometimes, though I was sorry for
it. So away hence home, where to the office to do business a while, and
then home to supper and to read, and then to bed. I was prettily served
this day at the playhouse-door, where, giving six shillings into the
fellow's hand for us three, the fellow by legerdemain did convey one
away, and with so much grace faced me down that I did give him but five,
that, though I knew the contrary, yet I was overpowered by his so grave
and serious demanding the other shilling, that I could not deny him,
but was forced by myself to give it him. After I come home this evening
comes a letter to me from Captain Allen, formerly Clerk of the Ropeyard
at Chatham, and whom I was kind to in those days, who in recompense of
my favour to him then do give me notice that he hears of an accusation
likely to be exhibited against me of my receiving L50 of Mason, the
timber merchant, and that his wife hath spoke it. I am mightily beholden
to Captain Allen for this, though the thing is to the best of my memory
utterly false, and I do believe it to be wholly so, but yet it troubles
me to have my name mentioned in this business, and more to consider how
I may be liable to be accused where I have indeed taken presents,
and therefore puts me on an enquiry, into my actings in this kind and
prepare against a day of accusation.
25th. Up, having lain the last night the first night that I have lain
with my wife since she was last ill, which is about eight days. To the
office, where busy all the morning. At noon comes W. Howe to me, to
advise what answer to give to the business of the prizes, wherein I did
give him the best advice I could; but am sorry to see so many things,
wherein I doubt it will not be prevented but Sir Roger Cuttance and
Mr. Pierce will be found very much concerned in goods beyond the
distribution, and I doubt my Lord Sandwich too, which troubles me
mightily. He gone I to dinner, and thence set my wife at the New
Exchange, and I to Mr. Clerke, my solicitor, to the Treasury chamber,
but the Lords did not sit, so I by water with him to the New Exchange,
and there we parted, and I took my wife and Deb. up, and to the Nursery,
where I was yesterday, and there saw them act a comedy, a pastorall,
"The Faythful Shepherd," having the curiosity to see whether they did a
comedy better than a tragedy; but they do it both alike, in the meanest
manner, that I was sick of it, but only for to satisfy myself once in
seeing the manner of it, but I shall see them no more, I believe. Thence
to the New Exchange, to take some things home that my wife hath bought,
a dressing-box, and other things for her chamber and table, that cost me
above L4, and so home, and there to the office, and tell W. Hewer of the
letter from Captain Allen last night, to give him caution if any thing
should be discovered of his dealings with anybody, which I should for
his sake as well, or more than for my own, be sorry for; and with great
joy I do find, looking over my memorandum books, which are now of great
use to me, and do fully reward me for all my care in keeping them, that
I am not likely to be troubled for any thing of the kind but what I
shall either be able beforehand to prevent, or if discovered, be able to
justify myself in, and I do perceive, by Sir W. Warren's discourse, that
they [the House] do all they can possibly to get out of him and others,
what presents they have made to the Officers of the Navy; but he tells
me that he hath denied all, though he knows that he is forsworn as to
what relates to me. So home to supper and to bed.
26th. Up, and by water to Charing Cross stairs, and thence to W.
Coventry to discourse concerning the state of matters in the Navy, where
he particularly acquainted me with the trouble he is like to meet with
about the selling of places, all carried on by Sir Fr. Hollis, but
he seems not to value it, being able to justify it to be lawful and
constant practice, and never by him used in the least degree since he
upon his own motion did obtain a salary of L500 in lieu thereof. Thence
to the Treasury Chamber about a little business, and so home by coach,
and in my way did meet W. Howe going to the Commissioners of Accounts.
I stopped and spoke to him, and he seems well resolved what to answer
them, but he will find them very strict, and not easily put off: So home
and there to dinner, and after dinner comes W. Howe to tell me how he
sped, who says he was used civilly, and not so many questions asked as
he expected; but yet I do perceive enough to shew that they do intend
to know the bottom of things, and where to lay the great weight of the
disposal of these East India goods, and that they intend plainly to do
upon my Lord Sandwich. Thence with him by coach and set him down at
the Temple, and I to Westminster Hall, where, it being now about six
o'clock, I find the House just risen; and met with Sir W. Coventry and
the Lieutenant of the Tower, they having sat all day; and with great
difficulty have got a vote for giving the King L300,000, not to be
raised by any land-tax. The sum is much smaller than I expected,
and than the King needs; but is grounded upon Mr. Wren's reading our
estimates the other day of L270,000, to keep the fleete abroad, wherein
we demanded nothing for setting and fitting of them out, which will cost
almost L200,000, I do verily believe: and do believe that the King hath
no cause to thank Wren for this motion. I home to Sir W. Coventry's
lodgings, with him and the Lieutenant of the Tower, where also was Sir
John Coventry, and Sir John Duncomb, and Sir Job Charleton. And here
a great deal of good discourse: and they seem mighty glad to have this
vote pass, which I did wonder at, to see them so well satisfied with so
small a sum, Sir John Duncomb swearing, as I perceive he will freely
do, that it was as much as the nation could beare. Among other merry
discourse about spending of money, and how much more chargeable a man's
living is now more than it was heretofore, Duncomb did swear that
in France he did live of L100 a year with more plenty, and wine and
wenches, than he believes can be done now for L200, which was pretty
odd for him, being a Committee-man's son, to say. Having done here, and
supped, where I eat very little, we home in Sir John Robinson's coach,
and there to bed.
27th. All the morning at the office, and at noon home to dinner, and
thence with my wife and Deb. to the King's House, to see "The Virgin
Martyr," the first time it hath been acted a great while: and it is
mighty pleasant; not that the play is worth much, but it is finely acted
by Becke Marshall. But that which did please me beyond any thing in, the
whole world was the wind-musique when the angel comes down, which is so
sweet that it ravished me, and indeed, in a word, did wrap up my soul so
that it made me really sick, just as I have formerly been when in love
with my wife; that neither then, nor all the evening going home, and
at home, I was able to think of any thing, but remained all night
transported, so as I could not believe that ever any musick hath that
real command over the soul of a man as this did upon me: and makes me
resolve to practice wind-musique, and to make my wife do the like.
28th. Up, and to the office, where all the morning doing business, and
after dinner with Sir W. Pen to White Hall, where we and the rest of us
presented a great letter of the state of our want of money to his Royal
Highness. I did also present a demand of mine for consideration for my
travelling-charges of coach and boat-hire during the war, which, though
his Royal Highness and the company did all like of, yet, contrary to my
expectation, I find him so jealous now of doing any thing extraordinary,
that he desired the gentlemen that they would consider it, and report
their minds in it to him. This did unsettle my mind a great while, not
expecting this stop: but, however, I shall do as well, I know, though it
causes me a little stop. But that, that troubles me most is, that while
we were thus together with the Duke of York, comes in Mr. Wren from the
House, where, he tells us, another storm hath been all this day almost
against the Officers of the Navy upon this complaint,--that though they
have made good rules for payment of tickets, yet that they have not
observed them themselves, which was driven so high as to have it urged
that we should presently be put out of our places: and so they have at
last ordered that we shall be heard at the bar of the House upon this
business on Thursday next. This did mightily trouble me and us all; but
me particularly, who am least able to bear these troubles, though I have
the least cause to be concerned in it. Thence, therefore, to visit Sir
H. Cholmly, who hath for some time been ill of a cold; and thence walked
towards Westminster, and met Colonel Birch, who took me back to walk
with him, and did give me an account of this day's heat against the Navy
Officers, and an account of his speech on our behalf, which was very
good; and indeed we are much beholden to him, as I, after I parted with
him, did find by my cozen Roger, whom I went to: and he and I to his
lodgings. And there he did tell me the same over again; and how much
Birch did stand up in our defence; and that he do see that there are
many desirous to have us out of the Office; and the House is so furious
and passionate, that he thinks nobody can be secure, let him deserve
never so well. But now, he tells me, we shall have a fair hearing of the
House, and he hopes justice of them: but, upon the whole, he do agree
with me that I should hold my hand as to making any purchase of land,
which I had formerly discoursed with him about, till we see a little
further how matters go. He tells me that that made them so mad to-day
first was, several letters in the House about the Fanatickes, in several
places, coming in great bodies, and turning people out of the churches,
and there preaching themselves, and pulling the surplice over the
Parsons' heads: this was confirmed from several places; which makes them
stark mad, especially the hectors and bravadoes of the House, who shew
all the zeal on this occasion. Having done with him, I home vexed in
my mind, and so fit for no business, but sat talking with my wife and
supped with her; and Nan Mercer come and sat all the evening with us,
and much pretty discourse, which did a little ease me, and so to bed.
29th. Up, and walked to Captain Cocke's, where Sir G. Carteret promised
to meet me and did come to discourse about the prize-business of my Lord
Sandwich's, which I perceive is likely to be of great ill consequence to
my Lord, the House being mighty vehement in it. We could say little but
advise that his friends should labour to get it put off, till he comes.
We did here talk many things over, in lamentation of the present posture
of affairs, and the ill condition of all people that have had anything
to do under the King, wishing ourselves a great way off: Here they tell
me how Sir Thomas Allen hath taken the Englishmen out of "La Roche,"
and taken from him an Ostend prize which La Roche had fetched out of our
harbours; and at this day La Roche keeps upon our coasts; and had the
boldness to land some men and go a mile up into the country, and there
took some goods belonging to this prize out of a house there; which our
King resents, and, they say, hath wrote to the King of France about; and
everybody do think a war will follow; and then in what a case we shall
be for want of money, nobody knows. Thence to the office, where we sat
all the morning, and at noon home to dinner, and to the office again in
the afternoon, where we met to consider of an answer to the Parliament
about the not paying of tickets according to our own orders, to which I
hope we shall be able to give a satisfactory answer, but that the design
of the House being apparently to remove us, I do question whether the
best answer will prevail with them. This done I by coach with my wife
to Martin, my bookseller's, expecting to have had my Kercher's Musurgia,
but to my trouble and loss of trouble it was not done. So home again,
my head full of thoughts about our troubles in the office, and so to the
office. Wrote to my father this post, and sent him now Colvill's--[The
Goldsmith.]--note for L600 for my sister's portion, being glad that I
shall, I hope, have that business over before I am out of place, and I
trust I shall be able to save a little of what I have got, and so shall
not be troubled to be at ease; for I am weary of this life. So ends
this month, with a great deal of care and trouble in my head about the
answerings of the Parliament, and particularly in our payment of seamen
by tickets.
MARCH 1667-1668
March 1st (Lord's day). Up very betimes, and by coach to Sir W.
Coventry's; and there, largely carrying with me all my notes and papers,
did run over our whole defence in the business of tickets, in order to
the answering the House on Thursday next; and I do think, unless they be
set without reason to ruin us, we shall make a good defence. I find him
in great anxiety, though he will not discover it, in the business of the
proceedings of Parliament; and would as little as is possible have his
name mentioned in our discourse to them; and particularly the business
of selling places is now upon his hand to defend himself in; wherein I
did help him in his defence about the flag-maker's place, which is named
in the House. We did here do the like about the complaint of want of
victuals in the fleete in the year 1666, which will lie upon me to
defend also. So that my head is full of care and weariness in my
employment. Thence home, and there my mind being a little lightened by
my morning's work in the arguments I have now laid together in better
method for our defence to the Parliament, I to talk with my wife; and in
lieu of a coach this year, I have got my wife to be contented with her
closet being made up this summer, and going into the country this summer
for a month or two, to my father's, and there Mercer and Deb. and Jane
shall go with her, which I the rather do for the entertaining my wife,
and preventing of fallings out between her and my father or Deb., which
uses to be the fate of her going into the country. After dinner by coach
to Westminster, and there to St. Margaret's church, thinking to have
seen Betty Michell, but she was not there, but met her father and mother
and with them to her father's house, where I never was before, but was
mighty much made of, with some good strong waters, which they have
from their son Michell, and mighty good people they are. Thence to
Mrs. Martin's, where I have not been also a good while, and with great
difficulty, company being there, did get an opportunity to hazer what I
would con her, and here I was mightily taken with a starling which
she hath, that was the King's, which he kept in his bedchamber; and
do whistle and talk the most and best that ever I heard anything in my
life. Thence to visit Sir H. Cholmly, who continues still sick of his
cold, and thence calling, but in vain, to speak with Sir G. Carteret at
his house in Lincoln's Inn Fields, where I spoke with nobody, but home,
where spent the evening talking with W. Hewer about business of the
House, and declaring my expectation of all our being turned out. Hither
comes Carcasse to me about business, and there did confess to me of his
own accord his having heretofore discovered as a complaint against Sir
W. Batten, Sir W. Pen and me that we did prefer the paying of some men
to man "The Flying Greyhound" to others, by order under our hands. The
thing upon recollection I believe is true, and do hope no great matter
can be made of it, but yet I would be glad to have my name out of it,
which I shall labour to do; in the mean time it weighs as a new trouble
on my mind, and did trouble me all night. So without supper to bed, my
eyes being also a little overwrought of late that I could not stay up to
read.
2nd. Up and betimes to the office, where I did much business, and
several come to me, and among others I did prepare Mr. Warren, and by
and by Sir D. Gawden, about what presents I have had from them, that
they may not publish them, or if they do, that in truth I received none
on the account of the Navy but Tangier, and this is true to the former,
and in both that I never asked any thing of them. I must do the like
with the rest. Mr. Moore was with me, and he do tell me, and so W.
Hewer tells me, he hears this morning that all the town is full of the
discourse that the Officers of the Navy shall be all turned out, but
honest Sir John Minnes, who, God knows, is fitter to have been turned
out himself than any of us, doing the King more hurt by his dotage and
folly than all the rest can do by their knavery, if they had a mind to
it. At noon home to dinner, where was Mercer, and very merry as I could
be with my mind so full of business, and so with my wife, her and the
girl, to the King's house to see the "Virgin Martyr" again, which do
mightily please me, but above all the musique at the coming down of the
angel, which at this hearing the second time, do still commend me as
nothing ever did, and the other musique is nothing to it. Thence with
my wife to the 'Change, and so, calling at the Cocke ale house, we home,
and there I settle to business, and with my people preparing my great
answer to the Parliament for the office about tickets till past 1 a
o'clock at night, and then home to supper and to bed, keeping Mr. Gibson
all night with me. This day I have the news that my sister was married
on Thursday last to Mr. Jackson; so that work is, I hope, well over.
3rd. Up betimes to work again, and then met at the Office, where to
our great business of this answer to the Parliament; where to my great
vexation I find my Lord Brouncker prepared only to excuse himself, while
I, that have least reason to trouble myself, am preparing with great
pains to defend them all: and more, I perceive, he would lodge the
beginning of discharging ships by ticket upon me; but I care not, for
I believe I shall get more honour by it when the Parliament, against my
will, shall see how the whole business of the Office was done by me. At
noon rose and to dinner. My wife abroad with Mercer and Deb. buying of
things, but I with my clerks home to dinner, and thence presently down
with Lord Brouncker, W. Pen, T. Harvy, T. Middleton, and Mr. Tippets,
who first took his place this day at the table, as a Commissioner, in
the room of Commissioner Pett. Down by water to Deptford, where the
King, Queene, and Court are to see launched the new ship built by Mr.
Shish, called "The Charles." 2 God send her better luck than the former!
Here some of our brethren, who went in a boat a little before my boat,
did by appointment take opportunity of asking the King's leave that
we might make full use of the want of money, in our excuse to the
Parliament for the business of tickets, and other things they will lay
to our charge, all which arose from nothing else: and this the King did
readily agree to, and did give us leave to make our full use of it.
The ship being well launched, I back again by boat, setting [Sir] T.
Middleton and Mr. Tippets on shore at Ratcliffe, I home and there to my
chamber with Mr. Gibson, and late up till midnight preparing more things
against our defence on Thursday next to my content, though vexed that
all this trouble should be on me. So to supper and to bed.
4th. Up betimes and with Sir W. Pen in his coach to White Hall, there to
wait upon the Duke of York and the Commissioners of the Treasury, [Sir]
W. Coventry and Sir John Duncombe, who do declare that they cannot find
the money we demand, and we that less than what we demand will not set
out the fleet intended, and so broke up, with no other conclusion than
that they would let us have what they could get and we would improve
that as well as we could. So God bless us, and prepare us against the
consequences of these matters. Thence, it being a cold wet day, I
home with Sir J. Minnes in his coach, and called by the way at my
bookseller's and took home with me Kercher's Musurgia--very well bound,
but I had no comfort to look upon them, but as soon as I come home fell
to my work at the office, shutting the doors, that we, I and my clerks,
might not be interrupted, and so, only with room for a little dinner,
we very busy all the day till night that the officers met for me to
give them the heads of what I intended to say, which I did with great
discontent to see them all rely on me that have no reason at all to
trouble myself about it, nor have any thanks from them for my labour,
but contrarily Brouncker looked mighty dogged, as thinking that I did
not intend to do it so as to save him. This troubled me so much as,
together with the shortness of the time and muchness of the business,
did let me be at it till but about ten at night, and then quite weary,
and dull, and vexed, I could go no further, but resolved to leave the
rest to to-morrow morning, and so in full discontent and weariness did
give over and went home, with[out] supper vexed and sickish to bed,
and there slept about three hours, but then waked, and never in so much
trouble in all my life of mind, thinking of the task I have upon me, and
upon what dissatisfactory grounds, and what the issue of it may be to
me.
5th. With these thoughts I lay troubling myself till six o'clock,
restless, and at last getting my wife to talk to me to comfort me, which
she at last did, and made me resolve to quit my hands of this Office,
and endure the trouble of it no longer than till I can clear myself of
it. So with great trouble, but yet with some ease, from this discourse
with my wife, I up, and to my Office, whither come my clerks, and so I
did huddle the best I could some more notes for my discourse to-day, and
by nine o'clock was ready, and did go down to the Old Swan, and there
by boat, with T. H[ater] and W. H[ewer] with me, to Westminster, where I
found myself come time enough, and my brethren all ready. But I full
of thoughts and trouble touching the issue of this day; and, to comfort
myself, did go to the Dog and drink half-a-pint of mulled sack, and in
the Hall [Westminster] did drink a dram of brandy at Mrs. Hewlett's; and
with the warmth of this did find myself in better order as to courage,
truly. So we all up to the lobby; and between eleven and twelve o'clock,
were called in, with the mace before us, into the House, where a mighty
full House; and we stood at the bar, namely, Brouncker, Sir J. Minnes,
Sir T. Harvey, and myself, W. Pen being in the House, as a Member.
I perceive the whole House was full, and full of expectation of our
defence what it would be, and with great prejudice. After the Speaker
had told us the dissatisfaction of the House, and read the Report of
the Committee, I began our defence most acceptably and smoothly, and
continued at it without any hesitation or losse, but with full scope,
and all my reason free about me, as if it had been at my own table, from
that time till past three in the afternoon; and so ended, without
any interruption from the Speaker; but we withdrew. And there all
my Fellow-Officers, and all the world that was within hearing, did
congratulate me, and cry up my speech as the best thing they ever heard;
and my Fellow-Officers overjoyed in it; we were called in again by
and by to answer only one question, touching our paying tickets to
ticket-mongers; and so out; and we were in hopes to have had a vote
this day in our favour, and so the generality of the House was; but my
speech, being so long, many had gone out to dinner and come in again
half drunk; and then there are two or three that are professed enemies
to us and every body else; among others, Sir T. Littleton, Sir Thomas
Lee, Mr. Wiles, the coxcomb whom I saw heretofore at the cock-fighting,
and a few others; I say, these did rise up and speak against the coming
to a vote now, the House not being full, by reason of several being
at dinner, but most because that the House was to attend the King this
afternoon, about the business of religion, wherein they pray him to
put in force all the laws against Nonconformists and Papists; and this
prevented it, so that they put it off to to-morrow come se'nnight.
However, it is plain we have got great ground; and everybody says I have
got the most honour that any could have had opportunity of getting; and
so with our hearts mightily overjoyed at this success, we all to dinner
to Lord Brouncker's--that is to say, myself, T. Harvey, and W. Pen, and
there dined; and thence with Sir Anthony Morgan, who is an acquaintance
of Brouncker's, a very wise man, we after dinner to the King's house,
and there saw part of "The Discontented Colonel," but could take no
great pleasure in it, because of our coming in in the middle of it.
After the play, home with W. Pen, and there to my wife, whom W.
Hewer had told of my success, and she overjoyed, and I also as to my
particular; and, after talking awhile, I betimes to bed, having had no
quiet rest a good while.
6th. Up betimes, and with Sir D. Gawden to Sir W, Coventry's chamber:
where the first word he said to me was, "Good-morrow, Mr. Pepys, that
must be Speaker of the Parliament-house:" and did protest I had got
honour for ever in Parliament. He said that his brother, that sat by
him, admires me; and another gentleman said that I could not get
less than L1000 a-year if I would put on a gown and plead at the
Chancery-bar; but, what pleases me most, he tells me that the
Sollicitor-Generall did protest that he thought I spoke the best of any
man in England. After several talks with him alone, touching his own
businesses, he carried me to White Hall, and there parted; and I to the
Duke of York's lodgings, and find him going to the Park, it being a very
fine morning, and I after him; and, as soon as he saw me, he told me,
with great satisfaction, that I had converted a great many yesterday,
and did, with great praise of me, go on with the discourse with me. And,
by and by, overtaking the King, the King and Duke of York come to me
both; and he--[The King]--said, "Mr. Pepys, I am very glad of your
success yesterday;" and fell to talk of my well speaking; and many of
the Lords there. My Lord Barkeley did cry the up for what they had heard
of it; and others, Parliament-men there, about the King, did say that
they never heard such a speech in their lives delivered in that manner.
Progers, of the Bedchamber, swore to me afterwards before Brouncker, in
the afternoon, that he did tell the King that he thought I might teach
the Sollicitor-Generall. Every body that saw me almost come to me, as
Joseph Williamson and others, with such eulogys as cannot be expressed.
From thence I went to Westminster Hall, where I met Mr. G. Montagu,
who come to me and kissed me, and told me that he had often heretofore
kissed my hands, but now he would kiss my lips: protesting that I
was another Cicero, and said, all the world said the same of me. Mr.
Ashburnham, and every creature I met there of the Parliament, or that
knew anything of the Parliament's actings, did salute me with this
honour:--Mr. Godolphin;--Mr. Sands, who swore he would go twenty mile,
at any time, to hear the like again, and that he never saw so many sit
four hours together to hear any man in his life, as there did to hear
me; Mr. Chichly,--Sir John Duncomb,--and everybody do say that the
kingdom will ring of my abilities, and that I have done myself right for
my whole life: and so Captain Cocke, and others of my friends, say that
no man had ever such an opportunity of making his abilities known; and,
that I may cite all at once, Mr. Lieutenant of the Tower did tell me
that Mr. Vaughan did protest to him, and that, in his hearing it, said
so to the Duke of Albemarle, and afterwards to W. Coventry, that he had
sat twenty-six years in Parliament and never heard such a speech there
before: for which the Lord God make me thankful! and that I may make use
of it not to pride and vain-glory, but that, now I have this esteem, I
may do nothing that may lessen it! I spent the morning thus walking in
the Hall, being complimented by everybody with admiration: and at noon
stepped into the Legg with Sir William Warren, who was in the Hall, and
there talked about a little of his business, and thence into the Hall a
little more, and so with him by coach as far as the Temple almost, and
there 'light, to follow my Lord Brouncker's coach, which I spied, and so
to Madam Williams's, where I overtook him, and agreed upon meeting this
afternoon, and so home to dinner, and after dinner with W. Pen, who
come to my house to call me, to White Hall, to wait on the Duke of York,
where he again and all the company magnified me, and several in the
Gallery: among others, my Lord Gerard, who never knew me before nor
spoke to me, desires his being better acquainted with me; and [said]
that, at table where he was, he never heard so much said of any man as
of me, in his whole life. We waited on the Duke of York, and thence into
the Gallery, where the House of Lords waited the King's coming out of
the Park, which he did by and by; and there, in the Vane-room, my Lord
Keeper delivered a message to the King, the Lords being about him,
wherein the Barons of England, from many good arguments, very well
expressed in the part he read out of, do demand precedence in England of
all noblemen of either of the King's other two kingdoms, be their title
what it will; and did shew that they were in England reputed but as
Commoners, and sat in the House of Commons, and at conferences with the
Lords did stand bare. It was mighty worth my hearing: but the King did
only say that he would consider of it, and so dismissed them. Thence
Brouncker and I to the Committee of Miscarriages sitting in the Court
of Wards, expecting with Sir D. Gawden to have been heard against Prince
Rupert's complaints for want of victuals. But the business of Holmes's
charge against Sir Jer. Smith, which is a most shameful scandalous thing
for Flag officers to accuse one another of, and that this should be
heard here before men that understand it not at all, and after it hath
been examined and judged in before the King and Lord High Admirall and
other able seamen to judge, it is very hard. But this business did keep
them all the afternoon, so we not heard but put off to another day.
Thence, with the Lieutenant of the Tower, in his coach home; and there,
with great pleasure, with my wife, talking and playing at cards a
little--she, and I, and W. Hewer, and Deb., and so, after a little
supper, I to bed.
7th. Up, and to the office, where all the morning, at noon home to
dinner, where Mercer with us, and after dinner she, my wife, Deb., and
I, to the King's playhouse, and there saw "The Spanish Gipsys," the
second time of acting, and the first that I saw it. A very silly
play, only great variety of dances, and those most excellently done,
especially one part by one Hanes, only lately come thither from the
Nursery, an understanding fellow, but yet, they say, hath spent L1000
a-year before he come thither. This day my wife and I full of thoughts
about Mrs. Pierces sending me word that she, and my old company, Harris
and Knipp, would come and dine with us next Wednesday, how we should
do-to receive or put them off, my head being, at this time, so full of
business, and my wife in no mind to have them neither, and yet I desire
it. Come to no resolution tonight. Home from the playhouse to the
office, where I wrote what I had to write, and among others to my father
to congratulate my sister's marriage, and so home to supper a little and
then to bed.
8th (Lord's day). At my sending to desire it, Sir J. Robinson,
Lieutenant of the Tower, did call me with his coach, and carried me to
White Hall, where met with very many people still that did congratulate
my speech the other day in the House of Commons, and I find all the
world almost rings of it. Here spent the morning walking and talking
with one or other, and among the rest with Sir W. Coventry, who I find
full of care in his own business, how to defend himself against those
that have a mind to choke him; and though, I believe, not for honour
and for the keeping his employment, but for his safety and reputation's
sake, is desirous to preserve himself free from blame, and among other
mean ways which himself did take notice to me to be but a mean thing
he desires me to get information against Captain Tatnell, thereby to
diminish his testimony, who, it seems, hath a mind to do W. Coventry
hurt: and I will do it with all my heart; for Tatnell is a very rogue.
He would be glad, too, that I could find anything proper for his taking
notice against Sir F. Hollis. At noon, after sermon, I to dinner with
Sir G. Carteret to Lincoln's Inn Fields, where I find mighty deal of
company--a solemn day for some of his and her friends, and dine in the
great dining-room above stairs, where Sir G. Carteret himself, and
I, and his son, at a little table by, the great table being full of
strangers. Here my Lady Jem. do promise to come, and bring my Lord
Hinchingbroke and his lady some day this week, to dinner to me, which I
am glad of. After dinner, I up with her husband, Sir Philip Carteret,
to his closet, where, beyond expectation, I do find many pretty things,
wherein he appears to be ingenious, such as in painting, and drawing,
and making of watches, and such kind of things, above my expectation;
though, when all is done, he is a shirke, who owns his owing me L10 for
his lady two or three years ago, and yet cannot provide to pay me. The
company by and by parted, and G. Carteret and I to White Hall, where I
set him down and took his coach as far as the Temple, it raining, and
there took a hackney and home, and so had my head combed, and then to
bed.
9th. Up betimes, and anon with Sir W. Warren, who come to speak with me,
by coach to White Hall, and there met Lord Brouncker: and he and I to
the Commissioners of the Treasury, where I find them mighty kind to
me, more, I think, than was wont. And here I also met Colvill, the
goldsmith; who tells me, with great joy, how the world upon the 'Change
talks of me; and how several Parliamentmen, viz., Boscawen and Major
[Lionel] Walden, of Huntingdon, who, it seems, do deal with him, do say
how bravely I did speak, and that the House was ready to have given
me thanks for it; but that, I think, is a vanity. Thence I with Lord
Brouncker, and did take up his mistress, Williams, and so to the
'Change, only to shew myself, and did a little business there, and so
home to dinner, and then to the office busy till the evening, and then
to the Excize Office, where I find Mr. Ball in a mighty trouble that he
is to be put out of his place at Midsummer, the whole Commission being
to cease, and the truth is I think they are very fair dealing men, all
of them. Here I did do a little business, and then to rights home, and
there dispatched many papers, and so home late to supper and to bed,
being eased of a great many thoughts, and yet have a great many more to
remove as fast as I can, my mind being burdened with them, having been
so much employed upon the public business of the office in their defence
before the Parliament of late, and the further cases that do attend it.
10th. Up, and to the office betimes, where all the morning. At noon home
to dinner with my clerks, and after dinner comes Kate Joyce, who tells
me she is putting off her house, which I am glad of, but it was pleasant
that she come on purpose to me about getting a ticket paid, and in
her way hither lost her ticket, so that she is at a great loss what to
do.--There comes in then Mrs. Mercer, the mother, the first time she has
been here since her daughter lived with us, to see my wife, and after a
little talk I left them and to the office, and thence with Sir D. Gawden
to Westminster Hall, thinking to have attended the Committee about the
Victualling business, but they did not meet, but here we met Sir R.
Brookes, who do mightily cry up my speech the other day, saying my
fellow-officers are obliged to me, as indeed they are. Thence with
Sir D. Gawden homewards, calling at Lincolne's Inn Fields: but my Lady
Jemimah was not within: and so to Newgate, where he stopped to give
directions to the jaylor about a Knight, one Sir Thomas Halford brought
in yesterday for killing one Colonel Temple, falling out at a taverne.
So thence as far as Leadenhall, and there I 'light, and back by coach
to Lincoln's Inn Fields; but my Lady was not come in, and so I am at
a great loss whether she and her brother Hinchingbroke and sister will
dine with me to-morrow or no, which vexes me. So home; and there comes
Mr. Moore to me, who tells me that he fears my Lord Sandwich will meet
with very great difficulties to go through about the prizes, it being
found that he did give orders for more than the King's letter do
justify; and then for the Act of Resumption, which he fears will go on,
and is designed only to do him hurt, which troubles me much. He tells me
he believes the Parliament will not be brought to do anything in matters
of religion, but will adhere to the Bishops. So he gone, I up to supper,
where I find W. Joyce and Harman come to see us, and there was also Mrs.
Mercer and her two daughters, and here we were as merry as that fellow
Joyce could make us with his mad talking, after the old wont, which
tired me. But I was mightily pleased with his singing; for the rogue
hath a very good eare, and a good voice. Here he stayed till he was
almost drunk, and then away at about ten at night, and then all broke
up, and I to bed.
11th. Up, and betimes to the office, where busy till 8 o'clock, and then
went forth, and meeting Mr. Colvill, I walked with, him to his building,
where he is building a fine house, where he formerly lived, in Lumbard
Street: and it will be a very fine street. Thence walked down to the
Three Cranes and there took boat to White Hall, where by direction I
waited on the Duke of York about office business, and so by water to
Westminster, where walking in the Hall most of the morning, and up to my
Lady Jem. in Lincoln's Inn Fields to get her to appoint the day certain
when she will come and dine with me, and she hath appointed Saturday
next. So back to Westminster; and there still walked, till by and by
comes Sir W. Coventry, and with him Mr. Chichly and Mr. Andrew Newport,
I to dinner with them to Mr. Chichly's, in Queene Street, in Covent
Garden. A very fine house, and a man that lives in mighty great fashion,
with all things in a most extraordinary manner noble and rich about him,
and eats in the French fashion all; and mighty nobly served with his
servants, and very civilly; that I was mighty pleased with it: and good
discourse. He is a great defender of the Church of England, and against
the Act for Comprehension, which is the work of this day, about which
the House is like to sit till night. After dinner, away with them back
to Westminster, where, about four o'clock, the House rises, and hath
done nothing more in the business than to put off the debate to this
day month. In the mean time the King hath put out his proclamations this
day, as the House desired, for the putting in execution the Act against
Nonconformists and Papists, but yet it is conceived that for all this
some liberty must be given, and people will have it. Here I met with
my cozen Roger Pepys, who is come to town, and hath been told of my
performance before the House the other day, and is mighty proud of it,
and Captain Cocke met me here to-day, and told me that the Speaker says
he never heard such a defence made; in all his life, in the House; and
that the Sollicitor-Generall do commend me even to envy. I carried
cozen Roger as far as the Strand, where, spying out of the coach
Colonel Charles George Cocke, formerly a very great man, and my father's
customer, whom I have carried clothes to, but now walks like a poor
sorry sneake, he stopped, and I 'light to him. This man knew me, which
I would have willingly avoided, so much pride I had, he being a man
of mighty height and authority in his time, but now signifies nothing.
Thence home, where to the office a while and then home, where W.
Batelier was and played at cards and supped with us, my eyes being out
of order for working, and so to bed.
12th. Up, and to the office, where all the morning, at noon home, and
after dinner with wife and Deb., carried them to Unthanke's, and I to
Westminster Hall expecting our being with the Committee this afternoon
about Victualling business, but once more waited in vain. So after a
turn or two with Lord Brouncker, I took my wife up and left her at the
'Change while I to Gresham College, there to shew myself; and was there
greeted by Dr. Wilkins, Whistler, and others, as the patron of the Navy
Office, and one that got great fame by my late speech to the Parliament.
Here I saw a great trial of the goodness of a burning glass, made of a
new figure, not spherical (by one Smithys, I think, they call him), that
did burn a glove of my Lord Brouncker's from the heat of a very little
fire, which a burning glass of the old form, or much bigger, could not
do, which was mighty pretty. Here I heard Sir Robert Southwell give an
account of some things committed to him by the Society at his going to
Portugall, which he did deliver in a mighty handsome manner.
[At the meeting of the Royal Society on March 12th, 1668, "Mr.
Smethwick's glasses were tried again; and his telescope being
compared with another longer telescope, and the object-glasses
exchanged, was still found to exceed the other in goodness; and his
burning concave being compared with a spherical burning-glass of
almost twice the diameter, and held to the fire, it burnt gloves,
whereas the other spherical ones would not bu
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