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Diary of Samuel Pepys — Complete 1669 N.S.

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Title: Diary of Samuel Pepys — Complete 1669 N.S.

Author: Samuel Pepys

Editor: Baron Richard Griffin Braybrooke
        Henry B. Wheatley

Translator: Mynors Bright


        
Release date: October 31, 2004 [eBook #4199]
                Most recently updated: March 22, 2009

Language: English

Other information and formats: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/4199

Credits: Produced by David Widger


*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DIARY OF SAMUEL PEPYS — COMPLETE 1669 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

          1969

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 1668-1669

January 1st. Up, and presented from Captain Beckford with a noble silver
warming-pan, which I am doubtful whether to take or no. Up, and with W.
Hewer to the New Exchange, and then he and I to the cabinet-shops, to
look out, and did agree, for a cabinet to give my wife for a New-year's
gift; and I did buy one cost me L11, which is very pretty, of
walnutt-tree, and will come home to-morrow. So back to the old Exchange,
and there met my uncle Wight; and there walked, and met with the
Houblons, and talked with them--gentlemen whom I honour mightily: and so
to my uncle's, and met my wife; and there, with W. Hewer, we dined
with our family, and had a very good dinner, and pretty merry and after
dinner, my wife and I with our coach to the King's playhouse, and there
in a box saw "The Mayden Queene." Knepp looked upon us, but I durst not
shew her any countenance; and, as well as I could carry myself, I found
my wife uneasy there, poor wretch! therefore, I shall avoid that house
as much as I can. So back to my aunt's, and there supped and talked, and
staid pretty late, it being dry and moonshine, and so walked home, and
to bed in very good humour.

2nd. Up, at the office all the morning, and at noon home to dinner,
where I find my cabinet come home, and paid for it, and it pleases me
and my wife well. So after dinner busy late at the office, and so home
and to bed.

3rd (Lord's day). Up, and busy all the morning, getting rooms and dinner
ready for my guests, which were my uncle and aunt Wight, and two of
their cousins, and an old woman, and Mr. Mills and his wife; and a
good dinner, and all our plate out, and mighty fine and merry, only I
a little vexed at burning a new table-cloth myself, with one of my
trencher-salts. Dinner done, I out with W. Hewer and Mr. Spong, who by
accident come to dine with me, and good talk with him: to White Hall by
coach, and there left him, and I with my Lord Brouncker to attend the
Duke of York, and then up and down the House till the evening, hearing
how the King do intend this frosty weather, it being this day the first,
and very hard frost, that hath come this year, and very cold it is. So
home; and to supper and read; and there my wife and I treating about
coming to an allowance to my wife for clothes; and there I, out of my
natural backwardness, did hang off, which vexed her, and did occasion
some discontented talk in bed, when we went to bed; and also in the
morning, but I did recover all in the morning.

4th. Lay long, talking with my wife, and did of my own accord come to an
allowance of her of L30 a-year for all expences, clothes and everything,
which she was mightily pleased with, it being more than ever she asked
or expected, and so rose, with much content, and up with W. Hewer to
White Hall, there to speak with Mr. Wren, which I did about several
things of the office entered in my memorandum books, and so about noon,
going homeward with W. Hewer, he and I went in and saw the great tall
woman that is to be seen, who is but twenty-one years old, and I do
easily stand under her arms. Then, going further, The. Turner called me,
out of her coach where her mother, &c., was, and invited me by all means
to dine with them, at my cozen Roger's mistress's, the widow Dickenson!
So, I went to them afterwards, and dined with them, and mighty
handsomely treated, and she a wonderful merry, good-humoured, fat, but
plain woman, but I believe a very good woman, and mighty civil to me.
Mrs. Turner, the mother, and Mrs. Dyke, and The., and Betty was the
company, and a gentleman of their acquaintance. Betty I did long to see,
and she is indifferent pretty, but not what the world did speak of her;
but I am mighty glad to have one so pretty of our kindred. After dinner,
I walked with them, to shew them the great woman, which they admire,
as well they may; and so back with them, and left them; and I to White
Hall, where a Committee of Tangier met, but little to do there, but I
did receive an instance of the Duke of York's kindness to me, and the
whole Committee, that they would not order any thing about the Treasurer
for the Corporation now in establishing, without my assent, and
considering whether it would be to my wrong or no. Thence up and down
the house, and to the Duke of York's side, and there in the Duchess's
presence; and was mightily complimented by my Lady Peterborough, in my
Lord Sandwich's presence, whom she engaged to thank me for my kindness
to her and her Lord.... By and by I met my Lord Brouncker; and he and
I to the Duke of York alone, and discoursed over the carriage of the
present Treasurers, in opposition to, or at least independency of, the
Duke of York, or our Board, which the Duke of York is sensible of, and
all remember, I believe; for they do carry themselves very respectlessly
of him and us. We also declared our minds together to the Duke of York
about Sir John Minnes's incapacity to do any service in the Office,
and that it is but to betray the King to have any business of trust
committed to his weakness. So the Duke of York was very sensible of it
and promised to speak to the King about it. That done, I with W. Hewer
took up my wife at Unthank's, and so home, and there with pleasure to
read and talk, and so to supper, and put into writing, in merry terms,
our agreement between my wife and me, about L30 a-year, and so to bed.
This was done under both our hands merrily, and put into W. Hewer's to
keep.

5th. Up, and to the office all the morning, the frost and cold
continuing. At noon home with my people to dinner; and so to work at the
office again; in the evening comes Creed to me, and tells me his wife
is at my house. So I in, and spent an hour with them, the first time she
hath been here, or I have seen her, since she was married. She is not
overhandsome, though a good lady, and one I love. So after some pleasant
discourse, they gone, I to the Office again, and there late, and then
home to supper to my wife, who is not very well of those, and so sat
talking till past one in the morning, and then to bed.

6th (Twelfth day). Up, and to look after things against dinner to-day
for my guests, and then to the Office to write down my journall for five
or six days backward, and so home to look after dinner, it being now
almost noon. At noon comes Mrs. Turner and Dyke, and Mrs. Dickenson, and
then comes The. and Betty Turner, the latter of which is a very pretty
girl; and then Creed and his wife, whom I sent for, by my coach. These
were my guests, and Mrs. Turner's friend, whom I saw the other day,
Mr. Wicken, and very merry we were at dinner, and so all the afternoon,
talking, and looking up and down my house; and in the evening I did
bring out my cake--a noble cake, and there cut it into pieces, with wine
and good drink: and after a new fashion, to prevent spoiling the cake,
did put so many titles into a hat, and so drew cuts; and I was the
Queene; and The. Turner, King--Creed, Sir Martin Marr-all; and Betty,
Mrs. Millicent: and so we were mighty merry till it was night; and then,
being moonshine and fine frost, they went home, I lending some of them
my coach to help to carry them, and so my wife and I spent the rest of
the evening in talk and reading, and so with great pleasure to bed.

7th. Up, and to the office, where busy all the morning, and then at noon
home to dinner, and thence my wife and I to the King's playhouse, and
there saw "The Island Princesse," the first time I ever saw it; and it
is a pretty good play, many good things being in it, and a good scene of
a town on fire. We sat in an upper box, and the jade Nell come and sat
in the next box; a bold merry slut, who lay laughing there upon people;
and with a comrade of hers of the Duke's house, that come in to see the
play. Thence home and to the office to do some business, and so home to
supper and to bed.

8th. Up, and with Colonel Middleton, in his coach, and Mr. Tippets to
White Hall; and there attended the Duke of York with the rest, where the
Duke was mighty plain with the Treasurers, according to the advice my
Lord Brouncker and I did give him the other night, and he did it fully;
and so as, I believe, will make the Treasurers carefull of themselves,
unless they do resolve upon defying the Duke of York. Thence with W.
Hewer home, and to dinner, and so out again, my wife and I and Mr. Hater
to White Hall, where she set us down, and she up and down to buy things,
while we at the Treasury-Chamber, where I alone did manage the business
of "The Leopard" against the whole Committee of the East India Company,
with Mr. Blackburne with them; and to the silencing of them all, to my
no great content. Thence walked to my wife, and so set out for home
in our coach, it being very cold weather, and so to the office to do a
little business, and then home to my wife's chamber, my people having
laid the cloth, and got the rooms all clean above-stairs to-night for
our dinner to-morrow, and therefore I to bed.

9th. Up, and at the office all the morning, and at noon, my Lord
Brouncker, Mr. Wren, Joseph Williamson, and Captain Cocke, dined with
me; and, being newly sat down, comes in, by invitation of Williamson's,
the Lieutenant of the Tower, and he brings in with him young Mr. Whore,
whose father, of the Tower, I know.--And here I had a neat dinner,
and all in so good manner and fashion, and with so good company, and
everything to my mind, as I never had more in my life--the company being
to my heart's content, and they all well pleased. So continued, looking
over my books and closet till the evening, and so I to the Office and
did a good deal of business, and so home to supper and to bed with my
mind mightily pleased with this day's management, as one of the days of
my life of fullest content.

10th (Lord's day). Accidentally talking of our maids before we rose, I
said a little word that did give occasion to my wife to fall out; and
she did most vexatiously, almost all the morning, but ended most perfect
good friends; but the thoughts of the unquiet which her ripping up of
old faults will give me, did make me melancholy all day long. So about
noon, past 12, we rose, and to dinner, and then to read and talk, my
wife and I alone, for Balty was gone, who come to dine with us, and then
in the evening comes Pelting to sit and talk with us, and so to supper
and pretty merry discourse, only my mind a little vexed at the morning's
work, but yet without any appearance. So after supper to bed.

11th. Up, and with W. Hewer, my guard, to White Hall, where no Committee
of Tangier met, so up and down the House talking with this and that man,
and so home, calling at the New Exchange for a book or two to send to
Mr. Shepley and thence home, and thence to the 'Change, and there did a
little business, and so walked home to dinner, and then abroad with my
wife to the King's playhouse, and there saw "The Joviall Crew," but ill
acted to what it was heretofore, in Clun's time, and when Lacy could
dance. Thence to the New Exchange, to buy some things; and, among
others, my wife did give me my pair of gloves, which, by contract, she
is to give me in her L30 a-year. Here Mrs. Smith tells us of the great
murder thereabouts, on Saturday last, of one Captain Bumbridge, by one
Symons, both of her acquaintance; and hectors that were at play, and in
drink: the former is killed, and is kinsman to my Lord of Ormond, which
made him speak of it with so much passion, as I overheard him this
morning, but could not make anything of it till now, but would they
would kill more of them. So home; and there at home all the evening;
and made Tom to prick down some little conceits and notions of mine,
in musique, which do mightily encourage me to spend some more thoughts
about it; for I fancy, upon good reason, that I am in the right way of
unfolding the mystery of this matter, better than ever yet.

12th. Up, and to the Office, where, by occasion of a message from the
Treasurers that their Board found fault with Commissioner Middleton,
I went up from our Board to the Lords of the Treasury to meet our
Treasurers, and did, and there did dispute the business, it being about
the matter of paying a little money to Chatham Yard, wherein I find the
Treasurers mighty supple, and I believe we shall bring them to reason,
though they begun mighty upon us, as if we had no power of directing
them, but they, us. Thence back presently home, to dinner, where I
discern my wife to have been in pain about where I have been, but said
nothing to me, but I believe did send W. Hewer to seek me, but I take no
notice of it, but am vexed. So to dinner with my people, and then to the
Office, where all the afternoon, and did much business, and at it late,
and so home to supper, and to bed. This day, meeting Mr. Pierce at White
Hall, he tells me that his boy hath a great mind to see me, and is going
to school again; and Dr. Clerke, being by, do tell me that he is a fine
boy; but I durst not answer anything, because I durst not invite him to
my house, for fear of my wife; and therefore, to my great trouble, was
forced to neglect that discourse. But here Mr. Pierce, I asking him
whither he was going, told me as a great secret that he was going to his
master's mistress, Mrs. Churchill, with some physic; meaning for the pox
I suppose, or else that she is got with child. This evening I observed
my wife mighty dull, and I myself was not mighty fond, because of some
hard words she did give me at noon, out of a jealousy at my being abroad
this morning, which, God knows, it was upon the business of the Office
unexpectedly: but I to bed, not thinking but she would come after
me. But waking by and by out of a slumber, which I usually fall into
presently after my coming into the bed, I found she did not prepare to
come to bed, but got fresh candles, and more wood for her fire, it being
mighty cold, too. At this being troubled, I after a while prayed her to
come to bed, all my people being gone to bed; so, after an hour or two,
she silent, and I now and then praying her to come to bed, she fell
out into a fury, that I was a rogue, and false to her. But yet I did
perceive that she was to seek what to say, only she invented, I believe,
a business that I was seen in a hackney coach with the glasses up with
Deb., but could not tell the time, nor was sure I was he. I did, as
I might truly, deny it, and was mightily troubled, but all would not
serve. At last, about one o'clock, she come to my side of the bed, and
drew my curtaine open, and with the tongs red hot at the ends, made as
if she did design to pinch me with them, at which, in dismay, I rose up,
and with a few words she laid them down; and did by little and, little,
very sillily, let all the discourse fall; and about two, but with much
seeming difficulty, come to bed, and there lay well all night, and long
in bed talking together, with much pleasure, it being, I know, nothing
but her doubt of my going out yesterday, without telling her of my
going, which did vex her, poor wretch! last night, and I cannot blame
her jealousy, though it do vex me to the heart.

13th. So up and by coach to Sir W. Coventry's, but he gone out, so I to
White Hall, and thence walked out into the Park, all in the snow, with
the Duke of York and the rest, and so home, after visiting my Lady
Peterborough, and there by invitation find Mr. Povy, and there was also
Talbot Pepys, newly come from Impington, and dined with me; and after
dinner and a little talk with Povy about publick matters, he gone, and
I and my wife and Talbot towards the Temple, and there to the King's
playhouse, and there saw, I think, "The Maiden Queene," and so home and
to supper and read, and to bed. This day come home the instrument I have
so long longed for, the Parallelogram.

14th. Up and to the office, where all the morning busy, and so home to
dinner, where Goodgroome with us, and after dinner a song, and then to
the office, where busy till night, and then home to work there with
W. Hewer to get ready some Tangier papers against to-morrow, and so to
supper and to bed.

15th. Up, and by coach to Sir W. Coventry, where with him a good while
in his chamber, talking of one thing or another; among others, he
told me of the great factions at Court at this day, even to the sober
engaging of great persons, and differences, and making the King cheap
and ridiculous. It is about my Lady Harvy's being offended at Doll
Common's acting of Sempronia, to imitate her; for which she got my Lord
Chamberlain, her kinsman, to imprison Doll: when my Lady Castlemayne
made the King to release her, and to order her to act it again, worse
than ever, the other day, where the King himself was: and since it was
acted again, and my Lady Harvy provided people to hiss her and fling
oranges at her: but, it seems the heat is come to a great height, and
real troubles at Court about it. Thence he and I out of doors, but he
to Sir J. Duncomb, and I to White Hall through the Park, where I met
the King and the Duke of York, and so walked with them, and so to White
Hall, where the Duke of York met the office and did a little business;
and I did give him thanks for his favour to me yesterday, at the
Committee of Tangier, in my absence, Mr. Povy having given me advice
of it, of the discourse there of doing something as to the putting the
payment of the garrison into some undertaker's hand, Alderman Backewell,
which the Duke of York would not suffer to go on, without my presence at
the debate. And he answered me just thus: that he ought to have a care
of him that do the King's business in the manner that I do, and words
of more force than that. Then down with Lord Brouncker to Sir R. Murray,
into the King's little elaboratory, under his closet, a pretty place;
and there saw a great many chymical glasses and things, but understood
none of them. So I home and to dinner, and then out again and stop with
my wife at my cozen Turner's where I staid and sat a while, and carried
The. and my wife to the Duke of York's house, to "Macbeth," and myself
to White Hall, to the Lords of the Treasury, about Tangier business; and
there was by at much merry discourse between them and my Lord Anglesey,
who made sport of our new Treasurers, and called them his deputys, and
much of that kind. And having done my own business, I away back, and
carried my cozen Turner and sister Dyke to a friend's house, where they
were to sup, in Lincoln's Inn Fields; and I to the Duke of York's house
and saw the last two acts, and so carried The. thither, and so home with
my wife, who read to me late, and so to supper and to bed. This day The.
Turner shewed me at the play my Lady Portman, who has grown out of my
knowledge.

16th. Up, and to the office all the morning, dined at home with my
people, and so all the afternoon till night at the office busy, and
so home to supper and to bed. This morning Creed, and in the
afternoon comes Povy, to advise with me about my answer to the Lords
[Commissioners] of Tangier, about the propositions for the Treasurership
there, which I am not much concerned for. But the latter, talking of
publick things, told me, as Mr. Wren also did, that the Parliament is
likely to meets again, the King being frighted with what the Speaker
hath put him in mind of--his promise not to prorogue, but only to
adjourne them. They speak mighty freely of the folly of the King in this
foolish woman's business, of my Lady Harvy. Povy tells me that Sir W.
Coventry was with the King alone, an hour this day; and that my Lady
Castlemayne is now in a higher command over the King than ever--not as a
mistress, for she scorns him, but as a tyrant, to command him: and says
that the Duchess of York and the Duke of York are mighty great with her,
which is a great interest to my Lord Chancellor's' family; and that
they do agree to hinder all they can the proceedings of the Duke of
Buckingham and Arlington: and so we are in the old mad condition, or
rather worse than any; no man knowing what the French intend to do the
next summer.

17th (Lord's day). To church myself after seeing every thing fitted for
dinner, and so, after church, home, and thither comes Mrs. Batelier and
her two daughters to dinner to us; and W. Hewer and his mother, and Mr.
Spong. We were very civilly merry, and Mrs. Batelier a very discreet
woman, but mighty fond in the stories she tells of her son Will.
After dinner, Mr. Spong and I to my closet, there to try my instrument
Parallelogram, which do mighty well, to my full content; but only a
little stiff, as being new. Thence, taking leave of my guests, he and I
and W. Hewer to White Hall, and there parting with Spong, a man that
I mightily love for his plainness and ingenuity, I into the Court, and
there up and down and spoke with my Lords Bellassis and Peterborough
about the business now in dispute, about my deputing a Treasurer to pay
the garrison at Tangier, which I would avoid, and not be accountable,
and they will serve me therein. Here I met Hugh May, and he brings me to
the knowledge of Sir Henry Capell, a Member of Parliament, and brother
of my Lord of Essex, who hath a great value, it seems, for me; and they
appoint a day to come and dine with me, and see my books, and papers of
the Office, which I shall be glad to shew them, and have opportunity to
satisfy them therein. Here all the discourse is, that now the King is
of opinion to have the Parliament called, notwithstanding his late
resolutions for proroguing them; so unstable are his councils, and those
about him. So staying late talking in the Queen's side, I away, with W.
Hewer home, and there to read and talk with my wife, and so to bed.

18th. Up by candlelight, and with W. Hewer walked to the Temple, and
thence took coach and to Sir William Coventry's, and there discoursed
the business of my Treasurer's place, at Tangier, wherein he consents
to my desire, and concurs therein, which I am glad of, that I may not
be accountable for a man so far off. And so I to my Lord Sandwich's, and
there walk with him through the garden, to White Hall, where he tells me
what he had done about this Treasurer's place, and I perceive the whole
thing did proceed from him: that finding it would be best to have the
Governor have nothing to do with the pay of the garrison, he did propose
to the Duke of York alone that a pay-master should be there; and that
being desirous to do a courtesy to Sir Charles Harbord, and to prevent
the Duke of York's looking out for any body else, he did name him to the
Duke of York. That when he come the other day to move this to the Board
of Tangier, the Duke of York, it seems, did readily reply, that it was
fit to have Mr. Pepys satisfied therein first, and that it was not good
to make places for persons. This my Lord in great confidence tells me,
that he do take very ill from the Duke of York, though nobody knew the
meaning of these words but him; and that he did take no notice of them,
but bit his lip, being satisfied that the Duke of York's care of me was
as desirable to him, as it could be to have Sir Charles Harbord: and did
seem industrious to let me see that he was glad that the Duke of York
and he might come to contend who shall be the kindest to me, which I
owned as his great love, and so I hope and believe it is, though my Lord
did go a little too far in this business, to move it so far, without
consulting me. But I took no notice of that, but was glad to see this
competition come about, that my Lord Sandwich is apparently jealous of
my thinking that the Duke of York do mean me more kindness than him. So
we walked together, and I took this occasion to invite him to dinner one
day to my house, and he readily appointed Friday next, which I shall be
glad to have over to his content, he having never yet eat a bit of
my bread. Thence to the Duke of York on the King's side, with our
Treasurers of the Navy, to discourse some business of the Navy, about
the pay of the yards, and there I was taken notice of, many Lords being
there in the room, of the Duke of York's conference with me; and so
away, and meeting Mr. Sidney Montagu and Sheres, a small invitation
served their turn to carry them to London, where I paid Sheres his L100,
given him for his pains in drawing the plate of Tangier fortifications,
&c., and so home to my house to dinner, where I had a pretty handsome
sudden dinner, and all well pleased; and thence we three and my wife
to the Duke of York's playhouse, and there saw "The Witts," a medley of
things, but some similes mighty good, though ill mixed; and thence with
my wife to the Exchange and bought some things, and so home, after I had
been at White Hall, and there in the Queen's withdrawing-room invited
my Lord Peterborough to dine with me, with my Lord Sandwich, who readily
accepted it. Thence back and took up my wife at the 'Change, and so
home. This day at noon I went with my young gentlemen (thereby to get a
little time while W. Hewer went home to bid them get a dinner ready)
to the Pope's Head tavern, there to see the fine painted room which
Rogerson told me of, of his doing; but I do not like it at all, though
it be good for such a publick room.

19th. Up, and at the office all the morning. At noon eat a mouthful, and
so with my wife to Madam Turner's, and find her gone, but The. staid for
us; and so to the King's house, to see "Horace;" this the third day
of its acting--a silly tragedy; but Lacy hath made a farce of several
dances--between each act, one: but his words are but silly, and
invention not extraordinary, as to the dances; only some Dutchmen come
out of the mouth and tail of a Hamburgh sow. Thence, not much pleased
with the play, set them at home in the Strand; and my wife and I home,
and there to do a little business at the Office, and so home to supper
and to bed.

20th. Up; and my wife, and I, and W. Hewer to White Hall, where she set
us down; and there I spoke with my Lord Peterborough, to tell him of the
day for his dining with me being altered by my Lord Sandwich from Friday
to Saturday next. And thence heard at the Council-board the City, by
their single counsel Symson, and the company of Strangers Merchants, a
debate the business of water-baylage; a tax demanded upon all goods,
by the City, imported and exported: which these Merchants oppose,
and demanding leave to try the justice of the City's demand by a Quo
Warranto, which the City opposed, the Merchants did quite lay the City
on their backs with great triumph, the City's cause being apparently too
weak: but here I observed Mr. Gold, the merchant, to speak very well,
and very sharply, against the City. Thence to my wife at Unthanke's, and
with her and W. Hewer to Hercules Pillars, calling to do two or three
things by the way, end there dined, and thence to the Duke of York's
house, and saw "Twelfth Night," as it is now revived; but, I think,
one of the weakest plays that ever I saw on the stage. This afternoon,
before the play, I called with my wife at Dancre's, the great
landscape-painter, by Mr. Povy's advice; and have bespoke him to come to
take measure of my dining-room panels, and there I met with the pretty
daughter of the coalseller's, that lived in Cheapside, and now in Covent
Garden, who hath her picture drawn here, but very poorly; but she is a
pretty woman, and now, I perceive, married, a very pretty black woman.
So, the play done, we home, my wife letting fall some words of her
observing my eyes to be mightily employed in the playhouse, meaning upon
women, which did vex me; but, however, when we come home, we were good
friends; and so to read, and to supper, and so to bed.

21st. Up, and walked to the Temple, it being frosty, and there took
coach, my boy Tom with me, and so to White Hall to a Committee of
Tangier, where they met, and by and by and till twelve at noon upon
business, among others mine, where my desire about being eased of
appointing and standing accountable for a Treasurer there was well
accepted, and they will think of some other way. This I was glad of,
finding reason to doubt that I might in this (since my Lord Sandwich
made me understand what he had said to the Duke of York herein) fear to
offend either the Duke of York by denying it, for he seemed on Sunday
night last, when I first made known my desire to him herein to be a
little amused at it, though I knew not then the reason, or else offend
my Lord Sandwich by accepting it, or denying it in a manner that might
not forward his desire for Sir Charles Harbord, but I thank God I did it
to my great content without any offence, I think, to either. Thence in
my own coach home, where I find Madam Turner, Dyke, and The., and had
a good dinner for them, and merry; and so carried them to the Duke of
York's house, all but Dyke, who went away on other business; and there
saw "The Tempest;" but it is but ill done by Gosnell, in lieu of Moll
Davis. Thence set them at home, and my wife and I to the 'Change, and so
home, where my wife mighty dogged, and I vexed to see it, being
mightily troubled, of late, at her being out of humour, for fear of her
discovering any new matter of offence against me, though I am conscious
of none; but do hate to be unquiet at home. So, late up, silent, and
not supping, but hearing her utter some words of discontent to me
with silence, and so to bed, weeping to myself for grief, which she
discerning, come to bed, and mighty kind, and so with great joy on both
sides to sleep.

22nd. Up, and with W. Hewer to White Hall, and there attended the Duke
of York, and thence to the Exchange, in the way calling at several
places on occasions relating to my feast to-morrow, on which my mind is
now set; as how to get a new looking-glass for my dining-room, and some
pewter, and good wine, against to-morrow; and so home, where I had the
looking-glass set up, cost me L6 7s. 6d. And here at the 'Change I
met with Mr. Dancre, the famous landscape painter, with whom I was on
Wednesday; and he took measure of my panels in my dining-room, where,
in the four, I intend to have the four houses of the King, White Hall,
Hampton Court, Greenwich, and Windsor. He gone, I to dinner with my
people, and so to my office to dispatch a little business, and then
home to look after things against to-morrow, and among other things was
mightily pleased with the fellow that come to lay the cloth, and fold
the napkins, which I like so well, as that I am resolved to give him
40s. to teach my wife to do it. So to supper, with much kindness between
me and my wife, which, now-a-days, is all my care, and so to bed.

23rd. Up, and again to look after the setting things right against
dinner, which I did to very good content. So to the office, where all
the morning till noon, when word brought me to the Board that my Lord
Sandwich was come; so I presently rose, leaving the Board ready to
rise, and there I found my Lord Sandwich, Peterborough, and Sir Charles
Harbord; and presently after them comes my Lord Hinchingbroke, Mr.
Sidney, and Sir William Godolphin. And after greeting them, and some
time spent in talk, dinner was brought up, one dish after another, but
a dish at a time, but all so good; but, above all things, the variety of
wines, and excellent of their kind, I had for them, and all in so good
order, that they were mightily pleased, and myself full of content at
it: and indeed it was, of a dinner of about six or eight dishes, as
noble as any man need to have, I think; at least, all was done in the
noblest manner that ever I had any, and I have rarely seen in my life
better anywhere else, even at the Court. After dinner, my Lords to
cards, and the rest of us sitting about them and talking, and looking
on my books and pictures, and my wife's drawings, which they commend
mightily; and mighty merry all day long, with exceeding great content,
and so till seven at night; and so took their leaves, it being dark and
foul weather. Thus was this entertainment over, the best of its kind,
and the fullest of honour and content to me, that ever I had in my life:
and shall not easily have so good again. The truth is, I have some fear
that I am more behind-hand in the world for these last two years, since
I have not, or for some time could not, look after my accounts, which do
a little allay my pleasure. But I do trust in God I am pretty well yet,
and resolve, in a very little time, to look into my accounts, and see
how they stand. So to my wife's chamber, and there supped, and got her
cut my hair and look my shirt, for I have itched mightily these 6 or 7
days, and when all comes to all she finds that I am lousy, having found
in my head and body about twenty lice, little and great, which I wonder
at, being more than I have had I believe these 20 years. I did think
I might have got them from the little boy, but they did presently look
him, and found none. So how they come I know not, but presently did
shift myself, and so shall be rid of them, and cut my hair close to my
head, and so with much content to bed.

24th (Lord's day). An order brought me in bed, for the Principal
Officers to attend the King at my Lord Keeper's this afternoon, it being
resolved late the last night; and, by the warrant, I find my Lord Keeper
did not then know the cause of it, the messenger being ordered to call
upon him, to tell it him by the way, as he come to us. So I up, and to
my Office to set down my Journall for yesterday, and so home, and with
my wife to Church, and then home, and to dinner, and after dinner out
with my wife by coach, to cozen Turner's, where she and The. gone to
church, but I left my wife with Mrs. Dyke and Joyce Norton, whom I
have not seen till now since their coming to town: she is become an old
woman, and with as cunning a look as ever, and thence I to White Hall,
and there walked up and down till the King and Duke of York were ready
to go forth; and here I met Will. Batelier, newly come post from France,
his boots all dirty. He brought letters to the King, and I glad to see
him, it having been reported that he was drowned, for some days past,
and then, he being gone, I to talk with Tom Killigrew, who told me and
others, talking about the playhouse, that he is fain to keep a woman on
purpose at 20s. a week to satisfy 8 or 10 of the young men of his house,
whom till he did so he could never keep to their business, and now he
do. By and by the King comes out, and so I took coach, and followed his
coaches to my Lord Keeper's, at Essex House, where I never was before,
since I saw my old Lord Essex lie in state when he was dead; a large,
but ugly house. Here all the Officers of the Navy attended, and by and
by were called in to the King and Cabinet, where my Lord, who was
ill, did lie upon the bed, as my old Lord Treasurer, or Chancellor,
heretofore used to; and the business was to know in what time all the
King's ships might be repaired, fit for service. The Surveyor answered,
in two years, and not sooner. I did give them hopes that, with supplies
of money suitable, we might have them all fit for sea some part of the
summer after this. Then they demanded in what time we could set out
forty ships. It was answered, as they might be chosen of the newest and
most ready, we could, with money, get forty ready against May. The King
seemed mighty full that we should have money to do all that we desired,
and satisfied that, without it, nothing could be done: and so, without
determining any thing, we were dismissed; and I doubt all will end in
some little fleete this year, and those of hired merchant-men, which
would indeed be cheaper to the King, and have many conveniences
attending it, more than to fit out the King's own; and this, I perceive,
is designed, springing from Sir W. Coventry's counsel; and the King and
most of the Lords, I perceive, full of it, to get the King's fleete all
at once in condition for service. Thence I with Mr. Wren in his coach to
my cozen Turner's for discourse sake, and in our way he told me how the
business of the Parliament is wholly laid aside, it being overruled
now, that they shall not meet, but must be prorogued, upon this argument
chiefly, that all the differences between the two Houses, and things on
foot, that were matters of difference and discontent, may be laid aside,
and must begin again, if ever the House shall have a mind to pursue
them. They must begin all anew. Here he set me down, and I to my cozen
Turner, and stayed and talked a little; and so took my wife, and home,
and there to make her read, and then to supper, and to bed. At supper
come W. Batelier and supped with us, and told us many pretty things of
France, and the greatness of the present King.

25th. Up, and to the Committee of Tangier, where little done, and thence
I home by my own coach, and busy after dinner at my office all the
afternoon till late at night, that my eyes were tired. So home, and my
wife shewed me many excellent prints of Nanteuil's and others, which W.
Batelier hath, at my desire, brought me out of France, of the King, and
Colbert, and others, most excellent, to my great content. But he hath
also brought a great many gloves perfumed, of several sorts; but all too
big by half for her, and yet she will have two or three dozen of them,
which vexed me, and made me angry. So she, at last, to please me, did
come to take what alone I thought fit, which pleased me. So, after a
little supper, to bed, my eyes being very bad.

26th. Up, and to the office, where busy sitting all the morning. Then to
the Office again, and then to White Hall, leaving my wife at Unthanke's;
and I to the Secretary's chamber, where I was, by particular order, this
day summoned to attend, as I find Sir D. Gawden also was. And here was
the King and the Cabinet met; and, being called in, among the rest I
find my Lord Privy Seale, whom I never before knew to be in so much
play, as to be of the Cabinet. The business is, that the Algerines have
broke the peace with us, by taking some Spaniards and goods out of an
English ship, which had the Duke of York's pass, of which advice come
this day; and the King is resolved to stop Sir Thomas Allen's fleete
from coming home till he hath amends made him for this affront, and
therefore sent for us to advise about victuals to be sent to that
fleete, and some more ships; wherein I answered them to what they
demanded of me, which was but some few mean things; but I see that on
all these occasions they seem to rely most upon me. And so, this being
done, I took coach and took up my wife and straight home, and there late
at the office busy, and then home, and there I find W. Batelier hath
also sent the books which I made him bring me out of France. Among
others, L'Estat, de France, Marnix, &c., to my great content; and so I
was well pleased with them, and shall take a time to look them over: as
also one or two printed musick-books of songs; but my eyes are now
too much out of tune to look upon them with any pleasure, therefore to
supper and to bed.

27th. Up, and with Sir John Minnes in his coach to White Hall, where
first we waited on the Lords of the Treasury about finishing the
Victualling Contract; and there also I was put to it to make good our
letter complaining against my Lord Anglesey's failing us in the payment
of the moneys assigned us upon the Customs, where Mr. Fenn was, and I
know will tell my Lord; but it is no matter, I am over shy already, and
therefore must not fear. Then we up to a Committee of the Council
for the Navy, about a business of Sir D. Gawden's relating to the
Victualling, and thence I by hackney to the Temple to the Auditor's man,
and with him to a tavern to meet with another under-auditor to advise
about the clearing of my Lord Bellasses' accounts without injuring
myself and perplexing my accounts, and so thence away to my cozen
Turner's, where I find Roger Pepys come last night to town, and here
is his mistress, Mrs. Dickenson, and by and by comes in Mr. Turner, a
worthy, sober, serious man--I honour him mightily. And there we dined,
having but an ordinary dinner; and so, after dinner, she, and I, and
Roger, and his mistress, to the Duke of York's playhouse, and there
saw "The Five Hours' Adventure," which hath not been acted a good while
before, but once, and is a most excellent play, I must confess. My wife
and The. come after us, after they had been to buy some things abroad,
and so after the play done we to see them home, and then home ourselves,
and my wife to read to me, and so to supper and to bed.

28th. Up, and to the office, where all the afternoon, also after dinner,
and there late dispatching much business, and then home to supper with
my wife, and to get her to read to me, and here I did find that Mr.
Sheres hath, beyond his promise, not only got me a candlestick made me,
after a form he remembers to have seen in Spain, for keeping the light
from one's eyes, but hath got it done in silver very neat, and designs
to give it me, in thanks for my paying him his L100 in money, for his
service at Tangier, which was ordered him; but I do intend to force him
to make me [pay] for it. But I yet, without his direction, cannot tell
how it is to be made use of. So after a little reading to bed.

29th. Up, and with W. Hewer in Colonel Middleton's coach to White Hall,
and there to the Duke of York, to attend him, where among other things I
did give a severe account of our proceedings, and what we found, in the
business of Sir W. Jenings's demand of Supernumeraries. I thought it a
good occasion to make an example of him, for he is a proud, idle fellow;
and it did meet with the Duke of York's acceptance and well-liking; and
he did call him in, after I had done, and did not only give him a soft
rebuke, but condemns him to pay both their victuals and wages, or right
himself of the purser. This I was glad of, and so were all the rest of
us, though I know I have made myself an immortal enemy by it. Thence
home by hackney, calling Roger Pepys at the Temple gate in the
bookseller's shop, and to the Old Exchange, where I staid a little to
invite my uncle Wight, and so home, and there find my aunt Wight and her
husband come presently, and so to dinner; and after dinner Roger, and I,
and my wife, and aunt, to see Mr. Cole; but he nor his wife was within,
but we looked upon his picture of Cleopatra, which I went principally to
see, being so much commended by my wife and aunt; but I find it a base
copy of a good originall, that vexed me to hear so much commended.
Thence to see Creed's wife, and did so, and staid a while, where both
of them within; and here I met Mr. Bland, newly come from Gales [Cadiz]
after his differences with Norwood. I think him a foolish, light-headed
man; but certainly he hath been abused in this matter by Colonel
Norwood. Here Creed shewed me a copy of some propositions, which Bland
and others, in the name of the Corporation of Tangier, did present to
Norwood, for his opinion in, in order to the King's service, which were
drawn up very humbly, and were really good things; but his answer
to them was in the most shitten proud, carping, insolent, and
ironically-prophane stile, that ever I saw in my life, so as I shall
never think the place can do well, while he is there. Here, after some
talk, and Creed's telling us that he is upon taking the next house to
his present lodgings, which is next to that that my cozen Tom Pepys once
lived in, in Newport Street, in Covent Garden; and is in a good place,
and then, I suppose, he will keep his coach. So, setting Roger down at
the Temple, who tells me that he is now concluded in all matters with
his widow, we home, and there hired my wife to make an end of Boyle's
Book of Formes, to-night and to-morrow; and so fell to read and sup,
and then to bed. This day, Mr. Ned Pickering brought his lady to see my
wife, in acknowledgment of a little present of oranges and olives, which
I sent her, for his kindness to me in the buying of my horses, which was
very civil. She is old, but hath, I believe, been a pretty comely woman:

30th. Lay long in bed, it being a fast-day for the murder of the late
King; and so up and to church, where Dr. Hicks made a dull sermon; and
so home, and there I find W. Batelier and Balty, and they dined with us,
and I spent all the afternoon with my wife and W. Batelier talking, and
then making them read, and particularly made an end of Mr. Boyle's Book
of Formes, which I am glad to have over, and then fell to read a French
discourse, which he hath brought over with him for me, to invite the
people of France to apply themselves to Navigation, which it do very
well, and is certainly their interest, and what will undo us in a few
years, if the King of France goes on to fit up his Navy, and encrease it
and his trade, as he hath begun. At night to supper, and after supper,
and W. Batelier gone, my wife begun another book I lately bought, called
"The State of England," which promises well, and is worth reading, and
so after a while to bed.

31st (Lord's day). Lay long talking with pleasure, and so up and I to
church, and there did hear the Doctor that is lately turned Divine,
I have forgot his name, I met him a while since at Sir D. Gawden's
at dinner, Dr. Waterhouse! He preaches in a devout manner of way, not
elegant nor very persuasive, but seems to mean well, and that he would
preach holily; and was mighty passionate against people that make a
scoff of religion. And, the truth is, I did observe Mrs. Hollworthy
smile often, and many others of the parish, who, I perceive, have known
him, and were in mighty expectation of hearing him preach, but could not
forbear smiling, and she particularly upon me, and I on her. So home to
dinner: and before dinner to my Office, to set down my journal for this
week, and then home to dinner; and after dinner to get my wife and boy,
one after another, to read to me: and so spent the afternoon and the
evening, and so after supper to bed. And thus endeth this month, with
many different days of sadness and mirth, from differences between me
and my wife, from her remembrance of my late unkindness to her with
Willet, she not being able to forget it, but now and then hath her
passionate remembrance of it as often as prompted to it by any occasion;
but this night we are at present very kind. And so ends this month.




FEBRUARY 1668-1669

February 1st. Up, and by water from the Tower to White Hall, the first
time that I have gone to that end of the town by water, for two or three
months, I think, since I kept a coach, which God send propitious to me;
but it is a very great convenience. I went to a Committee of Tangier,
but it did not meet, and so I meeting Mr. Povy, he and I away to
Dancre's, to speak something touching the pictures I am getting him
to make for me. And thence he carried me to Mr. Streeter's, the famous
history-painter over the way, whom I have often heard of, but did
never see him before; and there I found him, and Dr. Wren, and several
Virtuosos, looking upon the paintings which he is making for the new
Theatre at Oxford: and, indeed, they look as if they would be very fine,
and the rest think better than those of Rubens in the Banqueting-house
at White Hall, but I do not so fully think so. But they will certainly
be very noble; and I am mightily pleased to have the fortune to see this
man and his work, which is very famous; and he a very civil little man,
and lame, but lives very handsomely. So thence to my Lord Bellassis,
and met him within: my business only to see a chimney-piece of Dancre's
doing, in distemper, with egg to keep off the glaring of the light,
which I must have done for my room: and indeed it is pretty, but, I
must confess, I do think it is not altogether so beautiful as the oyle
pictures; but I will have some of one, and some of another. Thence set
him down at Little Turnstile, and so I home, and there eat a little
dinner, and away with my wife by coach to the King's playhouse, thinking
to have seen "The Heyresse," first acted on Saturday last; but when
we come thither, we find no play there; Kinaston, that did act a part
therein, in abuse to Sir Charles Sedley, being last night exceedingly
beaten with sticks, by two or three that assaulted him, so as he is
mightily bruised, and forced to keep his bed. So we to the Duke of
York's playhouse, and there saw "She Would if She Could," and so home
and to my office to business, and then to supper and to bed. This day,
going to the play, The. Turner met us, and carried us to her mother, at
my Lady Mordaunt's; and I did carry both mother and daughter with us to
the Duke of York's playhouse, at next door.

2nd. Up, and to the office, where all the morning, and home to dinner
at noon, where I find Mr. Sheres; and there made a short dinner, and
carried him with us to the King's playhouse, where "The Heyresse,"
not-withstanding Kinaston's being beaten, is acted; and they say the
King is very angry with Sir Charles Sedley for his being beaten, but he
do deny it. But his part is done by Beeston, who is fain to read it out
of a book all the while, and thereby spoils the part, and almost the
play, it being one of the best parts in it; and though the design is,
in the first conception of it, pretty good, yet it is but an indifferent
play, wrote, they say, by my Lord Newcastle. But it was pleasant to
see Beeston come in with others, supposing it to be dark, and yet he
is forced to read his part by the light of the candles: and this
I observing to a gentleman that sat by me, he was mightily pleased
therewith, and spread it up and down. But that, that pleased me most in
the play is, the first song that Knepp sings, she singing three or four;
and, indeed, it was very finely sung, so as to make the whole house clap
her. Thence carried Sheres to White Hall, and there I stepped in, and
looked out Mr. May, who tells me that he and his company cannot come to
dine with me to-morrow, whom I expected only to come to see the manner
of our Office and books, at which I was not very much displeased, having
much business at the Office, and so away home, and there to the office
about my letters, and then home to supper and to bed, my wife being in
mighty ill humour all night, and in the morning I found it to be from
her observing Knepp to wink and smile on me; and she says I smiled on
her; and, poor wretch! I did perceive that she did, and do on all such
occasions, mind my eyes. I did, with much difficulty, pacify her, and
were friends, she desiring that hereafter, at that house, we might
always sit either above in a box, or, if there be [no] room, close up to
the lower boxes.

3rd. So up, and to the Office till noon, and then home to a little
dinner, and thither again till night, mighty busy, to my great content,
doing a great deal of business, and so home to supper, and to bed; I
finding this day that I may be able to do a great deal of business by
dictating, if I do not read myself, or write, without spoiling my eyes,
I being very well in my eyes after a great day's work.

4th. Up, and at the office all the morning. At noon home with my people
to dinner, and then after dinner comes Mr. Spong to see me, and brings
me my Parallelogram, in better order than before, and two or three
draughts of the port of Brest, to my great content, and I did call Mr.
Gibson to take notice of it, who is very much pleased therewith; and
it seems this Parallelogram is not, as Mr. Sheres would, the other day,
have persuaded me, the same as a Protractor, which do so much the more
make me value it, but of itself it is a most usefull instrument. Thence
out with my wife and him, and carried him to an instrument-maker's shop
in Chancery Lane, that was once a 'Prentice of Greatorex's, but the
master was not within, and there he [Gibson] shewed me a Parallelogram
in brass, which I like so well that I will buy, and therefore bid it be
made clean and fit for me. And so to my cozen Turner's, and there
just spoke with The., the mother not being at home; and so to the New
Exchange, and thence home to my letters; and so home to supper and to
bed. This morning I made a slip from the Office to White Hall, expecting
Povy's business at a Committee of Tangier, at which I would be, but it
did not meet, and so I presently back.

5th. Up betimes, by coach to Sir W. Coventry's, and with him by coach
to White Hall, and there walked in the garden talking of several things,
and by my visit to keep fresh my interest in him; and there he tells me
how it hath been talked that he was to go one of the Commissioners to
Ireland, which he was resolved never to do, unless directly commanded;
for he told me that for to go thither, while the Chief Secretary of
State was his professed enemy, was to undo himself; and, therefore, it
were better for him to venture being unhappy here, than to go further
off, to be undone by some obscure instructions, or whatever other way of
mischief his enemies should cut out for him. He mighty kind to me,
and so parted, and thence home, calling in two or three places--among
others, Dancre's, where I find him beginning of a piece for me, of
Greenwich, which will please me well, and so home to dinner, and very
busy all the afternoon, and so at night home to supper, and to bed.

6th. Up, and to the office, where all the morning, and thence after
dinner to the King's playhouse, and there,--in an upper box, where
come in Colonel Poynton and Doll Stacey, who is very fine, and, by her
wedding-ring, I suppose he hath married her at last,--did see "The
Moor of Venice:" but ill acted in most parts; Mohun, which did a little
surprise me, not acting Iago's part by much so well as Clun used to
do; nor another Hart's, which was Cassio's; nor, indeed, Burt doing
the Moor's so well as I once thought he did. Thence home, and just at
Holborn Conduit the bolt broke, that holds the fore-wheels to the perch,
and so the horses went away with them, and left the coachman and us;
but being near our coachmaker's, and we staying in a little ironmonger's
shop, we were presently supplied with another, and so home, and there to
my letters at the office, and so to supper and to bed.

7th (Lord's day). My wife mighty peevish in the morning about my lying
unquietly a-nights, and she will have it that it is a late practice,
from my evil thoughts in my dreams,....and mightily she is troubled
about it; but all blew over, and I up, and to church, and so home to
dinner, where she in a worse fit, which lasted all the afternoon, and
shut herself up, in her closet, and I mightily grieved and vexed, and
could not get her to tell me what ayled her, or to let me into her
closet, but at last she did, where I found her crying on the ground,
and I could not please her; but I did at last find that she did plainly
expound it to me. It was, that she did believe me false to her with
Jane, and did rip up three or four silly circumstances of her not
rising till I come out of my chamber, and her letting me thereby see
her dressing herself; and that I must needs go into her chamber and was
naught with her; which was so silly, and so far from truth, that I could
not be troubled at it, though I could not wonder at her being troubled,
if she had these thoughts, and therefore she would lie from me, and
caused sheets to be put on in the blue room, and would have Jane to
lie with her lest I should come to her. At last, I did give her such
satisfaction, that we were mighty good friends, and went to bed betimes
.....

8th. Up, and dressed myself; and by coach, with W. Hewer and my wife, to
White Hall, where she set us two down; and in the way, our little boy,
at Martin, my bookseller's shop, going to 'light, did fall down; and,
had he not been a most nimble boy (I saw how he did it, and was mightily
pleased with him for it), he had been run over by the coach. I to visit
my Lord Sandwich; and there, while my Lord was dressing himself, did see
a young Spaniard, that he hath brought over with him, dance, which he is
admired for, as the best dancer in Spain, and indeed he do with mighty
mastery; but I do not like his dancing as the English, though my Lord
commends it mightily: but I will have him to my house, and show it my
wife. Here I met with Mr. Moore, who tells me the state of my Lord's
accounts of his embassy, which I find not so good as I thought: for,
though it be passed the King and his Cabal (the Committee for Foreign
Affairs as they are called), yet they have cut off from L9000 full
L8000, and have now sent it to the Lords of the Treasury, who, though
the Committee have allowed the rest, yet they are not obliged to
abide by it. So that I do fear this account may yet be long ere it be
passed--much more, ere that sum be paid: I am sorry for the family,
and not a little for what it owes me. So to my wife, took her up at
Unthank's, and in our way home did shew her the tall woman in Holborne,
which I have seen before; and I measured her, and she is, without shoes,
just six feet five inches high, and they say not above twenty-one years
old. Thence home, and there to dinner, and my wife in a wonderful ill
humour; and, after dinner, I staid with her alone, being not able to
endure this life, and fell to some angry words together; but by and by
were mighty good friends, she telling me plain it was still about Jane,
whom she cannot believe but I am base with, which I made a matter of
mirth at; but at last did call up Jane, and confirm her mistress's
directions for her being gone at Easter, which I find the wench willing
to be, but directly prayed that Tom might go with her, which I promised,
and was but what I designed; and she being thus spoke with, and gone, my
wife and I good friends, and mighty kind, I having promised, and I
will perform it, never to give her for the time to come ground of new
trouble; and so I to the Office, with a very light heart, and there
close at my business all the afternoon. This day I was told by Mr. Wren,
that Captain Cox, Master-Attendant at Deptford, is to be one of us
very soon, he and Tippets being to take their turns for Chatham and
Portsmouth, which choice I like well enough; and Captain Annesley is to
come in his room at Deptford. This morning also, going to visit Roger
Pepys, at the potticary's in King's Street, he tells me that Roger is
gone to his wife's, so that they have been married, as he tells me, ever
since the middle of last week: it was his design, upon good reasons,
to make no noise of it; but I am well enough contented that it is over.
Dispatched a great deal of business at the office, and there pretty
late, till finding myself very full of wind, by my eating no dinner
to-day, being vexed, I was forced to go home, and there supped W.
Batelier with us, and so with great content to bed.

9th. Up, and all the morning busy at the office, and after dinner
abroad with my wife to the King's playhouse, and there saw "The Island
Princesse," which I like mighty well, as an excellent play: and here
we find Kinaston to be well enough to act again, which he do very well,
after his beating by Sir Charles Sedley's appointment; and so thence
home, and there to my business at the Office, and after my letters
done, then home to supper and to bed, my mind being mightily eased by my
having this morning delivered to the Office a letter of advice about our
answers to the Commissioners of Accounts, whom we have neglected, and I
have done this as a record in my justification hereafter, when it shall
come to be examined.

10th. Up, and with my wife and W. Hewer, she set us down at White Hall,
where the Duke of York was gone a-hunting: and so, after I had done a
little business there, I to my wife, and with her to the plaisterer's at
Charing Cross, that casts heads and bodies in plaister: and there I had
my whole face done; but I was vexed first to be forced to daub all my
face over with pomatum: but it was pretty to feel how soft and easily
it is done on the face, and by and by, by degrees, how hard it becomes,
that you cannot break it, and sits so close, that you cannot pull
it off, and yet so easy, that it is as soft as a pillow, so safe is
everything where many parts of the body do bear alike. Thus was the
mould made; but when it came off there was little pleasure in it, as it
looks in the mould, nor any resemblance whatever there will be in the
figure, when I come to see it cast off, which I am to call for a day or
two hence, which I shall long to see. Thence to Hercules Pillars, and
there my wife and W. Hewer and I dined, and back to White Hall, where I
staid till the Duke of York come from hunting, which he did by and by,
and, when dressed, did come out to dinner; and there I waited: and he
did tell me that to-morrow was to be the great day that the business
of the Navy would be dis coursed of before the King and his Caball,
and that he must stand on his guard, and did design to have had me in
readiness by, but that upon second thoughts did think it better to let
it alone, but they are now upon entering into the economical part of the
Navy. Here he dined, and did mightily magnify his sauce, which he did
then eat with every thing, and said it was the best universal sauce in
the world, it being taught him by the Spanish Embassador; made of some
parsley and a dry toast, beat in a mortar, together with vinegar, salt,
and a little pepper: he eats it with flesh, or fowl, or fish: and then
he did now mightily commend some new sort of wine lately found out,
called Navarre wine, which I tasted, and is, I think, good wine: but I
did like better the notion of the sauce, and by and by did taste it, and
liked it mightily. After dinner, I did what I went for, which was to get
his consent that Balty might hold his Muster-Master's place by deputy,
in his new employment which I design for him, about the Storekeeper's
accounts; which the Duke of York did grant me, and I was mighty glad of
it. Thence home, and there I find Povy and W. Batelier, by appointment,
met to talk of some merchandize of wine and linnen; but I do not like of
their troubling my house to meet in, having no mind to their pretences
of having their rendezvous here, but, however, I was not much troubled,
but went to the office, and there very busy, and did much business till
late at night, and so home to supper, and with great pleasure to bed.
This day, at dinner, I sent to Mr. Spong to come to me to Hercules
Pillars, who come to us, and there did bring with him my new
Parallelogram of brass, which I was mightily pleased with, and paid for
it 25s., and am mightily pleased with his ingenious and modest company.

11th. Up, and to the office, where sat all the morning, and at noon home
and heard that the last night Colonel Middleton's wife died, a woman I
never saw since she come hither, having never been within their house
since. Home at noon to dinner, and thence to work all the afternoon with
great pleasure, and did bring my business to a very little compass in my
day book, which is a mighty pleasure, and so home to supper and get my
wife to read to me, and then to bed.

12th. Up, and my wife with me to White Hall, and Tom, and there she sets
us down, and there to wait on the Duke of York, with the rest of us, at
the Robes, where the Duke of York did tell us that the King would have
us prepare a draught of the present administration of the Navy, and
what it was in the late times, in order to his being able to distinguish
between the good and the bad, which I shall do, but to do it well will
give me a great deal of trouble. Here we shewed him Sir J. Minnes's
propositions about balancing Storekeeper's accounts; and I did shew him
Hosier's, which did please him mightily, and he will have it shewed the
Council and King anon, to be put in practice. Thence to the Treasurer's;
and I and Sir J. Minnes and Mr. Tippets down to the Lords Commissioners
of the Treasury, and there had a hot debate from Sir Thomas Clifford and
my Lord Ashly (the latter of which, I hear, is turning about as fast as
he can to the Duke of Buckingham's side, being in danger, it seems, of
being otherwise out of play, which would not be convenient for him),
against Sir W. Coventry and Sir J. Duncomb, who did uphold our Office
against an accusation of our Treasurers, who told the Lords that they
found that we had run the King in debt L50,000 or more, more than the
money appointed for the year would defray, which they declared like
fools, and with design to hurt us, though the thing is in itself
ridiculous. But my Lord Ashly and Clifford did most horribly cry out
against the want of method in the Office. At last it come that it should
be put in writing what they had to object; but I was devilish mad at it,
to see us thus wounded by our own members, and so away vexed, and called
my wife, and to Hercules Pillars, Tom and I, there dined; and here there
coming a Frenchman by with his Shew, we did make him shew it us, which
he did just as Lacy acts it, which made it mighty pleasant to me. So
after dinner we away and to Dancre's, and there saw our picture of
Greenwich in doing, which is mighty pretty, and so to White Hall, my
wife to Unthank's, and I attended with Lord Brouncker the King and
Council, about the proposition of balancing Storekeeper's accounts
and there presented Hosier's book, and it was mighty well resented and
approved of. So the Council being up, we to the Queen's side with the
King and Duke of York: and the Duke of York did take me out to talk
of our Treasurers, whom he is mighty angry with: and I perceive he
is mighty desirous to bring in as many good motions of profit and
reformation in the Navy as he can, before the Treasurers do light upon
them, they being desirous, it seems, to be thought the great reformers:
and the Duke of York do well. But to my great joy he is mighty open to
me in every thing; and by this means I know his whole mind, and shall be
able to secure myself, if he stands. Here to-night I understand, by
my Lord Brouncker, that at last it is concluded on by the King and
Buckingham that my Lord of Ormond shall not hold his government of
Ireland, which is a great stroke, to shew the power of Buckingham and
the poor spirit of the King, and little hold that any man can have of
him. Thence I homeward, and calling my wife called at my cozen Turner's,
and there met our new cozen Pepys (Mrs. Dickenson), and Bab. and Betty'
come yesterday to town, poor girls, whom we have reason to love, and
mighty glad we are to see them; and there staid and talked a little,
being also mightily pleased to see Betty Turner, who is now in town,
and her brothers Charles and Will, being come from school to see their
father, and there talked a while, and so home, and there Pelling hath
got me W. Pen's book against the Trinity.

     [Entitled, "The Sandy Foundation Shaken; or those...  doctrines
     of one God subsisting in three distinct and separate persons; the
     impossibility of God's pardoning sinners without a plenary
     satisfaction, the justification of impure persons by an imputative
     righteousness, refuted from the authority of Scripture testimonies
     and right reason, etc.  London, 1668."  It caused him to be
     imprisoned in the Tower.  "Aug. 4, 1669.  Young Penn who wrote the
     blasphemous book is delivered to his father to be transported"
     ("Letter to Sir John Birkenhead, quoted by Bishop Kennett in his MS.
     Collections, vol. lxxxix., p. 477).]

I got my wife to read it to me; and I find it so well writ as, I think,
it is too good for him ever to have writ it; and it is a serious sort of
book, and not fit for every body to read. So to supper and to bed.

13th. Up, and all the morning at the office, and at noon home to dinner,
and thence to the office again mighty busy, to my great content, till
night, and then home to supper and, my eyes being weary, to bed.

14th (Lord's day). Up, and by coach to Sir W. Coventry, and there, he
taking physic, I with him all the morning, full of very good discourse
of the Navy and publick matters, to my great content, wherein I find him
doubtful that all will be bad, and, for his part, he tells me he takes
no more care for any thing more than in the Treasury; and that, that
being done, he goes to cards and other delights, as plays, and in
summertime to bowles. But here he did shew me two or three old books of
the Navy, of my Lord Northumberland's' times, which he hath taken many
good notes out of, for justifying the Duke of York and us, in many
things, wherein, perhaps, precedents will be necessary to produce, which
did give me great content. At noon home, and pleased mightily with my
morning's work, and coming home, I do find a letter from Mr. Wren, to
call me to the Duke of York after dinner. So dined in all haste, and
then W. Hewer and my wife and I out, we set her at my cozen Turner's
while we to White Hall, where the Duke of York expected me; and in his
closet Wren and I. He did tell me how the King hath been acquainted with
the Treasurers' discourse at the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury,
the other day, and is dissatisfied with our running him in debt, which
I removed; and he did, carry me to the King, and I did satisfy him also;
but his satisfaction is nothing worth, it being easily got, and easily
removed; but I do purpose to put in writing that which shall make the
Treasurers ashamed. But the Duke of York is horrid angry against them;
and he hath cause, for they do all they can to bring dishonour upon his
management, as do vainly appear in all they do. Having done with the
Duke of York, who do repose all in me, I with Mr. Wren to his, chamber,
to talk; where he observed, that these people are all of them a broken
sort of people, that have not much to lose, and therefore will venture
all to make their fortunes better: that Sir Thomas Osborne is a
beggar, having 11 of L1200 a-year, but owes above L10,000. The Duke
of Buckingham's condition is shortly this: that he hath about L19,600
a-year, of which he pays away about L7,000 a-year in interest, about
L2000 in fee-farm rents to the King, about L6000 wages and pensions, and
the rest to live upon, and pay taxes for the whole. Wren says, that for
the Duke of York to stir in this matter, as his quality might justify,
would but make all things worse, and that therefore he must bend, and
suffer all, till time works it out: that he fears they will sacrifice
the Church, and that the King will take anything, and so he will hold up
his head a little longer, and then break in pieces. But Sir W. Coventry
did today mightily magnify my late Lord Treasurer, for a wise and solid,
though infirm man: and, among other things, that when he hath said it
was impossible in nature to find this or that sum of money, and my Lord
Chancellor hath made sport of it, and tell the King that when my Lord
hath said it [was] impossible, yet he hath made shift to find it, and
that was by Sir G. Carteret's getting credit, my Lord did once in his
hearing say thus, which he magnifies as a great saying--that impossible
would be found impossible at last; meaning that the King would run
himself out, beyond all his credit and funds, and then we should too
late find it impossible; which is, he says, now come to pass. For that
Sir W. Coventry says they could borrow what money they would, if they
had assignments, and funds to secure it with, which before they had
enough of, and then must spend it as if it would never have an end. From
White Hall to my cozen Turner's, and there took up my wife; and so to
my uncle Wight's, and there sat and supped, and talked pretty merry, and
then walked home, and to bed.

15th. Up, and with Tom to White Hall; and there at a Committee of
Tangier, where a great instance of what a man may lose by the neglect
of a friend: Povy never had such an opportunity of passing his accounts,
the Duke of York being there, and everybody well disposed, and in
expectation of them; but my Lord Ashly, on whom he relied, and for whose
sake this day was pitched on, that he might be sure to be there, among
the rest of his friends, staid too long, till the Duke of York and the
company thought unfit to stay longer and so the day lost, and God knows
when he will ever have so good a one again, as long as he lives;
and this was the man of the whole company that he hath made the most
interest to gain, and now most depended upon him. So up and down the
house a while, and then to the plaisterer's, and there saw the figure of
my face taken from the mould: and it is most admirably like, and I will
have another made, before I take it away, and therefore I away and to
the Temple, and thence to my cozen Turner's, where, having the last
night been told by her that she had drawn me for her Valentine, I did
this day call at the New Exchange, and bought her a pair of green silk
stockings and garters and shoe-strings, and two pair of jessimy gloves,
all coming to about 28s., and did give them her this noon. At the
'Change, I did at my bookseller's shop accidentally fall into talk with
Sir Samuel Tuke about trees, and Mr. Evelyn's garden; and I do find him,
I think, a little conceited, but a man of very fine discourse as any
I ever heard almost, which I was mighty glad of. I dined at my cozen
Turner's, and my wife also and her husband there, and after dinner, my
wife and I endeavoured to make a visit to Ned Pickering; but he not
at home, nor his lady; and therefore back again, and took up my cozen
Turner, and to my cozen Roger's lodgings, and there find him pretty well
again, and his wife mighty kind and merry, and did make mighty much of
us, and I believe he is married to a very good woman. Here was also Bab.
and Betty, who have not their clothes yet, and therefore cannot go out,
otherwise I would have had them abroad to-morrow; but the poor girls
mighty kind to us, and we must skew them kindness also. Here in Suffolk
Street lives Moll Davis; and we did see her coach come for her to her
door, a mighty pretty fine coach. Here we staid an hour or two, and then
carried Turner home, and there staid and talked a while, and then my
wife and I to White Hall; and there, by means of Mr. Cooling, did get
into the play, the only one we have seen this winter: it was "The Five
Hours' Adventure:" but I sat so far I could not hear well, nor was there
any pretty woman that I did see, but my wife, who sat in my Lady Fox's
pew

     [We may suppose that pews were by no means common at this time
     within consecrated walls, from the word being applied indifferently
     by Pepys to a box in a place of amusement, and two days afterwards
     to a seat at church.  It would appear, from other authorities, that
     between 1646 and 1660 scarcely any pews had been erected; and Sir C.
     Wren is known to have objected to their introduction into his London
     churches.--B.]

with her. The house very full; and late before done, so that it was past
eleven before we got home. But we were well pleased with seeing it, and
so to supper, where it happened that there was no bread in the house,
which was an unusual case, and so to bed.

16th. Up, and to the office, where all the morning, my head full of
business of the office now at once on my hands, and so at noon home to
dinner, where I find some things of W. Batelier's come out of France,
among which some clothes for my wife, wherein she is likely to lead me
to the expence of so much money as vexed me; but I seemed so, more than
I at this time was, only to prevent her taking too much, and she was
mighty calm under it. But I was mightily pleased with another picture of
the King of France's head, of Nanteuil's, bigger than the other which
he brought over, that pleases me infinitely: and so to the Office, where
busy all the afternoon, though my eyes mighty bad with the light of the
candles last night, which was so great as to make my eyes sore all this
day, and do teach me, by a manifest experiment, that it is only too much
light that do make my eyes sore. Nevertheless, with the help of my tube,
and being desirous of easing my mind of five or six days journall, I did
venture to write it down from ever since this day se'nnight, and I think
without hurting my eyes any more than they were before, which was very
much, and so home to supper and to bed.

17th. Up, and with W. Hewer with me to Lincoln's Inn, by appointment,
to have spoke with Mr. Pedley about Mr. Goldsborough's business and Mr.
Weaver's, but he was gone out, and so I with Mr. Castle, the son-in-law
of Weaver, to White Hall to look for him, but did not find him, but
here I did meet with several and talked, and do hear only that the King
dining yesterday at the Dutch Embassador's, after dinner they drank, and
were pretty merry; and, among the rest of the King's company, there was
that worthy fellow my lord of Rochester, and Tom Killigrew, whose mirth
and raillery offended the former so much, that he did give Tom Killigrew
a box on the ear in the King's presence, which do much give offence to
the people here at Court, to see how cheap the King makes himself,
and the more, for that the King hath not only passed by the thing, and
pardoned it to Rochester already, but this very morning the King did
publickly walk up and down, and Rochester I saw with him as free as
ever, to the King's everlasting shame, to have so idle a rogue his
companion. How Tom Killigrew takes it, I do not hear. I do also this day
hear that my Lord Privy Seale do accept to go Lieutenant into
Ireland; but whether it be true or no, I cannot tell. So calling at my
shoemaker's, and paying him to this day, I home to dinner, and in the
afternoon to Colonel Middleton's house, to the burial of his wife, where
we are all invited, and much more company, and had each of us a ring:
and so towards evening to our church, where there was a sermon preached
by Mills, and so home. At church there was my Lord Brouncker and Mrs.
Williams in our pew, the first time they were ever there or that I knew
that either of them would go to church. At home comes Castle to me, to
desire me to go to Mr. Pedly, this night, he being to go out of town
to-morrow morning, which I, therefore, did, by hackney-coach, first
going to White Hall to meet with Sir W. Coventry, but missed him. But
here I had a pleasant rencontre of a lady in mourning, that, by the
little light I had, seemed handsome. I passing by her, I did observe she
looked back again and again upon me, I suffering her to go before, and
it being now duske. I observed she went into the little passage towards
the Privy Water-Gate, and I followed, but missed her; but coming back
again, I observed she returned, and went to go out of the Court. I
followed her, and took occasion, in the new passage now built, where the
walke is to be, to take her by the hand, to lead her through, which she
willingly accepted, and I led her to the Great Gate, and there left her,
she telling me, of her own accord, that she was going as far as, Charing
Cross; but my boy was at the gate, and so je durst not go out con her,
which vexed me, and my mind (God forgive me) did run apres her toute
that night, though I have reason to thank God, and so I do now, that I
was not tempted to go further. So to Lincoln's Inn, where to Mr. Pedly,
with whom I spoke, and did my business presently: and I find him a man
of very good language, and mighty civil, and I believe very upright:
and so home, where W. Batelier was, and supped with us, and I did reckon
this night what I owed him; and I do find that the things my wife, of
her own head, hath taken (together with my own, which comes not to above
L5), comes to above L22. But it is the last, and so I am the better
contented; and they are things that are not trifles, but clothes,
gloves, shoes, hoods, &c. So after supper, to bed.

18th. Up, and to the Office, and at noon home, expecting to have this
day seen Bab. and Betty Pepys here, but they come not; and so after
dinner my wife and I to the Duke of York's house, to a play, and there
saw "The Mad Lover," which do not please me so well as it used to do,
only Betterton's part still pleases me. But here who should we have come
to us but Bab. and Betty and Talbot, the first play they were yet at;
and going to see us, and hearing by my boy, whom I sent to them, that we
were here, they come to us hither, and happened all of us to sit by my
cozen Turner and The., and we carried them home first, and then took
Bab. and Betty to our house, where they lay and supped, and pretty
merry, and very fine with their new clothes, and good comely girls they
are enough, and very glad I am of their being with us, though I would
very well have been contented to have been without the charge. So they
to bed and we to bed.

19th. Up, and after seeing the girls, who lodged in our bed, with their
maid Martha, who hath been their father's maid these twenty years and
more, I with Lord Brouncker to White Hall, where all of us waited on the
Duke of York; and after our usual business done, W. Hewer and I to look
my wife at the Black Lion, Mercer's, but she is gone home, and so I home
and there dined, and W. Batelierand W. Hewer with us. All the afternoon
I at the Office, while the young people went to see Bedlam, and at night
home to them and to supper, and pretty merry, only troubled with a great
cold at this time, and my eyes very bad ever since Monday night last
that the light of the candles spoiled me. So to bed. This morning, among
other things, talking with Sir W. Coventry, I did propose to him my
putting in to serve in Parliament, if there should, as the world begins
to expect, be a new one chose: he likes it mightily, both for the King's
and Service's sake, and the Duke of York's, and will propound it to the
Duke of York: and I confess, if there be one, I would be glad to be in.

20th. Up, and all the morning at the office, and then home to dinner,
and after dinner out with my wife and my two girls to the Duke of York's
house, and there saw "The Gratefull Servant," a pretty good play, and
which I have forgot that ever I did see. And thence with them to Mrs.
Gotier's, the Queen's tire-woman, for a pair of locks for my wife; she
is an oldish French woman, but with a pretty hand as most I have seen;
and so home, and to supper, W. Batelier and W. Hewer with us, and so my
cold being great, and greater by my having left my coat at my tailor's
to-night and come home in a thinner that I borrowed there, I went to bed
before them and slept pretty well.

21st (Lord's day). Up, and with my wife and two girls to church, they
very fine; and so home, where comes my cozen Roger and his wife, I
having sent for them, to dine with us, and there comes in by chance
also Mr. Shepley, who is come to town with my Lady Paulina, who is
desperately sick, and is gone to Chelsey, to the old house where my Lord
himself was once sick, where I doubt my Lord means to visit hers
more for young Mrs. Beck's sake than for hers. Here we dined with W.
Batelier, and W. Hewer with us, these two, girls making it necessary
that they be always with us, for I am not company light enough to be
always merry with them and so sat talking all the afternoon, and then
Shepley went: away first, and then my cozen Roger and his wife. And so
I, to my Office, to write down my Journall, and so home to my chamber
and to do a little business there, my papers being in mighty disorder,
and likely so to continue while these girls are with us. In the evening
comes W. Batelier and his sisters and supped and talked with us, and
so spent the evening, myself being somewhat out of order because of my
eyes, which have never been well since last Sunday's reading at Sir W.
Coventry's chamber, and so after supper to bed.

22nd. Up, and betimes to White Hall; but there the Duke of York is gone
abroad a-hunting, and therefore after a little stay there I into London,
with Sir H. Cholmly, talking all the way of Tangier matters, wherein
I find him troubled from some reports lately from Norwood (who is his
great enemy and I doubt an ill man), of some decay of the Mole, and a
breach made therein by the sea to a great value. He set me down at the
end of Leadenhall Street, and so I home, and after dinner, with my wife,
in her morning-gown, and the two girls dressed, to Unthanke's, where
my wife dresses herself, having her gown this day laced, and a new
petticoat; and so is indeed very fine. And in the evening I do carry
them to White Hall, and there did without much trouble get into the
playhouse, there in a good place among the Ladies of Honour, and myself
also sat in the pit; and there by and by come the King and Queen, and
they begun "Bartholomew Fayre." But I like no play here so well as at
the common playhouse; besides that, my eyes being very ill since last
Sunday and this day se'nnight, with the light of the candles, I was in
mighty pain to defend myself now from the light of the candles. After
the play done, we met with W. Batelier and W. Hewer and Talbot Pepys,
and they follow us in a hackney-coach: and we all stopped at Hercules'
Pillars; and there I did give them the best supper I could, and pretty
merry; and so home between eleven and twelve at night, and so to bed,
mightily well pleased with this day's work.

23rd. Up: and to the Office, where all the morning, and then home, and
put a mouthfull of victuals in my mouth; and by a hackney-coach followed
my wife and the girls, who are gone by eleven o'clock, thinking to have
seen a new play at the Duke of York's house. But I do find them staying
at my tailor's, the play not being to-day, and therefore I now took them
to Westminster Abbey, and there did show them all the tombs very finely,
having one with us alone, there being other company this day to see
the tombs, it being Shrove Tuesday; and here we did see, by particular
favour, the body of Queen Katherine of Valois; and I had the upper part
of her body in my hands, and I did kiss her mouth, reflecting upon it
that I did kiss a Queen,

     [Pepys's attachment to the fair sex extended even to a dead queen.
     The record of this royal salute on his natal day is very
     characteristic.  The story told him in Westminster Abbey appears to
     have been correct; for Neale informs us ("History of Westminster
     Abbey," vol. ii., p. 88) that near the south side of Henry V.'s tomb
     there was formerly a wooden chest, or coffin, wherein part of the
     skeleton and parched body of Katherine de Valois, his queen (from
     the waist upwards), was to be seen.  She was interred in January,
     1457, in the Chapel of Our Lady, at the east end of this church; but
     when that building was pulled down by her grandson, Henry VII., her
     coffin was found to be decayed, and her body was taken up, and
     placed in a chest, near her first husband's tomb.  "There," says
     Dart, "it hath ever since continued to be seen, the bones being
     firmly united, and thinly clothed with flesh, like scrapings of
     tanned leather."  This awful spectacle of frail mortality was at
     length removed from the public gaze into St. Nicholas's Chapel, and
     finally deposited under the monument of Sir George Villiers, when
     the vault was made for the remains of Elizabeth Percy, Duchess of
     Northumberland, in December, 1776.--B.]

and that this was my birth-day, thirty-six years old, that I did first
kiss a Queen. But here this man, who seems to understand well, tells me
that the saying is not true that says she was never buried, for she was
buried; only, when Henry the Seventh built his chapel, it was taken up
and laid in this wooden coffin; but I did there see that, in it, the
body was buried in a leaden one, which remains under the body to this
day. Thence to the Duke of York's playhouse, and there, finding the play
begun, we homeward to the Glass-House,

     [Glass House Alley, Whitefriars and Blackfriars, marked the site for
     some years: The Whitefriars Glass Works of Messrs.  Powell and Sons
     are on the old site, now Temple Street.]

and there shewed my cozens the making of glass, and had several
things made with great content; and, among others, I had one or two
singing-glasses made, which make an echo to the voice, the first that
ever I saw; but so thin, that the very breath broke one or two of them.
So home, and thence to Mr. Batelier's, where we supped, and had a good
supper, and here was Mr. Gumbleton; and after supper some fiddles,
and so to dance; but my eyes were so out of order, that I had little
pleasure this night at all, though I was glad to see the rest merry, and
so about midnight home and to bed.

24th. Lay long in bed, both being sleepy and my eyes bad, and myself
having a great cold so as I was hardly able to speak, but, however, by
and by up and to the office, and at noon home with my people to dinner,
and then I to the office again, and there till the evening doing of much
business, and at night my wife sends for me to W. Hewer's lodging, where
I find two best chambers of his so finely furnished, and all so rich
and neat, that I was mightily pleased with him and them and here only my
wife, and I, and the two girls, and had a mighty neat dish of custards
and tarts, and good drink and talk. And so away home to bed, with
infinite content at this his treat; for it was mighty pretty, and
everything mighty rich.

25th. All the morning at the office. At noon home and eat a bit myself,
and then followed my wife and girls to the Duke of York's house, and
there before one, but the house infinite full, where, by and by, the
King and Court come, it being a new play, or an old one new vamped, by
Shadwell, called "The Royall Shepherdesse;" but the silliest for words
and design, and everything, that ever I saw in my whole life, there
being nothing in the world pleasing in it, but a good martial dance of
pikemen, where Harris and another do handle their pikes in a dance to
admiration; but never less satisfied with a play in my life. Thence to
the office I, and did a little business, and so home to supper with my
girls, and pretty merry, only my eyes, which continue very bad, and my
cold, that I cannot speak at all, do trouble me.

26th. Was forced to send my excuse to the Duke of York for my not
attending him with my fellows this day because of my cold, and was the
less troubled because I was thereby out of the way to offer my proposals
about Pursers till the Surveyor hath delivered his notions, which he
is to do to-day about something he has to offer relating to the Navy in
general, which I would be glad to see and peruse before I offer what I
have to say. So lay long in bed, and then up and to my office, and so to
dinner, and then, though I could not speak, yet I went with my wife and
girls to the King's playhouse, to shew them that, and there saw "The
Faithfull Shepherdesse." But, Lord! what an empty house, there not
being, as I could tell the people, so many as to make up above L10 in
the whole house! The being of a new play at the other house, I suppose,
being the cause, though it be so silly a play that I wonder how there
should be enough people to go thither two days together, and not leave
more to fill this house. The emptiness of the house took away our
pleasure a great deal, though I liked it the better; for that I plainly
discern the musick is the better, by how much the house the emptier.
Thence home, and again to W. Hewer's, and had a pretty little treat, and
spent an hour or two, my voice being wholly taken away with my cold, and
so home and to bed.

27th. Up, and at the office all the morning, where I could speak but a
little. At noon home to dinner, and all the afternoon till night busy at
the office again, where forced to speak low and dictate. But that that
troubles me most is my eyes, which are still mighty bad night and day,
and so home at night to talk and sup with my cozens, and so all of us in
mighty good humour to bed.

28th (Lord's day). Up, and got my wife to read to me a copy of what the
Surveyor offered to the Duke of York on Friday, he himself putting it
into my hands to read; but, Lord! it is a poor, silly thing ever to
think to bring it in practice, in the King's Navy. It is to have the
Captains to account for all stores and victuals; but upon so silly
grounds, to my thinking; and ignorance of the present instructions of
Officers, that I am ashamed to hear it. However, I do take a copy of it,
for my future use and answering; and so to church, where, God forgive
me! I did most of the time gaze on the fine milliner's wife, in
Fenchurch Street, who was at our church to-day; and so home to dinner.
And after dinner to write down my Journall; and then abroad by coach
with my cozens, to their father's, where we are kindly received, but he
is an great pain for his man Arthur, who, he fears, is now dead, having
been desperately sick, and speaks so much of him that my cozen, his
wife, and I did make mirth of it, and call him Arthur O'Bradly.
After staying here a little, and eat and drank, and she gave me some
ginger-bread made in cakes, like chocolate, very good, made by a friend,
I carried him and her to my cozen Turner's, where we staid, expecting
her coming from church; but she coming not, I went to her husband's
chamber in the Temple, and thence fetched her, she having been there
alone ever since sermon staying till the evening to walk home on foot,
her horses being ill. This I did, and brought her home. And after
talking there awhile, and agreeing to be all merry at my house on
Tuesday next, I away home; and there spent the evening talking and
reading, with my wife and Mr. Pelling, and yet much troubled with my
cold, it hardly suffering me to speak, we to bed.




MARCH 1668-1669

March 1st. Up, and to White Hall to the Committee of Tangier, but it did
not meet. But here I do hear first that my Lady Paulina Montagu did die
yesterday; at which I went to my Lord's lodgings, but he is shut up with
sorrow, and so not to be spoken with: and therefore I returned, and to
Westminster Hall, where I have not been, I think, in some months. And
here the Hall was very full, the King having, by Commission to some
Lords this day, prorogued the Parliament till the 19th of October next:
at which I am glad, hoping to have time to go over to France this year.
But I was most of all surprised this morning by my Lord Bellassis, who,
by appointment, met me at Auditor Wood's, at the Temple, and tells me of
a duell designed between the Duke of Buckingham and my Lord Halifax,
or Sir W. Coventry; the challenge being carried by Harry Saville, but
prevented by my Lord Arlington, and the King told of it; and this was
all the discourse at Court this day. But I, meeting Sir W. Coventry in
the Duke of York's chamber, he would not own it to me, but told me
that he was a man of too much peace to meddle with fighting, and so it
rested: but the talk is full in the town of the business. Thence,
having walked some turns with my cozen Pepys, and most people, by their
discourse, believing that this Parliament will never sit more, I away
to several places to look after things against to-morrow's feast, and
so home to dinner; and thence, after noon, my wife and I out by
hackneycoach, and spent the afternoon in several places, doing several
things at the 'Change and elsewhere against to-morrow; and, among
others, I did also bring home a piece of my face cast in plaister, for
to make a wizard upon, for my eyes. And so home, where W. Batelier come,
and sat with us; and there, after many doubts, did resolve to go on with
our feast and dancing to-morrow; and so, after supper, left the maids
to make clean the house, and to lay the cloth, and other things against
to-morrow, and we to bed.

2nd. Up, and at the office till noon, when home, and there I find my
company come, namely, Madam Turner, Dyke, The., and Betty Turner,
and Mr. Bellwood, formerly their father's clerk, but now set up for
himself--a conceited, silly fellow, but one they make mightily of--my
cozen Roger Pepys, and his wife, and two daughters. I had a noble dinner
for them, as I almost ever had, and mighty merry, and particularly
myself pleased with looking on Betty Turner, who is mighty pretty. After
dinner, we fell one to one talk, and another to another, and looking
over my house, and closet, and things; and The. Turner to write a letter
to a lady in the country, in which I did, now and then, put in half a
dozen words, and sometimes five or six lines, and then she as much, and
made up a long and good letter, she being mighty witty really, though
troublesome-humoured with it. And thus till night, that our musick come,
and the Office ready and candles, and also W. Batelier and his sister
Susan come, and also Will. Howe and two gentlemen more, strangers,
which, at my request yesterday, he did bring to dance, called Mr.
Ireton and Mr. Starkey. We fell to dancing, and continued, only with
intermission for a good supper, till two in the morning, the musick
being Greeting, and another most excellent violin, and theorbo, the best
in town. And so with mighty mirth, and pleased with their dancing of
jigs afterwards several of them, and, among others, Betty Turner,
who did it mighty prettily; and, lastly, W. Batelier's "Blackmore and
Blackmore Mad;" and then to a country-dance again, and so broke up with
extraordinary pleasure, as being one of the days and nights of my life
spent with the greatest content; and that which I can but hope to repeat
again a few times in my whole life. This done, we parted, the strangers
home, and I did lodge my cozen Pepys and his wife in our blue chamber.
My cozen Turner, her sister, and The., in our best chamber; Bab., Betty,
and Betty Turner, in our own chamber; and myself and my wife in the
maid's bed, which is very good. Our maids in the coachman's bed; the
coachman with the boy in his settlebed, and Tom where he uses to lie.
And so I did, to my great content, lodge at once in my house, with the
greatest ease, fifteen, and eight of them strangers of quality. My wife
this day put on first her French gown, called a Sac, which becomes her
very well, brought her over by W. Batelier.

3rd. Up, after a very good night's rest, and was called upon by Sir H.
Cholmly, who was with me an hour, and though acquainted did not stay
to talk with my company I had in the house, but away, and then I to my
guests, and got them to breakfast, and then parted by coaches; and I
did, in mine, carry my she-cozen Pepys and her daughters home, and there
left them, and so to White Hall, where W. Hewer met me; and he and
I took a turn in St. James's Park, and in the Mall did meet Sir W.
Coventry and Sir J. Duncomb, and did speak with them about some business
before the Lords of the Treasury; but I did find them more than usually
busy, though I knew not then the reason of it, though I guess it by what
followed to-morrow. Thence to Dancre's, the painter's, and there saw
my picture of Greenwich, finished to my very good content, though this
manner of distemper do make the figures not so pleasing as in oyle. So
to Unthanke's, and there took up my wife, and carried her to the Duke of
York's playhouse, and there saw an old play, the first time acted these
forty years, called "The Lady's Tryall," acted only by the young people
of the house; but the house very full. But it is but a sorry play, and
the worse by how much my head is out of humour by being a little sleepy
and my legs weary since last night. So after the play we to the New
Exchange, and so called at my cozen Turner's; and there, meeting Mr.
Bellwood, did hear how my Lord Mayor, being invited this day to dinner
at the Reader's at the Temple, and endeavouring to carry his sword up,
the students did pull it down, and forced him to go and stay all the day
in a private Councillor's chamber, until the Reader himself could get
the young gentlemen to dinner; and then my Lord Mayor did retreat out of
the Temple by stealth, with his sword up. This do make great heat among
the students; and my Lord Mayor did send to the King, and also I hear
that Sir Richard Browne did cause the drums to beat for the Train-bands,
but all is over, only I hear that the students do resolve to try the
Charter of the City. So we home, and betimes to bed, and slept well all
night.

4th. Up, and a while at the office, but thinking to have Mr. Povy's
business to-day at the Committee for Tangier, I left the Board and away
to White Hall, where in the first court I did meet Sir Jeremy Smith, who
did tell me that Sir W. Coventry was just now sent to the Tower, about
the business of his challenging the Duke of Buckingham, and so was also
Harry Saville to the Gate-house; which, as [he is] a gentleman, and of
the Duke of York's bedchamber, I heard afterwards that the Duke of York
is mightily incensed at, and do appear very high to the King that he
might not be sent thither, but to the Tower, this being done only in
contempt to him. This news of Sir W. Coventry did strike me to the
heart, and with reason, for by this and my Lord of Ormond's business,
I do doubt that the Duke of Buckingham will be so flushed, that he will
not stop at any thing, but be forced to do any thing now, as thinking
it not safe to end here; and, Sir W. Coventry being gone, the King will
have never a good counsellor, nor the Duke of York any sure friend to
stick to him; nor any good man will be left to advise what is good.
This, therefore, do heartily trouble me as any thing that ever I heard.
So up into the House, and met with several people; but the Committee
did not meet; and the whole House I find full of this business of Sir W.
Coventry's, and most men very sensible of the cause and effects of it.
So, meeting with my Lord Bellassis, he told me the particulars of this
matter; that it arises about a quarrel which Sir W. Coventry had with
the Duke of Buckingham about a design between the Duke and Sir Robert
Howard, to bring him into a play at the King's house, which W. Coventry
not enduring, did by H. Saville send a letter to the Duke of Buckingham,
that he had a desire to speak with him. Upon which, the Duke of
Buckingham did bid Holmes, his champion ever since my Lord Shrewsbury's
business,

     [Charles II. wrote to his sister (Henrietta, Duchess of Orleans), on
     March 7th, 1669: "I am not sorry that Sir Will. Coventry has given
     me this good occasion by sending my Lord of Buckingham a challenge
     to turne him out of the Councill.  I do intend to turn him allso out
     of the Treasury.  The truth of it is, he has been a troublesome man
     in both places and I am well rid of him" (Julia Cartwright's
     "Madame," 1894, p.  283).]

go to him to know the business; but H. Saville would not tell it to any
but himself, and therefore did go presently to the Duke of Buckingham,
and told him that his uncle Coventry was a person of honour, and was
sensible of his Grace's liberty taken of abusing him, and that he had
a desire of satisfaction, and would fight with him. But that here they
were interrupted by my Lord Chamberlain's coming in, who was commanded
to go to bid the Duke of Buckingham to come to the King, Holmes having
discovered it. He told me that the King did last night, at the Council,
ask the Duke of Buckingham, upon his honour, whether he had received any
challenge from W. Coventry? which he confessed that he had; and then the
King asking W. Coventry, he told him that he did not owne what the Duke
of Buckingham had said, though it was not fit for him to give him a
direct contradiction. But, being by the King put upon declaring, upon
his honour, the matter, he answered that he had understood that many
hard questions had upon this business been moved to some lawyers, and
that therefore he was unwilling to declare any thing that might, from
his own mouth, render him obnoxious to his Majesty's displeasure,
and, therefore, prayed to be excused: which the King did think fit to
interpret to be a confession, and so gave warrant that night for his
commitment to the Tower. Being very much troubled at this, I away by
coach homewards, and directly to the Tower, where I find him in one Mr.
Bennet's house, son to Major Bayly, one of the Officers of the Ordnance,
in the Bricke Tower:

     [The Brick Tower stands on the northern wall, a little to the west
     of Martin tower, with which it communicates by a secret passage.
     It was the residence of the Master of the Ordnance, and Raleigh was
     lodged here for a time.]

where I find him busy with my Lord Halifax and his brother; so I would
not stay to interrupt them, but only to give him comfort, and offer my
service to him, which he kindly and cheerfully received, only owning his
being troubled for the King his master's displeasure, which, I suppose,
is the ordinary form and will of persons in this condition. And so I
parted, with great content, that I had so earlily seen him there; and so
going out, did meet Sir Jer. Smith going to meet me, who had newly
been with Sir W. Coventry. And so he and I by water to Redriffe, and so
walked to Deptford, where I have not been, I think, these twelve months:
and there to the Treasurer's house, where the Duke of York is, and his
Duchess; and there we find them at dinner in the great room, unhung;
and there was with them my Lady Duchess of Monmouth, the Countess of
Falmouth, Castlemayne, Henrietta Hide' (my Lady Hinchingbroke's sister),
and my Lady Peterborough. And after dinner Sir Jer. Smith and I were
invited down to dinner with some of the Maids of Honour, namely, Mrs.
Ogle, Blake, and Howard, which did me good to have the honour to dine
with, and look on; and the Mother of the Maids, and Mrs. Howard, the
mother of the Maid of Honour of that name, and the Duke's housekeeper
here. Here was also Monsieur Blancfort, Sir Richard Powell, Colonel
Villers, Sir Jonathan Trelawny, and others. And here drank most
excellent, and great variety, and plenty of wines, more than I have
drank, at once, these seven years, but yet did me no great hurt. Having
dined and very merry, and understanding by Blancfort how angry the Duke
of York was, about their offering to send Saville to the Gate-house,
among the rogues; and then, observing how this company, both the ladies
and all, are of a gang, and did drink a health to the union of the two
brothers, and talking of others as their enemies, they parted, and so
we up; and there I did find the Dupe of York and Duchess, with all
the great ladies, sitting upon a carpet, on the ground, there being no
chairs, playing at "I love my love with an A, because he is so and so:
and I hate him with an A, because of this and that:" and some of them,
but particularly the Duchess herself, and my Lady Castlemayne, were very
witty. This done, they took barge, and I with Sir J. Smith to Captain
Cox's; and there to talk, and left them and other company to drink;
while I slunk out to Bagwell's; and there saw her, and her mother, and
our late maid Nell, who cried for joy to see me, but I had no time for
pleasure then nor could stay, but after drinking I back to the yard,
having a month's mind para have had a bout with Nell, which I believe
I could have had, and may another time. So to Cox's, and thence walked
with Sir J. Smith back to Redriffe; and so, by water home, and there my
wife mighty angry for my absence, and fell mightily out, but not being
certain of any thing, but thinks only that Pierce or Knepp was there,
and did ask me, and, I perceive, the boy, many questions. But I did
answer her; and so, after much ado, did go to bed, and lie quiet all
night; but [she] had another bout with me in the morning, but I did make
shift to quiet her, but yet she was not fully satisfied, poor wretch! in
her mind, and thinks much of my taking so much pleasure from her; which,
indeed, is a fault, though I did not design or foresee it when I went.

5th. Up, and by water to White Hall, where did a little business with
the Duke of York at our usual attending him, and thence to my wife, who
was with my coach at Unthanke's, though not very well of those upon her,
and so home to dinner, and after dinner I to the Tower, where I find
Sir W. Coventry with abundance of company with him; and after sitting
awhile, and hearing some merry discourse, and, among others, of Mr.
Brouncker's being this day summoned to Sir William Morton, one of the
judges, to give in security for his good behaviour, upon his words the
other day to Sir John Morton, a Parliament-man, at White Hall, who had
heretofore spoke very highly against Brouncker in the House, I away,
and to Aldgate, and walked forward towards White Chapel, till my wife
overtook me with the coach, it being a mighty fine afternoon; and there
we went the first time out of town with our coach and horses, and went
as far as Bow, the spring beginning a little now to appear, though the
way be dirty; and so, with great pleasure, with the fore-part of our
coach up, we spent the afternoon. And so in the evening home, and there
busy at the Office awhile, and so to bed, mightily pleased with being at
peace with my poor wife, and with the pleasure we may hope to have with
our coach this summer, when the weather comes to be good.

6th. Up, and to the office, where all the morning, only before the
Office I stepped to Sir W. Coventry at the Tower, and there had a great
deal of discourse with him; among others, of the King's putting him out
of the Council yesterday, with which he is well contented, as with what
else they can strip him of, he telling me, and so hath long done, that
he is weary and surfeited of business; but he joins with me in his fears
that all will go to naught, as matters are now managed. He told me
the matter of the play that was intended for his abuse, wherein they
foolishly and sillily bring in two tables like that which he hath made,
with a round hole in the middle, in his closet, to turn himself in; and
he is to be in one of them as master, and Sir J. Duncomb in the other,
as his man or imitator: and their discourse in those tables, about the
disposing of their books and papers, very foolish. But that, that he
is offended with, is his being made so contemptible, as that any should
dare to make a gentleman a subject for the mirth of the world: and that
therefore he had told Tom Killigrew that he should tell his actors,
whoever they were, that did offer at any thing like representing him,
that he would not complain to my Lord Chamberlain, which was too weak,
nor get him beaten, as Sir Charles Sidly is said to do, but that he
would cause his nose to be cut. He told me the passage at the Council
much like what my Lord Bellassis told me. He told me how that the Duke
of Buckingham did himself, some time since, desire to join with him,
of all men in England, and did bid him propound to himself to be Chief
Minister of State, saying that he would bring it about, but that he
refused to have anything to do with any faction; and that the Duke of
Buckingham did, within these few days, say that, of all men in England,
he would have chosen W. Coventry to have joined entire with. He tells me
that he fears their prevailing against the Duke of York; and that their
violence will force them to it, as being already beyond his pardon. He
repeated to me many examples of challenging of Privy-Councillors and
others; but never any proceeded against with that severity which he is,
it never amounting to others to more than a little confinement. He tells
me of his being weary of the Treasury, and of the folly, ambition, and
desire of popularity of Sir Thomas Clifford; and yet the rudeness of his
tongue and passions when angry. This and much more discourse being
over I with great pleasure come home and to the office, where all the
morning, and at noon home to dinner, and thence to the office again,
where very hard at work all the afternoon till night, and then home to
my wife to read to me, and to bed, my cold having been now almost for
three days quite gone from me. This day my wife made it appear to me
that my late entertainment this week cost me above L12, an expence which
I am almost ashamed of, though it is but once in a great while, and is
the end for which, in the most part, we live, to have such a merry day
once or twice in a man's life.

7th (Lord's day). Up, and to the office, busy till church time, and then
to church, where a dull sermon, and so home to dinner, all alone with my
wife, and then to even my Journall to this day, and then to the Tower,
to see Sir W. Coventry, who had H. Jermin and a great many more with
him, and more, while I was there, come in; so that I do hear that there
was not less than sixty coaches there yesterday, and the other day;
which I hear also that there is a great exception taken at, by the King
and the Duke of Buckingham, but it cannot be helped. Thence home, and
with our coach out to Suffolk Street, to see my cozen Pepys, but neither
the old nor young at home. So to my cozen Turner's, and there staid
talking a little, and then back to Suffolk Street, where they not being
yet come home I to White Hall, and there hear that there are letters
come from Sir Thomas Allen, that he hath made some kind of peace with
Algiers; upon which the King and Duke of York, being to go out of town
to-morrow, are met at my Lord Arlington's: so I there, and by Mr. Wren
was desired to stay to see if there were occasion for their speaking
with me, which I did, walking without, with Charles Porter,

     [Charles Porter "was the son of a prebend[ary] in Norwich, and a
     'prentice boy in the city in the rebellious times.  When the
     committee house was blown up, he was very active in that rising, and
     after the soldiers came and dispersed the rout, he, as a rat among
     joint stools, shifted to and fro among the shambles, and had forty
     pistols shot at him by the troopers that rode after him to kill him
     [24th April, 1648].  In that distress he had the presence of mind to
     catch up a little child that, during the rout, was frighted, and
     stood crying in the streets, and, unobserved by the troopers, ran
     away with it.  The people opened a way for him, saying, 'Make room
     for the poor child.' Thus he got off, and while search was made for
     him in the market-place, got into the Yarmouth ferry, and at
     Yarmouth took ship and went to Holland....  In Holland he
     trailed a pike, and was in several actions as a common soldier.  At
     length he kept a cavalier eating-house; but, his customers being
     needy, he soon broke, and came for England, and being a genteel
     youth, was taken in among the chancery clerks, and got to be under a
     master....  His industry was great; and he had an acquired
     dexterity and skill in the forms of the court; and although he was a
     bon companion, and followed much the bottle, yet he made such
     dispatches as satisfied his clients, especially the clerks, who knew
     where to find him.  His person was florid, and speech prompt and
     articulate.  But his vices, in the way of women and the bottle, were
     so ungoverned, as brought him to a morsel....  When the Lord
     Keeper North had the Seal, who from an early acquaintance had a
     kindness for him which was well known, and also that he was well
     heard, as they call it, business flowed in to him very fast, and yet
     he could scarce keep himself at liberty to follow his business....
     At the Revolution, when his interest fell from, and his debts began
     to fall upon him, he was at his wits' end....  His character for
     fidelity, loyalty, and facetious conversation was without
     exception"--Roger North's Lives of the Norths (Lord Keeper
     Guilford), ed.  Jessopp, vol. i., pp. 381-2.  He was originally made
     Lord Chancellor of Ireland in the reign of James II., during the
     viceroyalty of Lord Clarendon, 1686, when he was knighted.  "He
     was," says Burnet, "a man of ready wit, and being poor was thought a
     person fit to be made a tool of.  When Clarendon was recalled,
     Porter was also displaced, and Fitton was made chancellor, a man who
     knew no other law than the king's pleasure" ("Own Time").  Sir
     Charles Porter was again made Lord Chancellor of Ireland in 1690,
     and in this same year he acted as one of the Lords Justices.  This
     note of Lord Braybrooke's is retained and added to, but the
     reference may after all be to another Charles Porter.  See vol.
     iii., p. 122, and vol. vi., p. 98.]

talking of a great many things: and I perceive all the world is against
the Duke of Buckingham his acting thus high, and do prophesy nothing
but ruin from it: But he do well observe that the church lands cannot
certainly come to much, if the King shall [be] persuaded to take them;
they being leased out for long leases. By and by, after two hours' stay,
they rose, having, as Wren tells me, resolved upon sending six ships
to the Streights forthwith, not being contented with the peace upon the
terms they demand, which are, that all our ships, where any Turks or
Moores shall be found slaves, shall be prizes; which will imply that
they, must be searched. I hear that to-morrow the King and the Duke of
York set out for Newmarket, by three in the morning; to some foot and
horse-races, to be abroad ten or twelve days: So I away, without seeing
the Duke of York; but Mr. Wren showed me the Order of Council about the
balancing the Storekeeper's accounts, passed the Council in the very
terms I drew it, only I did put in my name as he that presented the book
of Hosier's preparing, and that is left out--I mean, my name--which is
no great matter. So to my wife to Suffolk Streete, where she was gone,
and there I found them at supper, and eat a little with them, and so
home, and there to bed, my cold pretty well gone.

8th. Up, and with W. Hewer by hackney coach to White Hall, where the
King and the Duke of York is gone by three in the morning, and had the
misfortune to be overset with the Duke of York, the Duke of Monmouth,
and the Prince, at the King's Gate' in Holborne; and the King all dirty,
but no hurt. How it come to pass I know not, but only it was dark, and
the torches did not, they say, light the coach as they should do. I
thought this morning to have seen my Lord Sandwich before he went out of
town, but I come half an hour too late; which troubles me, I having
not seen him since my Lady Palls died. So W. Hewer and I to the
Harp-and-Ball, to drink my morning draught, having come out in haste;
and there met with King, the Parliament-man, with whom I had some
impertinent talk. And so to the Privy Seal Office, to examine what
records I could find there, for my help in the great business I am put
upon, of defending the present constitution of the Navy; but there could
not have liberty without order from him that is in present waiting, Mr.
Bickerstaffe, who is out of town. This I did after I had walked to the
New Exchange and there met Mr. Moore, who went with me thither, and I
find him the same discontented poor man as ever. He tells me that Mr.
Shepley is upon being turned away from my Lord's family, and another
sent down, which I am sorry for; but his age and good fellowship have
almost made him fit for nothing. Thence, at Unthanke's my wife met
me, and with our coach to my cozen Turner's and there dined, and after
dinner with my wife alone to the King's playhouse, and there saw "The
Mocke Astrologer," which I have often seen, and but an ordinary play;
and so to my cozen Turner's again, where we met Roger Pepys, his wife,
and two daughters, and there staid and talked a little, and then home,
and there my wife to read to me, my eyes being sensibly hurt by the too
great lights of the playhouse. So to supper and to bed.

9th. Up, and to the Tower; and there find Sir W. Coventry alone, writing
down his journal, which, he tells me, he now keeps of the material
things; upon which I told him, and he is the only man I ever told it to,
I think, that I kept it most strictly these eight or ten years; and I
am sorry almost that I told it him, it not being necessary, nor may be
convenient to have it known. Here he showed me the petition he had sent
to the King by my Lord Keeper, which was not to desire any admittance
to employment, but submitting himself therein humbly to his Majesty; but
prayed the removal of his displeasure, and that he might be set free. He
tells me that my Lord Keeper did acquaint the King with the substance of
it, not shewing him the petition; who answered, that he was disposing
of his employments, and when that was done, he might be led to discharge
him: and this is what he expects, and what he seems to desire. But by
this discourse he was pleased to take occasion to shew me and read to
me his account, which he hath kept by him under his own hand, of all his
discourse, and the King's answers to him, upon the great business of
my Lord Clarendon, and how he had first moved the Duke of York with it
twice, at good distance, one after another, but without success; shewing
me thereby the simplicity and reasons of his so doing, and the manner of
it; and the King's accepting it, telling him that he was not satisfied
in his management, and did discover some dissatisfaction against him for
his opposing the laying aside of my Lord Treasurer, at Oxford, which was
a secret the King had not discovered. And really I was mighty proud to
be privy to this great transaction, it giving me great conviction of the
noble nature and ends of Sir W. Coventry in it, and considerations in
general of the consequences of great men's actions, and the uncertainty
of their estates, and other very serious considerations. From this to
other discourse, and so to the Office, where we sat all the morning, and
after dinner by coach to my cozen Turner's, thinking to have taken the
young ladies to a play; but The. was let blood to-day; and so my wife
and I towards the King's playhouse, and by the way found Betty [Turner],
and Bab., and Betty Pepys staying for us; and so took them all to see
"Claricilla," which do not please me almost at all, though there are
some good things in it. And so to my cozen Turner's again, and there
find my Lady Mordaunt, and her sister Johnson; and by and by comes in a
gentleman, Mr. Overbury, a pleasant man, who plays most excellently on
the flagelette, a little one, that sounded as low as one of mine, and
mighty pretty. Hence by and by away, and with my wife, and Bab. and
Betty Pepys, and W. Hewer, whom I carried all this day with me, to my
cozen Stradwick's, where I have not been ever since my brother Tom died,
there being some difference between my father and them, upon the account
of my cozen Scott; and I was glad of this opportunity of seeing them,
they being good and substantial people, and kind, and here met my cozen
Roger and his wife, and my cozen Turner, and here, which I never did
before, I drank a glass, of a pint, I believe, at one draught, of the
juice of oranges, of whose peel they make comfits; and here they drink
the juice as wine, with sugar, and it is very fine drink; but, it being
new, I was doubtful whether it might not do me hurt. Having staid a
while, my wife and I back, with my cozen Turner, etc., to her house, and
there we took our leaves of my cozen Pepys, who goes with his wife and
two daughters for Impington tomorrow. They are very good people, and
people I love, and am obliged to, and shall have great pleasure in their
friendship, and particularly in hers, she being an understanding and
good woman. So away home, and there after signing my letters, my eyes
being bad, to supper and to bed.

10th. Up, and by hackney-coach to Auditor Beale's Office, in Holborne,
to look for records of the Navy, but he was out of the way, and so
forced to go next to White Hall, to the Privy Seal; and, after staying
a little there, then to Westminster, where, at the Exchequer, I met with
Mr. Newport and Major Halsey; and, after doing a little business with
Mr. Burges, we by water to White Hall, where I made a little stop: and
so with them by coach to Temple Bar, where, at the Sugar Loaf we dined,
and W. Hewer with me; and there comes a companion of theirs, Colonel
Vernon, I think they called him; a merry good fellow, and one that was
very plain in cursing the Duke of Buckingham, and discoursing of his
designs to ruin us, and that ruin must follow his counsels, and that we
are an undone people. To which the others concurred, but not so plain,
but all vexed at Sir W. Coventry's being laid aside: but Vernon, he is
concerned, I perceive, for my Lord Ormond's being laid aside; but their
company, being all old cavaliers, were very pleasant to hear how they
swear and talk. But Halsey, to my content, tells me that my Lord Duke of
Albemarle says that W. Coventry being gone, nothing will be well done at
the Treasury, and I believe it; but they do all talk as that Duncombe,
upon some pretence or other, must follow him. Thence to Auditor Beale's,
his house and office, but not to be found, and therefore to the Privy
Seale at White Hall, where, with W. Hewer and Mr. Gibson, who met me at
the Temple, I spent the afternoon till evening looking over the books
there, and did find several things to my purpose, though few of those I
designed to find, the books being kept there in no method at all. Having
done there, we by water home, and there find my cozen Turner and her two
daughters come to see us; and there, after talking a little, I had my
coach ready, and my wife and I, they going home, we out to White Chapel
to take a little ayre, though yet the dirtiness of the road do prevent
most of the pleasure, which should have been from this tour. So home,
and my wife to read to me till supper, and to bed.

11th. Up, and to Sir W. Coventry, to the Tower, where I walked and
talked with him an hour alone, from one good thing to another: who tells
me that he hears that the Commission is gone down to the King, with a
blank to fill, for his place in the Treasury: and he believes it will be
filled with one of our Treasurers of the Navy, but which he knows not,
but he believes it will be Osborne. We walked down to the Stone Walk,
which is called, it seems, my Lord of Northumberland's walk, being paved
by some one of that title, that was prisoner there: and at the end of
it, there is a piece of iron upon the wall, with, his armes upon it, and
holes to put in a peg, for every turn that they make upon that walk. So
away to the Office, where busy all the morning, and so to dinner, and so
very busy all the afternoon, at my Office, late; and then home tired,
to supper, with content with my wife, and so to bed, she pleasing me,
though I dare not own it, that she hath hired a chambermaid; but she,
after many commendations, told me that she had one great fault, and that
was, that she was very handsome, at which I made nothing, but let her
go on; but many times to-night she took occasion to discourse of her
handsomeness, and the danger she was in by taking her, and that she did
doubt yet whether it would be fit for her, to take her. But I did assure
her of my resolutions to have nothing to do with her maids, but in
myself I was glad to have the content to have a handsome one to look on.

12th. Up, and abroad, with my own coach, to Auditor Beale's house, and
thence with W. Hewer to his Office, and there with great content spent
all the morning looking over the Navy accounts of several years, and
the several patents of the Treasurers, which was more than I did hope
to have found there. About noon I ended there, to my great content, and
giving the clerks there 20s. for their trouble, and having sent for
W. Howe to me to discourse with him about the Patent Office records,
wherein I remembered his brother to be concerned, I took him in my coach
with W. Hewer and myself towards Westminster; and there he carried me
to Nott's, the famous bookbinder, that bound for my Lord Chancellor's
library; and here I did take occasion for curiosity to bespeak a book
to be bound, only that I might have one of his binding. Thence back
to Graye's Inne: and, at the next door, at a cook's-shop of Howe's
acquaintance, we bespoke dinner, it being now two o'clock; and in the
meantime he carried us into Graye's Inne, to his chamber, where I never
was before; and it is very pretty, and little, and neat, as he was
always. And so, after a little stay, and looking over a book or two
there, we carried a piece of my Lord Coke with us, and to our dinner,
where, after dinner, he read at my desire a chapter in my Lord Coke
about perjury, wherein I did learn a good deal touching oaths, and so
away to the Patent Office; in Chancery Lane, where his brother Jacke,
being newly broke by running in debt, and growing an idle rogue, he is
forced to hide himself; and W. Howe do look after the Office, and here I
did set a clerk to look out some things for me in their books, while W.
Hewer and I to the Crowne Offices where we met with several good things
that I most wanted, and did take short notes of the dockets, and so back
to the Patent Office, and did the like there, and by candle-light ended.
And so home, where, thinking to meet my wife with content, after my
pains all this day, I find her in her closet, alone, in the dark, in a
hot fit of railing against me, upon some news she has this day heard of
Deb.'s living very fine, and with black spots, and speaking ill words of
her mistress, which with good reason might vex her; and the baggage is
to blame, but, God knows, I know nothing of her, nor what she do, nor
what becomes of her, though God knows that my devil that is within me
do wish that I could. Yet God I hope will prevent me therein, for I dare
not trust myself with it if I should know it; but, what with my high
words, and slighting it, and then serious, I did at last bring her to
very good and kind terms, poor heart! and I was heartily glad of it,
for I do see there is no man can be happier than myself, if I will, with
her. But in her fit she did tell me what vexed me all the night, that
this had put her upon putting off her handsome maid and hiring another
that was full of the small pox, which did mightily vex me, though I said
nothing, and do still. So down to supper, and she to read to me, and
then with all possible kindness to bed.

13th. Up, and to the Tower, to see Sir W. Coventry, and with him talking
of business of the Navy, all alone, an hour, he taking physic. And so
away to the Office, where all the morning, and then home to dinner, with
my people, and so to the Office again, and there all the afternoon till
night, when comes, by mistake, my cozen Turner, and her two daughters,
which love such freaks, to eat some anchovies and ham of bacon with me,
instead of noon, at dinner, when I expected them. But, however, I had
done my business before they come, and so was in good humour enough to
be with them, and so home to them to supper, and pretty merry, being
pleased to see Betty Turner, which hath something mighty pretty. But
that which put me in good humour, both at noon and night, is the fancy
that I am this day made a Captain of one of the King's ships, Mr. Wren
having this day sent me, the Duke of York's commission to be Captain of
"The Jerzy," in order to my being of a Court-martiall for examining the
loss of "The Defyance," and other things; which do give me occasion of
much mirth, and may be of some use to me, at least I shall get a little
money by it for the time I have it; it being designed that I must really
be a Captain to be able to sit in this Court. They staid till about
eight at night, and then away, and my wife to read to me, and then to
bed in mighty good humour, but for my eyes.

14th (Lord's day). Up, and to my office with Tom, whom I made to read to
me the books of Propositions in the time of the Grand Commission,
which I did read a good part of before church, and then with my wife to
church, where I did see my milliner's wife come again, which pleased
me; but I durst not be seen to mind her for fear of my wife's seeing me,
though the woman I did never speak twenty words to, and that but only
in her husband's shop. But so fearful I am of discontenting my wife, or
giving her cause of jealousy. But here we heard a most excellent
good sermon of Mr. Gifford's, upon the righteousness of Scribes and
Pharisees. So home to dinner and to work again, and so till dinner,
where W. Howe come and dined with me, and staid and read in my Lord
Cooke upon his chapter of perjury again, which pleased me, and so
parted, and I to my office, and there made an end of the books of
Propositions, which did please me mightily to hear read, they being
excellently writ and much to the purpose, and yet so as I think I shall
make good use of his defence of our present constitution. About four
o'clock took coach to visit my cozen Turner, and I out with her to make
a visit, but the lady she went to see was abroad. So back and to talk
with her and her daughters, and then home, and she and I to walk in the
garden, the first time this year, the weather being mighty temperate;
and then I to write down my Journall for the last week, my eyes being
very bad, and therefore I forced to find a way to use by turns with my
tube, one after another, and so home to supper and to bed. Before I went
from my office this night I did tell Tom my resolution not to keep him
after Jane was gone, but shall do well by him, which pleases him; and I
think he will presently marry her, and go away out of my house with her.

15th. Up, and by water with W. Hewer to the Temple; and thence to the
Rolls, where I made inquiry for several rolls, and was soon informed
in the manner of it: and so spent the whole morning with W. Hewer, he
taking little notes in short-hand, while I hired a clerk there to read
to me about twelve or more several rolls which I did call for: and it
was great pleasure to me to see the method wherein their rolls are kept;
that when the Master of the Office, one Mr. Case, do call for them,
who is a man that I have heretofore known by coming to my Lord of
Sandwich's, he did most readily turn to them. At noon they shut up; and
W. Hewer and I did walk to the Cocke, at the end of Suffolke Streete,
where I never was, a great ordinary, mightily cried up, and there
bespoke a pullett; which while dressing, he and I walked into St.
James's Park, and thence back, and dined very handsome, with a good
soup, and a pullet, for 4s. 6d. the whole. Thence back to the Rolls, and
did a little more business: and so by water to White Hall, whither. I
went to speak with Mr. Williamson, that if he hath any papers relating
to the Navy I might see them, which he promises me: and so by water
home, with great content for what I have this day found, having got
almost as much as I desire of the history of the Navy, from 1618 to
1642, when the King and Parliament fell out. So home, and did get my
wife to read, and so to supper and to bed.

16th. Up, and to the office, after having visited Sir W. Coventry at
the Tower, and walked with him upon the Stone Walk, alone, till other
company come to him, and had very good discourse with him. At noon home,
where my wife and Jane gone abroad, and Tom, in order to their buying
of things for their wedding, which, upon my discourse the last night,
is now resolved to be done, upon the 26th of this month, the day of my
solemnity for my cutting of the stone, when my cozen Turner must be with
us. My wife, therefore, not at dinner; and comes to me Mr. Evelyn of
Deptford, a worthy good man, and dined with me, but a bad dinner; who is
grieved for, and speaks openly to me his thoughts of, the times, and our
ruin approaching; and all by the folly of the King. His business to me
was about some ground of his, at Deptford, next to the King's yard: and
after dinner we parted. My sister Michell coming also this day to
see us, whom I left there, and I away down by water with W. Hewer to
Woolwich, where I have not been I think more than a year or two, and
here I saw, but did not go on board, my ship "The Jerzy," she lying
at the wharf under repair. But my business was to speak with Ackworth,
about some old things and passages in the Navy, for my information
therein, in order to my great business now of stating the history of the
Navy. This I did; and upon the whole do find that the late times, in all
their management, were not more husbandly than we; and other things
of good content to me. His wife was sick, and so I could not see her.
Thence, after seeing Mr. Sheldon, I to Greenwich by water, and there
landed at the King's house, which goes on slow, but is very pretty.

     [The old palace at Greenwich had just been pulled down, and a new
     building commenced by Charles II., only one wing of which was
     completed, at the expense of L36,000, under the auspices of Webb,
     Inigo Jones's kinsman and executor.  In 1694 the unfinished edifice
     was granted by William and Mary to trustees for the use and service
     of a Naval Hospital; and it has been repeatedly enlarged and
     improved till it has arrived at its present splendour.--B.]

I to the Park, there to see the prospect of the hill, to judge of
Dancre's picture, which he hath made thereof for me: and I do like it
very well: and it is a very pretty place. Thence to Deptford, but staid
not, Uthwayte being out of the way: and so home, and then to the Ship
Tavern, Morrice's, and staid till W. Hewer fetched his uncle Blackburne
by appointment to me, to discourse of the business of the Navy in the
late times; and he did do it, by giving me a most exact account in
writing, of the several turns in the Admiralty and Navy, of the
persons employed therein, from the beginning of the King's leaving the
Parliament, to his Son's coming in, to my great content; and now I am
fully informed in all I at present desire. We fell to other talk; and I
find by him that the Bishops must certainly fall, and their hierarchy;
these people have got so much ground upon the King and kingdom as is not
to be got again from them: and the Bishops do well deserve it. But it
is all the talk, I find, that Dr. Wilkins, my friend, the Bishop of
Chester, shall be removed to Winchester, and be Lord Treasurer. Though
this be foolish talk, yet I do gather that he is a mighty rising man,
as being a Latitudinarian, and the Duke of Buckingham his great friend.
Here we staid talking till to at night, where I did never drink before
since this man come to the house, though for his pretty wife's sake I
do fetch my wine from this, whom I could not nevertheless get para see
to-night, though her husband did seem to call for her. So parted here
and I home, and to supper and to bed.

17th. Up, and by water to see Mr. Wren, and then Mr. Williamson, who
did shew me the very original bookes of propositions made by the
Commissioners for the Navy, in 1618, to my great content; but no other
Navy papers he could now shew me. Thence to Westminster by water and to
the Hall, where Mrs. Michell do surprize me with the news that Doll Lane
is suddenly brought to bed at her sister's lodging, and gives it out
that she is married, but there is no such thing certainly, she never
mentioning it before, but I have cause to rejoice that I have not seen
her a great while, she having several times desired my company, but I
doubt to an evil end. Thence to the Exchequer, where W. Hewer come to
me, and after a little business did go by water home, and there dined,
and took my wife by a hackney to the King's playhouse, and saw "The
Coxcomb," the first time acted, but an old play, and a silly one, being
acted only by the young people. Here met cozen Turner and The. So parted
there from them, and home by coach and to my letters at the office,
where pretty late, and so to supper and to bed.

18th. Up, and to see Sir W. Coventry, and walked with him a good while
in the Stone Walk: and brave discourse about my Lord Chancellor, and his
ill managements and mistakes, and several things of the Navy, and thence
to the office, where we sat all the morning, and so home to dinner,
where my wife mighty finely dressed, by a maid that she hath taken, and
is to come to her when Jane goes; and the same she the other day told me
of, to be so handsome. I therefore longed to see her, but did not till
after dinner, that my wife and I going by coach, she went with us to
Holborne, where we set her down. She is a mighty proper maid, and pretty
comely, but so so; but hath a most pleasing tone of voice, and speaks
handsomely, but hath most great hands, and I believe ugly; but very well
dressed, and good clothes, and the maid I believe will please me well
enough. Thence to visit Ned Pickering and his lady, and Creed and his
wife, but the former abroad, and the latter out of town, gone to my
Lady Pickering's in Northamptonshire, upon occasion of the late death of
their brother, Oliver Pickering, a youth, that is dead of the smallpox.
So my wife and I to Dancre's to see the pictures; and thence to Hyde
Park, the first time we were there this year, or ever in our own coach,
where with mighty pride rode up and down, and many coaches there; and I
thought our horses and coach as pretty as any there, and observed so
to be by others. Here staid till night, and so home, and to the office,
where busy late, and so home to supper and to bed, with great content,
but much business in my head of the office, which troubles me.

19th. Up, and by water to White Hall, there to the Lords of the
Treasury, and did some business, and here Sir Thomas Clifford did speak
to me, as desirous that I would some time come and confer with him about
the Navy, which I am glad of, but will take the direction of the Duke
of York before I do it, though I would be glad to do something to secure
myself, if I could, in my employment. Thence to the plaisterer's, and
took my face, and my Lord Duke of Albemarle's, home with me by coach,
they being done to my mind; and mighty glad I am of understanding this
way of having the pictures of any friends. At home to dinner, where Mr.
Sheres dined with us, but after dinner I left him and my wife, and with
Commissioner Middleton and Kempthorne to a Court-martiall, to which,
by virtue of my late Captainship, I am called, the first I was ever
at; where many Commanders, and Kempthorne president. Here was tried a
difference between Sir L. Van Hemskirke, the Dutch Captain who commands
"The Nonsuch," built by his direction, and his Lieutenant; a drunken
kind of silly business. We ordered the Lieutenant to ask him pardon, and
have resolved to lay before the Duke of York what concerns the Captain,
which was striking of his Lieutenant and challenging him to fight, which
comes not within any article of the laws martiall. But upon discourse
the other day with Sir W. Coventry, I did advise Middleton, and he and
I did forbear to give judgment, but after the debate did withdraw into
another cabin, the Court being held in one of the yachts, which was on
purpose brought up over against St. Katharine's, it being to be feared
that this precedent of our being made Captains, in order to the trying
of the loss of "The Defyance," wherein we are the proper persons to
enquire into the want of instructions while ships do lie in harbour,
evil use might be hereafter made of the precedent by putting the Duke of
Buckingham, or any of these rude fellows that now are uppermost, to make
packed Courts, by Captains made on purpose to serve their turns. The
other cause was of the loss of "The Providence" at Tangier, where the
Captain's being by chance on shore may prove very inconvenient to him,
for example's sake, though the man be a good man, and one whom, for
Norwood's sake, I would be kind to; but I will not offer any thing to
the excusing such a miscarriage. He is at present confined, till he can
bring better proofs on his behalf of the reasons of his being on shore.
So Middleton and I away to the Office; and there I late busy, making my
people, as I have done lately, to read Mr. Holland's' Discourse of the
Navy, and what other things I can get to inform me fully in all; and
here late, about eight at night, comes Mr. Wren to me, who had been at
the Tower to Coventry. He come only to see how matters go, and tells me,
as a secret, that last night the Duke of York's closet was broken open,
and his cabinets, and shut again, one of them that the rogue that did it
hath left plate and a watch behind him, and therefore they fear that
it was only for papers, which looks like a very malicious business in
design, to hurt the Duke of York; but they cannot know that till the
Duke of York comes to town about the papers, and therefore make no words
of it. He gone, I to work again, and then to supper at home, and to bed.

20th. Up, and to the Tower, to W. Coventry, and there walked with him
alone, on the Stone Walk, till company come to him; and there about the
business of the Navy discoursed with him, and about my Lord Chancellor
and Treasurer; that they were against the war [with the Dutch] at first,
declaring, as wise men and statesmen, at first to the King, that they
thought it fit to have a war with them at some time or other, but that
it ought not to be till we found the Crowns of Spain and France together
by the Bares, the want of which did ruin our war. But then he told me
that, a great deal before the war, my Lord Chancellor did speak of a war
with some heat, as a thing to be desired, and did it upon a belief
that he could with his speeches make the Parliament give what money he
pleased, and do what he would, or would make the King desire; but he
found himself soon deceived of the Parliament, they having a long time
before his removal been cloyed with his speeches and good words, and
were come to hate him. Sir W. Coventry did tell me it, as the wisest
thing that ever was said to the King by any statesman of his time, and
it was by my Lord Treasurer that is dead, whom, I find, he takes for a
very great statesman--that when the King did shew himself forward for
passing the Act of Indemnity, he did advise the King that he would hold
his hand in doing it, till he had got his power restored, that had been
diminished by the late times, and his revenue settled in such a manner
as he might depend on himself, without resting upon Parliaments,--and
then pass it. But my Lord Chancellor, who thought he could have the
command of Parliaments for ever, because for the King's sake they were
awhile willing to grant all the King desired, did press for its being
done; and so it was, and the King from that time able to do nothing with
the Parliament almost. Thence to the office, where sat all the forenoon,
and then home to dinner, and so to the office, where late busy, and so
home, mightily pleased with the news brought me to-night, that the King
and Duke of York are come back this afternoon, and no sooner come, but
a warrant was sent to the Tower for the releasing Sir W. Coventry;
which do put me in some hopes that there may be, in this absence, some
accommodation made between the Duke of York and the Duke of Buckingham
and; Arlington. So home, to supper, and to bed.

21st (Lord's day). Up, and by water over to Southwarke; and then, not
getting a boat, I forced to walk to Stangate; and so over to White Hall,
in a scull; where up to the Duke of York's dressing-room, and there met
Harry Saville, and understand that Sir W. Coventry is come to his
house last night. I understand by Mr. Wren that his friends having, by
Secretary Trevor and my Lord Keeper, applied to the King upon his first
coming home, and a promise made that he should be discharged this day,
my Lord Arlington did anticipate them, by sending a warrant presently
for his discharge which looks a little like kindness, or a desire of it;
which God send! though I fear the contrary: however, my heart is glad
that he is out. Thence up and down the House. Met with Mr. May, who
tells me the story of his being put by Sir John Denham's place, of
Surveyor of the King's Works, who it seems, is lately dead, by the
unkindness of the Duke Buckingham, who hath brought in Dr. Wren: though,
he tells me, he hath been his servant for twenty years together in all
his wants and dangers, saving him from want of bread by his care and
management, and with a promise of having his help in his advancement,
and an engagement under his hand for L1000 not yet paid, and yet the
Duke of Buckingham so ungrateful as to put him by: which is an ill
thing, though Dr. Wren is a worthy man. But he tells me that the King is
kind to him, and hath promised him a pension of L300 a-year out of the
Works; which will be of more content to him than the place, which, under
their present wants of money, is a place that disobliges most people,
being not able to do what they desire to their lodgings. Here meeting
with Sir H. Cholmly and Povy, that tell me that my Lord Middleton is
resolved in the Cabal that he shall not go to Tangier; and that Sir
Edward Harlow [Harley], whom I know not, is propounded to go, who was
Governor of Dunkirke, and, they say, a most worthy brave man, which I
shall be very glad of. So by water (H. Russell coming for me) home to
dinner, where W. Howe comes to dine with me; and after dinner propounds
to me my lending him L500, to help him to purchase a place--the Master
of the Patent Office, of Sir Richard Piggott. I did give him a civil
answer, but shall think twice of it; and the more, because of the
changes we are like to have in the Navy, which will not make it fit for
me to divide the little I have left more than I have done, God knowing
what my condition is, I having not attended, and now not being able to
examine what my state is, of my accounts, and being in the world, which
troubles me mightily. He gone, I to the office to enter my journall for
a week. News is lately come of the Algerines taking L3000 in money,
out of one of our Company's East India ships, outward bound, which will
certainly make the war last; which I am sorry for, being so poor as we
are, and broken in pieces. At night my wife to read to me, and then to
supper, where Pelling comes to see and sup with us, and I find that
he is assisting my wife in getting a licence to our young people to be
married this Lent, which is resolved shall be done upon Friday next, my
great day, or feast, for my being cut of the stone. So after supper to
bed, my eyes being very bad.

22nd. Up, and by water, with W. Newer, to White Hall, there to attend
the Lords of the Treasury; but, before they sat, I did make a step to
see Sir W. Coventry at his house, where, I bless God! he is come again;
but in my way I met him, and so he took me into his coach and carried
me to White Hall, and there set me down where he ought not--at least, he
hath not yet leave to come, nor hath thought fit to ask it, hearing that
Henry Saville is not only denied to kiss the King's hand, but the King,
being asked it by the Duke of York, did deny it, and directed that
the Duke shall not receive him, to wait upon him in his chamber, till
further orders. Sir W. Coventry told me that he was going to visit Sir
John Trevor, who hath been kind to him; and he shewed me a long list
of all his friends that he must this week make visits to, that come to
visit him in the Tower; and seems mighty well satisfied with his being
out of business, but I hope he will not long be so; at least, I do
believe that all must go to rat if the King do not come to see the want
of such a servant. Thence to the Treasury-Chamber, and there all the
morning to my great grief, put to do Sir G. Downing's work of dividing
the Customes for this year, between the Navy, the Ordnance and Tangier:
but it did so trouble my eyes, that I had rather have given L20 than
have had it to do; but I did thereby oblige Sir Thomas Clifford and Sir
J. Duncombe, and so am glad of the opportunity to recommend myself to
the former for the latter I need not, he loving me well already. At it
till noon, here being several of my brethren with me but doing nothing,
but I all. But this day I did also represent to our Treasurers, which
was read here, a state of the charge of the Navy, and what the expence
of it this year would likely be; which is done so as it will appear well
done and to my honour, for so the Lords did take it: and I oblige the
Treasurers by doing it, at their request. Thence with W. Hewer at noon
to Unthanke's, where my wife stays for me and so to the Cocke, where
there was no room, and thence to King Street, to several cook's shops,
where nothing to be had; and at last to the corner shop, going down Ivy
Lane, by my Lord of Salisbury's, and there got a good dinner, my wife,
and W. Newer, and I: and after dinner she, with her coach, home; and
he and I to look over my papers for the East India Company, against
the afternoon: which done, I with them to White Hall, and there to the
Treasury-Chamber, where the East India Company and three Councillors
pleaded against me alone, for three or four hours, till seven at night,
before the Lords; and the Lords did give me the conquest on behalf of
the King, but could not come to any conclusion, the Company being stiff:
and so I think we shall go to law with them. This done, and my eyes
mighty bad with this day's work, I to Mr. Wren's, and then up to the
Duke of York, and there with Mr. Wren did propound to him my going to
Chatham to-morrow with Commissioner Middleton, and so this week to make
the pay there, and examine the business of "The Defyance" being lost,
and other businesses, which I did the rather, that I might be out of the
way at the wedding, and be at a little liberty myself for a day, or two,
to find a little pleasure, and give my eyes a little ease. The Duke
of York mightily satisfied with it; and so away home, where my wife
troubled at my being so late abroad, poor woman! though never more busy,
but I satisfied her; and so begun to put things in order for my journey
to-morrow, and so, after supper, to bed.

23rd. Up, and to my office to do a little business there, and so,
my things being all ready, I took coach with Commissioner Middleton,
Captain Tinker, and Mr. Huchinson, a hackney coach, and over the bridge,
and so out towards Chatham, and; dined at Dartford, where we staid an
hour or two, it being a cold day; and so on, and got to Chatham just
at night, with very good discourse by the way, but mostly of matters of
religion, wherein Huchinson his vein lies. After supper, we fell to talk
of spirits and apparitions, whereupon many pretty, particular stories
were told, so as to make me almost afeard to lie alone, but for shame I
could not help it; and so to bed and, being sleepy, fell soon to rest,
and so rested well.

24th. Up, and walked abroad in the garden, and find that Mrs. Tooker has
not any of her daughters here as I expected and so walked to the yard,
leaving Middleton at the pay, and there I only walked up and down the
yard, and then to the Hill-House, and there did give order for the coach
to be made ready; and got Mr. Gibson, whom I carried with me, to go with
me and Mr. Coney, the surgeon, towards Maydston which I had a mighty
mind to see, and took occasion, in my way, at St. Margett's, to pretend
to call to see Captain Allen to see whether Mrs. Jowles, his daughter,
was there; and there his wife come to the door, he being at London,
and through a window, I spied Jowles, but took no notice of he but made
excuse till night, and then promised to come and see Mrs. Allen again,
and so away, it being a mighty cold and windy, but clear day; and had
the pleasure of seeing the Medway running, winding up and down mightily,
and a very fine country; and I went a little out of the way to have
visited Sir John Bankes, but he at London; but here I had a sight of
his seat and house, the outside, which is an old abbey just like
Hinchingbroke, and as good at least, and mighty finely placed by the
river; and he keeps the grounds about it, and walls and the house,
very handsome: I was mightily pleased with the sight of it. Thence to
Maydstone, which I had a mighty mind to see, having never been there;
and walked all up and down the town, and up to the top of the steeple,
and had a noble view, and then down again: and in the town did see an
old man beating of flax, and did step into the barn and give him money,
and saw that piece of husbandry which I never saw, and it is very
pretty: in the street also I did buy and send to our inne, the Bell, a
dish of fresh fish. And so, having walked all round the town, and found
it very pretty, as most towns I ever saw, though not very big, and
people of good fashion in it, we to our inne to dinner, and had a good
dinner; and after dinner a barber come to me, and there trimmed me, that
I might be clean against night, to go to Mrs. Allen. And so, staying
till about four o'clock, we set out, I alone in the coach going and
coming; and in our way back, I 'light out of the way to see a Saxon
monument,

     [Kits-Cotty House, a cromlech in Aylesford parish, Kent, on a
     hillside adjacent to the river Medway, three and a half miles N. by
     W. of Maidstone.  It consists of three upright stones and an
     overlying one, and forms a small chamber open in front.  It is
     supposed to have been the centre of a group of monuments indicating
     the burial-place of the Belgian settlers in this part of Britain.
     Other stones of a similar character exist in the neighbourhood.]

as they say, of a King, which is three stones standing upright, and a
great round one lying on them, of great bigness, although not so big
as those on Salisbury Plain; but certainly it is a thing of great
antiquity, and I mightily glad to see it; it is near to Aylesford,
where Sir John Bankes lives. So homeward, and stopped again at Captain
Allen's, and there 'light, and sent the coach and Gibson home, and I
and Coney staid; and there comes to us Mrs. Jowles, who is a very
fine, proper lady, as most I know, and well dressed. Here was also a
gentleman, one Major Manly, and his wife, neighbours; and here we staid,
and drank, and talked, and set Coney and him to play while Mrs. Jowles
and I to talk, and there had all our old stories up, and there I had
the liberty to salute her often, and pull off her glove, where her hand
mighty moist, and she mighty free in kindness to me, and je do not at
all doubt that I might have had that that I would have desired de elle
had I had time to have carried her to Cobham, as she, upon my proposing
it, was very willing to go, for elle is a whore, that is certain, but
a very brave and comely one. Here was a pretty cozen of hers come in to
supper also, of a great fortune, daughter-in-law to this Manly, mighty
pretty, but had now such a cold, she could not speak. Here mightily
pleased with Mrs. Jowles, and did get her to the street door, and there
to her su breasts, and baiser her without any force, and credo that I
might have had all else, but it was not time nor place. Here staid till
almost twelve at night, and then with a lanthorn from thence walked over
the fields, as dark as pitch, and mighty cold, and snow, to Chatham, and
Mr. Coney with great kindness to me: and there all in bed before I come
home, and so I presently to bed.

25th. Up, and by and by, about eight o'clock, come Rear-Admiral
Kempthorne and seven Captains more, by the Duke of York's order, as we
expected, to hold the Court-martiall about the loss of "The Defyance;"
and so presently we by boat to "The Charles," which lies over against
Upnor Castle, and there we fell to the business; and there I did manage
the business, the Duke of York having, by special order, directed them
to take the assistance of Commissioner Middleton and me, forasmuch as
there might be need of advice in what relates to the government of the
ships in harbour. And so I did lay the law open to them, and rattle the
Master Attendants out of their wits almost; and made the trial last
till seven at night, not eating a bit all the day; only when we had done
examination, and I given my thoughts that the neglect of the Gunner of
the ship was as great as I thought any neglect could be, which might by
the law deserve death, but Commissioner Middleton did declare that he
was against giving the sentence of death, we withdrew, as not being of
the Court, and so left them to do what they pleased; and, while they
were debating it, the Boatswain of the ship did bring us out of the
kettle a piece of hot salt beef, and some brown bread and brandy; and
there we did make a little meal, but so good as I never would desire to
eat better meat while I live, only I would have cleaner dishes. By and
by they had done, and called us down from the quarterdeck; and there
we find they do sentence that the Gunner of "The Defyance" should stand
upon "The Charles" three hours with his fault writ upon his breast, and
with a halter about his neck, and so be made incapable of any office.
The truth is, the man do seem, and is, I believe, a good man; but his
neglect, in trusting a girl to carry fire into his cabin, is not to
be pardoned. This being done, we took boat and home; and there a
good supper was ready for us, which should have been our dinner. The
Captains, desirous to be at London, went away presently for Gravesend,
to get thither by this night's tide; and so we to supper, it having been
a great snowy and mighty cold, foul day; and so after supper to bed.

26th. Up, and with Middleton all the morning at the Docke, looking over
the storehouses and Commissioner Pett's house, in order to Captain Cox's
coming to live there in his stead, as Commissioner. But it is a mighty
pretty house; and pretty to see how every thing is said to be out of
repair for this new man, though L10 would put it into as good condition
in every thing as it ever was in, so free every body is of the King's
money. By and by to Mr. Wilson's, and there drank, but did not see his
wife, nor any woman in the yard, and so to dinner at the Hill-House; and
after dinner, till eight at night, close, Middleton and I, examining
the business of Mr. Pett, about selling a boat, and we find him a very
knave; and some other quarrels of his, wherein, to justify himself, he
hath made complaints of others. This being done, we to supper, and so to
talk, Commissioner Middleton being mighty good company upon a journey,
and so to bed, thinking how merry my people are at this time, putting
Tom and Jane to bed, being to have been married this day, it being also
my feast for my being cut of the stone, but how many years I do not
remember, but I think it to be about ten or eleven.

27th. Up, and did a little business, Middleton and I, then; after
drinking a little buttered ale, he and Huchinson and: I took coach, and,
exceeding merry in talk, to Dartford: Middleton finding stories of his
own life at Barbadoes, and up and down at Venice, and elsewhere,
that are mighty pretty, and worth hearing; and he is a strange good
companion, and; droll upon the road, more than ever I could have thought
to have been in him. Here we dined and met Captain Allen of Rochester,
who dined with us, and so went on his journey homeward, and we by and
by took coach again and got home about six at night, it being all the
morning as cold, snowy, windy, and rainy day, as any in the whole winter
past, but pretty clear in the afternoon. I find all well, but my wife
abroad with Jane, who was married yesterday, and I to the office busy,
till by and by my wife comes home, and so home, and there hear how merry
they were yesterday, and I glad at it, they being married, it seems,
very handsomely, at Islington; and dined at the old house, and lay in
our blue chamber, with much company, and wonderful merry. The Turner and
Mary Batelier bridesmaids, and Talbot Pepys and W. Hewer bridesmen. Anon
to supper and to bed, my head a little troubled with the muchness of the
business I have upon me at present. So to bed.

28th (Lord's day). Lay long talking with pleasure with my wife, and so
up and to the Office with Tom, who looks mighty smug upon his marriage,
as Jane also do, both of whom I did give joy, and so Tom and I at work
at the Office all the morning, till dinner, and then dined, W. Batelier
with us; and so after dinner to work again, and sent for Gibson, and
kept him also till eight at night, doing much business. And so, that
being done, and my journal writ, my eyes being very bad, and every day
worse and worse, I fear: but I find it most certain that stronge drinks
do make my eyes sore, as they have done heretofore always; for, when I
was in the country, when my eyes were at the best, their stronge beere
would make my eyes sore: so home to supper, and by and by to bed.

29th. Up, and by water to White Hall; and there to the Duke of York,
to shew myself, after my journey to Chatham, but did no business to-day
with him: only after gone from him, I to Sir T. Clifford's; and there,
after an hour's waiting, he being alone in his closet, I did speak with
him, and give him the account he gave me to draw up, and he did like it
very well: and then fell to talk of the business of the Navy and giving
me good words, did fall foul of the constitution [of the Board], and did
then discover his thoughts, that Sir J. Minnes was too old, and so was
Colonel Middleton, and that my Lord Brouncker did mind his mathematics
too much. I did not give much encouragement to that of finding fault
with my fellow-officers; but did stand up for the constitution, and
did say that what faults there were in our Office would be found not to
arise from the constitution, but from the failures of the officers in
whose hands it was. This he did seem to give good ear to; but did give
me of myself very good words, which pleased me well, though I shall not
build upon them any thing. Thence home; and after dinner by water with
Tom down to Greenwich, he reading to me all the way, coming and going,
my collections out of the Duke of York's old manuscript of the Navy,
which I have bound up, and do please me mightily. At Greenwich I come to
Captain Cocke's, where the house full of company, at the burial of James
Temple, who, it seems, hath been dead these five days here I had a very
good ring, which I did give my wife as soon as I come home. I spent my
time there walking in the garden, talking with James Pierce, who tells
me that he is certain that the Duke of Buckingham had been with his
wenches all the time that he was absent, which was all the last week,
nobody knowing where he was. The great talk is of the King's being
hot of late against Conventicles, and to see whether the Duke of
Buckingham's being returned will turn the King, which will make him very
popular: and some think it is his plot to make the King thus, to shew
his power in the making him change his mind. But Pierce did tell me that
the King did certainly say, that he that took one stone from the Church,
did take two from his Crown. By and by the corpse come out; and I, with
Sir Richard Browne and Mr. Evelyn, in their coach to the church, where
Mr. Plume preached. But I, in the midst of the sermon, did go out, and
walked all alone, round to Deptford, thinking para have seen the wife of
Bagwell, which I did at her door, but I could not conveniently go into
her house, and so lost my labour: and so to the King's Yard, and there
my boat by order met me; and home, where I made my boy to finish the my
manuscript, and so to supper and to bed my new chamber-maid, that comes
in the room of Jane; is come, Jane and Tom lying at their own lodging
this night: the new maid's name is Matt, a proper and very comely
maid... This day also our cook-maid Bridget went away, which I was sorry
for; but, just at her going she was found to be a thief, and so I was
the less trouble for it; but now our whole house will, in a manner, be
new which, since Jane is gone, I am not at all sorry for, for that my
late differences with my wife about poor Deb. will not be remembered. So
to bed after supper, and to sleep with great content.

30th. Up, and to Sir W. Coventry, to see and discourse with him; and
he tells me that he hath lately been with my Lord Keeper, and had much
discourse about the Navy; and particularly he tells me that he finds
they are divided touching me and my Lord Brouncker; some are for
removing; and some for keeping us. He told my Lord Keeper that it would
cost the King L10,000 before he hath made another as fit to serve him
in the Navy as I am; which, though I believe it is true, yet I am much
pleased to have that character given me by W. Coventry, whatever be the
success of it. But I perceive they do think that I know too much,
and shall impose upon whomever shall come next, and therefore must be
removed, though he tells me that Sir T. Clifford is inclined well enough
to me, and Sir T. Osborne; by what I have lately done, I suppose. This
news do a little trouble me, but yet, when I consider it, it is but
what I ought not to be much troubled for, considering my incapacity, in
regard to my eyes, to continue long at this work, and this when I think
of and talk with my wife do make me the less troubled for it. After
some talk of the business of the navy more with him, I away and to the
Office, where all the morning; and Sir W. Pen, the first time that he
hath been here since his being last sick, which, I think, is two or
three months; and I think will be the last that he will be here as one
of the Board, he now inviting us all to dine with him, as a parting
dinner, on Thursday next, which I am glad of, I am sure; for he is a
very villain. At noon home to dinner, where, and at the office, all the
afternoon, troubled at what I have this morning heard, at least my mind
full of thoughts upon it, and so at night after supper to bed.

31st. Up, and by water to Sir W. Coventry's, there to talk with him
about business of the Navy, and received from him direction what to
advise the Duke of York at this time, which was, to submit and give way
to the King's naming a man or two, that the people about him have a mind
should be brought into the Navy, and perhaps that may stop their fury
in running further against the whole; and this, he believes, will do it.
After much discourse with him, I walked out with him into St. James's
Park, where, being afeard to be seen with him, he having not leave yet
to kiss the King's hand, but notice taken, as I hear, of all that go to
him, I did take the pretence of my attending the Tangier Committee, to
take my leave, though to serve him I should, I think, stick at nothing.
At the Committee, this morning, my Lord Middleton declares at last his
being ready to go, as soon as ever money can be made ready to pay the
garrison: and so I have orders to get money, but how soon I know not.
Thence home, and there find Mr Sheres, for whom I find my moher of late
to talk with mighty kindness; and particularly he hath shewn himself to
be a poet, and that she do mightily value him for. He did not stay to
dine with us, but we to dinner; and then, in the afternoon, my wife
being very well dressed by her new maid, we abroad, to make a visit
to Mrs. Pickering; but she abroad again, and so we never yet saw her.
Thence to Dancre's, and there, saw our pictures which are in doing;
and I did choose a view of Rome instead of Hampton Court; and mightily
pleased I shall be in them. Here were Sir Charles Cotterell and his son
bespeaking something; both ingenious men. Thence my wife and I to the
Park; and pretty store of company; and so home with great content the
month, my mind in pretty good content for all things, but the designs on
foot to bring alterations in the Office, which troubles me.




APRIL 1669

April 1st. Up, and with Colonel Middleton, at the desire of Rear-Admiral
Kempthorne, the President, for our assisting them, to the Court-martiall
on board a yacht in the River here, to try the business of the Purser's
complaints, Baker against Trevanion, his Commander, of "The Dartmouth."
But, Lord! to see what wretched doings there were among all the
Commanders to ruin the Purser, and defend the Captain in all his
rogueries, be it to the prejudice of the King or Purser, no good man
could bear! I confess I was pretty high, which did not at least the
young gentlemen Commander like; and Middleton did the like. But could
not bring it to any issue this day, sitting till two o'clock; and
therefore we being sent for, went to Sir W. Pen's by invitation to dine;
where my wife was, and my Lord Brouncker and his mistress, and Sir J.
Minnes and his niece; and here a bad dinner, and little mirth, I being
little pleased with my host. However, I made myself sociable; and so,
after dinner, my wife and I, with my Lord Brouncker and his mistress,
they set us down at my cozen Turner's, and there we staid awhile and
talked; and particularly here we met with Dr. Ball, the Parson of the
Temple, who did tell me a great many pretty stories about the manner
of the Parsons being paid for their preaching at Paul's heretofore,
and now, and the ground of the Lecture, and heretofore the names of
the founders thereof, which were many, at some 5s., some 6s. per annum
towards it: and had their names read in the pulpit every sermon among
those holy persons that the Church do order a collect for, giving God
thanks for. By and by comes by my desire Commissioner Middleton's coach
and horses for us, and we went with it towards the Park, thinking to
have met The. Turner and Betty, but did not; so turned back again to
their lodging, and there found them and Mr. Batelier, and there, after
a little talk, we took leave, and carry Batelier home with us. So to
supper, and so to bed.

2nd. Up, and by water to White Hall, and there with the Office attended
the Duke of York, and staid in White Hall till about noon, and so
with W. Hewer to the Cocke, and there he and I dined alone with great
content, he reading to me, for my memory's sake, my late collections of
the history of the Navy, that I might represent the same by and by to
the Duke of York; and so, after dinner, he and I to White Hall, and
there to the Duke of York's lodgings, whither he, by and by, by his
appointment come: and alone with him an hour in his closet, telling him
mine and W. Coventry's advice touching the present posture of the Navy,
as the Duke of Buckingham and the rest do now labour to make changes
therein; and that it were best for him to suffer the King to be
satisfied with the bringing in of a man or two which they desire. I did
also give the Duke of York a short account of the history of the Navy,
as to our Office, wherewith he was very well satisfied: but I do find
that he is pretty stiff against their bringing in of men against his
mind, as the Treasures were, and particularly against Child's' coming
in, because he is a merchant. After much discourse with him, we parted;
and [he to] the Council, while I staid waiting for his telling me when
I should be ready to give him a written account of the administration of
the Navy. This caused me to wait the whole afternoon, till night. In
the mean time, stepping to the Duchess of York's side to speak with Lady
Peterborough; I did see the young Duchess,

          [The Princess Mary, afterwards Queen of England.]

a little child in hanging sleeves; dance most finely, so as almost
to ravish me, her ears were so good: taught by a Frenchman that
did heretofore teach the King, and all the King's children, and the
Queen-Mother herself, who do still dance well. Thence to the council
door and Mr. Chevins took me into the back stairs, and they with his
friend, Mr. Fowkes, for whom he is very solicitous in some things
depending in this Office, he did make me, with some others that he
took in (among others, Alderman Back well), eat a pickled herring, the
largest I ever saw, and drink variety of wines till I was almost merry;
but I did keep in good tune; and so, after the Council was up, I home;
and there find my wife not yet come home from Deptford, he she hath been
all this day to see her mother, but she come and by, and so to talk,
and supper, and to bed. This night I did bring home from the King's
potticary's, in White Hall by Mr. Cooling's direction, a water that he
says did him mighty good for his eyes. I pray God it may do me good;
but, by his description, his disease was the same as mine, and this do
encourage me to use it.

3rd. Up, and to the Council of War again, with Middleton: but the
proceedings of the Commanders so devilishly bad, and so professedly
partial to the Captain, that I could endure it no longer, but took
occasion to pretend business at the Office, and away, and Colonel
Middleton with me, who was of the same mind, and resolved to declare our
minds freely to the Duke of York about it. So to the office, where we
sat all the morning. Then home to dinner, and so back to the office,
where busy late till night, and so home to supper and to bed.

4th (Lord's day). Up, and to church, where Alderman Backewell's wife,
by my invitation with my head, come up with her mother, and sat with
us, and after sermon I did walk with them home, and there left them, and
home to dinner, and after dinner with Sir J. Minnes and T. Middleton to
White Hall, by appointment; and at my Lord Arlington's the Office did
attend the King and Cabal, to discourse the further quantity of victuals
fit to be declared for, which was 2,000 men for six months; and so
without more ado or stay, there, hearing no news but that Sir Thomas
Allen is to be expected every hour at home with his fleete, or news of
his being gone back to Algier, and so home, where got my wife to read
to me; and so after supper to bed. The Queen-Mother hath been of late
mighty ill, and some fears of her death.

5th. Up, and by coach, it being very cold, to White Hall, expecting a
meeting of Tangier, but it did not. But, however, did wait there all
the morning, and, among other things, I spent a little time with Creed
walking in the garden, and talking about our Office, and Child's coming
in to be a Commissioner; and, being his friend, I did think he might
do me a kindness to learn of him what the Duke of Buckingham and the
faction do design touching me, and to instil good words concerning me,
which he says, and I believe he will: and it is but necessary; for I
have not a mind indeed at this time to be put out of my Office, if I can
make any shift that is honourable to keep it; but I will not do it by
deserting the Duke of York. At noon by appointment comes Mr. Sheres,
and he and I to Unthanke's, where my wife stays for us in our coach, and
Betty Turner with her; and we to the Mulberry Garden, where Sheres is to
treat us with a Spanish Olio,

     [An olio is a mixed dish of meat and vegetables, and, secondarily,
     mixture or medley.]

by a cook of his acquaintance that is there, that was with my Lord in
Spain: and without any other company, he did do it, and mighty nobly;
and the Olio was indeed a very noble dish, such as I never saw better,
or any more of. This, and the discourse he did give us of Spain, and
description of the Escuriall, was a fine treat. So we left other good
things, that would keep till night, for a collation; and, with much
content, took coach again, and went five or six miles towards Branford,
the Prince of Tuscany, who comes into England only to spend money and
see our country, comes into the town to-day, and is much expected; and
we met him, but the coach passing by apace, we could not see much of him
but he seems a very jolly and good comely man. By the way, we overtook
Captain Ferrers upon his fine Spanish horse, and he is a fine horse
indeed; but not so good, I think, as I have seen some. He did ride by
us most of the way, and with us to the Park, and there left us, where
we passed the evening, and meeting The. Turner, Talbot, W. Batelier,
and his sister, in a coach, we anon took them with us to the Mulberry
Garden; and there, after a walk, to supper upon what was left at noon;
and very good; only Mr. Sheres being taken suddenly ill for a while, did
spoil our mirth; but by and by was well again, and we mighty merry: and
so broke up, and left him at Charing Cross, and so calling only at my
cozen Turner's, away home, mightily pleased with the day's work, and
this day come another new mayd, for a middle mayd, but her name I know
not yet; and, for a cookmaid, we have, ever since Bridget went, used a
blackmoore of Mr. Batelier's, Doll, who dresses our meat mighty well,
and we mightily pleased with her. So by and by to bed.

6th. Up, and to the Office, and thence to the Excise Office about some
business, and so back to the office and sat till late, end thence to Mr.
Batelier's to dinner, where my cozen Turner and both her daughters,
and Talbot Pepys and my wife, and a mighty fine dinner. They at dinner
before I come; and, when I had dined, I away home, and thence to White
Hall, where the Board waited on the Duke of York to discourse about
the disposing of Sir Thomas Allen's fleete, which is newly come home
to Portsmouth; and here Middleton and I did in plain terms acquaint
the Duke of York what we thought and had observed in the late
Court-martiall, which the Duke did give ear to; and though he thinks not
fit to revoke what is already done in this case by a Court-martiall,
yet it shall bring forth some good laws in the behaviour of Captains to
their under Officers for the time to come. Thence home, and there, after
a while at the Office, I home, and there come home my wife, who hath
been with Batelier's late, and been dancing with the company, at which
I seemed a little troubled, not being sent for thither myself, but I was
not much so, but went to bed well enough pleased.

7th. Up, and by coach to my cozen Turner's, and invited them to dine
at the Cocke to-day, with my wife and me; and so to the Lords of the
Treasury, where all the morning, and settled matters to their liking
about the assignments on the Customes, between the Navy Office and
Victualler, and to that end spent most of the morning there with D.
Gawden, and thence took him to the Cocke, and there left him and my
clerk Gibson together evening their reckonings, while I to the New
Exchange to talk with Betty, my little sempstress; and so to Mrs.
Turner's, to call them to dinner, but my wife not come, I back again,
and was overtaken by a porter, with a message from my wife that she was
ill, and could not come to us: so I back again to Mrs. Turner's, and
find them gone; and so back again to the Cocke, and there find Mr.
Turner, Betty, and Talbot Pepys, and they dined with myself Sir D.
Gawden and Gibson, and mighty merry, this house being famous for good
meat, and particularly pease-porridge and after dinner broke up, and
they away; and I to the Council-Chamber, and there heard the great
complaint of the City, tried against the gentlemen of the Temple, for
the late riot, as they would have it, when my Lord Mayor was there.
But, upon hearing the whole business, the City was certainly to blame to
charge them in this manner as with a riot: but the King and Council did
forbear to determine any thing it, till the other business of the title
and privilege be decided which is now under dispute at law between them,
whether Temple be within the liberty of the City or no. But I, sorry to
see the City so ill advised as to complain in a thing where their proofs
were so weak. Thence to my cousin Turner's, and thence with her and
her daughters, and her sister Turner, I carrying Betty in my lap, to
Talbot's chamber at the Temple, where, by agreement, the poor rogue had
a pretty dish of anchovies and sweetmeats for them; and hither come Mr.
Eden, who was in his mistress's disfavour ever since the other night
that he come in thither fuddled, when we were there. But I did make them
friends by my buffoonery, and bringing up a way of spelling their names,
and making Theophila spell Lamton, which The. would have to be the name
of Mr. Eden's mistress, and mighty merry we were till late, and then
I by coach home, and so to bed, my wife being ill of those, but well
enough pleased with my being with them. This day I do hear that Betty
Turner is to be left at school at Hackney, which I am mightily pleased
with; for then I shall, now and then, see her. She is pretty, and a girl
for that, and her relations, I love.

8th. Up, and to White Hall, to the King's side, to find Sir T. Clifford,
where the Duke of York come and found me, which I was sorry for, for
fear he should think I was making friends on that side. But I did put it
off the best I could, my being there: and so, by and by, had opportunity
alone to shew Sir T. Clifford the fair account I had drawn up of the
Customes, which he liked, and seemed mightily pleased with me; and so
away to the Excise-Office, to do a little business there, and so to the
Office, where all the morning. At noon home to dinner, and then to
the office again till the evening, and then with my wife by coach to
Islington, to pay what we owe there, for the late dinner at Jane's
wedding; and so round by Kingsland and Hogsden home, pleased with my
wife's singing with me, by the way, and so to the office again a
little, and then home to supper and to bed. Going this afternoon through
Smithfield, I did see a coach run over the coachman's neck, and stand
upon it, and yet the man rose up, and was well after it, which I thought
a wonder.

9th. Up, and by water to White Hall, end there, with the Board, attended
the Duke of York, and Sir Thomas Allen with us (who come to town
yesterday); and it is resolved another fleete shall go to the Streights
forthwith, and he command it. But his coming home is mighty hardly
talked on by the merchants, for leaving their ships there to the mercy
of the Turks: but of this more in my White-Booke. Thence out, and
slipped out by water to Westminster Hall and there thought to have spoke
with Mrs. Martin, but she was not there, nor at home. So back again, and
with W. Hewer by coach home and to dinner, and then to the office, and
out again with W. Hewer to the Excise-Office, and to several places;
among others, to Mr. Faythorne's, to have seen an instrument which he
was said to have, for drawing perspectives, but he had it not: but here
I did see his work-house, and the best things of his doing he had by
him, and so to other places among others to Westminster Hall, and I took
occasion to make a step to Mrs. Martin's, the first time I have been
with her since her husband went last to sea, which is I think a year
since.... But, Lord! to hear how sillily she tells the story of her
sister Doll's being a widow and lately brought to bed; and her husband,
one Rowland Powell, drowned, sea with her husband, but by chance dead at
sea, cast When God knows she hath played the whore, and forced at this
time after she was brought to bed, this story. Thence calling at several
places by the home, and there to the office, and then home to supper and
to bed.

10th. Up, and to the Excise-Office, and thence to White Hall a little,
and so back again to the 'Change, but nobody there, it being over, and
so walked home to dinner, and after dinner comes Mr. Seymour to visit
me, a talking fellow: but I hear by him that Captain Trevanion do give
it out every where, that I did overrule the whole Court-martiall against
him, as long as I was there; and perhaps I may receive, this time, some
wrong by it: but I care not, for what I did was out of my desire of
doing justice. So the office, where late, and then home to supper and to
bed.

11th (Lord's day. Easter day). Up, and to Church; where Alderman
Backewell's wife, and mother, and boy, and another gentlewoman, did
come, and sit in our pew; but no women of our own there, and so there
was room enough. Our Parson made a dull sermon, and so home to dinner;
and, after dinner, my wife and I out by coach, and Balty with us, to
Loton, the landscape-drawer, a Dutchman, living in St. James's Market,
but there saw no good pictures. But by accident he did direct us to
a painter that was then in the house with him, a Dutchman, newly come
over, one Evarelst, who took us to his lodging close by, and did shew us
a little flower-pot of his doing, the finest thing that ever, I think,
I saw in my life; the drops of dew hanging on the leaves, so as I was
forced, again and again, to put my finger to it, to feel whether my eyes
were deceived or no. He do ask L70 for it: I had the vanity to bid him
L20; but a better picture I never saw in my whole life; and it is worth
going twenty miles to see it. Thence, leaving Balty there, I took my
wife to St. James's, and there carried her to the Queen's Chapel, the
first time I ever did it; and heard excellent musick, but not so good as
by accident I did hear there yesterday, as I went through the Park from
White Hall to see Sir W. Coventry, which I have forgot to set down in my
journal yesterday. And going out of the Chapel, I did see the Prince of
Tuscany' come out, a comely, black, fat man, in a mourning suit; and my
wife and I did see him this afternoon through a window in this Chapel.
All that Sir W. Coventry yesterday did tell me new was, that the King
would not yet give him leave to come to kiss his hand; and he do believe
that he will not in a great while do it, till those about him shall see
fit, which I am sorry for. Thence to the Park, my wife and I; and here
Sir W. Coventry did first see me and my wife in a coach of our own; and
so did also this night the Duke of York, who did eye my wife mightily.
But I begin to doubt that my being so much seen in my own coach at this
time, may be observed to my prejudice; but I must venture it now. So
home, and by night home, and so to my office, and there set down my
journal, with the help of my left eye through my tube, for fourteen
days' past; which is so much, as, I hope, I shall not run in arrear
again, but the badness of my eyes do force me to it. So home to supper
and to bed.

12th. Up, and by water to White Hall, where I of the whole Office
attended the Duke of York at his meeting with Sir Thomas Allen and
several flag-officers, to consider of the manner of managing the war
with Algiers; and, it being a thing I was wholly silent in, I did only
observe; and find that; their manner of discourse on this weighty affair
was very mean and disorderly, the Duke of York himself being the man
that I thought spoke most to the purpose. Having done here, I up and
down the house, talking with this man and that, and: then meeting Mr.
Sheres, took him to see the fine flower-pot I saw yesterday, and did
again offer L20 for it; but he [Verelst] insists upon L50. Thence I took
him to St. James's, but there was no musique, but so walked to White
Hall, and, by and by to my wife at Unthanke's, and with her was Jane,
and so to the Cocke, where they, and I, and Sheres, and Tom dined, my
wife having a great desire to eat of their soup made of pease, and dined
very well, and thence by water to the Bear-Garden, and there happened to
sit by Sir Fretcheville Hollis, who is still full of his vain-glorious
and prophane talk. Here we saw a prize fought between a soldier and
country fellow, one Warrell, who promised the least in his looks, and
performed the most of valour in his boldness and evenness of mind, and
smiles in all he did, that ever I saw and we were all both deceived and
infinitely taken with him. He did soundly beat the soldier, and cut him
over the head. Thence back to White Hall, mightily pleased, all of us,
with this sight, and particularly this fellow, as a most extraordinary
man for his temper and evenness in fighting. And there leaving Sheres,
we by our own coach home, and after sitting an hour, thrumming upon
my viall, and singing, I to bed, and left my wife to do something to a
waistcoat and petticoat she is to wear to-morrow. This evening, coming
home, we overtook Alderman Backewell's coach and his lady, and followed
them to their house, and there made them the first visit, where they
received us with extraordinary civility, and owning the obligation.
But I do, contrary to my expectation, find her something a proud and
vain-glorious woman, in telling the number of her servants and family
and expences: he is also so, but he was ever of that strain. But here he
showed me the model of his houses that he is going to build in Cornhill
and Lumbard Street; but he hath purchased so much there, that it looks
like a little town, and must have cost him a great deal of money.

13th. Up, and at the Office a good while, and then, my wife going down
the River to spend the day with her mother at Deptford, I abroad, and
first to the milliner's in Fenchurch Street, over against Rawlinson's,
and there, meeting both him and her in the shop, I bought a pair of
gloves, and fell to talk, and found so much freedom that I stayed there
the best part of the morning till towards noon, with great pleasure, it
being a holiday, and then against my will away and to the 'Change, where
I left W. Hewer, and I by hackney-coach to the Spittle, and heard a
piece of a dull sermon to my Lord Mayor and Aldermen, and thence saw
them all take horse and ride away, which I have not seen together many
a-day; their wives also went in their coaches; and, indeed, the sight
was mighty pleasing. Thence took occasion to go back to this milliner's
[in Fenchurch Street], whose name I now understand to be Clerke; and
there, her husband inviting me up to the balcony, to see the sight go by
to dine at Clothworker's-Hall, I did go up and there saw it go by: and
then; there being a good piece of cold roast beef upon the tables and
one Margetts, a young merchant that lodges there, and is likely to marry
a sister of hers, I staid and eat, and had much good conversation with
her, who hath the vanity to talk of her great friends and father, one
Wingate, near Welling;, that hath been a Parliament-man. Here also was
Stapely: the rope-merchant, and dined with us; and, after spending most
of the afternoon also, I away home, and there sent for W. Hewer, and he
and I by water to White Hall to loop among other things, for Mr. May,
to unbespeak his dining with me to-morrow. But here being in the
court-yard, God would have it, I spied Deb., which made my heart and
head to work, and I presently could not refrain, but sent W. Hewer away
to look for Mr. Wren (W. Hewer, I perceive, did see her, but whether
he did see me see her I know not, or suspect my sending him away I know
not, but my heart could not hinder me), and I run after her and two
women and a man, more ordinary people, and she in her old clothes,
and after hunting a little, find them in the lobby of the chapel below
stairs, and there I observed she endeavoured to avoid me, but I did
speak to her and she to me, and did get her pour dire me ou she demeurs
now, and did charge her para say nothing of me that I had vu elle, which
she did promise, and so with my heart full of surprize and disorder I
away, and meeting with Sir H. Cholmley walked into the Park with him and
back again, looking to see if I could spy her again in the Park, but I
could not. And so back to White Hall, and then back to the Park with Mr.
May, but could see her, no more, and so with W. Hewer, who I doubt by my
countenance might see some disorder in me, we home by water, and there
I find Talbot Pepys, and Mrs. Turner, and Betty, come to invite us to
dinner on Thursday; and, after drinking, I saw them to the water-side,
and so back home through Crutched Friars, and there saw Mary Mercer,
and put off my hat to her, on the other side of the way, but it being a
little darkish she did not, I think, know me well, and so to my office
to put my papers in order, they having been removed for my closet to be
made clean, and so home to my wife, who is come home from Deptford. But,
God forgive me, I hardly know how to put on confidence enough to speak
as innocent, having had this passage to-day with Deb., though only, God
knows, by accident. But my great pain is lest God Almighty shall suffer
me to find out this girl, whom indeed I love, and with a bad amour, but
I will pray to God to give me grace to forbear it. So home to supper,
where very sparing in my discourse, not giving occasion of any enquiry
where I have been to-day, or what I have done, and so without any
trouble to-night more than my fear, we to bed.

14th. Up, and with W. Hewer to White Hall, and there I did speak with
the Duke of York, the Council sitting in the morning, and it was to
direct me to have my business ready of the Administration of the Office
against Saturday next, when the King would have a hearing of it. Thence
home, W. Hewer with me, and then out with my own coach to the Duke
of York's play-house, and there saw "The Impertinents," a play which
pleases me well still; but it is with great trouble that I now see
a play, because of my eyes, the light of the candles making it very
troublesome to me. After the play; my wife and I towards the Park, but
it being too late we to Creed's, and there find him and her [his wife]
together alone, in their new house, where I never was before, they
lodging before at the next door, and a pretty house it is; but I do
not see that they intend to keep any coach. Here they treat us like
strangers, quite according to the fashion--nothing to drink or eat,
which is a thing that will spoil our ever having any acquaintance with
them; for we do continue the old freedom and kindness of England to all
our friends. But they do here talk mightily of my Lady Paulina making a
very good end, and being mighty religious in her lifetime; and hath left
many good notes of sermons and religion; wrote with her own hand, hand,
which nobody ever knew of; which I am glad of: but she was always a
peevish lady. Thence home, and there to talk and to supper and to bed,
all being very safe as to my seeing of poor Deb. yesterday.

15th. Up, and to the office, and thence before the office sat to the
Excise Office with W. Hewer, but found some occasion to go another way
to the Temple upon business, and I by Deb.'s direction did know whither
in Jewen Street to direct my hackney coachman, while I staid in the
coach in Aldgate Street, to go thither just to enquire whether Mrs.
Hunt, her aunt, was in town, who brought me word she was not; thought
this was as much as I could do at once, and therefore went away troubled
through that I could do no more but to the office I must go and did, and
there all the morning, but coming thither I find Bagwell's wife, who did
give me a little note in

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