much business, but, Lord! how my heart, though I know not reason for it,
began to doubt myself, after I saw Stint, Field's one-eyed solicitor,
though I know not any thing that they are doing, or that they endeavour
any thing further against us in the business till the terme. Home, and
Creed with me to dinner, and after dinner John Cole, my old friend, came
to see and speak with me about a friend. I find him ingenious, but more
and more discern his city pedantry; but however, I will endeavour to have
his company now and then, for that he knows much of the temper of the
City, and is able to acquaint therein as much as most young men, being of
large acquaintance, and himself, I think, somewhat unsatisfied with the
present state of things at Court and in the Church. Then to the office,
and there busy till late, and so home to my wife, with some ease and
pleasure that I hope to be able to follow my business again, which by
God's leave I am resolved to return to with more and more eagerness. I
find at Court, that either the King is doubtfull of some disturbance, or
else would seem so (and I have reason to hope it is no worse), by his
commanding all commanders of castles, &c., to repair to their charges; and
mustering the Guards the other day himself, where he found reason to
dislike their condition to my Lord Gerard, finding so many absent men, or
dead pays.
[This is probably an allusion to the practice of not reporting the
deaths of soldiers, that the officers might continue to draw their
pay.--B.]
My Lady Castlemaine, I hear, is in as great favour as ever, and the King
supped with her the very first night he came from Bath: and last night and
the night before supped with her; when there being a chine of beef to
roast, and the tide rising into their kitchen that it could not be roasted
there, and the cook telling her of it, she answered, "Zounds! she must set
the house on fire but it should be roasted!" So it was carried to Mrs.
Sarah's husband's, and there it was roasted. So home to supper and to
bed, being mightily pleased with all my house and my red chamber, where my
wife and I intend constantly to lie, and the having of our dressing room
and mayds close by us without any interfering or trouble.
14th. Up and to my office, where all the morning, and part of it Sir J.
Minnes spent, as he do every thing else, like a fool, reading the Anatomy
of the body to me, but so sillily as to the making of me understand any
thing that I was weary of him, and so I toward the 'Change and met with
Mr. Grant, and he and I to the Coffee-house, where I understand by him
that Sir W. Petty and his vessel are coming, and the King intends to go to
Portsmouth to meet it. Thence home and after dinner my wife and I, by Mr.
Rawlinson's conduct, to the Jewish Synagogue: where the men and boys in
their vayles, and the women behind a lattice out of sight; and some things
stand up, which I believe is their Law, in a press to which all coming in
do bow; and at the putting on their vayles do say something, to which
others that hear him do cry Amen, and the party do kiss his vayle. Their
service all in a singing way, and in Hebrew. And anon their Laws that
they take out of the press are carried by several men, four or five
several burthens in all, and they do relieve one another; and whether it
is that every one desires to have the carrying of it, I cannot tell, thus
they carried it round about the room while such a service is singing. And
in the end they had a prayer for the King, which they pronounced his name
in Portugall; but the prayer, like the rest, in Hebrew. But, Lord! to see
the disorder, laughing, sporting, and no attention, but confusion in all
their service, more like brutes than people knowing the true God, would
make a man forswear ever seeing them more and indeed I never did see so
much, or could have imagined there had been any religion in the whole
world so absurdly performed as this. Away thence with my mind strongly
disturbed with them, by coach and set down my wife in Westminster Hall,
and I to White Hall, and there the Tangier Committee met, but the Duke and
the Africa Committee meeting in our room, Sir G. Carteret; Sir W. Compton,
Mr. Coventry, Sir W. Rider, Cuttance and myself met in another room, with
chairs set in form but no table, and there we had very fine discourses of
the business of the fitness to keep Sally, and also of the terms of our
King's paying the Portugees that deserted their house at Tangier, which
did much please me, and so to fetch my wife, and so to the New Exchange
about her things, and called at Thomas Pepys the turner's and bought
something there, an so home to supper and to bed, after I had been a good
while with Sir W. Pen, railing and speaking freely our minds against Sir
W. Batten and Sir J. Minnes, but no more than the folly of one and the
knavery of the other do deserve.
15th. Up, I bless God being now in pretty good condition, but cannot come
to make natural stools yet . . . . . So up and to the office, where
we sat all the morning, and at noon dined at home, my head full of
business, and after stepping abroad to buy a thing or two, compasses and
snuffers for my wife, I returned to my office and there mighty busy till
it was late, and so home well contented with the business that I had done
this afternoon, and so to supper and to bed.
16th. Up and to my office, where all the morning doing business, and at
noon home to dinner, and then up to remove my chest and clothes up stairs
to my new wardrobe, that I may have all my things above where I lie, and
so by coach abroad with my wife, leaving her at my Lord's till I went to
the Tangier Committee, where very good discourse concerning the Articles
of peace to be continued with Guyland, and thence took up my wife, and
with her to her tailor's, and then to the Exchange and to several places,
and so home and to my office, where doing some business, and then home to
supper and to bed.
17th. Up and to my office, and there we sat a very full board all the
morning upon some accounts of Mr. Gauden's. Here happened something
concerning my Will which Sir W. Batten would fain charge upon him, and I
heard him mutter something against him of complaint for his often
receiving people's money to Sir G. Carteret, which displeased me much, but
I will be even with him. Thence to the Dolphin Tavern, and there Mr.
Gauden did give us a great dinner. Here we had some discourse of the
Queen's being very sick, if not dead, the Duke and Duchess of York being
sent for betimes this morning to come to White Hall to her. So to my
office and there late doing business, and so home to supper, my house
being got mighty clean to my great content from top to toe, and so to bed,
myself beginning to be in good condition of health also, but only my
laying out so much money upon clothes for myself and wife and her closet
troubles me.
18th (Lord's day). Up, and troubled at a distaste my wife took at a small
thing that Jane did, and to see that she should be so vexed that I took
part with Jane, wherein I had reason; but by and by well again, and so my
wife in her best gown and new poynt that I bought her the other day, to
church with me, where she has not been these many weeks, and her mayde
Jane with her. I was troubled to see Pembleton there, but I thought it
prudence to take notice myself first of it and show my wife him, and so by
little and little considering that it mattered not much his being there I
grew less concerned and so mattered it not much, and the less when, anon,
my wife showed me his wife, a pretty little woman, and well dressed, with
a good jewel at her breast. The parson, Mr. Mills, I perceive, did not
know whether to pray for the Queen or no, and so said nothing about her;
which makes me fear she is dead. But enquiring of Sir J. Minnes, he told
me that he heard she was better last night. So home to dinner, and Tom
came and dined with me, and so, anon, to church again, and there a simple
coxcomb preached worse than the Scot, and no Pembleton nor his wife there,
which pleased me not a little, and then home and spent most of the evening
at Sir W. Pen's in complaisance, seeing him though he deserves no respect
from me. This evening came my uncle Wight to speak with me about my uncle
Thomas's business, and Mr. Moore came, 4 or 5 days out of the country and
not come to see me before, though I desired by two or three messengers
that he would come to me as soon as he came to town. Which do trouble me
to think he should so soon forget my kindness to him, which I am afraid he
do. After walking a good while in the garden with these, I went up again
to Sir W. Pen, and took my wife home, and after supper to prayers, and
read very seriously my vowes, which I am fearful of forgetting by my late
great expenses, but I hope in God I do not, and so to bed.
19th. Waked with a very high wind, and said to my wife, "I pray God I
hear not of the death of any great person, this wind is so high!" fearing
that the Queen might be dead. So up; and going by coach with Sir W.
Batten and Sir J. Minnes to St. James's, they tell me that Sir W. Compton,
who it is true had been a little sickly for a week or fortnight, but was
very well upon Friday at night last at the Tangier Committee with us, was
dead--died yesterday: at which I was most exceedingly surprised, he being,
and so all the world saying that he was, one of the worthyest men and best
officers of State now in England; and so in my conscience he was: of the
best temper, valour, abilities of mind, integrity, birth, fine person, and
diligence of any one man he hath left behind him in the three kingdoms;
and yet not forty years old, or if so, that is all.
[Sir William Compton (1625-1663) was knighted at Oxford, December
12th, 1643. He was called by Cromwell "the sober young man and the
godly cavalier." After the Restoration he was M.P. for Cambridge
(1661), and appointed Master of the Ordnance. He died in Drury
Lane, suddenly, as stated in the text, and was buried at Compton
Wynyates, Warwickshire.]
I find the sober men of the Court troubled for him; and yet not so as to
hinder or lessen their mirth, talking, laughing, and eating, drinking, and
doing every thing else, just as if there was no such thing, which is as
good an instance for me hereafter to judge of death, both as to the
unavoidableness, suddenness, and little effect of it upon the spirits of
others, let a man be never so high, or rich, or good; but that all die
alike, no more matter being made of the death of one than another, and
that even to die well, the praise of it is not considerable in the world,
compared to the many in the world that know not nor make anything of it,
nor perhaps to them (unless to one that like this poor gentleman, who is
one of a thousand, there nobody speaking ill of him) that will speak ill
of a man. Coming to St. James's, I hear that the Queen did sleep five
hours pretty well to-night, and that she waked and gargled her mouth, and
to sleep again; but that her pulse beats fast, beating twenty to the
King's or my Lady Suffolk's eleven; but not so strong as it was. It seems
she was so ill as to be shaved and pidgeons put to her feet, and to have
the extreme unction given her by the priests, who were so long about it
that the doctors were angry. The King, they all say; is most fondly
disconsolate for her, and weeps by her, which makes her weep;
["The queen was given over by her physicians, . . . , and the
good nature of the king was much affected with the situation in
which he saw! a princess whom, though he did not love her, yet he
greatly esteemed. She loved him tenderly, and thinking that it was
the last time she should ever speak to him, she told him 'That the
concern he showed for her death was enough to make her quit life
with regret; but that not possessing charms sufficient to merit his
tenderness, she had at least the consolation in dying to give place
to a consort who might be more worthy, of it and to whom heaven,
perhaps, might grant a blessing that had been refused to her.' At
these words she bathed his hands with some tears which he thought
would be her last; he mingled his own with hers, and without
supposing she would take him at his word, he conjured her to live
for his sake."--Grammont Memoirs, chap. vii.]
which one this day told me he reckons a good sign, for that it carries
away some rheume from the head. This morning Captain Allen tells me how
the famous Ned Mullins, by a slight fall, broke his leg at the ancle,
which festered; and he had his leg cut off on Saturday, but so ill done,
notwithstanding all the great chyrurgeons about the town at the doing of
it, that they fear he will not live with it, which is very strange,
besides the torment he was put to with it. After being a little with the
Duke, and being invited to dinner to my Lord Barkeley's, and so, not
knowing how to spend our time till noon, Sir W. Batten and I took coach,
and to the Coffee-house in Cornhill;
[This may be the Coffee House in Exchange Alley, which had for a
sign, Morat the Great, or The Great Turk, where coffee was sold in
berry, in powder, and pounded in a mortar. There is a token of the
house, see "Boyne's Tokens," ed. Williamson, vol. i., p. 592.]
where much talk about the Turk's proceedings, and that the plague is got
to Amsterdam, brought by a ship from Argier; and it is also carried to
Hambrough. The Duke says the King purposes to forbid any of their ships
coming into the river. The Duke also told us of several Christian
commanders (French) gone over to the Turks to serve them; and upon inquiry
I find that the King of France do by this aspire to the Empire, and so to
get the Crown of Spayne also upon the death of the King, which is very
probable, it seems. Back to St. James's, and there dined with my Lord
Barkeley and his lady, where Sir G. Carteret, Sir W. Batten, and myself,
with two gentlemen more; my Lady, and one of the ladies of honour to the
Duchesse (no handsome woman, but a most excellent hand). A fine French
dinner, and so we after dinner broke up and to Creed's new lodgings in
Axe-yard, which I like very well and so with him to White Hall and walked
up and down in the galleries with good discourse, and anon Mr. Coventry
and Povy, sad for the loss of one of our number we sat down as a Committee
for Tangier and did some business and so broke up, and I down with Mr.
Coventry and in his chamber discoursing of business of the office and Sir
J. Minnes and Sir W. Batten's carriage, when he most ingeniously tells me
how they have carried themselves to him in forbearing to speak the other
day to the Duke what they know they have so largely at other times said to
him, and I told him what I am put to about the bargain for masts. I
perceive he thinks of it all and will remember it. Thence took up my wife
at Mrs. Harper's where she and Jane were, and so called at the New
Exchange for some things for her, and then at Tom's went up and saw his
house now it is finished, and indeed it is very handsome, but he not
within and so home and to my office; and then to supper and to bed.
20th. Up and to the office, where we sat; and at noon Sir G. Carteret,
Sir J. Minnes, and I to dinner to my Lord Mayor's, being invited, where
was the Farmers of the Customes, my Lord Chancellor's three sons, and
other great and much company, and a very great noble dinner, as this
Mayor--[Sir John Robinson.]--is good for nothing else. No extraordinary
discourse of any thing, every man being intent upon his dinner, and myself
willing to have drunk some wine to have warmed my belly, but I did for my
oath's sake willingly refrain it, but am so well pleased and satisfied
afterwards thereby, for it do keep me always in so good a frame of mind
that I hope I shall not ever leave this practice. Thence home, and took
my wife by coach to White Hall, and she set down at my Lord's lodgings, I
to a Committee of Tangier, and thence with her homeward, calling at
several places by the way. Among others at Paul's Churchyard, and while I
was in Kirton's shop, a fellow came to offer kindness or force to my wife
in the coach, but she refusing, he went away, after the coachman had
struck him, and he the coachman. So I being called, went thither, and the
fellow coming out again of a shop, I did give him a good cuff or two on
the chops, and seeing him not oppose me, I did give him another; at last
found him drunk, of which I was glad, and so left him, and home, and so to
my office awhile, and so home to supper and to bed. This evening, at my
Lord's lodgings, Mrs. Sarah talking with my wife and I how the Queen do,
and how the King tends her being so ill. She tells us that the Queen's
sickness is the spotted fever; that she was as full of the spots as a
leopard which is very strange that it should be no more known; but perhaps
it is not so. And that the King do seem to take it much to heart, for
that he hath wept before her; but, for all that; that he hath not missed
one night since she was sick, of supping with my Lady Castlemaine; which I
believe is true, for she [Sarah] says that her husband hath dressed the
suppers every night; and I confess I saw him myself coming through the
street dressing of a great supper to-night, which Sarah says is also for
the King and her; which is a very strange thing.
21st. Up, and by and by comes my brother Tom to me, though late (which do
vex me to the blood that I could never get him to come time enough to me,
though I have spoke a hundred times; but he is very sluggish, and too
negligent ever to do well at his trade I doubt), and having lately
considered with my wife very much of the inconvenience of my going in no
better plight, we did resolve of putting me into a better garb, and, among
other things, to have a good velvet cloake; that is, of cloth lined with
velvet and other things modish, and a perruque, and so I sent him and her
out to buy me velvet, and I to the Exchange, and so to Trinity House, and
there dined with Sir W. Batten, having some business to speak with him,
and Sir W. Rider. Thence, having my belly full, away on foot to my
brother's, all along Thames Streete, and my belly being full of small
beer, I did all alone, for health's sake, drink half a pint of Rhenish
wine at the Still-yard, mixed with beer. From my brother's with my wife
to the Exchange, to buy things for her and myself, I being in a humour of
laying out money, but not prodigally, but only in clothes, which I every
day see that I suffer for want of, I so home, and after a little at my
office, home to supper and to bed. Memorandum: This morning one Mr.
Commander, a scrivener, came to me from Mr. Moore with a deed of which.
Mr. Moore had told me, that my Lord had made use of my name, and that I
was desired by my Lord to sign it. Remembering this very well, though
understanding little of the particulars, I read it over, and found it
concern Sir Robt. Bernard and Duckinford, their interest in the manor of
Brampton. So I did sign it, declaring to Mr. Commander that I am only
concerned in having my name at my Lord Sandwich's desire used therein, and
so I sealed it up after I had signed and sealed the deed, and desired him
to give it so sealed to Mr. Moore. I did also call at the Wardrobe this
afternoon to have told Mr. Moore of it, but he was not within, but knowing
Mr. Commander to have the esteem of a good and honest man with my Lord
Crew, I did not doubt to intrust him with the deed after I had signed it.
This evening after I came home I begun to enter my wife in arithmetique,
in order to her studying of the globes, and she takes it very well, and, I
hope, with great pleasure, I shall bring her to understand many fine
things.
22nd. Up to the office, where we sat till noon and then I home to dinner,
and after dinner with my wife to her study and there read some more
arithmetique, which she takes with great ease and pleasure. This morning,
hearing that the Queen grows worse again, I sent to stop the making of my
velvet cloake, till I see whether she lives or dies. So a little abroad
about several businesses, and then home and to my office till night, and
then home to supper, teach my wife, and so to bed.
23rd. Up, and this morning comes Mr. Clerke, and tells me that the
Injunction against Trice is dismissed again, which troubles me much. So I
am to look after it in the afternoon. There comes also by appointment my
uncle Thomas, to receive the first payment of his daughter's money. But
showing of me the original of the deed by which his daughter gives her
right to her legacy to him, and the copy of it attested by the Scrivener,
for me to keep by me, I did find some difference, and thereupon did look
more into it, and at last did find the whole thing a forgery; yet he
maintained it again and again, upon oath, that it had been signed and
sealed by my cozen Mary ever since before her marriage. So I told him to
his teeth he did like a knave, and so he did, and went with him to the
Scrivener at Bedlam, and there found how it came to pass, viz., that he
had lost, or pretends to have lost, the true original, and that so he was
forced to take this course; but a knave, at least a man that values not
what he swears to, I perceive he is. But however I am now better able to
see myself fully secured before I part with the money, for I find that his
son Charles has right to this legacy till the first L100 of his daughter's
portion be paid, he being bond for it. So I put him upon getting both his
sons to be bound for my security, and so left him and so home, and then
abroad to my brother's, but found him abroad at the young couple that was
married yesterday, and he one of the Br[ide's] men, a kinswoman
(Brumfield) of the Joyces married to an upholster. Thence walked to the
King's Head at Charing Cross and there dined, and hear that the Queen
slept pretty well last night, but her fever continues upon her still. It
seems she hath never a Portuguese doctor here. Thence by appointment to
the Six Clerks' office to meet Mr. Clerke, which I did and there waited
all the afternoon for Wilkinson my attorney, but he came not, and so vexed
and weary we parted, and I endeavoured but in vain to have found Dr.
Williams, of whom I shall have use in Trice's business, but I could not
find him. So weary walked home; in my way bought a large kitchen knife
and half dozen oyster knives. Thence to Mr. Holliard, who tells me that
Mullins is dead of his leg cut off the other day, but most basely done.
He tells me that there is no doubt but that all my slyme do come away in
my water, and therefore no fear of the stone; but that my water being so
slymy is a good sign. He would have me now and then to take a clyster,
the same I did the other day, though I feel no pain, only to keep me
loose, and instead of butter, which he would have to be salt butter, he
would have me sometimes use two or three ounces of honey, at other times
two or three ounces of Linseed oil. Thence to Mr. Rawlinson's and saw some
of my new bottles made, with my crest upon them, filled with wine, about
five or six dozen. So home and to my office a little, and thence home to
prepare myself against T. Trice, and also to draw a bond fit for my uncle
and his sons to enter into before I pay them the money. That done to bed.
24th. Up and to my office, where busy all the morning about Mr. Gauden's
account, and at noon to dinner with him at the Dolphin, where mighty merry
by pleasant stories of Mr. Coventry's and Sir J. Minnes's, which I have
put down some of in my book of tales. Just as I was going out my uncle
Thomas came to the with a draught of a bond for him and his sons to sign
to me about the payment of the L20 legacy, which I agreed to, but he would
fain have had from me the copy of the deed, which he had forged and did
bring me yesterday, but I would not give him it. Says [he] I perceive
then you will keep it to defame me with, and desired me not to speak of
it, for he did it innocently. Now I confess I do not find any great hurt
in the thing, but only to keep from me a sight of the true original deed,
wherein perhaps there was something else that may touch this business of
the legacy which he would keep from me, or it may be, it is really lost as
he says it is. But then he need not have used such a slight, but confess
it without danger. Thence by coach with Mr. Coventry to the Temple, and
thence I to the Six Clerks' office, and discoursed with my Attorney and
Solicitor, and he and I to Mr. Turner, who puts me in great fear that I
shall not get retayned again against Tom Trice; which troubles me.
Thence, it being night, homewards, and called at Wotton's and tried some
shoes, but he had none to fit me. He tells me that by the Duke of York's
persuasion Harris is come again to Sir W. Davenant upon his terms that he
demanded, which will make him very high and proud. Thence to another
shop, and there bought me a pair of shoes, and so walked home and to my
office, and dispatch letters by the post, and so home to supper and to
bed, where to my trouble I find my wife begin to talk of her being alone
all day, which is nothing but her lack of something to do, for while she
was busy she never, or seldom, complained . . . . . The Queen is in a
good way of recovery; and Sir Francis Pridgeon hath got great honour by
it, it being all imputed to his cordiall, which in her dispaire did give
her rest and brought her to some hopes of recovery. It seems that, after
the much talk of troubles and a plot, something is found in the North that
a party was to rise, and some persons that were to command it are found,
as I find in a letter that Mr. Coventry read to-day about it from those
parts.