weeks before, and there did first find a strange Reader, who could not
find in the Service-book the place for churching women, but was fain to
change books with the clerke: and then a stranger preached, a seeming able
man; but said in his pulpit that God did a greater work in raising of an
oake-tree from an akehorne, than a man's body raising it, at the last day,
from his dust (shewing the possibility of the Resurrection): which was,
methought, a strange saying. At home to dinner, whither comes and dines
with me W. Howe, and by invitation Mr. Harris and Mr. Banister, most
extraordinary company both, the latter for musique of all sorts, the
former for everything: here we sang, and Banister played on the theorbo,
and afterwards Banister played on his flageolet, and I had very good
discourse with him about musique, so confirming some of my new notions
about musique that it puts me upon a resolution to go on and make a scheme
and theory of musique not yet ever made in the world. Harris do so
commend my wife's picture of Mr. Hales's, that I shall have him draw
Harris's head; and he hath also persuaded me to have Cooper draw my
wife's, which, though it cost L30, yet I will have done. Thus spent the
afternoon most deliciously, and then broke up and walked with them as far
as the Temple, and there parted, and I took coach to Westminster, but
there did nothing, meeting nobody that I had a mind to speak with, and so
home, and there find Mr. Pelling, and then also comes Mrs. Turner, and
supped and talked with us, and so to bed. I do hear by several that Sir
W. Pen's going to sea do dislike the Parliament mightily, and that they
have revived the Committee of Miscarriages to find something to prevent
it; and that he being the other day with the Duke of Albemarle to ask his
opinion touching his going to sea, the Duchess overheard and come in to
him, and asks W. Pen how he durst have the confidence to offer to go to
sea again, to the endangering the nation, when he knew himself such a
coward as he was, which, if true, is very severe.
30th. Up betimes, and so to the office, there to do business till about
to o'clock, and then out with my wife and Deb. and W. Hewer by coach to
Common-garden Coffee-house, where by appointment I was to meet Harris;
which I did, and also Mr. Cooper, the great painter, and Mr. Hales: and
thence presently to Mr. Cooper's house, to see some of his work, which is
all in little, but so excellent as, though I must confess I do think the
colouring of the flesh to be a little forced, yet the painting is so
extraordinary, as I do never expect to see the like again. Here I did see
Mrs. Stewart's picture as when a young maid, and now just done before her
having the smallpox: and it would make a man weep to see what she was
then, and what she is like to be, by people's discourse, now. Here I saw
my Lord Generall's picture, and my Lord Arlington and Ashly's, and several
others; but among the rest one Swinfen, that was Secretary to my Lord
Manchester, Lord Chamberlain, with Cooling, done so admirably as I never
saw any thing: but the misery was, this fellow died in debt, and never
paid Cooper for his picture; but, it being seized on by his creditors,
among his other goods, after his death, Cooper himself says that he did
buy it, and give L25 out of his purse for it, for what he was to have had
but L30. Being infinitely satisfied with this sight, and resolving that
my wife shall be drawn by him when she comes out of the country, I away
with Harris and Hales to the Coffee-house, sending my people away, and
there resolve for Hales to begin Harris's head for me, which I will be at
the cost of. After a little talk, I away to White Hall and Westminster,
where I find the Parliament still bogling about the raising of this money:
and every body's mouth full now; and Mr. Wren himself tells me that the
Duke of York declares to go to sea himself this year; and I perceive it is
only on this occasion of distaste of the Parliament against W. Pen's
going, and to prevent the Prince's: but I think it is mighty hot counsel
for the Duke of York at this time to go out of the way; but, Lord! what a
pass are all our matters come to! At noon by appointment to Cursitor's
Alley, in Chancery Lane, to meet Captain Cocke and some other creditors of
the Navy, and their Counsel, Pemberton, North, Offly, and Charles Porter;
and there dined, and talked of the business of the assignments on the
Exchequer of the L1,250,000 on behalf of our creditors; and there I do
perceive that the Counsel had heard of my performance in the
Parliamenthouse lately, and did value me and what I said accordingly. At
dinner we had a great deal of good discourse about Parliament: their
number being uncertain, and always at the will of the King to encrease, as
he saw reason to erect a new borough. But all concluded that the bane of
the Parliament hath been the leaving off the old custom of the places
allowing wages to those that served them in Parliament, by which they
chose men that understood their business and would attend it, and they
could expect an account from, which now they cannot; and so the Parliament
is become a company of men unable to give account for the interest of the
place they serve for. Thence, the meeting of the Counsel with the King's
Counsel this afternoon being put off by reason of the death of Serjeant
Maynard's lady, I to White Hall, where the Parliament was to wait on the
King; and they did: and it was to be told that he did think fit to tell
them that they might expect to be adjourned at Whitsuntide, and that they
might make haste to raise their money; but this, I fear, will displease
them, who did expect to sit as long as they pleased, and whether this be
done by the King upon some new counsel I know not, for the King must be
beholding to them till they do settle this business of money. Great talk
to-day as if Beaufort was come into the Channel with about 20 ships, and
it makes people apprehensive, but yet the Parliament do not stir a bit
faster in the business of money. Here I met with Creed, expecting a
Committee of Tangier, but the Committee met not, so he and I up and down,
having nothing to do, and particularly to the New Cockpit by the King's
Gate in Holborne, but seeing a great deal of rabble we did refuse to go
in, but took coach and to Hide Park, and there till all the tour was
empty, and so he and I to the Lodge in the Park, and there eat and drank
till it was night, and then carried him to White Hall, having had
abundance of excellent talk with him in reproach of the times and
managements we live under, and so I home, and there to talk and to supper
with my wife, and so to bed.
31st. Up pretty betimes and to the office, where we sat all the morning,
and at noon I home to dinner, where uncle Thomas dined with me, as he do
every quarter, and I paid him his pension; and also comes Mr. Hollier a
little fuddled, and so did talk nothing but Latin, and laugh, that it was
very good sport to see a sober man in such a humour, though he was not
drunk to scandal. At dinner comes a summons for this office and the
Victualler to attend a Committee of Parliament this afternoon, with Sir D.
Gawden, which I accordingly did, with my papers relating to the sending of
victuals to Sir John Harman's fleete; and there, Sir R. Brookes in the
chair, we did give them a full account, but, Lord! to see how full they
are and immoveable in their jealousy that some means are used to keep
Harman from coming home, for they have an implacable desire to know the
bottom of the not improving the first victory, and would lay it upon
Brouncker. Having given them good satisfaction I away thence, up and
down, wanting a little to see whether I could get Mrs. Burroughes out, but
elle being in the shop ego did speak con her much, she could not then go
far, and so I took coach and away to Unthanke's, and there took up my wife
and Deb., and to the Park, where, being in a hackney, and they undressed,
was ashamed to go into the tour, but went round the park, and so with
pleasure home, where Mr. Pelting come and sat and talked late with us, and
he being gone, I called Deb. to take pen, ink, and paper and write down
what things come into my head for my wife to do in order to her going into
the country, and the girl, writing not so well as she would do, cried, and
her mistress construed it to be sullenness, and so away angry with her
too, but going to bed she undressed me, and there I did give her good
advice and baiser la, elle weeping still.
ETEXT EDITOR'S BOOKMARKS:
Act against Nonconformists and Papists
Bookseller's, and there looked for Montaigne's Essays
Bought Montaigne's Essays, in English
But if she will ruin herself, I cannot help it
Endangering the nation, when he knew himself such a coward
I know not how in the world to abstain from reading
Inventing a better theory of musique
King, "it is then but Mr. Pepys making of another speech to them"
Never saw so many sit four hours together to hear any man
Not eat a bit of good meat till he has got money to pay the men
Slabbering themselves, and mirth fit for clownes
To be enjoyed while we are young and capable of these joys
Tried the effect of my silence and not provoking her
Trouble, and more money, to every Watch, to them to drink
Uncertainty of beauty
Without importunity or the contrary