with my vizard, with a tube fastened within both eyes; which, with the
help which he prompts me to, of a glass in the tube, do content me
mightily. So to church, where a stranger made a dull sermon, but I
mightily pleased to looks upon Mr. Buckworth's little pretty daughters,
and so home to, dinner, where W. Howe come and dined with us; and then I
to my Office, he being gone, to write down my journal for the last twelve
days: and did it with the help of my vizard and tube fixed to it, and do
find it mighty manageable, but how helpfull to my eyes this trial will
shew me. So abroad with my wife, in the afternoon, to the Park, where
very much company, and the weather very pleasant. I carried my wife to
the Lodge, the first time this year, and there in our coach eat a
cheese-cake and drank a tankard of milk. I showed her this day also first
the Prince of Tuscany, who was in the Park, and many very fine ladies, and
so home, and after supper to bed.
26th. Up, having lain long, and then by coach with W. Hewer to the Excise
Office, and so to Lilly's, the Varnishes; who is lately dead, and his wife
and brother keep up the trade, and there I left my French prints to be put
on boards:, and, while I was there, a fire burst out in a chimney of a
house over against his house, but it was with a gun quickly put out. So
to White Hall, and did a little business there at the Treasury chamber,
and so homeward, calling at the laceman's for some lace for my new suit,
and at my tailor's, and so home, where to dinner, and Mr. Sheres dined,
with us, who come hither to-day to teach my wife the rules of perspective;
but I think, upon trial, he thinks it too hard to teach her, being
ignorant of the principles of lines. After dinner comes one Colonel
Macnachan, one that I see often at Court, a Scotchman, but know him not;
only he brings me a letter from my Lord Middleton, who, he says, is in
great distress for L500 to relieve my Lord Morton with, but upon, what
account I know not; and he would have me advance it without order upon his
pay for Tangier, which I was astonished at, but had the grace to deny him
with an excuse. And so he went away, leaving me a little troubled that I
was thus driven, on a sudden, to do any thing herein; but Creed, coming
just now to see me, he approves of what I have done. And then to talk of
general matters, and, by and by, Sheres being gone, my wife, and he, and I
out, and I set him down at Temple Bar, and myself and wife went down the
Temple upon seeming business, only to put him off, and just at the Temple
gate I spied Deb. with another gentlewoman, and Deb. winked on me and
smiled, but undiscovered, and I was glad to see her. So my wife and I to
the 'Change, about things for her; and here, at Mrs. Burnett's shop, I am
told by Betty, who was all undressed, of a great fire happened in
Durham-Yard last night, burning the house of one Lady Hungerford, who was
to come to town to it this night; and so the house is burned, new
furnished, by carelessness of the girl sent to take off a candle from a
bunch of candles, which she did by burning it off, and left the rest, as
is supposed, on fire. The King and Court were here, it seems, and stopped
the fire by blowing up of the next house. The King and Court went out of
town to Newmarket this morning betimes, for a week. So home, and there to
my chamber, and got my wife to read to me a little, and so to supper and
to bed. Coming home this night I did call at the coachmaker's, and do
resolve upon having the standards of my coach gilt with this new sort of
varnish, which will come but to 40s.; and, contrary to my expectation, the
doing of the biggest coach all over comes not to above L6, which is [not]
very much.
27th. Up, and to the Office, where all the morning. At noon home to
dinner, and then to the Office again, where the afternoon busy till late,
and then home, and got my wife to read to me in the Nepotisme,
[The work here mentioned is a bitter satire against the Court Rome,
written in Italian, and attributed to Gregorio Leti. It was first
printed in 1667, without the name or place of printer, but it is
from the press of the Elzevirs. The book obtained by Pepys was
probably the anonymous English translation, "Il Nipotismo di Roma:
or the history of the Popes nephews from the time of Sixtus the IV.
to the death the last Pope Alexander the VII. In two parts. Written
originally Italian in the year 1667 and Englished by W. A. London,
1669" 8vo. From this work the word Nepotism is derived, and is
applied to the bad practice of statesmen, when in power, providing
lucrative places for their relations.]
which is very pleasant, and so to supper and to bed. This afternoon was
brought to me a fresh Distringas upon the score of the Tangier accounts
which vexes me, though I hope it will not turn to my wrong.
28th. Up, and was called upon by Sir H. Cholmly to discourse about some
accounts of his, of Tangier: and then other talk; and I find by him that
it is brought almost effect ([through] the late endeavours of the Duke of
York Duchess, the Queen-Mother, and my Lord St. Albans, together with some
of the contrary faction, my Lord Arlington), that for a sum of money we
shall enter into a league with the King of France, wherein, he says, my
Lord Chancellor--[Clarendon; then an exile in France.]--is also concerned;
and that he believes that, in the doing hereof, it is meant that he
[Clarendon] shall come again, and that this sum of money will so help the
King that he will not need the Parliament; and that, in that regard it
will be forwarded by the Duke of Buckingham and his faction, who dread the
Parliament. But hereby we must leave the Dutch, and that I doubt will
undo us; and Sir H. Cholmly says he finds W. Coventry do think the like.
Lady Castlemayne is instrumental in this matter, and, he say never more
great with the King than she is now. But this a thing that will make the
Parliament and kingdom mad, and will turn to our ruine: for with this
money the King shall wanton away his time in pleasures, and think nothing
of the main till it be too late. He gone, I to the office, where busy
till noon, and then home to dinner, where W. Batelier dined with us, and
pretty merry, and so I to the office again. This morning Mr. Sheres sent
me, in two volumes, Mariana his History of Spaine, in Spanish, an
excellent book; and I am much obliged for it to him.
29th. Up, and to the Office, where all the morning, and at noon dined at
home, and then to the Office again, there to despatch as much business as
I could, that I might be at liberty to-morrow to look after my many things
that I have to do, against May-day. So at night home to supper and to
bed.
30th. Up, and by coach to the coachmaker's: and there I do find a great
many ladies sitting in the body of a coach that must be ended by
to-morrow: they were my Lady Marquess of Winchester, Bellassis, and other
great ladies; eating of bread and butter, and drinking ale. I to my
coach, which is silvered over, but no varnish yet laid on, so I put it in
a way of doing; and myself about other business, and particularly to see
Sir W. Coventry, with whom I talked a good while to my great content; and
so to other places-among others, to my tailor's: and then to the
belt-maker's, where my belt cost me 55s., of the colour of my new suit;
and here, understanding that the mistress of the house, an oldish woman in
a hat hath some water good for the eyes, she did dress me, making my eyes
smart most horribly, and did give me a little glass of it, which I will
use, and hope it will do me good. So to the cutler's, and there did give
Tom, who was with me all day a sword cost me 12s. and a belt of my owne;
and set my own silver-hilt sword a-gilding against to-morrow. This
morning I did visit Mr. Oldenburgh, and did see the instrument for
perspective made by Dr. Wren, of which I have one making by Browne; and
the sight of this do please me mightily. At noon my wife come to me at my
tailor's, and I sent her home and myself and Tom dined at Hercules'
Pillars; and so about our business again, and particularly to Lilly's, the
varnisher about my prints, whereof some of them are pasted upon the
boards, and to my full content. Thence to the frame-maker's one Morris,
in Long Acre, who shewed me several forms of frames to choose by, which
was pretty, in little bits of mouldings, to choose by. This done, I to my
coach-maker's, and there vexed to see nothing yet done to my coach, at
three in the afternoon; but I set it in doing, and stood by it till eight
at night, and saw the painter varnish which is pretty to see how every
doing it over do make it more and more yellow; and it dries as fast in the
sun as it can be laid on almost; and most coaches are, now-a-days done so,
and it is very pretty when laid on well, and not pale, as some are, even
to shew the silver. Here I did make the workmen drink, and saw my coach
cleaned and oyled; and, staying among poor people there in the alley, did
hear them call their fat child Punch, which pleased me mightily that word
being become a word of common use for all that is thick and short. At
night home, and there find my wife hath been making herself clean against
to-morrow; and, late as it was, I did send my coachman and horses to fetch
home the coach to-night, and so we to supper, myself most weary with
walking and standing so much, to see all things fine against to-morrow,
and so to bed. God give a blessing to it! Meeting with Mr. Sheres, he
went with me up and down to several places, and, among others, to buy a
perriwig, but I bought none; and also to Dancre's, where he was about my
picture of Windsor, which is mighty pretty, and so will the prospect of
Rome be.
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
EDITED WITH ADDITIONS BY
HENRY B. WHEATLEY F.S.A.
DIARY OF SAMUEL PEPYS.
MAY
1669
May 1st. Up betimes. Called up by my tailor, and there first put on a
summer suit this year; but it was not my fine one of flowered tabby vest,
and coloured camelott tunique, because it was too fine with the gold lace
at the hands, that I was afeard to be seen in it; but put on the stuff
suit I made the last year, which is now repaired; and so did go to the
Office in it, and sat all the morning, the day looking as if it would be
fowle. At noon home to dinner, and there find my wife extraordinary fine,
with her flowered tabby gown that she made two years ago, now laced
exceeding pretty; and, indeed, was fine all over; and mighty earnest to
go, though the day was very lowering; and she would have me put on my fine
suit, which I did. And so anon we went alone through the town with our
new liveries of serge, and the horses' manes and tails tied with red
ribbons, and the standards there gilt with varnish, and all clean, and
green refines, that people did mightily look upon us; and, the truth is, I
did not see any coach more pretty, though more gay, than ours, all the
day. But we set out, out of humour--I because Betty, whom I expected, was
not come to go with us; and my wife that I would sit on the same seat with
her, which she likes not, being so fine: and she then expected to meet
Sheres, which we did in the Pell Mell, and, against my will, I was forced
to take him into the coach, but was sullen all day almost, and little
complaisant: the day also being unpleasing, though the Park full of
coaches, but dusty and windy, and cold, and now and then a little
dribbling rain; and, what made it worst, there were so many
hackney-coaches as spoiled the sight of the gentlemen's; and so we had
little pleasure. But here was W. Batelier and his sister in a borrowed
coach by themselves, and I took them and we to the lodge; and at the door
did give them a syllabub, and other things, cost me 12s., and pretty
merry. And so back to the coaches, and there till the evening, and then
home, leaving Mr. Sheres at St. James's Gate, where he took leave of us
for altogether, he; being this night to set out for Portsmouth post, in
his way to Tangier, which troubled my wife mightily, who is mighty, though
not, I think, too fond of him. But she was out of humour all the evening,
and I vexed at her for it, and she did not rest almost all the night, so
as in the night I was forced; to take her and hug her to put her to rest.
So home, and after a little supper, to bed.
2nd (Lord's day). Up, and by water to White Hall, and there visit my Lord
Sandwich, who, after about two months' absence at Hinchingbroke, come to
town last night. I saw him, and very kind; and I am glad he is so, I
having not wrote to him all the time, my eyes indeed not letting me. Here
with Sir Charles Herbert [Harbord], and my Lord Hinchingbroke, and Sidney,
we looked upon the picture of Tangier, designed: by Charles Herbert
[Harbord], and drawn by Dancre, which my Lord Sandwich admires, as being
the truest picture that ever he's saw in his life: and it is indeed very
pretty, and I will be at the cost of having one of them. Thence with them
to White Hall, and there walked out the sermon, with one or other; and
then saw the Duke of York after sermon, and he talked to me a little; and
so away back by water home, and after dinner got my wife to read, and then
by coach, she and I, to the Park, and there spent the evening with much
pleasure, it proving clear after a little shower, and we mighty fine as
yesterday, and people mightily pleased with our coach, as I perceived; but
I had not on my fine suit, being really afeard to wear it, it being so
fine with the gold lace, though not gay. So home and to supper, and my
wife to read, and Tom, my Nepotisme, and then to bed.
3rd. Up, and by coach to my Lord Brouncker's, where Sir G. Carteret did
meet Sir J. Minnes and me, to discourse upon Mr. Deering's business, who
was directed, in the time of the war, to provide provisions at Hamburgh,
by Sir G. Carteret's direction; and now G. Carteret is afeard to own it,
it being done without written order. But by our meeting we do all begin
to recollect enough to preserve Mr. Deering, I think, which, poor silly
man! I shall be glad of, it being too much he should suffer for
endeavouring to serve us. Thence to St. James's, where the Duke of York
was playing in the Pell Mell; and so he called me to him most part of the
time that he played, which was an hour, and talked alone to me; and, among
other things, tells me how the King will not yet be got to name anybody in
the room of Pen, but puts it off for three or four days; from whence he do
collect that they are brewing something for the Navy, but what he knows
not; but I perceive is vexed that things should go so, and he hath reason;
for he told me that it is likely they will do in this as in other
things--resolve first, and consider it and the fitness of it afterward.
Thence to White Hall, and met with Creed, and I took him to the Harp and
Balls, and there drank a cup of ale, he and I alone, and discoursed of
matters; and I perceive by him that he makes no doubt but that all will
turn to the old religion, for these people cannot hold things in their
hands, nor prevent its coming to that; and by his discourse fits himself
for it, and would have my Lord Sandwich do so, too, and me. After a
little talk with him, and particularly about the ruinous condition of
Tangier, which I have a great mind to lay before the Duke of York, before
it be too late, but dare not, because of his great kindness to Lord
Middleton, we parted, and I homeward; but called at Povy's, and there he
stopped me to dinner, there being Mr. Williamson, the Lieutenant of the
Tower, Mr. Childe, and several others. And after dinner, Povy and I
together to talk of Tangier; and he would have me move the Duke of York in
it, for it concerns him particularly, more than any, as being the head of
us; and I do think to do it. Thence home, and at the office busy all the
afternoon, and so to supper and to bed.
4th. Up, and to the office, and then my wife being gone to see her mother
at Deptford, I before the office sat went to the Excise Office, and thence
being alone stepped into Duck Lane, and thence tried to have sent a porter
to Deb.'s, but durst not trust him, and therefore having bought a book to
satisfy the bookseller for my stay there, a 12d. book, Andronicus of Tom
Fuller, I took coach, and at the end of Jewen Street next Red Cross Street
I sent the coachman to her lodging, and understand she is gone for
Greenwich to one Marys's, a tanner's, at which I, was glad, hoping to have
opportunity to find her out; and so, in great fear of being seen, I to the
office, and there all the morning, dined at home, and presently after
dinner comes home my wife, who I believe is jealous of my spending the
day, and I had very good fortune in being at home, for if Deb. had been to
have been found it is forty to one but I had been abroad, God forgive me.
So the afternoon at the office, and at night walked with my wife in the
garden, and my Lord Brouncker with us, who is newly come to W. Pen's
lodgings; and by and by comes Mr. Hooke; and my Lord, and he, and I into
my Lord's lodgings, and there discoursed of many fine things in
philosophy, to my great content, and so home to supper and to bed.
5th. Up, and thought to have gone with Lord Brouncker to Mr. Hooke this
morning betimes; but my Lord is taken ill of the gout, and says his new
lodgings have infected him, he never having had any symptoms of it till
now. So walked to Gresham College, to tell Hooke that my Lord could not
come; and so left word, he being abroad, and I to St. James's, and thence,
with the Duke of York, to White Hall, where the Board waited on him all
the morning: and so at noon with Sir Thomas Allen, and Sir Edward Scott,
and Lord Carlingford, to the Spanish Embassador's, where I dined the first
time. The Olio not so good as Sheres's. There was at the table himself
and a Spanish Countess, a good, comely, and witty lady-three Fathers and
us. Discourse good and pleasant. And here was an Oxford scholar in a
Doctor of Law's gowne, sent from the College where the Embassador lay,
when the Court was there, to salute him before his return to Spain: This
man, though a gentle sort of scholar, yet sat like a fool for want of
French or Spanish, but [knew] only Latin, which he spoke like an
Englishman to one of the Fathers. And by and by he and I to talk, and the
company very merry at my defending Cambridge against Oxford: and I made
much use of my French and Spanish here, to my great content. But the
dinner not extraordinary at all, either for quantity or quality. Thence
home, where my wife ill of those upon the maid's bed, and troubled at my
being abroad. So I to the office, and there till night, and then to her,
and she read to me the Epistle of Cassandra, which is very good indeed;
and the better to her, because recommended by Sheres. So to supper, and
to bed.
6th. Up, and by coach to Sir W. Coventry's, but he gone out. I by water
back to the Office, and there all the morning; then to dinner, and then to
the Office again, and anon with my wife by coach to take the ayre, it
being a noble day, as far as the Greene Man, mightily pleased with our
journey, and our condition of doing it in our own coach, and so home, and
to walk in the garden, and so to supper and to bed, my eyes being bad with
writing my journal, part of it, to-night.
7th. Up, and by coach to W. Coventry's; and there to talk with him a
great deal with great content; and so to the Duke of York, having a great
mind to speak to him about Tangier; but, when I come to it, his interest
for my Lord Middleton is such that I dare not. So to the Treasury
chamber, and then walked home round by the Excise Office, having by
private vows last night in prayer to God Almighty cleared my mind for the
present of the thoughts of going to Deb. at Greenwich, which I did long
after. I passed by Guildhall, which is almost finished, and saw a poor
labourer carried by, I think, dead with a fall, as many there are, I hear.
So home to dinner, and then to the office a little, and so to see my Lord
Brouncker, who is a little ill of the gout; and there Madam Williams told
me that she heard that my wife was going into France this year, which I
did not deny, if I can get time, and I pray God I may. But I wondering
how she come to know it, she tells me a woman that my wife spoke to for a
maid, did tell her so, and that a lady that desires to go thither would be
glad to go in her company. Thence with my wife abroad, with our coach,
most pleasant weather; and to Hackney, and into the marshes, where I never
was before, and thence round about to Old Ford and Bow; and coming through
the latter home, there being some young gentlewomen at a door, and I
seeming not to know who they were, my wife's jealousy told me presently
that I knew well enough it was that damned place where Deb. dwelt, which
made me swear very angrily that it was false, as it was, and I carried
[her] back again to see the place, and it proved not so, so I continued
out of humour a good while at it, she being willing to be friends, so I
was by and by, saying no more of it. So home, and there met with a letter
from Captain Silas Taylor, and, with it, his written copy of a play that
he hath wrote, and intends to have acted.--It is called "The Serenade, or
Disappointment," which I will read, not believing he can make any good of
that kind. He did once offer to show Harris it, but Harris told him that
he would judge by one Act whether it were good or no, which is indeed a
foolish saying, and we see them out themselves in the choice of a play
after they have read the whole, it being sometimes found not fit to act
above three times; nay, and some that have been refused at one house is
found a good one at the other. This made Taylor say he would not shew it
him, but is angry, and hath carried it to the other house, and he thinks
it will be acted there, though he tells me they are not yet agreed upon
it. But I will find time to get it read to me, and I did get my wife to
begin a little to-night in the garden, but not so much as I could make any
judgment of it. So home to supper and to bed.
8th. Up, and to the Office, and there comes Lead to me, and at last my
vizards are done, and glasses got to put in and out, as I will; and I
think I have brought it to the utmost, both for easiness of using and
benefit, that I can; and so I paid him 15s. for what he hath done now
last, in the finishing them, and they, I hope, will do me a great deal of
ease. At the Office all the morning, and this day, the first time, did
alter my side of the table, after above eight years sitting on that next
the fire. But now I am not able to bear the light of the windows in my
eyes, I do begin there, and I did sit with much more content than I had
done on the other side for a great while, and in winter the fire will not
trouble my back. At noon home to dinner, and after dinner all the
afternoon within, with Mr. Hater, Gibson, and W. Hewer, reading over and
drawing up new things in the Instructions of Commanders, which will be
good, and I hope to get them confirmed by the Duke of York, though I
perceive nothing will effectually perfect them but to look over the whole
body of the Instructions, of all the Officers of a ship, and make them all
perfect together. This being done, comes my bookseller, and brings me
home bound my collection of papers, about my Addresse to the Duke of York
in August, which makes me glad, it being that which shall do me more right
many years hence than, perhaps, all I ever did in my life: and therefore I
do, both for my own and the King's sake, value it much. By and by also
comes Browne, the mathematical instrument maker, and brings me home my
instrument for perspective, made according to the description of Dr.
Wren's, in the late Transactions; and he hath made it, I think, very well,
and that, that I believe will do the thing, and therein gives me great
content; but have I fear all the content that must be received by my eyes
is almost lost. So to the office, and there late at business, and then
home to supper and to bed.