to Mr. Fox's, where we found Mrs. Fox within, and an alderman of London
paying L1000 or L1500 in gold upon the table for the King, which was the
most gold that ever I saw together in my life. Mr. Fox came in presently
and did receive us with a great deal of respect; and then did take my wife
and I to the Queen's presence-chamber; where he got my wife placed behind
the Queen's chair, and I got into the crowd, and by and by the Queen and
the two Princesses came to dinner. The Queen a very little plain old
woman, and nothing more in her presence in any respect nor garb than any
ordinary woman. The Princess of Orange I had often seen before. The
Princess Henrietta is very pretty, but much below my expectation; and her
dressing of herself with her hair frized short up to her ears, did make
her seem so much the less to me. But my wife standing near her with two
or three black patches on, and well dressed, did seem to me much handsomer
than she. Dinner being done, we went to Mr. Fox's again, where many
gentlemen dined with us, and most princely dinner, all provided for me and
my friends, but I bringing none but myself and wife, he did call the
company to help to eat up so much good victuals. At the end of dinner, my
Lord Sandwich's health was drunk in the gilt tankard that I did give to
Mrs. Fox the other day. After dinner I had notice given me by Will my man
that my Lord did inquire for me, so I went to find him, and met him and
the Duke of York in a coach going towards Charing Cross. I endeavoured to
follow them but could not, so I returned to Mr. Fox, and after much
kindness and good discourse we parted from thence. I took coach for my
wife and me homewards, and I light at the Maypole in the Strand, and sent
my wife home. I to the new playhouse and saw part of the "Traitor," a
very good Tragedy; Mr. Moon did act the Traitor very well. So to my
Lord's, and sat there with my Lady a great while talking. Among other
things, she took occasion to inquire (by Madame Dury's late discourse with
her) how I did treat my wife's father and mother. At which I did give her
a good account, and she seemed to be very well opinioned of my wife. From
thence to White Hall at about 9 at night, and there, with Laud the page
that went with me, we could not get out of Henry the Eighth's gallery into
the further part of the boarded gallery, where my Lord was walking with my
Lord Ormond; and we had a key of Sir S. Morland's, but all would not do;
till at last, by knocking, Mr. Harrison the door-keeper did open us the
door, and, after some talk with my Lord about getting a catch to carry my
Lord St. Albans a goods to France, I parted and went home on foot, it
being very late and dirty, and so weary to bed.
23rd. This morning standing looking upon the workmen doing of my new door
to my house, there comes Captain Straughan the Scot (to whom the King has
given half of the money that the two ships lately sold do bring), and he
would needs take me to the Dolphin, and give me a glass of ale and a peck
of oysters, he and I. He did talk much what he is able to advise the King
for good husbandry in his ships, as by ballasting them with lead ore and
many other tricks, but I do believe that he is a knowing man in
sea-business. Home and dined, and in the afternoon to the office, where
till late, and that being done Mr. Creed did come to speak with me, and I
took him to the Dolphin, where there was Mr. Pierce the purser and his
wife and some friends of theirs. So I did spend a crown upon them behind
the bar, they being akin to the people of the house, and this being the
house where Mr. Pierce was apprentice. After they were gone Mr. Creed and
I spent an hour in looking over the account which he do intend to pass in
our office for his lending moneys, which I did advise about and approve or
disapprove of as I saw cause. After an hour being, serious at this we
parted about 11 o'clock at night. So I home and to bed, leaving my wife
and the maid at their linen to get up.
24th. To my Lord's, where after I had done talking with him Mr. Townsend,
Rumball, Blackburn, Creed and Shepley and I to the Rhenish winehouse, and
there I did give them two quarts of Wormwood wine,
[Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) is celebrated for its intensely
bitter, tonic, and stimulating qualities, which have caused it to be
used in various medicinal preparations, and also in the making of
liqueurs, as wormwood wine and creme d'absinthe.]
and so we broke up. So we parted, and I and Mr. Creed to Westminster Hall
and looked over a book or two, and so to my Lord's, where I dined with my
lady, there being Mr. Child and Mrs. Borfett, who are never absent at
dinner there, under pretence of a wooing. From thence I to Mr. de Cretz
and did take away my Lord's picture, which is now finished for me, and I
paid L3 10s. for it and the frame, and am well pleased with it and the
price. So carried it home by water, Will being with me. At home, and had
a fire made in my closet, and put my papers and books and things in order,
and that being done I fell to entering these two good songs of Mr. Lawes,
"Helpe, helpe, O helpe," and "O God of Heaven and Hell" in my song book,
to which I have got Mr. Child to set the base to the Theorbo, and that
done to bed.
25th (Lord's day). In the forenoon I alone to our church, and after
dinner I went and ranged about to many churches, among the rest to the
Temple, where I heard Dr. Wilkins' a little (late Maister of Trinity in
Cambridge). That being done to my father's to see my mother who is
troubled much with the stone, and that being done I went home, where I had
a letter brought me from my Lord to get a ship ready to carry the Queen's
things over to France, she being to go within five or six days. So to
supper and to bed.
26th (Office day). To it all the morning, and dined at home where my
father come and dined with me, who seems to take much pleasure to have a
son that is neat in his house. I being now making my new door into the
entry, which he do please himself much with. After dinner to the office
again, and there till night. And that being done the Comptroller and I to
the Mitre to a glass of wine, when we fell into a discourse of poetry, and
he did repeat some verses of his own making which were very good. Home,
there hear that my Lady Batten had given my wife a visit (the first that
ever she made her), which pleased me exceedingly. So after supper to bed.
27th. To Whitehall, where I found my Lord gone abroad to the Wardrobe,
whither he do now go every other morning, and do seem to resolve to
understand and look after the business himself. From thence to
Westminster Hall, and in King Street there being a great stop of coaches,
there was a falling out between a drayman and my Lord Chesterfield's
coachman, and one of his footmen killed. At the Hall I met with Mr.
Creed, and he and I to Hell to drink our morning draught, and so to my
Lord's again, where I found my wife, and she and I dined with him and my
Lady, and great company of my Lord's friends, and my Lord did show us
great respect. Soon as dinner was done my wife took her leave, and went
with Mr. Blackburne and his wife to London to a christening of a Brother's
child of his on Tower Hill, and I to a play, "The Scorn-full Lady," and
that being done, I went homewards, and met Mr. Moore, who had been at my
house, and took him to my father's, and we three to Standing's to drink.
Here Mr. Moore told me how the House had this day voted the King to have
all the Excise for ever. This day I do also hear that the Queen's going
to France is stopt, which do like, me well, because then the King will be
in town the next month, which is my month again at the Privy Seal. From
thence home, where when I come I do remember that I did leave my boy
Waineman at Whitehall with order to stay there for me in the court, at
which I was much troubled, but about 11 o'clock at night the boy came home
well, and so we all to bed.
28th. This morning went to Whitehall to my Lord's, where Major Hart did
pay me; L23 14s. 9d., due to me upon my pay in my Lord's troop at the time
of our disbanding, which is a great blessing to have without taking any
law in the world for. But now I must put an end to any hopes of getting
any more, so that I bless God for this. From thence with Mr. Shepley and
Pinkney to the Sun, and did give them a glass of wine and a peck of
oysters for joy of my getting this money. So home, where I found that Mr.
Creed had sent me the L11 5s. that is due to me upon the remains of
account for my sea business, which is also so much clear money to me, and
my bill of impresse
[For "bill of impress" In Italian 'imprestare' means "to lend." In
the ancient accounts of persons officially employed by the crown,
money advanced, paid on, account, was described as "de prestito," or
"in prestitis."--M. B.]
for L30 is also cleared, so that I am wholly clear as to the sea in all
respects. To the office, and was there till late at night, and among the
officers do hear that they may have our salaries allowed by the Treasurer,
which do make me very glad, and praise God for it. Home to supper, and
Mr. Hater supped with me, whom I did give order to take up my money of the
Treasurer to-morrow if it can be had. So to bed.
29th. In the morning seeing a great deal of foul water come into my
parlour from under the partition between me and Mr. Davis, I did step
thither to him and tell him of it, and he did seem very ready to have it
stopt, and did also tell me how thieves did attempt to rob his house last
night, which do make us all afraid. This noon I being troubled that the
workmen that I have to do my door were called to Mr. Davis's away, I sent
for them, when Mr. Davis sent to inquire a reason of, and I did give him a
good one, that they were come on purpose to do some work with me that they
had already begun, with which he was well pleased, and I glad, being
unwilling to anger them. In the afternoon Sir W. Batten and I met and did
sell the ship Church for L440; and we asked L391, and that being done, I
went home, and Dr. Petty came to me about Mr. Barlow's money, and I being
a little troubled to be so importuned before I had received it, and that
they would have it stopt in Mr. Fenn's hands, I did force the Doctor to go
fetch the letter of attorney that he had to receive it only to make him
same labour, which he did bring, and Mr. Hales came along with him from
the Treasury with my money for the first quarter (Michaelmas last) that
ever I received for this employment. So I paid the Dr. L25 and had L62
10s. for myself, and L7 10s. to myself also for Will's salary, which I do
intend yet to keep for myself. With this my heart is much rejoiced, and
do bless Almighty God that he is pleased to send so sudden and unexpected
payment of my salary so soon after my great disbursements. So that now I
am worth L200 again. In a great ease of mind and spirit I fell about the
auditing of Mr. Shepley's last accounts with my Lord by my Lord's desire,
and about that I sat till 12 o'clock at night, till I began to doze, and
so to bed, with my heart praising God for his mercy to us.
30th (Office day). To the office, where Sir G. Carteret did give us an
account how Mr. Holland do intend to prevail with the Parliament to try
his project of discharging the seamen all at present by ticket, and so
promise interest to all men that will lend money upon them at eight per
cent., for so long as they are unpaid; whereby he do think to take away
the growing debt, which do now lie upon the kingdom for lack of present
money to discharge the seamen. But this we are, troubled at as some
diminution to us. I having two barrels of oysters at home, I caused one
of them and some wine to be brought to the inner room in the office, and
there the Principal Officers did go and eat them. So we sat till noon,
and then to dinner, and to it again in the afternoon till night. At home
I sent for Mr. Hater, and broke the other barrel with him, and did
afterwards sit down discoursing of sea terms to learn of him. And he
being gone I went up and sat till twelve at night again to make an end of
my Lord's accounts, as I did the last night. Which at last I made a good
end of, and so to bed.
DIARY OF SAMUEL PEPYS.
DECEMBER
1660
December 1st. This morning, observing some things to be laid up not as
they should be by the girl, I took a broom and basted her till she cried
extremely, which made me vexed, but before I went out I left her appeased.
So to Whitehall, where I found Mr. Moore attending for me at the Privy
Seal, but nothing to do to-day. I went to my Lord St. Albans lodgings,
and found him in bed, talking to a priest (he looked like one) that leaned
along over the side of the bed, and there I desired to know his mind about
making the catch stay longer, which I got ready for him the other day. He
seems to be a fine civil gentleman. To my Lord's, and did give up my
audit of his accounts, which I had been then two days about, and was well
received by my Lord. I dined with my Lord and Lady, and we had a venison
pasty. Mr. Shepley and I went into London, and calling upon Mr. Pinkney,
the goldsmith, he took us to the tavern, and gave us a pint of wine, and
there fell into our company old Mr. Flower and another gentleman; who tell
us how a Scotch knight was killed basely the other day at the Fleece in
Covent Garden, where there had been a great many formerly killed. So to
Paul's Churchyard, and there I took the little man at Mr. Kirton's and Mr.
Shepley to Ringstead's at the Star, and after a pint of wine I went home,
my brains somewhat troubled with so much wine, and after a letter or two
by the post I went to bed.
2d (Lord's day). My head not very well, and my body out of order by last
night's drinking, which is my great folly. To church, and Mr. Mills made
a good sermon; so home to dinner. My wife and I all alone to a leg of
mutton, the sawce of which being made sweet, I was angry at it, and eat
none, but only dined upon the marrow bone that we had beside. To church
in the afternoon, and after sermon took Tom Fuller's Church History and
read over Henry the 8th's life in it, and so to supper and to bed.
3rd. This morning I took a resolution to rise early in the morning, and
so I rose by candle, which I have not done all this winter, and spent my
morning in fiddling till time to go to the office, where Sir G. Carteret
did begin again discourse on Mr. Holland's proposition, which the King do
take very ill, and so Sir George in lieu of that do propose that the
seamen should have half in ready money and tickets for the other half, to
be paid in three months after, which we judge to be very practicable.
After office home to dinner, where come in my cozen Snow by chance, and I
had a very good capon to dinner. So to the office till night, and so
home, and then come Mr. Davis, of Deptford (the first time that ever he
was at my house), and after him Mons. L'Impertinent, who is to go to
Ireland to-morrow, and so came to take his leave of me. They both found
me under the barber's hand; but I had a bottle of good sack in the house,
and so made them very welcome. Mr. Davis sat with me a good while after
the other was gone, talking of his hard usage and of the endeavour to put
him out of his place in the time of the late Commissioners, and he do
speak very highly of their corruption. After he was gone I fell a reading
'Cornelianum dolium' till 11 o'clock at night with great pleasure, and
after that to bed.
4th. To Whitehall to Sir G. Carteret's chamber, where all the officers
met, and so we went up to the Duke of York, and he took us into his
closet, and we did open to him our project of stopping the growing charge
of the fleet by paying them in hand one moyety, and the other four months
hence. This he do like, and we returned by his order to Sir G. Carteret's
chamber, and there we did draw up this design in order to be presented to
the Parliament. From thence I to my Lord's, and dined with him and told
him what we had done to-day. Sir Tho. Crew dined with my Lord to-day, and
we were very merry with Mrs. Borfett, who dined there still as she has
always done lately. After dinner Sir Tho. and my Lady to the Playhouse to
see "The Silent Woman." I home by water, and with Mr. Hater in my chamber
all alone he and I did put this morning's design into order, which being
done I did carry it to Sir W. Batten, where I found some gentlemen with
him (Sir W. Pen among the rest pretty merry with drink) playing at cards,
and there I staid looking upon them till one o'clock in the morning, and
so Sir W. Pen and I went away, and I to bed. This day the Parliament
voted that the bodies of Oliver, Ireton, Bradshaw, &c., should be taken up
out of their graves in the Abbey, and drawn to the gallows, and there
hanged and buried under it: which (methinks) do trouble me that a man of
so great courage as he was, should have that dishonour, though otherwise
he might deserve it enough.
5th. This morning the Proposal which I wrote the last night I showed to
the officers this morning, and was well liked of, and I wrote it fair for
Sir. G. Carteret to show to the King, and so it is to go to the
Parliament. I dined at home, and after dinner I went to the new Theatre
and there I saw "The Merry Wives of Windsor" acted, the humours of the
country gentleman and the French doctor very well done, but the rest but
very poorly, and Sir J. Falstaffe t as bad as any. From thence to Mr.
Will. Montagu's chamber to have sealed some writings tonight between Sir
R. Parkhurst and myself about my Lord's L2000, but he not coming, I went
to my father's and there found my mother still ill of the stone, and had
just newly voided one, which she had let drop into the chimney, and looked
and found it to shew it me. From thence home and to bed.
6th. This morning some of the Commissioners of Parliament and Sir W.
Batten went to Sir G. Carteret's office here in town, and paid off the
Chesnut. I carried my wife to White Friars and landed her there,
and myself to Whitehall to the Privy Seal, where abundance of pardons to
seal, but I was much troubled for it because that there are no fees now
coming for them to me. Thence Mr. Moore and I alone to the Leg in King
Street, and dined together on a neat's tongue and udder. From thence by
coach to Mr. Crew's to my Lord, who told me of his going out of town
to-morrow to settle the militia in Huntingdonshire, and did desire me to
lay up a box of some rich jewels and things that there are in it, which I
promised to do. After much free discourse with my Lord, who tells me his
mind as to his enlarging his family, &c., and desiring me to look him out
a Master of the Horse and other servants, we parted. From thence I walked
to Greatorex (he was not within), but there I met with Mr. Jonas Moore,
[Jonas Moore was born at Whitley, Lancashire, February 8th, 1617,
and was appointed by Charles I. tutor to the Duke of York. Soon
after the Restoration he was knighted and made Surveyor-General of
the Ordnance. He was famous as a mathematician, and was one of the
founders of the Royal Society. He died August 27th, 1679, and at
his funeral sixty pieces of ordnance were discharged at the Tower.]
and took him to the Five Bells,' and drank a glass of wine and left him.
To the Temple, when Sir R. Parkhurst (as was intended the last night) did
seal the writings, and is to have the L2000 told to-morrow. From, thence
by water to Parliament Stairs, and there at an alehouse to Doling (who is
suddenly to go into Ireland to venture his fortune); Simonds (who is at a
great loss for L200 present money, which I was loth to let him have,
though I could now do it, and do love him and think him honest and
sufficient, yet lothness to part with money did dissuade me from it);
Luellin (who was very drowsy from a dose that he had got the last night),
Mr. Mount and several others, among the rest one Mr. Pierce, an army man,
who did make us the best sport for songs and stories in a Scotch tone
(which he do very well) that ever I heard in my life. I never knew so
good a companion in all my observation. From thence to the bridge by
water, it being a most pleasant moonshine night, with a waterman who did
tell such a company of bawdy stories, how once he carried a lady from
Putney in such a night as this, and she bade him lie down by her, which he
did, and did give her content, and a great deal more roguery. Home and
found my girl knocking at the door (it being 11 o'clock at night), her
mistress having sent her out for some trivial business, which did vex me
when I came in, and so I took occasion to go up and to bed in a pet.
Before I went forth this morning, one came to me to give me notice that
the justices of Middlesex do meet to-morrow at Hicks Hall, and that I as
one am desired to be there, but I fear I cannot be there though I much
desire it.
7th. This morning the judge Advocate Fowler came to see me, and he and I
sat talking till it was time to go to the office. To the office and there
staid till past 12 o'clock, and so I left the Comptroller and Surveyor and
went to Whitehall to my Lord's, where I found my Lord gone this morning to
Huntingdon, as he told me yesterday he would. I staid and dined with my
Lady, there being Laud the page's mother' there, and dined also with us,
and seemed to have been a very pretty woman and of good discourse. Before
dinner I examined Laud in his Latin and found him a very pretty boy and
gone a great way in Latin. After dinner I took a box of some things of
value that my Lord had left for me to carry to the Exchequer, which I did,
and left them with my Brother Spicer, who also had this morning paid L1000
for me by appointment to Sir R. Parkhurst. So to the Privy Seal, where I
signed a deadly number of pardons, which do trouble me to get nothing by.
Home by water, and there was much pleased to see that my little room is
likely to come to be finished soon. I fell a-reading Fuller's History of
Abbys, and my wife in Great Cyrus till twelve at night, and so to bed.
8th. To Whitehall to the Privy Seal, and thence to Mr. Pierces the
Surgeon to tell them that I would call by and by to go to dinner. But I
going into Westminster Hall met with Sir G. Carteret and Sir W. Pen (who
were in a great fear that we had committed a great error of L100,000 in
our late account gone into the Parliament in making it too little), and so
I was fain to send order to Mr. Pierces to come to my house; and also to
leave the key of the chest with Mr. Spicer; wherein my Lord's money is,
and went along with Sir W. Pen by water to the office, and there with Mr.
Huchinson we did find that we were in no mistake. And so I went to dinner
with my wife and Mr. and Mrs. Pierce the Surgeon to Mr. Pierce, the Purser
(the first time that ever I was at his house) who does live very
plentifully and finely. We had a lovely chine of beef and other good
things very complete and drank a great deal of wine, and her daughter
played after dinner upon the virginals,
[All instruments of the harpsichord and spinet kind were styled
virginals.]
and at night by lanthorn home again, and Mr. Pierce and his wife being
gone home I went to bed, having drunk so much wine that my head was
troubled and was not very well all night, and the wind I observed was rose
exceedingly before I went to bed.
9th (Lord's day). Being called up early by Sir W. Batten I rose and went
to his house and he told me the ill news that he had this morning from
Woolwich, that the Assurance (formerly Captain Holland's ship, and now
Captain Stoakes's, designed for Guiny and manned and victualled), was by a
gust of wind sunk down to the bottom. Twenty men drowned. Sir Williams
both went by barge thither to see how things are, and I am sent to the
Duke of York to tell him, and by boat with some other company going to
Whitehall from the Old Swan. I went to the Duke. And first calling upon
Mr. Coventry at his chamber, I went to the Duke's bed-side, who had sat up
late last night, and lay long this morning, who was much surprised,
therewith. This being done I went to chappell, and sat in Mr. Blagrave's
pew, and there did sing my part along with another before the King, and
with much ease. From thence going to my Lady I met with a letter from my
Lord (which Andrew had been at my house to bring me and missed me),
commanding me to go to Mr. Denham, to get a man to go to him to-morrow to
Hinchinbroke, to contrive with him about some alterations in his house,
which I did and got Mr. Kennard. Dined with my Lady and staid all the
afternoon with her, and had infinite of talk of all kind of things,
especially of beauty of men and women, with which she seems to be much
pleased to talk of. From thence at night to Mr. Kennard and took him to
Mr. Denham, the Surveyor's. Where, while we could not speak with him, his
chief man (Mr. Cooper) did give us a cup of good sack. From thence with
Mr. Kennard to my Lady who is much pleased with him, and after a glass of
sack there; we parted, having taken order for a horse or two for him and
his servant to be gone to-morrow. So to my father's, where I sat while
they were at supper, and I found my mother below, stairs and pretty well.
Thence home, where I hear that the Comptroller had some business with me,
and (with Giffin's lanthorn) I went to him and there staid in discourse an
hour 'till late, and among other things he showed me a design of his, by
the King's making an Order of Knights of the Seal to give an encouragement
for persons of honour to undertake the service of the sea, and he had done
it with great pains and very ingeniously. So home and to prayers and to
bed.