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
EDITED WITH ADDITIONS BY
HENRY B. WHEATLEY F.S.A.
DIARY OF SAMUEL PEPYS.
DECEMBER
1667
December 1st (Lord's day). Up, and after entering my journal for 2 or 3
days, I to church, where Mr. Mills, a dull sermon: and in our pew there
sat a great lady, which I afterwards understood to be my Lady Carlisle,
that made her husband a cuckold in Scotland, a very fine woman indeed in
person. After sermon home, where W. Hewer dined with us, and after dinner
he and I all the afternoon to read over our office letters to see what
matters can be got for our advantage or disadvantage therein. In the
evening comes Mr. Pelling and the two men that were with him formerly, the
little man that sings so good a base (Wallington) and another that
understands well, one Pigott, and Betty Turner come and sat and supped
with us, and we spent the evening mighty well in good musique, to my great
content to see myself in condition to have these and entertain them for my
own pleasure only. So they gone, we to bed.
2nd. Up, and then abroad to Alderman Backewell's (who was sick of a cold
in bed), and then to the Excise Office, where I find Mr. Ball out of
humour in expectation of being put out of his office by the change of the
farm of the excise. There comes Sir H. Cholmly, and he and I to
Westminster, and there walked up and down till noon, where all the
business is that the Lords' answer is come down to the Commons, that they
are not satisfied in the Commons' Reasons: and so the Commons are hot, and
like to sit all day upon the business what to do herein, most thinking
that they will remonstrate against the Lords. Thence to Lord Crew's, and
there dined with him; where, after dinner, he took me aside, and bewailed
the condition of the nation, how the King and his brother are at a
distance about this business of the Chancellor, and the two Houses
differing. And he do believe that there are so many about the King like
to be concerned and troubled by the Parliament, that they will get him to
dissolve or prorogue the Parliament; and the rather, for that the King is
likely, by this good husbandry of the Treasury, to get out of debt, and
the Parliament is likely to give no money. Among other things, my Lord
Crew did tell me, with grief, that he hears that the King of late hath not
dined nor supped with the Queen, as he used of late to do. After a little
discourse, Mr. Caesar, he dining there, did give us some musique on his
lute (Mr. John Crew being there) to my great content, and then away I, and
Mr. Caesar followed me and told me that my boy Tom hath this day declared
to him that he cared not for the French lute and would learn no more,
which Caesar out of faithfulness tells me that I might not spend any more
money on him in vain. I shall take the boy to task about it, though I am
contented to save my money if the boy knows not what is good for himself.
So thanked him, and indeed he is a very honest man I believe, and away
home, there to get something ready for the Lords Commissioners of the
Treasury, and so took my wife and girle and set them at Unthanke's, and I
to White Hall, and there with the Commissioners of the Treasury, who I
find in mighty good condition to go on in payment of the seamen off, and
thence I to Westminster Hall, where I met with my cozen Roger and walked a
good while with him; he tells me of the high vote of the Commons this
afternoon, which I also heard at White Hall, that the proceedings of the
Lords in the case of my Lord Clarendon are an obstruction to justice, and
of ill precedent to future times. This makes every body wonder what will
be the effect of it, most thinking that the King will try him by his own
Commission. It seems they were mighty high to have remonstrated, but some
said that was too great an appeale to the people. Roger is mighty full of
fears of the consequence of it, and wishes the King would dissolve them.
So we parted, and I bought some Scotch cakes at Wilkinson's in King
Street, and called my wife, and home, and there to supper, talk, and to
bed. Supped upon these cakes, of which I have eat none since we lived at
Westminster. This night our poor little dogg Fancy was in a strange fit,
through age, of which she has had five or six.
3rd. Up, by candlelight, the only time I think I have done so this
winter, and a coach being got over night, I to Sir W. Coventry's, the
first time I have seen him at his new house since he come to lodge there.
He tells me of the vote for none of the House to be of the Commission for
the Bill of Accounts; which he thinks is so great a disappointment to
Birch and others that expected to be of it, that he thinks, could it have
been [fore]seen, there would not have been any Bill at all. We hope it
will be the better for all that are to account; it being likely that the
men, being few, and not of the House, will hear reason. The main business
I went about was about. Gilsthrop, Sir W. Batten's clerk; who, being upon
his death-bed, and now dead, hath offered to make discoveries of the
disorders of the Navy and of L65,000 damage to the King: which made mighty
noise in the Commons' House; and members appointed to go to him, which
they did; but nothing to the purpose got from him, but complaints of false
musters, and ships being refitted with victuals and stores at Plymouth,
after they come fitted from other ports; but all this to no purpose, nor
more than we know, and will owne. But the best is, that this loggerhead
should say this, that understands nothing of the Navy, nor ever would; and
hath particularly blemished his master by name among us. I told Sir W.
Coventry of my letter to Sir R. Brookes, and his answer to me. He advises
me, in what I write to him, to be as short as I can, and obscure, saving
in things fully plain; for all that he do is to make mischief; and that
the greatest wisdom in dealing with the Parliament in the world is to say
little, and let them get out what they can by force: which I shall
observe. He declared to me much of his mind to be ruled by his own
measures, and not to go so far as many would have him to the ruin of my
Lord Chancellor, and for which they do endeavour to do what they can
against [Sir] W. Coventry. "But," says he, "I have done my do in helping
to get him out of the administration of things, for which he is not fit;
but for his life or estate I will have nothing to say to it: besides that,
my duty to my master the Duke of York is such, that I will perish before I
will do any thing to displease or disoblige him, where the very necessity
of the kingdom do not in my judgment call me." Thence I home and to the
office, where my Lord Anglesey, and all the discourse was yesterday's vote
in the Commons, wherein he told us that, should the Lords yield to what
the Commons would have in this matter, it were to make them worse than any
justice of Peace (whereas they are the highest Court in the Kingdom) that
they cannot be judges whether an offender be to be committed or bailed,
which every justice of Peace do do, and then he showed me precedents plain
in their defence. At noon home to dinner, and busy all the afternoon, and
at night home, and there met W. Batelier, who tells me the first great
news that my Lord Chancellor is fled this day. By and by to Sir W. Pen's,
where Sir R. Ford and he and I met, with Mr. Young and Lewes, about our
accounts with my Lady Batten, which prove troublesome, and I doubt will
prove to our loss. But here I hear the whole that my Lord Chancellor is
gone, and left a paper behind him for the House of Lords, telling them the
reason of him retiring, complaining of a design for his ruin. But the
paper I must get: only the thing at present is great, and will put the
King and Commons to some new counsels certainly. So home to supper and to
bed. Sir W. Pen I find in much trouble this evening, having been called to
the Committee this afternoon, about the business of prizes. Sir Richard
Ford told us this evening an odd story of the basenesse of the late Lord
Mayor, Sir W. Bolton, in cheating the poor of the City, out of the
collections made for the people that were burned, of L1800; of which he
can give no account, and in which he hath forsworn himself plainly, so as
the Court of Aldermen have sequestered him from their Court till he do
bring in an account, which is the greatest piece of roguery that they say
was ever found in a Lord Mayor. He says also that this day hath been made
appear to them that the Keeper of Newgate, at this day, hath made his
house the only nursery of rogues, and whores, and pickpockets, and thieves
in the world; where they were bred and entertained, and the whole society
met: and that, for the sake of the Sheriffes, they durst not this day
committ him, for fear of making him let out the prisoners, but are fain to
go by artifice to deal with him. He tells me, also, speaking of the new
street that is to be made from Guild Hall down to Cheapside, that the
ground is already, most of it, bought. And tells me of one particular, of
a man that hath a piece of ground lieing in the very middle of the street
that must be; which, when the street is cut out of it, there will remain
ground enough, of each side, to build a house to front the street. He
demanded L700 for the ground, and to be excused paying any thing for the
melioration of the rest of his ground that he was to keep. The Court
consented to give him L700, only not to abate him the consideration: which
the man denied; but told them, and so they agreed, that he would excuse
the City the L700, that he might have the benefit of the melioration
without paying any thing for it. So much some will get by having the City
burned! But he told me that in other cases ground, by this means, that
was not 4d. a-foot before, will now, when houses are built, be worth 15s.
a-foot. But he tells me that the common standard now reckoned on between
man and man, in places where there is no alteration of circumstances, but
only the houses burnt, there the ground, which, with a house on it, did
yield L100 a-year, is now reputed worth L33 6s. 8d.; and that this is the
common market-price between one man and another, made upon a good and
moderate medium.
4th. At the office all the morning. At noon to dinner, and presently
with my wife abroad, whom and her girle I leave at Unthanke's, and so to
White Hall in expectation of waiting on the Duke of York to-day, but was
prevented therein, only at Mr. Wren's chamber there I hear that the House
of Lords did send down the paper which my Lord Chancellor left behind him,
directed to the Lords, to be seditious and scandalous; and the Commons
have voted that it be burned by the hands of the hangman, and that the
King be desired to agree to it. I do hear, also, that they have desired
the King to use means to stop his escape out of the nation. Here I also
heard Mr. Jermin, who was there in the chamber upon occasion of Sir Thomas
Harvy's telling him of his brother's having a child, and thereby taking
away his hopes (that is, Mr. Jermin's) of L2000 a year. He swore, God damn
him, he did not desire to have any more wealth than he had in the world,
which indeed is a great estate, having all his uncle's, my Lord St.
Alban's, and my Lord hath all the Queen-Mother's. But when Sir Thos.
Harvy told him that "hereafter you will wish it more;"--"By God," answers
he, "I won't promise what I shall do hereafter." Thence into the House,
and there spied a pretty woman with spots on her face, well clad, who was
enquiring for the guard chamber; I followed her, and there she went up,
and turned into the turning towards the chapel, and I after her, and upon
the stairs there met her coming up again, and there kissed her twice, and
her business was to enquire for Sir Edward Bishop, one of the serjeants at
armes. I believe she was a woman of pleasure, but was shy enough to me,
and so I saw her go out afterwards, and I took a hackney coach, and away.
I to Westminster Hall, and there walked, and thence towards White Hall by
coach, and spying Mrs. Burroughs in a shop did stop and 'light and speak
to her; and so to White Hall, where I 'light and went and met her coming
towards White Hall, but was upon business, and I could not get her to go
any whither and so parted, and I home with my wife and girle (my wife not
being very well, of a great looseness day and night for these two days).
So home, my wife to read to me in Sir R. Cotton's book of warr, which is
excellent reading, and particularly I was mightily pleased this night in
what we read about the little profit or honour this kingdom ever gained by
the greatest of its conquests abroad in France. This evening come Mr.
Mills and sat with us a while, who is mighty kind and good company, and
so, he gone, I to supper and to bed. My wife an unquiet night. This day
Gilsthrop is buried, who hath made all the late discourse of the great
discovery of L65,000, of which the King bath been wronged.
5th. At the office all the morning, do hear that Will Pen, Sir W. Pen's
son, is come from Ireland, but I have not seen him yet. At noon to the
'Change, where did little, but so home again and to dinner with my clerks
with me, and very good discourse and company they give me, and so to the
office all the afternoon till late, and so home to supper and to bed. This
day, not for want, but for good husbandry, I sent my father, by his
desire, six pair of my old shoes, which fit him, and are good; yet,
methought, it was a thing against my mind to have him wear my old things.
6th. Up, and with Sir J. Minnes to the Duke of York, the first time that
I have seen him, or we waited on him, since his sickness; and, blessed be
God! he is not at all the worse for the smallpox, but is only a little
weak yet. We did much business with him, and so parted. My Lord Anglesey
told me how my Lord Northampton brought in a Bill into the House of Lords
yesterday, under the name of a Bill for the Honour and Privilege of the
House, and Mercy to my Lord Clarendon: which, he told me, he opposed,
saying that he was a man accused of treason by the House of Commons; and
mercy was not proper for him, having not been tried yet, and so no mercy
needful for him. However, the Duke of Buckingham and others did desire
that the Bill might be read; and it, was for banishing my Lord Clarendon
from all his Majesty's dominions, and that it should be treason to have
him found in any of them: the thing is only a thing of vanity, and to
insult over him, which is mighty poor I think, and so do every body else,
and ended in nothing, I think. By and by home with Sir J. Minnes, who
tells me that my Lord Clarendon did go away in a Custom-house boat, and is
now at Callis (Calais): and, I confess, nothing seems to hang more heavy
than his leaving of this unfortunate paper behind him, that hath angered
both Houses, and hath, I think, reconciled them in that which otherwise
would have broke them in pieces; so that I do hence, and from Sir W.
Coventry's late example and doctrine to me, learn that on these sorts of
occasions there is nothing like silence; it being seldom any wrong to a
man to say nothing, but, for the most part, it is to say anything. This
day, in coming home, Sir J. Minnes told me a pretty story of Sir Lewes
Dives, whom I saw this morning speaking with him, that having escaped once
out of prison through a house of office, and another time in woman's
apparel, and leaping over a broad canal, a soldier swore, says he, this is
a strange jade . . . . He told me also a story of my Lord Cottington,
who, wanting a son, intended to make his nephew his heir, a country boy;
but did alter his mind upon the boy's being persuaded by another young
heir, in roguery, to crow like a cock at my Lord's table, much company
being there, and the boy having a great trick at doing that perfectly. My
Lord bade them take away that fool from the table, and so gave over the
thoughts of making him his heir, from this piece of folly. So home, and
there to dinner, and after dinner abroad with my wife and girle, set them
down at Unthanke's, and I to White Hall to the Council chamber, where I
was summoned about the business of paying of the seamen, where I heard my
Lord Anglesey put to it by Sir W. Coventry before the King for altering
the course set by the Council; which he like a wise man did answer in few
words, that he had already sent to alter it according to the Council's
method, and so stopped it, whereas many words would have set the
Commissioners of the Treasury on fire, who, I perceive, were prepared for
it. Here I heard Mr. Gawden speak to the King and Council upon some
business of his before them, but did it so well, in so good words and to
the purpose, that I could never have expected from a man of no greater
learning. So went away, and in the Lobby met Mr. Sawyer, my old chamber
fellow, and stayed and had an hour's discourse of old things with him, and
I perceive he do very well in the world, and is married he tells me and
hath a child. Then home and to the office, where Captain Cocke come to
me; and, among other discourse, tells me that he is told that an
impeachment against Sir W. Coventry will be brought in very soon. He
tells me, that even those that are against my Lord Chancellor and the
Court, in the House, do not trust nor agree one with another. He tells me
that my Lord Chancellor went away about ten at night, on Saturday last;
and took boat at Westminster, and thence by a vessel to Callis, where he
believes he now is: and that the Duke of York and Mr. Wren knew of it, and
that himself did know of it on Sunday morning: that on Sunday his coach,
and people about it, went to Twittenham, and the world thought that he had
been there: that nothing but this unhappy paper hath undone him and that
he doubts that this paper hath lost him everywhere that his withdrawing do
reconcile things so far as, he thinks the heat of their fury will be over,
and that all will be made well between the two [royal] brothers: that
Holland do endeavour to persuade the King of France to break peace with
us: that the Dutch will, without doubt, have sixty sail of ships out the
next year; so knows not what will become of us, but hopes the Parliament
will find money for us to have a fleete. He gone, I home, and there my
wife made an end to me of Sir K. Cotton's discourse of warr, which is
indeed a very fine book. So to supper and to bed. Captain Cocke did this
night tell me also, among other discourses, that he did believe that there
are jealousies in some of the House at this day against the Commissioners
of the Treasury, that by their good husbandry they will bring the King to
be out of debt and to save money, and so will not be in need of the
Parliament, and then do what he please, which is a very good piece of news
that there is such a thing to be hoped, which they would be afeard of.
7th. All the morning at the office, and at noon home to dinner with my
clerks, and while we were at dinner comes Willet's aunt to see her and my
wife; she is a very fine widow and pretty handsome, but extraordinary well
carriaged and speaks very handsomely and with extraordinary understanding,
so as I spent the whole afternoon in her company with my wife, she
understanding all the things of note touching plays and fashions and Court
and everything and speaks rarely, which pleases me mightily, and seems to
love her niece very well, and was so glad (which was pretty odde) that
since she came hither her breasts begin to swell, she being afeard before
that she would have none, which was a pretty kind of content she gave
herself. She tells us that Catelin is likely to be soon acted, which I am
glad to hear, but it is at the King's House. But the King's House is at
present and hath for some days been silenced upon some difference
[between] Hart and Moone. She being gone I to the office, and there late
doing business, and so home to supper and to bed. Only this evening I must
remember that my Lady Batten sent for me, and it was to speak to me before
her overseers about my bargain with Sir W. Batten about the prize, to
which I would give no present answer, but am well enough contented that
they begin the discourse of it, and so away to the office again, and then
home to supper and to bed. Somebody told me this, that they hear that
Thomson, with the wooden leg, and Wildman, the Fifth-Monarchy man, a great
creature of the Duke of Buckingham's, are in nomination to be
Commissioners, among others, upon the Bill of Accounts.
8th (Lord's day). All the morning at my chamber doing something towards
the settling of my papers and accounts, which have been out of order a
great while. At noon to dinner, where W. How with us, and after dinner,
he being gone, I to my chamber again till almost night, and then took
boat, the tide serving, and so to White Hall, where I saw the Duchesse of
York, in a fine dress of second mourning for her mother, being black,
edged with ermine, go to make her first visit to the Queene since the Duke
of York was sick; and by and by, she being returned, the Queene come and
visited her. But it was pretty to observe that Sir W. Coventry and I,
walking an hour and more together in the Matted Gallery, he observed, and
so did I, how the Duchesse, as soon as she spied him, turned her head a
one side. Here he and I walked thus long, which we have not done a great
while before. Our discourse was upon everything: the unhappiness of
having our matters examined by people that understand them not; that it
was better for us in the Navy to have men that do understand the whole,
and that are not passionate; that we that have taken the most pains are
called upon to answer for all crimes, while those that, like Sir W. Batten
and Sir J. Minnes, did sit and do nothing, do lie still without any
trouble; that, if it were to serve the King and kingdom again in a war,
neither of us could do more, though upon this experience we might do
better than we did; that the commanders, the gentlemen that could never be
brought to order, but undid all, are now the men that find fault and abuse
others; that it had been much better for the King to have given Sir J.
Minnes and Sir W. Batten L1000 a-year to have sat still, than to have had
them in his business this war: that the serving a Prince that minds not
his business is most unhappy for them that serve him well, and an
unhappiness so great that he declares he will never have more to do with a
war, under him. That he hath papers which do flatly contradict the Duke
of Albemarle's Narrative; and that he hath been with the Duke of Albemarle
and shewed him them, to prevent his falling into another like fault: that
the Duke of Albemarle seems to be able to answer them; but he thinks that
the Duke of Albemarle and the Prince are contented to let their Narratives
sleep, they being not only contradictory in some things (as he observed
about the business of the Duke of Albemarle's being to follow the Prince
upon dividing the fleete, in case the enemy come out), but neither of them
to be maintained in others. That the business the other night of my Lord
Anglesey at the Council was happily got over for my Lord, by his dexterous
silencing it, and the rest, not urging it further; forasmuch as, had the
Duke of Buckingham come in time enough, and had got it by the end, he,
would have toused him in it; Sir W. Coventry telling me that my Lord
Anglesey did, with such impudence, maintain the quarrel against the
Commons and some of the Lords, in the business of my Lord Clarendon, that
he believes there are enough would be glad but of this occasion to be
revenged of him. He tells me that he hears some of the Thomsons are like
to be of the Commission for the Accounts, and Wildman, which he much
wonders at, as having been a false fellow to every body, and in prison
most of the time since the King's coming in. But he do tell me that the
House is in such a condition that nobody can tell what to make of them,
and, he thinks, they were never in before; that every body leads, and
nobody follows; and that he do now think that, since a great many are
defeated in their expectation of being of the Commission, now they would
put it into such hands as it shall get no credit from: for, if they do
look to the bottom and see the King's case, they think they are then bound
to give the King money; whereas, they would be excused from that, and
therefore endeavour to make this business of the Accounts to signify
little. I spoke with him about my Lord Sandwich's business, in which he
is very friendly, and do say that the unhappy business of the prizes is it
that hath brought all this trouble upon him, and the only thing that made
any thing else mentioned, and it is true. So having discoursed with him,
I spent some time with Sir Stephen Fox about the business of our adjusting
the new method of the Excise between the Guards household and Tangier, the
Lords Commissioners of the Treasury being now resolved to bring all their
management into a course of payment by orders, and not by tallies, and I
am glad of it, and so by water home late, and very dark, and when come
home there I got my wife to read, and then come Captain Cocke to me; and
there he tells me, to my great satisfaction, that Sir Robert Brookes did
dine with him today; and that he told him, speaking of me, that he would
make me the darling of the House of Commons, so much he is satisfied
concerning me. And this Cocke did tell me that I might give him thanks for
it; and I do think it may do me good, for he do happen to be held a
considerable person, of a young man, both for sobriety and ability. Then
to discourse of business of his own about some hemp of his that is come
home to receive it into the King's stores, and then parted, and by and by
my wife and I to supper, she not being well, her flux being great upon
her, and so to bed.
9th. All the morning busy at the office, doing very considerable
business, and thither comes Sir G. Carteret to talk with me; who seems to
think himself safe as to his particular, but do doubt what will become of
the whole kingdom, things being so broke in pieces. He tells me that the
King himself did the other day very particularly tell the whole story of
my Lord Sandwich's not following the Dutch ships, with which he is
charged; and shews the reasons of it to be the only good course he could
have taken, and do discourse it very knowingly. This I am glad of,
though, as the King is now, his favour, for aught I see, serves very
little in stead at this day, but rather is an argument against a man; and
the King do not concern himself to relieve or justify any body, but is
wholly negligent of everybody's concernment. This morning I was troubled
with my Lord Hinchingbroke's sending to borrow L200 of me; but I did
answer that I had none, nor could borrow any; for I am resolved I will not
be undone for any body, though I would do much for my Lord Sandwich--for
it is to answer a bill of exchange of his, and I perceive he hath made use
of all other means in the world to do it, but I am resolved to serve him,
but not ruin myself, as it may be to part with so much of the little I
have by me to keep if I should by any turn of times lose the rest. At
noon I to the 'Change, and there did a little business, and among other
things called at Cade's, the stationer, where he tells me how my Lord
Gerard is troubled for several things in the House of Commons, and in one
wherein himself is concerned; and, it seems, this Lord is a very proud and
wicked man, and the Parliament is likely to order him. Then home to
dinner, and then a little abroad, thinking to have gone to the other end
of the town, but it being almost night I would not, but home again, and
there to my chamber, and all alone did there draw up my answer to Sir Rob.
Brookes's letter, and when I had done it went down to my clerks at the
office for their opinion which at this time serves me to very good
purpose, they having many things in their heads which I had not in the
businesses of the office now in dispute. Having done with this, then I
home and to supper very late, and to bed. My [wife] being yet very ill of
her looseness, by which she is forced to lie from me to-night in the
girl's chamber.
10th. Up, and all the morning at the office, and then home with my people
to dinner, and very merry, and then to my office again, where did much
business till night, that my eyes begun to be sore, and then forced to
leave off, and by coach set my wife at her tailor's and Willet, and I to
Westminster Hall, and there walked a good while till 8 at night, and there
hear to my great content that the King did send a message to the House
to-day that he would adjourne them on the 17th instant to February; by
which time, at least, I shall have more respite to prepare things on my
own behalf, and the Office, against their return. Here met Mr. Hinxton,
the organist, walking, and I walked with him; and, asking him many
questions, I do find that he can no more give an intelligible answer to a
man that is not a great master in his art, than another man. And this
confirms me that it is only want of an ingenious man that is master in
musique, to bring musique to a certainty, and ease in composition. Having
done this, I home, taking up my wife and girle, and there to supper and to
bed, having finished my letters, among which one to Commissioner
Middleton, who is now coming up to town from Portsmouth, to enter upon his
Surveyorship.
11th. By coach to White Hall, and there attended the Duke of York, as we
are wont, who is now grown pretty well, and goes up and down White Hall,
and this night will be at the Council, which I am glad of. Thence to
Westminster Hall, and there walked most of the morning, and among others
did there meet my cozen Roger Pepys, who intends to go to Impington on
this day s'ennight, the Parliament break up the night before. Here I met
Rolt and Sir John Chichly, and Harris, the player, and there we talked of
many things, and particularly of "Catiline," which is to be suddenly acted
at the King's house; and there all agree that it cannot be well done at
that house, there not being good actors enow: and Burt' acts Cicero, which
they all conclude he will not be able to do well. The King gives them L500
for robes, there being, as they say, to be sixteen scarlett robes. Thence
home to dinner, and would have had Harris home with me, but it was too
late for him to get to the playhouse after it, and so home to dinner, and
spent the afternoon talking with my wife and people at home till the
evening, and then comes Sir W. Warren to talk about some business of his
and mine: and he, I find, would have me not to think that the Parliament,
in the mind they are in, and having so many good offices in their view to
dispose of, will leave any of the King's officers in, but will rout all,
though I am likely to escape as well as any, if any can escape; and I
think he is in the right, and I do look for it accordingly. Then we fell
to discourse of my little vessel, "The Maybolt," and he thinks that it
will be best for me to employ her for a voyage to Newcastle for coles,
they being now dear, and the voyage not long, nor dangerous yet; and I
think I shall go near to do so. Then, talking of his business, I away to
the office, where very busy, and thither comes Sir W. Pen, and he and I
walked together in the garden, and there told me what passed to-day with
him in the Committee, by my Lord Sandwich's breaking bulk of the prizes;
and he do seem to me that he hath left it pretty well understood by them,
he saying that what my Lord did was done at the desire, and with the
advice, of the chief officers of the fleete, and that it was no more than
admirals heretofore have done in like cases, which, if it be true that he
said it, is very well, and did please me well. He being gone, I to my
office again and there late, and so weary home.
12th. Rose before day, and took coach, by daylight, and to Westminster to
Sir G. Downing's, and there met Sir Stephen Fox, and thence he and I to
Sir Robert Longs to discourse the business of our orders for money, he for
the guards, and I for Tangier, and were a little angry in our concerns,
one against the other, but yet parted good friends, and I think I got
ground by it. Thence straight to the office, and there sat all the
morning, and then home to dinner, and after dinner I all alone to the Duke
of York's house, and saw "The Tempest," which, as often as I have seen it,
I do like very well, and the house very full. But I could take little
pleasure more than the play, for not being able to look about, for fear of
being seen. Here only I saw a French lady in the pit, with a tunique,
just like one of ours, only a handkercher about her neck; but this fashion
for a woman did not look decent. Thence walked to my bookseller's, and
there he did give me a list of the twenty who were nominated for the
Commission in Parliament for the Accounts: and it is strange that of the
twenty the Parliament could not think fit to choose their nine, but were
fain to add three that were not in the list of the twenty, they being many
of them factious people and ringleaders in the late troubles; so that Sir
John Talbott did fly out and was very hot in the business of Wildman's
being named, and took notice how he was entertained in the bosom of the
Duke of Buckingham, a Privy-counsellor; and that it was fit to be observed
by the House, and punished. The men that I know of the nine I like very
well; that is, Mr. Pierrepont, Lord Brereton, and Sir William Turner; and
I do think the rest are so, too; but such as will not be able to do this
business as it ought to be, to do any good with. Here I did also see
their votes against my Lord Chiefe Justice Keeling, that his proceedings
were illegal, and that he was a contemner of Magna Charta (the great
preserver of our lives, freedoms, and properties) and an introduction to
arbitrary government; which is very high language, and of the same sound
with that in the year 1640. I home, and there wrote my letters, and so to
supper and to bed. This day my Lord Chancellor's letter was burned at the
'Change.'
13th. Up, lying long all alone (my wife lying for these two or three days
of sickness alone), thinking of my several businesses in hand, and then
rose and to the office, being in some doubt of having my cozen Roger and
Lord Hinchinbroke and Sir Thos. Crew by my cozens invitation at dinner
to-day, and we wholly unprovided. So I away to Westminster, to the
Parliament-door, to speak with Roger: and here I saw my Lord Keeling go
into the House to the barr, to have his business heard by the whole House
to-day; and a great crowd of people to stare upon him. Here I hear that
the Lords' Bill for banishing and disabling my Lord Clarendon from bearing
any office, or being in the King's dominions, and its being made felony
for any to correspond with him but his own children, is brought to the
Commons: but they will not agree to it, being not satisfied with that as
sufficient, but will have a Bill of Attainder brought in against him: but
they make use of this against the Lords, that they, that would not think
there was cause enough to commit him without hearing, will have him
banished without hearing. By and by comes out my cozen Roger to me, he
being not willing to be in the House at the business of my Lord Keeling,
lest he should be called upon to complain against him for his abusing him
at Cambridge, very wrongfully and shamefully, but not to his reproach, but
to the Chief justice's in the end, when all the world cried shame upon him
for it. So he with me home, and Creed, whom I took up by the way, going
thither, and they to dine with me, and pretty merry, and among other
pieces of news, it is now fresh that the King of Portugall is deposed, and
his brother made King; and that my Lord Sandwich is gone from Madrid with
great honour to Lisbon, to make up, at this juncture, a peace to the
advantage, as the Spaniard would have it, of Spain. I wish it may be for
my Lord's honour, if it be so; but it seems my Lord is in mighty
estimation in Spain. After dinner comes Mr. Moore, and he and I alone a
while, he telling me my Lord Sandwich's credit is like to be undone, if
the bill of L200 my Lord Hinchingbroke wrote to me about be not paid
to-morrow, and that, if I do not help him about it, they have no way but
to let it be protested. So, finding that Creed hath supplied them with
L150 in their straits, and that this is no bigger sum, I am very willing
to serve my Lord, though not in this kind; but yet I will endeavour to get
this done for them, and the rather because of some plate that was lodged
the other day with me, by my Lady's order, which may be in part of
security for my money, as I may order it, for, for ought I see, there is
no other to be hoped for. This do trouble me; but yet it is good luck
that the sum is no bigger. He gone, I with my cozen Roger to Westminster
Hall; and there we met the House rising: and they have voted my Lord Chief
Justice Keeling's proceedings illegal; but that, out of particular respect
to him, and the mediation of a great many, they have resolved to proceed
no further against him. After a turn or two with my cozen, I away with
Sir W. Warren, who met me here by my desire, and to Exeter House, and
there to counsel, to Sir William Turner, about the business of my bargain
with my Lady Batten; and he do give me good advice, and that I am safe,
but that there is a great many pretty considerations in it that makes it
necessary for me to be silent yet for a while till we see whether the ship
be safe or no; for she is drove to the coast of Holland, where she now is
in the Texell, so that it is not prudence for me yet to resolve whether I
will stand by the bargain or no, and so home, and Sir W. Warren and I
walked upon Tower Hill by moonlight a great while, consulting business of
the office and our present condition, which is but bad, it being most
likely that the Parliament will change all hands, and so let them, so I
may keep but what I have. Thence home, and there spent the evening at home
with my wife and entering my journal, and so to supper and to bed,
troubled with my parting with the L200, which I must lend my Lord Sandwich
to answer his bill of exchange.
14th. Up and to the office, where busy, and after dinner also to the
office again till night, when Mr. Moore come to me to discourse about the
L200 I must supply my Lord Hinchingbroke, and I promised him to do it,
though much against my will. So home, to supper and to bed.
15th (Lord's day). Up, and to church, where I heard a German preach, in a
tone hard to be understood, but yet an extraordinary good sermon, and
wholly to my great content. So home, and there all alone with wife and
girle to dinner, and then I busy at my chamber all the afternoon, and
looking over my plate, which indeed is a very fine quantity, God knows,
more than ever I expected to see of my own, and more than is fit for a man
of no better quality than I am. In the evening comes Mrs. Turner to visit
us, who hath been long sick, and she sat and supped with us, and after
supper, her son Francke being there, now upon the point of his going to
the East Indys, I did give him "Lex Mercatoria," and my wife my old pair
of tweezers, which are pretty, and my book an excellent one for him. Most
of our talk was of the great discourse the world hath against my Lady
Batten, for getting her husband to give her all, and disinherit his eldest
son; though the truth is, the son, as they say, did play the knave with
his father when time was, and the father no great matter better with him,
nor with other people also. So she gone, we to bed.
16th. Up, and to several places, to pay what I owed. Among others, to my
mercer, to pay for my fine camlott cloak, which costs me, the very stuff,
almost L6; and also a velvet coat-the outside cost me above L8. And so to
Westminster, where I find the House mighty busy upon a petition against my
Lord Gerard, which lays heavy things to his charge, of his abusing the
King in his Guards; and very hot the House is upon it. I away home to
dinner alone with wife and girle, and so to the office, where mighty busy
to my great content late, and then home to supper, talk with my wife, and
to bed. It was doubtful to-day whether the House should be adjourned
to-morrow or no.
17th. Up, and to the office, where very busy all the morning, and then in
the afternoon I with Sir W. Pen and Sir T. Harvy to White Hall to attend
the Duke of York, who is now as well as ever, and there we did our usual
business with him, and so away home with Sir W. Pen, and there to the
office, where pretty late doing business, my wife having been abroad all
day with Mrs. Turner buying of one thing or other. This day I do hear at
White Hall that the Duke of Monmouth is sick, and in danger of the
smallpox. So home to supper and to bed.
18th. Up, and to my goldsmith's in the morning, to look after the
providing of L60 for Mr. Moore, towards the answering of my Lord
Sandwich's bill of exchange, he being come to be contented with my lending
him L60 in part of it, which pleases me, I expecting to have been forced
to answer the whole bill; and this, which I do do, I hope to secure out of
the plate, which was delivered into my custody of my Lord's the other day
by Mr. Cooke, and which I did get Mr. Stokes, the goldsmith, last night to
weigh at my house, and there is enough to secure L100. Thence home to the
office, and there all the morning by particular appointment with Sir W.
Pen, Sir R. Ford, and those that are concerned for my Lady Batten (Mr.
Wood, Young, and Lewes), to even the accounts of our prize business, and
at noon broke up, and to dinner, every man to his own home, and to it till
late at night again, and we did come to some end, and I am mightily put to
it how to order the business of my bargaine, but my industry is to keep it
off from discourse till the ship be brought home safe, and this I did do,
and so we broke up, she appearing in our debts about L1500, and so we
parted, and I to my business, and home to my wife, who is troubled with
the tooth ake, and there however I got her to read to me the History of
Algiers, which I find a very pretty book, and so to supper with much
pleasure talking, and to bed. The Parliament not adjourned yet.
19th. Up, and to the Office, where Commissioner Middleton first took
place at the Board as Surveyor of the Navy; and indeed I think will be an
excellent officer; I am sure much beyond what his predecessor was. At
noon, to avoid being forced to invite him to dinner, it being his first
day, and nobody inviting him, I did go to the 'Change with Sir W. Pen in
his coach, who first went to Guildhall, whither I went with him, he to
speak with Sheriff Gawden--I only for company; and did here look up and
down this place, where I have not been before since the fire; and I see
that the city are got a pace on in the rebuilding of Guildhall. Thence to
the 'Change, where I stayed very little, and so home to dinner, and there
find my wife mightily out of order with her teeth. At the office all the
afternoon, and at night by coach to Westminster, to the Hall, where I met
nobody, and do find that this evening the King by message (which he never
did before) hath passed several bills, among others that for the Accounts,
and for banishing my Lord Chancellor, and hath adjourned the House to
February; at which I am glad, hoping in this time to get leisure to state
my Tangier Accounts, and to prepare better for the Parliament's enquiries.
Here I hear how the House of Lords, with great severity, if not tyranny,
have ordered poor Carr, who only erred in the manner of the presenting his
petition against my Lord Gerard, it being first printed before it was
presented; which was, it, seems, by Colonel Sands's going into the
country, into whose hands he had put it: the poor man is ordered to stand
in the pillory two or three times, and his eares cut, and be imprisoned I
know not how long. But it is believed that the Commons, when they meet,
will not be well pleased with it; and they have no reason, I think.
Having only heard this from Mrs. Michell, I away again home, and there to
supper and to bed, my wife exceeding ill in her face with the tooth ake,
and now her face has become mightily swelled that I am mightily troubled
for it.
20th. Up, and all the morning at the office with Sir R. Ford and the same
company as on Wednesday about my Lady Batten's accounts. At noon home to
dinner, where my poor wife in bed in mighty pain, her left cheek so
swelled as that we feared it would break, and so were fain to send for Mr.
Hollier, who come, and seems doubtful of the defluxions of humours that
may spoil her face, if not timely cured. He laid a poultice to it and
other directions, and so away, and I to the office, where on the same
accounts very late, and did come pretty near a settlement. So at night to
Sir W. Pen's with Sir R. Ford, and there was Sir D. Gawden, and there we
only talked of sundry things; and I have found of late, by discourse, that
the present sort of government is looked upon as a sort of government that
we never had yet--that is to say, a King and House of Commons against the
House of Lords; for so indeed it is, though neither of the two first care
a fig for one another, nor the third for them both, only the Bishops are
afeard of losing ground, as I believe they will. So home to my poor wife,
who is in mighty pain, and her face miserably swelled: so as I was
frighted to see it, and I was forced to lie below in the great chamber,
where I have not lain many a day, and having sat up with her, talking and
reading and pitying her, I to bed.
21st. At the office all the morning, and at noon home to dinner with my
Clerks and Creed, who among other things all alone, after dinner, talking
of the times, he tells me that the Nonconformists are mighty high, and
their meetings frequented and connived at; and they do expect to have
their day now soon; for my Lord of Buckingham is a declared friend to
them, and even to the Quakers, who had very good words the other day from
the King himself: and, what is more, the Archbishop of Canterbury is
called no more to the Cabal, nor, by the way, Sir W. Coventry; which I am
sorry for, the Cabal at present being, as he says, the King, and Duke of
Buckingham, and Lord Keeper, the Duke of Albemarle, and Privy Seale. The
Bishops, differing from the King in the late business in the House of
Lords, having caused this and what is like to follow, for every body is
encouraged nowadays to speak, and even to preach, as I have heard one of
them, as bad things against them as ever in the year 1640; which is a
strange change. He gone, I to the office, where busy till late at night,
and then home to sit with my wife, who is a little better, and her cheek
asswaged. I read to her out of "The History of Algiers," which is mighty
pretty reading, and did discourse alone about my sister Pall's match,
which is now on foot with one Jackson, another nephew of Mr. Phillips's,
to whom he hath left his estate.
22nd (Lord's day). Up, and my wife, poor wretch, still in pain, and then
to dress myself and down to my chamber to settle some papers, and thither
come to me Willet with an errand from her mistress, and this time I first
did give her a little kiss, she being a very pretty humoured girle, and so
one that I do love mightily. Thence to my office, and there did a little
business, and so to church, where a dull sermon, and then home, and Cozen
Kate Joyce come and dined with me and Mr. Holliard; but by chance I
offering occasion to him to discourse of the Church of Rome, Lord! how he
run on to discourse with the greatest vehemence and importunity in the
world, as the only thing in the world that he is full of, and it was good
sport to me to see him so earnest on so little occasion. She come to see
us and to tell me that her husband is going to build his house again, and
would borrow of me L300, which I shall upon good security be willing to
do, and so told her, being willing to have some money out of my hands upon
good security. After dinner up to my wife again, who is in great pain
still with her tooth, and there, they gone, I spent the most of the
afternoon and night reading and talking to bear her company, and so to
supper and to bed.