our shame, in looking for, do prove knotty and not fit for service. Lord!
how Sir J. Minnes, like a mad coxcomb, did swear and stamp, swearing that
Commissioner Pett hath still the old heart against the King that ever he
had, and that this was his envy against his brother that was to build the
ship, and all the damnable reproaches in the world, at which I was
ashamed, but said little; but, upon the whole, I find him still a fool,
led by the nose with stories told by Sir W. Batten, whether with or
without reason. So, vexed in my mind to see things ordered so unlike
gentlemen, or men of reason, I went home and to bed.
2nd. Up by very betimes and to my office, where all the morning till
towards noon, and then by coach to Westminster Hall with Sir W. Pen, and
while he went up to the House I walked in the Hall with Mr. Pierce, the
surgeon, that I met there, talking about my business the other day with
Holmes, whom I told my mind, and did freely tell how I do depend upon my
care and diligence in my employment to bear me out against the pride of
Holmes or any man else in things that are honest, and much to that purpose
which I know he will make good use of. But he did advise me to take as
few occasions as I can of disobliging Commanders, though this is one that
every body is glad to hear that he do receive a check. By and by the
House rises and I home again with Sir W. Pen, and all the way talking of
the same business, to whom I did on purpose tell him my mind freely, and
let him see that it must be a wiser man than Holmes (in these very words)
that shall do me any hurt while I do my duty. I to remember him of
Holmes's words against Sir J. Minnes, that he was a knave, rogue, coward,
and that he will kick him and pull him by the ears, which he remembered
all of them and may have occasion to do it hereafter to his owne shame to
suffer them to be spoke in his presence without any reply but what I did
give him, which, has caused all this feud. But I am glad of it, for I
would now and then take occasion to let the world know that I will not be
made a novice. Sir W. Pen took occasion to speak about my wife's
strangeness to him and his daughter, and that believing at last that it
was from his taking of Sarah to be his maid, he hath now put her away, at
which I am glad. He told me, that this day the King hath sent to the
House his concurrence wholly with them against the Popish priests,
Jesuits, &c., which gives great content, and I am glad of it. So home,
whither my father comes and dines with us, and being willing to be merry
with him I made myself so as much as I could, and so to the office, where
we sat all the afternoon, and at night having done all my business I went
home to my wife and father, and supped, and so to bed, my father lying
with me in Ashwell's bed in the red chamber.
3rd. Waked betimes and talked half an hour with my father, and so I rose
and to my office, and about 9 o'clock by water from the Old Swan to White
Hall and to chappell, which being most monstrous full, I could not go into
my pew, but sat among the quire. Dr. Creeton, the Scotchman, preached a
most admirable, good, learned, honest and most severe sermon, yet
comicall, upon the words of the woman concerning the Virgin, "Blessed is
the womb that bare thee (meaning Christ) and the paps that gave thee suck;
and he answered, Nay; rather is he blessed that heareth the word of God,
and keepeth it." He railed bitterly ever and anon against John Calvin,
and his brood, the Presbyterians, and against the present term, now in
use, of "tender consciences." He ripped up Hugh Peters (calling him the
execrable skellum--[A villain or scoundrel; the cant term for a
thief.]--), his preaching and stirring up the maids of the city to bring
in their bodkins and thimbles. Thence going out of White Hall, I met
Captain Grove, who did give me a letter directed to myself from himself. I
discerned money to be in it, and took it, knowing, as I found it to be,
the proceed of the place I have got him to be, the taking up of vessels
for Tangier. But I did not open it till I came home to my office, and
there I broke it open, not looking into it till all the money was out,
that I might say I saw no money in the paper, if ever I should be
questioned about it. There was a piece in gold and L4 in silver. So home
to dinner with my father and wife, and after dinner up to my tryangle,
where I found that above my expectation Ashwell has very good principles
of musique and can take out a lesson herself with very little pains, at
which I am very glad. Thence away back again by water to Whitehall, and
there to the Tangier Committee, where we find ourselves at a great stand;
the establishment being but L70,000 per annum, and the forces to be kept
in the town at the least estimate that my Lord Rutherford can be got to
bring it is L53,000. The charge of this year's work of the Mole will be
L13,000; besides L1000 a-year to my Lord Peterborough as a pension, and
the fortifications and contingencys, which puts us to a great stand, and
so unsettled what to do therein we rose, and I to see my Lord Sandwich,
whom I found merry at cards, and so by coach home, and after supper a
little to my office and so home and to bed. I find at Court that there is
some bad news from Ireland of an insurrection of the Catholiques there,
which puts them into an alarm. I hear also in the City that for certain
there is an embargo upon all our ships in Spayne, upon this action of my
Lord Windsor's at Cuba, which signifies little or nothing, but only he
hath a mind to say that he hath done something before he comes back again.
Late tonight I sent to invite my uncle Wight and aunt with Mrs. Turner
to-morrow.
4th. Up betimes and to my office. By and by to Lombard street by
appointment to meet Mr. Moore, but the business not being ready I returned
to the office, where we sat a while, and, being sent for, I returned to
him and there signed to some papers in the conveying of some lands
mortgaged by Sir Rob. Parkhurst in my name to my Lord Sandwich, which I
having done I returned home to dinner, whither by and by comes Roger
Pepys, Mrs. Turner her daughter, Joyce Norton, and a young lady, a
daughter of Coll. Cockes, my uncle Wight, his wife and Mrs. Anne Wight.
This being my feast, in lieu of what I should have had a few days ago for
my cutting of the stone, for which the Lord make me truly thankful. Very
merry at, before, and after dinner, and the more for that my dinner was
great, and most neatly dressed by our own only maid. We had a fricasee of
rabbits and chickens, a leg of mutton boiled, three carps in a dish, a
great dish of a side of lamb, a dish of roasted pigeons, a dish of four
lobsters, three tarts, a lamprey pie (a most rare pie), a dish of
anchovies, good wine of several sorts, and all things mighty noble and to
my great content. After dinner to Hide Park; my aunt, Mrs. Wight and I in
one coach, and all the rest of the women in Mrs. Turner's; Roger being
gone in haste to the Parliament about the carrying this business of the
Papists, in which it seems there is great contest on both sides, and my
uncle and father staying together behind. At the Park was the King, and in
another coach my Lady Castlemaine, they greeting one another at every
tour.
[The company drove round and round the Ring in Hyde Park. The
following two extracts illustrate this, and the, second one shows
how the circuit was called the Tour: "Here (1697) the people of
fashion take the diversion of the Ring. In a pretty high place,
which lies very open, they have surrounded a circumference of two or
three hundred paces diameter with a sorry kind of balustrade, or
rather with postes placed upon stakes but three feet from the
ground; and the coaches drive round this. When they have turned for
some time round one way they face about and turn t'other: so rowls
the world!"--Wilson's Memoirs, 1719, p. 126.]
["It is in this Park where the Grand Tour or Ring is kept for the
Ladies to take the air in their coaches, and in fine weather I have
seen above three hundred at a time."--[Macky's] Journey through
England, 1724, vol. i., p. 75.]
Here about an hour, and so leaving all by the way we home and found the
house as clean as if nothing had been done there to-day from top to
bottom, which made us give the cook 12d. a piece, each of us. So to my
office about writing letters by the post, one to my brother John at
Brampton telling him (hoping to work a good effect by it upon my mother)
how melancholy my father is, and bidding him use all means to get my
mother to live peaceably and quietly, which I am sure she neither do nor I
fear can ever do, but frightening her with his coming down no more, and
the danger of her condition if he should die I trust may do good. So home
and to bed.
5th (Lord's day). Up and spent the morning, till the Barber came, in
reading in my chamber part of Osborne's Advice to his Son (which I shall
not never enough admire for sense and language), and being by and by
trimmed, to Church, myself, wife, Ashwell, &c. Home to dinner, it
raining, while that was prepared to my office to read over my vows with
great affection and to very good purpose. So to dinner, and very well
pleased with it. Then to church again, where a simple bawling young Scot
preached. So home to my office alone till dark, reading some papers of my
old navy precedents, and so home to supper, and, after some pleasant talk,
my wife, Ashwell, and I to bed.
6th. Up very betimes and to my office, and there made an end of reading
my book that I have of Mr. Barlow's of the Journal of the Commissioners of
the Navy, who begun to act in the year 1628 and continued six years,
wherein is fine observations and precedents out of which I do purpose to
make a good collection. By and by, much against my will, being twice sent
for, to Sir G. Carteret's to pass his accounts there, upon which Sir J.
Minnes, Sir W. Batten, Sir W. Pen, and myself all the morning, and again
after dinner to it, being vexed at my heart to see a thing of that
importance done so slightly and with that neglect for which God pardon us,
and I would I could mend it. Thence leaving them I made an excuse and
away home, and took my wife by coach and left her at Madam Clerk's, to
make a visit there, and I to the Committee of Tangier, where I found, to
my great joy, my Lord Sandwich, the first time I have seen him abroad
these some months, and by and by he rose and took leave, being, it seems,
this night to go to Kensington or Chelsey, where he hath taken a lodging
for a while to take the ayre. We staid, and after business done I got Mr.
Coventry into the Matted Gallery and told him my whole mind concerning
matters of our office, all my discontent to see things of so great trust
carried so neglectfully, and what pitiful service the Controller and
Surveyor make of their duties, and I disburdened my mind wholly to him and
he to me his own, many things, telling me that he is much discouraged by
seeing things not to grow better and better as he did well hope they would
have done. Upon the whole, after a full hour's private discourse, telling
one another our minds, we with great content parted, and with very great
satisfaction for my [having] thus cleared my conscience, went to Dr.
Clerk's and thence fetched my wife, and by coach home. To my office a
little to set things in order, and so home to supper and to bed.
7th. Up very betimes, and angry with Will that he made no more haste to
rise after I called him. So to my office, and all the morning there. At
noon to the Exchange, and so home to dinner, where I found my wife had
been with Ashwell to La Roche's to have her tooth drawn, which it seems
aches much, but my wife could not get her to be contented to have it drawn
after the first twich, but would let it alone, and so they came home with
it undone, which made my wife and me good sport. After dinner to the
office, where Sir J. Minnes did make a great complaint to me alone, how my
clerk Mr. Hater had entered in one of the Sea books a ticket to have been
signed by him before it had been examined, which makes the old fool mad
almost, though there was upon enquiry the greatest reason in the world for
it. Which though it vexes me, yet it is most to see from day to day what
a coxcomb he is, and that so great a trust should lie in the hands of such
a fool. We sat all the afternoon, and I late at my office, it being post
night, and so home to supper, my father being come again to my house, and
after supper to bed, and after some talk to sleep.
8th. Up betimes and to my office, and by and by, about 8 o'clock, to the
Temple to Commissioner Pett lately come to town and discoursed about the
affairs of our office, how ill they go through the corruption and folly of
Sir W. Batten and Sir J. Minnes. Thence by water to White Hall, to
chappell; where preached Dr. Pierce, the famous man that preached the
sermon so much cried up, before the King against the Papists. His matter
was the Devil tempting our Saviour, being carried into the Wilderness by
the spirit. And he hath as much of natural eloquence as most men that
ever I heard in my life, mixed with so much learning. After sermon I went
up and saw the ceremony of the Bishop of Peterborough's paying homage upon
the knee to the King, while Sir H. Bennet, Secretary, read the King's
grant of the Bishopric of Lincoln, to which he is translated. His name is
Dr. Lany. Here I also saw the Duke of Monmouth, with his Order of the
Garter, the first time I ever saw it. I am told that the University of
Cambridge did treat him a little while since with all the honour possible,
with a comedy at Trinity College, and banquet; and made him Master of Arts
there. All which, they say, the King took very well. Dr. Raynbow, Master
of Magdalen, being now Vice-Chancellor. Home by water to dinner, and with
my father, wife, and Ashwell, after dinner, by water towards Woolwich, and
in our way I bethought myself that we had left our poor little dog that
followed us out of doors at the waterside, and God knows whether he be not
lost, which did not only strike my wife into a great passion but I must
confess myself also; more than was becoming me. We immediately returned,
I taking another boat and with my father went to Woolwich, while they went
back to find the dog. I took my father on board the King's pleasure boat
and down to Woolwich, and walked to Greenwich thence and turning into the
park to show my father the steps up the hill, we found my wife, her woman,
and dog attending us, which made us all merry again, and so took boats,
they to Deptford and so by land to Half-way house, I into the King's yard
and overlook them there, and eat and drank with them, and saw a company of
seamen play drolly at our pence, and so home by water. I a little at the
office, and so home to supper and to bed, after having Ashwell play my
father and me a lesson upon her Tryangle.
9th. Up betimes and to my office, and anon we met upon finishing the
Treasurer's accounts. At noon dined at home and am vexed to hear my wife
tell me how our maid Mary do endeavour to corrupt our cook maid, which did
please me very well, but I am resolved to rid the house of her as soon as
I can. To the office and sat all the afternoon till 9 at night, and an
hour after home to supper and bed. My father lying at Tom's to-night, he
dining with my uncle Fenner and his sons and a great many more of the gang
at his own cost to-day. To bed vexed also to think of Sir J. Minnes
finding fault with Mr. Hater for what he had done the other day, though
there be no hurt in the thing at all but only the old fool's jealousy,
made worse by Sir W. Batten.
10th. Up very betimes and to my office, where most hard at business alone
all the morning. At noon to the Exchange, where I hear that after great
expectation from Ireland, and long stop of letters, there is good news
come, that all is quiett after our great noise of troubles there, though
some stir hath been as was reported. Off the Exchange with Sir J. Cutler
and Mr. Grant to the Royall Oak Tavern, in Lumbard Street, where Alexander
Broome the poet was, a merry and witty man, I believe, if he be not a
little conceited, and here drank a sort of French wine, called Ho Bryan,
[Haut Brion, a claret; one of the first growths of the red wines of
Medoc.]
that hath a good and most particular taste that I never met with. Home to
dinner, and then by water abroad to Whitehall, my wife to see Mrs.
Ferrers, I to Whitehall and the Park, doing no business. Then to my
Lord's lodgings, met my wife, and walked to the New Exchange. There laid
out 10s. upon pendents and painted leather gloves, very pretty and all the
mode. So by coach home and to my office till late, and so to supper and
to bed.
11th. Up betimes and to my office, where we sat also all the morning till
noon, and then home to dinner, my father being there but not very well.
After dinner in comes Captain Lambert of the Norwich, this day come from
Tangier, whom I am glad to see. There came also with him Captain Wager,
and afterwards in came Captain Allen to see me, of the Resolution. All
staid a pretty while, and so away, and I a while to my office, then abroad
into the street with my father, and left him to go to see my aunt Wight
and uncle, intending to lie at Tom's to-night, or my cozen Scott's, where
it seems he has hitherto lain and is most kindly used there. So I home
and to my office very late making up my Lord's navy accounts, wherein I
find him to stand debtor L1200. So home to supper and to bed.
12th (Lord's day). Lay till 8 o'clock, which I have not done a great
while, then up and to church, where I found our pew altered by taking some
of the hind pew to make ours bigger, because of the number of women, more
by Sir J. Minnes company than we used to have. Home to dinner, and after
dinner, intending to go to Chelsey to my Lord Sandwich, my wife would
needs go with me, though she walked on foot to Whitehall. Which she did
and staid at my Lord's lodgings while Creed and I took a turn at
Whitehall, but no coach to be had, and so I returned to them and sat
talking till evening, and then got a coach and to Gray's Inn walks, where
some handsome faces, and so home and there to supper, and a little after 8
o'clock to bed, a thing I have not done God knows when. Coming home
to-night, a drunken boy was carrying by our constable to our new pair of
stocks to handsel them, being a new pair and very handsome.
13th. Up by five o'clock and to my office, where hard at work till
towards noon, and home and eat a bit, and so going out met with Mr. Mount
my old acquaintance, and took him in and drank a glass or two of wine to
him and so parted, having not time to talk together, and I with Sir W.
Batten to the Stillyard, and there eat a lobster together, and Wyse the
King's fishmonger coming in we were very merry half an hour, and so by
water to Whitehall, and by and by being all met we went in to the Duke and
there did our business and so away, and anon to the Tangier Committee,
where we had very fine discourse from Dr. Walker and Wiseman, civilians,
against our erecting a court-merchant at Tangier, and well answered in
many things by my Lord Sandwich (whose speaking I never till now observed
so much to be very good) and Sir R. Ford. By and by the discourse being
ended, we fell to my Lord Rutherford's dispatch, which do not please him,
he being a Scott, and one resolved to scrape every penny that he can get
by any way, which the Committee will not agree to. He took offence at
something and rose away, without taking leave of the board, which all took
ill, though nothing said but only by the Duke of Albemarle, who said that
we ought to settle things as they ought to be, and if he will not go upon
these terms another man will, no doubt. Here late, quite finishing things
against his going, and so rose, and I walked home, being accompanied by
Creed to Temple Bar, talking of this afternoon's passage, and so I called
at the Wardrobe in my way home, and there spoke at the Horn tavern with
Mr. Moore a word or two, but my business was with Mr. Townsend, who is
gone this day to his country house, about sparing Charles Pepys some money
of his bills due to him when he can, but missing him lost my labour. So
walked home, finding my wife abroad, at my aunt, Wight's, who coming home
by and by, I home to supper and to bed.
14th. Up betimes to my office, where busy till 8 o'clock that Sir W.
Batten, Sir J. Minnes, Sir W. Pen and I down by barge to Woolwich, to see
"The Royal James" launched, where she has been under repair a great while.
We staid in the yard till almost noon, and then to Mr. Falconer's to a
dinner of fish of our own sending, and when it was just ready to come upon
the table, word is brought that the King and Duke are come, so they all
went away to shew themselves, while I staid and had a little dish or two
by myself, resolving to go home, and by the time I had dined they came
again, having gone to little purpose, the King, I believe, taking little
notice of them. So they to dinner, and I staid a little with them, and so
good bye. I walked to Greenwich, studying the slide rule for measuring of
timber, which is very fine. Thence to Deptford by water, and walked
through the yard, and so walked to Redriffe, and so home pretty weary, to
my office, where anon they all came home, the ship well launched, and so
sat at the office till 9 at night, and I longer doing business at my
office, and so home to supper, my father being come, and to bed. Sir G.
Carteret tells me to-night that he perceives the Parliament is likely to
make a great bustle before they will give the King any money; will call
all things into question; and, above all, the expences of the Navy; and do
enquire into the King's expences everywhere, and into the truth of the
report of people being forced to sell their bills at 15 per cent. loss in
the Navy; and, lastly, that they are in a very angry pettish mood at
present, and not likely to be better.
15th. Up betimes, and after talking with my father awhile, I to my
office, and there hard at it till almost noon, and then went down the
river with Maynes, the purveyor, to show a ship's lading of Norway goods,
and called at Sir W. Warren's yard, and so home to dinner. After dinner
up with my wife and Ashwell a little to the Tryangle, and so I down to
Deptford by land about looking out a couple of catches fitted to be
speedily set forth in answer to a letter of Mr. Coventry's to me. Which
done, I walked back again, all the way reading of my book of Timber
measure, comparing it with my new Sliding Rule brought home this morning
with great pleasure. Taking boat again I went to Shishe's yard, but he
being newly gone out towards Deptford I followed him thither again, and
there seeing him I went with him and pitched upon a couple, and so by
water home, it being late, past 8 at night, the wind cold, and I a little
weary. So home to my office, then to supper and bed.
16th. Up betimes and to my office, met to pass Mr. Pitt's (anon Sir J.
Lawson's Secretary and Deputy Treasurer) accounts for the voyage last to
the Streights, wherein the demands are strangely irregular, and I dare not
oppose it alone for making an enemy and do no good, but only bring a
review upon my Lord Sandwich, but God knows it troubles my heart to see
it, and to see the Comptroller, whose duty it is, to make no more matter
of it. At noon home for an hour to dinner, and so to the office public
and private till late at night, so home to supper and bed with my father.
17th. Up by five o'clock as I have long done and to my office all the
morning, at noon home to dinner with my father with us. Our dinner, it
being Good Friday, was only sugarsopps and fish; the only time that we
have had a Lenten dinner all this Lent. This morning Mr. Hunt, the
instrument maker, brought me home a Basse Viall to see whether I like it,
which I do not very well, besides I am under a doubt whether I had best
buy one yet or no, because of spoiling my present mind and love to
business. After dinner my father and I walked into the city a little, and
parted and to Paul's Church Yard, to cause the title of my English "Mare
Clausum"