house, but deadly dear, in Lincoln's Inne Fields, where I found and spoke
a little to him. He is high and strange still, but did ask me how my wife
did, and at parting remembered him to his cozen, which I thought was
pretty well, being willing to flatter myself that in time he will be well
again. Thence home straight and busy all the forenoon, and at noon with
Mr. Bland to Mr. Povy's, but he being at dinner and full of company we
retreated and went into Fleet Street to a friend of his, and after a long
stay, he telling me the long and most perplexed story of Coronell and
Bushell's business of sugars, wherein Parke and Green and Mr. Bland and 40
more have been so concerned about the King of Portugal's duties, wherein
every party has laboured to cheat another, a most pleasant and profitable
story to hear, and in the close made me understand Mr. Maes' business
better than I did before. By and by dinner came, and after dinner and
good discourse that and such as I was willing for improvement sake to
hear, I went away too to White Hall to a Committee of Tangier, where I
took occasion to demand of Creed whether he had received my letter, and he
told me yes, and that he would answer it, which makes me much wonder what
he means to do with me, but I will be even with him before I have done,
let him make as light of it as he will. Thence to the Temple, where my
cozen Roger Pepys did show me a letter my Father wrote to him last Terme
to shew me, proposing such things about Sturtlow and a portion for Pall,
and I know not what, that vexes me to see him plotting how to put me to
trouble and charge, and not thinking to pay our debts and legacys, but I
will write him a letter will persuade him to be wiser. So home, and
finding my wife abroad (after her coming home from being with my aunt
Wight to-day to buy Lent provisions) gone with Will to my brother's, I
followed them by coach, but found them not, for they were newly gone home
from thence, which troubled me. I to Sir Robert Bernard's chamber, and
there did surrender my reversion in Brampton lands to the use of my will,
which I was glad to have done, my will being now good in all parts.
Thence homewards, calling a little at the Coffee-house, where a little
merry discourse, and so home, where I found my wife, who says she went to
her father's to be satisfied about her brother, who I found at my house
with her. He is going this next tide with his wife into Holland to seek
his fortune. He had taken his leave of us this morning. I did give my
wife 10s. to give him, and a coat that I had by me, a close-bodied
light-coloured cloth coat, with a gold edgeing in each seam, that was the
lace of my wife's best pettycoat that she had when I married her. I staid
not there, but to my office, where Stanes the glazier was with me till to
at night making up his contract, and, poor man, I made him almost mad
through a mistake of mine, but did afterwards reconcile all, for I would
not have the man that labours to serve the King so cheap above others
suffer too much. He gone I did a little business more, and so home to
supper and to bed, being now pretty well again, the weather being warm.
My pain do leave me without coming to any great excesse, but my cold that
I had got I suppose was not very great, it being only the leaving of my
wastecoat unbuttoned one morning.
11th. Up, after much pleasant discourse with my wife, and to the office,
where we sat all the morning, and did much business, and some much to my
content by prevailing against Sir W. Batten for the King's profit. At
noon home to dinner, my wife and I hand to fist to a very fine pig. This
noon Mr. Falconer came and visited my wife, and brought her a present, a
silver state-cup and cover, value about L3 or L4, for the courtesy I did
him the other day. He did not stay dinner with me. I am almost sorry for
this present, because I would have reserved him for a place to go in
summer a-visiting at Woolwich with my wife.
12th. Up, and ready, did find below Mr. Creed's boy with a letter from
his master for me. So I fell to reading it, and it is by way of stating
the case between S. Pepys and J. Creed most excellently writ, both showing
his stoutness and yet willingness to peace, reproaching me yet flattering
me again, and in a word in as good a manner as I think the world could
have wrote, and indeed put me to a greater stand than ever I thought I
could have been in this matter. All the morning thinking how to behave
myself in the business, and at noon to the Coffee-house; thence by his
appointment met him upon the 'Change, and with him back to the
Coffee-house, where with great seriousness and strangeness on both sides
he said his part and I mine, he sometimes owning my favour and assistance,
yet endeavouring to lessen it, as that the success of his business was not
wholly or very much to be imputed to that assistance: I to alledge the
contrary, and plainly to tell him that from the beginning I never had it
in my mind to do him all that kindnesse for nothing, but he gaining 5 or
L600, I did expect a share of it, at least a real and not a complimentary
acknowledgment of it. In fine I said nothing all the while that I need
fear he can do me more hurt with them than before I spoke them. The most
I told him was after we were come to a peace, which he asked me whether he
should answer the Board's letter or no. I told him he might forbear it a
while and no more. Then he asked how the letter could be signed by them
without their much enquiry. I told him it was as I worded it and nothing
at all else of any moment, whether my words be ever hereafter spoken of
again or no. So that I have the same neither better nor worse force over
him that I had before, if he should not do his part. And the peace
between us was this: Says he after all, well, says he, I know you will
expect, since there must be some condescension, that it do become me to
begin it, and therefore, says he, I do propose (just like the interstice
between the death of the old and the coming in of the present king, all
the time is swallowed up as if it had never been) so our breach of
friendship may be as if it had never been, that I should lay aside all
misapprehensions of him or his first letter, and that he would reckon
himself obliged to show the same ingenuous acknowledgment of my love and
service to him as at the beginning he ought to have done, before by my
first letter I did (as he well observed) put him out of a capacity of
doing it, without seeming to do it servilely, and so it rests, and I shall
expect how he will deal with me. After that I began to be free, and both
of us to discourse of other things, and he went home with me and dined
with me and my wife and very pleasant, having a good dinner and the
opening of my lampry (cutting a notch on one side), which proved very
good. After dinner he and I to Deptford, walking all the way, where we
met Sir W. Petty and I took him back, and I got him to go with me to his
vessel and discourse it over to me, which he did very well, and then
walked back together to the waterside at Redriffe, with good discourse all
the way. So Creed and I by boat to my house, and thence to coach with my
wife and called at Alderman Backewell's and there changed Mr. Falconer's
state-cup, that he did give us the other day, for a fair tankard. The cup
weighed with the fashion L5 16s., and another little cup that Joyce Norton
did give us 17s., both L6 13s.; for which we had the tankard, which came
to L6 10s., at 5s. 7d. per oz., and 3s. in money, and with great content
away thence to my brother's, Creed going away there, and my brother
bringing me the old silk standard that I lodged there long ago, and then
back again home, and thence, hearing that my uncle Wight had been at my
house, I went to him to the Miter, and there with him and Maes, Norbury,
and Mr. Rawlinson till late eating some pot venison (where the Crowne
earthen pot pleased me mightily), and then homewards and met Mr. Barrow,
so back with him to the Miter and sat talking about his business of his
discontent in the yard, wherein sometimes he was very foolish and pettish,
till 12 at night, and so went away, and I home and up to my wife a-bed,
with my mind ill at ease whether I should think that I had by this made
myself a bad end by missing the certainty of L100 which I proposed to
myself so much, or a good one by easing myself of the uncertain good
effect but the certain trouble and reflection which must have fallen on me
if we had proceeded to a public dispute, ended besides embarking myself
against my Lord, who (which I had forgot) had given him his hand for the
value of the pieces of eight at his rates which were all false, which by
the way I shall take heed to the giving of my Lord notice of it hereafter
whenever he goes out again.
13th. Up, and after I had told my wife in the morning in bed the passages
yesterday with Creed my head and heart was mightily lighter than they were
before, and so up and to the office, and thence, after sitting, at 11
o'clock with Mr. Coventry to the African House, and there with Sir W.
Ryder by agreement we looked over part of my Lord Peterborough's accounts,
these being by Creed and Vernaty. Anon down to dinner to a table which
Mr. Coventry keeps here, out of his L300 per annum as one of the
Assistants to the Royall Company, a very pretty dinner, and good company,
and excellent discourse, and so up again to our work for an hour till the
Company came to having a meeting of their own, and so we broke up and
Creed and I took coach and to Reeves, the perspective glass maker, and
there did indeed see very excellent microscopes, which did discover a
louse or mite or sand most perfectly and largely. Being sated with that
we went away (yet with a good will were it not for my obligation to have
bought one) and walked to the New Exchange, and after a turn or two and
talked I took coach and home, and so to my office, after I had been with
my wife and saw her day's work in ripping the silke standard, which we
brought home last night, and it will serve to line a bed, or for twenty
uses, to our great content. And there wrote fair my angry letter to my
father upon that that he wrote to my cozen Roger Pepys, which I hope will
make him the more carefull to trust to my advice for the time to come
without so many needless complaints and jealousys, which are troublesome
to me because without reason.
14th (Lord's day). Up and to church alone, where a lazy sermon of Mr.
Mills, upon a text to introduce catechizing in his parish, which I
perceive he intends to begin. So home and very pleasant with my wife at
dinner. All the afternoon at my office alone doing business, and then in
the evening after a walk with my wife in the garden, she and I to my uncle
Wight's to supper, where Mr. Norbury, but my uncle out of tune, and after
supper he seemed displeased mightily at my aunt's desiring [to] put off a
copper kettle, which it seems with great study he had provided to boil
meat in, and now she is put in the head that it is not wholesome, which
vexed him, but we were very merry about it, and by and by home, and after
prayers to bed.
15th. Up, and carrying my wife to my Lord's lodgings left her, and I to
White Hall, to the Duke; where he first put on a periwigg to-day; but
methought his hair cut short in order thereto did look very prettily of
itself, before he put on his periwigg.
[Charles II. followed his brother in the use of the periwig in the
following April.]
Thence to his closet and there did our business, and thence Mr. Coventry
and I down to his chamber and spent a little time, and so parted, and I
took my wife homeward, I stopping at the Coffee-house, and thence a while
to the 'Change, where great newes of the arrivall of two rich ships, the
Greyhound and another, which they were mightily afeard of, and great
insurance given, and so home to dinner, and after an houre with my wife at
her globes, I to the office, where very busy till 11 at night, and so home
to supper and to bed. This afternoon Sir Thomas Chamberlin came to the
office to me, and showed me several letters from the East Indys, showing
the height that the Dutch are come to there, showing scorn to all the
English, even in our only Factory there of Surat, beating several men, and
hanging the English Standard St. George under the Dutch flagg in scorn;
saying, that whatever their masters do or say at home, they will do what
they list, and will be masters of all the world there; and have so
proclaimed themselves Soveraigne of all the South Seas; which certainly
our King cannot endure, if the Parliament will give him money. But I doubt
and yet do hope they will not yet, till we are more ready for it.
16th. Up and to the office, where very busy all the morning, and most
with Mr. Wood, I vexing him about his masts. At noon to the 'Change a
little and thence brought Mr. Barrow to dinner with me, where I had a
haunch of venison roasted, given me yesterday, and so had a pretty dinner,
full of discourse of his business, wherein the poor man is mightily
troubled, and I pity him in it, but hope to get him some ease. He being
gone I to the office, where very busy till night, that my uncle Wight and
Mr. Maes came to me, and after discourse about Maes' business to supper
very merry, but my mind upon my business, and so they being gone I to my
Vyall a little, which I have not done some months, I think, before, and
then a little to my office, at 11 at night, and so home and to bed.
17th. Up, and with my wife, setting her down by her father's in Long
Acre, in so ill looked a place, among all the whore houses, that I was
troubled at it, to see her go thither. Thence I to White Hall and there
walked up and down talking with Mr. Pierce, who tells me of the King's
giving of my Lord Fitz-Harding two leases which belong indeed to the
Queene, worth L20,000 to him; and how people do talk of it, and other
things of that nature which I am sorry to hear. He and I walked round the
Park with great pleasure, and back again, and finding no time to speak
with my Lord of Albemarle, I walked to the 'Change and there met my wife
at our pretty Doll's, and so took her home, and Creed also whom I met
there, and sent her hose, while Creed and I staid on the 'Change, and by
and by home and dined, where I found an excellent mastiffe, his name
Towser, sent me by a chyrurgeon. After dinner I took my wife again by
coach (leaving Creed by the way going to Gresham College, of which he is
now become one of the virtuosos) and to White Hall, where I delivered a
paper about Tangier to my Lord Duke of Albemarle in the council chamber,
and so to Mrs. Hunt's to call my wife, and so by coach straight home, and
at my office till 3 o'clock in the morning, having spent much time this
evening in discourse with Mr. Cutler, who tells me how the Dutch deal with
us abroad and do not value us any where, and how he and Sir W. Rider have
found reason to lay aside Captain Cocke in their company, he having played
some indiscreet and unfair tricks with them, and has lost himself every
where by his imposing upon all the world with the conceit he has of his
own wit, and so has, he tells me, Sir R. Ford also, both of whom are very
witty men. He being gone Sir W. Rider came and staid with me till about
12 at night, having found ourselves work till that time, about
understanding the measuring of Mr. Wood's masts, which though I did so
well before as to be thought to deal very hardly against Wood, yet I am
ashamed I understand it no better, and do hope yet, whatever be thought of
me, to save the King some more money, and out of an impatience to breake
up with my head full of confused confounded notions, but nothing brought
to a clear comprehension, I was resolved to sit up and did till now it is
ready to strike 4 o'clock, all alone, cold, and my candle not enough left
to light me to my owne house, and so, with my business however brought to
some good understanding, and set it down pretty clear, I went home to bed
with my mind at good quiet, and the girl sitting up for me (the rest all
a-bed). I eat and drank a little, and to bed, weary, sleepy, cold, and my
head akeing.
18th. Called up to the office and much against my will I rose, my head
aching mightily, and to the office, where I did argue to good purpose for
the King, which I have been fitting myself for the last night against Mr.
Wood about his masts, but brought it to no issue. Very full of business
till noon, and then with Mr. Coventry to the African House, and there fell
to my Lord Peterborough's accounts, and by and by to dinner, where
excellent discourse, Sir G. Carteret and others of the African Company
with us, and then up to the accounts again, which were by and by done, and
then I straight home, my head in great pain, and drowsy, so after doing a
little business at the office I wrote to my father about sending him the
mastiff was given me yesterday. I home and by daylight to bed about 6
o'clock and fell to sleep, wakened about 12 when my wife came to bed, and
then to sleep again and so till morning, and then:
19th. Up in good order in my head again and shaved myself, and then to
the office, whither Mr. Cutler came, and walked and talked with me a great
while; and then to the 'Change together; and it being early, did tell me
several excellent examples of men raised upon the 'Change by their great
diligence and saving; as also his owne fortune, and how credit grew upon
him; that when he was not really worth L1100, he had credit for L100,000
of Sir W. Rider how he rose; and others. By and by joyned with us Sir
John Bankes; who told us several passages of the East India Company; and
how in his very case, when there was due to him and Alderman Mico L64,000
from the Dutch for injury done to them in the East Indys, Oliver presently
after the peace, they delaying to pay them the money, sent them word, that
if they did not pay them by such a day, he would grant letters of mark to
those merchants against them; by which they were so fearful of him, they
did presently pay the money every farthing. By and by, the 'Change
filling, I did many businesses, and about 2 o'clock went off with my uncle
Wight to his house, thence by appointment we took our wives (they by coach
with Mr. Mawes) and we on foot to Mr. Jaggard, a salter, in Thames Street,
for whom I did a courtesy among the poor victuallers, his wife, whom long
ago I had seen, being daughter to old Day, my uncle Wight's master, is a
very plain woman, but pretty children they have. They live methought at
first in but a plain way, but afterward I saw their dinner, all fish,
brought in very neatly, but the company being but bad I had no great
pleasure in it. After dinner I to the office, where we should have met
upon business extraordinary, but business not coming we broke up, and I
thither again and took my wife; and taking a coach, went to visit my Ladys
Jemimah and Paulina Montagu, and Mrs. Elizabeth Dickering, whom we find at
their father's new house
[The Earl of Sandwich had just moved to a house in Lincoln's Inn
Fields. Elizabeth Dickering, who afterwards married John Creed, was
niece to Lord Sandwich.]
in Lincolne's Inn Fields; but the house all in dirt. They received us
well enough; but I did not endeavour to carry myself over familiarly with
them; and so after a little stay, there coming in presently after us my
Lady Aberguenny and other ladies, we back again by coach, and visited, my
wife did, my she cozen Scott, who is very ill still, and thence to
Jaggard's again, where a very good supper and great store of plate; and
above all after supper Mrs. Jaggard did at my entreaty play on the Vyall,
but so well as I did not think any woman in England could and but few
Maisters, I must confess it did mightily surprise me, though I knew
heretofore that she could play, but little thought so well. After her I
set Maes to singing, but he did it so like a coxcomb that I was sick of
him. About 11 at night I carried my aunt home by coach, and then home
myself, having set my wife down at home by the way. My aunt tells me they
are counted very rich people, worth at least 10 or L12,000, and their
country house all the yeare long and all things liveable, which mightily
surprises me to think for how poore a man I took him when I did him the
courtesy at our office. So after prayers to bed, pleased at nothing all
the day but Mrs. Jaggard playing on the Vyall, and that was enough to make
me bear with all the rest that did not content me.
20th. Up and to the office, where we sat all the morning, and at noon to
the 'Change with Mr. Coventry and thence home to dinner, after dinner by a
gaily down to Woolwich, where with Mr. Falconer, and then at the other
yard doing some business to my content, and so walked to Greenwich, it
being a very fine evening and brought right home with me by water, and so
to my office, where late doing business, and then home to supper and to
bed.
21st. (Lord's day). Up, and having many businesses at the office to-day I
spent all the morning there drawing up a letter to Mr. Coventry about
preserving of masts, being collections of my own, and at noon home to
dinner, whither my brother Tom comes, and after dinner I took him up and
read my letter lately of discontent to my father, and he is seemingly
pleased at it, and cries out of my sister's ill nature and lazy life
there. He being gone I to my office again, and there made an end of my
morning's work, and then, after reading my vows of course, home and back
again with Mr. Maes and walked with him talking of his business in the
garden, and he being gone my wife and I walked a turn or two also, and
then my uncle Wight fetching of us, she and I to his house to supper, and
by the way calling on Sir G. Carteret to desire his consent to my bringing
Maes to him, which he agreed to. So I to my uncle's, but staid a great
while vexed both of us for Maes not coming in, and soon he came, and I
with him from supper to Sir G. Carteret, and there did largely discourse
of the business, and I believe he may expect as much favour as he can do
him, though I fear that will not be much. So back, and after sitting
there a good while, we home, and going my wife told me how my uncle when
he had her alone did tell her that he did love her as well as ever he did,
though he did not find it convenient to show it publicly for reasons on
both sides, seeming to mean as well to prevent my jealousy as his wife's,
but I am apt to think that he do mean us well, and to give us something if
he should die without children. So home to prayers and to bed. My wife
called up the people to washing by four o'clock in the morning; and our
little girl Susan is a most admirable Slut and pleases us mightily, doing
more service than both the others and deserves wages better.