Lordship's so little appearance at Court: some concluding thence
their disfavour thereby, to which purpose I have had questions asked
me, and endeavouring to put off such insinuations by asserting the
contrary, they have replied, that your Lordship's living so beneath
your quality, out of the way, and declining of Court attendance,
hath been more than once discoursed about the King. Others, my
Lord, when the chief ministers of State, and those most active of
the Council have been reckoned up, wherein your Lordship never used
to want an eminent place, have said, touching your Lordship, that
now your turn was served, and the King had given you a good estate,
you left him to stand or fall as he would, and, particularly in that
of the Navy, have enlarged upon your letting fall all service there.
Another sort, and those the most, insist upon the bad report of the
house wherein your Lordship, now observed in perfect health again,
continues to sojourne, and by name have charged one of the daughters
for a common courtizan, alledging both places and persons where and
with whom she hath been too well known, and how much her wantonnesse
occasions, though unjustly, scandal to your Lordship, and that as
well to gratifying of some enemies as to the wounding of more
friends I am not able to tell.
Lastly, my Lord, I find a general coldness in all persons towards
your Lordship, such as, from my first dependance on you, I never yet
knew, wherein I shall not offer to interpose any thoughts or advice
of mine, well knowing your Lordship needs not any. But with a most
faithful assurance that no person nor papers under Heaven is privy
to what I here write, besides myself and this, which I shall be
careful to have put into your owne hands, I rest confident of your
Lordship's just construction of my dutifull intents herein, and in
all humility take leave, may it please your Lordship,
Your Lordship's most obedient Servant, S. P.
The foregoing letter was sealed up, and enclosed in this that follows
MY LORD,
If this finds your Lordship either not alone, or not at leisure, I
beg the suspending your opening of the enclosed till you shall have
both, the matter very well bearing such a delay, and in all humility
remain, may it please your Lordship,
Your Lordship's most obedient Servant, S. P.
November 17, 1663.
My servant hath my directions to put this into your Lordship's owne
hand, but not to stay for any answer.
19th. Up, and to the office, where (Sir J. Minnes and Sir W. Batten being
gone this morning to Portsmouth) the rest of us met, and rode at noon. So
I to the 'Change, where little business, and so home to dinner, and being
at dinner Mr. Creed in and dined with us, and after dinner Mr. Gentleman,
my Jane's father, to see us and her. And after a little stay with them, I
was sent for by Sir G. Carteret by agreement, and so left them, and to him
and with him by coach to my Lord Treasurer, to discourse with him about
Mr. Gauden's having of money, and to offer to him whether it would not be
necessary, Mr. Gauden's credit being so low as it is, to take security of
him if he demands any great sum, such as L20,000, which now ought to be
paid him upon his next year's declaration. Which is a sad thing, that
being reduced to this by us, we should be the first to doubt his credit;
but so it is. However, it will be managed with great tenderness to him.
My Lord Treasurer we found in his bed-chamber, being laid up of the goute.
I find him a very ready man, and certainly a brave servant to the King: he
spoke so quick and sensibly of the King's charge. Nothing displeased me in
him but his long nails, which he lets grow upon a pretty thick white short
hand, that it troubled me to see them. Thence with Sir G. Carteret by
coach, and he set me down at the New Exchange. In our way he told me there
is no such thing likely yet as a Dutch war, neither they nor we being in
condition for it, though it will come certainly to that in some time, our
interests lying the same way, that is to say, in trade. But not yet.
Thence to the Temple, and there visited my cozen Roger Pepys and his
brother Dr. John, a couple, methinks, of very ordinary men, and thence to
speak [with] Mr. Moore, and met him by the way, who tells me, to my great
content, that he believes my letter to my Lord Sandwich hath wrought well
upon him, and that he will look after himself and his business upon it,
for he begins already to do so. But I dare not conclude anything till I
see him, which shall be to-morrow morning, that I may be out of my pain to
know how he takes it of me. He and I to the Coffee-house, and there drank
and talked a little, and so I home, and after a little at my office home
to supper and to bed, not knowing how to avoid hopes from Mr. Moore's
words to-night, and yet I am fearful of the worst.
20th. Up, and as soon as I could to my Lord Sandwich's lodgings, but he
was gone out before, and so I am defeated of my expectation of being eased
one way or other in the business of my Lord. But I went up to Mr. Howe,
who I saw this day the first time in a periwigg, which becomes him very
well, and discoursed with him. He tells me that my Lord is of a sudden
much changed, and he do believe that he do take my letter well. However,
we do both bless God that it hath so good an effect upon him. Thence I
home again, calling at the Wardrobe, where I found my Lord, but so busy
with Mr. Townsend making up accounts there that I was unwilling to trouble
him, and so went away. By and by to the Exchange, and there met by
agreement Mr. Howe, and took him with a barrel of oysters home to dinner,
where we were very merry, and indeed I observe him to be a very hopeful
young man, but only a little conceited. After dinner I took him and my
wife, and setting her in Covent Garden at her mother's, he and I to my
Lord's, and thence I with Mr. Moore to White Hall, there the King and
Council being close, and I thinking it an improper place to meet my Lord
first upon the business; I took coach, and calling my wife went home,
setting Mr. Moore down by the way, and having been late at the office
alone looking over some plates of the Northern seas, the White seas, and
Archangell river, I went home, and, after supper, to bed. My wife tells
me that she and her brother have had a great falling out to-night, he
taking upon him to challenge great obligation upon her, and taxing her for
not being so as she ought to be to her friends, and that she can do more
with me than she pretends, and I know not what, but God be thanked she
cannot. A great talke there is today of a crush between some of the
Fanatiques up in arms, and the King's men in the North; but whether true I
know not yet.
21st. At the office all the morning and at noon I receive a letter from
Mr. Creed, with a token, viz., a very noble parti-coloured Indian gowne
for my wife. The letter is oddly writ, over-prizing his present, and
little owning any past service of mine, but that this was his genuine
respects, and I know not what: I confess I had expectations of a better
account from him of my service about his accounts, and so give his boy
12d., and sent it back again, and after having been at the pay of a ship
this afternoon at the Treasury, I went by coach to Ludgate, and, by
pricing several there, I guess this gowne may be worth about L12 or L15.
But, however, I expect at least L50 of him. So in the evening I wrote him
a letter telling him clearly my mind, a copy of which I keep and of his
letter and so I resolve to have no more such correspondence as I used to
have but will have satisfaction of him as I do expect. So to write my
letters, and after all done I went home to supper and to bed, my mind
being pretty well at ease from my letter to Creed, and more for my receipt
this afternoon of L17 at the Treasury, for the L17 paid a year since to
the carver for his work at my house, which I did intend to have paid
myself, but, finding others to do it, I thought it not amisse to get it
too, but I am afeard that we may hear of it to our greater prejudices
hereafter.
22nd (Lord's day). Up pretty early, and having last night bespoke a
coach, which failed me this morning, I walked as far as the Temple, and
there took coach, and to my Lord's lodgings, whom I found ready to go to
chappell; but I coming, he begun, with a very serious countenance, to tell
me that he had received my late letter, wherein first he took notice of my
care of him and his honour, and did give me thanks for that part of it
where I say that from my heart I believe the contrary of what I do there
relate to be the discourse of others; but since I intended it not a
reproach, but matter of information, and for him to make a judgment of it
for his practice, it was necessary for me to tell him the persons of whom
I have gathered the several particulars which I there insist on. I would
have made excuses in it; but, seeing him so earnest in it, I found myself
forced to it, and so did tell him Mr. Pierce; the chyrurgeon, in that of
his Lordship's living being discoursed of at Court; a mayd servant that-I
kept, that lived at Chelsy school; and also Mr. Pickering, about the
report touching the young woman; and also Mr. Hunt, in Axe Yard, near whom
she lodged. I told him the whole city do discourse concerning his neglect
of business; and so I many times asserting my dutifull intention in all
this, and he owning his accepting of it as such. That that troubled me
most in particular is, that he did there assert the civility of the people
of the house, and the young gentlewoman, for whose reproach he was sorry.
His saying that he was resolved how to live, and that though he was taking
a house, meaning to live in another manner, yet it was not to please any
people, or to stop report, but to please himself, though this I do believe
he might say that he might not seem to me to be so much wrought upon by
what I have writ; and lastly, and most of all, when I spoke of the
tenderness that I have used in declaring this to him, there being nobody
privy to it, he told me that I must give him leave to except one. I told
him that possibly somebody might know of some thoughts of mine, I having
borrowed some intelligence in this matter from them, but nobody could say
they knew of the thing itself what I writ. This, I confess, however, do
trouble me, for that he seemed to speak it as a quick retort, and it must
sure be Will. Howe, who did not see anything of what I writ, though I told
him indeed that I would write; but in this, I think, there is no great
hurt. I find him, though he cannot but owne his opinion of my good
intentions, and so, he did again and again profess it, that he is troubled
in his mind at it; and I confess, I think I may have done myself an injury
for his good, which, were it to do again, and that I believed he would
take it no better, I think I should sit quietly without taking any notice
of it, for I doubt there is no medium between his taking it very well or
very ill. I could not forbear weeping before him at the latter end,
which, since, I am ashamed of, though I cannot see what he can take it to
proceed from but my tenderness and good will to him. After this discourse
was ended, he began to talk very, cheerfully of other things, and I walked
with him to White Hall, and we discoursed of the pictures in the gallery,
which, it may be, he might do out of policy, that the boy might not see
any, strangeness in him; but I rather think that his mind was somewhat
eased, and hope that he will be to me as he was before. But, however, I
doubt not when he sees that I follow my business, and become an honour to
him, and not to be like to need him, or to be a burden to him, and rather
able to serve him than to need him, and if he do continue to follow
business, and so come to his right witts again, I do not doubt but he will
then consider my faithfulnesse to him, and esteem me as he ought. At
chappell I had room in the Privy Seale pew with other gentlemen, and there
heard Dr. Killigrew, preach, but my mind was so, I know not whether
troubled, or only full of thoughts of what had passed between my Lord and
me that I could not mind it, nor can at this hour remember three words.
The anthem was good after sermon, being the fifty-first psalme, made for
five voices by one of Captain Cooke's boys, a pretty boy. And they say
there are four or five of them that can do as much. And here I first
perceived that the King is a little musicall, and kept good time with his
hand all along the anthem. Up into the gallery after sermon and there I
met Creed. We saluted one another and spoke but not one word of what had
passed yesterday between us, but told me he was forced to such a place to
dinner and so we parted. Here I met Mr. Povy, who tells me how Tangier
had like to have been betrayed, and that one of the King's officers is
come, to whom 8,000 pieces of eight were offered for his part. Hence I to
the King's Head ordinary, and there dined, good and much company, and a
good dinner: most of their discourse was about hunting, in a dialect I
understand very little. Thence by coach to our own church, and there my
mind being yet unsettled I could mind nothing, and after sermon home and
there told my wife what had passed, and thence to my office, where doing
business only to keep my mind employed till late; and so home to supper,
to prayers, and to bed.
23rd: Up and to Alderman Backwell's, where Sir W. Rider, by appointment,
met us to consult about the insuring of our hempe ship from Archangell, in
which we are all much concerned, by my Lord Treasurer's command. That
being put in a way I went to Mr. Beacham, one of our jury, to confer with
him about our business with Field at our trial to-morrow, and thence to
St. Paul's Churchyarde, and there bespoke "Rushworth's Collections," and
"Scobell's Acts of the Long Parliament,"' &c., which I will make the King
pay for as to the office; and so I do not break my vow at all. Back to
the Coffee-house, and then to the 'Change, where Sir W. Rider and I did
bid 15 per cent., and nobody will take it under 20 per cent., and the
lowest was 15 per cent. premium, and 15 more to be abated in case of
losse, which we did not think fit without order to give, and so we parted,
and I home to a speedy, though too good a dinner to eat alone, viz., a
good goose and a rare piece of roast beef. Thence to the Temple, but
being there too soon and meeting Mr. Moore I took him up and to my Lord
Treasurer's, and thence to Sir Ph. Warwick's, where I found him and did
desire his advice, who left me to do what I thought fit in this business
of the insurance, and so back again to the Temple all the way telling Mr.
Moore what had passed between my Lord and me yesterday, and indeed my
fears do grow that my Lord will not reform as I hoped he would nor have
the ingenuity to take my advice as he ought kindly. But however I am
satisfied that the one person whom he said he would take leave to except
is not Mr. Moore, and so W. Howe I am sure could tell him nothing of my
letter that ever he saw it. Here Mr. Moore and I parted, and I up to the
Speaker's chamber, and there met Mr. Coventry by appointment to discourse
about Field's business, and thence we parting I homewards and called at
the Coffeehouse, and there by great accident hear that a letter is come
that our ship is safe come to Newcastle. With this news I went like an
asse presently to Alderman Backewell and, told him of it, and he and I
went to the African House in Broad Street to have spoke with Sir W. Rider
to tell him of it, but missed him. Now what an opportunity had I to have
concealed this and seemed to have made an insurance and got L100 with the
least trouble and danger in the whole world. This troubles me to think I
should be so oversoon. So back again with Alderman Backewell talking of
the new money, which he says will never be counterfeited, he believes; but
it is deadly inconvenient for telling, it is so thick, and the edges are
made to turn up. I found him as full of business, and, to speak the
truth, he is a very painfull man, and ever was, and now-a-days is well
paid for it. So home and to my office, doing business late in order to
the getting a little money, and so home to supper and to bed.
24th. Up and to the office, where we sat all the morning, and at noon to
the 'Change, where everybody joyed me in our hemp ship's coming safe, and
it seems one man, Middleburgh, did give 20 per cent. in gold last night,
three or four minutes before the newes came of her being safe. Thence
with Mr. Deane home and dined, and after dinner and a good deal of
discourse of the business of Woolwich Yard, we opened his draught of a
ship which he has made for me, and indeed it is a most excellent one and
that that I hope will be of good use to me as soon as I get a little time,
and much indebted I am to the poor man. Toward night I by coach to
Whitehall to the Tangier committee, and there spoke with my Lord and he
seems mighty kind to me, but I will try him to-morrow by a visit to see
whether he holds it or no. Then home by coach again and to my office,
where late with Captain Miners about the East India business. So home to
supper and to bed, being troubled to find myself so bound as I am,
notwithstanding all the physic that I take. This day our tryall was with
Field, and I hear that they have given him L29 damage more, which is a
strange thing, but yet not so much as formerly, nor as I was afeard of.
25th. Up and to Sir G. Carteret's house, and with him by coach to
Whitehall. He uses me mighty well to my great joy, and in our discourse
took occasion to tell me that as I did desire of him the other day so he
desires of me the same favour that we may tell one another at any time any
thing that passes among us at the office or elsewhere wherein we are
either dissatisfied one with another, and that I should find him in all
things as kind and ready to serve me as my own brother. This methinks-was
very sudden and extraordinary and do please me mightily, and I am resolved
by no means ever to lose him again if I can. He told me that he did still
observe my care for the King's service in my office. He set me down in
Fleet Street and thence I by another coach to my Lord Sandwich's, and
there I did present him Mr. Barlow's "Terella," with which he was very
much pleased, and he did show me great kindnesse, and by other discourse I
have reason to think that he is not at all, as I feared he would be,
discontented against me more than the trouble of the thing will work upon
him. I left him in good humour, and I to White Hall, to the Duke of York
and Mr. Coventry, and there advised about insuring the hempe ship at 12
per cent., notwithstanding her being come to Newcastle, and I do hope that
in all my three places which are now my hopes and supports I may not now
fear any thing, but with care, which through the Lord's blessing I will
never more neglect, I don't doubt but to keep myself up with them all.
For in the Duke, and Mr. Coventry, my Lord Sandwich and Sir G. Carteret I
place my greatest hopes, and it pleased me yesterday that Mr. Coventry in
the coach (he carrying me to the Exchange at noon from the office) did,
speaking of Sir W. Batten, say that though there was a difference between
them, yet he would embrace any good motion of Sir W. Batten to the King's
advantage as well as of Mr. Pepys' or any friend he had. And when I
talked that I would go about doing something of the Controller's work when
I had time, and that I thought the Controller would not take it ill, he
wittily replied that there was nothing in the world so hateful as a dog in
the manger. Back by coach to the Exchange, there spoke with Sir W. Rider
about insuring, and spoke with several other persons about business, and
shall become pretty well known quickly. Thence home to dinner with my
poor wife, and with great joy to my office, and there all the afternoon
about business, and among others Mr. Bland came to me and had good
discourse, and he has chose me a referee for him in a business, and anon
in the evening comes Sir W. Warren, and he and I had admirable discourse.
He advised me in things I desired about, bummary,--[bottomry]--and other
ways of putting out money as in parts of ships, how dangerous they are,
and lastly fell to talk of the Dutch management of the Navy, and I think
will helpe me to some accounts of things of the Dutch Admiralty, which I
am mighty desirous to know. He seemed to have been mighty privy with my
Lord Albemarle in things before this great turn, and to the King's
dallying with him and others for some years before, but I doubt all was
not very true. However, his discourse is very useful in general, though he
would seem a little more than ordinary in this. Late at night home to
supper and to bed, my mind in good ease all but my health, of which I am
not a little doubtful.
26th. Up and to the office, where we sat all the morning, and at noon I
to the 'Change, and there met with Mr. Cutler the merchant, who would
needs have me home to his house by the Dutch Church, and there in an old
but good house, with his wife and mother, a couple of plain old women, I
dined a good plain dinner, and his discourse after dinner with me upon
matters of the navy victualling very good and worth my hearing, and so
home to my office in the afternoon with my mind full of business, and
there at it late, and so home to supper to my poor wife, and to bed,
myself being in a little pain. . . . . by a stroke . . . . in
pulling up my breeches yesterday over eagerly, but I will lay nothing to
it till I see whether it will cease of itself or no. The plague, it
seems, grows more and more at Amsterdam; and we are going upon making of
all ships coming from thence and Hambrough, or any other infected places,
to perform their Quarantine (for thirty days as Sir Rd. Browne expressed
it in the order of the Council, contrary to the import of the word, though
in the general acceptation it signifies now the thing, not the time spent
in doing it) in Holehaven, a thing never done by us before.
27th. Up and to my office, where busy with great delight all the morning,
and at noon to the 'Change, and so home to dinner with my poor wife, and
with great content to my office again, and there hard at work upon stating
the account of the freights due to the King from the East India Company
till late at night, and so home to supper and to bed. My wife mightily
pleased with my late discourse of getting a trip over to Calais, or some
other port of France, the next summer, in one of the yachts, and I believe
I shall do it, and it makes good sport that my mayde Jane dares not go,
and Besse is wild to go, and is mad for joy, but yet will be willing to
stay if Jane hath a mind, which is the best temper in this and all other
things that ever I knew in my life.
28th. Up and at the office sat all the morning, and at noon by Mr.
Coventry's coach to the 'Change, and after a little while there where I
met with Mr. Pierce, the chyrurgeon, who tells me for good newes that my
Lord Sandwich is resolved to go no more to Chelsy, and told me he believed
that I had been giving my Lord some counsel, which I neither denied nor
affirmed, but seemed glad with him that he went thither no more, and so I
home to dinner, and thence abroad to Paul's Church Yard, and there looked
upon the second part of Hudibras, which I buy not, but borrow to read, to
see if it be as good as the first, which the world cry so mightily up,
though it hath not a good liking in me, though I had tried by twice or
three times reading to bring myself to think it witty. Back again home and
to my office, and there late doing business and so home to supper and to
bed. I have been told two or three times, but to-day for certain I am
told how in Holland publickly they have pictured our King with reproach.
One way is with his pockets turned the wrong side outward, hanging out
empty; another with two courtiers picking of his pockets; and a third,
leading of two ladies, while others abuse him; which amounts to great
contempt.
29th (Lord's day). This morning I put on my best black cloth suit,
trimmed with scarlett ribbon, very neat, with my cloake lined with
velvett, and a new beaver, which altogether is very noble, with my black
silk knit canons I bought a month ago. I to church alone, my wife not
going, and there I found my Lady Batten in a velvet gown, which vexed me
that she should be in it before my wife, or that I am able to put her into
one, but what cannot be, cannot be. However, when I came home I told my
wife of it, and to see my weaknesse, I could on the sudden have found my
heart to have offered her one, but second thoughts put it by, and indeed
it would undo me to think of doing as Sir W. Batten and his Lady do, who
has a good estate besides his office. A good dinner we had of boeuf a la
mode, but not roasted so well as my wife used to do it. So after dinner I
to the French Church, but that being too far begun I came back to St.
Dunstan's by six and heard a good sermon, and so home and to my office
all, the evening making up my accounts of this month, and blessed be God I
have got up my crumb again to L770, the most that ever I had yet, and good
clothes a great many besides, which is a great mercy of God to me. So
home to supper and to bed.