getting a boat, I forced to walk to Stangate; and so over to White Hall,
in a scull; where up to the Duke of York's dressing-room, and there met
Harry Saville, and understand that Sir W. Coventry is come to his
house last night. I understand by Mr. Wren that his friends having, by
Secretary Trevor and my Lord Keeper, applied to the King upon his first
coming home, and a promise made that he should be discharged this day,
my Lord Arlington did anticipate them, by sending a warrant presently
for his discharge which looks a little like kindness, or a desire of it;
which God send! though I fear the contrary: however, my heart is glad
that he is out. Thence up and down the House. Met with Mr. May, who
tells me the story of his being put by Sir John Denham's place, of
Surveyor of the King's Works, who it seems, is lately dead, by the
unkindness of the Duke Buckingham, who hath brought in Dr. Wren: though,
he tells me, he hath been his servant for twenty years together in all
his wants and dangers, saving him from want of bread by his care and
management, and with a promise of having his help in his advancement,
and an engagement under his hand for L1000 not yet paid, and yet the
Duke of Buckingham so ungrateful as to put him by: which is an ill
thing, though Dr. Wren is a worthy man. But he tells me that the King is
kind to him, and hath promised him a pension of L300 a-year out of the
Works; which will be of more content to him than the place, which, under
their present wants of money, is a place that disobliges most people,
being not able to do what they desire to their lodgings. Here meeting
with Sir H. Cholmly and Povy, that tell me that my Lord Middleton is
resolved in the Cabal that he shall not go to Tangier; and that Sir
Edward Harlow [Harley], whom I know not, is propounded to go, who was
Governor of Dunkirke, and, they say, a most worthy brave man, which I
shall be very glad of. So by water (H. Russell coming for me) home to
dinner, where W. Howe comes to dine with me; and after dinner propounds
to me my lending him L500, to help him to purchase a place--the Master
of the Patent Office, of Sir Richard Piggott. I did give him a civil
answer, but shall think twice of it; and the more, because of the
changes we are like to have in the Navy, which will not make it fit for
me to divide the little I have left more than I have done, God knowing
what my condition is, I having not attended, and now not being able to
examine what my state is, of my accounts, and being in the world, which
troubles me mightily. He gone, I to the office to enter my journall for
a week. News is lately come of the Algerines taking L3000 in money,
out of one of our Company's East India ships, outward bound, which will
certainly make the war last; which I am sorry for, being so poor as we
are, and broken in pieces. At night my wife to read to me, and then to
supper, where Pelling comes to see and sup with us, and I find that
he is assisting my wife in getting a licence to our young people to be
married this Lent, which is resolved shall be done upon Friday next, my
great day, or feast, for my being cut of the stone. So after supper to
bed, my eyes being very bad.
22nd. Up, and by water, with W. Newer, to White Hall, there to attend
the Lords of the Treasury; but, before they sat, I did make a step to
see Sir W. Coventry at his house, where, I bless God! he is come again;
but in my way I met him, and so he took me into his coach and carried
me to White Hall, and there set me down where he ought not--at least, he
hath not yet leave to come, nor hath thought fit to ask it, hearing that
Henry Saville is not only denied to kiss the King's hand, but the King,
being asked it by the Duke of York, did deny it, and directed that
the Duke shall not receive him, to wait upon him in his chamber, till
further orders. Sir W. Coventry told me that he was going to visit Sir
John Trevor, who hath been kind to him; and he shewed me a long list
of all his friends that he must this week make visits to, that come to
visit him in the Tower; and seems mighty well satisfied with his being
out of business, but I hope he will not long be so; at least, I do
believe that all must go to rat if the King do not come to see the want
of such a servant. Thence to the Treasury-Chamber, and there all the
morning to my great grief, put to do Sir G. Downing's work of dividing
the Customes for this year, between the Navy, the Ordnance and Tangier:
but it did so trouble my eyes, that I had rather have given L20 than
have had it to do; but I did thereby oblige Sir Thomas Clifford and Sir
J. Duncombe, and so am glad of the opportunity to recommend myself to
the former for the latter I need not, he loving me well already. At it
till noon, here being several of my brethren with me but doing nothing,
but I all. But this day I did also represent to our Treasurers, which
was read here, a state of the charge of the Navy, and what the expence
of it this year would likely be; which is done so as it will appear well
done and to my honour, for so the Lords did take it: and I oblige the
Treasurers by doing it, at their request. Thence with W. Hewer at noon
to Unthanke's, where my wife stays for me and so to the Cocke, where
there was no room, and thence to King Street, to several cook's shops,
where nothing to be had; and at last to the corner shop, going down Ivy
Lane, by my Lord of Salisbury's, and there got a good dinner, my wife,
and W. Newer, and I: and after dinner she, with her coach, home; and
he and I to look over my papers for the East India Company, against
the afternoon: which done, I with them to White Hall, and there to the
Treasury-Chamber, where the East India Company and three Councillors
pleaded against me alone, for three or four hours, till seven at night,
before the Lords; and the Lords did give me the conquest on behalf of
the King, but could not come to any conclusion, the Company being stiff:
and so I think we shall go to law with them. This done, and my eyes
mighty bad with this day's work, I to Mr. Wren's, and then up to the
Duke of York, and there with Mr. Wren did propound to him my going to
Chatham to-morrow with Commissioner Middleton, and so this week to make
the pay there, and examine the business of "The Defyance" being lost,
and other businesses, which I did the rather, that I might be out of the
way at the wedding, and be at a little liberty myself for a day, or two,
to find a little pleasure, and give my eyes a little ease. The Duke
of York mightily satisfied with it; and so away home, where my wife
troubled at my being so late abroad, poor woman! though never more busy,
but I satisfied her; and so begun to put things in order for my journey
to-morrow, and so, after supper, to bed.
23rd. Up, and to my office to do a little business there, and so,
my things being all ready, I took coach with Commissioner Middleton,
Captain Tinker, and Mr. Huchinson, a hackney coach, and over the bridge,
and so out towards Chatham, and; dined at Dartford, where we staid an
hour or two, it being a cold day; and so on, and got to Chatham just
at night, with very good discourse by the way, but mostly of matters of
religion, wherein Huchinson his vein lies. After supper, we fell to talk
of spirits and apparitions, whereupon many pretty, particular stories
were told, so as to make me almost afeard to lie alone, but for shame I
could not help it; and so to bed and, being sleepy, fell soon to rest,
and so rested well.
24th. Up, and walked abroad in the garden, and find that Mrs. Tooker has
not any of her daughters here as I expected and so walked to the yard,
leaving Middleton at the pay, and there I only walked up and down the
yard, and then to the Hill-House, and there did give order for the coach
to be made ready; and got Mr. Gibson, whom I carried with me, to go with
me and Mr. Coney, the surgeon, towards Maydston which I had a mighty
mind to see, and took occasion, in my way, at St. Margett's, to pretend
to call to see Captain Allen to see whether Mrs. Jowles, his daughter,
was there; and there his wife come to the door, he being at London,
and through a window, I spied Jowles, but took no notice of he but made
excuse till night, and then promised to come and see Mrs. Allen again,
and so away, it being a mighty cold and windy, but clear day; and had
the pleasure of seeing the Medway running, winding up and down mightily,
and a very fine country; and I went a little out of the way to have
visited Sir John Bankes, but he at London; but here I had a sight of
his seat and house, the outside, which is an old abbey just like
Hinchingbroke, and as good at least, and mighty finely placed by the
river; and he keeps the grounds about it, and walls and the house,
very handsome: I was mightily pleased with the sight of it. Thence to
Maydstone, which I had a mighty mind to see, having never been there;
and walked all up and down the town, and up to the top of the steeple,
and had a noble view, and then down again: and in the town did see an
old man beating of flax, and did step into the barn and give him money,
and saw that piece of husbandry which I never saw, and it is very
pretty: in the street also I did buy and send to our inne, the Bell, a
dish of fresh fish. And so, having walked all round the town, and found
it very pretty, as most towns I ever saw, though not very big, and
people of good fashion in it, we to our inne to dinner, and had a good
dinner; and after dinner a barber come to me, and there trimmed me, that
I might be clean against night, to go to Mrs. Allen. And so, staying
till about four o'clock, we set out, I alone in the coach going and
coming; and in our way back, I 'light out of the way to see a Saxon
monument,
[Kits-Cotty House, a cromlech in Aylesford parish, Kent, on a
hillside adjacent to the river Medway, three and a half miles N. by
W. of Maidstone. It consists of three upright stones and an
overlying one, and forms a small chamber open in front. It is
supposed to have been the centre of a group of monuments indicating
the burial-place of the Belgian settlers in this part of Britain.
Other stones of a similar character exist in the neighbourhood.]
as they say, of a King, which is three stones standing upright, and a
great round one lying on them, of great bigness, although not so big
as those on Salisbury Plain; but certainly it is a thing of great
antiquity, and I mightily glad to see it; it is near to Aylesford,
where Sir John Bankes lives. So homeward, and stopped again at Captain
Allen's, and there 'light, and sent the coach and Gibson home, and I
and Coney staid; and there comes to us Mrs. Jowles, who is a very
fine, proper lady, as most I know, and well dressed. Here was also a
gentleman, one Major Manly, and his wife, neighbours; and here we staid,
and drank, and talked, and set Coney and him to play while Mrs. Jowles
and I to talk, and there had all our old stories up, and there I had
the liberty to salute her often, and pull off her glove, where her hand
mighty moist, and she mighty free in kindness to me, and je do not at
all doubt that I might have had that that I would have desired de elle
had I had time to have carried her to Cobham, as she, upon my proposing
it, was very willing to go, for elle is a whore, that is certain, but
a very brave and comely one. Here was a pretty cozen of hers come in to
supper also, of a great fortune, daughter-in-law to this Manly, mighty
pretty, but had now such a cold, she could not speak. Here mightily
pleased with Mrs. Jowles, and did get her to the street door, and there
to her su breasts, and baiser her without any force, and credo that I
might have had all else, but it was not time nor place. Here staid till
almost twelve at night, and then with a lanthorn from thence walked over
the fields, as dark as pitch, and mighty cold, and snow, to Chatham, and
Mr. Coney with great kindness to me: and there all in bed before I come
home, and so I presently to bed.
25th. Up, and by and by, about eight o'clock, come Rear-Admiral
Kempthorne and seven Captains more, by the Duke of York's order, as we
expected, to hold the Court-martiall about the loss of "The Defyance;"
and so presently we by boat to "The Charles," which lies over against
Upnor Castle, and there we fell to the business; and there I did manage
the business, the Duke of York having, by special order, directed them
to take the assistance of Commissioner Middleton and me, forasmuch as
there might be need of advice in what relates to the government of the
ships in harbour. And so I did lay the law open to them, and rattle the
Master Attendants out of their wits almost; and made the trial last
till seven at night, not eating a bit all the day; only when we had done
examination, and I given my thoughts that the neglect of the Gunner of
the ship was as great as I thought any neglect could be, which might by
the law deserve death, but Commissioner Middleton did declare that he
was against giving the sentence of death, we withdrew, as not being of
the Court, and so left them to do what they pleased; and, while they
were debating it, the Boatswain of the ship did bring us out of the
kettle a piece of hot salt beef, and some brown bread and brandy; and
there we did make a little meal, but so good as I never would desire to
eat better meat while I live, only I would have cleaner dishes. By and
by they had done, and called us down from the quarterdeck; and there
we find they do sentence that the Gunner of "The Defyance" should stand
upon "The Charles" three hours with his fault writ upon his breast, and
with a halter about his neck, and so be made incapable of any office.
The truth is, the man do seem, and is, I believe, a good man; but his
neglect, in trusting a girl to carry fire into his cabin, is not to
be pardoned. This being done, we took boat and home; and there a
good supper was ready for us, which should have been our dinner. The
Captains, desirous to be at London, went away presently for Gravesend,
to get thither by this night's tide; and so we to supper, it having been
a great snowy and mighty cold, foul day; and so after supper to bed.
26th. Up, and with Middleton all the morning at the Docke, looking over
the storehouses and Commissioner Pett's house, in order to Captain Cox's
coming to live there in his stead, as Commissioner. But it is a mighty
pretty house; and pretty to see how every thing is said to be out of
repair for this new man, though L10 would put it into as good condition
in every thing as it ever was in, so free every body is of the King's
money. By and by to Mr. Wilson's, and there drank, but did not see his
wife, nor any woman in the yard, and so to dinner at the Hill-House; and
after dinner, till eight at night, close, Middleton and I, examining
the business of Mr. Pett, about selling a boat, and we find him a very
knave; and some other quarrels of his, wherein, to justify himself, he
hath made complaints of others. This being done, we to supper, and so to
talk, Commissioner Middleton being mighty good company upon a journey,
and so to bed, thinking how merry my people are at this time, putting
Tom and Jane to bed, being to have been married this day, it being also
my feast for my being cut of the stone, but how many years I do not
remember, but I think it to be about ten or eleven.
27th. Up, and did a little business, Middleton and I, then; after
drinking a little buttered ale, he and Huchinson and: I took coach, and,
exceeding merry in talk, to Dartford: Middleton finding stories of his
own life at Barbadoes, and up and down at Venice, and elsewhere,
that are mighty pretty, and worth hearing; and he is a strange good
companion, and; droll upon the road, more than ever I could have thought
to have been in him. Here we dined and met Captain Allen of Rochester,
who dined with us, and so went on his journey homeward, and we by and
by took coach again and got home about six at night, it being all the
morning as cold, snowy, windy, and rainy day, as any in the whole winter
past, but pretty clear in the afternoon. I find all well, but my wife
abroad with Jane, who was married yesterday, and I to the office busy,
till by and by my wife comes home, and so home, and there hear how merry
they were yesterday, and I glad at it, they being married, it seems,
very handsomely, at Islington; and dined at the old house, and lay in
our blue chamber, with much company, and wonderful merry. The Turner and
Mary Batelier bridesmaids, and Talbot Pepys and W. Hewer bridesmen. Anon
to supper and to bed, my head a little troubled with the muchness of the
business I have upon me at present. So to bed.
28th (Lord's day). Lay long talking with pleasure with my wife, and so
up and to the Office with Tom, who looks mighty smug upon his marriage,
as Jane also do, both of whom I did give joy, and so Tom and I at work
at the Office all the morning, till dinner, and then dined, W. Batelier
with us; and so after dinner to work again, and sent for Gibson, and
kept him also till eight at night, doing much business. And so, that
being done, and my journal writ, my eyes being very bad, and every day
worse and worse, I fear: but I find it most certain that stronge drinks
do make my eyes sore, as they have done heretofore always; for, when I
was in the country, when my eyes were at the best, their stronge beere
would make my eyes sore: so home to supper, and by and by to bed.
29th. Up, and by water to White Hall; and there to the Duke of York,
to shew myself, after my journey to Chatham, but did no business to-day
with him: only after gone from him, I to Sir T. Clifford's; and there,
after an hour's waiting, he being alone in his closet, I did speak with
him, and give him the account he gave me to draw up, and he did like it
very well: and then fell to talk of the business of the Navy and giving
me good words, did fall foul of the constitution [of the Board], and did
then discover his thoughts, that Sir J. Minnes was too old, and so was
Colonel Middleton, and that my Lord Brouncker did mind his mathematics
too much. I did not give much encouragement to that of finding fault
with my fellow-officers; but did stand up for the constitution, and
did say that what faults there were in our Office would be found not to
arise from the constitution, but from the failures of the officers in
whose hands it was. This he did seem to give good ear to; but did give
me of myself very good words, which pleased me well, though I shall not
build upon them any thing. Thence home; and after dinner by water with
Tom down to Greenwich, he reading to me all the way, coming and going,
my collections out of the Duke of York's old manuscript of the Navy,
which I have bound up, and do please me mightily. At Greenwich I come to
Captain Cocke's, where the house full of company, at the burial of James
Temple, who, it seems, hath been dead these five days here I had a very
good ring, which I did give my wife as soon as I come home. I spent my
time there walking in the garden, talking with James Pierce, who tells
me that he is certain that the Duke of Buckingham had been with his
wenches all the time that he was absent, which was all the last week,
nobody knowing where he was. The great talk is of the King's being
hot of late against Conventicles, and to see whether the Duke of
Buckingham's being returned will turn the King, which will make him very
popular: and some think it is his plot to make the King thus, to shew
his power in the making him change his mind. But Pierce did tell me that
the King did certainly say, that he that took one stone from the Church,
did take two from his Crown. By and by the corpse come out; and I, with
Sir Richard Browne and Mr. Evelyn, in their coach to the church, where
Mr. Plume preached. But I, in the midst of the sermon, did go out, and
walked all alone, round to Deptford, thinking para have seen the wife of
Bagwell, which I did at her door, but I could not conveniently go into
her house, and so lost my labour: and so to the King's Yard, and there
my boat by order met me; and home, where I made my boy to finish the my
manuscript, and so to supper and to bed my new chamber-maid, that comes
in the room of Jane; is come, Jane and Tom lying at their own lodging
this night: the new maid's name is Matt, a proper and very comely
maid... This day also our cook-maid Bridget went away, which I was sorry
for; but, just at her going she was found to be a thief, and so I was
the less trouble for it; but now our whole house will, in a manner, be
new which, since Jane is gone, I am not at all sorry for, for that my
late differences with my wife about poor Deb. will not be remembered. So
to bed after supper, and to sleep with great content.
30th. Up, and to Sir W. Coventry, to see and discourse with him; and
he tells me that he hath lately been with my Lord Keeper, and had much
discourse about the Navy; and particularly he tells me that he finds
they are divided touching me and my Lord Brouncker; some are for
removing; and some for keeping us. He told my Lord Keeper that it would
cost the King L10,000 before he hath made another as fit to serve him
in the Navy as I am; which, though I believe it is true, yet I am much
pleased to have that character given me by W. Coventry, whatever be the
success of it. But I perceive they do think that I know too much,
and shall impose upon whomever shall come next, and therefore must be
removed, though he tells me that Sir T. Clifford is inclined well enough
to me, and Sir T. Osborne; by what I have lately done, I suppose. This
news do a little trouble me, but yet, when I consider it, it is but
what I ought not to be much troubled for, considering my incapacity, in
regard to my eyes, to continue long at this work, and this when I think
of and talk with my wife do make me the less troubled for it. After
some talk of the business of the navy more with him, I away and to the
Office, where all the morning; and Sir W. Pen, the first time that he
hath been here since his being last sick, which, I think, is two or
three months; and I think will be the last that he will be here as one
of the Board, he now inviting us all to dine with him, as a parting
dinner, on Thursday next, which I am glad of, I am sure; for he is a
very villain. At noon home to dinner, where, and at the office, all the
afternoon, troubled at what I have this morning heard, at least my mind
full of thoughts upon it, and so at night after supper to bed.
31st. Up, and by water to Sir W. Coventry's, there to talk with him
about business of the Navy, and received from him direction what to
advise the Duke of York at this time, which was, to submit and give way
to the King's naming a man or two, that the people about him have a mind
should be brought into the Navy, and perhaps that may stop their fury
in running further against the whole; and this, he believes, will do it.
After much discourse with him, I walked out with him into St. James's
Park, where, being afeard to be seen with him, he having not leave yet
to kiss the King's hand, but notice taken, as I hear, of all that go to
him, I did take the pretence of my attending the Tangier Committee, to
take my leave, though to serve him I should, I think, stick at nothing.
At the Committee, this morning, my Lord Middleton declares at last his
being ready to go, as soon as ever money can be made ready to pay the
garrison: and so I have orders to get money, but how soon I know not.
Thence home, and there find Mr Sheres, for whom I find my moher of late
to talk with mighty kindness; and particularly he hath shewn himself to
be a poet, and that she do mightily value him for. He did not stay to
dine with us, but we to dinner; and then, in the afternoon, my wife
being very well dressed by her new maid, we abroad, to make a visit
to Mrs. Pickering; but she abroad again, and so we never yet saw her.
Thence to Dancre's, and there, saw our pictures which are in doing;
and I did choose a view of Rome instead of Hampton Court; and mightily
pleased I shall be in them. Here were Sir Charles Cotterell and his son
bespeaking something; both ingenious men. Thence my wife and I to the
Park; and pretty store of company; and so home with great content the
month, my mind in pretty good content for all things, but the designs on
foot to bring alterations in the Office, which troubles me.
APRIL 1669
April 1st. Up, and with Colonel Middleton, at the desire of Rear-Admiral
Kempthorne, the President, for our assisting them, to the Court-martiall
on board a yacht in the River here, to try the business of the Purser's
complaints, Baker against Trevanion, his Commander, of "The Dartmouth."
But, Lord! to see what wretched doings there were among all the
Commanders to ruin the Purser, and defend the Captain in all his
rogueries, be it to the prejudice of the King or Purser, no good man
could bear! I confess I was pretty high, which did not at least the
young gentlemen Commander like; and Middleton did the like. But could
not bring it to any issue this day, sitting till two o'clock; and
therefore we being sent for, went to Sir W. Pen's by invitation to dine;
where my wife was, and my Lord Brouncker and his mistress, and Sir J.
Minnes and his niece; and here a bad dinner, and little mirth, I being
little pleased with my host. However, I made myself sociable; and so,
after dinner, my wife and I, with my Lord Brouncker and his mistress,
they set us down at my cozen Turner's, and there we staid awhile and
talked; and particularly here we met with Dr. Ball, the Parson of the
Temple, who did tell me a great many pretty stories about the manner
of the Parsons being paid for their preaching at Paul's heretofore,
and now, and the ground of the Lecture, and heretofore the names of
the founders thereof, which were many, at some 5s., some 6s. per annum
towards it: and had their names read in the pulpit every sermon among
those holy persons that the Church do order a collect for, giving God
thanks for. By and by comes by my desire Commissioner Middleton's coach
and horses for us, and we went with it towards the Park, thinking to
have met The. Turner and Betty, but did not; so turned back again to
their lodging, and there found them and Mr. Batelier, and there, after
a little talk, we took leave, and carry Batelier home with us. So to
supper, and so to bed.