Yorke, the Duke of Albemarle with us, and after Sir W. Coventry had gone
over his notes that he had provided with the Duke of Albemarle, I went
over all mine with good successe, only I fear I did once offend the Duke
of Albemarle, but I was much joyed to find the Duke of Yorke so much
contending for my discourse about the pursers against Sir W. Pen, who
opposes it like a foole; my Lord Sandwich come in in the middle of the
business, and, poor man, very melancholy, methought, and said little at
all, or to the business, and sat at the lower end, just as he come, no
roome being made for him, only I did give him my stoole, and another was
reached me. After council done, I walked to and again up and down the
house, discoursing with this and that man. Among others tooke occasion to
thanke the Duke of Yorke for his good opinion in general of my service,
and particularly his favour in conferring on me the Victualling business.
He told me that he knew nobody so fit as I for it, and next, he was very
glad to find that to give me for my encouragement, speaking very kindly of
me. So to Sir W. Coventry's to dinner with him, whom I took occasion to
thanke for his favour and good thoughts of what little service I did,
desiring he would do the last act of friendship in telling me of my faults
also. He told me he would be sure he would do that also, if there were
any occasion for it. So that as much as it is possible under so great a
fall of my Lord Sandwich's, and difference between them, I may conclude
that I am thoroughly right with Sir W. Coventry. I dined with him with a
great deale of company, and much merry discourse. I was called away
before dinner ended to go to my company who dined at our lodgings.
Thither I went with Mr. Evelyn (whom I met) in his coach going that way,
but finding my company gone, but my Lord Bruncker left his coach for me;
so Mr. Evelyn and I into my Lord's coach, and rode together with excellent
discourse till we come to Clapham, talking of the vanity and vices of the
Court, which makes it a most contemptible thing; and indeed in all his
discourse I find him a most worthy person. Particularly he entertained me
with discourse of an Infirmary, which he hath projected for the sick and
wounded seamen against the next year, which I mightily approve of; and
will endeavour to promote it, being a worthy thing, and of use, and will
save money. He set me down at Mr. Gawden's, where nobody yet come home, I
having left him and his sons and Creed at Court, so I took a book and into
the gardens, and there walked and read till darke with great pleasure, and
then in and in comes Osborne, and he and I to talk of Mr. Jaggard, who
comes from London, and great hopes there is of a decrease this week also
of the plague. Anon comes in Creed, and after that Mr. Gawden and his
sons, and then they bringing in three ladies, who were in the house, but I
do not know them, his daughter and two nieces, daughters of Dr.
Whistler's, with whom and Creed mighty sport at supper, the ladies very
pretty and mirthfull. I perceive they know Creed's gut and stomach as
well as I, and made as much mirthe as I with it at supper. After supper I
made the ladies sing, and they have been taught, but, Lord! though I was
forced to commend them, yet it was the saddest stuff I ever heard.
However, we sat up late, and then I, in the best chamber like a prince, to
bed, and Creed with me, and being sleepy talked but little.
30th. Lay long till Mr. Gawden was gone out being to take a little
journey. Up, and Creed and I some good discourse, but with some trouble
for the state of my Lord's matters. After walking a turne or two in the
garden, and bid good morrow to Mr. Gawden's sons, and sent my service to
the ladies, I took coach after Mr. Gawden's, and home, finding the towne
keeping the day solemnly, it being the day of the King's murther, and they
being at church, I presently into the church, thinking to see Mrs.
Lethulier or Batelier, but did not, and a dull sermon of our young
Lecturer, too bad. This is the first time I have been in this church
since I left London for the plague, and it frighted me indeed to go
through the church more than I thought it could have done, to see so
[many] graves lie so high upon the churchyards where people have been
buried of the plague. I was much troubled at it, and do not think to go
through it again a good while. So home to my wife, whom I find not well,
in bed, and it seems hath not been well these two days. She rose and we
to dinner, after dinner up to my chamber, where she entertained me with
what she hath lately bought of clothes for herself, and Damask linnen, and
other things for the house. I did give her a serious account how matters
stand with me, of favour with the King and Duke, and of danger in
reference to my Lord's and Sir G. Carteret's falls, and the
dissatisfaction I have heard the Duke of Albemarle hath acknowledged to
somebody, among other things, against my Lord Sandwich, that he did bring
me into the Navy against his desire and endeavour for another, which was
our doting foole Turner. Thence from one discourse to another, and
looking over my house, and other things I spent the day at home, and at
night betimes to bed. After dinner this day I went down by water to
Deptford, and fetched up what money there was of W. Howe's contingencies
in the chest there, being L516 13s. 3d. and brought it home to dispose of.
31st. Lay pretty long in bed, and then up and to the office, where we met
on extraordinary occasion about the business of tickets. By and by to the
'Change, and there did several businesses, among others brought home my
cozen Pepys, whom I appointed to be here to-day, and Mr. Moore met us upon
the business of my Lord's bond. Seeing my neighbour Mr. Knightly walk
alone from the 'Change, his family being not yet come to town, I did
invite him home with me, and he dined with me, a very sober, pretty man he
is. He is mighty solicitous, as I find many about the City that live near
the churchyards, to have the churchyards covered with lime, and I think it
is needfull, and ours I hope will be done. Good pleasant discourse at
dinner of the practices of merchants to cheate the "Customers," occasioned
by Mr. Moore's being with much trouble freed of his prize goods, which he
bought, which fell into the Customers' hands, and with much ado hath
cleared them. Mr. Knightly being gone, my cozen Pepys and Moore and I to
our business, being the clearing of my Lord Sandwich's bond wherein I am
bound with him to my cozen for L1000 I have at last by my dexterity got my
Lord's consent to have it paid out of the money raised by his prizes. So
the bond is cancelled, and he paid by having a note upon Sir Robert Viner,
in whose hands I had lodged my Lord's money, by which I am to my
extraordinary comfort eased of a liablenesse to pay the sum in case of my
Lord's death, or troubles in estate, or my Lord's greater fall, which God
defend! Having settled this matter at Sir R. Viner's, I took up Mr. Moore
(my cozen going home) and to my Lord Chancellor's new house which he is
building, only to view it, hearing so much from Mr. Evelyn of it; and,
indeed, it is the finest pile I ever did see in my life, and will be a
glorious house. Thence to the Duke of Albemarle, who tells me Mr.
Coventry is come to town and directs me to go to him about some business
in hand, whether out of displeasure or desire of ease I know not; but I
asked him not the reason of it but went to White Hall, but could not find
him there, though to my great joy people begin to bustle up and down
there, the King holding his resolution to be in towne to-morrow, and hath
good encouragement, blessed be God! to do so, the plague being decreased
this week to 56, and the total to 227. So after going to the Swan in the
Palace, and sent for Spicer to discourse about my last Tangier tallys that
have some of the words washed out with the rain, to have them new writ, I
home, and there did some business and at the office, and so home to
supper, and to bed.
DIARY OF SAMUEL PEPYS.
FEBRUARY
1665-1666
February 1st. Up and to the office, where all the morning till late, and
Mr. Coventry with us, the first time since before the plague, then hearing
my wife was gone abroad to buy things and see her mother and father, whom
she hath not seen since before the plague, and no dinner provided for me
ready, I walked to Captain Cocke's, knowing my Lord Bruncker dined there,
and there very merry, and a good dinner. Thence my Lord and his
mistresse, Madam Williams, set me down at the Exchange, and I to Alderman
Backewell's to set all my reckonings straight there, which I did, and took
up all my notes. So evened to this day, and thence to Sir Robert Viner's,
where I did the like, leaving clear in his hands just L2000 of my owne
money, to be called for when I pleased. Having done all this I home, and
there to the office, did my business there by the post and so home, and
spent till one in the morning in my chamber to set right all my money
matters, and so to bed.
2nd. Up betimes, and knowing that my Lord Sandwich is come to towne with
the King and Duke, I to wait upon him, which I did, and find him in very
good humour, which I am glad to see with all my heart. Having received
his commands, and discoursed with some of his people about my Lord's
going, and with Sir Roger Cuttance, who was there, and finds himself
slighted by Sir W. Coventry, I advised him however to look after
employment lest it should be said that my Lord's friends do forsake the
service after he hath made them rich with the prizes. I to London, and
there among other things did look over some pictures at Cade's for my
house, and did carry home a silver drudger
[The dredger was probably the drageoir of France; in low Latin,
dragerium, or drageria, in which comfits (dragdes) were kept.
Roquefort says, "The ladies wore a little spice-box, in shape like a
watch, to carry dragles, and it was called a drageoir." The custom
continued certainly till the middle of the last century. Old
Palsgrave, in his "Eclaircissement de la Langue Francaise," gives
"dradge" as spice, rendering it by the French word dragde. Chaucer
says, of his Doctor of Physic, "Full ready hadde he his Apothecaries
To send him dragges, and his lattuaries." The word sometimes may
have signified the pounded condiments in which our forefathers
delighted. It is worth notice, that "dragge" was applied to a grain
in the eastern counties, though not exclusively there, appearing to
denote mixed grain. Bishop Kennett tells us that "dredge mault is
mault made up of oats, mixed with barley, of which they make an
excellent, freshe, quiete sort of drinke, in Staffordshire." The
dredger is still commonly used in our kitchen.--B.]
for my cupboard of plate, and did call for my silver chafing dishes, but
they are sent home, and the man would not be paid for them, saying that he
was paid for them already, and with much ado got him to tell me by Mr.
Wayth, but I would not accept of that, but will send him his money, not
knowing any courtesy I have yet done him to deserve it. So home, and with
my wife looked over our plate, and picked out L40 worth, I believe, to
change for more usefull plate, to our great content, and then we shall
have a very handsome cupboard of plate. So to dinner, and then to the
office, where we had a meeting extraordinary, about stating to the Duke
the present debts of the Navy, for which ready money must be had, and that
being done, I to my business, where late, and then home to supper, and to
bed.
3rd. Up, and to the office very busy till 3 o'clock, and then home, all
of us, for half an hour to dinner, and to it again till eight at night,
stating our wants of money for the Duke, but could not finish it. So
broke up, and I to my office, then about letters and other businesses very
late, and so home to supper, weary with business, and to bed.
4th. Lord's day; and my wife and I the first time together at church
since the plague, and now only because of Mr. Mills his coming home to
preach his first sermon; expecting a great excuse for his leaving the
parish before any body went, and now staying till all are come home; but
he made but a very poor and short excuse, and a bad sermon. It was a
frost, and had snowed last night, which covered the graves in the
churchyard, so as I was the less afeard for going through. Here I had the
content to see my noble Mrs. Lethulier, and so home to dinner, and all the
afternoon at my Journall till supper, it being a long while behindhand.
At supper my wife tells me that W. Joyce has been with her this evening,
the first time since the plague, and tells her my aunt James is lately
dead of the stone, and what she had hath given to his and his brother's
wife and my cozen Sarah. So after supper to work again, and late to bed.
5th. Up, and with Sir W. Batten (at whose lodgings calling for him, I saw
his Lady the first time since her coming to towne since the plague, having
absented myself designedly to shew some discontent, and that I am not at
all the more suppliant because of my Lord Sandwich's fall), to my Lord
Bruncker's, to see whether he goes to the Duke's this morning or no. But
it is put off, and so we parted. My Lord invited me to dinner to-day to
dine with Sir W. Batten and his Lady there, who were invited before, but
lest he should thinke so little an invitation would serve my turne I
refused and parted, and to Westminster about business, and so back to the
'Change, and there met Mr. Hill, newly come to town, and with him the
Houblands, preparing for their ship's and his going to Tangier, and agreed
that I must sup with them to-night. So home and eat a bit, and then to
White Hall to a Committee for Tangier, but it did not meet but was put off
to to-morrow, so I did some little business and visited my Lord Sandwich,
and so, it raining, went directly to the Sun, behind the Exchange, about
seven o'clock, where I find all the five brothers Houblons, and mighty
fine gentlemen they are all, and used me mighty respectfully. We were
mighty civilly merry, and their discourses, having been all abroad, very
fine. Here late and at last accompanied home with Mr. J. Houblon and
Hill, whom I invited to sup with me on Friday, and so parted and I home to
bed.
6th. Up, and to the office, where very busy all the morning. We met upon
a report to the Duke of Yorke of the debts of the Navy, which we finished
by three o'clock, and having eat one little bit of meate, I by water
before the rest to White Hall (and they to come after me) because of a
Committee for Tangier, where I did my business of stating my accounts
perfectly well, and to good liking, and do not discern, but the Duke of
Albemarle is my friend in his intentions notwithstanding my general fears.
After that to our Navy business, where my fellow officers were called in,
and did that also very well, and then broke up, and I home by coach,
Tooker with me, and staid in Lumbard Streete at Viner's, and sent home for
the plate which my wife and I had a mind to change, and there changed it,
about L50 worth, into things more usefull, whereby we shall now have a
very handsome cupboard of plate. So home to the office, wrote my letters
by the post, and to bed.
7th. It being fast day I staid at home all day long to set things to
rights in my chamber by taking out all my books, and putting my chamber in
the same condition it was before the plague. But in the morning doing of
it, and knocking up a nail I did bruise my left thumb so as broke a great
deal of my flesh off, that it hung by a little. It was a sight frighted
my wife, but I put some balsam of Mrs. Turner's to it, and though in great
pain, yet went on with my business, and did it to my full content, setting
every thing in order, in hopes now that the worst of our fears are over as
to the plague for the next year. Interrupted I was by two or three
occasions this day to my great vexation, having this the only day I have
been able to set apart for this work since my coming to town. At night to
supper, weary, and to bed, having had the plasterers and joiners also to
do some jobbs.
8th. Up, and all the morning at the office. At noon to the 'Change,
expecting to have received from Mr. Houbland, as he promised me, an
assignment upon Viner, for my reward for my getting them the going of
their two ships to Tangier, but I find myself much disappointed therein,
for I spoke with him and he said nothing of it, but looked coldly, through
some disturbance he meets with in our business through Colonell Norwood's
pressing them to carry more goods than will leave room for some of their
own. But I shall ease them. Thence to Captain Cocke's, where Mr.
Williamson, Wren, Boldell and Madam Williams, and by and by Lord Bruncker,
he having been with the King and Duke upon the water to-day, to see
Greenwich house, and the yacht Castle is building of, and much good
discourse. So to White Hall to see my Lord Sandwich, and then home to my
business till night, and then to bed.
9th. Up, and betimes to Sir Philip Warwicke, who was glad to see me, and
very kind. Thence to Colonell Norwood's lodgings, and there set about
Houblons' business about their ships. Thence to Westminster, to the
Exchequer, about my Tangier business to get orders for tallys, and so to
the Hall, where the first day of the Terme, and the Hall very full of
people, and much more than was expected, considering the plague that hath
been. Thence to the 'Change, and to the Sun behind it to dinner with the
Lieutenant of the Tower, Colonell Norwood and others, where strange
pleasure they seem to take in their wine and meate, and discourse of it
with the curiosity and joy that methinks was below men of worthe. Thence
home, and there very much angry with my people till I had put all things
in good forwardnesse about my supper for the Houblons, but that being done
I was in good humour again, and all things in good order. Anon the five
brothers Houblons come and Mr. Hill, and a very good supper we had, and
good company and discourse, with great pleasure. My new plate sets off my
cupboard very nobly. Here they were till about eleven at night with great
pleasure, and a fine sight it is to see these five brothers thus loving
one to another, and all industrious merchants. Our subject was
principally Mr. Hill's going for them to Portugall, which was the occasion
of this entertainment. They gone, we to bed.
10th. Up, and to the office. At noon, full of business, to dinner. This
day comes first Sir Thomas Harvy after the plague, having been out of
towne all this while. He was coldly received by us, and he went away
before we rose also, to make himself appear yet a man less necessary.
After dinner, being full of care and multitude of business, I took coach
and my wife with me. I set her down at her mother's (having first called
at my Lord Treasurer's and there spoke with Sir Ph. Warwicke), and I to
the Exchequer about Tangier orders, and so to the Swan and there staid a
little, and so by coach took up my wife, and at the old Exchange bought a
muffe, and so home and late at my letters, and so to supper and to bed,
being now-a-days, for these four or five months, mightily troubled with my
snoring in my sleep, and know not how to remedy it.
11th (Lord's day). Up, and put on a new black cloth suit to an old coate
that I make to be in mourning at Court, where they are all, for the King
of Spayne.--[Philip IV., who died September 17th, 1665.]--To church I, and
at noon dined well, and then by water to White Hall, carrying a captain of
the Tower (who desired his freight thither); there I to the Parke, and
walked two or three turns of the Pell Mell with the company about the King
and Duke; the Duke speaking to me a good deal. There met Lord Bruncker
and Mr. Coventry, and discoursed about the Navy business; and all of us
much at a loss that we yet can hear nothing of Sir Jeremy Smith's fleete,
that went away to the Streights the middle of December, through all the
storms that we have had since, that have driven back three or four of them
with their masts by the board. Yesterday come out the King's Declaration
of War against the French, but with such mild invitations of both them and
the Dutch to come over hither with promise of their protection, that every
body wonders at it. Thence home with my Lord Bruncker for discourse sake,
and thence by hackney coach home, and so my wife and I mighty pleasant
discourse, supped and to bed. The great wound I had Wednesday last in my
thumb having with once dressing by Mrs. Turner's balsam been perfectly
cured, whereas I did not hope to save my nail, whatever else ill it did
give me. My wife and I are much thoughtfull now-a-days about Pall's
coming up in order to a husband.
12th. Up, and very busy to perform an oathe in finishing my Journall this
morning for 7 or 8 days past. Then to several people attending upon
business, among others Mr. Grant and the executors of Barlow for the L25
due for the quarter before he died, which I scrupled to pay, being obliged
but to pay every half year. Then comes Mr. Caesar, my boy's lute-master,
whom I have not seen since the plague before, but he hath been in
Westminster all this while very well; and tells me in the height of it,
how bold people there were, to go in sport to one another's burials; and
in spite too, ill people would breathe in the faces (out of their windows)
of well people going by. Then to dinner before the 'Change, and so to the
'Change, and then to the taverne to talk with Sir William Warren, and so
by coach to several places, among others to my Lord Treasurer's, there to
meet my Lord Sandwich, but missed, and met him at [my] Lord Chancellor's,
and there talked with him about his accounts, and then about Sir G.
Carteret, and I find by him that Sir G. Carteret has a worse game to play
than my Lord Sandwich, for people are jeering at him, and he cries out of
the business of Sir W. Coventry, who strikes at all and do all. Then to
my bookseller's, and then received some books I have new bought, and here
late choosing some more to new bind, having resolved to give myself L10 in
books, and so home to the office and then home to supper, where Mr. Hill
was and supped with us, and good discourse; an excellent person he still
appears to me. After supper, and he gone, we to bed.
13th. Up, and all the morning at the office. At noon to the 'Change, and
thence after business dined at the Sheriffe's [Hooker], being carried by
Mr. Lethulier, where to my heart's content I met with his wife, a most
beautifull fat woman. But all the house melancholy upon the sickness of a
daughter of the house in childbed, Mr. Vaughan's lady. So all of them
undressed, but however this lady a very fine woman. I had a salute of
her, and after dinner some discourse the Sheriffe and I about a parcel of
tallow I am buying for the office of him. I away home, and there at the
office all the afternoon till late at night, and then away home to supper
and to bed. Ill newes this night that the plague is encreased this week,
and in many places else about the towne, and at Chatham and elsewhere.
This day my wife wanting a chambermaid with much ado got our old little
Jane to be found out, who come to see her and hath lived all this while in
one place, but is so well that we will not desire her removal, but are
mighty glad to see the poor wench, who is very well and do well.