where I had an hour's private talk with him. Most of it was discourse
concerning his own condition, at present being under the censure of the
House, being concerned with others in the Bill for selling of offices. He
tells me, that though he thinks himself to suffer much in his fame hereby,
yet he values nothing more of evil to hang over him for that it is against
no statute, as is pretended, nor more than what his predecessors time out
of mind have taken; and that so soon as he found himself to be in an
errour, he did desire to have his fees set, which was done; and since that
he hath not taken a token more. He undertakes to prove, that he did never
take a token of any captain to get him employed in his life beforehand, or
demanded any thing: and for the other accusation, that the Cavaliers are
not employed, he looked over the list of them now in the service, and of
the twenty-seven that are employed, thirteen have been heretofore always
under the King; two neutralls, and the other twelve men of great courage,
and such as had either the King's particular commands, or great
recommendation to put them in, and none by himself. Besides that, he says
it is not the King's nor Duke's opinion that the whole party of the late
officers should be rendered desperate. And lastly, he confesses that the
more of the Cavaliers are put in, the less of discipline hath followed in
the fleet; and that, whenever there comes occasion, it must be the old
ones that must do any good, there being only, he says, but Captain Allen
good for anything of them all. He tells me, that he cannot guess whom all
this should come from; but he suspects Sir G. Carteret, as I also do, at
least that he is pleased with it. But he tells me that he will bring Sir
G. Carteret to be the first adviser and instructor of him what to make his
place of benefit to him; telling him that Smith did make his place worth
L5000 and he believed L7000 to him the first year; besides something else
greater than all this, which he forbore to tell me. It seems one Sir
Thomas Tomkins of the House, that makes many mad motions, did bring it
into the House, saying that a letter was left at his lodgings, subscribed
by one Benson (which is a feigned name, for there is no such man in the
Navy), telling him how many places in the Navy have been sold. And by
another letter, left in the same manner since, nobody appearing, he writes
him that there is one Hughes and another Butler (both rogues, that have
for their roguery been turned out of their places), that will swear that
Mr. Coventry did sell their places and other things. I offered him my
service, and will with all my heart serve him; but he tells me he do not
think it convenient to meddle, or to any purpose, but is sensible of my
love therein. So I bade him good morrow, he being out of order to speak
anything of our office business, and so away to Westminster Hall, where I
hear more of the plot from Ireland; which it seems hath been hatching, and
known to the Lord Lieutenant a great while, and kept close till within
three days that it should have taken effect. The term ended yesterday,
and it seems the Courts rose sooner, for want of causes, than it is
remembered to have done in the memory of man. Thence up and down about
business in several places, as to speak with Mr. Phillips, but missed him,
and so to Mr. Beacham, the goldsmith, he being one of the jury to-morrow
in Sir W. Batten's case against Field. I have been telling him our case,
and I believe he will do us good service there. So home, and seeing my
wife had dined I went, being invited, and dined with Sir W. Batten, Sir J.
Minnes, and others, at Sir W. Batten's, Captain Allen giving them a Foy'
dinner, he being to go down to lie Admiral in the Downs this summer. I
cannot but think it a little strange that having been so civil to him as I
have been he should not invite me to dinner, but I believe it was but a
sudden motion, and so I heard not of it. After dinner to the office,
where all the afternoon till late, and so to see Sir W. Pen, and so home
to supper and to bed. To-night I took occasion with the vintner's man, who
came by my direction to taste again my tierce of claret, to go down to the
cellar with him to consult about the drawing of it; and there, to my great
vexation, I find that the cellar door hath long been kept unlocked, and
above half the wine drunk. I was deadly mad at it, and examined my people
round, but nobody would confess it; but I did examine the boy, and
afterwards Will, and told him of his sitting up after we were in bed with
the maids, but as to that business he denies it, which I can [not] remedy,
but I shall endeavour to know how it went. My wife did also this evening
tell me a story of Ashwell stealing some new ribbon from her, a yard or
two, which I am sorry to hear, and I fear my wife do take a displeasure
against her, that they will hardly stay together, which I should be sorry
for, because I know not where to pick such another out anywhere.
3rd. Up betimes, and studying of my double horizontal diall against Dean
Honiwood comes to me, who dotes mightily upon it, and I think I must give
it him. So after talking with Sir W. Batten, who is this morning gone to
Guildhall to his trial with Field, I to my office, and there read all the
morning in my statute-book, consulting among others the statute against
selling of offices, wherein Mr. Coventry is so much concerned; and though
he tells me that the statute do not reach him, yet I much fear that it
will. At noon, hearing that the trial is done, and Sir W. Batten come to
the Sun behind the Exchange I went thither, where he tells me that he had
much ado to carry it on his side, but that at last he did, but the jury,
by the judge's favour, did give us but; L10 damages and the charges of the
suit, which troubles me; but it is well it went not against us, which
would have been much worse. So to the Exchange, and thence home to
dinner, taking Deane of Woolwich along with me, and he dined alone with my
wife being undressed, and he and I spent all the afternoon finely,
learning of him the method of drawing the lines of a ship, to my great
satisfaction, and which is well worth my spending some time in, as I shall
do when my wife is gone into the country. In the evening to the office
and did some business, then home, and, God forgive me, did from my wife's
unwillingness to tell me whither she had sent the boy, presently suspect
that he was gone to Pembleton's, and from that occasion grew so
discontented that I could hardly speak or sleep all night.
4th. Up betimes, and my wife and Ashwell and I whiled away the morning up
and down while they got themselves ready, and I did so watch to see my
wife put on drawers, which poor soul she did, and yet I could not get off
my suspicions, she having a mind to go into Fenchurch Street before she
went out for good and all with me, which I must needs construe to be to
meet Pembleton, when she afterwards told me it was to buy a fan that she
had not a mind that I should know of, and I believe it is so. Specially I
did by a wile get out of my boy that he did not yesterday go to
Pembleton's or thereabouts, but only was sent all that time for some
starch, and I did see him bringing home some, and yet all this cannot make
my mind quiet. At last by coach I carried her to Westminster Hall, and
they two to Mrs. Bowyer to go from thence to my wife's father's and
Ashwell to hers, and by and by seeing my wife's father in the Hall, and
being loth that my wife should put me to another trouble and charge by
missing him to-day, I did employ a porter to go from a person unknown to
tell him his daughter was come to his lodgings, and I at a distance did
observe him, but, Lord! what a company of questions he did ask him, what
kind of man I was, and God knows what. So he went home, and after I had
staid in the Hall a good while, where I heard that this day the Archbishop
of Canterbury, Juxon, a man well spoken of by all for a good man, is dead;
and the Bishop of London is to have his seat. Home by water, where by and
by comes Dean Honiwood, and I showed him my double horizontal diall, and
promise to give him one, and that shall be it. So, without eating or
drinking, he went away to Mr. Turner's, where Sir J. Minnes do treat my
Lord Chancellor and a great deal of guests to-day with a great dinner,
which I thank God I do not pay for; and besides, I doubt it is too late
for any man to expect any great service from my Lord Chancellor, for which
I am sorry, and pray God a worse do not come in his room. So I to dinner
alone, and so to my chamber, and then to the office alone, my head aching
and my mind in trouble for my wife, being jealous of her spending the day,
though God knows I have no great reason. Yet my mind is troubled. By and
by comes Will Howe to see us, and walked with me an hour in the garden,
talking of my Lord's falling to business again, which I am glad of, and
his coming to lie at his lodgings at White Hall again. The match between
Sir J. Cutts and my Lady Jemimah, he says, is likely to go on; for which I
am glad. In the Hall to-day Dr. Pierce tells me that the Queen begins to
be brisk, and play like other ladies, and is quite another woman from what
she was, of which I am glad. It may be, it may make the King like her the
better, and forsake his two mistresses, my Lady Castlemaine and Stewart.
He gone we sat at the office till night, and then home, where my wife is
come, and has been with her father all the afternoon, and so home, and she
and I to walk in the garden, giving ear to her discourse of her father's
affairs, and I found all well, so after putting things in order at my
office, home to supper and to bed.
5th. Up and to read a little, and by and by the carver coming, I directed
him how to make me a neat head for my viall that is making. About 10
o'clock my wife and I, not without some discontent, abroad by coach, and I
set her at her father's; but their condition is such that she will not let
me see where they live, but goes by herself when I am out of sight.
Thence to my brother's, taking care for a passage for my wife the next
week in a coach to my father's, and thence to Paul's Churchyard, where I
found several books ready bound for me; among others, the new Concordance
of the Bible, which pleases me much, and is a book I hope to make good use
of. Thence, taking the little History of England with me, I went by water
to Deptford, where Sir J. Minnes and Sir W. Batten attending the Pay; I
dined with them, and there Dr. Britton, parson of the town, a fine man and
good company, dined with us, and good discourse. After dinner I left them
and walked to Redriffe, and thence to White Hall, and at my Lord's
lodgings found my wife, and thence carried her to see my Lady Jemimah, but
she was not within. So to Mr. Turner's, and there saw Mr. Edward Pepys's
lady, who my wife concurs with me to be very pretty, as most women we ever
saw. So home, and after a walk in the garden a little troubled to see my
wife take no more pleasure with Ashwell, but neglect her and leave her at
home. Home to supper and to bed.
6th. Lay in bed till 7 o'clock, yet rose with an opinion that it was not
5, and so continued though I heard the clock strike, till noon, and would
not believe that it was so late as it truly was. I was hardly ever so
mistaken in my life before. Up and to Sir G. Carteret at his house, and
spoke to him about business, but he being in a bad humour I had no mind to
stay with him, but walked, drinking my morning draft of whay, by the way,
to York House, where the Russia Embassador do lie; and there I saw his
people go up and down louseing themselves: they are all in a great hurry,
being to be gone the beginning of next week. But that that pleased me
best, was the remains of the noble soul of the late Duke of Buckingham
appearing in his house, in every place, in the doorcases and the windows.
By and by comes Sir John Hebden, the Russia Resident, to me, and he and I
in his coach to White Hall, to Secretary Morrice's, to see the orders
about the Russia hemp that is to be fetched from Archangel for our King,
and that being done, to coach again, and he brought me into the City and
so I home; and after dinner abroad by water, and met by appointment Mr.
Deane in the Temple Church, and he and I over to Mr. Blackbury's yard, and
thence to other places, and after that to a drinking house, in all which
places I did so practise and improve my measuring of timber, that I can
now do it with great ease and perfection, which do please me mightily.
This fellow Deane is a conceited fellow, and one that means the King a
great deal of service, more of disservice to other people that go away
with the profits which he cannot make; but, however, I learn much of him,
and he is, I perceive, of great use to the King in his place, and so I
shall give him all the encouragement I can. Home by water, and having
wrote a letter for my wife to my Lady Sandwich to copy out to send this
night's post, I to the office, and wrote there myself several things, and
so home to supper and bed. My mind being troubled to think into what a
temper of neglect I have myself flung my wife into by my letting her learn
to dance, that it will require time to cure her of, and I fear her going
into the country will but make her worse; but only I do hope in the
meantime to spend my time well in my office, with more leisure than while
she is here. Hebden, to-day in the coach, did tell me how he is vexed to
see things at Court ordered as they are by nobody that attends to
business, but every man himself or his pleasures. He cries up my Lord
Ashley to be almost the only man that he sees to look after business; and
with that ease and mastery, that he wonders at him. He cries out against
the King's dealing so much with goldsmiths, and suffering himself to have
his purse kept and commanded by them. He tells me also with what exact
care and order the States of Holland's stores are kept in their Yards, and
every thing managed there by their builders with such husbandry as is not
imaginable; which I will endeavour to understand further, if I can by any
means learn.
7th (Lord's day). Whit Sunday. Lay long talking with my wife, sometimes
angry and ended pleased and hope to bring our matters to a better posture
in a little time, which God send. So up and to church, where Mr. Mills
preached, but, I know not how, I slept most of the sermon. Thence home,
and dined with my wife and Ashwell and after dinner discoursed very
pleasantly, and so I to church again in the afternoon, and, the Scot
preaching, again slept all the afternoon, and so home, and by and by to
Sir W. Batten's, to talk about business, where my Lady Batten inveighed
mightily against the German Princess, and I as high in the defence of her
wit and spirit, and glad that she is cleared at the sessions. Thence to
Sir W. Pen, who I found ill again of the gout, he tells me that now Mr.
Castle and Mrs. Martha Batten do own themselves to be married, and have
been this fortnight. Much good may it do him, for I do not envy him his
wife. So home, and there my wife and I had an angry word or two upon
discourse of our boy, compared with Sir W. Pen's boy that he has now, whom
I say is much prettier than ours and she the contrary. It troubles me to
see that every small thing is enough now-a-days to bring a difference
between us. So to my office and there did a little business, and then
home to supper and to bed. Mrs. Turner, who is often at Court, do tell me
to-day that for certain the Queen hath much changed her humour, and is
become very pleasant and sociable as any; and they say is with child, or
believed to be so.
8th. Up and to my office a while, and thence by coach with Sir J. Minnes
to St. James's to the Duke, where Mr. Coventry and us two did discourse
with the Duke a little about our office business, which saved our coming
in the afternoon, and so to rights home again and to dinner. After dinner
my wife and I had a little jangling, in which she did give me the lie,
which vexed me, so that finding my talking did but make her worse, and
that her spirit is lately come to be other than it used to be, and now
depends upon her having Ashwell by her, before whom she thinks I shall not
say nor do anything of force to her, which vexes me and makes me wish that
I had better considered all that I have of late done concerning my
bringing my wife to this condition of heat, I went up vexed to my chamber
and there fell examining my new concordance, that I have bought, with
Newman's, the best that ever was out before, and I find mine altogether as
copious as that and something larger, though the order in some respects
not so good, that a man may think a place is missing, when it is only put
in another place. Up by and by my wife comes and good friends again, and
to walk in the garden and so anon to supper and to bed. My cozen John
Angier the son, of Cambridge coming to me late to see me, and I find his
business is that he would be sent to sea, but I dissuaded him from it, for
I will not have to do with it without his friends' consent.
9th. Up and after ordering some things towards my wife's going into the
country, to the office, where I spent the morning upon my measuring rules
very pleasantly till noon, and then comes Creed and he and I talked about
mathematiques, and he tells me of a way found out by Mr. Jonas Moore which
he calls duodecimal arithmetique, which is properly applied to measuring,
where all is ordered by inches, which are 12 in a foot, which I have a
mind to learn. So he with me home to dinner and after dinner walk in the
garden, and then we met at the office, where Coventry, Sir J. Minnes, and
I, and so in the evening, business done, I went home and spent my time
till night with my wife. Presently after my coming home comes Pembleton,
whether by appointment or no I know not, or whether by a former promise
that he would come once before my wife's going into the country, but I
took no notice of, let them go up and Ashwell with them to dance, which
they did, and I staid below in my chamber, but, Lord! how I listened and
laid my ear to the door, and how I was troubled when I heard them stand
still and not dance. Anon they made an end and had done, and so I
suffered him to go away, and spoke not to him, though troubled in my mind,
but showed no discontent to my wife, believing that this is the last time
I shall be troubled with him. So my wife and I to walk in the garden,
home and to supper and to bed.
10th. Up and all the morning helping my wife to put up her things towards
her going into the country and drawing the wine out of my vessel to send.
This morning came my cozen Thomas Pepys to desire me to furnish him with
some money, which I could not do till his father has wrote to Piggott his
consent to the sale of his lands, so by and by we parted and I to the
Exchange a while and so home and to dinner, and thence to the Royal
Theatre by water, and landing, met with Captain Ferrers his friend, the
little man that used to be with him, and he with us, and sat by us while
we saw "Love in a Maze." The play is pretty good, but the life of the
play is Lacy's part, the clown, which is most admirable; but for the rest,
which are counted such old and excellent actors, in my life I never heard
both men and women so ill pronounce their parts, even to my making myself
sick therewith. Thence, Creed happening to be with us, we four to the
Half-Moon Tavern, I buying some sugar and carrying it with me, which we
drank with wine and thence to the whay-house, and drank a great deal of
whay, and so by water home, and thence to see Sir W. Pen, who is not in
much pain, but his legs swell and so immoveable that he cannot stir them,
but as they are lifted by other people and I doubt will have another fit
of his late pain. Played a little at cards with him and his daughter, who
is grown every day a finer and finer lady, and so home to supper and to
bed. When my wife and I came first home we took Ashwell and all the rest
below in the cellar with the vintner drawing out my wine, which I blamed
Ashwell much for and told her my mind that I would not endure it, nor was
it fit for her to make herself equal with the ordinary servants of the
house.
11th. Up and spent most of the morning upon my measuring Ruler and with
great pleasure I have found out some things myself of great dispatch, more
than my book teaches me, which pleases me mightily. Sent my wife's things
and the wine to-day by the carrier to my father's, but staid my boy from a
letter of my father's, wherein he desires that he may not come to trouble
his family as he did the last year. Dined at home and then to the office,
where we sat all the afternoon, and at night home and spent the evening
with my wife, and she and I did jangle mightily about her cushions that
she wrought with worsteds the last year, which are too little for any use,
but were good friends by and by again. But one thing I must confess I do
observe, which I did not before, which is, that I cannot blame my wife to
be now in a worse humour than she used to be, for I am taken up in my talk
with Ashwell, who is a very witty girl, that I am not so fond of her as I
used and ought to be, which now I do perceive I will remedy, but I would
to the Lord I had never taken any, though I cannot have a better than her.
To supper and to bed. The consideration that this is the longest day in
the year is very unpleasant to me.--[It is necessary to note that this was
according to the old style.]--This afternoon my wife had a visit from my
Lady Jeminah and Mr. Ferrers.
12th. Up and my office, there conning my measuring Ruler, which I shall
grow a master of in a very little time. At noon to the Exchange and so
home to dinner, and abroad with my wife by water to the Royall Theatre;
and there saw "The Committee," a merry but indifferent play, only Lacey's
part, an Irish footman, is beyond imagination. Here I saw my Lord
Falconbridge, and his Lady, my Lady Mary Cromwell, who looks as well as I
have known her, and well clad; but when the House began to fill she put on
her vizard,
[Masks were commonly used by ladies in the reign of Elizabeth, and
when their use was revived at the Restoration for respectable women
attending the theatre, they became general. They soon, however,
became the mark of loose women, and their use was discontinued by
women of repute. On June 1st, 1704, a song was sung at the theatre
in Lincoln's Inn Fields called "The Misses' Lamentation for want of
their Vizard Masques at the Theatre." Mr. R. W. Lowe gives several
references to the use of vizard masks at the theatre in his
interesting biography, "Thomas Betterton."]
and so kept it on all the play; which of late is become a great fashion
among the ladies, which hides their whole face. So to the Exchange, to
buy things with my wife; among others, a vizard for herself. And so by
water home and to my office to do a little business, and so to see Sir W.
Pen, but being going to bed and not well I could not see him. So home and
to supper and bed, being mightily troubled all night and next morning with
the palate of my mouth being down from some cold I took to-day sitting
sweating in the playhouse, and the wind blowing through the windows upon
my head.
13th. Up and betimes to Thames Street among the tarr men, to look the
price of tarr and so by water to Whitehall thinking to speak with Sir G.
Carteret, but he lying in the city all night, and meeting with Mr. Cutler
the merchant, I with him in his coach into the city to Sir G. Carteret,
but missing him there, he and I walked to find him at Sir Tho. Allen's in
Bread Street, where not finding him he and I walked towards our office, he
discoursing well of the business of the Navy, and particularly of the
victualling, in which he was once I perceive concerned, and he and I
parted and I to the office and there had a difference with Sir W. Batten
about Mr. Bowyer's tarr, which I am resolved to cross, though he sent me
last night, as a bribe, a barrel of sturgeon, which, it may be, I shall
send back, for I will not have the King abused so abominably in the price
of what we buy, by Sir W. Batten's corruption and underhand dealing. So
from the office, Mr. Wayth with me, to the Parliament House, and there I
spoke and told Sir G. Carteret all, with which he is well pleased, and do
recall his willingness yesterday, it seems, to Sir W. Batten, that we
should buy a great quantity of tarr, being abused by him. Thence with Mr.
Wayth after drinking a cupp of ale at the Swan, talking of the corruption
of the Navy, by water. I landed him at Whitefriars, and I to the
Exchange, and so home to dinner, where I found my wife's brother, and
thence after dinner by water to the Royall Theatre, where I resolved to
bid farewell, as shall appear by my oaths tomorrow against all plays
either at publique houses or Court till Christmas be over. Here we saw
"The Faithfull Sheepheardesse," a most simple thing, and yet much thronged
after, and often shown, but it is only for the scenes' sake, which is very
fine indeed and worth seeing; but I am quite out of opinion with any of
their actings, but Lacy's, compared with the other house. Thence to see
Mrs. Hunt, which we did and were much made of; and in our way saw my Lady
Castlemaine, who, I fear, is not so handsome as I have taken her for, and
now she begins to decay something. This is my wife's opinion also, for
which I am sorry. Thence by coach, with a mad coachman, that drove like
mad, and down byeways, through Bucklersbury home, everybody through the
street cursing him, being ready to run over them. So home, and after
writing letters by the post, home to supper and bed. Yesterday, upon
conference with the King in the Banqueting House, the Parliament did agree
with much ado, it being carried but by forty-two voices, that they would
supply him with a sum of money; but what and how is not yet known, but
expected to be done with great disputes the next week. But if done at
all, it is well.
14th (Lord's day). Lay long in bed. So up and to church. Then to
dinner, and Tom dined with me, who I think grows a very thriving man, as
he himself tells me. He tells me that his man John has got a wife, and
for that he intends to part with him, which I am sorry for, and then that
Mr. Armiger comes to be a constant lodger at his house, and he says has
money in his purse and will be a good paymaster, but I do much doubt it.
He being gone, I up and sending my people to church, my wife and I did
even our reckonings, and had a great deal of serious talk, wherein I took
occasion to give her hints of the necessity of our saving all we can. I do
see great cause every day to curse the time that ever I did give way to
the taking of a woman for her, though I could never have had a better, and
also the letting of her learn to dance, by both which her mind is so
devilishly taken off her business and minding her occasions, and besides
has got such an opinion in her of my being jealous, that it is never to be
removed, I fear, nor hardly my trouble that attends it; but I must have
patience. I did give her 40s. to carry into the country tomorrow with
her, whereof 15s. is to go for the coach-hire for her and Ashwell, there
being 20s. paid here already in earnest. In the evening our discourse
turned to great content and love, and I hope that after a little
forgetting our late differences, and being a while absent one from
another, we shall come to agree as well as ever. So to Sir W. Pen's to
visit him, and finding him alone, sent for my wife, who is in her
riding-suit, to see him, which she hath not done these many months I
think. By and by in comes Sir J. Minnes and Sir W. Batten, and so we sat
talking. Among other things, Sir J. Minnes brought many fine expressions
of Chaucer, which he doats on mightily, and without doubt he is a very
fine poet.
[Pepys continued through life an admirer of Chaucer, and we have the
authority of Dryden himself for saying that we owe his character of
the Good Parson to Pepys's recommendation.]