alone, on the Stone Walk, till company come to him; and there about the
business of the Navy discoursed with him, and about my Lord Chancellor and
Treasurer; that they were against the war [with the Dutch] at first,
declaring, as wise men and statesmen, at first to the King, that they
thought it fit to have a war with them at some time or other, but that it
ought not to be till we found the Crowns of Spain and France together by
the Bares, the want of which did ruin our war. But then he told me that,
a great deal before the war, my Lord Chancellor did speak of a war with
some heat, as a thing to be desired, and did it upon a belief that he
could with his speeches make the Parliament give what money he pleased,
and do what he would, or would make the King desire; but he found himself
soon deceived of the Parliament, they having a long time before his
removal been cloyed with his speeches and good words, and were come to
hate him. Sir W. Coventry did tell me it, as the wisest thing that ever
was said to the King by any statesman of his time, and it was by my Lord
Treasurer that is dead, whom, I find, he takes for a very great
statesman--that when the King did shew himself forward for passing the Act
of Indemnity, he did advise the King that he would hold his hand in doing
it, till he had got his power restored, that had been diminished by the
late times, and his revenue settled in such a manner as he might depend on
himself, without resting upon Parliaments,--and then pass it. But my Lord
Chancellor, who thought he could have the command of Parliaments for ever,
because for the King's sake they were awhile willing to grant all the King
desired, did press for its being done; and so it was, and the King from
that time able to do nothing with the Parliament almost. Thence to the
office, where sat all the forenoon, and then home to dinner, and so to the
office, where late busy, and so home, mightily pleased with the news
brought me to-night, that the King and Duke of York are come back this
afternoon, and no sooner come, but a warrant was sent to the Tower for the
releasing Sir W. Coventry; which do put me in some hopes that there may
be, in this absence, some accommodation made between the Duke of York and
the Duke of Buckingham and; Arlington. So home, to supper, and to bed.
21st (Lord's day). Up, and by water over to Southwarke; and then, not
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.