3rd. Up betimes to work again, and then met at the office, where

to our great business of this answer to the Parliament; where to

my great vexation I find my Lord Brouncker prepared only to

excuse himself, while I, that have least reason to trouble

myself, am preparing with great pains to defend them all: and

more, I perceive he would lodge the beginning of discharging

ships by ticket upon me; but I care not, for I believe I shall

get more honour by it when the Parliament against my will shall

see how the whole business of the office was done by me. Down by

water to Deptford; where the King, Queene, and Court are to see

launched the new ship built by Mr. Shish, called "The Charles."

God send her better luck than the former! Here some of our

brethren, who went in a boat a little before my boat, did by

appointment take opportunity of asking the King's leave that we

might make full use of the want of money in our excuse to the

Parliament for the business of tickets and other things they will

lay to our charge, all which arise from nothing else: and this

the King did readily agree to, and did give us leave to make our

full use of it. The ship being well launched, I back again by

boat.

5th. To Westminster; where I found myself come time enough, and

my brethren all ready. But I full of thoughts and trouble

touching the issue of this day: and to comfort myself did go to

the Dog and drink half-a-pint of mulled sack, and in the hall did

drink a dram of brandy at Mrs. Hewlett's; and with the warmth of

this did find myself in better order as to courage, truly. So we

all up to the lobby; and between eleven and twelve o'clock were

called in, with the mace before us, into the House; where a

mighty full House: and we stood at the bar; namely, Brouncker,

Sir J. Minnes, Sir T. Harvey, and myself, W. Pen being in the

House as a Member. I perceive the whole House was full of

expectation of our defence what it would be, and with great

prejudice. After the Speaker had told us the dissatisfaction of

the House, and read the Report of the Committee, I began our

defence most acceptably and smoothly, and continued at it without

any hesitation or losse, but with full scope, and all my reason

free about me, as if it had been at my own table, from that, time

till past three in the afternoon; and so ended, without any

interruption from the Speaker; but we withdrew. And there all my

fellow officers, and all the world that was within hearing, did

congratulate me, and cry up my speech as the best thing they ever

heard; and my fellow-officers were overjoyed in it. And we were

called in again by and by to answer only one question touching

our paying tickets to ticket-mongers; and so out. And we were in

hopes to have had a vote this day in our favour, and so the

generality of the House was; but, my speech being so long many

had gone out to dinner and come in again half-drunk. And then

there are two or three that are professed enemies to us and every

body else; among others, Sir T. Littleton, Sir Thomas Lee, [Of

Hartwell, Bucks; created a Baronet 1660.] Mr. Wiles (the coxcomb

whom I saw heretofore at the cock-fighting), and a few others: I

say, these did rise up and speak against the coming to a vote

now, the House not being full by reason of several being at

dinner, but most because that the House was to attend the King

this afternoon about the business of religion (wherein they pray

him to in force all the laws against Nonconformists and Papists):

and this prevented it, so that they put it off to to-morrow come

se'nnight. However, it is plain we have got great ground; and

every body says I have got the most honour that any could have

had opportunity of getting: and so our hearts mightily overjoyed

at this success. After dinner to the King's house, and there saw

part of "The Discontented Colonell." [Brennoralt, or The

Discontented Colonel; a tragedy, by Sir John Suckling.]

6th. Up betimes, and with Sir D. Gauden to Sir W. Coventry's

chamber; where the first word he said to me was, "Good-morrow,

Mr. Pepys, that must be Speaker of the Parliament-house:" and did

protest I had got honour for ever in Parliament. He said that

his brother, that sat by him, admires me; and another gentleman

said that I could not get less than 1000l. a-year, if I would put

on a gown and plead at the Chancery-bar. But, what pleases me

most, he tells me that the Solicitor-generall did protest that he

thought I spoke the best of any man in England. After several

talks with him alone touching his own businesses, he carried me

to White Hall; and there parted. And I to the Duke of York's

lodgings, and find him going to the Parke, it being a very fine

morning; and I after him: and as soon as he saw me, he told me

with great satisfaction that I had converted a great many

yesterday, and did with great praise of me go on with the

discourse with me. And by and by overtaking the King, the King

and Duke of York came to me both; and he [The King.] said, "Mr.

Pepys, I am very glad of your success yesterday:" and fell to

talk of my well speaking. And many of the Lords there. My Lord

Barkeley did cry me up for what they had heard of it; and others,

Parliament-men there about the King, did say that they never

heard such a speech in their lives delivered in that manner.

Progers of the Bedchamber swore to me afterwards before

Brouncker, in the afternoon, that he did tell the King that he

thought I might match the Solicitor-generall. Every body that

saw me almost came to me, as Joseph Williamson and others, with

such eulogys as cannot be expressed. From thence I went to

Westminster Hall; where I met Mr. G. Montagu, who came to me and

kissed me, and told me that he had often heretofore kissed my

hands, but now he would kiss my lips; protesting that I was

another Cicero, and said, all the world said the same of me. Mr.

Ashburnham, and every creature I met there of the Parliament, or

that knew any thing of the Parliament's actings, did salute me

with this honour: Mr. Godolphin; Mr. Sands, who swore he would

go twenty miles at any time to hear the like again, and that he

never saw so many sit four hours together to hear any man in his

life as there did to hear me, Mr. Chichly, Sir John Duncomb, and

every body do say that the kingdom will ring of my abilities, and

that I have done myself right for my whole life; and so Captain

Cocke and others of my friends say that no man had ever such an

opportunity of making his abilities known. And that I may cite

all at once, Mr. Lieutenant of the Tower did tell me that Mr.

Vaughan did protest to him, and that in his hearing it said so to

the Duke of Albemarle, and afterwards to Sir W. Coventry, that he

had sat twenty-six years in Parliament and never heard such a

speech there before: for which the Lord God make me thankful;

and that I may make use of it, not to pride and vain-glory, but

that, now I have this esteem, I may do nothing that may lessen

it! To White Hall to wait on the Duke of York; where he again

and all the company magnified me, and several in the Gallery:

among others, my Lord Gerard, who never knew me before nor spoke

to me, desires his being better acquainted with me: and that, at

table where he was, he never heard so much said of any man as of

me in his whole life. So waited on the Duke of York, and thence

into the Gallery, where the House of Lords waited the King's

coming out of the Park; which he did by and by. And there in the

Vane-roome my Lord Keeper delivered a Message to the King, the

Lords being about him, wherein the Barons of England, from many

good arguments very well expressed in the part he read out of, do

demand precedence in England of all noblemen of either of the

King's other two kingdoms, be their title what it will; and did

show that they were in England reputed but as Commoners, and sat

in the House of Commons and at conferences with the Lords did

stand bare. It was mighty worth my hearing; but the King did say

only that he would consider of it, and so dismissed them.

8th. With Sir W. Coventry, who I find full of care in his own

business, how to defend himself against those that have a mind to

cheque him; and though I believe not for honour and for the

keeping his employment, but for safety and reputation's sake, is

desirous to preserve himself free from blame.

9th. By coach to White Hall, and there met Lord Brouncker: and

he and I to the Commissioners of the Treasury; where I find them

mighty kind to me, more, I think, than was wont. And here I also

met Colvill the goldsmith; who tells me, with great joy, how the

world upon the 'Change talks of me; and how several Parliament-

men, viz. Boscawen [Edward Boscawen, M.P for Truro.] and Major

Walden of Huntingdon, who it seems do deal with him, do say how

bravely I did speak, and that the House was ready to have given

me thanks for it: but that, I think, is a vanity.

10th. With Sir D. Gauden homewards, calling at Lincolne's Inn-

fields. But my Lady Jemimah was not within: and so to Newgate,

where he stopped to give directions to the jaylor about a Knight,

one Sir Thomas Halford, [Of Welham, Leicestershire, Baronet.]

brought in yesterday for killing one Colonell Temple, falling out

at a taverne. Home; and there comes Mr. Moore to me; who tells

me that he fears my Lord Sandwich will meet with very great

difficulties to go through about the prizes, it being found that

he did give orders for more than the King's letter do justify;

and then for the Act of Resumption, which he fears will go on,

and is designed only to do him hurt; which troubles me much. He

tells me he believes the Parliament will not be brought to do any

thing in matters of religion, but will adhere to the Bishops.

11th. Meeting Mr. Colvill I walked with him to his building,

where he is building a fine house, where he formerly lived, in

Lumbard-street: and it will be a very fine street. So to

Westminster; and there walked, till by and by comes Sir W.

Coventry, and with him Mr. Chichly and Mr. Andrew Newport. I to

dinner with them to Mr. Chichly's in Queens-street, in Covent

Garden. A very fine house, and a man that lives in mighty great

fashion, with all things in a most extraordinary manner noble and

rich about him, and eats in the French fashion all; and mighty

nobly served with his servants, and very civilly; that I was

mighty pleased with it: and good discourse. He is a great

defender of the Church of England, and against the Act for

Comprehension; which is the work of this day, about which the

House is like to sit till night. After dinner with them back to

Westminster. Captain Cocke told me that the Speaker says he

never heard such a defence made in all his life in the House, and

that the Solicitor-generall do commend me even to envy.

12th. To Gresham College, there to show myself; and was there

greeted by Dr. Wilkins, Whistler, and others, as the patron of

the Navy-office, and one that got great fame by my late speech to

the Parliament.

13th. At noon, all of us to Chatelin, the French house in Covent

Garden, to dinner; Brouncker, J. Minnes, W. Pen, T. Harvey, and

myself; and there had a dinner cost us 8s. 6d. a-piece, a base

dinner, which did not please us at all. My head being full of

to-morrow's dinner, I to my: Lord Crewe's, there to invite Sir

Thomas Crewe; and there met with my Lord Hinchingbroke and his

lady, the first time I spoke to her. I saluted her; and she

mighty civil: and, with my Lady Jemimah, do all resolve to be

very merry to-morrow at my house. My Lady Hinchingbroke I cannot

say is a beauty, nor ugly; but is altogether a comely lady

enough, and seems very good-humoured. Thence home; and there I

find one laying of my napkins against to-morrow in figures of all

sorts; which is mighty pretty, and it seems it is his trade, and

he gets much money by it.

14th. Up very betimes, and with Jane to Lovett's, there to

conclude upon our dinner; and thence to the pewterer's, to buy a

pewter sesterne, which I have ever hitherto been without. Anon

comes my company, viz, my Lord Hinchingbroke and his lady, Sir

Philip Carteret and his lady, Godolphin and my cosen Roger, and

Creed: and mighty merry; and by and by to dinner, which was very

good and plentifull: (and I should have said, and Mr. George

Montagu, who came at a very little warning, which was exceeding

kind of him.) And there, among other things, my Lord had Sir

Samuel Morland's late invention for casting up of sums of L. S.

D.; which is very pretty, but not very useful. Most of our

discourse was of my Lord Sandwich and his family, as being all of

us of the family. And with extraordinary pleasure all the

afternoon, thus together eating and looking over my closet; and

my Lady Hinchingbroke I find a very sweet-natured and well-

disposed lady, a lover of books and pictures, and, of good

understanding. About five o'clock they went; and then my wife

and I abroad by coach into Moore-fields, only for a little ayre.

15th. Walked with Sir W. Coventry into the Park, and there met

the King and the Duke of York, and walked a good while with them:

and here met Sir Jer. Smith, who tells me he is like to get the

better of Holmes, and that when he is come to an end of that he

will do Hollis's business for him in the House for his

blasphemies; which I shall be glad of. So to White Hall, and

there walked with this man and that man till chapel done and the

King dined: and then Sir Thomas Clifford the Comptroller took me

with him to dinner to his lodgings, where my Lord Arlington and a

great deal of good and great company; where I very civilly used

by them, and had a most excellent dinner. And good discourse of

Spain, Mr. Godolphin being there; particularly of the removal of

the bodies of all the dead kings of Spain that could be got

together, and brought to the Pantheon at the Escuriall (when it

was finished) and there placed before the altar, there to lie for

ever: and there was a sermon made to them upon this text, "Arida

ossa, audite verbum Dei;" and a most eloquent sermon, as they

say.

17th. To the Excise-office, where I met Mr. Ball, and did

receive my paper I went for; and there fell in talk with him, who

being an old cavalier do swear and curse at the present state of

things, that we should be brought to this, that we must be undone

and cannot be saved; that the Parliament is sitting now, and will

till midnight, to find how to raise this 300,000l. and doubts

they will not do it so as to be seasonable for the King: but do

cry out against all our great men at Court; how it is a fine

thing for a Secretary of State to dance a jigg, and that it was

not so heretofore; and, above all, do curse my Lord of Bristoll,

saying the worst news that ever he heard in his life, or that the

Devil could ever bring us, was this Lord's coming to prayers the

other day in the House of Lords, by which he is coming about

again from being a Papist, which will undo this nation; and he

says he ever did say at the King's first coming in, that this

nation could not be safe while that man was alive. The house, I

hear, have this day concluded upon raising 100,000l. of the

300,0001. by wine, and the rest by poll, and have resolved to

excuse the Church, in expectation that they will do the more of

themselves at this juncture; and I do hear that Sir W. Coventry

did make a speech in behalf of the clergy.

18th. To White Hall, where we and my Lord Brouncker attended the

Council, to discourse about the fitness of entering of men

presently for the manning of the fleet, before one ship is in

condition to receive them. Sir W. Coventry did argue against it:

I was wholly silent, because I saw the King upon the earnestness

of the Prince was willing to it, crying very civilly, "If ever

you intend to man the fleet without being cheated by the captains

and pursers, you may go to bed and resolve never to have it

manned." And so it was, like other things, over-ruled that all

volunteers should be presently entered. Then there was another

great business about our signing of certificates to the Exchequer

for goods upon the 1,250,000l. Act; which the Commissioners of

the Treasury did all oppose, and to the laying fault upon us.

But I did then speak to the justifying what we had done even to

the angering of Duncomb and Clifford; which I was vexed at: but

for all that, I did set the office and myself right, and went

away with the victory, my Lord Keeper saying that he would not

advise the Council to order us to sign more certificates. But

before I began to say any thing in this matter, the King and the

Duke of York talking at the Council-table before all the Lords of

the Committee of Miscarriages, how this entering of men before

the ships could be ready would be reckoned a miscarriage; "Why,"

says the King, "it is then but Mr. Pepys making of another speech

to them;" which made all the Lords (and there were by also the

Atturny and Solicitor-generall) look upon me. Thence Sir W.

Coventry, W. Pen, and I by hackney-coach to take a little ayre in

Hyde Parke, the first time that I have been there this year; and

we did meet many coaches going and coming, it being mighty

pleasant weather. And so coming back again I light in the Pell

Mell; and there went to see Sir H. Cholmly, who continues very

ill of his cold. And there came in Sir H. Yelverton, and Sir H.

Cholmly commended to me his acquaintance; which the other

received, but without remembering to me, or I him, of our being

school-fellows together; and I said nothing of it. But he took

notice of my speech the other day at the bar of the House; and

indeed I perceive he is a wise men. Here he do say that the town

is full of it; that now the Parliament hath resolved upon

300,000l.; the King instead of fifty will set out but twenty-five

ships, and the Dutch as many; and that Smith is to command them,

who is allowed to have the better of Holmes in the late dispute,

and is in good esteem in the Parliament above the other, Thence

home, and there in favour to my eyes staid at home reading the

ridiculous History of my Lord Newcastle, wrote by his wife; which

shows her to be a mad, conceited, ridiculous woman, and he an

asse to suffer her to write what she writes to him and of him.

So to bed, my eyes being very bad; and I know not how in the

world to abstain from reading.

19th. Walked all along Thames-street, which I have not done

since it was burned, as far as Billingsgate; and there do see a

brave street likely to be, many brave houses being built, and of

them a great many by Mr. Jaggard; but the raising of the street

will make it mighty fine.

20th. All the evening pricking down some things and trying some

conclusions upon my viall, in order to the inventing a better

theory of musique than hath yet been abroad; and I think verily I

shall do it. This day at Court I do hear that Sir W. Pen do

command this summer's fleet; and Mr. Progers of the Bedchamber as

a secret told me that the Prince Rupert is troubled at it, and

several friends of his have been with him to know the reason of

it; so that he do pity Sir W. Pen, whom he hath a great kindness

for, that he should not at any desire of his be put to this

service, and thereby make the Prince his enemy and contract more

envy from other people.

24th. From the Duke's chamber Sir W. Coventry and I to walk in

the Mattted Gallery; and there, among other things, he tells me

of the wicked design that now is at last contriving against him,

to get a petition presented from people, that the money they have

paid to Sir W. Coventry for their places may be repaid them back:

and that this is set on by Temple and Hollis of the Parliament,

and, among other mean people in it, by Captain Tatnell: and he

prays me that I will use some effectual way to sift Tatnell what

he do and who puts him on in this business: which I do

undertake, and will do with all my skill for his service, being

troubled that he is still under this difficulty. Thence back to

White Hall: where great talk of the tumult at the other end of

the town, about Moore-fields, among the prentices taking the

liberty of these holydays to pull down brothels. And Lord! to

see the apprehensions which this did give to all people at Court,

that presently order was given for all the soldiers, horse and

foot, to be in armes; and forthwith alarmes were beat by drum and

trumpet through Westminster and all to their colours and to

horse, as if the French were coming into the town. So Creed,

whom I met here, and I to Lincolne's Inn-fields, thinking to have

come into the fields to have seen the prentices; but here we

found these fields full of soldiers all in a body, and my Lord

Craven commanding of them, and riding up and down to give orders

like a madman. And some young men we saw brought by soldiers to

the guard at White Hall, and overheard others that stood by say

that it was only for pulling down the brothels; and none of the

bystanders finding fault with them, but rather of the soldiers

for hindering them. And we heard a Justice of Peace this morning

say to the King, that he had been endeavouring to suppress this

tumult, but could not; and that imprisoning some of them in the

new prison at Clerkenwell, the rest did come and break open the

prison and release them; and that they do give out that they are

for pulling down the brothels, which is one of the great

grievances of the nation. To which the King made a very poor,

cold, insipid answer: "Why! why do they go to them, then?"--and

that was all, and had no mind to go on with the discourse. This

evening I came home from White Hall with Sir W. Pen, who fell in

talk about his going to sea this year, and the difficulties that

arise to him by it, by giving offence to the Prince and

occasioning envy to him, and many other things that make it a bad

matter at this time of want of money and necessaries, and bad and

uneven counsels at home, for him to go abroad: and did tell me

how much with the King and Duke of York he had endeavoured to be

excused, desiring the Prince might be satisfied in it who hath a

mind to go; but he tells me they will not excuse him, and I

believe it, and truly do judge it a piece of bad fortune to W.

Pen.

25th. Up, and walked to White Hall, there to wait on the Duke of

York; which I did: and in his chamber there, first by hearing

the Duke of York call me by my name, my Lord Burlington did come

to me and with great respect take notice of me and my relation to

my Lord Sandwich, and express great kindness to me; and so to

talk of my Lord Sandwich's concernments. By and by the Duke of

York is ready; and I did wait for an opportunity of speaking my

mind to him about Sir J. Minnes, his being unable to do the King

any service. The Duke of York and all with him this morning were

full of the talk of the prentices, who are not yet, put down,

though the guards and militia of the town have been in armes all

this night and the night before; and the prentices have made

fools of them, sometimes by running from them and flinging stones

at them. Some blood hath been spilt, but a great many houses

pulled down; and, among others, the Duke of York was mighty merry

at that of Daman Page's, the great bawd of the seamen; and the

Duke of York complained merrily that he hath lost two tenants by

their houses being pulled down, who paid him for their wine-

licences 15l. a-year. But these idle fellows have had the

confidence to say that they did ill in contenting themselves in

pulling down the little brothels, and did not go and pull down

the great one at White Hall. And some of them have the last

night had a word among them, and it was "Reformation and

Reducement." This do make the courtiers ill at ease to see this

spirit among people, though they think this matter will not

come to much: but it speakes people's minds; and then they do

say that there are men of understanding among them, that have

been of Cromwell's army: but how true that is, I know not.

26th. To the Duke of York's house to see the new play, called

"The Man is the Master:" [A comedy, by Sir Wm. Davenant, taken

from Moliere's "Joddelet."] where the house was, it being not

one o'clock, very full. By and by the King came; and we sat just

under him, so that I durst not turn my back all the play. The

most of the mirth was sorry, poor stuffe, of eating of sack

posset and slabbering themselves, and mirth fit for clownes; the

prologue but poor, and the epilogue little in it but the

extraordinariness of it, it being sung by Harris and another in

the form of a ballet. My wife extraordinary fine to-day in her

flower tabby suit, bought a year and more ago, before my mother's

death put her into mourning, and so not worn till this day: and

every body in love with it; and indeed she is very fine and

handsome in it. Home in a coach round by the wall; where we met

so many stops by the watches, that it cost us much time and some

trouble, and more money, to every watch to them to drink; this

being encreased by the trouble the prentices did lately give the

City, so that the militia and watches are very strict at this

time; and we had like to have met with a stop for all night at

the constable's watch at Mooregate by a pragmatical constable;

but we came well home at about two in the morning. This noon

from Mrs. Williams's my Lord Brouncker sent to Somerset House to

hear how the Duchesse of Richmond do; and word was brought him

that she is pretty well, but mighty full of the small pox, by

which all do conclude she will he wholly spoiled; which is the

greatest instance of the uncertainty of beauty that could be in

this age; but, then she hath had the benefit of it to be first

married, and to have kept it so long under the greatest

temptations in the world from a King, and yet without the least

imputation. This afternoon, at the play, Sir Fr. Hollis spoke to

me as a secret and matter of confidence in me, and friendship to

Sir W. Pen, who is now out of town, that it were well he were

made acquainted that he finds in the House of Commons, which met

this day, several motions made for the calling strictly again

upon the miscarriages, and particularly in the business of the

prizes and the not prosecuting of the first victory, only to give

an affront to Sir W. Pen, whose going to sea this year does give

them matter of great dislike.

27th. This day at noon comes Mr. Pelling to me, and shows me the

stone cut lately out of Sir Thomas Adams's (the old comely

Alderman) body; [Knight and Bart. alderman of London; ob. 1667.

He founded an Arabic Professorship at Cambridge.] which is very

large indeed, bigger I think than my fist, and weighs above

twenty-five ounces: and which is very miraculous, he never in

all his life had any fit of it, but lived to a great age without

pain, and died at last of something else, without any sense of

this in all his life. This day Creed at White Hall in discourse

told me what information he hath had from very good hands, of the

cowardize and ill-government of Sir Jer. Smith and Sir Thomas

Allen, and the repute they have both of them abroad in the

Streights, from their deportment when they did at several times

command there; and that, above all Englishmen that ever were

there, there never was any man that behaved himself like poor

Charles Wager, whom the very Moores do mention with tears

sometimes.

29th. To church; and there did first find a strange reader, who

could not find in the Service-book the place for churching women,

but was fain to change books with the clerke: and then a

stranger preached, a seeming able man; but said in his pulpit

that God did a greater work in raising of an oake-tree from an

acorn, than a man's body raising it at the last day from his dust

(showing the Possibility of the Resurrection): which was,

methought, a strange saying. Harris do so commend my wife's

picture of Mr. Hales's, that I shall have him draw Harris's head;

and he hath also persuaded me to have Cooper draw my wife's,

which though it cost 30l. yet I will have done. I do hear by

several that Sir W. Pen's going to sea do dislike the Parliament

mightily, and that they have revived the Committee of

Miscarriages to find something to prevent it; and that he being

the other day with the Duke of Albemarle to ask his opinion

touching his going to sea, the Duchesse overheard and came in to

him, and asked W. Pen how he durst have the confidence to offer

to go to sea again to the endangering the nation, when he knew

himself such a coward as he was; which, if true, is very severe.

30th. By coach to Common-garden Coffee-house, where by

appointment I was to meet Harris; which I did, and also Mr.

Cooper the great painter, and Mr. Hales. And thence presently to

Mr. Cooper's house to see some of his work; which is all in

little, but so excellent as, though I must confess I do think the

colouring of the flesh to be a little forced, yet the painting is

so extraordinary as I do never expect to see the like again.

Here I did see Mrs. Stewart's picture as when a young maid, and

now just done before her having the small-pox: and it would make

a man weep to see what she was then, and what she is like to be

by people's discourse now. Here I saw my Lord Generall's

picture, and my Lord Arlington and Ashly's, and several others:

but among the rest one Swinfen that was Secretary to my Lord

Manchester, Lord Chamberlain (with Cooling), done so admirably as

I never saw any thing: but the misery was, this fellow died in

debt and never paid Cooper for his picture; but it being seized

on by his creditors among his other goods after his death, Cooper

himself says that he did buy it and give 25l. out of his purse

for it, for what he was to have had but 30l. To White Hall and

Westminster, where I find the Parliament still bogling about the

raising of this money. And every body's mouth full now; and Mr.

Wren himself tells me that the Duke of York declares to go to sea

himself this year; and I perceive it is only on this occasion of

distaste of the Parliament against W. Pen's going, and to prevent

the Prince's: but I think it is mighty hot counsel for the Duke

of York at this time to go out of the way; but, Lord! what pass

are all our matters come to! At noon by appointment to

Cursitor's-alley in Chancery-lane, to meet Captain Cocke and some

other creditors the Navy, and their Counsel (Pemberton, North,

Offly, and Charles Porter); and there dined and talked of the

business of the assignments on the Exchequer of the 1,250,000l.

on behalf of our creditors; and there I do perceive that the

Counsel had heard of my performance in the Parliament-house

lately, and did value me and what I said accordingly. At dinner

we had a great deal of good discourse about Parliament; their

number being uncertain, and always at the will of the King to

encrease as he saw reason to erect a new borough. But all

concluded that the bane of the Parliament hath been the leaving

off the old custom of the places allowing wages to those that

served them in Parliament, by which they chose men that

understood their business and would attend it, and they could

expect an account from; which now they cannot: and so the

Parliament is become a company of men unable to give account for

the interest of the place they serve for. Thence, the meeting of

the Counsel with the King's Counsel this afternoon being put off

by reason of the death of Serjeant Maynard's lady, [John Maynard,

an eminent lawyer; made Serjeant to Cromwell in 1653, and

afterwards King's Serjeant by Charles II., who knighted him, In

1663 he was chosen Member for Berealston, and sat in every

Parliament till the Revolution. Ob. 1690, aged 88.] I to White

Hall, where the Parliament was to wait on the King; and they did:

and he did think fit to tell them that they might expect to be

adjourned at Whitsuntide, and that they might make haste to raise

their money; but this, I fear, will displease them, who did

expect to sit as long as they pleased.

APRIL 2, 1668. With Lord Brouncker to the Royall Society, where

they had just done; but there I was forced to subscribe to the

building of a college, and did give 40l.; and several others did

subscribe, some greater and some less sums; but several I saw

hang off: and I doubt it will spoil the Society, for it breeds

faction and ill-will, and becomes burdensome to some that cannot

or would not do it.

3rd. As soon as we had done with the Duke of York we did attend

the Council; and were there called in, and did hear Mr.

Sollicitor make his report to the Council in the business of a

complaint against us, for having prepared certificates on the

Exchequer for the further sum of 50,000l.; which he did in a most

excellent manner of words, but most cruelly severe against us,

and so were some of the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, as

men guilty of a practice with the tradesmen, to the King's

prejudice. I was unwilling to enter into a contest with them;

but took advantage of two or three words last spoke, and brought

it to a short issue in good words, that if we had the King's

order to hold our hands, we would; which did end the matter: and

they all resolved we should have it, and so it ended. And so we

away; I vexed that I did not speak more in a cause so fit to be

spoke in, and wherein we had so much advantage; but perhaps I

might have provoked the Sollicitor and the Commissioners of the

Treasury, and therefore since I am not sorry that I forebore.

This day I hear that Prince Rupert and Holmes do go to sea: and

by this there is a seeming friendship and peace among our great

seamen; but the devil a bit there is any love among them, or can

be.

4th, I did attend the Duke of York, and he did carry us to the

King's lodgings: but he was asleep in his closet; so we stayed

in the green-roome; where the Duke of York did tell us what rules

he had of knowing the weather, and did now tell us we should have

rain before to-morrow (it having been a dry season for some

time), and so it did rain all night almost; and pretty rules he

hath, and told Brouncker and me some of them, which were such as

no reason can readily be given for them. By and by the King

comes out: and then to talk of other things; about the Quakers

not swearing, and how they do swear in the business of a late

election of a Knight of the Shire of Hartfordshire in behalf of

one they have a mind to have; and how my Lord of Pembroke says he

hath heard the Quaker at the tennis-court swear to himself when

he loses; and told us what pretty notions my Lord Pembroke hath

of the first chapter of Genesis, and a great deal of such

fooleries; which the King made mighty mockery at.

5th. I hear that eight of the ringleaders in the late tumults of

the prentices at Easter are condemned to die.

6th. The King and Duke of York themselves in my absence did call

for some of the Commissioners of the Treasury and give them

directions about the business of the certificates; which I,

despairing to do any thing on a Sunday, and not thinking that

they would think of it themselves, did rest satisfied with, and

stayed at home all yesterday, leaving it to do something in this

day: but I find that the King and Duke of York had been so

pressing in it, that my Lord Ashly was more forward with the

doing of it this day than I could have been. And so I to White

Hall with Alderman Backewell in his coach, with Mr. Blany, my

Lord's Secretary; and there did draw up a rough draught of what

order I would have, and did carry it in, and had it read twice

and approved of before my Lord Ashly and three more of the

Commissioners of the Treasury; and then went up to the Council-

chamber, where the Duke of York and Prince Rupert, and the rest

of the Committee of the Navy, were sitting: and I did get some

of them to read it there; and they would have had it passed

presently, but Sir John Nichollas desired they would first have

it approved by a full council; and therefore a Council

Extraordinary was readily summoned against the afternoon, and,

the Duke of York run presently to the King, as if now they were

really set to mind their business; which God grant! Mr. Montagu

did tell me how Mr. Vaughan in that very room did say that I was

a great man, and had great understanding, and I know not what;

which, I confess, I was a little proud of, if I may believe him.

Here I do hear as a great secret that the King, and Duke of York

and Duchesse, and my lady Castlemaine, are now all agreed in a

strict league, and all things like to go very current, and that

it is not impossible to have my Lord Clarendon in time here

again. But I do hear that my Lady Castlemaine is horribly vexed

at the late libell, the petition of the poor prostitutes about

the town whose houses were pulled down the other day. I have got

one of them; and it is not very witty, but devilish severe

against her and the King: and I wonder how it durst be printed

and spread abroad; which shows that the times are loose, and come

to a great disregard of the King, or Court, or Govermment. To

the Park; and then to the House, and there at the door eat and

drank; whither came my Lady Kerneagy [Carnegie.] of whom Creed

tells me more particulars: how her Lord, finding her and the

Duke of York at the King's first coming in, too kind, did get it

out of her that he did dishonour him; and did take the most

pernicious and full piece of revenge that ever I heard of; and he

at this day owns it with great glory, and looks upon the Duke of

York and the world with great content in the ampleness of his

revenge. [VIDE Memoires de Grammont.] This day in the

afternoon, stepping with the Duke of York into St. James's Park,

it rained; and I was forced to lend the Duke of York my cloak,

which he wore through the Park.

7th. To the King's playhouse, and there saw "The English

Monsieur" [A Comedy by James Howard.] (sitting for privacy sake

in an upper box): the play hath much mirth in it as to that

particular humour. After the play done I down to Knipp, and did

stay her undressing herself: and there saw the several players,

men and women, go by; and pretty to see how strange they are all,

one to another, after the play is done. Here I hear Sir W.

Davenant is just now dead; and so who will succeed him in the

mastership of the House is not yet known. The eldest Davenport

is, it seems, gone from this house to be kept by somebody; which

I am glad of, she being a very bad actor. Mrs. Knipp tells me

that my Lady Castlemaine is mightily in love with Hart of their

house; and he is much with her in private, and she goes to him

and do give him many presents; and that the thing is most

certain, and Beck Marshall only privy to it, and the means of

bringing them together: which is a very odd thing; and by this

means she is even with the King's love to Mrs. Davis.

8th. To Drumbleby's, and there did talk a great deal about

pipes; and did buy a recorder, which I do intend to learn to play

on, the sound of it being, of all sounds in the world, most

pleasing to me.

9th. I up and down to the Duke of York's playhouse, there to

see, which I did, Sir W. Davenant's corpse, carried out towards

Westminster, there to be buried. Here were many coaches and six

horses, and many hacknies, that made it look, methought, as if it

were the buriall of a poor poet. He seemed to have many

children, by five or six in the first mourning-coach, all boys.

To my office, where is come a packet from the Downes from my

brother Balty, who with Harman are arrived there, of which this

day comes the first news. And now the Parliament will be

satisfied, I suppose, about the business they have so long

desired between Brouncker [Henry Brouncker.] and Harman, about

not prosecuting the first victory.

16th. To Westminster Hall, where I hear W. Pen is ordered to be

impeached. There spoke with many, and particularly with G.

Montagu; and went with him and Creed to his house, where he told

how Sir W. Pen hath been severe to Lord Sandwich; but the

Coventrys both labouring to save him by laying it on Lord

Sandwich; which our friends cry out upon, and I am silent, but do

believe they did it as the only way to save him. It could not be

carried to commit him. It is thought the House do cool: Sir W.

Coventry's being for him provoked Sir R. Howard, and his party:

Court all for W. Pen.

17th. I hear that the House is upon the business of Harman, who,

they say, takes all on himself.

18th. Do hear this morning that Harman is committed by the

Parliament last night, the day he came up; which is hard: but he

took all upon himself first, and then, when a witness came in to

say otherwise, he would have retracted; and the House took it so

ill, they would commit him.

19th. Roger Pepys did tell me the whole story of Harman, how he

prevaricated, and hath undoubtedly been imposed on and wheedled;

and he is like the miller's man that in Richard the Third's time

was hanged for his master.

20th. To White Hall, and there hear how Brouncker is tied, which

I think will undo him; but what good it will do Harman I know

not, he hath so befouled himself; but it will be good sport to my

Lord Chancellor to hear how his great enemy is fain to take the

same course that he is. There met Robinson, who tells me that he

fears his master, Sir W. Coventry, will this week have his

business brought upon the stage again about selling of places;

which I shall be sorry for, though the less since I hear his

standing up for Pen the other day, to the prejudice, though not

to the ruin, of my Lord Sandwich; and yet I do think what he did,

he did out of a principle of honesty. Meeting Sir William Hooker

the Alderman, he did cry out mighty high against Sir W. Pen for

his getting such an estate and giving 15,000l. with his daughter;

which is more by half than ever he did give; but this the world

believes, and so let them.

21st. I hear how Sir W. Pen's impeachment was read and agreed to

in the House this day, and ordered to be engrossed; and he

suspended the House: Harman set at liberty; and Brouncker put

out of the House, and a writ [At Romney, which Brouncker

represented.] for a new election, and an impeachment ordered to

be brought in against him, he being fled.

22nd. To White Hall; and there we attended the Duke of York as

usual; and I did present Mrs. Pett the widow and her petition to

the Duke of York, for some relief from the King. Here was to-day

a proposition made to the Duke of York by Captain Von Hemskirke

for 20,000l. to discover an art how to make a ship go two feet

for one what any ship do now: which the King inclines to try, it

costing him nothing to try and it is referred to us to contract

with the man. Then by water from the Privy-stairs to Westminster

Hall: and taking water the King and the Duke of York were in the

new buildings; and the Duke of York called to me whither I was

going? And I answered aloud, "To wait on our masters at

Westminster;" at which he and all the company laughed: but I was

sorry and troubled for it afterwards, for fear any Parliament-man

should have been there; and it will be a caution to me for the

time to come.

24th. I did hear the Duke of York tell how Sir W. Pen's

impeachment was brought into the House of Lords to-day; and he

spoke with great kindness of him: and that the Lords would not

commit, him till they could find precedent for it, and did

incline to favour him.

25th. To Westminster Hall, and there met with Roger Pepys; and

he tells me that nothing hath lately passed about my Lord

Sandwich but only Sir Robert Carr did speak hardly of him. But

it is hoped that nothing will be done more this meeting of

Parliament, which the King did by a message yesterday declare

again should rise the 4th of May, and then only adjourne for

three months; and this message being only about an adjournment

did please them mightily, for they are desirous of their power

mightily.

27th. To Westminster Hall, and up to the Lords' House; and there

saw Sir W. Pen go into the House of Lords, where his impeachment

was read to him and he used mighty civilly, the Duke of York

being there; and two days hence, at his desire, he is to bring in

his answer, and a day then to be appointed for his being heard

with Counsel. Thence down into the Hall, and with Creed and

Godolphin walked; and do hear that to-morrow is appointed, upon a

motion on Friday last, to discourse the business of my Lord

Sandwich, moved by Sir R. Howard, that he should be sent for

home; and I fear it will be ordered. Certain news come, I hear,

this day, that the Spanish Plenipotentiary in Flanders will not

agree to the peace and terms we and the Dutch have made for him

and the King of France; and by this means the face of things may

be altered, and we forced to join with the French against Spain;

which will be an odd thing.

28th. By coach to Westminster Hall, and there do understand that

the business of religion and the Act against Conventicles have so

taken them up all this morning, and do still, that my Lord

Sandwich's business is not like to come on to-day; which I am

heartily glad of. This law against Conventicles is very severe;

but Creed, whom I meet here, do tell me that it being moved that

Papists' meetings might be included, the House was divided upon

it, and it was carried in the negative; which will give great

disgust to the people, I doubt. To the King's house, and there

did see "Love in a Maze;" wherein very good mirth of Lacy the

clown, and Wintershell the country-knight, his master.

29th. To White Hall, and there do hear how Sir W. Pen hath

delivered in his answer; and the Lords have sent it down to the

Commons, but they have not yet read it nor taken notice of it, so

as I believe they will by design defer it till they rise, that so

he by lying under an impeachment may be prevented in his going to

sea; which will vex him, and trouble the Duke of York. To

Westminster Hall, and there met Mr. G. Montagu, and walked and

talked; who tells me that the best fence against the Parliament's

present fury is delay, and recommended it to me in my friends'

business and my own, if I have any; and is that that Sir W.

Coventry do take, and will secure himself: that the King will

deliver up all to the Parliament; and being petitioned the other

day by Mr. Brouncker to protect him, with teares in his eyes the

King did say he could not, and bid him shift for himself, at

least till the House is up.

30th. To the Dolphin Tavern, there to meet on neighbours all of

the parish, this being Procession-day, to dine. And did: and

much very good discourse; they being most of them very able

merchants, as any in the City; Sir Andrew Rickard, Mr. Vandeputt,

Sir John Fredericke, Harrington, and others. They talked with

Mr. Mills about the meaning of this day, and the good uses of it;

and how heretofore, and yet in several places, they do whip a boy

at each place they stop at in their procession stopped to talk

with Mr. Brisband, who gives me an account of the rough usage Sir

G. Carteret and his Counsel, had the other day before the

Commissioners of Accounts, and what I do believe we shall all of

us have in a greater degree than any he hath had yet with them,

before their three years are out; which are not yet begun, nor

God knows when they will, this being like to be no session of

Parliament when they now rise. Thus ends this month; my wife in

the country, myself full of pleasure and expence; in some trouble

for my friends, and my Lord Sandwich by the Parliament, and more

for my eyes, which are daily worse and worse, that I dare not

write or read almost any thing. The Parliament going in a few

days to rise: myself so long without accounting now (for seven

or eight months, I think, or more,) that I know not what

condition almost I am in as to getting or spending for all that

time; which troubles me, but I will soon do it. The kingdom in

an ill state through poverty: a fleet going out, and no money to

maintain it or set it out; seamen yet unpaid, and mutinous when

pressed to go out again; our office able to do little, nobody

trusting us, nor we desiring any to trust us, and yet have not

money for any thing, but only what particularly belongs to this

fleet going out, and that but lamely too. The Parliament several

months upon an Act for 300,000l. but cannot or will not agree

upon it, but do keep it back, in spite of the King's desires to

hasten it, till they can obtain what they have a mind in revenge

upon some men for the late ill managements; and he is forced to

submit to what they please, knowing that without it he shall have

no money, and they as well that if they give the money the King

will suffer them to do little more: and then the business of

religion do disquiet every body, the Parliament being vehement

against the Nonconformists, while the King seems to be willing to

countenance them. So we are all poor and in pieces, God help us!

while the peace is like to go on between Spain and France; and

then the French may be apprehended able to attack us. So God

help us!

MAY 1, 1668. Met my cosen Thomas Pepys of Deptford, and took

some turns with him; and he is mightily troubled for this Act now

passed against Conventicles, and in few words and sober do lament

the condition we are in by a negligent prince and a mad

Parliament. To the King's playhouse, and there saw "The

Surprizall;" and a disorder in the pit by its raining in from the

cupola, at top. I understand how the Houses of Commons and Lords

are like to disagree very much about the business of the East

India Company, and one Skinner; to the latter of which the Lords

have awarded 5000l. from the former, for some wrong done him

heretofore; and the former appealing to the Commons, the Lords

vote their petition a libell; and so there is like to follow very

hot work.

3rd. To church, where I saw Sir A. Rickard, though he be under

the Black Rod, by order of the Lords' House, upon the quarrel

between the East India Company and Skinner; which is like to come

to a very great heat between the two Houses. To Old-street, to

see Sir Thomas Teddiman, who is very ill in bed of a fever, got,

I believe, by the fright the Parliament have put him into of

late.

3th. Creed and I to the Duke of York's playhouse; and there

coming late, up to the balcony-box, where we find my Lady

Castlemaine and several great ladies; and there we sat with them,

and I saw "The Impertinents" once more, now three times, and the

three only days it hath been acted. And to see the folly how the

house do this day cry up the play more than yesterday! and I for

that reason like it, I find, the better too. By Sir Positive At-

all, I understand is meant Sir Robert Howard. My Lady pretty

well pleased with it: but here I eat; close to her fine woman,

Willson, who indeed is very handsome, but, they say, with child

by the King. I asked, and she told me this was the first time

her Lady had seen it, I having a mind to say something to her.

One thing of familiarity I observed in my Lady Castlemaine: she

called to one of her women, another that sat by this, for a

little patch off of her face, and put it into her mouth and

wetted it, and so clapped it upon her own by the side of her

mouth, I suppose she feeling a pimple rising there. Thence with

Creed to Westminster Hall, and there met with cosen Roger, who

tells me of the great conference this day between the Lords and

Commons about the business of the East India Company, as being

one of the weightiest conferences that hath been, and maintained

as weightily. I am heartily sorry I was not there, it being upon

a mighty point of the privileges of the subjects of England in

regard to the authority of the House of Lords, and their being

condemned by them as the Supreme Court, which we say ought not to

be but by appeal from other Courts. And he tells me that the

Commons had much the better of them in reason and history there

quoted, and believes the Lords will let it fall.

6th. I understand that my Lord St. John is meant by Mr.

Woodrocke in "The Impertinents." Home to put up things against

to-morrow's carrier for my wife; and, among others, a very fine

salmon pie sent me by Mr. Steventon, W. Hewer's uncle.

7th. To the King's House; where going in for Knipp, the play

being done, I did see Beck Marshall come dressed off the stage,

and look mighty fine and pretty, and noble: and also Nell in her

boy's clothes, mighty pretty. Put Lord! their confidence, and

how many men do hover about them as soon as they come off the

stage, and how confident they are in their talk! Here was also

Haynes, the incomparable dancer of the King's house. Then we

abroad to Marrowbone, and there walked in the garden, the first

time I ever was there; and a pretty place it is.

8th. The Lords' House did sit till eleven o'clock last night

about the business of difference between them and the Commons in

the matter of the East India Company. To my Lord Crewe's, and

there dined; where Mr. Case the minister, a dull fellow in his

talk, and all in the Presbyterian manner; a great deal of noise

and a kind of religious tone, but very dull. After dinner my

Lord and I together. He tells me he hears that there are great

disputes like to be at Court between the factions of the two

women, my Lady Castlemaine and Mrs. Stewart, who is now well

again, (the King having made several public visits to her,) and

like to come to Court: the other is to go to Barkeshire-house,

which is taken for her, and they say a Privy-seal is passed for

5000l. for it. He believes all will come to ruin. Thence I to

White Hall; where the Duke of York gone to the Lords' House,

where there is to be a conference on thee Lords' side with the

Commons this afternoon, giving in their Reasons, which I would

have been at, but could not; for going by direction to the

Prince's chamber, there Brouncker, W. Pen, and Mr. Wren and I

met, and did our business with the Duke of York. But, Lord! to

see how this play of Sir Positive At-all in abuse of Sir Robert

Howard do take, all the Duke's and every body's talk being of

that, and telling more stories of him of the like nature, that it

is now the town and country talk, and, they say, is most exactly

true. The Duke of York himself said that of his playing at trap-

ball is true, and told several other stories of him. Then to

Brouncker's house, and there sat and talked, I asking many

questions in mathematics to my Lord, which he do me the pleasure

to satisfy me in.

9th. I hear that the Queene hath miscarryed of a perfect child,

being gone about ten weeks; which do show that she can conceive,

though it be unfortunate that she cannot bring forth. We are

told also that last night the Duchesse of Monmouth dancing at her

lodgings, hath sprained her thigh. We are told also that the

House of Commons sat till five o'clock this morning upon the

business of the difference between the Lords and them, resolving

to do something therein before they rise to assert their

privileges. So I at noon by water to Westminster, and there find

the King hath waited in the Prince's chamber these two hours, and

the Houses are not ready for him. The Commons having sent this

morning, after their long debate therein the last night, to the

Lords, that they do think the only expedient left to preserve

unity between the two Houses is, that they do put a stop to any

proceedings upon their late judgement against the East India

Company, till their next meeting; to which the Lords returned

answer, that they would return answer to them by a messenger of

their own; which they not presently doing, they were all

inflamed, and thought it was only a trick to keep them in

suspense till the King come to adjourne them; and so rather than

lose the opportunity of doing themselves right, they presently

with great fury come to this vote: "That whoever should assist

in the execution of the Judgement of the Lords against the

Company should be held betrayers of the liberties of the people

of England, and of the privileges of that House." This the Lords

had notice of, and were mad at it; and so continued debating

without any design to yield to the Commons, till the King came in

and sent for the Commons: where the Speaker made a short but

silly speech about their giving him 300,000l.; and then the

several Bills their titles were read, and the King's assent

signified in the proper terms, according to the nature of the

Bills; of which about three or four were public Bills, and seven

or eight private ones, (the additional Bills for the building of

the City and the Bill against Conventicles being none of them.)

The King did make a short silly speech, which he read, giving

them thanks for the money, which now, he said, he did believe

would be sufficient, because there was peace between his

neighbours; which was a kind of a slur, methought, to the

Commons: and that he was sorry for what he heard of difference

between the two Houses, but that he hoped their recesse would put

them into a way of accommodation; and so adjourned them to the

9th of August, and then recollected himself and told them the

11th; so imperfect a speaker he is. So the Commons went to their

House, and forthwith adjourned; and the Lords resumed their

House, the King being gone, and sat an hour or two after: but

what they did, I cannot tell; but every body expected they would

commit Sir Andrew Rickard, Sir Samuel Barnardiston, [Wood

mentions Sir S. Barnadiston as a leading Fanatic, CIRC. 1683.]

Mr. Boone, and Mr. Wynne, who were all there, and called in upon

their knees to the bar of the House: and Sir John Robinson I

left there, endeavouring to prevent their being committed to the

Tower, lest he should thereby be forced to deny their order,

because of this vote of the Commons, whereof he is one; which is

an odde case.

12th. Lord Anglesy, in talk about the late difference between

the two Houses, do tell us that he thinks the House of Lords may

be in an error, at least it is possible they may, in this matter

of Skinner; and did declare his judgement in the House of Lords

against their proceedings therein, he having hindered 100

originall causes being brought into their House, notwithstanding

that he was put upon defending their proceedings: but that he is

confident that the House of Commons are in the wrong, in the

method they take to remedy an error of the Lords, for no vote of

theirs can do it; but in all like cases the Commons have done it

by petition to the King, sent up to the Lords, and by them agreed

to and so redressed, as they did in the petition of Right. He

says that he did tell them indeed, which is talked of, and which

did vex the Commons, that the Lords were "JUDICES NATI ET

CONCILIARII NATI;" but all other Judges among us are under

salary, and the Commons themselves served for wages; and

therefore the Lords, in reason, the freer Judges.

13th. To attend the Council about the business of Hemskirke's

project of building a ship that sails two feet for one of any

other ship; which the Council did agree to be put in practice,

the King to give him, if it proves good, 5000l. in hand, and

15,000l. more in seven years: which for my part I think a piece

of folly for them to meddle with, because the secret cannot be

long kept. This morning I hear that last night Sir Thomas

Teddiman, poor man! did die by a thrush in his mouth: a good

man, and stout and able, and much lamented; though people do make

a little mirth, and say, as I believe it did in good part, that

the business of the Parliament did break his heart, or at least

put him into this fever and disorder that; caused his death.

15th. To a Committee for Tangier; where God knows how my Lord

Bellasses' accounts passed: understood by nobody but my Lord

Ashly, who, I believe, was allowed to let them go as he pleased.

But here Sir H. Cholmly had his propositions read about a greater

price for his work of the Molle, or to do it upon account; which

being read, he was bid to withdraw. But, Lord! to see how

unlucky a man may be by chance! for, making an unfortunate

motion when they were almost tired with the other business, the

Duke of York did find fault with it, and that made all the rest,

that I believe he had better have given a great deal and had

nothing said to it to-day; whereas I have seen other things more

extravagant passed at first hearing, without any difficulty. To

Loriner's-hall, by Mooregate, (a hall I never heard of before,)

to Sir Thomas Teddiman's burial, where most people belonging to

the sea, were. And here we had rings: and here I do hear that

some of the last words that he said were, that he had a, very

good King, God bless him! but that the Parliament had very ill

rewarded him for all the service he had endeavoured to do them

and his country: so that for certain this did go far towards his

death. But, Lord! to see among the company the young

commanders, and Thomas Killigrew and others that came, how unlike

a burial this was, O'Brian taking out some ballads out of his

pocket, which I read, and the rest come about me to hear! And

there very merry we were all, they being new ballads. By and by

the corpse went; and I, with my Lord Brouncker, and Dr. Clerke,

and Mr. Pierce, as far as the foot of London-bridge; and there we

struck off into Thames-street, the rest going to Redriffe, where

he is to be buried. The Duchesse of Monmouth's hip is, I hear,

now set again, after much pain. I am told also that the

Countesse of Shrewsbery is brought home by the Duke of Buckingham

to his house; where his Duchesse saying that it was not for her

and the other to live together in a house, he answered, "Why,

Madam, I did think so, and therefore have ordered your coach to

be ready to carry you to your father's;" which was a devilish

speech, but, they say, true; and my Lady Shrewsbery is there,

it seems.

18th. To the King's playhouse, and there saw the best part of

"The Sea Voyage," [A comedy, by Beaumont and Fletcher.] where

Knipp did her part of sorrow very well.

17th (Lord's day). Up, and put on my new stuff-suit, with a

shoulder-belt according to the new fashion, and the hands of my

vest and tunique laced with silk-lace of the colour of my suit:

and so very handsome to church.

18th. To my Lord Bellasses, at his new house by my late Lord

Treasurer's; which indeed is mighty noble, and good pictures,

indeed not one bad one in it. It being almost twelve o'clock, or

little more, to the King's playhouse, where the doors were not

then open; but presently they did open; and we in, and find many

people already come in by private ways into the pit, it being the

first day of Sir Charles Sedley's new play so long expected, "The

Mulbery Garden;" of whom, being so reputed a wit, all the world

do expect great matters. I having sat here awhile and eat

nothing to-day, did slip out, getting a boy to keep my place; and

to the Rose Tavern, and there got half a breast of mutton off of

the spit, and dined all alone. And so to the play again; where

the King and Queene by and by come, and all the Court; and the

house infinitely full. But the play, when it come, though there

was here and there a pretty saying, and that not very many

neither, yet the whole of the play had nothing extraordinary in

it all, neither of language nor design; insomuch that the King I

did not see laugh nor pleased from the beginning to the end, nor

the company; insomuch that I have not been less pleased at a new

play in my life, I think.

19th. Pierce tells me that for certain Mr. Vaughan is made Lord

Chief Justice; which I am glad of. He tells me too, that since

my Lord of Ormond's coming over, the King begins to be mightily

reclaimed, and sups every night with great pleasure with the

Queene: and yet, it seems, he is mighty hot upon the Duchesse of

Richmond; insomuch that, upon Sunday was se'nnight at night,

after he had ordered his Guards and coach to be ready to carry

him to the Park, he did on a sudden take a pair of oars or

sculler, and all alone, or but one with him, go to Somerset

House, and there, the garden-door not being open, himself clamber

over the wall to make a visit to her; which is a horrid shame.

20th. To the Council-chamber, where the Committee of the Navy

sat; and here we discoursed several things, but, Lord! like

fools, so as it was a shame to see things of this importance

managed by a Council that understand nothing of them. And, among

other things, one was about this building of a ship with

Hemskirke's secret, to sail a third faster than any other ship;

but he hath got Prince Rupert on his side, and by that means, I

believe, will get his conditions made better than he would

otherwise, or ought indeed. To the Mulbery-garden, [On the site

of which Buckingham-House was erected.] where I never was

before; and find it a very silly place, worse than Spring-garden,

and but little company, only a wilderness here that is somewhat

pretty.

21st. To the office, where meets me Sir Richard Ford; who among

other things congratulates me, as one or two did yesterday, on my

great purchase; and he advises me rather to forbear if it be not

done, as a thing that the world will envy me in: and what is it

but my cosen Tom Pepys's buying of Martin Abbey, [In 1668 the

site of Murton, ALIAS Martin Priory, was conveyed by Ellis Crispe

to Thomas Pepys, Esq., of Hatcham Barns, Master of the Jewel-

office to Charles II. and James II.--MANNING'S SURREY.] in

Surry? All the town is full of the talk of a meteor, or some

fire, that did on Saturday last fly over the City at night; which

do put me in mind that, being then walking in the dark an hour or

more myself in the garden after I had done writing, I did see a

light before me come from behind me, which made me turn back my

head; and I did see a sudden fire or light running in the sky, as

it were towards Cheapside-ward, And vanished very quick; which

did make me bethink myself what holyday it was, and took it for

some rocket, though it was much brighter: and the world do make

much discourse of it, their apprehensione being mighty full of

the rest of the City to be burned, and the Papists to cut our

throats.

22nd. I fitted myself for my journey to Brampton to-morrow,

which I fear will not be pleasant because of the wet weather, it

rained very hard all this day; but the less it troubles me,

because the King and Duke of York and Court are at this day at

Newmarket at a great horse-race, and proposed great pleasure for

two or three days, but are in the same wet.

23rd. To the Bull in Bishopsgate-street; and, there about six

took coach, and so away to Bishop's Stafford, [Bishop Stortford,

in Herts.] The ways are mighty full of water, so as hardly to be

passed. After dinner to Cambridge, about nine at night: and

there I met my father's horses.

24th. We set out by three o'clock to Brampton. Here I saw my

brother and sister Jackson. After dinner my Lady Sandwich

sending to see whether I was come, I presently took horse, and

find her and her family at chapel: and, thither I went in to

them, and sat out the sermon; where I heard Jervas Fulwood, now

their chaplain, preach a very good and civantick kind of sermon,

too good for an ordinary congregation. After sermon I with my

Lady, and my Lady Hinchingbroke, and Paulina, and Lord

Hinchingbroke.

25th. To Cambridge, the waters not being now so high as before.

Here lighting, I took my boy and two brothers, and walked to

Magdalene College; and there into the butterys as a stranger, and

there drank of their beer, which pleased me, as the best I ever

drank; and hear by the Butler's man, who was son to Goody

Mulliner over-against the College, that we used to buy stewed

prunes of, concerning the College and persons in it; and find

very few, only Mr. Hollins [John Hollins of Medley, in Yorkshire;

admitted a Pensioner of Magdalene College, March 1651.] and

Pechell, I think, that were of my time.

26th. To the coach; where about six o'clock we set out, and got

to Bishopsgate-street before eight o'clock, the waters being now

most of them down, and we avoiding the bad way in the forest by a

privy way, which brought us to Hodsden; and so to Tibald's that

road; which was mighty pleasant.

27th. Met Mr. Sawyer, my old chamber-fellow; and he and I by

water together to the Temple, he giving me an account of the

base, rude usage which he and Sir G. Carteret had lately before

the Commissioners of Accounts, where he was as Counsel to Sir G.

Carteret; which I was sorry to hear, they behaving themselves

like most insolent and ill-mannered men. To see Sir W. Pen; whom

I find still very ill of the gout, sitting in his great chair,

made on purpose for persons sick of that disease for their ease;

and this very chair, he tells me, was made for my Lady Lambert.

29th. Received some directions from the Duke of York and the

Committee of the Navy about casting up the charge of the present

summer's fleet, that so they may come within the bounds of the

sum given by the Parliament. But it is pretty to see how Prince

Rupert and other mad silly people are for setting out but a

little fleet, there being no occasion for it; and say it will be

best to save the money for better uses. But Sir G. Carteret did

declare that in wisdom it was better to do so; but that, in

obedience to the Parliament, he was for setting out the fifty

sail talked on, though it spent all the money, and to little

purpose; and that this was better than to leave it to the

Parliament to make bad constructions of their thrift, if any

trouble should happen. Thus wary the world is grown! Thence

back again presently home, and did business till noon. And then

to Sir G. Carteret's to dinner with much good company, it being

the King's birthday, and many healths drunk. And here I did

receive another letter from my Lord Sandwich; which troubles me

to see how I have neglected him in not writing, or but once, all

this time of his being abroad and I see he takes notice, but yet

gently, of it.

30th. Up, and put on a new summer black bombazin suit; and being

come now to an agreement with my barber to keep my perriwig in

good order at 20s. a-year, I am like to go very spruce, more than

I used to do. To the King's playhouse, and there saw

"Philaster;" [A tragedy, by Beaumont and Fletcher.] where it is

pretty to see how I could remember almost all along, ever since I

was a boy, Arethusa, the part which I was to have acted at Sir

Robert Cooke's; and it was very pleasant to me, but more to think

what a ridiculous thing it would have been for me to have acted a

beautiful woman. To Fox Hall, and there fell into the company of

Harry Killigrew, a rogue newly come out of France, but still in

disgrace at our Court, and young Newport and others, as very

rogues as any in the town, who were ready to take hold of every

woman that come by them. And so to supper in an arbour: but

Lord! their mad talk did make my heart ake. And here I first

understood by their talk the meaning of the company that lately

were called Ballers; Harris telling how it was by a meeting of

some young blades, where he was among them, and my Lady Bennet

and her ladies; and there dancing naked, and all the roguish

things in the world. But, Lord! what loose company was this

that I was in to-night, though full of wit; and worth a man's

being in for once to know the nature of it, and their manner of

talk and lives.

31st. I hear that Mrs. Davis is quite gone from the Duke of

York's house, and Gosnell comes in her room; which I am glad of.

At the play at Court the other night Mrs. Davis was there; and

when she was to come to dance her jigg, the Queene would not stay

to see it; which people do think was out of displeasure at her

being the King's mistress, that she could not bear it. My Lady

Castlemaine is, it seems, now mightily out of request, the King

coming little to her, and then she mighty melancholy and

discontented.

JUNE 1, 1668. Alone to Fox Hall, and walked and saw young

Newport and two more rogues of the town seize on two ladies, who

walked with them an hour with their masks on; (perhaps civil

ladies;) and there I left them.

3rd. To White Hall to the Council-chamber, where I did present

the Duke of York with an account of the charge of the present

fleet to his satisfaction; and this being done, did ask his leave

for my going out of town five or six days, which he did give me,

saying that my diligence in the King's business was such that I

ought not to be denied when my own business called me any

whither. To my Lord Crewe's to visit him; from whom I learn

nothing but that there hath been some controversy at the Council-

table about my Lord Sandwich's signing, where some would not have

had him, in the treaty with Portugall; but all, I think, is over

in it.

4th. Mr. Clerke the solicitor dined with me and my clerks.

After dinner I carried and set him down at; the Temple, he

observing to me how St. Sepulchre's church steeple is repaired

already a good deal, and the Fleet-bridge is contracted for by

the City to begin to be built this summer; which do please me

mightily. I to White Hall, and walked through the Park for a

little ayre; and so back to the Council-chamber to the Committee

of the Navy, about the business of fitting the present fleet

suitable to the money given; which, as the King orders it and by

what appears, will be very little, and so as I perceive the Duke

of York will have nothing to command, nor can intend to go

abroad. But it is pretty to see how careful these great men are

to do every thing so as they may answer it to the Parliament,

thinking themselves safe in nothing but where the Judges (with

whom they often advise) do say the matter is doubtful; and so

they take upon themselves then to be the chief persons to

interpret what is doubtful. Thence home, and all the evening to

set matters in order against my going to Brampton to-morrow,

being resolved upon my journey, and having the Duke of York's

leave again to-day; though I do plainly see that I can very ill

be spared now, there being much business, especially about this

which I have attended the Council about, and I the man that am

alone consulted with; and besides, my Lord Brouncker is at this

time ill, and Sir W. Pen. So things being put in order at the

office, I home to do the like there; and so to bed.

5th. [The Journal from this time to the 17th of June is

contained on five leaves, inserted in the Book and after them

follow several blank pages.] Friday. At Barnet for milk, 6d.

On the highway, to menders of the highway, 6d. Dinner at

Stevenage, 5s. 6d.

6th. Saturday. Spent at Huntingdon with Bowles and Appleyard,

and Shepley, 2s.

7th. Sunday. My father, for money lent, and horse-hire, 1l.

11s.

8th. Monday. Father's servants (father having in the garden

told me bad stories of my wife's ill words), 14s.; one that

helped at the horses, 1s.; menders of the highway, 2s. Pleasant

country to Bedford; where, while they stay, I rode through the

town; and a good country town; and there drinking, 1s. We on to

Newport; and there I and W. Hewer to the church, and there give

the boy 1s. So to Buckingham, a good old town. Here I to see

the church; which very good, and the leads, and a school in it:

did give the sexton's boy 1s. A fair bridge here, with many

arches: vexed at my people's making me lose so much time:

reckoning, 13s. 4d. Mightily pleased with the pleasure of the

ground all the day. At night to Newport Pagnell; and there a

good pleasant country-town, but few people in it. A very fair

and like a cathedral-church; and I saw the leads, and a vault

that goes far under ground: the town, and so most of this

country, well watered. Lay here well and rose next day by four

o'clock: few people in the town: and so away. Reckoning for

supper, 19s. 6d.; poor, 6d. Mischance to the coach, but no time

lost.

9th. Tuesday. We came to Oxford, a very sweet place: paid our

guide 1l. 2s. 6d.; barber, 2s. 6d.; book (Stonhenge,) 4s.; boy

that showed me the colleges before dinner, 1s. To dinner; and

then out with my wife and people, and landlord; and to him that

showed us the schools and library, 10s.; to him that showed us

All Souls' College and Chichly's picture, 5s. So to see Christ

Church with my wife, I seeing several others very fine alone

before dinner, and did give the boy that went with me, 1s.

Strawberries, 1s. 2d. Dinner and servants, 1l. 0s. 6d. After

coming home from the schools, I out with the landlord to Brazen-

nose College to the butteries, and in the cellar find the hand of

the child of Hales, long butler, 2s. [Does this mean "slipped

2s. into the child's hand?"] Thence with coach and people to

Physic-garden, 1s. So to Friar Bacon's study: I up and saw it,

and gave the man 1s.--Bottle of sack for landlord, 2s. Oxford

mighty fine place; and well seated, and cheap entertainment. At

night came to Abingdon, where had been a fair of custard; and met

many people and scholars going home; and there did get some

pretty good musick, and sang and danced till supper: 5s.

10th. Wednesday. Up, and walked to the hospitall: very large

and fine, and pictures of founders and the History of the

hospitall; and is said to be worth 700l. per annum, and that Mr.

Foly was here lately to see how their lands were settled. And

here, in old English, the story of the occasion of it, and a

rebus at the bottom. So did give the poor, which they would not

take but in their box, 2s. 8d. So to the inn, and paid the

reckoning and what not, 13s. So forth towards Hungerford. Led

this good way by our landlord, one Heart, an old but very civil

and well-spoken man, more than I ever heard, of his quality. He

gone, we forward; and I vexed at my people's not minding the way.

So come to Hungerford, where very good trouts, eels, and cray-

fish. Dinner: a mean town. At dinner there, 12s. Thence set

out with a guide, who saw us to Newmarket-heath, and then left

us, 3s. 6d. So all over the plain by the sight of the steeple

(the plain high and low) to Salisbury by night; but before I came

to the town, I saw a great fortification, and there light, and to

it and in it; and find it prodigious, so as to fright me to be in

it all alone at that time of night, it being dark. I understand

since it to be that that is called Old Sarum. Come to the George

Inne, where lay in a silk bed; and very good diet. To supper;

then to bed.

11th. Thursday. Up, and W. Hewer and I up and down the town,

and find it a very brave place. The river goes through every

street; and a most capacious market-place. The city great, I

think greater than Hereford. But the minster most admirable; as

big, I think, and handsomer than Westminster: and a most large

close about it, and horses for the officers thereof, and a fine

palace for the Bishop. So to my lodging back, and took out my

wife and people to show them the town and church; but they being

at prayers, we could not be shown the quire. A very good organ;

and I looked in and saw the Bishop, my friend Dr. Ward. Thence

to the inns; and there not being able to hire coach-horses, and

not willing to use our own, we got saddle-horses, very dear. Boy

that went to look for them 6d. So the three women behind W.

Hewer, Murford, and our guide, and I single to Stonehenge, over

the plain and some great hills, even to fright us. Come thither,

and find them as prodigious as any tales I ever heard of them,

and worth going this journey to see. God knows what their use

was: they are hard to tell, but yet may be told. Gave the

shepherd-woman, for leading our horses, 4d. So back by Wilton,

my Lord Pembroke's house, which we could not see, he being just

coming to town; but the situation I do not like, nor the house at

present much, it being in a low but rich valley. So back home;

and there being light we to the church, and there find them at

prayers again, so could not see the quire; but I sent the women

home, and I did go in and saw very many fine tombs, and among the

rest some very ancient of the Montagus. So home to dinner; and

that being done, paid the reckoning, which was so exorbitant, and

particular in rate of my horses, and 7s. 6d. for bread and beer,

that I was mad, and resolve to trouble the mistress about it, and

get something for the poor; and come away in that humour: 2l.

5s. 6d. Servants, 1s. 6d.; poor, 1s.; guide to the Stones, 2s.;

poor woman in the street, 1s.; ribbands, 9d.; wash-woman, 1s.;

sempstress for W. Hewer, 3s.; lent W. Hewer, 2s. Thence about

six o'clock, and with a guide went over the smooth plain indeed

till night; and then by a happy mistake, and that looked like an

adventure, we were carried out of our way to a town where we

would lie, since we could not go as far as we would. By and by

to bed, glad of this mistake, because it seems, had we gone on as

me pretended, we could not have passed with our coach, and must

have lain on the plain all night. This day from Salisbury I

wrote by the post my excuse for not coming home, which I hope

will do, for I am resolved to see the Bath, and, it may be,

Bristol.

12th. Friday. Up, finding our beds good, but lousy; which made

us merry. We set out, the reckoning and servants coming to 9s.

6d.; my guide thither, 2s.; coachman advanced, 10s. So rode a

very good way, led to my great content by our landlord to

Philips-Norton, with great pleasure, being now come into

Somersetshire; where my wife and Deb. mightily joyed thereat,

[They were natives of that county.] I commending the country, as

indeed it deserves. And the first town we came to was

Brekington; where we stopping for something for the horses, we

called two or three little boys to us, and pleased ourselves with

their manner of speech. At Philips-Norton I walked to the

church, and there saw a very ancient tomb of some Knight Templar,

I think; and here saw the tombstone whereon there were only two

heads cut, which the story goes, and creditably, were two

sisters, called the Fair Maids of Foscott, that had two bodies

upward and one belly, and there lie buried. Here is also a very

fine ring of six bells, and they mighty tuneable. Having dined

very well, 10s., me come before night to the Bath; where I

presently stepped out with my landlord, and saw the baths with

people in them. They are not so large as I expected, but yet

pleasant; and the town most of stone, and clean, though the

streets generally narrow. I home, and being weary, went to bed

without supper; the rest supping.

13th. Saturday. Up at four o'clock, being by appointment called

up to the Cross Bath; where we were carried after one another,

myself and wife and Betty Turner, Willet, and W. Hewer. And by

and by, though we designed to have done before company come, much

company come; very fine ladies; and the manner pretty enough,

only methinks it cannot be clean to go so many bodies together in

the same water. Good conversation among them that are acquainted

here, and stay together. Strange to see how hot the water is;

and in some places though this is the most temperate bath, the

springs so hot as the feet not able to endure. But strange to

see, when women and men here, that live all the season in these

waters, cannot but be parboiled and look like the creatures of

the bath! Carried away wrapped in a sheet, and in a chair home;

and there one after another thus carried (I staying above two

hours in the water) home to bed, sweating for an hour. And by

and by comes musick to play to me, extraordinary good as ever I

heard at London almost any where: 5s. Up to go to Bristoll

about eleven o'clock, and paying my landlord that was our guide

from Chiltren 10s., and the serjeant of the bath 10s., and the

man that carried us in chairs 3s. 6d., set out toward Bristoll,

and come thither, the way bad, (in coach hired to spare our own

horses,) but country good, about two o'clock; where set down at

the Horse-shoe, and there being trimmed by a very handsome

fellow, 2s., walked with my wife and people through the city,

which is in every respect another London, that one can hardly

know it to stand in the country no more than that. No carts, it

standing generally on vaults, only dog-carts. So to the Three

Crowns Tavern I was directed; but when I came in, the master told

me that he had newly given over the selling of wine; it seems

grown rich: and so went to the Sun; and there Deb. going with W.

Hewer and Betty Turner to see her uncle, and leaving my wife with

the mistress of the house, I to see the quay, which is a most

large and noble place; and to see the new ship building by Bally,

neither he nor Furzer [Daniel Furzer, Surveyor to the Navy.]

being in town. It will be a fine ship. Spoke with the foreman,

and did give the boys that kept the cabin 2s. Walked back to the

Sun, where I find Deb. come back, and with her, her uncle, a

sober merchant, very good company, and so like one of our sober

wealthy London merchants as pleased me mightily. Here we dined,

and much good talk with him, 7s. 6d.; a messenger to Sir John

Knight, [Mayor of Bristol 1663, and M.P. for that city.] who was

not at home, 6d. Then walked with him and my wife and company

round the quay, and to the ship; and he showed me the Custom-

house, and made me understand many things of the place, and led

us through Marsh-street, where our girl was born. But, Lord!

the joy that was among the old poor people of the place, to see

Mrs. Willet's daughter, it seems her mother being a brave woman

and mightily beloved! And so brought us a back way by surprize

to his house; where a substantial good house, and well furnished;

and did give us good entertainment of strawberries, a whole

venison-pasty cold, and plenty of brave wine, and above all

Bristol milk: where comes in another poor woman, who hearing

that Deb. was here did come running hither, and with her eyes so

full of tears and heart so full of joy that she could not speak

when she come in, that it made me weep too: I protest that I was

not able to speak to her, which I would have done, to have

diverted her tears. His wife a good woman, and so sober and

substantiall as I was never more pleased any where, Servant-maid,

2s. So thence took leave and he with us through the city; where

in walking I find the city pay him great respect, and he the like

to the meanest, which pleased me mightily. He showed us the

place where the merchants meet here, and a fine cross yet

standing, like Cheapside. And so to the Horse-shoe, where paid

the reckoning, 2s. 6d. We back, and by moonshine to the Bath

again about ten o'clock: bad way; and giving the coachman 1s.

went all of us to bed.

14th. (Sunday). Up, and walked up and down the town, and saw a

pretty good market-place, and many good streets, and very fair

stone-houses. And so to the great church, and there saw Bishop

Montagu's tomb; and, when placed, did there see many brave people

come, and among others two men brought in litters, and set down

in the chancel to hear: but I did not know one face. Here a

good organ; but a vain pragmatical fellow preached a ridiculous,

affected sermon, that made me angry, and some gentlemen that sat

next me, and sang well. So home, walking round the walls of the

City, which are good, and the battlements all whole. To this

church again, to see it and look over the monuments; where, among

others, Dr. Venner and Pelling, and a lady of Sir W. Waller's;

[Jane, sole daughter of Sir Richard Reynell.] he lying with his

face broken. My landlord did give me a good account of the

antiquity of this town and Wells; and of two heads, on two

pillars, in Wells church.

15th. Monday. looked into the baths, and find the King and

Queene's full of a mixed sort of good and bad, and the Cross only

almost for the gentry. So home with my wife, and did pay my

guides, two women, 5s.; one man, 2s. 6d.; poor, 6d.; woman to lay

my foot-cloth, 1s. So to our inne, and there eat and paid

reckoning, 1l. 8s. 6d.; servants, 3s.; poor, 1s.; lent the

coachman, 10s. Before I took coach, I went to make a boy dive in

the King's bath, 1s. I paid also for my coach and a horse to

Bristoll, 1l. 1s. 6d. Took coach, and away without any of the

company of the other stage-coaches that go out of this town to-

day; and rode all day with some trouble, for fear of our being

out of our way, over the Downes, (where the life of the shepherds

is, in fair weather only, pretty). In the afternoon come to

Abury; where seeing great stones like those of Stonehenge

standing up, I stopped and took a countryman of that town, and he

carried me and showed me a place trenched in, like Old Sarum

almost, with great stones pitched in it some bigger than those at

Stonehenge in figure, to my great admiration: and he told me

that most people of learning coming by do come and view them, and

that the King did so; and the mount cast hard by is called

Selbury, from one King Seall buried there, as tradition says. I

did give this man 1s. So took coach again, seeing one place with

great high stones pitched round, which I believe was once some

particular building, in some measure like that of Stonehenge.

But, about a mile off, it was prodigious to see how full the

Downes are of great stones; and all along the vallies stones of

considerable bigness, most of them growing certainly out of the

ground, so thick as to cover the ground; which makes me think the

less of the wonder of Stonehenge, for hence they might

undoubtedly supply themselves with stones, as well as those at

Abury. In my way did give to the poor and menders of the highway

3s. Before night come to Marlborough, and lay at the Hart; a

good house, and a pretty fair town for a street or two; and what

is most singular is, their houses on one side having their pent-

houses supported with pillars, which makes it a good walk. All

the five coaches that come this day from Bath, as well as we,

were gone out of the town before six.

16th. Tuesday. After paying the reckoning, 14s. 4d. and

servants 2s., poor 1s., set out; and passing through a good part

of this country of Wiltshire, saw a good house [Littlecote.] of

Alexander Popham's, [M.P. for Bath.] and another of my Lord

Craven's, [Hampstead Marshal, since destroyed by fire.] I think,

in Barkeshire. Come to Newbery, and there dined; and musick: a

song of the old courtier of Queene Elizabeth's, and how he was

changed upon the coming in of the King, did please me mightily,

and I did cause W. Hewer to write it out. Then comes the

reckoning, (forced to change gold,) 8s. 7d.; servants and poor,

1s. 6d. So out, and lost our way, but come into it again; and in

the evening betimes come to Reding; and I to walk about the town,

which is a very great one; I think bigger than Salisbury: a

river runs through it in seven branches, (which unite in one, in

one part of the town,) and runs into the Thames half-a-mile off:

one odd sign of the Broad Face. Then to my inn, and so to bed.

17th (Wednesday). Rose, and paying the reckoning, 12s. 8d.;

servants and poor, 2s. 6d.; musick, the worst we have had, coming

to our chamber-door, but calling us by wrong names; so set out

with one coach in company, and through Maydenhead, which I never

saw before, to Colebrooke by noon; the way mighty good; and there

dined, and fitted ourselves a little to go through London anon.

Thence pleasant way to London before night, and and all very well

to great content; and saw Sir W. Pen, who is well again. I hear

of the ill news by the great fire at Barbadoes.

18th. I did receive a hint or two from my Lord Anglesy, as if he

thought much of my taking the ayre as I have done; but I care

not: but whatever the matter is, I think he hath some ill-will

to me, or at least an opinion that I am more the servant of the

Board than I am. To my Lady Peterborough's; who tells me, among

other things, her Lord's good words to the Duke of York lately

about my Lord Sandwich, and that the Duke of York is kind to my

Lord Sandwich; which I am glad to hear.

19th. Between two and three in the morning we were waked with

the maids crying out, "Fire, fire, in Marke-lane!" So I rose and

looked out, and it was dreadful; and strange apprehensions in me

and us all of being presently burnt. So we all rose; and my care

presently was to secure my gold and plate and papers, and could

quickly have done it, but I went forth to see where it was; and

the whole town was presently in the streets; and I found it in a

new-built house that stood alone in Minchin-lane, over against

the Cloth-workers'-hall, which burned furiously: the house not

yet quite finished; and the benefit of brick was well seen, for

it burnt all inward and fell down within itself; so no fear of

doing more hurt. Yesterday I heard how my Lord Ashly is like to

die, having some imposthume in his breast, that he hath been fain

to be cut into the body. To White Hall, were we attended the

Duke of York in his closet upon our usual business. And thence

out, and did see many of the Knights of the Garter with the King

and Duke of York going into the Privy-chamber to elect the

Elector of Saxony in that Order; who, I did hear the Duke of York

say, was a good drinker: I know not upon what score this

compliment is done him.

22nd. With Balty to St. James's, and there presented him to Mr.

Wren about his being Muster-master this year; which will be done.

So up to wait on the Duke of York, and thence with Sir W.

Coventry walked to White Hall: good discourse about the Navy,

where want of money undoes us. Thence to the Coffee-house in

Covent-garden; but met with nobody but Sir Philip Howard, who

shamed me before the whole house there in commendation of my

speech in Parliament. To the King's playhouse, and saw an act or

two of the new play, "Evening Love," ["An Evening's Love, or The

Mock Astrologer," a comedy by Dryden.] again, but like it not.

Calling this day at Herringman's, [H. Herringman, a printer and

publisher in the New Exchange.] he tells me Dryden do himself

call it but a fifth-rate play. From thence to my Lord

Brouncker's, where a Council of the Royall Society; and there

heard Mr. Harry Howard's noble offers about ground for our

college, and his intentions of building his own house there, most

nobly. My business was to meet Mr. Boyle; which I did, and

discoursed about my eyes; and he did give me the best advice he

could, but refers me to one Turberville [Daubigney Turberville,

of Oriel College; created M.D. at Oxford 1660.] of Salisbury

lately come to town, who I will go to. Thence home; where the

streets full at our end of the town, removing their wine against

the Act begins, which will be two days hence, to raise the price.

23rd. To Dr. Turberville about my eyes; whom I met with: and he

did discourse, I thought, learnedly about them; and takes time,

before he did prescribe me any thing, to think of it.

24th. Creed and Colonel Atkins come to me about sending coals to

Tangier; and upon that most of the morning.

28th. Much talk of the French setting out their fleet afresh;

but I hear nothing that our King is alarmed at it at all, but

rather making his fleet less.

29th. To Dr. Turberville's, and there did receive a direction

for some physic, and also a glass of something to drop into my

eyes: he gives me hopes that I may do well. Then to White Hall;

where I find the Duke of York in the Council-chamber; and the

officers of the Navy were called in about Navy business, about

calling in of more ships; the King of France having, as the Duke

of York says, ordered his fleet to come in, notwithstanding what

he had lately ordered for their staying abroad. Thence to the

chapel, it being St. Peter's day, and did hear an anthem of Silas

Taylor's making; a dull, old-fashioned thing of six and seven

parts, that nobody could understand: and the Duke of York, when

he came out, told me that he was a better storekeeper than

anthem-maker, and that was bad enough too. This morning Mr. May

showed me the King's new buildings at White Hall, very fine; and

among other things, his cielings and his houses of office.

JULY 1, 1668. To White Hall, and so to St. James's where we met;

and much business with the Duke of York. And I find the Duke of

York very hot for regulations in the Navy; and I believe is put

on it by Sir W. Coventry; and I am glad of it: and particularly

he falls heavy on Chatham-yard, and is vexed that Lord Anglesy

did the other day complain at the Council-table of disorders in

the Navy, and not to him. So I to White Hall to a Committee of

Tangier; and there vexed with the importunity and clamours of

Alderman Backewell for my acquittance for money by him supplied

to the garrison, before I have any order for paying it. So home,

calling at several places, among others the 'Change, and on

Cooper, to know when my wife shall come and sit for her picture.

3rd. To Commissioners of Accounts at Brooke-house, the first

time I was ever there: and found Sir W. Turner in the chair; and

present, Lord Halifax, Thomas Gregory, Dunster, and Osborne. I

long with them, and see them hot set on this matter; but I did

give them proper and safe answers. Halifax, I perceive, was

industrious on my side on behalf of his uncle Coventry, it being

the business of Sir W. Warren. Vexed only at their denial of a

copy of what I set my hand to and swore. To an alehouse: met

Mr. Pierce the surgeon, and Dr. Clerke, Waldron, [Thomas Waldron,

of Baliol College; created M.D. at Oxford 1653; afterwards

Physician in Ordinary to Charles II.] Turberville my physician

for the eyes, and Lowre, [Probably Richard Lower, of Christ

Church; admitted Bachelor of Physic at Oxford 1665.] to dissect

several eyes of sheep and oxen, with great pleasure and to my

great information. But strange that this Turberville should be

so great a man, and yet to this day had seen no eyes dissected,

or but once, but desired this Dr. Lowre to give him the

opportunity to see him dissect some.

4th. Up, and to see Sir W. Coventry, and give him an account of

my doings yesterday; which he well liked of, and was told thereof

by my Lord Halifax before; but I do perceive he is much concerned

for this business. Gives me advice to write a smart letter to

the Duke of York about the want of money in the Navy, and desire

him to communicate it to the Commissioners of the Treasury; for

he tells me he hath hot work sometimes to contend with the rest

for the Navy, they being all concerned for some other part of the

King's expenses, which they would prefer to this of the Navy. He

showed me his closet, with his round-table for him to sit in the

middle, very convenient; and I borrowed several books of him, to

collect things out of the Navy, which I have not.

6th. With Sir W. Coventry; and we walked in the Park together a

good while. He mighty kind to me; and hear many pretty stories

of my Lord Chancellor's being heretofore made sport of by Peter

Talbot the priest, in his story of the death of Cardinal Bleau;

by Lord Cottington, in his DOLOR DE LAS TRIPAS; and Tom

Killigrew, in his being bred in Ram-ally, and now bound prentice

to Lord Cottington, going to Spain with 1000l. and two suits of

clothes, Thence to Mr. Cooper's, and there met my wife and W.

Hewer and Deb.; and there my wife first sat for her picture: but

he is a most admirable workman, and good company. Here comes

Harris, and first told us how Betterton is come again upon the

stage: whereupon my wife and company to the house to see "Henry

the Fifth;" while I to attend the Duke of York at the Committee

of the Navy at the Council, where some high dispute between him

and W. Coventry about settling pensions upon all flag-officers

while unemployed: W. Coventry against it, and, I think, with

reason. Great doings at Paris, I hear, with their triumphs for

their late conquests. The Duchesse of Richmond sworn last week

of the Queene's Bedchamber, and the King minding little else but

what he used to do--about his women.

7th. We are fain to go round by Newgate because of Fleet-bridge

being under rebuilding.

8th. To Sir W. Coventry, and there discoursed of several things;

and I find him much concerned in the present enquiries now on

foot of the Commissioners of accounts, though he reckons himself

and the rest very safe, but vexed to see us liable to these

troubles in things wherein we have laboured to do best. Thence,

he being to go out of town to-morrow to drink Banbury waters, I

to the Duke of York to attend him about business of the office;

and find him mighty free to me, and how he is concerned to mend

things in the Navy himself, and not leave it to other people. So

home to dinner; sad then with my wife to Cooper's, and there saw

her sit; and he do extraordinary things indeed. So to White

Hall; and there by and by the Duke of York comes to the Robe-

chamber and spent with us three hours till night, in hearing the

business of the Masters-attendants of Chatham, and the Store-

keeper of Woolwich; and resolves to displace them all; so hot he

is of giving proofs of his justice at this time, that it is their

great fate now to come to be questioned at such a time as this.

10th. To Cooper's; and there find my wife (and W. Hewer and

Deb.), sitting, and painting: and here he do work finely, though

I fear it will not be so like as I expected: but now I

understand his great skill in musick, his playing and setting to

the French lute most excellently: and he speaks French, and

indeed is an excellent man.

11th. To the King's Playhouse to see an old play of Shirly's,

called "Hide Parke;" the first day acted; where horses are

brought upon the stage: but it is but a very moderate play, only

an excellent epilogue spoke by Beck Marshall.

13th. To Cooper's and spent the afternoon with them; and it will

be an excellent picture. This morning I was let blood, and did

bleed about fourteen ounces, towards curing my eyes.

14th. This day Bosse finished his copy of my picture, which I

confess I do not admire, though my wife prefers him to Browne;

nor do I think it like. He does it for W. Hewer, who hath my

wife's also, which I like less.

15th. At noon is brought home the espinette I bought the other

day of Haward; cost me 5l. My Lady Duchesse of Monmouth is still

lame, and likely always to be so; which is a sad chance for a

young lady to get only by trying of tricks in dancing.

17th. To White Hall, where waited on the Duke of York and then

the Council about the business of tickets; and I did discourse to

their liking, only was too high to assert that nothing could be

invented to secure the King more in the business of tickets than

there is, which the Duke of Buckingham did except against, and I

could have answered, but forbore, but all liked very well.

18th. They say the King of France is making a war again in

Flanders with the King of Spain; the King of Spain refusing to

give him all that he says was promised him in that treaty.

19th. Come Mr. Cooper, Hales, Harris, Mr. Butler that wrote

Hudibras, and Mr. Cooper's cosen Jacke; and by and by come Mr.

Reeves and his wife, whom I never saw before. And there we

dined: a good dinner, and company that pleased me mightily,

being all eminent men in their way. Spent all the afternoon in

talk and mirth, and in the evening parted.

20th. To visit my Lord Crewe, who is very sick, to great danger,

by an erisypelas; the first day I heard of it.

21st. Went to my plate-maker's, and there spent an hour about

contriving my little plates for my books of the King's four

Yards.

22nd. Attending at the Committee of the Navy about the old

business of tickets; where the only expedient they have found is

to bind the commanders and officers by oaths. The Duke of York

told me how the Duke of Buckingham, after the Council the other

day, did make mirth at my position about the sufficiency of

present rules in the business of tickets; and here I took

occasion to desire a private discourse with the Duke of York, and

he granted it me on Friday next.

24th. Up, and by water to St. James's (having by the way shown

Symson Sir W. Coventry's chimney-pieces, in order to the making

me one;) and there, after the Duke of York was ready, he called

me to his closet; and there I did long and largely show him the

weakness of our office, and did give him advice to call us to

account for our duties; which he did take mighty well, and

desired me to draw up what I would have him write to the office.

I did lay open the whole failings of the office, and how it was

his duty to fine them and to find fault with them as Admiral,

especially at this time; which he agreed to, and seemed much to

rely on what I said.

27th. To see my Lord Crewe, whom I find up; and did wait on him;

but his face sore, but in hopes to do now very well again.

Thence to Cooper's, where my wife's picture almost done, and

mighty fine indeed. So over the water with my wife and Deb. and

Mercer to Spring-garden, and there eat and walked; and observe

how rude some of the young gallants of the town are become, to go

into people's arbors where there are not men, and almost force

the women; which troubled me, to see the confidence of the vice

of the age: and so we away by water with much pleasure home.

30th. To White Hall. There met with Mr. May, who was giving

directions about making a close way for people to go dry from the

gate up into the House, to prevent their going through the

galleries; which will be very good. I staid and talked with him

about the state of the King's offices in general, and how ill he

is served, and do still find him an excellent person.

31st. With Mr. Ashburnham; and I made him admire my drawing a

thing presently in shorthand; but, God knows, I have paid dear

for it in my eyes. To the King's house, to see the first day of

Lacy's "Monsieur Ragou," now new acted. The King and Court all

there and mighty merry: a farce. The month ends mighty sadly

with me, my eyes being now past all use almost; and I am mighty

hot upon trying the late printed experiment of paper tubes.

AUGUST 5, 1668. To the Duke of York's playhouse, and there saw

"The Guardian;" formerly the same, I find, that was called

"Cutter of Coleman-street;" a silly play. And thence to

Westminster Hall, where I met Fitzgerald; and with him to a

tavern to consider of the instructions for Sir Thomas Allen,

against his going to Algier; he and I being designed to go down

to Portsmouth by the Council's order to-morrow morning. So I

away home, and there bespeak a coach; and so home, and to bed.

6th. Waked betimes, and my wife at an hour's warning is resolved

to go with me; which pleases me, her readiness. But before ready

comes a letter from Fitzgerald, that he is seized upon last night

by a order of the General's by a file of musqueteers, and kept

prisoner ill his chamber. The Duke of York did tell me of it to-

day: it is about a quarrel between him and Witham, and they fear

a challenge. So I to him, and sent my wife by the coach round to

Lambeth, I lost my labour going to his lodgings; and he in bed:

and staying a great while for him I at last grew impatient, and

would stay no longer; but to St. James's to Mr. Wren, to bid him

"God be with you!" and so over the water to Fox Hall; and there

my wife and Deb. took me up, and we away to Gilford, losing our

way for three or four miles about Cobham. At Gilford we dined;

and I showed them the hospitall there of Bishop Abbot's, [George

Abbot, Archbishop of Canterbury, Ob. 1633.] and his tomb in the

church; which, and the rest of the tombs there, are kept mighty

clean and neat, with curtains before them. So to coach again,

and got to Lippook, late over Hindhead, having an old man a guide

in the coach with us; but got thither with great fear of being

out of our way, it being ten at night. Here good, honest people;

and after supper to bed.