Produced by David Widger
THE DIARY OF SAMUEL PEPYS M.A. F.R.S.
CLERK OF THE ACTS AND SECRETARY TO THE ADMIRALTY
TRANSCRIBED FROM THE SHORTHAND MANUSCRIPT IN THE PEPYSIAN LIBRARY
MAGDALENE COLLEGE CAMBRIDGE BY THE REV. MYNORS BRIGHT M.A. LATE FELLOW
AND PRESIDENT OF THE COLLEGE
(Unabridged)
WITH LORD BRAYBROOKE'S NOTES
EDITED WITH ADDITIONS BY
HENRY B. WHEATLEY F.S.A.
DIARY OF SAMUEL PEPYS.
SEPTEMBER
1665
September 1st. Up, and to visit my Lady Pen and her daughter at the
Ropeyarde where I did breakfast with them and sat chatting a good while.
Then to my lodging at Mr. Shelden's, where I met Captain Cocke and eat a
little bit of dinner, and with him to Greenwich by water, having good
discourse with him by the way. After being at Greenwich a little while, I
to London, to my house, there put many more things in order for my totall
remove, sending away my girle Susan and other goods down to Woolwich, and
I by water to the Duke of Albemarle, and thence home late by water. At
the Duke of Albemarle's I overheard some examinations of the late plot
that is discoursed of and a great deale of do there is about it. Among
other discourses, I heard read, in the presence of the Duke, an
examination and discourse of Sir Philip Howard's, with one of the plotting
party. In many places these words being, "Then," said Sir P. Howard, "if
you so come over to the King, and be faithfull to him, you shall be
maintained, and be set up with a horse and armes," and I know not what.
And then said such a one, "Yes, I will be true to the King." "But, damn
me," said Sir Philip, "will you so and so?" And thus I believe twelve
times Sir P. Howard answered him a "damn me," which was a fine way of
rhetorique to persuade a Quaker or Anabaptist from his persuasion. And
this was read in the hearing of Sir P. Howard, before the Duke and twenty
more officers, and they make sport of it, only without any reproach, or he
being anything ashamed of it!
[This republican plot was described by the Lord Chancellor in a
speech delivered on October 9th, when parliament met at Oxford.]
But it ended, I remember, at last, "But such a one (the plotter) did at
last bid them remember that he had not told them what King he would be
faithfull to."
2nd. This morning I wrote letters to Mr. Hill and Andrews to come to dine
with me to-morrow, and then I to the office, where busy, and thence to
dine with Sir J. Minnes, where merry, but only that Sir J. Minnes who hath
lately lost two coach horses, dead in the stable, has a third now a dying.
After dinner I to Deptford, and there took occasion to 'entrar a la casa
de la gunaica de ma Minusier', and did what I had a mind . . . To
Greenwich, where wrote some letters, and home in pretty good time.
3rd (Lord's day). Up; and put on my coloured silk suit very fine, and my
new periwigg, bought a good while since, but durst not wear, because the
plague was in Westminster when I bought it; and it is a wonder what will
be the fashion after the plague is done, as to periwiggs, for nobody will
dare to buy any haire, for fear of the infection, that it had been cut off
of the heads of people dead of the plague. Before church time comes Mr.
Hill (Mr. Andrews failing because he was to receive the Sacrament), and to
church, where a sorry dull parson, and so home and most excellent company
with Mr. Hill and discourse of musique. I took my Lady Pen home, and her
daughter Pegg, and merry we were; and after dinner I made my wife show
them her pictures, which did mad Pegg Pen, who learns of the same man and
cannot do so well. After dinner left them and I by water to Greenwich,
where much ado to be suffered to come into the towne because of the
sicknesse, for fear I should come from London, till I told them who I was.
So up to the church, where at the door I find Captain Cocke in my Lord
Brunker's coach, and he come out and walked with me in the church-yarde
till the church was done, talking of the ill government of our Kingdom,
nobody setting to heart the business of the Kingdom, but every body
minding their particular profit or pleasures, the King himself minding
nothing but his ease, and so we let things go to wracke. This arose upon
considering what we shall do for money when the fleete comes in, and more
if the fleete should not meet with the Dutch, which will put a disgrace
upon the King's actions, so as the Parliament and Kingdom will have the
less mind to give more money, besides so bad an account of the last money,
we fear, will be given, not half of it being spent, as it ought to be,
upon the Navy. Besides, it is said that at this day our Lord Treasurer
cannot tell what the profit of Chimney money is, what it comes to per
annum, nor looks whether that or any other part of the revenue be duly
gathered as it ought; the very money that should pay the City the L200,000
they lent the King, being all gathered and in the hands of the Receiver
and hath been long and yet not brought up to pay the City, whereas we are
coming to borrow 4 or L500,000 more of the City, which will never be lent
as is to be feared. Church being done, my Lord Bruncker, Sir J. Minnes,
and I up to the Vestry at the desire of the justices of the Peace, Sir
Theo. Biddulph and Sir W. Boreman and Alderman Hooker, in order to the
doing something for the keeping of the plague from growing; but Lord! to
consider the madness of the people of the town, who will (because they are
forbid) come in crowds along with the dead corps to see them buried; but
we agreed on some orders for the prevention thereof. Among other stories,
one was very passionate, methought, of a complaint brought against a man
in the towne for taking a child from London from an infected house.
Alderman Hooker told us it was the child of a very able citizen in
Gracious Street, a saddler, who had buried all the rest of his children of
the plague, and himself and wife now being shut up and in despair of
escaping, did desire only to save the life of this little child; and so
prevailed to have it received stark-naked into the arms of a friend, who
brought it (having put it into new fresh clothes) to Greenwich; where upon
hearing the story, we did agree it should be permitted to be received and
kept in the towne. Thence with my Lord Bruncker to Captain Cocke's, where
we mighty merry and supped, and very late I by water to Woolwich, in great
apprehensions of an ague. Here was my Lord Bruncker's lady of pleasure,
who, I perceive, goes every where with him; and he, I find, is obliged to
carry her, and make all the courtship to her that can be.
4th. Writing letters all the morning, among others to my Lady Carteret,
the first I have wrote to her, telling her the state of the city as to
health and other sorrowfull stories, and thence after dinner to Greenwich,
to Sir J. Minnes, where I found my Lord Bruncker, and having staid our
hour for the justices by agreement, the time being past we to walk in the
Park with Mr. Hammond and Turner, and there eat some fruit out of the
King's garden and walked in the Parke, and so back to Sir J. Minnes, and
thence walked home, my Lord Bruncker giving me a very neat cane to walk
with; but it troubled me to pass by Coome farme where about twenty-one
people have died of the plague, and three or four days since I saw a dead
corps in a coffin lie in the Close unburied, and a watch is constantly
kept there night and day to keep the people in, the plague making us
cruel, as doggs, one to another.
5th. Up, and walked with some Captains and others talking to me to
Greenwich, they crying out upon Captain Teddiman's management of the
business of Bergen, that he staid treating too long while he saw the Dutch
fitting themselves, and that at first he might have taken every ship, and
done what he would with them. How true I cannot tell. Here we sat very
late and for want of money, which lies heavy upon us, did nothing of
business almost. Thence home with my Lord Bruncker to dinner where very
merry with him and his doxy. After dinner comes Colonell Blunt in his new
chariot made with springs; as that was of wicker, wherein a while since we
rode at his house. And he hath rode, he says, now this journey, many
miles in it with one horse, and out-drives any coach, and out-goes any
horse, and so easy, he says. So for curiosity I went into it to try it,
and up the hill to the heath, and over the cart-rutts and found it pretty
well, but not so easy as he pretends, and so back again, and took leave of
my Lord and drove myself in the chariot to the office, and there ended my
letters and home pretty betimes and there found W. Pen, and he staid
supper with us and mighty merry talking of his travells and the French
humours, etc., and so parted and to bed.
6th. Busy all the morning writing letters to several, so to dinner, to
London, to pack up more things thence; and there I looked into the street
and saw fires burning in the street, as it is through the whole City, by
the Lord Mayor's order. Thence by water to the Duke of Albemarle's: all
the way fires on each side of the Thames, and strange to see in broad
daylight two or three burials upon the Bankeside, one at the very heels of
another: doubtless all of the plague; and yet at least forty or fifty
people going along with every one of them. The Duke mighty pleasant with
me; telling me that he is certainly informed that the Dutch were not come
home upon the 1st instant, and so he hopes our fleete may meet with them,
and here to my great joy I got him to sign bills for the several sums I
have paid on Tangier business by his single letter, and so now I can get
more hands to them. This was a great joy to me: Home to Woolwich late by
water, found wife in bed, and yet late as [it] was to write letters in
order to my rising betimes to go to Povy to-morrow. So to bed, my wife
asking me to-night about a letter of hers I should find, which indeed Mary
did the other day give me as if she had found it in my bed, thinking it
had been mine, brought to her from a man without name owning great
kindness to her and I know not what. But looking it over seriously, and
seeing it bad sense and ill writ, I did believe it to be her brother's and
so had flung it away, but finding her now concerned at it and vexed with
Mary about it, it did trouble me, but I would take no notice of it
to-night, but fell to sleep as if angry.
7th. Up by 5 of the clock, mighty full of fear of an ague, but was
obliged to go, and so by water, wrapping myself up warm, to the Tower, and
there sent for the Weekely Bill, and find 8,252 dead in all, and of them
6,878 of the plague; which is a most dreadfull number, and shows reason to
fear that the plague hath got that hold that it will yet continue among
us. Thence to Brainford, reading "The Villaine," a pretty good play, all
the way. There a coach of Mr. Povy's stood ready for me, and he at his
house ready to come in, and so we together merrily to Swakely, Sir R.
Viner's. A very pleasant place, bought by him of Sir James Harrington's
lady. He took us up and down with great respect, and showed us all his
house and grounds; and it is a place not very moderne in the garden nor
house, but the most uniforme in all that ever I saw; and some things to
excess. Pretty to see over the screene of the hall (put up by Sir J.
Harrington, a Long Parliamentman) the King's head, and my Lord of Essex on
one side, and Fairfax on the other; and upon the other side of the
screene, the parson of the parish, and the lord of the manor and his
sisters. The window-cases, door-cases, and chimnys of all the house are
marble. He showed me a black boy that he had, that died of a consumption,
and being dead, he caused him to be dried in an oven, and lies there
entire in a box. By and by to dinner, where his lady I find yet handsome,
but hath been a very handsome woman; now is old. Hath brought him near
L100,000 and now he lives, no man in England in greater plenty, and
commands both King and Council with his credit he gives them. Here was a
fine lady a merchant's wife at dinner with us, and who should be here in
the quality of a woman but Mrs. Worship's daughter, Dr. Clerke's niece,
and after dinner Sir Robert led us up to his long gallery, very fine,
above stairs (and better, or such, furniture I never did see), and there
Mrs. Worship did give us three or four very good songs, and sings very
neatly, to my great delight. After all this, and ending the chief
business to my content about getting a promise of some money of him, we
took leave, being exceedingly well treated here, and a most pleasant
journey we had back, Povy and I, and his company most excellent in
anything but business, he here giving me an account of as many persons at
Court as I had a mind or thought of enquiring after. He tells me by a
letter he showed me, that the King is not, nor hath been of late, very
well, but quite out of humour; and, as some think, in a consumption, and
weary of every thing. He showed me my Lord Arlington's house that he was
born in, in a towne called Harlington: and so carried me through a most
pleasant country to Brainford, and there put me into my boat, and good
night. So I wrapt myself warm, and by water got to Woolwich about one in
the morning, my wife and all in bed.
8th. Waked, and fell in talk with my wife about the letter, and she
satisfied me that she did not know from whence it come, but believed it
might be from her cozen Franke Moore lately come out of France. The truth
is the thing I think cannot have much in it, and being unwilling (being in
other things so much at ease) to vex myself in a strange place at a
melancholy time, passed all by and were presently friends. Up, and
several with me about business. Anon comes my Lord Bruncker, as I
expected, and we to the enquiring into the business of the late desertion
of the Shipwrights from worke, who had left us for three days together for
want of money, and upon this all the morning, and brought it to a pretty
good issue, that they, we believe, will come to-morrow to work. To dinner,
having but a mean one, yet sufficient for him, and he well enough pleased,
besides that I do not desire to vye entertainments with him or any else.
Here was Captain Cocke also, and Mr. Wayth. We staid together talking
upon one business or other all the afternoon. In the evening my Lord
Bruncker hearing that Mr. Ackeworth's clerke, the Dutchman who writes and
draws so well, was transcribing a book of Rates and our ships for Captain
Millet a gallant of his mistress's, we sent for him for it. He would not
deliver it, but said it was his mistress's and had delivered it to her.
At last we were forced to send to her for it; she would come herself, and
indeed the book was a very neat one and worth keeping as a rarity, but we
did think fit, and though much against my will, to cancell all that he had
finished of it, and did give her the rest, which vexed her, and she bore
it discreetly enough, but with a cruel deal of malicious rancour in her
looks. I must confess I would have persuaded her to have let us have it
to the office, and it may be the board would not have censured too hardly
of it, but my intent was to have had it as a Record for the office, but
she foresaw what would be the end of it and so desired it might rather be
cancelled, which was a plaguy deal of spite. My Lord Bruncker being gone
and company, and she also, afterwards I took my wife and people and walked
into the fields about a while till night, and then home, and so to sing a
little and then to bed. I was in great trouble all this day for my boy Tom
who went to Greenwich yesterday by my order and come not home till
to-night for fear of the plague, but he did come home to-night, saying he
staid last night by Mr. Hater's advice hoping to have me called as I come
home with my boat to come along with me.
9th. Up and walked to Greenwich, and there we sat and dispatched a good
deal of business I had a mind to. At noon, by invitation, to my Lord
Bruncker's, all of us, to dinner, where a good venison pasty, and mighty
merry. Here was Sir W. Doyly, lately come from Ipswich about the sicke
and wounded, and Mr. Evelyn and Captain Cocke. My wife also was sent for
by my Lord Bruncker, by Cocke, and was here. After dinner, my Lord and
his mistress would see her home again, it being a most cursed rainy
afternoon, having had none a great while before, and I, forced to go to
the office on foot through all the rain, was almost wet to my skin, and
spoiled my silke breeches almost. Rained all the afternoon and evening,
so as my letters being done, I was forced to get a bed at Captain Cocke's,
where I find Sir W. Doyly, and he, and Evelyn at supper; and I with them
full of discourse of the neglect of our masters, the great officers of
State, about all business, and especially that of money: having now some
thousands prisoners, kept to no purpose at a great charge, and no money
provided almost for the doing of it. We fell to talk largely of the want
of some persons understanding to look after businesses, but all goes to
rack. "For," says Captain Cocke, "my Lord Treasurer, he minds his ease,
and lets things go how they will: if he can have his L8000 per annum, and
a game at l'ombre,--[Spanish card game]--he is well. My Lord Chancellor
he minds getting of money and nothing else; and my Lord Ashly will rob the
Devil and the Alter, but he will get money if it be to be got." But that
that put us into this great melancholy, was newes brought to-day, which
Captain Cocke reports as a certain truth, that all the Dutch fleete,
men-of-war and merchant East India ships, are got every one in from Bergen
the 3d of this month, Sunday last; which will make us all ridiculous. The
fleete come home with shame to require a great deale of money, which is
not to be had, to discharge many men that must get the plague then or
continue at greater charge on shipboard, nothing done by them to encourage
the Parliament to give money, nor the Kingdom able to spare any money, if
they would, at this time of the plague, so that, as things look at
present, the whole state must come to ruine. Full of these melancholy
thoughts, to bed; where, though I lay the softest I ever did in my life,
with a downe bed, after the Danish manner, upon me, yet I slept very ill,
chiefly through the thoughts of my Lord Sandwich's concernment in all this
ill successe at sea.
10th (Lord's day). Walked home; being forced thereto by one of my
watermen falling sick yesterday, and it was God's great mercy I did not go
by water with them yesterday, for he fell sick on Saturday night, and it
is to be feared of the plague. So I sent him away to London with his
fellow; but another boat come to me this morning, whom I sent to
Blackewall for Mr. Andrews. I walked to Woolwich, and there find Mr.
Hill, and he and I all the morning at musique and a song he hath set of
three parts, methinks, very good. Anon comes Mr. Andrews, though it be a
very ill day, and so after dinner we to musique and sang till about 4 or 5
o'clock, it blowing very hard, and now and then raining, and wind and tide
being against us, Andrews and I took leave and walked to Greenwich. My
wife before I come out telling me the ill news that she hears that her
father is very ill, and then I told her I feared of the plague, for that
the house is shut up. And so she much troubled she did desire me to send
them something; and I said I would, and will do so. But before I come out
there happened newes to come to the by an expresse from Mr. Coventry,
telling me the most happy news of my Lord Sandwich's meeting with part of
the Dutch; his taking two of their East India ships, and six or seven
others, and very good prizes and that he is in search of the rest of the
fleet, which he hopes to find upon the Wellbancke, with the loss only of
the Hector, poor Captain Cuttle. This newes do so overjoy me that I know
not what to say enough to express it, but the better to do it I did walk
to Greenwich, and there sending away Mr. Andrews, I to Captain Cocke's,
where I find my Lord Bruncker and his mistress, and Sir J. Minnes. Where
we supped (there was also Sir W. Doyly and Mr. Evelyn); but the receipt of
this newes did put us all into such an extacy of joy, that it inspired
into Sir J. Minnes and Mr. Evelyn such a spirit of mirth, that in all my
life I never met with so merry a two hours as our company this night was.
Among other humours, Mr. Evelyn's repeating of some verses made up of
nothing but the various acceptations of may and can, and doing it so aptly
upon occasion of something of that nature, and so fast, did make us all
die almost with laughing, and did so stop the mouth of Sir J. Minnes in
the middle of all his mirth (and in a thing agreeing with his own manner
of genius), that I never saw any man so out-done in all my life; and Sir
J. Minnes's mirth too to see himself out-done, was the crown of all our
mirth. In this humour we sat till about ten at night, and so my Lord and
his mistress home, and we to bed, it being one of the times of my life
wherein I was the fullest of true sense of joy.
11th. Up and walked to the office, there to do some business till ten of
the clock, and then by agreement my Lord, Sir J. Minnes, Sir W. Doyly, and
I took boat and over to the ferry, where Sir W. Batten's coach was ready
for us, and to Walthamstow drove merrily, excellent merry discourse in the
way, and most upon our last night's revells; there come we were very
merry, and a good plain venison dinner. After dinner to billiards, where
I won an angel,
[A gold coin, so called because it bore the image of an angel,
varying in value from six shillings and eightpence to ten
shillings.]
and among other sports we were merry with my pretending to have a warrant
to Sir W. Hickes (who was there, and was out of humour with Sir W. Doyly's
having lately got a warrant for a leash of buckes, of which we were now
eating one) which vexed him, and at last would compound with me to give my
Lord Bruncker half a buck now, and me a Doe for it a while hence when the
season comes in, which we agreed to and had held, but that we fear Sir W.
Doyly did betray our design, which spoiled all; however, my Lady Batten
invited herself to dine with him this week, and she invited us all to dine
with her there, which we agreed to, only to vex him, he being the most
niggardly fellow, it seems, in the world. Full of good victuals and mirth
we set homeward in the evening, and very merry all the way. So to
Greenwich, where when come I find my Lord Rutherford and Creed come from
Court, and among other things have brought me several orders for money to
pay for Tangier; and, among the rest L7000 and more, to this Lord, which
is an excellent thing to consider, that, though they can do nothing else,
they can give away the King's money upon their progresse. I did give him
the best answer I could to pay him with tallys, and that is all they could
get from me. I was not in humour to spend much time with them, but walked
a little before Sir J. Minnes's door and then took leave, and I by water
to Woolwich, where with my wife to a game at tables,
[The old name for backgammon, used by Shakespeare and others. The
following lines are from an epitaph entirely made up of puns on
backgammon
"Man's life's a game at tables, and he may
Mend his bad fortune by his wiser play."
Wit's Recre., i. 250, reprint, 1817.]
and to bed.
12th. Up, and walked to the office, where we sat late, and thence to
dinner home with Sir J. Minnes, and so to the office, where writing
letters, and home in the evening, where my wife shews me a letter from her
brother speaking of their father's being ill, like to die, which, God
forgive me! did not trouble me so much as it should, though I was indeed
sorry for it. I did presently resolve to send him something in a letter
from my wife, viz. 20s. So to bed.
13th. Up, and walked to Greenwich, taking pleasure to walk with my minute
watch in my hand, by which I am come now to see the distances of my way
from Woolwich to Greenwich, and do find myself to come within two minutes
constantly to the same place at the end of each quarter of an houre. Here
we rendezvoused at Captain Cocke's, and there eat oysters, and so my Lord
Bruncker, Sir J. Minnes, and I took boat, and in my Lord's coach to Sir W.
Hickes's, whither by and by my Lady Batten and Sir William comes. It is a
good seat, with a fair grove of trees by it, and the remains of a good
garden; but so let to run to ruine, both house and every thing in and
about it, so ill furnished and miserably looked after, I never did see in
all my life. Not so much as a latch to his dining-room door; which saved
him nothing, for the wind blowing into the room for want thereof, flung
down a great bow pott that stood upon the side-table, and that fell upon
some Venice glasses, and did him a crown's worth of hurt. He did give us
the meanest dinner (of beef, shoulder and umbles of venison
[Dr. Johnson was puzzled by the following passage in "The Merry
Wives of Windsor," act v., sc. 3: "Divide me like a bribe-buck, each
a haunch. I will keep the sides to myself; my shoulders for the
fellow of this walk." If he could have read the account of Sir
William Hickes's dinner, he would at once have understood the
allusion to the keeper's perquisites of the shoulders of all deer
killed in his walk.--B.]
which he takes away from the keeper of the Forest, and a few pigeons, and
all in the meanest manner) that ever I did see, to the basest degree.
After dinner we officers of the Navy stepped aside to read some letters
and consider some business, and so in again. I was only pleased at a very
fine picture of the Queene-Mother, when she was young, by Van-Dike; a very
good picture, and a lovely sweet face. Thence in the afternoon home, and
landing at Greenwich I saw Mr. Pen walking my way, so we walked together,
and for discourse I put him into talk of France, when he took delight to
tell me of his observations, some good, some impertinent, and all ill
told, but it served for want of better, and so to my house, where I find
my wife abroad, and hath been all this day, nobody knows where, which
troubled me, it being late and a cold evening. So being invited to his
mother's to supper, we took Mrs. Barbara, who was mighty finely dressed,
and in my Lady's coach, which we met going for my wife, we thither, and
there after some discourse went to supper. By and by comes my wife and
Mercer, and had been with Captain Cocke all day, he coming and taking her
out to go see his boy at school at Brumly [Bromley], and brought her home
again with great respect. Here pretty merry, only I had no stomach,
having dined late, to eat. After supper Mr. Pen and I fell to discourse
about some words in a French song my wife was saying, "D'un air tout
interdict," wherein I laid twenty to one against him which he would not
agree with me, though I know myself in the right as to the sense of the
word, and almost angry we were, and were an houre and more upon the
dispute, till at last broke up not satisfied, and so home in their coach
and so to bed. H. Russell did this day deliver my 20s. to my wife's
father or mother, but has not yet told us how they do.
14th. Up, and walked to Greenwich, and there fitted myself in several
businesses to go to London, where I have not been now a pretty while. But
before I went from the office newes is brought by word of mouth that
letters are now just now brought from the fleete of our taking a great
many more of the Dutch fleete, in which I did never more plainly see my
command of my temper in my not admitting myself to receive any kind of joy
from it till I had heard the certainty of it, and therefore went by water
directly to the Duke of Albemarle, where I find a letter of the Lath from
Solebay, from my Lord Sandwich, of the fleete's meeting with about
eighteen more of the Dutch fleete, and his taking of most of them; and the
messenger says, they had taken three after the letter was wrote and
sealed; which being twenty-one, and the fourteen took the other day, is
forty-five sail; some of which are good, and others rich ships, which is
so great a cause of joy in us all that my Lord and everybody is highly
joyed thereat. And having taken a copy of my Lord's letter, I away back
again to the Beare at the Bridge foot, being full of wind and out of
order, and there called for a biscuit and a piece of cheese and gill of
sacke, being forced to walk over the Bridge, toward the 'Change, and the
plague being all thereabouts. Here my news was highly welcome, and I did
wonder to see the 'Change so full, I believe 200 people; but not a man or
merchant of any fashion, but plain men all. And Lord! to see how I did
endeavour all I could to talk with as few as I could, there being now no
observation of shutting up of houses infected, that to be sure we do
converse and meet with people that have the plague upon them. I to Sir
Robert Viner's, where my main business was about settling the business of
Debusty's L5000 tallys, which I did for the present to enable me to have
some money, and so home, buying some things for my wife in the way. So
home, and put up several things to carry to Woolwich, and upon serious
thoughts I am advised by W. Griffin to let my money and plate rest there,
as being as safe as any place, nobody imagining that people would leave
money in their houses now, when all their families are gone. So for the
present that being my opinion, I did leave them there still. But, Lord!
to see the trouble that it puts a man to, to keep safe what with pain a
man hath been getting together, and there is good reason for it. Down to
the office, and there wrote letters to and again about this good newes of
our victory, and so by water home late. Where, when I come home I spent
some thoughts upon the occurrences of this day, giving matter for as much
content on one hand and melancholy on another, as any day in all my life.
For the first; the finding of my money and plate, and all safe at London,
and speeding in my business of money this day. The hearing of this good
news to such excess, after so great a despair of my Lord's doing anything
this year; adding to that, the decrease of 500 and more, which is the
first decrease we have yet had in the sickness since it begun: and great
hopes that the next week it will be greater. Then, on the other side, my
finding that though the Bill in general is abated, yet the City within the
walls is encreased, and likely to continue so, and is close to our house
there. My meeting dead corpses of the plague, carried to be buried close
to me at noon-day through the City in Fanchurch-street. To see a person
sick of the sores, carried close by me by Gracechurch in a hackney-coach.
My finding the Angell tavern, at the lower end of Tower-hill, shut up, and
more than that, the alehouse at the Tower-stairs, and more than that, the
person was then dying of the plague when I was last there, a little while
ago, at night, to write a short letter there, and I overheard the
mistresse of the house sadly saying to her husband somebody was very ill,
but did not think it was of the plague. To hear that poor Payne, my
waiter, hath buried a child, and is dying himself. To hear that a
labourer I sent but the other day to Dagenhams, to know how they did
there, is dead of the plague; and that one of my own watermen, that
carried me daily, fell sick as soon as he had landed me on Friday morning
last, when I had been all night upon the water (and I believe he did get
his infection that day at Brainford), and is now dead of the plague. To
hear that Captain Lambert and Cuttle are killed in the taking these ships;
and that Mr. Sidney Montague is sick of a desperate fever at my Lady
Carteret's, at Scott's-hall. To hear that Mr. Lewes hath another daughter
sick. And, lastly, that both my servants, W. Hewer and Tom Edwards, have
lost their fathers, both in St. Sepulchre's parish, of the plague this
week, do put me into great apprehensions of melancholy, and with good
reason. But I put off the thoughts of sadness as much as I can, and the
rather to keep my wife in good heart and family also. After supper
(having eat nothing all this day) upon a fine tench of Mr. Shelden's
taking, we to bed.
15th. Up, it being a cold misting morning, and so by water to the office,
where very busy upon several businesses. At noon got the messenger,
Marlow, to get me a piece of bread and butter and cheese and a bottle of
beer and ale, and so I went not out of the office but dined off that, and
my boy Tom, but the rest of my clerks went home to dinner. Then to my
business again, and by and by sent my waterman to see how Sir W. Warren
do, who is sicke, and for which I have reason to be very sorry, he being
the friend I have got most by of most friends in England but the King: who
returns me that he is pretty well again, his disease being an ague. I by
water to Deptford, thinking to have seen my valentine, but I could not,
and so come back again, and to the office, where a little business, and
thence with Captain Cocke, and there drank a cup of good drink, which I am
fain to allow myself during this plague time, by advice of all, and not
contrary to my oathe, my physician being dead, and chyrurgeon out of the
way, whose advice I am obliged to take, and so by water home and eat my
supper, and to bed, being in much pain to think what I shall do this
winter time; for go every day to Woolwich I cannot, without endangering my
life; and staying from my wife at Greenwich is not handsome.
16th. Up, and walked to Greenwich reading a play, and to the office,
where I find Sir J. Minnes gone to the fleete, like a doating foole, to do
no good, but proclaim himself an asse; for no service he can do there, nor
inform my Lord, who is come in thither to the buoy of the Nore, in
anything worth his knowledge. At noon to dinner to my Lord Bruncker,
where Sir W. Batten and his Lady come, by invitation, and very merry we
were, only that the discourse of the likelihood of the increase of the
plague this weeke makes us a little sad, but then again the thoughts of
the late prizes make us glad. After dinner, by appointment, comes Mr.
Andrews, and he and I walking alone in the garden talking of our Tangier
business, and I endeavoured by the by to offer some encouragements for
their continuing in the business, which he seemed to take hold of, and the
truth is my profit is so much concerned that I could wish they would, and
would take pains to ease them in the business of money as much as was
possible. He being gone (after I had ordered him L2000, and he paid me my
quantum out of it) I also walked to the office, and there to my business;
but find myself, through the unfitness of my place to write in, and my
coming from great dinners, and drinking wine, that I am not in the good
temper of doing business now a days that I used to be and ought still to
be. At night to Captain Cocke's, meaning to lie there, it being late, and
he not being at home, I walked to him to my Lord Bruncker's, and there
staid a while, they being at tables; and so by and by parted, and walked
to his house; and, after a mess of good broth, to bed, in great pleasure,
his company being most excellent.
17th (Lord's day). Up, and before I went out of my chamber did draw a
musique scale, in order to my having it at any time ready in my hand to
turn to for exercise, for I have a great mind in this Vacation to perfect
myself in my scale, in order to my practising of composition, and so that
being done I down stairs, and there find Captain Cocke under the barber's
hands, the barber that did heretofore trim Commissioner Pett, and with
whom I have been. He offered to come this day after dinner with his
violin to play me a set of Lyra-ayres upon it, which I was glad of, hoping
to be merry thereby. Being ready we to church, where a company of fine
people to church, and a fine Church, and very good sermon, Mr. Plume'
being a very excellent scholler and preacher. Coming out of the church I
met Mrs. Pierce, whom I was ashamed to see, having not been with her since
my coming to town, but promised to visit her. Thence with Captain Cocke,
in his coach, home to dinner, whither comes by invitation my Lord Bruncker
and his mistresse and very good company we were, but in dinner time comes
Sir J. Minnes from the fleete, like a simple weak man, having nothing to
say of what he hath done there, but tells of what value he imagines the
prizes to be, and that my Lord Sandwich is well, and mightily concerned to
hear that I was well. But this did put me upon a desire of going thither;
and, moving of it to my Lord, we presently agreed upon it to go this very
tide, we two and Captain Cocke. So every body prepared to fit himself for
his journey, and I walked to Woolwich to trim and shift myself, and by the
time I was ready they come down in the Bezan yacht, and so I aboard and my
boy Tom, and there very merrily we sailed to below Gravesend, and there
come to anchor for all night, and supped and talked, and with much
pleasure at last settled ourselves to sleep having very good lodging upon
cushions in the cabbin.
18th. By break of day we come to within sight of the fleete, which was a
very fine thing to behold, being above 100 ships, great and small; with
the flag-ships of each squadron, distinguished by their several flags on
their main, fore, or mizen masts. Among others, the Soveraigne, Charles,
and Prince; in the last of which my Lord Sandwich was. When we called by
her side his Lordshipp was not stirring, so we come to anchor a little
below his ship, thinking to have rowed on board him, but the wind and tide
was so strong against us that we could not get up to him, no, though rowed
by a boat of the Prince's that come to us to tow us up; at last however he
brought us within a little way, and then they flung out a rope to us from
the Prince and so come on board, but with great trouble and tune and
patience, it being very cold; we find my Lord newly up in his night-gown
very well. He received us kindly; telling us the state of the fleet,
lacking provisions, having no beer at all, nor have had most of them these
three weeks or month, and but few days' dry provisions. And indeed he
tells us that he believes no fleete was ever set to sea in so ill
condition of provision, as this was when it went out last. He did inform
us in the business of Bergen,
[Lord Sandwich was not so successful in convincing other people as
to the propriety of his conduct at Bergen as he was with Pepys.]
so as to let us see how the judgment of the world is not to be depended on
in things they know not; it being a place just wide enough, and not so
much hardly, for ships to go through to it, the yardarmes sticking in the
very rocks. He do not, upon his best enquiry, find reason to except
against any part of the management of the business by Teddiman; he having
staid treating no longer than during the night, whiles he was fitting
himself to fight, bringing his ship a-breast, and not a quarter of an hour
longer (as is said); nor could more ships have been brought to play, as is
thought. Nor could men be landed, there being 10,000 men effectively
always in armes of the Danes; nor, says he, could we expect more from the
Dane than he did, it being impossible to set fire on the ships but it must
burn the towne. But that wherein the Dane did amisse is, that he did
assist them, the Dutch, all the while, while he was treating with us,
while he should have been neutrall to us both. But, however, he did
demand but the treaty of us; which is, that we should not come with more
than five ships. A flag of truce is said, and confessed by my Lord, that
he believes it was hung out; but while they did hang it out, they did
shoot at us; so that it was not either seen perhaps, or fit to cease upon
sight of it, while they continued actually in action against us. But the
main thing my Lord wonders at, and condemns the Dane for, is, that the
blockhead, who is so much in debt to the Hollander, having now a treasure
more by much than all his Crowne was worth, and that which would for ever
have beggared the Hollanders, should not take this time to break with the
Hollander, and, thereby paid his debt which must have been forgiven him,
and got the greatest treasure into his hands that ever was together in the
world. By and by my Lord took me aside to discourse of his private
matters, who was very free with me touching the ill condition of the
fleete that it hath been in, and the good fortune that he hath had, and
nothing else that these prizes are to be imputed to. He also talked with
me about Mr. Coventry's dealing with him in sending Sir W. Pen away before
him, which was not fair nor kind; but that he hath mastered and cajoled
Sir W. Pen, that he hath been able to do, nothing in the fleete, but been
obedient to him; but withal tells me he is a man that is but of very mean
parts, and a fellow not to be lived with, so false and base he is; which I
know well enough to be very true, and did, as I had formerly done, give my
Lord my knowledge of him. By and by was called a Council of Warr on
board, when come Sir W. Pen there, and Sir Christopher Mings, Sir Edward
Spragg, Sir Jos. Jordan, Sir Thomas Teddiman, and Sir Roger Cuttance, and
so the necessity of the fleete for victuals, clothes, and money was
discoursed, but by the discourse there of all but my Lord, that is to say,
the counterfeit grave nonsense of Sir W. Pen and the poor mean discourse
of the rest, methinks I saw how the government and management of the
greatest business of the three nations is committed to very ordinary
heads, saving my Lord, and in effect is only upon him, who is able to do
what he pleases with them, they not having the meanest degree of reason to
be able to oppose anything that he says, and so I fear it is ordered but
like all the rest of the King's publique affayres. The council being up
they most of them went away, only Sir W. Pen who staid to dine there and
did so, but the wind being high the ship (though the motion of it was
hardly discernible to the eye) did make me sick, so as I could not eat any
thing almost. After dinner Cocke did pray me to helpe him to L500 of W.
How, who is deputy Treasurer, wherein my Lord Bruncker and I am to be
concerned and I did aske it my Lord, and he did consent to have us
furnished with L500, and I did get it paid to Sir Roger Cuttance and Mr.
Pierce in part for above L1000 worth of goods, Mace, Nutmegs, Cynamon, and
Cloves, and he tells us we may hope to get L1500 by it, which God send!
Great spoil, I hear, there hath been of the two East India ships, and that
yet they will come in to the King very rich: so that I hope this journey
will be worth L100 to me.
[There is a shorthand journal of proceedings relating to Pepys's
purchase of some East India prize goods among the Rawlinson MSS. in
the Bodleian Library.]
After having paid this money, we took leave of my Lord and so to our Yacht
again, having seen many of my friends there. Among others I hear that W.
Howe will grow very rich by this last business and grows very proud and
insolent by it; but it is what I ever expected. I hear by every body how
much my poor Lord of Sandwich was concerned for me during my silence a
while, lest I had been dead of the plague in this sickly time. No sooner
come into the yacht, though overjoyed with the good work we have done
to-day, but I was overcome with sea sickness so that I begun to spue
soundly, and so continued a good while, till at last I went into the
cabbin and shutting my eyes my trouble did cease that I fell asleep, which
continued till we come into Chatham river where the water was smooth, and
then I rose and was very well, and the tide coming to be against us we did
land before we come to Chatham and walked a mile, having very good
discourse by the way, it being dark and it beginning to rain just as we
got thither. At Commissioner Pett's we did eat and drink very well and
very merry we were, and about 10 at night, it being moonshine and very
cold, we set out, his coach carrying us, and so all night travelled to
Greenwich, we sometimes sleeping a little and then talking and laughing by
the way, and with much pleasure, but that it was very horrible cold, that
I was afeard of an ague. A pretty passage was that the coach stood of a
sudden and the coachman come down and the horses stirring, he cried, Hold!
which waked me, and the coach[man] standing at the boote to [do] something
or other and crying, Hold! I did wake of a sudden and not knowing who he
was, nor thinking of the coachman between sleeping and waking I did take
up the heart to take him by the shoulder, thinking verily he had been a
thief. But when I waked I found my cowardly heart to discover a fear
within me and that I should never have done it if I had been awake.
19th. About 4 or 5 of the clock we come to Greenwich, and, having first
set down my Lord Bruncker, Cocke and I went to his house, it being light,
and there to our great trouble, we being sleepy and cold, we met with the
ill newes that his boy Jacke was gone to bed sicke, which put Captain
Cocke and me also into much trouble, the boy, as they told us, complaining
of his head most, which is a bad sign it seems. So they presently betook
themselves to consult whither and how to remove him. However I thought it
not fit for me to discover too much fear to go away, nor had I any place
to go to. So to bed I went and slept till 10 of the clock and then comes
Captain Cocke to wake me and tell me that his boy was well again. With
great joy I heard the newes and he told it, so I up and to the office
where we did a little, and but a little business. At noon by invitation
to my Lord Bruncker's where we staid till four of the clock for my Lady
Batten and she not then coming we to dinner and pretty merry but
disordered by her making us stay so long. After dinner I to the office,
and there wrote letters and did business till night and then to Sir J.
Minnes's, where I find my Lady Batten come, and she and my Lord Bruncker
and his mistresse, and the whole house-full there at cards. But by and by
my Lord Bruncker goes away and others of the company, and when I expected
Sir J. Minnes and his sister should have staid to have made Sir W. Batten
and Lady sup, I find they go up in snuffe to bed without taking any manner
of leave of them, but left them with Mr. Boreman. The reason of this I
could not presently learn, but anon I hear it is that Sir J. Minnes did
expect and intend them a supper, but they without respect to him did first
apply themselves to Boreman, which makes all this great feude. However I
staid and there supped, all of us being in great disorder from this, and
more from Cocke's boy's being ill, where my Lady Batten and Sir W. Batten
did come to town with an intent to lodge, and I was forced to go seek a
lodging which my W. Hewer did get me, viz., his own chamber in the towne,
whither I went and found it a very fine room, and there lay most
excellently.