my head began to be overloaded. Towards noon I took coach and to the
Parliament house door, and there staid the rising of the House, and with
Sir G. Carteret and Mr. Coventry discoursed of some tarr that I have been
endeavouring to buy, for the market begins apace to rise upon us, and I
would be glad first to serve the King well, and next if I could I find
myself now begin to cast how to get a penny myself. Home by coach with
Alderman Backewell in his coach, whose opinion is that the Dutch will not
give over the business without putting us to some trouble to set out a
fleete; and then, if they see we go on well, will seek to salve up the
matter. Upon the 'Change busy. Thence home to dinner, and thence to the
office till my head was ready to burst with business, and so with my wife
by coach, I sent her to my Lady Sandwich and myself to my cozen Roger
Pepys's chamber, and there he did advise me about our Exchequer business,
and also about my brother John, he is put by my father upon interceding
for him, but I will not yet seem the least to pardon him nor can I in my
heart. However, he and I did talk how to get him a mandamus for a
fellowship, which I will endeavour. Thence to my Lady's, and in my way
met Mr. Sanchy, of Cambridge, whom I have not met a great while. He seems
a simple fellow, and tells me their master, Dr. Rainbow, is newly made
Bishop of Carlisle. To my Lady's, and she not being well did not see her,
but straight home with my wife, and late to my office, concluding in the
business of Wood's masts, which I have now done and I believe taken more
pains in it than ever any Principall officer in this world ever did in any
thing to no profit to this day. So, weary, sleepy, and hungry, home and
to bed. This day the Houses attended the King, and delivered their votes
to him: upon the business of the Dutch; and he thanks them, and promises
an answer in writing.
28th. Up and close at my office all the morning. To the 'Change busy at
noon, and so home to dinner, and then in the afternoon at the office till
night, and so late home quite tired with business, and without joy in
myself otherwise than that I am by God's grace enabled to go through it
and one day, hope to have benefit by it. So home to supper and to bed.
29th. Up betimes, and with Sir W. Rider and Cutler to White Hall. Rider
and I to St. James's, and there with Mr. Coventry did proceed strictly
upon some fooleries of Mr. Povy's in my Lord Peterborough's accounts,
which will touch him home, and I am glad of it, for he is the most
troublesome impertinent man that ever I met with. Thence to the 'Change,
and there, after some business, home to dinner, where Luellin and Mount
came to me and dined, and after dinner my wife and I by coach to see my
Lady Sandwich, where we find all the children and my Lord removed, and the
house so melancholy that I thought my Lady had been dead, knowing that she
was not well; but it seems she hath the meazles, and I fear the small pox,
poor lady. It grieves me mightily; for it will be a sad houre to the
family should she miscarry. Thence straight home and to the office, and
in the evening comes Mr. Hill the merchant and another with him that sings
well, and we sung some things, and good musique it seemed to me, only my
mind too full of business to have much pleasure in it. But I will have
more of it. They gone, and I having paid Mr. Moxon for the work he has
done for the office upon the King's globes, I to my office, where very
late busy upon Captain Tayler's bills for his masts, which I think will
never off my hand. Home to supper and to bed.
30th. Up and all the morning at the office. At noon to the 'Change,
where, after business done, Sir W. Rider and Cutler took me to the Old
James and there did give me a good dish of mackerell, the first I have
seen this year, very good, and good discourse. After dinner we fell to
business about their contract for tarr, in which and in another business
of Sir W. Rider's, canvas, wherein I got him to contract with me, I held
them to some terms against their wills, to the King's advantage, which I
believe they will take notice of to my credit. Thence home, and by water
by a gally down to Woolwich, and there a good while with Mr. Pett upon the
new ship discoursing and learning of him. Thence with Mr. Deane to see
Mr: Falconer, and there find him in a way to be well. So to the water
(after much discourse with great content with Mr. Deane) and home late,
and so to the office, wrote to, my father among other things my continued
displeasure against my brother John, so that I will give him nothing more
out of my own purse, which will trouble the poor man, but however it is
fit that I should take notice of my brother's ill carriage to me. Then
home and till 12 at night about my month's accounts, wherein I have just
kept within compass, this having been a spending month. So my people being
all abed I put myself to bed very sleepy. All the newes now is what will
become of the Dutch business, whether warr or peace. We all seem to
desire it, as thinking ourselves to have advantages at present over them;
for my part I dread it. The Parliament promises to assist the King with
lives and fortunes, and he receives it with thanks and promises to demand
satisfaction of the Dutch. My poor Lady Sandwich is fallen sick three
days since of the meazles. My Lord Digby's business is hushed up, and
nothing made of it; he is gone, and the discourse quite ended. Never more
quiet in my family all the days of my life than now, there being only my
wife and I and Besse and the little girl Susan, the best wenches to our
content that we can ever expect.
DIARY OF SAMUEL PEPYS.
MAY
1664
May 1st (Lord's day). Lay long in bed. Went not to church, but staid at
home to examine my last night's accounts, which I find right, and that I
am L908 creditor in the world, the same I was last month. Dined, and
after dinner down by water with my wife and Besse with great pleasure as
low as Greenwich and so back, playing as it were leisurely upon the water
to Deptford, where I landed and sent my wife up higher to land below
Half-way house. I to the King's yard and there spoke about several
businesses with the officers, and so with Mr. Wayth consulting about
canvas, to Half-way house where my wife was, and after eating there we
broke and walked home before quite dark. So to supper, prayers, and to
bed.
2nd. Lay pretty long in bed. So up and by water to St. James's, and
there attended the Duke with Sir W. Batten and Sir J. Minnes, and having
done our work with him walked to Westminster Hall, and after walking there
and talking of business met Mr. Rawlinson and by coach to the 'Change,
where I did some business, and home to dinner, and presently by coach to
the King's Play-house to see "The Labyrinth," but, coming too soon, walked
to my Lord's to hear how my Lady do, who is pretty well; at least past all
fear. There by Captain Ferrers meeting with an opportunity of my Lord's
coach, to carry us to the Parke anon, we directed it to come to the
play-house door; and so we walked, my wife and I and Madamoiselle. I paid
for her going in, and there saw "The Labyrinth," the poorest play,
methinks, that ever I saw, there being nothing in it but the odd accidents
that fell out, by a lady's being bred up in man's apparel, and a man in a
woman's. Here was Mrs. Stewart, who is indeed very pretty, but not like
my Lady Castlemayne, for all that. Thence in the coach to the Parke, where
no pleasure; there being much dust, little company, and one of our horses
almost spoiled by falling down, and getting his leg over the pole; but all
mended presently, and after riding up and down, home. Set Madamoiselle at
home; and we home, and to my office, whither comes Mr. Bland, and pays me
the debt he acknowledged he owed me for my service in his business of the
Tangier Merchant, twenty pieces of new gold, a pleasant sight. It cheered
my heart; and he being gone, I home to supper, and shewed them my wife;
and she, poor wretch, would fain have kept them to look on, without any
other design but a simple love to them; but I thought it not convenient,
and so took them into my own hand. So, after supper, to bed.
3rd. Up, and being ready, went by agreement to Mr. Bland's and there
drank my morning draft in good chocollatte, and slabbering my band sent
home for another, and so he and I by water to White Hall, and walked to
St. James's, where met Creed and Vernatty, and by and by Sir W. Rider, and
so to Mr. Coventry's chamber, and there upon my Lord Peterborough's
accounts, where I endeavoured to shew the folly and punish it as much as I
could of Mr. Povy; for, of all the men in the world, I never knew any man
of his degree so great a coxcomb in such imployments. I see I have lost
him forever, but I value it not; for he is a coxcomb, and, I doubt, not
over honest, by some things which I see; and yet, for all his folly, he
hath the good lucke, now and then, to speak his follies in as good words,
and with as good a show, as if it were reason, and to the purpose, which
is really one of the wonders of my life. Thence walked to Westminster
Hall; and there, in the Lords' House, did in a great crowd, from ten
o'clock till almost three, hear the cause of Mr. Roberts, my Lord Privy
Seal's son, against Win, who by false ways did get the father of Mr.
Roberts's wife (Mr. Bodvill) to give him the estate and disinherit his
daughter. The cause was managed for my Lord Privy Seal by Finch the
Solicitor [General]; but I do really think that he is truly a man of as
great eloquence as ever I heard, or ever hope to hear in all my life.
Thence, after long staying to speak with my Lord Sandwich, at last he
coming out to me and speaking with me about business of my Lord
Peterborough, I by coach home to the office, where all the afternoon, only
stept home to eat one bit and to the office again, having eaten nothing
before to-day. My wife abroad with my aunt Wight and Norbury. I in the
evening to my uncle Wight's, and not finding them come home, they being
gone to the Parke and the Mulberry garden, I went to the 'Change, and
there meeting with Mr. Hempson, whom Sir W. Batten has lately turned out
of his place, merely because of his coming to me when he came to town
before he went to him, and there he told me many rogueries of Sir W.
Batten, how he knows and is able to prove that Captain Cox of Chatham did
give him L10 in gold to get him to certify for him at the King's coming
in, and that Tom Newborne did make [the] poor men give him L3 to get Sir
W. Batten to cause them to be entered in the yard, and that Sir W. Batten
had oftentimes said: "by God, Tom, you shall get something and I will have
some on't." His present clerk that is come in Norman's' room has given
him something for his place; that they live high and (as Sir Francis
Clerk's lady told his wife) do lack money as well as other people, and
have bribes of a piece of sattin and cabinetts and other things from
people that deal with him, and that hardly any body goes to see or hath
anything done by Sir W. Batten but it comes with a bribe, and that this is
publickly true that his wife was a whore, and that he had libells flung
within his doors for a cuckold as soon as he was married; that he received
L100 in money and in other things to the value of L50 more of Hempson, and
that he intends to give him back but L50; that he hath abused the Chest
and hath now some L1000 by him of it. I met also upon the 'Change with Mr.
Cutler, and he told me how for certain Lawson hath proclaimed warr again
with Argier, though they had at his first coming given back the ships
which they had taken, and all their men; though they refused afterwards to
make him restitution for the goods which they had taken out of them.
Thence to my uncle Wight's, and he not being at home I went with Mr.
Norbury near hand to the Fleece, a mum house in Leadenhall, and there
drunk mum and by and by broke up, it being about 11 o'clock at night, and
so leaving them also at home, went home myself and to bed.
4th. Up, and my new Taylor, Langford, comes and takes measure of me for a
new black cloth suit and cloake, and I think he will prove a very carefull
fellow and will please me well. Thence to attend my Lord Peterborough in
bed and give him an account of yesterday's proceeding with Povy. I
perceive I labour in a business will bring me little pleasure; but no
matter, I shall do the King some service. To my Lord's lodgings, where
during my Lady's sickness he is, there spoke with him about the same
business. Back and by water to my cozen Scott's. There condoled with him
the loss of my cozen, his wife, and talked about his matters, as atturney
to my father, in his administering to my brother Tom. He tells me we are
like to receive some shame about the business of his bastarde with Jack
Noble; but no matter, so it cost us no money. Thence to the Coffee-house
and to the 'Change a while. News uncertain how the Dutch proceed. Some
say for, some against a war. The plague increases at Amsterdam. So home
to dinner, and after dinner to my office, where very late, till my eyes
(which begin to fail me nowadays by candlelight) begin to trouble me.
Only in the afternoon comes Mr. Peter Honiwood to see me and gives me
20s., his and his friends' pence for my brother John, which, God forgive
my pride, methinks I think myself too high to take of him; but it is an
ungratefull pitch of pride in me, which God forgive. Home at night to
supper and to bed.
5th. Up betimes to my office, busy, and so abroad to change some plate
for my father to send to-day by the carrier to Brampton, but I observe and
do fear it may be to my wrong that I change spoons of my uncle Robert's
into new and set a P upon them that thereby I cannot claim them hereafter,
as it was my brother Tom's practice. However, the matter of this is not
great, and so I did it. So to the 'Change, and meeting Sir W. Warren,
with him to a taverne, and there talked, as we used to do, of the evils
the King suffers in our ordering of business in the Navy, as Sir W. Batten
now forces us by his knavery. So home to dinner, and to the office, where
all the afternoon, and thence betimes home, my eyes beginning every day to
grow less and less able to bear with long reading or writing, though it be
by daylight; which I never observed till now. So home to my wife, and
after supper to bed.
6th. This morning up and to my office, where Sympson my joyner came to
work upon altering my closet, which I alter by setting the door in another
place, and several other things to my great content. Busy at it all day,
only in the afternoon home, and there, my books at the office being out of
order, wrote letters and other businesses. So at night with my head full
of the business of my closet home to bed, and strange it is to think how
building do fill my mind and put out all other things out of my thoughts.
7th. Betimes at my office with the joyners, and giving order for other
things about it. By and by we sat all the morning. At noon to dinner,
and after dinner comes Deane of Woolwich, and I spent, as I had appointed,
all the afternoon with him about instructions which he gives me to
understand the building of a ship, and I think I shall soon understand it.
In the evening a little to my office to see how the work goes forward
there, and then home and spent the evening also with Mr. Deane, and had a
good supper, and then to bed, he lying at my house.
8th (Lord's day). This day my new tailor, Mr. Langford, brought me home a
new black cloth suit and cloake lined with silk moyre, and he being gone,
who pleases me very well with his work and I hope will use me pretty well,
then Deane and I to my chamber, and there we repeated my yesterday's
lesson about ships all the morning, and I hope I shall soon understand it.
At noon to dinner, and strange how in discourse he cries up chymistry from
some talk he has had with an acquaintance of his, a chymist, when, poor
man, he understands not one word of it. But I discern very well that it
is only his good nature, but in this of building ships he hath taken great
pains, more than most builders I believe have. After dinner he went
away, and my wife and I to church, and after church to Sir W. Pen, and
there sat and talked with him, and the perfidious rogue seems, as he do
always, mightily civil to us, though I know he hates and envies us. So
home to supper, prayers, and to bed.
9th. Up and to my office all the morning, and there saw several things
done in my work to my great content, and at noon home to dinner, and after
dinner in Sir W. Pen's coach he set my wife and I down at the New
Exchange, and after buying some things we walked to my Lady Sandwich's,
who, good lady, is now, thanks be to God! so well as to sit up, and sent
to us, if we were not afeard, to come up to her. So we did; but she was
mightily against my wife's coming so near her; though, poor wretch! she is
as well as ever she was, as to the meazles, and nothing can I see upon her
face. There we sat talking with her above three hours, till six o'clock,
of several things with great pleasure and so away, and home by coach,
buying several things for my wife in our way, and so after looking what
had been done in my office to-day, with good content home to supper and to
bed. But, strange, how I cannot get any thing to take place in my mind
while my work lasts at my office. This day my wife and I in our way to
Paternoster Row to buy things called upon Mr. Hollyard to advise upon her
drying up her issue in her leg, which inclines of itself to dry up, and he
admits of it that it should be dried up.
10th. Up and at my office looking after my workmen all the morning, and
after the office was done did the same at night, and so home to supper and
to bed.
11th. Up and all day, both forenoon and afternoon, at my office to see it
finished by the joyners and washed and every thing in order, and indeed
now my closet is very convenient and pleasant for me. My uncle Wight came
to me to my office this afternoon to speak with me about Mr. Maes's
business again, and from me went to my house to see my wife, and strange
to think that my wife should by and by send for me after he was gone to
tell me that he should begin discourse of her want of children and his
also, and how he thought it would be best for him and her to have one
between them, and he would give her L500 either in money or jewells
beforehand, and make the child his heir. He commended her body, and
discoursed that for all he knew the thing was lawful. She says she did
give him a very warm answer, such as he did not excuse himself by saying
that he said this in jest, but told her that since he saw what her mind
was he would say no more to her of it, and desired her to make no words of
it. It seemed he did say all this in a kind of counterfeit laugh, but by
all words that passed, which I cannot now so well set down, it is plain to
me that he was in good earnest, and that I fear all his kindness is but
only his lust to her. What to think of it of a sudden I know not, but I
think not to take notice yet of it to him till I have thought better of
it. So with my mind and head a little troubled I received a letter from
Mr. Coventry about a mast for the Duke's yacht, which with other business
makes me resolve to go betimes to Woolwich to-morrow. So to supper and to
bed.
12th. Up by 4 o'clock and by water to Woolwich, where did some business
and walked to Greenwich, good discourse with Mr. Deane best part of the
way; there met by appointment Commissioner Pett, and with him to Deptford,
where did also some business, and so home to my office, and at noon Mrs.
Hunt and her cozens child and mayd came and dined with me. My wife sick
. . . in bed. I was troubled with it, but, however, could not help it,
but attended them till after dinner, and then to the office and there sat
all the afternoon, and by a letter to me this afternoon from Mr. Coventry
I saw the first appearance of a warr with Holland. So home; and betimes
to bed because of rising to-morrow.
13th. Up before three o'clock, and a little after upon the water, it
being very light as at noon, and a bright sunrising; but by and by a
rainbow appeared, the first that ever in a morning I saw, and then it fell
a-raining a little, but held up again, and I to Woolwich, where before all
the men came to work I with Mr. Deane spent two hours upon the new ship,
informing myself in the names and natures of many parts of her to my great
content, and so back again, without doing any thing else, and after
shifting myself away to Westminster, looking after Mr. Maes's business and
others. In the Painted Chamber I heard a fine conference between some of
the two Houses upon the Bill for Conventicles. The Lords would be freed
from having their houses searched by any but the Lord Lieutenant of the
County; and upon being found guilty, to be tried only by their peers; and
thirdly, would have it added, that whereas the Bill says, "That that,
among other things, shall be a conventicle wherein any such meeting is
found doing any thing contrary to the Liturgy of the Church of England,"
they would have it added, "or practice." The Commons to the Lords said,
that they knew not what might hereafter be found out which might be called
the practice of the Church of England; for there are many things may be
said to be the practice of the Church, which were never established by any
law, either common, statute, or canon; as singing of psalms, binding up
prayers at the end of the Bible, and praying extempore before and after
sermon: and though these are things indifferent, yet things for aught they
at present know may be started, which may be said to be the practice of
the Church which would not be fit to allow. For the Lords' priviledges,
Mr. Walter told them how tender their predecessors had been of the
priviledges of the Lords; but, however, where the peace of the kingdom
stands in competition with them, they apprehend those priviledges must
give place. He told them that he thought, if they should owne all to be
the priviledges of the Lords which might be demanded, they should be led
like the man (who granted leave to his neighbour to pull off his horse's
tail, meaning that he could not do it at once) that hair by hair had his
horse's tail pulled off indeed: so the Commons, by granting one thing
after another, might be so served by the Lords. Mr. Vaughan, whom I could
not to my grief perfectly hear, did say, if that they should be obliged in
this manner to, exempt the Lords from every thing, it would in time come
to pass that whatever (be [it] never so great) should be voted by the
Commons as a thing penall for a commoner, the contrary should be thought a
priviledge to the Lords: that also in this business, the work of a
conventicle being but the work of an hour, the cause of a search would be
over before a Lord Lieutenant, who may be many miles off, can be sent for;
and that all this dispute is but about L100; for it is said in the Act,
that it shall be banishment or payment of L100. I thereupon heard the
Duke of Lenox say, that there might be Lords who could not always be ready
to lose L100, or some such thing: They broke up without coming to any end
in it. There was also in the Commons' House a great quarrel about Mr.
Prin, and it was believed that he should have been sent to the Towre, for
adding something to a Bill (after it was ordered to be engrossed) of his
own head--a Bill for measures for wine and other things of that sort, and
a Bill of his owne bringing in; but it appeared he could not mean any hurt
in it. But, however, the King was fain to write in his behalf, and all
was passed over. But it is worth my remembrance, that I saw old Ryly the
Herald, and his son; and spoke to his son, who told me in very bad words
concerning Mr. Prin, that the King had given him an office of keeping the
Records; but that he never comes thither, nor had been there these six
months: so that I perceive they expect to get his imployment from him.
Thus every body is liable to be envied and supplanted. At noon over to
the Leg, where Sir G. Ascue, Sir Robt. Parkhurst and Sir W. Pen dined. A
good dinner and merry. Thence to White Hall walking up and down a great
while, but the Council not meeting soon enough I went homeward, calling
upon my cozen Roger Pepys, with whom I talked and heard so much from him
of his desire that I would see my brother's debts paid, and things still
of that nature tending to my parting with what I get with pain to serve
others' expenses that I was cruelly vexed. Thence to Sir R. Bernard, and
there heard something of Pigott's delay of paying our money, that that
also vexed me mightily. So home and there met with a letter from my cozen
Scott, which tells me that he is resolved to meddle no more with our
business, of administering for my father, which altogether makes me almost
distracted to think of the trouble that I am like to meet with by other
folks' business more than ever I hope to have by my owne. So with great
trouble of mind to bed.