attend the Duke of York; but come a little too late, and so missed it:
only spoke with him, and heard him correct my Lord Barkeley, who fell foul
on Sir Edward Spragg, who, it seems, said yesterday to the House, that if
the Officers of the Ordnance had done as much work at Shereness in ten
weeks as "The Prince" did in ten days, he could have defended the place
against the Dutch: but the Duke of York told him that every body must have
liberty, at this time, to make their own defence, though it be to the
charging of the fault upon any other, so it be true; so I perceive the
whole world is at work in blaming one another. Thence Sir W. Pen and I
back into London; and there saw the King, with his kettle-drums and
trumpets, going to the Exchange, to lay the first stone of the first
pillar of the new building of the Exchange; which, the gates being shut, I
could not get in to see: but, with Sir W. Pen, to Captain Cocke's to drink
a dram of brandy, and so he to the Treasury office about Sir G. Carteret's
accounts, and I took coach and back again toward Westminster; but in my
way stopped at the Exchange, and got in, the King being newly gone; and
there find the bottom of the first pillar laid. And here was a shed set
up, and hung with tapestry, and a canopy of state, and some good victuals
and wine, for the King, who, it seems, did it; and so a great many people,
as Tom Killigrew, and others of the Court there, and there I did eat a
mouthful and drink a little, and do find Mr. Gawden in his gowne as
Sheriffe, and understand that the King hath this morning knighted him upon
the place, which I am mightily pleased with; and I think the other
Sheriffe, who is Davis, the little fellow, my schoolfellow,--the
bookseller, who was one of Audley's' Executors, and now become Sheriffe;
which is a strange turn, methinks. Here mighty merry (there being a good
deal of good company) for a quarter of an hour, and so I away and to
Westminster Hall, where I come just as the House rose; and there, in the
Hall, met with Sir W. Coventry, who is in pain to defend himself in the
business of tickets, it being said that the paying of the ships at Chatham
by ticket was by his direction, and he hath wrote to me to find his
letters, and shew them him, but I find none; but did there argue the case
with him, and I think no great blame can be laid on us for that matter,
only I see he is fearfull. And he tells me his mistake in the House the
other day, which occasions him much trouble, in shewing of the House the
Duke of Albemarle's letter about the good condition of Chatham, which he
is sorry for, and, owns as a mistake, the thing not being necessary to
have been done; and confesses that nobody can escape from such error, some
times or other. He says the House was well satisfied with my Report
yesterday; and so several others told me in the Hall that my Report was
very good and satisfactory, and that I have got advantage by it in the
House: I pray God it may prove so! And here, after the Hall pretty empty,
I did walk a few turns with Commissioner Pett, and did give the poor weak
man some advice for his advantage how to better his pleading for himself,
which I think he will if he can remember and practise, for I would not
have the man suffer what he do not deserve, there being enough of what he
do deserve to lie upon him. Thence to Mrs. Martin's, and there staid till
two o'clock, and drank and talked, and did give her L3 to buy my
goddaughter her first new gowne . . . . and so away homeward, and in
my way met Sir W. Pen in Cheapside, and went into his coach, and back
again and to the King's playhouse, and there saw "The Black Prince" again:
which is now mightily bettered by that long letter being printed, and so
delivered to every body at their going in, and some short reference made
to it in heart in the play, which do mighty well; but, when all is done, I
think it the worst play of my Lord Orrery's. But here, to my great
satisfaction, I did see my Lord Hinchingbroke and his mistress, with her
father and mother; and I am mightily pleased with the young lady, being
handsome enough--and, indeed, to my great liking, as I would have her. I
could not but look upon them all the play; being exceeding pleased with my
good hap to see them, God bring them together! and they are now already
mighty kind to one another, and he is as it were one of their family. The
play done I home, and to the office a while, and then home to supper, very
hungry, and then to my chamber, to read the true story, in Speed, of the
Black Prince, and so to bed. This day, it was moved in the House that a
day might be appointed to bring in an, impeachment against the Chancellor,
but it was decried as being irregular; but that, if there was ground for
complaint, it might be brought to the Committee for miscarriages, and, if
they thought good, to present it to the House; and so it was carried.
They did also vote this day thanks to be given to the Prince and Duke of
Albemarle, for their care and conduct in the last year's war, which is a
strange act; but, I know not how, the blockhead Albemarle hath strange
luck to be loved, though he be, and every man must know it, the heaviest
man in the world, but stout and honest to his country. This evening late,
Mr. Moore come to me to prepare matters for my Lord Sandwich's defence;
wherein I can little assist, but will do all I can; and am in great fear
of nothing but the damned business of the prizes, but I fear my Lord will
receive a cursed deal of trouble by it.
24th. Up, and to the office, where all the morning very busy, and at noon
took Mr. Hater home with me to dinner, and instantly back again to write
what letters I had to write, that I might go abroad with my wife, who was
not well, only to jumble her, and so to the Duke of York's playhouse; but
there Betterton not being yet well, we would not stay, though since I hear
that Smith do act his part in "The Villaine," which was then acted, as
well or better than he, which I do not believe; but to Charing Cross,
there to see Polichinelli. But, it being begun, we in to see a Frenchman,
at the house, where my wife's father last lodged, one Monsieur Prin, play
on the trump-marine,
[The trumpet marine is a stringed instrument having a triangular-
shaped body or chest and a long neck, a single string raised on a
bridge and running along the body and neck. It was played with a
bow.]
which he do beyond belief; and, the truth is, it do so far outdo a trumpet
as nothing more, and he do play anything very true, and it is most
admirable and at first was a mystery to me that I should hear a whole
concert of chords together at the end of a pause, but he showed me that it
was only when the last notes were 5ths or 3rds, one to another, and then
their sounds like an Echo did last so as they seemed to sound all
together. The instrument is open at the end, I discovered; but he would
not let me look into it, but I was mightily pleased with it, and he did
take great pains to shew me all he could do on it, which was very much,
and would make an excellent concert, two or three of them, better than
trumpets can ever do, because of their want of compass. Here we also saw
again the two fat children come out of Ireland, and a brother and sister
of theirs now come, which are of little ordinary growth, like other
people. But, Lord! how strange it is to observe the difference between
the same children, come out of the same little woman's belly! Thence to
Mile-End Greene, and there drank, and so home bringing home night with us,
and so to the office a little, and then to bed.
25th. Up, and all the morning close till two o'clock, till I had not time
to eat my dinner, to make our answer ready for the Parliament this
afternoon, to shew how Commissioner Pett was singly concerned in the
executing of all orders from Chatham, and that we did properly lodge all
orders with him. Thence with Sir W. Pen to the Parliament Committee, and
there we all met, and did shew, my Lord Bruncker and I, our commissions
under the Great Seal in behalf of all the rest, to shew them our duties,
and there I had no more matters asked me, but were bid to withdraw, and
did there wait, I all the afternoon till eight at, night, while they were
examining several about the business of Chatham again, and particularly my
Lord Bruncker did meet with two or three blurs that he did not think of.
One from Spragg, who says that "The Unity" was ordered up contrary to his
order, by my Lord Bruncker and Commissioner Pett. Another by Crispin, the
waterman, who said he was upon "The Charles;" and spoke to Lord Bruncker
coming by in his boat, to know whether they should carry up "The Charles,"
they being a great many naked men without armes, and he told them she was
well as she was. Both these have little in them indeed, but yet both did
stick close against him; and he is the weakest man in the world to make
his defence, and so is like to have much fault laid on him therefrom.
Spragg was in with them all the afternoon, and hath much fault laid on him
for a man that minded his pleasure, and little else of his whole charge.
I walked in the lobby, and there do hear from Mr. Chichly that they were
(the Commissioners of the Ordnance) shrewdly put to it yesterday, being
examined with all severity and were hardly used by them, much otherwise
than we, and did go away with mighty blame; and I am told by every body
that it is likely to stick mighty hard upon them: at which every body is
glad, because of Duncomb's pride, and their expecting to have the thanks
of the House whereas they have deserved, as the Parliament apprehends, as
bad as bad can be. Here is great talk of an impeachment brought in
against my Lord Mordaunt, and that another will be brought in against my
Lord Chancellor in a few days. Here I understand for certain that they
have ordered that my Lord Arlington's letters, and Secretary Morrice's
letters of intelligence, be consulted, about the business of the Dutch
fleete's coming abroad, which is a very high point, but this they have
done, but in what particular manner I cannot justly say, whether it was
not with the King's leave first asked. Here late, as I have said, and at
last they broke up, and we had our commissions again, and I do hear how
Birch is the high man that do examine and trouble every body with his
questions, and they say that he do labour all he can to clear Pett, but it
seems a witness has come in tonight, C. Millett, who do declare that he
did deliver a message from the Duke of Albemarle time enough for him to
carry up "The Charles," and he neglected it, which will stick very hard,
it seems, on him. So Sir W. Pen and I in his coach home, and there to
supper, a good supper, and so weary, and my eyes spent, to bed.
26th. Up, and we met all this morning at Sir W. Pen's roome, the office
being fowle with the altering of our garden door. There very busy, and at
noon home, where Mrs. Pierce and her daughter's husband and Mr. Corbet
dined with me. I had a good dinner for them, and mighty merry. Pierce
and I very glad at the fate of the officers of Ordnance, that they are
like to have so much blame on them. Here Mrs. Pierce tells me that the
two Marshalls at the King's house are Stephen Marshall's, the great
Presbyterian's daughters: and that Nelly and Beck Marshall, falling out
the other day, the latter called the other my Lord Buckhurst's whore. Nell
answered then, "I was but one man's whore, though I was brought up in a
bawdy-house to fill strong waters to the guests; and you are a whore to
three or four, though a Presbyter's praying daughter!" which was very
pretty. Mrs. Pierce is still very pretty, but paints red on her face,
which makes me hate her, that I thank God I take no pleasure in her at all
more. After much mirth and good company at dinner, I to the office and
left them, and Pendleton also, who come in to see my wife and talk of
dancing, and there I at the office all the afternoon very busy, and did
much business, with my great content to see it go off of hand, and so
home, my eyes spent, to supper and to bed.
27th (Lord's day). Up, and to my office, there, with W. Hewer, to dictate
a long letter to the Duke of York, about the bad state of the office, it
being a work I do think fit for the office to do, though it be to no
purpose but for their vindication in these bad times; for I do now learn
many things tending to our safety which I did not wholly forget before,
but do find the fruits of, and would I had practised them more, as, among
other things, to be sure to let our answers to orders bear date presently
after their date, that we may be found quick in our execution. This did us
great good the other day before the Parliament. All the morning at this,
at noon home to dinner, with my own family alone. After dinner, I down to
Deptford, the first time that I went to look upon "The Maybolt," which the
King hath given me, and there she is; and I did meet with Mr. Uthwayte,
who do tell me that there are new sails ordered to be delivered her, and a
cable, which I did not speak of at all to him. So, thereupon, I told him
I would not be my own hindrance so much as to take her into my custody
before she had them, which was all I said to him, but desired him to take
a strict inventory of her, that I might not be cheated by the master nor
the company, when they come to understand that the vessel is gone away,
which he hath promised me, and so away back again home, reading all the
way the book of the collection of oaths in the several offices of this
nation, which is worth a man's reading, and so away home, and there my boy
and I to sing, and at it all the evening, and to supper, and so to bed.
This evening come Sir J. Minnes to me, to let me know that a
Parliament-man hath been with him, to tell him that the Parliament intend
to examine him particularly about Sir W. Coventry's selling of places, and
about my Lord Bruncker's discharging the ships at Chatham by ticket: for
the former of which I am more particularly sorry that that business of
[Sir] W. Coventry should come up again; though this old man tells me, and,
I believe, that he can say nothing to it.
28th. Up, and by water to White Hall (calling at Michell's and drank a
dram of strong water, but it being early I did not see his wife), and
thence walked to Sir W. Coventry's lodging, but he was gone out, and so
going towards St. James's I find him at his house which is fitting for
him; and there I to him, and was with him above an hour alone, discoursing
of the matters of the nation, and our Office, and himself. He owns that he
is, at this day, the chief person aymed at by the Parliament--that is, by
the friends of my Lord Chancellor, and also by the Duke of Albemarle, by
reason of his unhappy shewing of the Duke of Albemarle's letter, the other
day, in the House; but that he thinks that he is not liable to any hurt
they can fasten on him for anything, he is so well armed to justify
himself in every thing, unless in the old business of selling places, when
he says every body did; and he will now not be forward to tell his own
story, as he hath been; but tells me he is grown wiser, and will put them
to prove any thing, and he will defend himself: besides that, he will
dispute the statute, thinking that it will not be found to reach him. We
did talk many things, which, as they come into my mind now, I shall set
down without order: that he is weary of public employment; and neither
ever designed, nor will ever, if his commission were brought to him wrapt
in gold, would he accept of any single place in the State, as particularly
Secretary of State; which, he says, the world discourses Morrice is
willing to resign, and he thinks the King might have thought of him, but
he would not, by any means, now take it, if given him, nor anything, but
in commission with others, who may bear part of the blame; for now he
observes well, that whoever did do anything singly are now in danger,
however honest and painful they were, saying that he himself was the only
man, he thinks, at the council-board that spoke his mind clearly, as he
thought, to the good of the King; and the rest, who sat silent, have
nothing said to them, nor are taken notice of. That the first time the
King did take him so closely into his confidence and ministry of affairs
was upon the business of Chatham, when all the disturbances were there,
and in the kingdom; and then, while everybody was fancying for himself,
the King did find him to persuade him to call for the Parliament,
declaring that it was against his own proper interest, forasmuch as [it
was] likely they would find faults with him, as well as with others, but
that he would prefer the service of the King before his own: and,
thereupon, the King did take him into his special notice, and, from that
time to this, hath received him so; and that then he did see the folly and
mistakes of the Chancellor in the management of things, and saw that
matters were never likely to be done well in that sort of conduct, and did
persuade the King to think fit of the taking away the seals from the
Chancellor, which, when it was done, he told me that he himself, in his
own particular, was sorry for it; for, while he stood, there was he and my
Lord Arlington to stand between him and harm: whereas now there is only my
Lord Arlington, and he is now down, so that all their fury is placed upon
him but that he did tell the King, when he first moved it, that, if he
thought the laying of him, W. Coventry, aside, would at all facilitate the
removing of the Chancellor, he would most willingly submit to it,
whereupon the King did command him to try the Duke of York about it, and
persuade him to it, which he did, by the King's command, undertake, and
compass, and the Duke of York did own his consent to the King, but
afterwards was brought to be of another mind for the Chancellor, and now
is displeased with him, and [so is] the Duchesse, so that she will not see
him; but he tells me the Duke of York seems pretty kind, and hath said
that he do believe that W. Coventry did mean well, and do it only out of
judgment. He tells me that he never was an intriguer in his life, nor
will be, nor of any combination of persons to set up this, or fling down
that, nor hath, in his own business, this Parliament, spoke to three
members to say any thing for him, but will stand upon his own defence, and
will stay by it, and thinks that he is armed against all they can [say],
but the old business of selling places, and in that thinks they cannot
hurt him. However, I do find him mighty willing to have his name used as
little as he can, and he was glad when I did deliver him up a letter of
his to me, which did give countenance to the discharging of men by ticket
at Chatham, which is now coming in question; and wherein, I confess, I am
sorry to find him so tender of appearing, it being a thing not only good
and fit, all that was done in it, but promoted and advised by him. But he
thinks the House is set upon wresting anything to his prejudice that they
can pick up. He tells me he did never, as a great many have, call the
Chancellor rogue and knave, and I know not what; but all that he hath
said, and will stand by, is, that his counsels were not good, nor the
manner of his managing of things. I suppose he means suffering the King
to run in debt; for by and by the King walking in the parke, with a great
crowd of his idle people about him, I took occasion to say that it was a
sorry thing to be a poor King, and to have others to come to correct the
faults of his own servants, and that this was it that brought us all into
this condition. He answered that he would never be a poor King, and then
the other would mend of itself. "No," says he, "I would eat bread and
drink water first, and this day discharge all the idle company about me,
and walk only with two footmen; and this I have told the King, and this
must do it at last." I asked him how long the King would suffer this. He
told me the King must suffer it yet longer, that he would not advise the
King to do otherwise; for it would break out again worse, if he should
break them up before the core be come up. After this, we fell to other
talk, of my waiting upon him hereafter, it may be, to read a chapter in
Seneca, in this new house, which he hath bought, and is making very fine,
when we may be out of employment, which he seems to wish more than to
fear, and I do believe him heartily. Thence home, and met news from Mr.
Townsend of the Wardrobe that old Young, the yeoman taylor, whose place my
Lord Sandwich promised my father, is dead. Upon which, resolving
presently that my father shall not be troubled with it, but I hope I shall
be able to enable him to end his days where he is, in quiet, I went forth
thinking to tell Mrs. Ferrers (Captain Ferrers's wife), who do expect it
after my father, that she may look after it, but upon second thoughts
forbore it, and so back again home, calling at the New Exchange, and there
buying "The Indian Emperour," newly printed, and so home to dinner, where
I had Mr. Clerke, the sollicitor, and one of the Auditor's clerks to
discourse about the form of making up my accounts for the Exchequer, which
did give me good satisfaction, and so after dinner, my wife, and Mercer,
who grows fat, and Willett, and I, to the King's house, and there saw "The
Committee," a play I like well, and so at night home and to the office,
and so to my chamber about my accounts, and then to Sir W. Pen's to speak
with Sir John Chichly, who desired my advice about a prize which he hath
begged of the King, and there had a great deal of his foolish talk of
ladies and love and I know not what, and so home to supper and to bed.
29th. Up, and at the office, my Lord Bruncker and I close together till
almost 3 after noon, never stirring, making up a report for the Committee
this afternoon about the business of discharging men by ticket, which it
seems the House is mighty earnest in, but is a foolery in itself, yet
gives me a great deal of trouble to draw up a defence for the Board, as if
it was a crime; but I think I have done it to very good purpose. Then to
my Lady Williams's, with her and my Lord, and there did eat a snapp of
good victuals, and so to Westminster Hall, where we find the House not up,
but sitting all this day about the method of bringing in the charge
against my Lord Chancellor; and at last resolved for a Committee to draw
up the heads, and so rose, and no Committee to sit tonight. Here Sir W.
Coventry and Lord Bruncker and I did in the Hall (between the two Courts
at the top of the Hall) discourse about a letter of [Sir] W. Coventry's to
Bruncker, whereon Bruncker did justify his discharging men by ticket, and
insists on one word which Sir W. Coventry would not seem very earnest to
have left out, but I did see him concerned, and did after labour to
suppress the whole letter, the thing being in itself really impertinent,
but yet so it is that [Sir] W. Coventry do not desire to have his name
used in this business, and I have prevailed with Bruncker for it. Thence
Bruncker and I to the King's House, thinking to have gone into a box
above, for fear of being seen, the King being there, but the play being 3
acts done we would not give 4s., and so away and parted, and I home, and
there after a little supper to bed, my eyes ill, and head full of thoughts
of the trouble this Parliament gives us.
30th. All the morning till past noon preparing over again our report this
afternoon to the Committee of Parliament about tickets, and then home to
eat a bit, and then with Sir W. Pen to White Hall, where we did a very
little business with the Duke of York at our usual meeting, only I
perceive that he do leave all of us, as the King do those about him, to
stand and fall by ourselves, and I think is not without some cares himself
what the Parliament may do in matters wherein his honour is concerned.
Thence to the Parliament-house; where, after the Committee was sat, I was
called in; and the first thing was upon the complaint of a dirty slut that
was there, about a ticket which she had lost, and had applied herself to
me for another. . . . I did give them a short and satisfactory answer
to that; and so they sent her away, and were ashamed of their foolery, in
giving occasion to 500 seamen and seamen's wives to come before them, as
there was this afternoon. But then they fell to the business of tickets,
and I did give them the best answer I could, but had not scope to do it in
the methodical manner which I had prepared myself for, but they did ask a
great many broken rude questions about it, and were mightily hot whether
my Lord Bruncker had any order to discharge whole ships by ticket, and
because my answer was with distinction, and not direct, I did perceive
they were not so fully satisfied therewith as I could wish they were. So
my Lord Bruncker was called in, and they could fasten nothing on him that
I could see, nor indeed was there any proper matter for blame, but I do
see, and it was said publicly in the House by Sir T. Clerges that Sir W.
Batten had designed the business of discharging men by ticket and an order
after the thing was done to justify my Lord Bruncker for having done it.
But this I did not owne at all, nor was it just so, though he did indeed
do something like it, yet had contributed as much to it as any man of the
board by sending down of tickets to do it. But, Lord! to see that we
should be brought to justify ourselves in a thing of necessity and profit
to the King, and of no profit or convenience to us, but the contrary. We
being withdrawn, we heard no more of it, but there staid late and do hear
no more, only my cozen Pepys do tell me that he did hear one or two
whisper as if they thought that I do bogle at the business of my Lord
Bruncker, which is a thing I neither did or have reason to do in his
favour, but I do not think it fit to make him suffer for a thing that
deserves well. But this do trouble me a little that anything should stick
to my prejudice in any of them, and did trouble me so much that all the
way home with Sir W. Pen I was not at good ease, nor all night, though
when I come home I did find my wife, and Betty Turner, the two Mercers,
and Mrs. Parker, an ugly lass, but yet dances well, and speaks the best of
them, and W. Batelier, and Pembleton dancing; and here I danced with them,
and had a good supper, and as merry as I could be, and so they being gone
we to bed.