[Paternoster Row, now famous as the headquarters of the publishing
houses, was at this time chiefly inhabited by mercers. “This
street, before the Fire of London, was taken up by eminent Mercers,
Silkmen and Lacemen; and their shops were so resorted to by the
nobility and gentry in their coaches, that oft times the street was
so stop’d up that there was no passage for foot passengers”
(Strype’s “Stow,” book iii., p. 195)].
I discoursed of going to Oxford this Commencement, Mr. Nathaniel Crew
being Proctor and Mr. Childe commencing Doctor of Musique this year,
which I have a great mind to do, and, if I can, will order my matters so
that I may do it. By and by, he and I to the Temple, it raining hard, my
cozen Roger being got out, he and I walked a good while among the Temple
trees discoursing of my getting my Lord to let me have security upon
his estate for L100 per ann. for two lives, my own and my wife, for my
money. But upon second thoughts Mr. Moore tells me it is very likely
my Lord will think that I beg something, and may take it ill, and so we
resolved not to move it there, but to look for it somewhere else. Here
it raining hard he and I walked into the King’s Bench Court, where
I never was before, and there staid an hour almost, till it had done
raining, which is a sad season, that it is said there hath not been one
fair day these three months, and I think it is true, and then by water
to Westminster, and at the Parliament House I spoke with Roger Pepys.
The House is upon the King’s answer to their message about Temple, which
is, that my Lord of Bristoll did tell him that Temple did say those
words; so the House are resolved upon sending some of their members to
him to know the truth, and to demand satisfaction if it be not true. So
by water home, and after a little while getting me ready, Sir W. Batten,
Sir J. Minnes, my Lady Batten, and I by coach to Bednall Green, to Sir
W. Rider’s to dinner, where a fine place, good lady mother, and their
daughter, Mrs. Middleton, a fine woman. A noble dinner, and a fine merry
walk with the ladies alone after dinner in the garden, which is very
pleasant; the greatest quantity of strawberrys I ever saw, and good,
and a collation of great mirth, Sir J. Minnes reading a book of scolding
very prettily. This very house
[Sir William Rider’s house was known as Kirby Castle, and was
supposed to have been built in 1570 by John Thorpe for John Kirby.
It was associated in rhyme with other follies of the time in bricks
and mortar, as recorded by Stow
“Kirkebyes Castell, and Fisher’s Follie,
Spinila’s pleasure, and Megse’s glorie.”
The place was known in Strype’s time as the “Blind Beggar’s House,”
but he knew nothing of the ballad, “The Beggar’s Daughter of Bednall
Green,” for he remarks, “perhaps Kirby beggared himself by it.” Sr.
William Rider died at this house in 1669.]
was built by the Blind Beggar of Bednall Green, so much talked of and
sang in ballads; but they say it was only some of the outhouses of it.
We drank great store of wine, and a beer glass at last which made me
almost sick. At table, discoursing of thunder and lightning, they
told many stories of their own knowledge at table of their masts being
shivered from top to bottom, and sometimes only within and the outside
whole, but among the rest Sir W. Rider did tell a story of his own
knowledge, that a Genoese gaily in Leghorn Roads was struck by thunder,
so as the mast was broke a-pieces, and the shackle upon one of the
slaves was melted clear off of his leg without hurting his leg. Sir
William went on board the vessel, and would have contributed towards
the release of the slave whom Heaven had thus set free, but he could not
compass it, and so he was brought to his fetters again. In the evening
home, and a little to my Tryangle, and so to bed.
27th. Up by 4 o’clock and a little to my office. Then comes by agreement
Sir W. Warren, and he and I from ship to ship to see deals of all sorts,
whereby I have encreased my knowledge and with great pleasure. Then to
his yard and house, where I staid two hours or more discoursing of the
expense of the navy and the corruption of Sir W. Batten and his man
Wood that he brings or would bring to sell all that is to be sold by the
Navy. Then home to the office, where we sat a little, and at noon home
to dinner, alone, and thence, it raining hard, by water to the Temple,
and so to Lincoln’s Inn, and there walked up and down to see the new
garden which they are making, and will be very pretty, and so to walk
under the Chappell by agreement, whither Mr. Clerke our Solicitor came
to me, and he fetched Mr. Long, our Attorney in the Exchequer in the
business against Field, and I directed him to come to the best and
speediest composition he could, which he will do. So home on foot,
calling upon my brother’s and elsewhere upon business, and so home to
my office, and there wrote letters to my father and wife, and so home to
bed, taking three pills overnight.
28th (Lord’s day). Early in the morning my last night’s physic worked
and did give me a good stool, and then I rose and had three or four
stools, and walked up and down my chamber. Then up, my maid rose and
made me a posset, and by and by comes Mr. Creed, and he and I spent all
the morning discoursing against to-morrow before the Duke the business
of his pieces of eight, in which the Treasurer makes so many queries. At
noon, my physic having done working, I went down to dinner, and then
he and I up again and spent most of the afternoon reading in Cicero and
other books of good discourse, and then he went away, and then came my
brother Tom to see me, telling me how the Joyces do make themselves fine
clothes against Mary is brought to bed. He being gone I went to cast up
my monthly accounts, and to my great trouble I find myself L7 worse than
I was the last month, but I confess it is by my reckoning beforehand a
great many things, yet however I am troubled to see that I can hardly
promise myself to lay up much from month’s end to month’s end, about
L4 or L5 at most, one month with another, without some extraordinary
gettings, but I must and I hope I shall continue to have a care of my
own expenses. So to the reading my vows seriously and then to supper.
This evening there came my boy’s brother to see for him, and tells me he
knows not where he is, himself being out of town this week and is very
sorry that he is gone, and so am I, but he shall come no more. So to
prayers, and to bed.
29th. Up betimes and to my office, and by and by to the Temple, and
there appointed to meet in the evening about my business, and thence
I walked home, and up and down the streets is cried mightily the great
victory got by the Portugalls against the Spaniards, where 10,000 slain,
3 or 4,000 taken prisoners, with all the artillery, baggage, money, &c.,
and Don John of Austria
[He was natural son of Philip IV., King of Spain, who, after his
father’s death in 1665, exerted his whole influence to overthrow the
Regency appointed during the young king’s minority.--B.]
forced to flee with a man or two with him, which is very great news.
Thence home and at my office all the morning, and then by water to St.
James’s, but no meeting to-day being holy day, but met Mr. Creed in the
Park, and after a walk or two, discoursing his business, took leave of
him in Westminster Hall, whither we walked, and then came again to the
Hall and fell to talk with Mrs. Lane, and after great talk that she
never went abroad with any man as she used heretofore to do, I with
one word got her to go with me and to meet me at the further Rhenish
wine-house, where I did give her a Lobster and do so touse her and feel
her all over, making her believe how fair and good a skin she has, and
indeed she has a very white thigh and leg, but monstrous fat. When weary
I did give over and somebody, having seen some of our dalliance, called
aloud in the street, “Sir! why do you kiss the gentlewoman so?” and
flung a stone at the window, which vexed me, but I believe they could
not see my touzing her, and so we broke up and I went out the back way,
without being observed I think, and so she towards the Hall and I to
White Hall, where taking water I to the Temple with my cozen Roger and
Mr. Goldsborough to Gray’s Inn to his counsel, one Mr. Rawworth, a very
fine man, where it being the question whether I as executor should give
a warrant to Goldsborough in my reconveying her estate back again, the
mortgage being performed against all acts of the testator, but only my
own, my cozen said he never heard it asked before; and the other that it
was always asked, and he never heard it denied, or scrupled before,
so great a distance was there in their opinions, enough to make a man
forswear ever having to do with the law; so they agreed to refer it to
Serjeant Maynard. So we broke up, and I by water home from the Temple,
and there to Sir W. Batten and eat with him, he and his lady and Sir J.
Minnes having been below to-day upon the East India men that are come
in, but never tell me so, but that they have been at Woolwich and
Deptford, and done great deal of business. God help them. So home and
up to my lute long, and then, after a little Latin chapter with Will, to
bed. But I have used of late, since my wife went, to make a bad use of
my fancy with whatever woman I have a mind to, which I am ashamed of,
and shall endeavour to do so no more. So to sleep.
30th. Up betimes yesterday and to-day, the sun rising very bright and
glorious; and yet yesterday, as it hath been these two months and more,
was a foul day the most part of the day. By and by by water to White
Hall, and there to my Lord’s lodgings by appointment, whither Mr. Creed
comes to me, having been at Chelsey this morning to fetch my Lord to St.
James’s. So he and I to the Park, where we understand that the King and
Duke are gone out betimes this morning on board the East India ships
lately come in, and so our meeting appointed is lost. But he and I
walked at the further end of the Park, not to be observed, whither by
and by comes my Lord Sandwich, and he and we walked two hours and more
in the Park and then in White Hall Gallery, and lastly in White Hall
garden, discoursing of Mr. Creed’s accounts, and how to answer the
Treasurer’s objections. I find that the business is L500 deep, the
advantage of Creed, and why my Lord and I should be concerned to promote
his profit with so much dishonour and trouble to us I know not, but
however we shall do what we can, though he deserves it not, for there
is nothing even to his own advantage that can be got out of him, but
by mere force. So full of policy he is in the smallest matters, that I
perceive him to be made up of nothing but design. I left him here, being
in my mind vexed at the trouble that this business gets me, and the
distance that it makes between Sir G. Carteret and myself, which I ought
to avoyd. Thence by water home and to dinner, and afterwards to the
office, and there sat till evening, and then I by water to Deptford to
see Sir W. Pen, who lies ill at Captain Rooth’s, but in a way to be well
again this weather, this day being the only fair day we have had these
two or three months. Among other discourse I did tell him plainly some
of my thoughts concerning Sir W. Batten. and the office in general, upon
design for him to understand that I do mind things and will not balk to
take notice of them, that when he comes to be well again he may know how
to look upon me. Thence homeward walked, and in my way met Creed coming
to meet me, and then turned back and walk a while, and so to boat and
home by water, I being not very forward to talk of his business, and he
by design the same, to see how I would speak of it, but I did not, but
in general terms, and so after supper with general discourse to bed and
sleep. Thus, by God’s blessing, ends this book of two years; I being
in all points in good health and a good way to thrive and do well. Some
money I do and can lay up, but not much, being worth now above L700,
besides goods of all sorts. My wife in the country with Ashwell, her
woman, with my father; myself at home with W. Hewer and my cooke-maid
Hannah, my boy Wayneman being lately run away from me. In my office,
my repute and understanding good, especially with the Duke and Mr.
Coventry; only the rest of the officers do rather envy than love me, I
standing in most of their lights, specially Sir W. Batten, whose cheats
I do daily oppose to his great trouble, though he appears mighty kind
and willing to keep friendship with me, while Sir J. Minnes, like a
dotard, is led by the nose by him. My wife and I, by my late jealousy,
for which I am truly to be blamed, have not the kindness between us
which we used and ought to have, and I fear will be lost hereafter if I
do not take course to oblige her and yet preserve my authority. Publique
matters are in an ill condition; Parliament sitting and raising four
subsidys for the King, which is but a little, considering his wants; and
yet that parted withal with great hardness. They being offended to see
so much money go, and no debts of the publique’s paid, but all swallowed
by a luxurious Court: which the King it is believed and hoped will
retrench in a little time, when he comes to see the utmost of the
revenue which shall be settled on him: he expecting to have his
L1,200,000 made good to him, which is not yet done by above L150,000, as
he himself reports to the House. My differences with my uncle Thomas at
a good quiett, blessed be God! and other matters. The town full of the
great overthrow lately given to the Spaniards by the Portugalls, they
being advanced into the very middle of Portugall. The weather wet for
two or three months together beyond belief, almost not one fair day
coming between till this day, which has been a very pleasant [day] and
the first pleasant [day] this summer. The charge of the Navy intended to
be limited to L200,000 per annum, the ordinary charge of it, and that
to be settled upon the Customs. The King yet greatly taken up with Madam
Castlemaine and Mrs. Stewart, which God of Heaven put an end to! Myself
very studious to learn what I can of all things necessary for my place
as an officer of the Navy, reading lately what concerns measuring of
timber and knowledge of the tides. I have of late spent much time with
Creed, being led to it by his business of his accounts, but I find him
a fellow of those designs and tricks, that there is no degree of true
friendship to be made with him, and therefore I must cast him off,
though he be a very understanding man, and one that much may be learned
of as to cunning and judging of other men. Besides, too, I do perceive
more and more that my time of pleasure and idleness of any sort must
be flung off to attend to getting of some money and the keeping of my
family in order, which I fear by my wife’s liberty may be otherwise
lost.