If this finds your Lordship either not alone, or not at leisure, I
beg the suspending your opening of the enclosed till you shall have
both, the matter very well bearing such a delay, and in all humility
remain, may it please your Lordship,
Your Lordship’s most obedient Servant, S. P.
November 17, 1663.
My servant hath my directions to put this into your Lordship’s owne
hand, but not to stay for any answer.
19th. Up, and to the office, where (Sir J. Minnes and Sir W. Batten
being gone this morning to Portsmouth) the rest of us met, and rode at
noon. So I to the ‘Change, where little business, and so home to dinner,
and being at dinner Mr. Creed in and dined with us, and after dinner Mr.
Gentleman, my Jane’s father, to see us and her. And after a little stay
with them, I was sent for by Sir G. Carteret by agreement, and so
left them, and to him and with him by coach to my Lord Treasurer, to
discourse with him about Mr. Gauden’s having of money, and to offer to
him whether it would not be necessary, Mr. Gauden’s credit being so low
as it is, to take security of him if he demands any great sum, such
as L20,000, which now ought to be paid him upon his next year’s
declaration. Which is a sad thing, that being reduced to this by us, we
should be the first to doubt his credit; but so it is. However, it will
be managed with great tenderness to him. My Lord Treasurer we found in
his bed-chamber, being laid up of the goute. I find him a very ready
man, and certainly a brave servant to the King: he spoke so quick and
sensibly of the King’s charge. Nothing displeased me in him but his long
nails, which he lets grow upon a pretty thick white short hand, that it
troubled me to see them. Thence with Sir G. Carteret by coach, and he
set me down at the New Exchange. In our way he told me there is no such
thing likely yet as a Dutch war, neither they nor we being in condition
for it, though it will come certainly to that in some time, our
interests lying the same way, that is to say, in trade. But not yet.
Thence to the Temple, and there visited my cozen Roger Pepys and his
brother Dr. John, a couple, methinks, of very ordinary men, and thence
to speak [with] Mr. Moore, and met him by the way, who tells me, to
my great content, that he believes my letter to my Lord Sandwich hath
wrought well upon him, and that he will look after himself and his
business upon it, for he begins already to do so. But I dare not
conclude anything till I see him, which shall be to-morrow morning, that
I may be out of my pain to know how he takes it of me. He and I to the
Coffee-house, and there drank and talked a little, and so I home, and
after a little at my office home to supper and to bed, not knowing how
to avoid hopes from Mr. Moore’s words to-night, and yet I am fearful of
the worst.
20th. Up, and as soon as I could to my Lord Sandwich’s lodgings, but
he was gone out before, and so I am defeated of my expectation of being
eased one way or other in the business of my Lord. But I went up to Mr.
Howe, who I saw this day the first time in a periwigg, which becomes
him very well, and discoursed with him. He tells me that my Lord is of
a sudden much changed, and he do believe that he do take my letter well.
However, we do both bless God that it hath so good an effect upon him.
Thence I home again, calling at the Wardrobe, where I found my Lord, but
so busy with Mr. Townsend making up accounts there that I was unwilling
to trouble him, and so went away. By and by to the Exchange, and there
met by agreement Mr. Howe, and took him with a barrel of oysters home to
dinner, where we were very merry, and indeed I observe him to be a very
hopeful young man, but only a little conceited. After dinner I took him
and my wife, and setting her in Covent Garden at her mother’s, he and I
to my Lord’s, and thence I with Mr. Moore to White Hall, there the King
and Council being close, and I thinking it an improper place to meet
my Lord first upon the business; I took coach, and calling my wife went
home, setting Mr. Moore down by the way, and having been late at the
office alone looking over some plates of the Northern seas, the White
seas, and Archangell river, I went home, and, after supper, to bed.
My wife tells me that she and her brother have had a great falling out
to-night, he taking upon him to challenge great obligation upon her, and
taxing her for not being so as she ought to be to her friends, and that
she can do more with me than she pretends, and I know not what, but God
be thanked she cannot. A great talke there is today of a crush between
some of the Fanatiques up in arms, and the King’s men in the North; but
whether true I know not yet.
21st. At the office all the morning and at noon I receive a letter from
Mr. Creed, with a token, viz., a very noble parti-coloured Indian gowne
for my wife. The letter is oddly writ, over-prizing his present, and
little owning any past service of mine, but that this was his genuine
respects, and I know not what: I confess I had expectations of a better
account from him of my service about his accounts, and so give his boy
12d., and sent it back again, and after having been at the pay of a
ship this afternoon at the Treasury, I went by coach to Ludgate, and, by
pricing several there, I guess this gowne may be worth about L12 or L15.
But, however, I expect at least L50 of him. So in the evening I wrote
him a letter telling him clearly my mind, a copy of which I keep and
of his letter and so I resolve to have no more such correspondence as
I used to have but will have satisfaction of him as I do expect. So to
write my letters, and after all done I went home to supper and to bed,
my mind being pretty well at ease from my letter to Creed, and more for
my receipt this afternoon of L17 at the Treasury, for the L17 paid a
year since to the carver for his work at my house, which I did intend to
have paid myself, but, finding others to do it, I thought it not amisse
to get it too, but I am afeard that we may hear of it to our greater
prejudices hereafter.
22nd (Lord’s day). Up pretty early, and having last night bespoke a
coach, which failed me this morning, I walked as far as the Temple, and
there took coach, and to my Lord’s lodgings, whom I found ready to go
to chappell; but I coming, he begun, with a very serious countenance,
to tell me that he had received my late letter, wherein first he took
notice of my care of him and his honour, and did give me thanks for that
part of it where I say that from my heart I believe the contrary of what
I do there relate to be the discourse of others; but since I intended
it not a reproach, but matter of information, and for him to make a
judgment of it for his practice, it was necessary for me to tell him the
persons of whom I have gathered the several particulars which I there
insist on. I would have made excuses in it; but, seeing him so earnest
in it, I found myself forced to it, and so did tell him Mr. Pierce;
the chyrurgeon, in that of his Lordship’s living being discoursed of at
Court; a mayd servant that-I kept, that lived at Chelsy school; and also
Mr. Pickering, about the report touching the young woman; and also Mr.
Hunt, in Axe Yard, near whom she lodged. I told him the whole city
do discourse concerning his neglect of business; and so I many times
asserting my dutifull intention in all this, and he owning his accepting
of it as such. That that troubled me most in particular is, that he
did there assert the civility of the people of the house, and the young
gentlewoman, for whose reproach he was sorry. His saying that he was
resolved how to live, and that though he was taking a house, meaning to
live in another manner, yet it was not to please any people, or to stop
report, but to please himself, though this I do believe he might say
that he might not seem to me to be so much wrought upon by what I have
writ; and lastly, and most of all, when I spoke of the tenderness that
I have used in declaring this to him, there being nobody privy to it,
he told me that I must give him leave to except one. I told him that
possibly somebody might know of some thoughts of mine, I having borrowed
some intelligence in this matter from them, but nobody could say they
knew of the thing itself what I writ. This, I confess, however, do
trouble me, for that he seemed to speak it as a quick retort, and it
must sure be Will. Howe, who did not see anything of what I writ, though
I told him indeed that I would write; but in this, I think, there is no
great hurt. I find him, though he cannot but owne his opinion of my
good intentions, and so, he did again and again profess it, that he
is troubled in his mind at it; and I confess, I think I may have done
myself an injury for his good, which, were it to do again, and that
I believed he would take it no better, I think I should sit quietly
without taking any notice of it, for I doubt there is no medium between
his taking it very well or very ill. I could not forbear weeping before
him at the latter end, which, since, I am ashamed of, though I cannot
see what he can take it to proceed from but my tenderness and good
will to him. After this discourse was ended, he began to talk very,
cheerfully of other things, and I walked with him to White Hall, and we
discoursed of the pictures in the gallery, which, it may be, he might do
out of policy, that the boy might not see any, strangeness in him; but I
rather think that his mind was somewhat eased, and hope that he will be
to me as he was before. But, however, I doubt not when he sees that I
follow my business, and become an honour to him, and not to be like to
need him, or to be a burden to him, and rather able to serve him than to
need him, and if he do continue to follow business, and so come to
his right witts again, I do not doubt but he will then consider my
faithfulnesse to him, and esteem me as he ought. At chappell I had
room in the Privy Seale pew with other gentlemen, and there heard Dr.
Killigrew, preach, but my mind was so, I know not whether troubled, or
only full of thoughts of what had passed between my Lord and me that I
could not mind it, nor can at this hour remember three words. The anthem
was good after sermon, being the fifty-first psalme, made for five
voices by one of Captain Cooke’s boys, a pretty boy. And they say there
are four or five of them that can do as much. And here I first perceived
that the King is a little musicall, and kept good time with his hand
all along the anthem. Up into the gallery after sermon and there I met
Creed. We saluted one another and spoke but not one word of what had
passed yesterday between us, but told me he was forced to such a place
to dinner and so we parted. Here I met Mr. Povy, who tells me how
Tangier had like to have been betrayed, and that one of the King’s
officers is come, to whom 8,000 pieces of eight were offered for his
part. Hence I to the King’s Head ordinary, and there dined, good and
much company, and a good dinner: most of their discourse was about
hunting, in a dialect I understand very little. Thence by coach to our
own church, and there my mind being yet unsettled I could mind nothing,
and after sermon home and there told my wife what had passed, and thence
to my office, where doing business only to keep my mind employed till
late; and so home to supper, to prayers, and to bed.
23rd: Up and to Alderman Backwell’s, where Sir W. Rider, by appointment,
met us to consult about the insuring of our hempe ship from Archangell,
in which we are all much concerned, by my Lord Treasurer’s command. That
being put in a way I went to Mr. Beacham, one of our jury, to confer
with him about our business with Field at our trial to-morrow, and
thence to St. Paul’s Churchyarde, and there bespoke “Rushworth’s
Collections,” and “Scobell’s Acts of the Long Parliament,”’ &c., which
I will make the King pay for as to the office; and so I do not break my
vow at all. Back to the Coffee-house, and then to the ‘Change, where Sir
W. Rider and I did bid 15 per cent., and nobody will take it under 20
per cent., and the lowest was 15 per cent. premium, and 15 more to be
abated in case of losse, which we did not think fit without order to
give, and so we parted, and I home to a speedy, though too good a dinner
to eat alone, viz., a good goose and a rare piece of roast beef. Thence
to the Temple, but being there too soon and meeting Mr. Moore I took him
up and to my Lord Treasurer’s, and thence to Sir Ph. Warwick’s, where
I found him and did desire his advice, who left me to do what I thought
fit in this business of the insurance, and so back again to the Temple
all the way telling Mr. Moore what had passed between my Lord and me
yesterday, and indeed my fears do grow that my Lord will not reform as
I hoped he would nor have the ingenuity to take my advice as he ought
kindly. But however I am satisfied that the one person whom he said he
would take leave to except is not Mr. Moore, and so W. Howe I am sure
could tell him nothing of my letter that ever he saw it. Here Mr. Moore
and I parted, and I up to the Speaker’s chamber, and there met Mr.
Coventry by appointment to discourse about Field’s business, and thence
we parting I homewards and called at the Coffeehouse, and there by
great accident hear that a letter is come that our ship is safe come
to Newcastle. With this news I went like an asse presently to Alderman
Backewell and, told him of it, and he and I went to the African House
in Broad Street to have spoke with Sir W. Rider to tell him of it, but
missed him. Now what an opportunity had I to have concealed this and
seemed to have made an insurance and got L100 with the least trouble
and danger in the whole world. This troubles me to think I should be
so oversoon. So back again with Alderman Backewell talking of the new
money, which he says will never be counterfeited, he believes; but it is
deadly inconvenient for telling, it is so thick, and the edges are made
to turn up. I found him as full of business, and, to speak the truth,
he is a very painfull man, and ever was, and now-a-days is well paid
for it. So home and to my office, doing business late in order to the
getting a little money, and so home to supper and to bed.
24th. Up and to the office, where we sat all the morning, and at noon
to the ‘Change, where everybody joyed me in our hemp ship’s coming safe,
and it seems one man, Middleburgh, did give 20 per cent. in gold last
night, three or four minutes before the newes came of her being safe.
Thence with Mr. Deane home and dined, and after dinner and a good deal
of discourse of the business of Woolwich Yard, we opened his draught of
a ship which he has made for me, and indeed it is a most excellent one
and that that I hope will be of good use to me as soon as I get a little
time, and much indebted I am to the poor man. Toward night I by coach to
Whitehall to the Tangier committee, and there spoke with my Lord and he
seems mighty kind to me, but I will try him to-morrow by a visit to see
whether he holds it or no. Then home by coach again and to my office,
where late with Captain Miners about the East India business. So home
to supper and to bed, being troubled to find myself so bound as I am,
notwithstanding all the physic that I take. This day our tryall was with
Field, and I hear that they have given him L29 damage more, which is a
strange thing, but yet not so much as formerly, nor as I was afeard of.
25th. Up and to Sir G. Carteret’s house, and with him by coach to
Whitehall. He uses me mighty well to my great joy, and in our discourse
took occasion to tell me that as I did desire of him the other day so he
desires of me the same favour that we may tell one another at any time
any thing that passes among us at the office or elsewhere wherein we are
either dissatisfied one with another, and that I should find him in
all things as kind and ready to serve me as my own brother. This
methinks-was very sudden and extraordinary and do please me mightily,
and I am resolved by no means ever to lose him again if I can. He
told me that he did still observe my care for the King’s service in my
office. He set me down in Fleet Street and thence I by another coach to
my Lord Sandwich’s, and there I did present him Mr. Barlow’s “Terella,”
with which he was very much pleased, and he did show me great kindnesse,
and by other discourse I have reason to think that he is not at all, as
I feared he would be, discontented against me more than the trouble of
the thing will work upon him. I left him in good humour, and I to White
Hall, to the Duke of York and Mr. Coventry, and there advised about
insuring the hempe ship at 12 per cent., notwithstanding her being come
to Newcastle, and I do hope that in all my three places which are now
my hopes and supports I may not now fear any thing, but with care, which
through the Lord’s blessing I will never more neglect, I don’t doubt but
to keep myself up with them all. For in the Duke, and Mr. Coventry,
my Lord Sandwich and Sir G. Carteret I place my greatest hopes, and it
pleased me yesterday that Mr. Coventry in the coach (he carrying me to
the Exchange at noon from the office) did, speaking of Sir W. Batten,
say that though there was a difference between them, yet he would
embrace any good motion of Sir W. Batten to the King’s advantage as well
as of Mr. Pepys’ or any friend he had. And when I talked that I would go
about doing something of the Controller’s work when I had time, and that
I thought the Controller would not take it ill, he wittily replied that
there was nothing in the world so hateful as a dog in the manger. Back
by coach to the Exchange, there spoke with Sir W. Rider about insuring,
and spoke with several other persons about business, and shall become
pretty well known quickly. Thence home to dinner with my poor wife, and
with great joy to my office, and there all the afternoon about business,
and among others Mr. Bland came to me and had good discourse, and he has
chose me a referee for him in a business, and anon in the evening comes
Sir W. Warren, and he and I had admirable discourse. He advised me in
things I desired about, bummary,--[bottomry]--and other ways of putting
out money as in parts of ships, how dangerous they are, and lastly fell
to talk of the Dutch management of the Navy, and I think will helpe me
to some accounts of things of the Dutch Admiralty, which I am mighty
desirous to know. He seemed to have been mighty privy with my Lord
Albemarle in things before this great turn, and to the King’s dallying
with him and others for some years before, but I doubt all was not very
true. However, his discourse is very useful in general, though he would
seem a little more than ordinary in this. Late at night home to supper
and to bed, my mind in good ease all but my health, of which I am not a
little doubtful.
26th. Up and to the office, where we sat all the morning, and at noon
I to the ‘Change, and there met with Mr. Cutler the merchant, who would
needs have me home to his house by the Dutch Church, and there in an old
but good house, with his wife and mother, a couple of plain old women,
I dined a good plain dinner, and his discourse after dinner with me upon
matters of the navy victualling very good and worth my hearing, and so
home to my office in the afternoon with my mind full of business, and
there at it late, and so home to supper to my poor wife, and to bed,
myself being in a little pain..... by a stroke.... in pulling up my
breeches yesterday over eagerly, but I will lay nothing to it till I see
whether it will cease of itself or no. The plague, it seems, grows more
and more at Amsterdam; and we are going upon making of all ships coming
from thence and Hambrough, or any other infected places, to perform
their Quarantine (for thirty days as Sir Rd. Browne expressed it in the
order of the Council, contrary to the import of the word, though in the
general acceptation it signifies now the thing, not the time spent in
doing it) in Holehaven, a thing never done by us before.
27th. Up and to my office, where busy with great delight all the
morning, and at noon to the ‘Change, and so home to dinner with my poor
wife, and with great content to my office again, and there hard at work
upon stating the account of the freights due to the King from the East
India Company till late at night, and so home to supper and to bed. My
wife mightily pleased with my late discourse of getting a trip over to
Calais, or some other port of France, the next summer, in one of the
yachts, and I believe I shall do it, and it makes good sport that my
mayde Jane dares not go, and Besse is wild to go, and is mad for joy,
but yet will be willing to stay if Jane hath a mind, which is the best
temper in this and all other things that ever I knew in my life.
28th. Up and at the office sat all the morning, and at noon by Mr.
Coventry’s coach to the ‘Change, and after a little while there where I
met with Mr. Pierce, the chyrurgeon, who tells me for good newes that
my Lord Sandwich is resolved to go no more to Chelsy, and told me he
believed that I had been giving my Lord some counsel, which I neither
denied nor affirmed, but seemed glad with him that he went thither no
more, and so I home to dinner, and thence abroad to Paul’s Church Yard,
and there looked upon the second part of Hudibras, which I buy not, but
borrow to read, to see if it be as good as the first, which the world
cry so mightily up, though it hath not a good liking in me, though I had
tried by twice or three times reading to bring myself to think it witty.
Back again home and to my office, and there late doing business and
so home to supper and to bed. I have been told two or three times, but
to-day for certain I am told how in Holland publickly they have pictured
our King with reproach. One way is with his pockets turned the wrong
side outward, hanging out empty; another with two courtiers picking of
his pockets; and a third, leading of two ladies, while others abuse him;
which amounts to great contempt.
29th (Lord’s day). This morning I put on my best black cloth suit,
trimmed with scarlett ribbon, very neat, with my cloake lined with
velvett, and a new beaver, which altogether is very noble, with my black
silk knit canons I bought a month ago. I to church alone, my wife not
going, and there I found my Lady Batten in a velvet gown, which vexed
me that she should be in it before my wife, or that I am able to put
her into one, but what cannot be, cannot be. However, when I came home I
told my wife of it, and to see my weaknesse, I could on the sudden have
found my heart to have offered her one, but second thoughts put it by,
and indeed it would undo me to think of doing as Sir W. Batten and his
Lady do, who has a good estate besides his office. A good dinner we had
of boeuf a la mode, but not roasted so well as my wife used to do it. So
after dinner I to the French Church, but that being too far begun I came
back to St. Dunstan’s by six and heard a good sermon, and so home and
to my office all, the evening making up my accounts of this month, and
blessed be God I have got up my crumb again to L770, the most that ever
I had yet, and good clothes a great many besides, which is a great mercy
of God to me. So home to supper and to bed.
30th. Was called up by a messenger from Sir W. Pen to go with him by
coach to White Hall. So I got up and went with him, and by the way he
began to observe to me some unkind dealing of mine to him a weeke or two
since at the table, like a coxcomb, when I answered him pretty freely
that I would not think myself to owe any man the service to do this or
that because they would have it so (it was about taking of a mulct
upon a purser for not keeping guard at Chatham when I was there), so
he talked and I talked and let fall the discourse without giving or
receiving any great satisfaction, and so to other discourse, but I shall
know him still for a false knave. At White Hall we met the Duke in the
Matted Gallery, and there he discoursed with us; and by and by my Lord
Sandwich came and stood by, and talked; but it being St. Andrew’s, and a
collar-day, he went to the Chappell, and we parted. From him and Sir W.
Pen and I back again and ‘light at the ‘Change, and to the Coffee-house,
where I heard the best story of a cheate intended by a Master of a ship,
who had borrowed twice his money upon the bottomary, and as much more
insured upon his ship and goods as they were worth, and then would have
cast her away upon the coast of France, and there left her, refusing any
pilott which was offered him; and so the Governor of the place took her
and sent her over hither to find an owner, and so the ship is come safe,
and goods and all; they all worth L500, and he had one way or other
taken L3000. The cause is to be tried to-morrow at Guildhall, where
I intend to be. Thence home to dinner, and then with my wife to her
arithmetique. In the evening came W. Howe to see me, who tells me that
my Lord hath been angry three or four days with him, would not speak to
him; at last did, and charged him with having spoken to me about what he
had observed concerning his Lordship, which W. Howe denying stoutly, he
was well at ease; and continues very quiett, and is removing from
Chelsy as fast as he can, but, methinks, both by my Lord’s looks upon
me to-day, or it may be it is only my doubtfulness, and by W. Howe’s
discourse, my Lord is not very well pleased, nor, it may be, will be a
good while, which vexes me; but I hope all will over in time, or else I
am but ill rewarded for my good service. Anon he and I to the Temple
and there parted, and I to my cozen Roger Pepys, whom I met going to his
chamber; he was in haste, and to go out of town tomorrow. He tells me of
a letter from my father which he will keep to read to me at his coming
to town again. I perceive it is about my father’s jealousys concerning
my wife’s doing ill offices with me against him only from the
differences they had when she was there, which he very unwisely
continues to have and troubles himself and friends about to speak to me
in, as my Lord Sandwich, Mr. Moore, and my cozen Roger, which vexes me,
but I must impute it to his age and care for my mother and Pall and
so let it go. After little discourse with him I took coach and home,
calling upon my bookseller’s for two books, Rushworth’s and Scobell’s
Collections. I shall make the King pay for them. The first I spent some
time at the office to read and it is an excellent book. So home and
spent the evening with my wife in arithmetique, and so to supper and to
bed. I end this month with my mind in good condition for any thing else,
but my unhappy adventuring to disoblige my Lord by doing him service in
representing to him the discourse of the world concerning him and his
affairs.