October 1st, 1666. Up, and all the morning at the office, getting
the list of all the ships and vessels employed since the war, for the
Committee of Parliament. At noon with it to Sir W. Coventry’s chamber,
and there dined with him and [Sir] W. Batten, and [Sir] W. Pen, and
after dinner examined it and find it will do us much right in the number
of men rising to near the expense we delivered to the Parliament.
[Sir] W. Coventry and I (the others going before the Committee) to Lord
Bruncker’s for his hand, and find him simply mighty busy in a council of
the Queen’s. He come out and took in the papers to sign, and sent them
mighty wisely out again. Sir W. Coventry away to the Committee, and I to
the Mercer’s, and there took a bill of what I owe of late, which comes
to about L17. Thence to White Hall, and there did hear Betty Michell
was at this end of the towne, and so without breach of vowe did stay to
endeavour to meet with her and carry her home; but she did not come, so
I lost my whole afternoon. But pretty! how I took another pretty woman
for her, taking her a clap on the breech, thinking verily it had been
her. Staid till [Sir] W. Batten and [Sir] W. Pen come out, and so away
home by water with them, and to the office to do some business, and then
home, and my wife do tell me that W. Hewer tells her that Mercer hath
no mind to come. So I was angry at it, and resolved with her to have
Falconbridge’s girle, and I think it will be better for us, and will
please me better with singing. With this resolution, to supper and to
bed.
2nd. Up, and am sent for to Sir G. Carteret, and to him, and there he
tells me how our lists are referred to a Sub-committee to consider and
examine, and that I am ordered to be there this afternoon. So I away
thence to my new bookbinder to see my books gilding in the backs, and
then to White Hall to the House, and spoke to Sir W. Coventry, where he
told me I must attend the Committee in the afternoon, and received some
hints of more work to do. So I away to the ‘Chequer, and thence to an
alehouse, and found Mr. Falconbridge, and agreed for his kinswoman to
come to me. He says she can dress my wife, and will do anything we would
have her to do, and is of a good spirit and mighty cheerful. He is much
pleased therewith, and so we shall be. So agreed for her coming the next
week. So away home, and eat a short dinner, and then with Sir W. Pen to
White Hall, and do give his boy my book of papers to hold while he went
into the Committee Chamber in the Inner Court of Wards, and I walked
without with Mr. Slingsby, of the Tower, who was there, and who did in
walking inform me mightily in several things; among others, that the
heightening or lowering of money is only a cheat, and do good to some
particular men, which, if I can but remember how, I am now by him fully
convinced of. Anon Sir W. Pen went away, telling me that Sir W. Coventry
that was within had told him that the fleete is all come into the buoy
of the Nore, and that he must hasten down to them, and so went away, and
I into the Committee Chamber before the Committee sat, and there heard
Birch discourse highly and understandingly about the Navy business and
a proposal made heretofore to farm the Navy; but Sir W. Coventry did
abundantly answer him, and is a most excellent person. By and by the
Committee met, and I walked out, and anon they rose and called me in,
and appointed me to attend a Committee of them to-morrow at the office
to examine our lists. This put me into a mighty fear and trouble; they
doing it in a very ill humour, methought. So I away and called on my
Lord Bruncker to desire him to be there to-morrow, and so home, having
taken up my wife at Unthanke’s, full of trouble in mind to think what
I shall be obliged to answer, that am neither fully fit, nor in any
measure concerned to take the shame and trouble of this office upon me,
but only from the inability and folly of the Comptroller that occasions
it. When come home I to Sir W. Pen’s, to his boy, for my book, and
there find he hath it not, but delivered it to the doorekeeper of the
Committee for me. This, added to my former disquiet, made me stark mad,
considering all the nakedness of the office lay open in papers within
those covers. I could not tell in the world what to do, but was mad on
all sides, and that which made me worse Captain Cocke was there, and he
did so swear and curse at the boy that told me. So Cocke, Griffin, and
the boy with me, they to find the housekeeper of the Parliament, Hughes,
while I to Sir W. Coventry, but could hear nothing of it there. But
coming to our rendezvous at the Swan Taverne, in Ding Streete, I find
they have found the housekeeper, and the book simply locked up in the
Court. So I staid and drank, and rewarded the doore-keeper, and away
home, my heart lighter by all this, but to bed very sad notwithstanding,
in fear of what will happen to-morrow upon their coming.
3rd. Waked betimes, mightily troubled in mind, and in the most true
trouble that I ever was in my life, saving in the business last year
of the East India prizes. So up, and with Mr. Hater and W. Hewer and
Griffin to consider of our business, and books and papers necessary
for this examination; and by and by, by eight o’clock, comes Birch, the
first, with the lists and books of accounts delivered in. He calls me to
work, and there he and I begun, when, by and by, comes Garraway,
[William Garway, elected M.P. for Chichester, March 26th, 1661, and
in 1674 he was appointed by the House to confer with Lord
Shaftesbury respecting the charge against Pepys being popishly
affected. See note to the Life, vol. i., p, xxxii, and for his
character, October 6th, 1666]
the first time I ever saw him, and Sir W. Thompson and Mr. Boscawen.
They to it, and I did make shift to answer them better than I expected.
Sir W. Batten, Lord Bruncker, [Sir] W. Pen, come in, but presently went
out; and [Sir] J. Minnes come in, and said two or three words from the
purpose, but to do hurt; and so away he went also, and left me all the
morning with them alone to stand or fall. At noon Sir W. Batten comes
to them to invite them (though fast day) to dinner, which they did,
and good company they were, but especially Garraway. Here I have news
brought me of my father’s coming to town, and I presently to him, glad
to see him, poor man, he being come to town unexpectedly to see us and
the city. I could not stay with him, but after dinner to work again,
only the Committee and I, till dark night, and by that time they cast
up all the lists, and found out what the medium of men was borne all
the war, of all sorts, and ended with good peace, and much seeming
satisfaction; but I find them wise and reserved, and instructed to hit
all our blots, as among others, that we reckon the ships full manned
from the beginning. They gone, and my heart eased of a great deale of
fear and pain, and reckoning myself to come off with victory, because
not overcome in anything or much foiled, I away to Sir W. Coventry’s
chamber, but he not within, then to White Hall, and there among the
ladies, and saw my Lady Castlemaine never looked so ill, nor Mrs.
Stewart neither, as in this plain, natural dress. I was not pleased with
either of them. Away, not finding [Sir] W. Coventry, and so home, and
there find my father and my brother come to towne--my father without my
expectation; but glad I am to see him. And so to supper with him, and to
work again at the office; then home, to set up all my folio books, which
are come home gilt on the backs, very handsome to the eye, and then at
midnight to bed. This night [Sir] W. Pen told me [Sir] W. Batten swears
he will have nothing to do with the Privateer if his son do not go
Lieutenant, which angers me and him; but we will be even with him, one
way or other.
4th. Up, and mighty betimes, to [Sir] W. Coventry, to give him an
account of yesterday’s work, which do give him good content. He did then
tell me his speech lately to the House in his owne vindication about the
report of his selling of places, he having a small occasion offered him
by chance, which he did desire, and took, and did it to his content,
and, he says, to the House’s seeming to approve of it by their hum. He
confessed how long he had done it, and how he desired to have something
else; and, since then, he had taken nothing, and challenged all the
world. I was glad of this also. Thence up to the Duke of York, by
appointment, with fellow officers, to complaine, but to no purpose, of
want of money, and so away. I to Sir G. Carteret, to his lodging, and
here discoursed much of the want of money and our being designed for
destruction. How the King hath lost his power, by submitting himself to
this way of examining his accounts, and is become but as a private man.
He says the King is troubled at it, but they talk an entry shall be
made, that it is not to be brought into example; that the King must,
if they do not agree presently, make them a courageous speech, which he
says he may do, the City of London being now burned, and himself master
of an army, better than any prince before him, and so I believe. Thence
home, about noon, to dinner. After dinner the book binder come, and I
sent by him some more books to gild. I to the office all day, and spent
most of it with Sir W. Warren, whom I have had no discourse with a great
while, and when all is done I do find him a mighty wise man as any I
know, and his counsel as much to be followed. Late with Mr. Hater upon
comparing the charge and husbandry of the last Dutch war with ours now,
and do find good roome to think we have done little worse than they,
whereof good use may and will be made. So home to supper, and to bed.
5th. Up, and with my father talking awhile, then to the office, and
there troubled with a message from Lord Peterborough about money; but
I did give as kind answer as I could, though I hate him. Then to Sir G.
Carteret to discourse about paying of part of the great ships come
in, and so home again to compare the comparison of the two Dutch wars’
charges for [Sir] W. Coventry, and then by water (and saw old Mr.
Michell digging like a painfull father for his son) to him, and find him
at dinner. After dinner to look over my papers, and comparing them with
some notes of his and brought me, the sight of some good Navy notes of
his which I shall get. Then examined and liked well my notes, and away
together to White Hall, in the way discoursing the inconvenience of the
King’s being thus subject to an account, but it will be remedied for
the time to come, he thinks, if we can get this over, and I find he will
have the Comptroller’s business better done, swearing he will never
be for a wit to be employed on business again. Thence I home, and back
again to White Hall, and meeting Sir H. Cholmly to White Hall; there
walked till night that the Committee come down, and there Sir W.
Coventry tells me that the Subcommittee have made their report to the
Grand Committee, and in pretty kind terms, and have agreed upon allowing
us L4 per head, which I am sure will do the business, but he had
endeavoured to have got more, but this do well, and he and I are both
mighty glad it is come to this, and the heat of the present business
seems almost over. But I have more worke cut out for me, to prepare a
list of the extraordinaries, not to be included within the L4, against
Monday. So I away from him, and met with the Vice-Chamberlain, and
I told him when I had this evening in coming hither met with Captain
Cocke, and he told me of a wild motion made in the House of Lords by the
Duke of Buckingham for all men that had cheated the King to be declared
traitors and felons, and that my Lord Sandwich was named. This put me
into a great pain, so the Vice-Chamberlain, who had heard nothing of it,
having been all day in the City, away with me to White Hall; and there
come to me and told me that, upon Lord Ashly’s asking their direction
whether, being a peere, he should bring in his accounts to the Commons,
which they did give way to, the Duke of Buckingham did move that, for
the time to come, what I have written above might be declared by some
fuller law than heretofore. Lord Ashly answered, that it was not the
fault of the present laws, but want of proof; and so said the Lord
Chancellor. He answered, that a better law, he thought, might be made
so the House laughing, did refer it to him to bring in a Bill to that
purpose, and this was all. So I away with joyful heart home, calling on
Cocke and telling him the same. So I away home to the office to clear my
Journall for five days, and so home to supper and to bed, my father who
had staid out late and troubled me thereat being come home well and
gone to bed, which pleases me also. This day, coming home, Mr. Kirton’s
kinsman, my bookseller, come in my way; and so I am told by him that Mr.
Kirton is utterly undone, and made 2 or L3000 worse than nothing, from
being worth 7 or L8,000. That the goods laid in the Churchyarde fired
through the windows those in St. Fayth’s church; and those coming to the
warehouses’ doors fired them, and burned all the books and the pillars
of the church, so as the roof falling down, broke quite down, which it
did not do in the other places of the church, which is alike pillared
(which I knew not before); but being not burned, they stand still. He
do believe there is above; L50,000 of books burned; all the great
booksellers almost undone: not only these, but their warehouses at their
Hall, and under Christchurch, and elsewhere being all burned. A great
want thereof there will be of books, specially Latin books and foreign
books; and, among others, the Polyglottes and new Bible, which he
believes will be presently worth L40 a-piece.
6th. Up, and having seen my brother in his cassocke, which I am not the
most satisfied in, being doubtfull at this time what course to have
him profess too soon. To the office and there busy about a list of the
extraordinaries of the charge of the fleete this war; and was led to
go to the office of the ordnance to be satisfied in something, and find
their accounts and books kept in mighty good order, but that they can
give no light, nor will the nature of their affairs permit it to tell
what the charge of the ordnance comes to a man a month. So home again
and to dinner, there coming Creed to me; but what with business and my
hatred to the man, I did not spend any time with him, but after dinner
[my] wife and he and I took coach and to Westminster, but he ‘light
about Paul’s, and set her at her tailor’s, and myself to St. James’s,
but there missing [Sir] W. Coventry, returned and took up my wife, and
calling at the Exchange home, whither Sir H. Cholmly come to visit me,
but my business suffered me not to stay with him. So he gone I by water
to Westminster Hall and thence to St. James’s, and there found [Sir] W.
Coventry waiting for me, and I did give him a good account to his mind
of the business he expected about extraordinaries and then fell to
other talke, among others, our sad condition contracted by want of a
Comptroller;
[As Sir John Minnes performed the duties inefficiently, it was
considered necessary to take the office from him: See January 21st.]
and it was his words, that he believes, besides all the shame and
trouble he hath brought on the office, the King had better have given
L100,000 than ever have had him there. He did discourse about some of
these discontented Parliament-men, and says that Birch is a false rogue,
but that Garraway is a man that hath not been well used by the Court,
though very stout to death, and hath suffered all that is possible for
the King from the beginning. But discontented as he is, yet he never
knew a Session of Parliament but he hath done some good deed for the
King before it rose. I told him the passage Cocke told me of his having
begged a brace of bucks of the Lord Arlington for him, and when it come
to him, he sent it back again. Sir W. Coventry told me, it is much to
be pitied that the King should lose the service of a man so able and
faithfull; and that he ought to be brought over, but that it is always
observed, that by bringing over one discontented man, you raise up
three in his room; which is a State lesson I never knew before. But when
others discover your fear, and that discontent procures favour, they
will be discontented too, and impose on you. Thence to White Hall and
got a coach and home, and there did business late, and so home and set
up my little books of one of my presses come home gilt, which pleases
me mightily, and then to bed. This morning my wife told me of a fine
gentlewoman my Lady Pen tells her of, for L20 per annum, that sings,
dances, plays on four or five instruments and many other fine things,
which pleases me mightily: and she sent to have her see her, which she
did this afternoon; but sings basely, and is a tawdry wench that would
take L8, but [neither] my wife nor I think her fit to come.
7th (Lord’s day). Up, and after visiting my father in his chamber, to
church, and then home to dinner. Little Michell and his wife come to
dine with us, which they did, and then presently after dinner I with Sir
J. Minnes to White Hall, where met by Sir W. Batten and Lord Bruncker,
to attend the King and Duke of York at the Cabinet; but nobody had
determined what to speak of, but only in general to ask for money. So
I was forced immediately to prepare in my mind a method of discoursing.
And anon we were called in to the Green Room, where the King, Duke of
York, Prince Rupert, Lord Chancellor, Lord Treasurer, Duke of Albemarle,
[Sirs] G. Carteret, W. Coventry, Morrice. Nobody beginning, I did, and
made a current, and I thought a good speech, laying open the ill state
of the Navy: by the greatness of the debt; greatness of work to do
against next yeare; the time and materials it would take; and our
incapacity, through a total want of money. I had no sooner done, but
Prince Rupert rose up and told the King in a heat, that whatever
the gentleman had said, he had brought home his fleete in as good a
condition as ever any fleete was brought home; that twenty boats would
be as many as the fleete would want: and all the anchors and cables left
in the storm might be taken up again. This arose from my saying, among
other things we had to do, that the fleete was come in--the greatest
fleete that ever his Majesty had yet together, and that in as bad
condition as the enemy or weather could put it; and to use Sir W. Pen’s
words, who is upon the place taking a survey, he dreads the reports he
is to receive from the Surveyors of its defects. I therefore did only
answer, that I was sorry for his Highness’s offence, but that what I
said was but the report we received from those entrusted in the fleete
to inform us. He muttered and repeated what he had said; and so, after a
long silence on all hands, nobody, not so much as the Duke of Albemarle,
seconding the Prince, nor taking notice of what he said, we withdrew.
I was not a little troubled at this passage, and the more when speaking
with Jacke Fenn about it, he told me that the Prince will be asking now
who this Pepys is, and find him to be a creature of my Lord Sandwich’s,
and therefore this was done only to disparage him. Anon they broke, up,
and Sir W. Coventry come out; so I asked his advice. He told me he
had said something to salve it, which was, that his Highnesse had, he
believed, rightly informed the King that the fleete is come in good
condition to have staid out yet longer, and have fought the enemy,
but yet that Mr. Pepys his meaning might be, that, though in so good
condition, if they should come in and lie all the winter, we shall be
very loth to send them to sea for another year’s service with[out] great
repairs. He said it would be no hurt if I went to him, and showed him
the report himself brought up from the fleete, where every ship, by the
Commander’s report, do need more or less, and not to mention more of
Sir W. Pen for doing him a mischief. So I said I would, but do not think
that all this will redound to my hurt, because the truth of what I said
will soon appear. Thence, having been informed that, after all this
pains, the King hath found out how to supply us with 5 or L6000, when
L100,000 were at this time but absolutely necessary, and we mentioned
L50,000. This is every day a greater and greater omen of ruine. God fit
us for it! Sir J. Minnes and I home (it raining) by coach, calling only
on Sir G. Cartefet at his lodging (who is I find troubled at my Lord
Treasurer and Sir Ph. Warwicke bungling in his accounts), and come home
to supper with my father, and then all to bed. I made my brother in his
cassocke to say grace this day, but I like his voice so ill that I begin
to be sorry he hath taken this order upon him.
8th. Up and to my office, called up by Commissioner Middleton, newly
come to town, but staid not with me; so I to my office busy all the
morning. Towards noon, by water to Westminster Hall, and there by
several hear that the Parliament do resolve to do something to retrench
Sir G. Carteret’s great salary; but cannot hear of any thing bad they
can lay to his charge. The House did this day order to be engrossed the
Bill against importing Irish cattle; a thing, it seems, carried on by
the Western Parliament-men, wholly against the sense of most of the rest
of the House; who think if you do this, you give the Irish again cause
to rebel. Thus plenty on both sides makes us mad. The Committee of the
Canary Company of both factions come to me for my Cozen Roger that is
of the Committee. Thence with [Sir] W. Coventry when the House rose and
[Sir] W. Batten to St. James’s, and there agreed of and signed our paper
of extraordinaries, and there left them, and I to Unthanke’s, where
Mr. Falconbridge’s girle is, and by and by comes my wife, who likes her
well, though I confess I cannot (though she be of my finding out and
sings pretty well), because she will be raised from so mean a condition
to so high all of a sudden; but she will be much to our profit, more
than Mercer, less expense. Here we bespoke anew gowne for her, and to
come to us on Friday. She being gone, my wife and I home by coach, and
then I presently by water with Mr. Pierce to Westminster Hall, he in the
way telling me how the Duke of York and Duke of Albemarle do not agree.
The Duke of York is wholly given up to this bitch of Denham. The Duke of
Albemarle and Prince Rupert do less agree. So that we are all in
pieces, and nobody knows what will be done the next year. The King hath
yesterday in Council declared his resolution of setting a fashion for
clothes, which he will never alter.
[There are several references to this new fashion of dress
introduced by the king, Pepys saw the Duke of York put on the vest
on the 13th, and he says Charles II. himself put it on on the 15th.
On November 4th Pepys dressed himself in the new vest and coat. See
notes, October 15th and November 22nd.]
It will be a vest, I know not well how; but it is to teach the nobility
thrift, and will do good. By and by comes down from the Committee [Sir]
W. Coventry, and I find him troubled at several things happened this
afternoon, which vexes me also; our business looking worse and worse,
and our worke growing on our hands. Time spending, and no money to set
anything in hand with; the end thereof must be speedy ruine. The Dutch
insult and have taken off Bruant’s head,
[Captain Du Buat, a Frenchman in the Dutch service, plotted with two
magistrates of Rotterdam to obtain a peace with England as the
readiest means of pressing the elevation of the Prince of Orange to
the office of Captain-General. He was brought before the Supreme
Court of Holland, condemned, and executed. He had been one of the
household of the Prince of Orange who were dismissed by De Witt.]
which they have not dared to do (though found guilty of the fault he did
die for, of something of the Prince of Orange’s faction) till just now,
which speaks more confidence in our being worse than before. Alderman
Maynell, I hear, is dead. Thence returned in the darke by coach all
alone, full of thoughts of the consequences of this ill complexion of
affairs, and how to save myself and the little I have, which if I can
do, I have cause to bless God that I am so well, and shall be well
contented to retreat to Brampton, and spend the rest of my days there.
So to my office, and did some business, and finished my Journall with
resolutions, if God bless me, to apply myself soberly to settle all
matters for myself, and expect the event of all with comfort. So home to
supper and to bed.
9th. Up and to the office, where we sat the first day since the fire,
I think. At noon home, and my uncle Thomas was there, and dined with my
brother and I (my father and I were gone abroad), and then to the office
again in the afternoon, and there close all day long, and did much
business. At night to Sir W. Batten, where Sir R. Ford did occasion some
discourse of sending a convoy to the Maderas; and this did put us
upon some new thoughts of sending our privateer thither on merchants’
accounts, which I have more mind to, the profit being certain and
occasion honest withall. So home, and to supper with my father, and then
to set my remainder of my books gilt in order with much pleasure, and so
late to bed.
10th (Fast-day for the fire). Up with Sir W. Batten by water to White
Hall, and anon had a meeting before the Duke of York, where pretty to
see how Sir W. Batten, that carried the surveys of all the fleete with
him, to shew their ill condition to the Duke of York, when he found
the Prince there, did not speak one word, though the meeting was of his
asking--for nothing else. And when I asked him, he told me he knew the
Prince too well to anger him, so that he was afeard to do it. Thence
with him to Westminster, to the parish church, where the Parliament-men,
and Stillingfleete in the pulpit. So full, no standing there; so he
and I to eat herrings at the Dog Taverne. And then to church again, and
there was Mr. Frampton in the pulpit, they cry up so much, a young man,
and of a mighty ready tongue. I heard a little of his sermon, and liked
it; but the crowd so great, I could not stay. So to the Swan, and ‘baise
la fille’, and drank, and then home by coach, and took father, wife,
brother, and W. Hewer to Islington, where I find mine host dead. Here
eat and drank, and merry; and so home, and to the office a while, and
then to Sir W. Batten to talk a while, and with Captain Cocke into the
office to hear his newes, who is mighty conversant with Garraway and
those people, who tells me what they object as to the maladministration
of things as to money. But that they mean well, and will do well; but
their reckonings are very good, and show great faults, as I will insert
here. They say the king hath had towards this war expressly thus much
Royal Ayde.................................... L2,450,000
More.......................................... 1,250,000
Three months’ tax given the King by a power of
raising a month’s tax of L70,000 every
year for three years..................... 0,210,000
Customes, out of which the King did promise
to pay L240,000, which for two years
comes to.................................. 0,480,000
Prizes, which they moderately reckon at........ 0,300,000
A debt declared by the Navy, by us............. 0,900,000
----------
5,590,000
The whole charge of the Navy, as we state it
for two years and a month, hath been but.. 3,200,000