FEBRUARY 1667-1668

February 1st. Up, and to the office pretty betimes, and the Board

not meeting as soon as I wished, I was forced to go to White Hall in

expectation of a Committee for Tangier, but when I come it was put off,

and so home again to the office, and sat till past two o’clock; where at

the Board some high words passed between Sir W. Pen and I, begun by me,

and yielded to by him, I being in the right in finding fault with him

for his neglect of duty. At noon home to dinner, and after dinner out

with my wife, thinking to have gone to the Duke of York’s playhouse,

but was, to my great content in the saving my vow, hindered by coming a

little too late; and so, it being a fine day, we out to Islington, and

there to the old house and eat cheese-cakes and drank and talked, and so

home in the evening, the ways being mighty bad, so as we had no pleasure

in being abroad at all almost, but only the variety of it, and so to

the office, where busy late, and then home to supper and to bed, my head

mighty full of business now on my hands: viz., of finishing my Tangier

Accounts; of auditing my last year’s Accounts; of preparing answers to

the Commissioners of Accounts; of drawing up several important letters

to the Duke of York and the Commissioners of the Treasury; the marrying

of my sister; the building of a coach and stables against summer, and

the setting many things in the Office right; and the drawing up a new

form of Contract with the Victualler of the Navy, and several other

things, which pains, however, will go through with, among others the

taking care of Kate Joyce in that now she is in at present for saving

her estate.

2nd (Lord’s day). Wife took physick this day, I all day at home, and all

the morning setting my books in order in my presses, for the following

year, their number being much increased since the last, so as I am fain

to lay by several books to make room for better, being resolved to keep

no more than just my presses will contain. At noon to dinner, my wife

coming down to me, and a very good dinner we had, of a powdered leg of

pork and a loin of lamb roasted, and with much content she and I and

Deb. After dinner, my head combed an hour, and then to work again, and

at it, doing many things towards the setting my accounts and papers in

order, and so in the evening Mr. Pelling supping with us, and to supper,

and so to bed.

3rd. Up, and to the office, where with my clerks all the morning very

busy about several things there wherein I was behindhand. At noon home

to dinner, and thence after dinner to the Duke of York’s house, to the

play, “The Tempest,” which we have often seen, but yet I was pleased

again, and shall be again to see it, it is so full of variety, and

particularly this day I took pleasure to learn the tune of the seaman’s

dance, which I have much desired to be perfect in, and have made myself

so. So home with my wife and Deb., and there at the office met to

my trouble with a warrant from the Commissioners of Accounts for my

attending them and Cocke two days hence, which I apprehend by Captain

Cocke’s being to go also, to be about the prizes. But, however, there is

nothing of crime can be laid to my charge, and the worst that can be is

to refund my L500 profit, and who can help it. So I resolve not to be

troubled at it, though I fear I cannot bear it so, my spirit being very

poor and mean as to the bearing with trouble that I do find of myself.

So home, and there to my chamber and did some business,--and thence to

supper and to bed.

4th. Up, and to the office, where a full Board sat all the morning, busy

among other things concerning a solemn letter we intend to write to

the Duke of York about the state of the things of the Navy, for want

of money, though I doubt it will be to little purpose. After dinner I

abroad by coach to Kate Joyce’s, where the jury did sit where they

did before, about her husband’s death, and their verdict put off for

fourteen days longer, at the suit of somebody, under pretence of the

King; but it is only to get money out of her to compound the matter. But

the truth is, something they will make out of Stillingfleete’s sermon,

which may trouble us, he declaring, like a fool, in his pulpit, that he

did confess that his losses in the world did make him do what he did.

This do vex me to see how foolish our Protestant Divines are, while the

Papists do make it the duty of Confessor to be secret, or else nobody

would confess their sins to them. All being put off for to-day, I took

my leave of Kate, who is mightily troubled at it for her estate sake,

not for her husband; for her sorrow for that, I perceive, is all over. I

home, and, there to my office busy till the evening, and then home, and

there my wife and Deb. and I and Betty Turner, I employed in the putting

new titles to my books, which we proceeded on till midnight, and then

being weary and late to bed.

5th. Up, and I to Captain Cocke’s, where he and I did discourse of our

business that we are to go about to the Commissioners of Accounts about

our prizes, and having resolved to conceal nothing but to confess the

truth, the truth being likely to do us most good, we parted, and I to

White Hall, where missing of the Commissioners of the Treasury, I to the

Commissioners of Accounts, where I was forced to stay two hours before I

was called in, and when come in did take an oath to declare the truth to

what they should ask me, which is a great power; I doubt more than the

Act do, or as some say can, give them, to force a man to swear against

himself; and so they fell to enquire about the business of prize-goods,

wherein I did answer them as well as I could, answer them in everything

the just truth, keeping myself to that. I do perceive at last, that,

that they did lay most like a fault to me was, that I did buy goods upon

my Lord Sandwich’s declaring that it was with the King’s allowance, and

my believing it, without seeing the King’s allowance, which is a thing

I will own, and doubt not to justify myself in. That that vexed me most

was, their having some watermen by, to witness my saying that they were

rogues that they had betrayed my goods, which was upon some discontent

with one of the watermen that I employed at Greenwich, who I did think

did discover the goods sent from Rochester to the Custom-House officer;

but this can do me no great harm. They were inquisitive into the

minutest particulars, and the evening great information; but I think

that they can do me no hurt, at the worst, more than to make me refund,

if it must be known, what profit I did make of my agreement with Captain

Cocke; and yet, though this be all, I do find so poor a spirit within

me, that it makes me almost out of my wits, and puts me to so much pain,

that I cannot think of anything, nor do anything but vex and fret, and

imagine myself undone, so that I am ashamed of myself to myself, and do

fear what would become of me if any real affliction should come upon

me. After they had done with me, they called in Captain Cocke, with whom

they were shorter; and I do fear he may answer foolishly, for he did

speak to me foolishly before he went in; but I hope to preserve myself,

and let him shift for himself as well as he can. So I away, walked to

my flageolet maker in the Strand, and there staid for Captain Cocke, who

took me up and carried me home, and there coming home and finding dinner

done, and Mr. Cooke, who come for my Lady Sandwich’s plate, which I must

part with, and so endanger the losing of my money, which I lent upon my

thoughts of securing myself by that plate. But it is no great sum--but

L60: and if it must be lost, better that, than a greater sum. I away

back again, to find a dinner anywhere else, and so I, first, to the Ship

Tavern, thereby to get a sight of the pretty mistress of the house, with

whom I am not yet acquainted at all, and I do always find her scolding,

and do believe she is an ill-natured devil, that I have no great desire

to speak to her. Here I drank, and away by coach to the Strand, there

to find out Mr. Moore, and did find him at the Bell Inn, and there

acquainted him with what passed between me and the Commissioners to-day

about the prize goods, in order to the considering what to do about my

Lord Sandwich, and did conclude to own the thing to them as done by the

King’s allowance, and since confirmed. Thence to other discourse, among

others, he mightily commends my Lord Hinchingbroke’s match and Lady,

though he buys her L10,000 dear, by the jointure and settlement his

father makes her; and says that the Duke of York and Duchess of York

did come to see them in bed together, on their wedding-night, and how my

Lord had fifty pieces of gold taken out of his pocket that night, after

he was in bed. He tells me that an Act of Comprehension is likely to

pass this Parliament, for admitting of all persuasions in religion

to the public observation of their particular worship, but in certain

places, and the persons therein concerned to be listed of this, or that

Church; which, it is thought, will do them more hurt than good, and

make them not own, their persuasion. He tells me that there is a pardon

passed to the Duke of Buckingham, my Lord of Shrewsbury, and the rest,

for the late duell and murder;

[The royal pardon was thus announced in the “Gazette” of February

24th, 1668: “This day his Majesty was pleased to declare at the

Board, that whereas, in contemplation of the eminent services

heretofore done to his Majesty by most of the persons who were

engaged in the late duel, or rencounter, wherein William Jenkins was

killed, he Both graciously pardon the said offence: nevertheless, He

is resolved from henceforth that on no pretence whatsoever any

pardon shall be hereafter granted to any person whatsoever for

killing of any man, in any duel or rencounter, but that the course

of law shall wholly take place in all such cases.” The warrant for

a pardon to George, Duke of Buckingham, is dated January 27th, 1668;

and on the following day was issued, “Warrant for a grant to

Francis, Earl of Shrewsbury, of pardon for killing William Jenkins,

and for all duels, assaults, or batteries on George, Duke of

Buckingham, Sir John Talbot, Sir Robert Holmes, or any other,

whether indicted or not for the same, with restitution of lands,

goods, &c.” (“Calendar of State Papers,” 1667-68, pp. 192,193).]

which he thinks a worse fault than any ill use my late Lord Chancellor

ever put the Great Seal to, and will be so thought by the Parliament,

for them to be pardoned without bringing them to any trial: and that my

Lord Privy-Seal therefore would not have it pass his hand, but made it

go by immediate warrant; or at least they knew that he would not pass

it, and so did direct it to go by immediate warrant, that it might not

come to him. He tells me what a character my Lord Sandwich hath sent

over of Mr. Godolphin, as the worthiest man, and such a friend to him

as he may be trusted in any thing relating to him in the world; as one

whom, he says, he hath infallible assurances that he will remaine his

friend which is very high, but indeed they say the gentleman is a fine

man. Thence, after eating a lobster for my dinner, having eat nothing

to-day, we broke up, here coming to us Mr. Townsend of the Wardrobe, who

complains of the Commissioners of the Treasury as very severe against my

Lord Sandwich, but not so much as they complain of him for a fool and

a knave, and so I let him alone, and home, carrying Mr. Moore as far as

Fenchurch Street, and I home, and there being vexed in my mind about my

prize businesses I to my chamber, where my wife and I had much talk of

W. Hewer, she telling me that he is mightily concerned for my not being

pleased with him, and is herself mightily concerned, but I have

much reason to blame him for his little assistance he gives me in

my business, not being able to copy out a letter with sense or true

spelling that makes me mad, and indeed he is in that regard of as little

use to me as the boy, which troubles me, and I would have him know

it,--and she will let him know it. By and by to supper, and so to bed,

and slept but ill all night, my mind running like a fool on my prize

business, which according to my reason ought not to trouble me at all.

6th. Up, and to the office, where all the morning,, and among other

things Sir H. Cholmly comes to me about a little business, and there

tells me how the Parliament, which is to meet again to-day, are likely

to fall heavy on the business of the Duke of Buckingham’s pardon; and I

shall be glad of it: and that the King hath put out of the Court the two

Hides, my Lord Chancellor’s two sons, and also the Bishops of Rochester

and Winchester, the latter of whom should have preached before him

yesterday, being Ash Wednesday, and had his sermon ready, but was put

by; which is great news: He gone, we sat at the office all the morning,

and at noon home to dinner, and my wife being gone before, I to the Duke

of York’s playhouse; where a new play of Etherige’s, called “She Would

if she Could;” and though I was there by two o’clock, there was 1000

people put back that could not have room in the pit: and I at last,

because my wife was there, made shift to get into the 18d. box, and

there saw; but, Lord! how full was the house, and how silly the play,

there being nothing in the world good in it, and few people pleased in

it. The King was there; but I sat mightily behind, and could see but

little, and hear not all. The play being done, I into the pit to look

(for) my wife, and it being dark and raining, I to look my wife out, but

could not find her; and so staid going between the two doors and through

the pit an hour and half, I think, after the play was done; the people

staying there till the rain was over, and to talk with one another. And,

among the rest, here was the Duke of Buckingham to-day openly sat in

the pit; and there I found him with my Lord Buckhurst, and Sidly, and

Etherige, the poet; the last of whom I did hear mightily find fault

with the actors, that they were out of humour, and had not their parts

perfect, and that Harris did do nothing, nor could so much as sing

a ketch in it; and so was mightily concerned while all the rest did,

through the whole pit, blame the play as a silly, dull thing, though

there was something very roguish and witty; but the design of the play,

and end, mighty insipid. At last I did find my wife staying for me in

the entry; and with her was Betty Turner, Mercer, and Deb. So I got a

coach, and a humour took us, and I carried them to Hercules Pillars, and

there did give them a kind of a supper of about 7s., and very merry, and

home round the town, not through the ruines; and it was pretty how the

coachman by mistake drives us into the ruines from London-wall into

Coleman Street: and would persuade me that I lived there. And the truth

is, I did think that he and the linkman had contrived some roguery; but

it proved only a mistake of the coachman; but it was a cunning place to

have done us a mischief in, as any I know, to drive us out of the road

into the ruines, and there stop, while nobody could be called to help

us. But we come safe home, and there, the girls being gone home, I to

the office, where a while busy, my head not being wholly free of my

trouble about my prize business, I home to bed. This evening coming home

I did put my hand under the coats of Mercer and did touch her thigh, but

then she did put by my hand and no hurt done, but talked and sang and

was merry.

7th. Up, and to the office, to the getting of my books in order, to

carry to the Commissioners of Accounts this morning. This being done, I

away first to Westminster Hall, and there met my cozen, Roger Pepys, by

his desire, the first time I have seen him since his coming to town, the

Parliament meeting yesterday and adjourned to Monday next; and here he

tells me that Mr. Jackson, my sister’s servant, is come to town, and

hath this day suffered a recovery on his estate, in order to the making

her a settlement. The young man is gone out of the Hall, so I could not

now see him, but here I walked a good while with my cozen, and among

other things do hear that there is a great triall between my Lord Gerard

and Carr to-day, who is indicted for his life at the King’s Bench, for

running from his colours; but all do say that my Lord Gerard, though he

designs the ruining of this man, will not get any thing by it. Thence

to the Commissioners of Accounts, and there presented my books, and was

made to sit down, and used with much respect, otherwise than the other

day, when I come to them as a criminal about the business of the prizes.

I sat here with them a great while, while my books were inventoried.

And here do hear from them by discourse that they are like to undo the

Treasurer’s instruments of the Navy by making it a rule that they

shall repay all money paid to wrong parties, which is a thing not to be

supported by these poor creatures the Treasurer’s instruments, as it

is also hard for seamen to be ruined by their paying money to whom they

please. I know not what will be the issue of it. I find these gentlemen

to sit all day, and only eat a bit of bread at noon, and a glass of

wine; and are resolved to go through their business with great severity

and method. Thence I, about two o’clock, to Westminster Hall, by

appointment, and there met my cozen Roger again, and Mr. Jackson, who

is a plain young man, handsome enough for Pall, one of no education

nor discourse, but of few words, and one altogether that, I think, will

please me well enough. My cozen had got me to give the odd sixth L100

presently, which I intended to keep to the birth of the first child: and

let it go--I shall be eased of the care, and so, after little talk,

we parted, resolving to dine together at my house tomorrow. So there

parted, my mind pretty well satisfied with this plain fellow for my

sister, though I shall, I see, have no pleasure nor content in him, as

if he had been a man of reading and parts, like Cumberland, and to the

Swan, and there sent for a bit of meat and eat and drank, and so to

White Hall to the Duke of York’s chamber, where I find him and my

fellows at their usual meeting, discoursing about securing the Medway

this year, which is to shut the door after the horse is stole. However,

it is good. Having done here, my Lord Brouncker, and W. Pen, and I, and

with us Sir Arnold Breames, to the King’s playhouse, and there saw a

piece of “Love in a Maze,” a dull, silly play, I think; and after the

play, home with W. Pen and his son Lowther, whom we met there, and then

home and sat most of the evening with my wife and Mr. Pelting, talking,

my head being full of business of one kind or other, and most such as do

not please me, and so to supper and to bed.

8th. Up, and to the office, where sat all day, and at noon home, and

there find cozen Roger and Jackson by appointment come to dine with me,

and Creed, and very merry, only Jackson hath few words, and I like him

never the worse for it. The great talk is of Carr’s coming off in all

his trials, to the disgrace of my Lord Gerard, to that degree, and the

ripping up of so many notorious rogueries and cheats of my Lord’s, that

my Lord, it is thought, will be ruined; and, above all things, do skew

the madness of the House of Commons, who rejected the petition of this

poor man by a combination of a few in the House; and, much more, the

base proceedings (just the epitome of all our publick managements in

this age), of the House of Lords, that ordered him to stand in the

pillory for those very things, without hearing and examining what he

hath now, by the seeking of my Lord Gerard himself, cleared himself of,

in open Court, to the gaining himself the pity of all the world, and

shame for ever to my Lord Gerard. We had a great deal of good discourse

at table, and after dinner we four men took coach, and they set me down

at the Old Exchange, and they home, having discoursed nothing today with

cozen or Jackson about our business. I to Captain Cocke’s, and there

discoursed over our business of prizes, and I think I shall go near to

state the matter so as to secure myself without wrong to him, doing nor

saying anything but the very truth. Thence away to the Strand, to my

bookseller’s, and there staid an hour, and bought the idle, rogueish

book, “L’escholle des filles;” which I have bought in plain binding,

avoiding the buying of it better bound, because I resolve, as soon as

I have read it, to burn it, that it may not stand in the list of books,

nor among them, to disgrace them if it should be found. Thence home,

and busy late at the office, and then home to supper and to bed. My wife

well pleased with my sister’s match, and designing how to be merry at

their marriage. And I am well at ease in my mind to think that that care

will be over. This night calling at the Temple, at the Auditor’s, his

man told me that he heard that my account must be brought to the view

of the Commissioners of Tangier before it can be passed, which though I

know no hurt in it, yet it troubled me lest there should be any or any

designed by them who put this into the head of the Auditor, I suppose

Auditor Beale, or Creed, because they saw me carrying my account another

way than by them.

9th (Lord’s day). Up, and at my chamber all the morning and the office

doing business, and also reading a little of “L’escholle des filles,”

which is a mighty lewd book, but yet not amiss for a sober man once to

read over to inform himself in the villainy of the world. At noon home

to dinner, where by appointment Mr. Pelting come and with him three

friends, Wallington, that sings the good base, and one Rogers, and a

gentleman, a young man, his name Tempest, who sings very well indeed,

and understands anything in the world at first sight. After dinner we

into our dining-room, and there to singing all the afternoon. (By the

way, I must remember that Pegg Pen was brought to bed yesterday of a

girl; and, among other things, if I have not already set it down, that

hardly ever was remembered such a season for the smallpox as these last

two months have been, people being seen all up and down the streets,

newly come out after the smallpox.) But though they sang fine things,

yet I must confess that I did take no pleasure in it, or very little,

because I understood not the words, and with the rests that the words

are set, there is no sense nor understanding in them though they be

English, which makes me weary of singing in that manner, it being but a

worse sort of instrumental musick. We sang until almost night, and drank

mighty good store of wine, and then they parted, and I to my chamber,

where I did read through “L’escholle des filles,” a lewd book, but what

do no wrong once to read for information sake.... And after I had done

it I burned it, that it might not be among my books to my shame, and so

at night to supper and to bed.

10th. Up, and by coach to Westminster, and there made a visit to Mr.

Godolphin, at his chamber; and I do find him a very pretty and able

person, a man of very fine parts, and of infinite zeal to my Lord

Sandwich; and one that says he is, he believes, as wise and able a

person as any prince in the world hath. He tells me that he meets with

unmannerly usage by Sir Robert Southwell, in Portugall, who would sign

with him in his negociations there, being a forward young man: but that

my Lord mastered him in that point, it being ruled for my Lord here,

at a hearing of a Committee of the Council. He says that if my Lord can

compass a peace between Spain and Portugall, and hath the doing of it

and the honour himself, it will be a thing of more honour than ever any

man had, and of as much advantage. Thence to Westminster Hall, where

the Hall mighty full: and, among other things, the House begins to sit

to-day, and the King come. But, before the King’s coming, the House of

Commons met; and upon information given them of a Bill intended to be

brought in, as common report said, for Comprehension, they did mightily

and generally inveigh against it, and did vote that the King should be

desired by the House (and the message delivered by the Privy-counsellers

of the House) that the laws against breakers of the Act of Uniformity

should be put in execution: and it was moved in the House that, if any

people had a mind to bring any new laws into the House, about religion,

they might come, as a proposer of new laws did in Athens, with ropes

about their necks. By and by the King comes to the Lords’ House, and

there tells them of his league with Holland, and the necessity of a

fleete, and his debts; and, therefore, want of money; and his desire

that they would think of some way to bring in all his Protestant

subjects to a right understanding and peace one with another; meaning

the Bill of Comprehension. The Commons coming to their House, it was

moved that the vote passed this morning might be suspended, because of

the King’s speech, till the House was full and called over, two days

hence: but it was denied, so furious they are against this Bill: and

thereby a great blow either given to the King or Presbyters, or, which

is the rather of the two, to the House itself, by denying a thing

desired by the King, and so much desired by much the greater part of the

nation. Whatever the consequence be, if the King be a man of any stomach

and heat, all do believe that he will resent this vote. Thence with

Creed home to my house to dinner, where I met with Mr. Jackson, and find

my wife angry with Deb., which vexes me. After dinner by coach away to

Westminster; taking up a friend of Mr. Jackson’s, a young lawyer, and

parting with Creed at White Hall. They and I to Westminster Hall, and

there met Roger Pepys, and with him to his chamber, and there read over

and agreed upon the Deed of Settlement to our minds: my sister to have

L600 presently, and she to be joyntured in L60 per annum; wherein I

am very well satisfied. Thence I to the Temple to Charles Porter’s

lodgings, where Captain Cocke met me, and after long waiting, on

Pemberton,

[Francis Pemberton, afterwards knighted, and made Lord Chief Justice

of the King’s Bench in 1679. His career was a most singular one, he

having been twice removed from the Bench, and twice imprisoned by

the House of Commons. He twice returned to the bar, and after his

second return he practised with great success as a serjeant for the

next fourteen years till his death, June 10th, 1697. Evelyn says,

“He was held to be the most learned of the judges and an honest man”

(“Diary,” October 4th, 1683).]

an able lawyer, about the business of our prizes, and left the matter

with him to think of against to-morrow, this being a matter that do much

trouble my mind, though there be no fault in it that I need fear the

owning that I know of. Thence with Cocke home to his house and there

left him, and I home, and there got my wife to read a book I bought

to-day, and come out to-day licensed by Joseph Williamson for Lord

Arlington, shewing the state of England’s affairs relating to France at

this time, and the whole body of the book very good and solid, after

a very foolish introduction as ever I read, and do give a very good

account of the advantage of our league with Holland at this time. So,

vexed in my mind with the variety of cares I have upon me, and so to

bed.

11th. At the office all the morning, where comes a damned summons to

attend the Committee of Miscarriages to-day, which makes me mad, that

I should by my place become the hackney of this Office, in perpetual

trouble and vexation, that need it least. At noon home to dinner, where

little pleasure, my head being split almost with the variety of

troubles upon me at this time, and cares, and after dinner by coach to

Westminster Hall, and sent my wife and Deb. to see “Mustapha”

acted. Here I brought a book to the Committee, and do find them; and

particularly Sir Thomas Clarges, mighty hot in the business of tickets,

which makes me mad to see them bite at the stone, and not at the hand

that flings it, and here my Lord Brouncker unnecessarily orders it that

he is called in to give opportunity to present his report of the state

of the business of paying by ticket, which I do not think will do him

any right, though he was made believe that it did operate mightily, and

that Sir Fresh. Hollis did make a mighty harangue and to much purpose in

his defence, but I believe no such effects of it, for going in afterward

I did hear them speak with prejudice of it, and that his pleading of the

Admiral’s warrant for it now was only an evasion, if not an aspersion

upon the Admirall, and therefore they would not admit of this his

report, but go on with their report as they had resolved before. The

orders they sent for this day was the first order that I have yet met

with about this business, and was of my own single hand warranting,

but I do think it will do me no harm, and therefore do not much trouble

myself with it, more than to see how much trouble I am brought to who

have best deported myself in all the King’s business. Thence with Lord

Brouncker, and set him down at Bow Streete, and so to the Duke of York’s

playhouse, and there saw the last act for nothing, where I never saw

such good acting of any creature as Smith’s part of Zanger; and I do

also, though it was excellently acted by---------, do yet want Betterton

mightily. Thence to the Temple, to Porter’s chamber, where Cocke met me,

and after a stay there some time, they two and I to Pemberton’s chamber,

and there did read over the Act of calling people to account, and did

discourse all our business of the prizes; and, upon the whole, he

do make it plainly appear, that there is no avoiding to give these

Commissioners satisfaction in everything they will ask; and that

there is fear lest they may find reason to make us refund for all the

extraordinary profit made by those bargains; and do make me resolve

rather to declare plainly, and, once for all, the truth of the whole,

and what my profit hath been, than be forced at last to do it, and in

the meantime live in gain, as I must always do: and with this resolution

on my part I departed, with some more satisfaction of mind, though with

less hopes of profit than I expected. It was pretty here to see the

heaps of money upon this lawyer’s table; and more to see how he had

not since last night spent any time upon our business, but begun with

telling us that we were not at all concerned in that Act; which was a

total mistake, by his not having read over the Act at all. Thence to

Porter’s chamber, where Captain Cocke had fetched my wife out of

the coach, and there we staid and talked and drank, he being a very

generous, good-humoured man, and so away by coach, setting Cocke at his

house, and we with his coach home, and there I to the office, and there

till past one in the morning, and so home to supper and to bed, my mind

at pretty good ease, though full of care and fear of loss. This morning

my wife in bed told me the story of our Tom and Jane:--how the rogue did

first demand her consent to love and marry him, and then, with pretence

of displeasing me, did slight her; but both he and she have confessed

the matter to her, and she hath charged him to go on with his love to

her, and be true to her, and so I think the business will go on, which,

for my love to her, because she is in love with him, I am pleased with;

but otherwise I think she will have no good bargain of it, at least if

I should not do well in my place. But if I do stand, I do intend to give

her L50 in money, and do them all the good I can in my way.

12th. Up, and to the office, where all the morning drawing up

my narrative of my proceedings and concernments in the buying of

prize-goods, which I am to present to the Committee for Accounts; and

being come to a resolution to conceal nothing from them, I was at great

ease how to draw it up without any inventions or practise to put me to

future pain or thoughts how to carry on, and now I only discover what my

profit was, and at worst I suppose I can be made but to refund my profit

and so let it go. At noon home to dinner, where Mr. Jackson dined with

me, and after dinner I (calling at the Excise Office, and setting my

wife and Deb. at her tailor’s) did with Mr. Jackson go to find my cozen

Roger Pepys, which I did in the Parliament House, where I met him and

Sir Thomas Crew and Mr. George Montagu, who are mighty busy how to save

my Lord’s name from being in the Report for anything which the Committee

is commanded to report to the House of the miscarriages of the late war.

I find they drive furiously still in the business of tickets, which is

nonsense in itself and cannot come to any thing. Thence with cozen Roger

to his lodgings, and there sealed the writings with Jackson, about my

sister’s marriage: and here my cozen Roger told me the pleasant passage

of a fellow’s bringing a bag of letters to-day, into the lobby of the

House, and left them, and withdrew himself without observation. The bag

being opened, the letters were found all of one size, and directed with

one hand: a letter to most of the Members of the House. The House was

acquainted with it, and voted they should be brought in, and one opened

by the Speaker; wherein if he found any thing unfit to communicate, to

propose a Committee to be chosen for it. The Speaker opening one, found

it only a case with a libell in it, printed: a satire most sober and

bitter as ever I read; and every letter was the same. So the House fell

a-scrambling for them like boys: and my cozen Roger had one directed to

him, which he lent me to read. So away, and took up my wife, and setting

Jackson down at Fetter Lane end, I to the old Exchange to look Mr.

Houblon, but, not finding him, did go home, and there late writing a

letter to my Lord Sandwich, and to give passage to a letter of great

moment from Mr. Godolphin to him, which I did get speedy passage for

by the help of Mr. Houblon, who come late to me, and there directed the

letter to Lisbon under cover of his, and here we talked of the times,

which look very sad and distracted, and made good mirth at this day’s

passage in the House, and so parted; and going to the gate with him, I

found his lady and another fine lady sitting an hour together, late at

night, in their coach, while he was with me, which is so like my wife,

that I was mighty taken with it, though troubled for it. So home to

supper and to bed. This day Captain Cocke was with the Commissioners of

Accounts to ask more time for his bringing in his answer about the prize

goods, and they would not give him 14 days as he asks, but would give

only two days, which was very hard, I think, and did trouble me for fear

of their severity, though I have prepared my matter so as to defy it.

13th. Up, and to the office, where all the morning. At noon home to

dinner, and thence with my wife and Deb. to White Hall, setting, them at

her tailor’s, and I to the Commissioners of the Treasury, where myself

alone did argue the business of the East India Company against their

whole Company on behalf of the King before the Lords Commissioners, and

to very good effect, I think, and with reputation. That business being

over, the Lords and I had other things to talk about, and among the

rest, about our making more assignments on the Exchequer since they bid

us hold, whereat they were extraordinary angry with us, which troubled

me a little, though I am not concerned in it at all. Waiting here some

time without, I did meet with several people, among others Mr. Brisband,

who tells me in discourse that Tom Killigrew hath a fee out of the

Wardrobe for cap and bells,

[The Lord Chamberlain’s Records contain a copy of a warrant dated

July 12th, 1661, “to deliver to Mr. Killegrew thirty yards of

velvett, three dozen of fringe, and sixteene yards of Damaske for

the year 1661.” The heading of this entry is “Livery for ye jester”

(Lowe’s “Betterton,” p. 70).]

under the title of the King’s Foole or jester; and may with privilege

revile or jeere any body, the greatest person, without offence, by the

privilege of his place. Thence took up my wife, and home, and there busy

late at the office writing letters, and so home to supper and to bed.

The House was called over to-day. This morning Sir G. Carteret come to

the Office to see and talk with me: and he assures me that to this day

the King is the most kind man to my Lord Sandwich in the whole world;

that he himself do not now mind any publick business, but suffers things

to go on at Court as they will, he seeing all likely to come to ruin:

that this morning the Duke of York sent to him to come to make up one

of a Committee of the Council for Navy Affairs; where, when he come, he

told the Duke of York that he was none of them: which shews how things

are now-a-days ordered, that there should be a Committee for the

Navy; and the Lord Admiral not know the persons of it! And that Sir G.

Carteret and my Lord Anglesey should be left out of it, and men wholly

improper put into it. I do hear of all hands that there is a great

difference at this day between my Lord Arlington and Sir W. Coventry,

which I am sorry for.

14th (Valentine’s day). Up, being called up by Mercer, who come to be my

Valentine, and so I rose and my wife, and were merry a little, I staying

to talk, and did give her a guinny in gold for her Valentine’s gift.

There comes also my cozen Roger Pepys betimes, and comes to my wife, for

her to be his Valentine, whose Valentine I was also, by agreement to be

so to her every year; and this year I find it is likely to cost L4 or L5

in a ring for her, which she desires. Cozen Roger did come also to speak

with Sir W. Pen, who was quoted, it seems, yesterday by Sir Fr. Hollis

to have said that if my Lord Sandwich had done so and so, we might have

taken all the Dutch prizes at the time when he staid and let them go.

But Sir W. Pen did tell us he should say nothing in it but what would do

my Lord honour, and he is a knave I am able to prove if he do otherwise.

He gone, I to my Office, to perfect my Narrative about prize-goods; and

did carry it to the Commissioners of Accounts, who did receive it with

great kindness, and express great value of, and respect to me: and

my heart is at rest that it is lodged there, in so full truth and

plainness, though it may hereafter prove some loss to me. But here I

do see they are entered into many enquiries about prizes, by the great

attendance of commanders and others before them, which is a work I am

not sorry for. Thence I away, with my head busy, but my heart at pretty

good ease, to the Old Exchange, and there met Mr. Houblon. I prayed him

to discourse with some of the merchants that are of the Committee

for Accounts, to see how they do resent my paper, and in general my

particular in the relation to the business of the Navy, which he hath

promised to do carefully for me and tell me. Here it was a mighty pretty

sight to see old Mr. Houblon, whom I never saw before, and all his

sons about him, all good merchants. Thence home to dinner, and had much

discourse with W. Hewer about my going to visit Colonel Thomson, one of

the Committee of Accounts, who, among the rest, is mighty kind to me,

and is likely to mind our business more than any; and I would be glad to

have a good understanding with him. Thence after dinner to White

Hall, to attend the Duke of York, where I did let him know, too, the

troublesome life we lead, and particularly myself, by being obliged to

such attendances every day as I am, on one Committee or another. And

I do find the Duke of York himself troubled, and willing not to be

troubled with occasions of having his name used among the Parliament,

though he himself do declare that he did give directions to Lord

Brouncker to discharge the men at Chatham by ticket, and will own it,

if the House call for it, but not else. Thence I attended the King and

Council, and some of the rest of us, in a business to be heard about the

value of a ship of one Dorrington’s:--and it was pretty to observe how

Sir W. Pen making use of this argument against the validity of an oath,

against the King, being made by the master’s mate of the ship, who was

but a fellow of about 23 years of age--the master of the ship, against

whom we pleaded, did say that he did think himself at that age capable

of being master’s mate of any ship; and do know that he, himself, Sir W:

Pen, was so himself, and in no better degree at that age himself: which

word did strike Sir W. Pen dumb, and made him open his mouth no more;

and I saw the King and Duke of York wink at one another at it. This

done, we into the gallery; and there I walked with several people, and

among others my Lord Brouncker, who I do find under much trouble still

about the business of the tickets, his very case being brought in; as

is said, this day in the Report of the Miscarriages. And he seems to

lay much of it on me, which I did clear and satisfy him in; and would

be glad with all my heart to serve him in, and have done it more than

he hath done for himself, he not deserving the least blame, but

commendations, for this. I met with my cozen Roger Pepys and Creed;

and from them understand that the Report was read to-day of the

Miscarriages, wherein my Lord Sandwich is [named] about the business

I mentioned this morning; but I will be at rest, for it can do him no

hurt. Our business of tickets is soundly up, and many others: so they

went over them again, and spent all the morning on the first, which is

the dividing of the fleete; wherein hot work was, and that among great

men, Privy-Councillors, and, they say, Sir W. Coventry; but I do not

much fear it, but do hope that it will shew a little, of the Duke of

Albemarle and the Prince to have been advisers in it: but whereas they

ordered that the King’s Speech should be considered today, they took

no notice of it at all, but are really come to despise the King in all

possible ways of chewing it. And it was the other day a strange saying,

as I am told by my cozen Roger Pepys, in the House, when it was moved

that the King’s speech should be considered, that though the first part

of the Speech, meaning the league that is there talked of, be the only

good publick thing that hath been done since the King come into England,

yet it might bear with being put off to consider, till Friday next,

which was this day. Secretary Morrice did this day in the House, when

they talked of intelligence, say that he was allowed but L70 a-year for

intelligence,--[Secret service money]--whereas, in Cromwell’s time, he

[Cromwell] did allow L70,000 a-year for it; and was confirmed therein by

Colonel Birch, who said that thereby Cromwell carried the secrets of

all the princes of Europe at his girdle. The House is in a most broken

condition; nobody adhering to any thing, but reviling and finding fault:

and now quite mad at the Undertakers, as they are commonly called,

Littleton, Lord Vaughan, Sir R. Howard, and others that are brought over

to the Court, and did undertake to get the King money; but they despise,

and would not hear them in the House; and the Court do do as much,

seeing that they cannot be useful to them, as was expected. In short,

it is plain that the King will never be able to do any thing with this

Parliament; and that the only likely way to do better, for it cannot do

worse, is to break this and call another Parliament; and some do think

that it is intended. I was told to-night that my Lady Castlemayne is so

great a gamester as to have won L5000 in one night, and lost L25,000

in another night, at play, and hath played L1000 and L1500 at a cast.

Thence to the Temple, where at Porter’s chamber I met Captain Cocke,

but lost our labour, our Counsellor not being within, Pemberton, and

therefore home and late at my office, and so home to supper and to bed.

15th. Up betimes, and with Captain Cocke my coach to the Temple to his

Counsel again about the prize goods in order to the drawing up of his

answer to them, where little done but a confirmation that our best

interest is for him to tell the whole truth, and so parted, and I home

to the office, where all the morning, and at noon home to dinner, and

after dinner all the afternoon and evening till midnight almost, and

till I had tired my own backe, and my wife’s, and Deb.’s, in titleing

of my books for the present year, and in setting them in order, which

is now done to my very good satisfaction, though not altogether so

completely as I think they were the last year, when my mind was more at

leisure to mind it. So about midnight to bed, where my wife taking some

physic overnight it wrought with her, and those coming upon her with

great gripes, she was in mighty pain all night long, yet, God forgive

me! I did find that I was most desirous to take my rest than to ease

her, but there was nothing I could do to do her any good with.

16th (Lord’s day). Up, and to my chamber, where all the morning making a

catalogue of my books, which did find me work, but with great pleasure,

my chamber and books being now set in very good order, and my chamber

washed and cleaned, which it had not been in some months before, my

business and trouble having been so much. At noon Mr. Holliard put

in, and dined with my wife and me, who was a little better to-day. His

company very good. His story of his love and fortune, which hath been

very good and very bad in the world, well worth hearing. Much discourse

also about the bad state of the Church, and how the Clergy are come

to be men of no worth in the world; and, as the world do now generally

discourse, they must be reformed; and I believe the Hierarchy will in a

little time be shaken, whether they will or no; the King being offended

with them, and set upon it, as I hear. He gone, after dinner to have my

head combed, and then to my chamber and read most of the evening till

pretty late, when, my wife not being well, I did lie below stairs in our

great chamber, where I slept well.

17th. Up, and to the office, where all the morning till noon getting

some things more ready against the afternoon for the Committee of

Accounts, which did give me great trouble, to see how I am forced to

dance after them in one place, and to answer Committees of Parliament

in another. At noon thence toward the Committee, but meeting with Sir W.

Warren in Fleet Street he and I to the Ordinary by Temple Bar and there

dined together, and to talk, where he do seem to be very high now in

defiance of the Board, now he says that the worst is come upon him

to have his accounts brought to the Committee of Accounts, and he do

reflect upon my late coldness to him, but upon the whole I do find that

he is still a cunning fellow, and will find it necessary to be fair

to me, and what hath passed between us of coldness to hold his tongue,

which do please me very well. Thence to the Committee, where I did

deliver the several things they expected from me, with great respect and

show of satisfaction, and my mind thereby eased of some care. But thence

I to Westminster Hall, and there spent till late at night walking to and

again with many people, and there in general I hear of the great high

words that were in the House on Saturday last, upon the first part of

the Committee’s Report about the dividing of the fleete; wherein some

would have the counsels of the King to be declared, and the reasons of

them, and who did give them; where Sir W. Coventry laid open to them the

consequences of doing that, that the King would never have any honest

and wise men ever to be of his Council. They did here in the House talk

boldly of the King’s bad counsellors, and how they must be all turned

out, and many of them, and better; brought in: and the proceedings of

the Long-Parliament in the beginning of the war were called to memory:

and the King’s bad intelligence was mentioned, wherein they were bitter

against my Lord Arlington, saying, among other things, that whatever

Morrice’s was, who declared he had but L750 a-year allowed him for

intelligence, the King paid too dear for my Lord Arlington’s, in giving

him L10,000 and a barony for it. Sir W. Coventry did here come to his

defence, in the business of the letter that was sent to call back Prince

Rupert, after he was divided from the fleete, wherein great delay was

objected; but he did show that he sent it at one in the morning, when

the Duke of York did give him the instructions after supper that night,

and did clear himself well of it: only it was laid as a fault, which

I know not how he removes, of not sending it by an express, but by

the ordinary post; but I think I have heard he did send it to my Lord

Arlington’s; and that there it lay for some hours; it coming not to Sir

Philip Honiwood’s hand at Portsmouth till four in the afternoon that

day, being about fifteen or sixteen hours in going; and about this,

I think, I have heard of a falling out between my Lord Arlington,

heretofore, and W. Coventry. Some mutterings I did hear of a design of

dissolving the Parliament; but I think there is no ground for it

yet, though Oliver would have dissolved them for half the trouble and

contempt these have put upon the King and his councils. The dividing

of the fleete, however, is, I hear, voted a miscarriage, and the not

building a fortification at Sheernesse: and I have reason every hour to

expect that they will vote the like of our paying men off by ticket; and

what the consequence of that will be I know not, but I am put thereby

into great trouble of mind. I did spend a little time at the Swan, and

there did kiss the maid, Sarah. At noon home, and there up to my wife,

who is still ill, and supped with her, my mind being mighty full of

trouble for the office and my concernments therein, and so to supper

and talking with W. Hewer in her chamber about business of the office,

wherein he do well understand himself and our case, and it do me

advantage to talk with him and the rest of my people. I to bed below as

I did last night.

18th. Up by break of day, and walked down to the old Swan, where I find

little Michell building, his booth being taken down, and a foundation

laid for a new house, so that that street is like to be a very fine

place. I drank, but did not see Betty, and so to Charing Cross stairs,

and thence walked to Sir W. Coventry’s,

[Sir William Coventry’s love of money is said by Sir John Denham to

have influenced him in promoting naval officers, who paid him for

their commissions.

“Then Painter! draw cerulian Coventry

Keeper, or rather Chancellor o’ th’ sea

And more exactly to express his hue,

Use nothing but ultra-mariuish blue.

To pay his fees, the silver trumpet spends,

And boatswain’s whistle for his place depends.

Pilots in vain repeat their compass o’er,

Until of him they learn that one point more

The constant magnet to the pole doth hold,

Steel to the magnet, Coventry to gold.

Muscovy sells us pitch, and hemp, and tar;

Iron and copper, Sweden; Munster, war;

Ashley, prize; Warwick, custom;

Cart’ret, pay;

But Coventry doth sell the fleet away.”--B.]

and talked with him, who tells me how he hath been persecuted, and how

he is yet well come off in the business of the dividing of the fleete,

and the sending of the letter. He expects next to be troubled about the

business of bad officers in the fleete, wherein he will bid them name

whom they call bad, and he will justify himself, having never disposed

of any but by the Admiral’s liking. And he is able to give an account of

all them, how they come recommended, and more will be found to have

been placed by the Prince and Duke of Albemarle than by the Duke of York

during the war, and as no bad instance of the badness of officers he

and I did look over the list of commanders, and found that we could

presently recollect thirty-seven commanders that have been killed in

actuall service this war. He tells me that Sir Fr. Hollis is the main

man that hath persecuted him hitherto, in the business of dividing the

fleete, saying vainly that the want of that letter to the Prince hath

given him that, that he shall remember it by to his grave, meaning the

loss of his arme; when, God knows! he is as idle and insignificant a

fellow as ever come into the fleete. He tells me that in discourse on

Saturday he did repeat Sir Rob. Howard’s words about rowling out of

counsellors, that for his part he neither cared who they rowled in, nor

who they rowled out, by which the word is become a word of use in the

House, the rowling out of officers. I will remember what, in mirth, he

said to me this morning, when upon this discourse he said, if ever there

was another Dutch war, they should not find a Secretary; “Nor,” said I,

“a Clerk of the Acts, for I see the reward of it; and, thanked God! I

have enough of my own to buy me a good book and a good fiddle, and I

have a good wife;”--“Why,” says he, “I have enough to buy me a good

book, and shall not need a fiddle, because I have never a one of your

good wives.” I understand by him that we are likely to have our business

of tickets voted a miscarriage, but [he] cannot tell me what that will

signify more than that he thinks they will report them to the King and

there leave them, but I doubt they will do more. Thence walked over St.

James’s Park to White Hall, and thence to Westminster Hall, and there

walked all the morning, and did speak with several Parliament-men-among

others, Birch, who is very kind to me, and calls me, with great respect

and kindness, a man of business, and he thinks honest, and so long

will stand by me, and every such man, to the death. My business was

to instruct them to keep the House from falling into any mistaken vote

about the business of tickets, before they were better informed. I

walked in the Hall all the morning with my Lord Brouncker, who was in

great pain there, and, the truth is, his business is, without reason, so

ill resented by the generality of the House, that I was almost troubled

to be seen to walk with him, and yet am able to justify him in all, that

he is under so much scandal for. Here I did get a copy of the report

itself, about our paying off men by tickets; and am mightily glad to see

it, now knowing the state of our case, and what we have to answer to,

and the more for that the House is like to be kept by other business

to-day and to-morrow, so that, against Thursday, I shall be able to draw

up some defence to put into some Member’s hands, to inform them, and I

think we may [make] a very good one, and therefore my mind is mightily

at ease about it. This morning they are upon a Bill, brought in to-day

by Sir Richard Temple, for obliging the King to call Parliaments every

three years; or, if he fail, for others to be obliged to do it, and to

keep him from a power of dissolving any Parliament in less than forty

days after their first day of sitting, which is such a Bill as do speak

very high proceedings, to the lessening of the King; and this they will

carry, and whatever else they desire, before they will give any money;

and the King must have money, whatever it cost him. I stepped to the

Dog Tavern, and thither come to me Doll Lane, and there we did drink

together, and she tells me she is my valentine.... Thence, she being

gone, and having spoke with Mr. Spicer here, whom I sent for hither to

discourse about the security of the late Act of 11 months’ tax on which

I have secured part of my money lent to Tangier. I to the Hall, and

there met Sir W. Pen, and he and I to the Beare, in Drury Lane, an

excellent ordinary, after the French manner, but of Englishmen; and

there had a good fricassee, our dinner coming to 8s., which was mighty

pretty, to my great content; and thence, he and I to the King’s house,

and there, in one of the upper boxes, saw “Flora’s Vagarys,” which is

a very silly play; and the more, I being out of humour, being at a play

without my wife, and she ill at home, and having no desire also to be

seen, and, therefore, could not look about me. Thence to the Temple,

and there we parted, and I to see Kate Joyce, where I find her and her

friends in great ease of mind, the jury having this day given in their

verdict that her husband died of a feaver. Some opposition there was,

the foreman pressing them to declare the cause of the feaver, thinking

thereby to obstruct it: but they did adhere to their verdict, and would

give no reason; so all trouble is now over, and she safe in her estate,

which I am mighty glad of, and so took leave, and home, and up to my

wife, not owning my being at a play, and there she shews me her ring of

a Turky-stone set with little sparks of dyamonds,

[The turquoise. This stone was sometimes referred to simply as the

turkey, and Broderip (“Zoological Recreations”) conjectured that the

bird (turkey) took its name from the blue or turquoise colour of the

skin about its head.]

which I am to give her, as my Valentine, and I am not much troubled at

it. It will cost me near L5--she costing me but little compared with

other wives, and I have not many occasions to spend on her. So to my

office, where late, and to think upon my observations to-morrow, upon

the report of the Committee to the Parliament about the business of

tickets, whereof my head is full, and so home to supper and to bed.

19th. Up, and to the office, where all the morning drawing up an answer

to the Report of the Committee for miscarriages to the Parliament

touching our paying men by tickets, which I did do in a very good manner

I think. Dined with my clerks at home, where much good discourse of

our business of the Navy, and the trouble now upon us, more than we

expected. After dinner my wife out with Deb., to buy some things against

my sister’s wedding, and I to the office to write fair my business I did

in the morning, and in the evening to White Hall, where I find Sir W.

Coventry all alone, a great while with the Duke of York, in the King’s

drawing-room, they two talking together all alone, which did mightily

please me. Then I did get Sir W. Coventry (the Duke of York being gone)

aside, and there read over my paper, which he liked and corrected, and

tells me it will be hard to escape, though the thing be never so fair,

to have it voted a miscarriage; but did advise me and my Lord Brouncker,

who coming by did join with us, to prepare some members in it, which we

shall do. Here I do hear how La Roche, a French captain, who was once

prisoner here, being with his ship at Plymouth, hath played some freakes

there, for which his men being beat out of the town, he hath put up his

flag of defiance, and also, somewhere thereabout, did land with his men,

and go a mile into the country, and did some pranks, which sounds pretty

odd, to our disgrace, but we are in condition now to bear any thing.

But, blessed be God! all the Court is full of the good news of my Lord

Sandwich’s having made a peace between Spain and Portugall, which is

mighty great news, and, above all, to my Lord’s honour, more than any

thing he ever did; and yet I do fear it will not prevail to secure him

in Parliament against incivilities there. Thence, took up my wife at

Unthanke’s, and so home, and there my mind being full of preparing my

paper against to-morrow for the House, with an address from the office

to the House, I to the office, very late, and then home to supper and to

bed.

20th. Up, and to the office a while, and thence to White Hall by coach

with Mr. Batelier with me, whom I took up in the street. I thence by

water to Westminster Hall, and there with Lord Brouncker, Sir T. Harvy,

Sir J. Minnes, did wait all the morning to speak to members about our

business, thinking our business of tickets would come before the House

to-day, but we did alter our minds about the petition to the House,

sending in the paper to them. But the truth is we were in a great hurry,

but it fell out that they were most of the morning upon the business

of not prosecuting the first victory; which they have voted one of the

greatest miscarriages of the whole war, though they cannot lay the fault

anywhere yet, because Harman is not come home. This kept them all the

morning, which I was glad of. So down to the Hall, where my wife by

agreement stayed for me at Mrs. Michell’s, and there was Mercer and the

girl, and I took them to Wilkinson’s the cook’s in King Street (where

I find the master of the house hath been dead for some time), and there

dined, and thence by one o’clock to the King’s house: a new play, “The

Duke of Lerma,” of Sir Robert Howard’s: where the King and Court was;

and Knepp and Nell spoke the prologue most excellently, especially

Knepp, who spoke beyond any creature I ever, heard. The play designed to

reproach our King with his mistresses, that I was troubled for it, and

expected it should be interrupted; but it ended all well, which salved

all. The play a well-writ and good play, only its design I did not like

of reproaching the King, but altogether a very good and most serious

play. Thence home, and there a little to the office, and so home to

supper, where Mercer with us, and sang, and then to bed.

21st. At the office all the morning to get a little business done, I

having, and so the whole office, been put out of doing any business

there for this week by our trouble in attending the Parliament. Hither

comes to me young Captain Beckford, the slopseller, and there presents

me a little purse with gold in it, it being, as he told me, for his

present to me, at the end of the last year. I told him I had not done

him any service I knew of. He persisted, and I refused, but did at

several denials; and telling him that it was not an age to take presents

in, he told me he had reason to present me with something, and desired

me to accept of it, which, at his so urging me, I did, and so fell to

talk of his business, and so parted. I do not know of any manner of

kindness I have done him this last year, nor did expect any thing. It

was therefore very welcome to me, but yet I was not fully satisfied in

my taking it, because of my submitting myself to the having it objected

against me hereafter, and the rather because this morning Jacke Fen come

and shewed me an order from the Commissioners of Accounts, wherein they

demand of him an account upon oath of all the sums of money that have

been by him defalked or taken from any man since their time, of enquiry

upon any payments, and if this should, as it is to be feared, come to

be done to us, I know not what I shall then do, but I shall take

counsel upon it. At noon by coach towards Westminster, and met my Lord

Brouncker, and W. Pen, and Sir T. Harvey, in King’s Street, coming away

from the Parliament House; and so I to them, and to the French ordinary,

at the Blue Bells, in Lincolne’s Inn Fields, and there dined and talked.

And, among other things, they tell me how the House this day is still

as backward for giving any money as ever, and do declare they will

first have an account of the disposals of the last Poll-bill, and eleven

months’ tax: and it is pretty odde that the very first sum mentioned

in the account brought in by Sir Robert Long, of the disposal of the

Poll-bill money, is L5000 to my Lord Arlington for intelligence; which

was mighty unseasonable, so soon after they had so much cried out

against his want of intelligence. The King do also own but L250,000,

or thereabouts, yet paid on the Poll-bill, and that he hath charged

L350,000 upon it. This makes them mad; for that the former Poll-bill,

that was so much less in its extent than the last, which took in all

sexes and qualities, did come to L350,000. Upon the whole, I perceive

they are like to do nothing in this matter to please the King, or

relieve the State, be the case never so pressing; and, therefore, it

is thought by a great many that the King cannot be worse if he should

dissolve them: but there is nobody dares advise it, nor do he consider

any thing himself. Thence, having dined for 20s., we to the Duke of York

at White Hall, and there had our usual audience, and did little but talk

of the proceedings of the Parliament, wherein he is as much troubled as

we; for he is not without fears that they do ayme at doing him hurt;

but yet he declares that he will never deny to owne what orders he hath

given to any man to justify him, notwithstanding their having sent to

him to desire his being tender to take upon him the doing any thing of

that kind. Thence with Brouncker and T. Harvey to Westminster Hall, and

there met with Colonel Birch and Sir John Lowther, and did there in the

lobby read over what I have drawn up for our defence, wherein they own

themselves mightily satisfied; and Birch, like a particular friend, do

take it upon him to defend us, and do mightily do me right in all

his discourse. Here walked in the Hall with him a great while, and

discoursed with several members, to prepare them in our business against

to-morrow, and meeting my cozen Roger Pepys, he showed me Granger’s

written confession,

[Pepys here refers to the extraordinary proceedings which occurred

between Charles, Lord Gerard, and Alexander Fitton, of which a

narrative was published at the Hague in 1665. Granger was a witness

in the cause, and was afterwards said to be conscience-stricken from

his perjury. Some notice of this case will be found in North’s

“Examen,” p. 558; but the copious and interesting note in Ormerod’s

“History of Cheshire,” Vol. iii., p. 291, will best satisfy the

reader, who will not fail to be struck by the paragraph with which

it is closed-viz., “It is not improbable that Alexander Fitton, who,

in the first instance, gained rightful possession of Gawsworth under

an acknowledged settlement, was driven headlong into unpremeditated

guilt by the production of a revocation by will which Lord Gerard

had so long concealed. Having lost his own fortune in the

prosecution of his claims, he remained in gaol till taken out by

James II. to be made Chancellor of Ireland (under which character

Hume first notices him), was knighted, and subsequently created Lord

Gawsworth after the abdication of James, sat in his parliament in

Dublin in 1689, and then is supposed to have accompanied his fallen

master to France. Whether the conduct of Fitton was met, as he

alleges, by similar guilt on the part of Lord Gerard, God only can

judge; but his hand fell heavily on the representatives of that

noble house. In less than half a century the husbands of its two

co-heiresses, James, Duke of Hamilton, and Charles, Lord Mohun, were

slain by each other’s hands in a murderous duel arising out of a

dispute relative to the partition of the Fitton estates, and

Gawsworth itself passed to an unlineal hand, by a series of

alienations complicated beyond example in the annals of this

country.”--B.]

of his being forced by imprisonment, &c., by my Lord Gerard, most

barbarously to confess his forging of a deed in behalf of Fitton, in the

great case between him [Fitton] and my Lord Gerard; which business is

under examination, and is the foulest against my Lord Gerard that ever

any thing in the world was, and will, all do believe, ruine him; and I

shall be glad of it. Thence with Lord Brouncker and T. Harvey as far as

the New Exchange, and there at a draper’s shop drawing up a short note

of what they are to desire of the House for our having a hearing before

they determine any thing against us, which paper is for them to show to

what friends they meet against to-morrow, I away home to the office, and

there busy pretty late, and here comes my wife to me, who hath been at

Pegg Pen’s christening, which, she says, hath made a flutter and noise;

but was as mean as could be, and but little company, just like all the

rest that that family do. So home to supper and to bed, with my head

full of a defence before the Parliament tomorrow, and therein content

myself very well, and with what I have done in preparing some of the

members thereof in order thereto.

22nd. Up, and by coach through Ducke Lane, and there did buy Kircher’s

Musurgia, cost me 35s., a book I am mighty glad of, expecting to find

great satisfaction in it. Thence to Westminster Hall and the lobby, and

up and down there all the morning, and to the Lords’ House, and heard

the Solicitor-General plead very finely, as he always do; and this was

in defence of the East India Company against a man that complains of

wrong from them, and thus up and down till noon in expectation of our

business coming on in the House of Commons about tickets, but they being

busy about my Lord Gerard’s business I did give over the thoughts of

ours coming on, and so with my wife, and Mercer, and Deb., who come to

the Hall to me, I away to the Beare, in Drury Lane, and there bespoke a

dish of meat; and, in the mean time, sat and sung with Mercer; and, by

and by, dined with mighty pleasure, and excellent meat, one little dish

enough for us all, and good wine, and all for 8s., and thence to the

Duke’s playhouse, and there saw “Albumazar,” an old play, this the

second time of acting. It is said to have been the ground of B. Jonson’s

“Alchymist;” but, saving the ridicuiousnesse of Angell’s part, which

is called Trinkilo, I do not see any thing extraordinary in it, but was

indeed weary of it before it was done. The King here, and, indeed, all

of us, pretty merry at the mimique tricks of Trinkilo. So home, calling

in Ducke Lane for the book I bought this morning, and so home, and wrote

my letters at the office, and then home to supper and to bed.

23rd (Lord’s day). Up, and, being desired by a messenger from Sir G.

Carteret, I by water over to Southwarke, and so walked to the Falkon, on

the Bank-side, and there got another boat, and so to Westminster, where

I would have gone into the Swan; but the door was locked; and the girl

could not let me in, and so to Wilkinson’s in King Street, and there

wiped my shoes, and so to Court, where sermon not yet done I met with

Brisband; and he tells me, first, that our business of tickets did come

to debate yesterday, it seems, after I was gone away, and was voted

a miscarriage in general. He tells me in general that there is great

looking after places, upon a presumption of a great many vacancies;

and he did shew me a fellow at Court, a brother of my Lord Fanshaw’s, a

witty but rascally fellow, without a penny in his purse, that was asking

him what places there were in the Navy fit for him, and Brisband tells

me, in mirth, he told him the Clerke of the Acts, and I wish he had it,

so I were well and quietly rid of it; for I am weary of this kind of

trouble, having, I think, enough whereon to support myself. By and by,

chapel done, I met with Sir W. Coventry, and he and I walked awhile

together in the Matted Gallery; and there he told me all the proceedings

yesterday: that the matter is found, in general, a miscarriage, but no

persons named; and so there is no great matter to our prejudice yet,

till, if ever, they come to particular persons. He told me Birch was

very industrious to do what he could, and did, like a friend; but they

were resolved to find the thing, in general, a miscarriage; and says,

that when we shall think fit to desire its being heard, as to our own

defence, it will be granted. He tells me how he hath, with advantage,

cleared himself in what concerns himself therein, by his servant

Robson, which I am glad of. He tells me that there is a letter sent by

conspiracy to some of the House, which he hath seen, about the matter of

selling of places, which he do believe he shall be called upon to-morrow

for: and thinks himself well prepared to defend himself in it; and

then neither he, nor his friends for him, are afeard of anything to

his prejudice. Thence by coach, with Brisband, to Sir G. Carteret’s, in

Lincoln’s Inn Fields, and there dined: a good dinner and good company;

and after dinner he and I alone, discoursing of my Lord Sandwich’s

matters; who hath, in the first business before the House, been very

kindly used beyond expectation, the matter being laid by, till his

coming home and old Mr. Vaughan did speak for my Lord, which I am mighty

glad of. The business of the prizes is the worst that can be said, and

therein I do fear something may lie hard upon him; but, against this, we

must prepare the best we can for his defence. Thence with G. Carteret to

White Hall, where I, finding a meeting of the Committee of the Council

for the Navy, his Royal Highness there, and Sir W. Pen, and, some of the

Brethren of the Trinity House to attend, I did go in with them; and it

was to be informed of the practice heretofore, for all foreign nations,

at enmity one with another, to forbear any acts of hostility to one

another, in the presence of any of the King of England’s ships, of

which several instances were given: and it is referred to their further

enquiry, in order to the giving instructions accordingly to our ships

now, during the war between Spain and France. Would to God we were in

the same condition as heretofore, to challenge and maintain this our

dominion! Thence with W. Pen homeward, and quite through to Mile End,

for a little ayre; the days being now pretty long, but the ways mighty

dirty, and here we drank at the Rose, the old house, and so back again,

talking of the Parliament and our trouble with them and what passed

yesterday. Going back again, Sir R. Brookes overtook us coming to town;

who hath played the jacke with us all, and is a fellow that I must trust

no more, he quoting me for all he hath said in this business of tickets;

though I have told him nothing that either is not true, or I afeard to

own. But here talking, he did discourse in this stile: “We,”--and “We”

all along,--“will not give any money, be the pretence never so great,

nay, though the enemy was in the River of Thames again, till we know

what is become of the last money given;” and I do believe he do speak

the mind of his fellows, and so let them, if the King will suffer it. He

gone, we home, and there I to read, and my belly being full of my dinner

to-day, I anon to bed, and there, as I have for many days, slept not an

hour quietly, but full of dreams of our defence to the Parliament and

giving an account of our doings. This evening, my wife did with great

pleasure shew me her stock of jewells, encreased by the ring she hath

made lately as my Valentine’s gift this year, a Turky stone’ set with

diamonds: and, with this and what she had, she reckons that she hath

above L150 worth of jewells, of one kind or other; and I am glad of it,

for it is fit the wretch should have something to content herself with.

24th. Up, and to my office, where most of the morning, entering my

journal for the three days past. Thence about noon with my wife to the

New Exchange, by the way stopping at my bookseller’s, and there leaving

my Kircher’s Musurgia to be bound, and did buy “L’illustre Bassa,” in

four volumes, for my wife. Thence to the Exchange and left her; while

meeting Dr. Gibbons there, he and I to see an organ at the Dean of

Westminster’s lodgings at the Abby, the Bishop of Rochester’s; where

he lives like a great prelate, his lodgings being very good; though at

present under great disgrace at Court, being put by his Clerk of the

Closet’s place. I saw his lady, of whom the ‘Terrae Filius’ of Oxford

was once so merry;

[A scholar appointed to make a satirical and jesting speech at an

Act in the University of Oxford. Mr. Christopher Wordsworth gives,

in his “Social Life at the English Universities in the Eighteenth

Century,” 1874, a list of terra-filii from 1591 to 1713 (pp. 296-

298, 680). The ‘terrae filius’ was sometimes expelled the

university on account of the licence of his speech. The practice

was discontinued early in the eighteenth century.]

and two children, whereof one a very pretty little boy, like him, so fat

and black. Here I saw the organ; but it is too big for my house, and the

fashion do not please me enough; and therefore will not have it. Thence

to the ‘Change back again, leaving him, and took my wife and Deb.

home, and there to dinner alone, and after dinner I took them to the

Nursery,--[Theatre company of young actors in training.]--where none of

us ever were before; where the house is better and the musique better

than we looked for, and the acting not much worse, because I expected as

bad as could be: and I was not much mistaken, for it was so. However,

I was pleased well to see it once, it being worth a man’s seeing to

discover the different ability and understanding of people, and the

different growth of people’s abilities by practise. Their play was a

bad one, called “Jeronimo is Mad Again,” a tragedy. Here was some good

company by us, who did make mighty sport at the folly of their acting,

which I could not neither refrain from sometimes, though I was sorry for

it. So away hence home, where to the office to do business a while, and

then home to supper and to read, and then to bed. I was prettily served

this day at the playhouse-door, where, giving six shillings into the

fellow’s hand for us three, the fellow by legerdemain did convey one

away, and with so much grace faced me down that I did give him but five,

that, though I knew the contrary, yet I was overpowered by his so grave

and serious demanding the other shilling, that I could not deny him,

but was forced by myself to give it him. After I come home this evening

comes a letter to me from Captain Allen, formerly Clerk of the Ropeyard

at Chatham, and whom I was kind to in those days, who in recompense of

my favour to him then do give me notice that he hears of an accusation

likely to be exhibited against me of my receiving L50 of Mason, the

timber merchant, and that his wife hath spoke it. I am mightily beholden

to Captain Allen for this, though the thing is to the best of my memory

utterly false, and I do believe it to be wholly so, but yet it troubles

me to have my name mentioned in this business, and more to consider how

I may be liable to be accused where I have indeed taken presents,

and therefore puts me on an enquiry, into my actings in this kind and

prepare against a day of accusation.

25th. Up, having lain the last night the first night that I have lain

with my wife since she was last ill, which is about eight days. To the

office, where busy all the morning. At noon comes W. Howe to me, to

advise what answer to give to the business of the prizes, wherein I did

give him the best advice I could; but am sorry to see so many things,

wherein I doubt it will not be prevented but Sir Roger Cuttance and

Mr. Pierce will be found very much concerned in goods beyond the

distribution, and I doubt my Lord Sandwich too, which troubles me

mightily. He gone I to dinner, and thence set my wife at the New

Exchange, and I to Mr. Clerke, my solicitor, to the Treasury chamber,

but the Lords did not sit, so I by water with him to the New Exchange,

and there we parted, and I took my wife and Deb. up, and to the Nursery,

where I was yesterday, and there saw them act a comedy, a pastorall,

“The Faythful Shepherd,” having the curiosity to see whether they did a

comedy better than a tragedy; but they do it both alike, in the meanest

manner, that I was sick of it, but only for to satisfy myself once in

seeing the manner of it, but I shall see them no more, I believe. Thence

to the New Exchange, to take some things home that my wife hath bought,

a dressing-box, and other things for her chamber and table, that cost me

above L4, and so home, and there to the office, and tell W. Hewer of the

letter from Captain Allen last night, to give him caution if any thing

should be discovered of his dealings with anybody, which I should for

his sake as well, or more than for my own, be sorry for; and with great

joy I do find, looking over my memorandum books, which are now of great

use to me, and do fully reward me for all my care in keeping them, that

I am not likely to be troubled for any thing of the kind but what I

shall either be able beforehand to prevent, or if discovered, be able to

justify myself in, and I do perceive, by Sir W. Warren’s discourse, that

they [the House] do all they can possibly to get out of him and others,

what presents they have made to the Officers of the Navy; but he tells

me that he hath denied all, though he knows that he is forsworn as to

what relates to me. So home to supper and to bed.

26th. Up, and by water to Charing Cross stairs, and thence to W.

Coventry to discourse concerning the state of matters in the Navy, where

he particularly acquainted me with the trouble he is like to meet with

about the selling of places, all carried on by Sir Fr. Hollis, but

he seems not to value it, being able to justify it to be lawful and

constant practice, and never by him used in the least degree since he

upon his own motion did obtain a salary of L500 in lieu thereof. Thence

to the Treasury Chamber about a little business, and so home by coach,

and in my way did meet W. Howe going to the Commissioners of Accounts.

I stopped and spoke to him, and he seems well resolved what to answer

them, but he will find them very strict, and not easily put off: So home

and there to dinner, and after dinner comes W. Howe to tell me how he

sped, who says he was used civilly, and not so many questions asked as

he expected; but yet I do perceive enough to shew that they do intend

to know the bottom of things, and where to lay the great weight of the

disposal of these East India goods, and that they intend plainly to do

upon my Lord Sandwich. Thence with him by coach and set him down at

the Temple, and I to Westminster Hall, where, it being now about six

o’clock, I find the House just risen; and met with Sir W. Coventry and

the Lieutenant of the Tower, they having sat all day; and with great

difficulty have got a vote for giving the King L300,000, not to be

raised by any land-tax. The sum is much smaller than I expected,

and than the King needs; but is grounded upon Mr. Wren’s reading our

estimates the other day of L270,000, to keep the fleete abroad, wherein

we demanded nothing for setting and fitting of them out, which will cost

almost L200,000, I do verily believe: and do believe that the King hath

no cause to thank Wren for this motion. I home to Sir W. Coventry’s

lodgings, with him and the Lieutenant of the Tower, where also was Sir

John Coventry, and Sir John Duncomb, and Sir Job Charleton. And here

a great deal of good discourse: and they seem mighty glad to have this

vote pass, which I did wonder at, to see them so well satisfied with so

small a sum, Sir John Duncomb swearing, as I perceive he will freely

do, that it was as much as the nation could beare. Among other merry

discourse about spending of money, and how much more chargeable a man’s

living is now more than it was heretofore, Duncomb did swear that

in France he did live of L100 a year with more plenty, and wine and

wenches, than he believes can be done now for L200, which was pretty

odd for him, being a Committee-man’s son, to say. Having done here, and

supped, where I eat very little, we home in Sir John Robinson’s coach,

and there to bed.

27th. All the morning at the office, and at noon home to dinner, and

thence with my wife and Deb. to the King’s House, to see “The Virgin

Martyr,” the first time it hath been acted a great while: and it is

mighty pleasant; not that the play is worth much, but it is finely acted

by Becke Marshall. But that which did please me beyond any thing in, the

whole world was the wind-musique when the angel comes down, which is so

sweet that it ravished me, and indeed, in a word, did wrap up my soul so

that it made me really sick, just as I have formerly been when in love

with my wife; that neither then, nor all the evening going home, and

at home, I was able to think of any thing, but remained all night

transported, so as I could not believe that ever any musick hath that

real command over the soul of a man as this did upon me: and makes me

resolve to practice wind-musique, and to make my wife do the like.

28th. Up, and to the office, where all the morning doing business, and

after dinner with Sir W. Pen to White Hall, where we and the rest of us

presented a great letter of the state of our want of money to his Royal

Highness. I did also present a demand of mine for consideration for my

travelling-charges of coach and boat-hire during the war, which, though

his Royal Highness and the company did all like of, yet, contrary to my

expectation, I find him so jealous now of doing any thing extraordinary,

that he desired the gentlemen that they would consider it, and report

their minds in it to him. This did unsettle my mind a great while, not

expecting this stop: but, however, I shall do as well, I know, though it

causes me a little stop. But that, that troubles me most is, that while

we were thus together with the Duke of York, comes in Mr. Wren from the

House, where, he tells us, another storm hath been all this day almost

against the Officers of the Navy upon this complaint,--that though they

have made good rules for payment of tickets, yet that they have not

observed them themselves, which was driven so high as to have it urged

that we should presently be put out of our places: and so they have at

last ordered that we shall be heard at the bar of the House upon this

business on Thursday next. This did mightily trouble me and us all; but

me particularly, who am least able to bear these troubles, though I have

the least cause to be concerned in it. Thence, therefore, to visit Sir

H. Cholmly, who hath for some time been ill of a cold; and thence walked

towards Westminster, and met Colonel Birch, who took me back to walk

with him, and did give me an account of this day’s heat against the Navy

Officers, and an account of his speech on our behalf, which was very

good; and indeed we are much beholden to him, as I, after I parted with

him, did find by my cozen Roger, whom I went to: and he and I to his

lodgings. And there he did tell me the same over again; and how much

Birch did stand up in our defence; and that he do see that there are

many desirous to have us out of the Office; and the House is so furious

and passionate, that he thinks nobody can be secure, let him deserve

never so well. But now, he tells me, we shall have a fair hearing of the

House, and he hopes justice of them: but, upon the whole, he do agree

with me that I should hold my hand as to making any purchase of land,

which I had formerly discoursed with him about, till we see a little

further how matters go. He tells me that that made them so mad to-day

first was, several letters in the House about the Fanatickes, in several

places, coming in great bodies, and turning people out of the churches,

and there preaching themselves, and pulling the surplice over the

Parsons’ heads: this was confirmed from several places; which makes them

stark mad, especially the hectors and bravadoes of the House, who shew

all the zeal on this occasion. Having done with him, I home vexed in

my mind, and so fit for no business, but sat talking with my wife and

supped with her; and Nan Mercer come and sat all the evening with us,

and much pretty discourse, which did a little ease me, and so to bed.

29th. Up, and walked to Captain Cocke’s, where Sir G. Carteret promised

to meet me and did come to discourse about the prize-business of my Lord

Sandwich’s, which I perceive is likely to be of great ill consequence to

my Lord, the House being mighty vehement in it. We could say little but

advise that his friends should labour to get it put off, till he comes.

We did here talk many things over, in lamentation of the present posture

of affairs, and the ill condition of all people that have had anything

to do under the King, wishing ourselves a great way off: Here they tell

me how Sir Thomas Allen hath taken the Englishmen out of “La Roche,”

and taken from him an Ostend prize which La Roche had fetched out of our

harbours; and at this day La Roche keeps upon our coasts; and had the

boldness to land some men and go a mile up into the country, and there

took some goods belonging to this prize out of a house there; which our

King resents, and, they say, hath wrote to the King of France about; and

everybody do think a war will follow; and then in what a case we shall

be for want of money, nobody knows. Thence to the office, where we sat

all the morning, and at noon home to dinner, and to the office again in

the afternoon, where we met to consider of an answer to the Parliament

about the not paying of tickets according to our own orders, to which I

hope we shall be able to give a satisfactory answer, but that the design

of the House being apparently to remove us, I do question whether the

best answer will prevail with them. This done I by coach with my wife

to Martin, my bookseller’s, expecting to have had my Kercher’s Musurgia,

but to my trouble and loss of trouble it was not done. So home again,

my head full of thoughts about our troubles in the office, and so to the

office. Wrote to my father this post, and sent him now Colvill’s--[The

Goldsmith.]--note for L600 for my sister’s portion, being glad that I

shall, I hope, have that business over before I am out of place, and I

trust I shall be able to save a little of what I have got, and so shall

not be troubled to be at ease; for I am weary of this life. So ends

this month, with a great deal of care and trouble in my head about the

answerings of the Parliament, and particularly in our payment of seamen

by tickets.