Diary of Samuel Pepys, 1664 N.S. Complete

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6th. Here lay Deane Honiwood last night. I met and talked with him this
morning, and a simple priest he is, though a good, well-meaning man. W.
Joyce and I to a game at bowles on the green there till eight o'clock, and
then comes my wife in the coach, and a coach full of women, only one man
riding by, gone down last night to meet a sister of his coming to town.
So very joyful drank there, not 'lighting, and we mounted and away with
them to Welling, and there 'light, and dined very well and merry and glad
to see my poor-wife. Here very merry as being weary I could be, and after
dinner, out again, and to London. In our way all the way the mightiest
merry, at a couple of young gentlemen, come down to meet the same
gentlewoman, that ever I was in my life, and so W. Joyce too, to see how
one of them was horsed upon a hard-trotting sorrell horse, and both of
them soundly weary and galled. But it is not to be set down how merry we
were all the way. We 'light in Holborne, and by another coach my wife and
mayde home, and I by horseback, and found all things well and most mighty
neate and clean. So, after welcoming my wife a little, to the office, and
so home to supper, and then weary and not very well to bed.

7th (Lord's day). Lay long caressing my wife and talking, she telling me
sad stories of the ill, improvident, disquiett, and sluttish manner that
my father and mother and Pall live in the country, which troubles me
mightily, and I must seek to remedy it. So up and ready, and my wife
also, and then down and I showed my wife, to her great admiration and joy,
Mr. Gauden's present of plate, the two flaggons, which indeed are so noble
that I hardly can think that they are yet mine. So blessing God for it,
we down to dinner mighty pleasant, and so up after dinner for a while, and
I then to White Hall, walked thither, having at home met with a letter of
Captain Cooke's, with which he had sent a boy for me to see, whom he did
intend to recommend to me. I therefore went and there met and spoke with
him. He gives me great hopes of the boy, which pleases me, and at
Chappell I there met Mr. Blagrave, who gives a report of the boy, and he
showed me him, and I spoke to him, and the boy seems a good willing boy to
come to me, and I hope will do well. I am to speak to Mr. Townsend to
hasten his clothes for him, and then he is to come. So I walked homeward
and met with Mr. Spong, and he with me as far as the Old Exchange talking
of many ingenuous things, musique, and at last of glasses, and I find him
still the same ingenuous man that ever he was, and do among other fine
things tell me that by his microscope of his owne making he do discover
that the wings of a moth is made just as the feathers of the wing of a
bird, and that most plainly and certainly. While we were talking came by
several poor creatures carried by, by constables, for being at a
conventicle. They go like lambs, without any resistance. I would to God
they would either conform, or be more wise, and not be catched! Thence
parted with him, mightily pleased with his company, and away homeward,
calling at Dan Rawlinson, and supped there with my uncle Wight, and then
home and eat again for form sake with her, and then to prayers and to bed.

8th. Up and abroad with Sir W. Batten, by coach to St. James's, where by
the way he did tell me how Sir J. Minnes would many times arrogate to
himself the doing of that that all the Board have equal share in, and more
that to himself which he hath had nothing to do in, and particularly the
late paper given in by him to the Duke, the translation of a Dutch print
concerning the quarrel between us and them, which he did give as his own
when it was Sir Richard Ford's wholly. Also he told me how Sir W. Pen (it
falling in our discourse touching Mrs. Falconer) was at first very great
for Mr. Coventry to bring him in guests, and that at high rates for
places, and very open was he to me therein. After business done with the
Duke, I home to the Coffee-house, and so home to dinner, and after dinner
to hang up my fine pictures in my dining room, which makes it very
pretty, and so my wife and I abroad to the King's play-house, she giving
me her time of the last month, she having not seen any then; so my vowe is
not broke at all, it costing me no more money than it would have done upon
her, had she gone both her times that were due to her. Here we saw
"Flora's Figarys." I never saw it before, and by the most ingenuous
performance of the young jade Flora, it seemed as pretty a pleasant play
as ever I saw in my life. So home to supper, and then to my office late,
Mr. Andrews and I to talk about our victualling commission, and then he
being gone I to set down my four days past journalls and expenses, and so
home to bed.

9th. Up, and to my office, and there we sat all the morning, at noon
home, and there by appointment Mr. Blagrave came and dined with me, and
brought a friend of his of the Chappell with him. Very merry at dinner,
and then up to my chamber and there we sung a Psalm or two of Lawes's,
then he and I a little talke by ourselves of his kinswoman that is to come
to live with my wife, who is to come about ten days hence, and I hope will
do well. They gone I to my office, and there my head being a little
troubled with the little wine I drank, though mixed with beer, but it may
be a little more than I used to do, and yet I cannot say so, I went home
and spent the afternoon with my wife talking, and then in the evening a
little to my office, and so home to supper and to bed. This day comes the
newes that the Emperour hath beat the Turke;

[This was the battle of St. Gothard, in which the Turks were
defeated with great slaughter by the imperial forces under
Montecuculli, assisted by the confederates from the Rhine, and by
forty troops of French cavalry under Coligni. St. Gothard is in
Hungary, on the river Raab, near the frontier of Styria; it is about
one hundred and twenty miles south of Vienna, and thirty east of
Gratz. The battle took place on the 9th Moharrem, A.H. 1075, or
23rd July, A.D. 1664 (old style), which is that used by Pepys.--B.]

killed the Grand Vizier and several great Bassas, with an army of 80,000
men killed and routed; with some considerable loss of his own side, having
lost three generals, and the French forces all cut off almost. Which is
thought as good a service to the Emperour as beating the Turke almost, for
had they conquered they would have been as troublesome to him.

[The fact is, the Germans were beaten by the Turks, and the French
won the battle for them.--B.]

10th. Up, and, being ready, abroad to do several small businesses, among
others to find out one to engrave my tables upon my new sliding rule with
silver plates, it being so small that Browne that made it cannot get one
to do it. So I find out Cocker, the famous writing-master, and get him to
do it, and I set an hour by him to see him design it all; and strange it
is to see him with his natural eyes to cut so small at his first designing
it, and read it all over, without any missing, when for my life I could
not, with my best skill, read one word or letter of it; but it is use.
But he says that the best light for his life to do a very small thing by
(contrary to Chaucer's words to the Sun, "that he should lend his light to
them that small seals grave"), it should be by an artificial light of a
candle, set to advantage, as he could do it. I find the fellow, by his
discourse, very ingenuous; and among other things, a great admirer and
well read in all our English poets, and undertakes to judge of them all,
and that not impertinently. Well pleased with his company and better with
his judgement upon my Rule, I left him and home, whither Mr. Deane by
agreement came to me and dined with me, and by chance Gunner Batters's
wife. After dinner Deane and I [had] great discourse again about my Lord
Chancellor's timber, out of which I wish I may get well. Thence I to
Cocker's again, and sat by him with good discourse again for an hour or
two, and then left him, and by agreement with Captain Silas Taylor (my old
acquaintance at the Exchequer) to the Post Officer to hear some instrument
musique of Mr. Berchenshaw's before my Lord Brunkard and Sir Robert
Murray. I must confess, whether it be that I hear it but seldom, or that
really voice is better, but so it is that I found no pleasure at all in
it, and methought two voyces were worth twenty of it. So home to my office
a while, and then to supper and to bed.

11th. Up, and through pain, to my great grief forced to wear my gowne to
keep my legs warm. At the office all the morning, and there a high
dispute against Sir W. Batten and Sir W. Pen about the breadth of canvas
again, they being for the making of it narrower, I and Mr. Coventry and
Sir J. Minnes for the keeping it broader. So home to dinner, and by and
by comes Mr. Creed, lately come from the Downes, and dined with me. I show
him a good countenance, but love him not for his base ingratitude to me.
However, abroad, carried my wife to buy things at the New Exchange, and so
to my Lady Sandwich's, and there merry, talking with her a great while,
and so home, whither comes Cocker with my rule, which he hath engraved to
admiration, for goodness and smallness of work: it cost me 14s. the doing,
and mightily pleased I am with it. By and by, he gone, comes Mr. Moore
and staid talking with me a great while about my Lord's businesses, which
I fear will be in a bad condition for his family if my Lord should
miscarry at sea. He gone, I late to my office, and cannot forbear
admiring and consulting my new rule, and so home to supper and to bed.
This day, for a wager before the King, my Lords of Castlehaven and Arran
(a son of my Lord of Ormond's), they two alone did run down and kill a
stoute bucke in St. James's parke.

12th. Up, and all the morning busy at the office with Sir W. Warren about
a great contract for New England masts, where I was very hard with him,
even to the making him angry, but I thought it fit to do it as well as
just for my owne [and] the King's behalf. At noon to the 'Change a
little, and so to dinner and then out by coach, setting my wife and mayde
down, going to Stevens the silversmith to change some old silver lace and
to go buy new silke lace for a petticoat; I to White Hall and did much
business at a Tangier Committee; where, among other things, speaking about
propriety of the houses there, and how we ought to let the Portugeses I
have right done them, as many of them as continue, or did sell the houses
while they were in possession, and something further in their favour, the
Duke in an anger I never observed in him before, did cry, says he, "All
the world rides us, and I think we shall never ride anybody." Thence
home, and, though late, yet Pedro being there, he sang a song and parted.
I did give him 5s., but find it burdensome and so will break up the
meeting. At night is brought home our poor Fancy, which to my great grief
continues lame still, so that I wish she had not been brought ever home
again, for it troubles me to see her.

13th. Up, and before I went to the office comes my Taylor with a coate I
have made to wear within doors, purposely to come no lower than my knees,
for by my wearing a gowne within doors comes all my tenderness about my
legs. There comes also Mr. Reeve, with a microscope and scotoscope.

[An optical instrument used to enable objects to be seen in the
dark. The name is derived from the Greek.]

For the first I did give him L5 10s., a great price, but a most curious
bauble it is, and he says, as good, nay, the best he knows in England, and
he makes the best in the world. The other he gives me, and is of value;
and a curious curiosity it is to look objects in a darke room with.
Mightly pleased with this I to the office, where all the morning. There
offered by Sir W. Pen his coach to go to Epsum and carry my wife, I stept
out and bade my wife make her ready, but being not very well and other
things advising me to the contrary, I did forbear going, and so Mr. Creed
dining with me I got him to give my wife and me a play this afternoon,
lending him money to do it, which is a fallacy that I have found now once,
to avoyde my vowe with, but never to be more practised I swear, and to the
new play, at the Duke's house, of "Henry the Fifth;" a most noble play,
writ by my Lord Orrery; wherein Betterton, Harris, and Ianthe's parts are
most incomparably wrote and done, and the whole play the most full of
height and raptures of wit and sense, that ever I heard; having but one
incongruity, or what did, not please me in it, that is, that King Harry
promises to plead for Tudor to their Mistresse, Princesse Katherine of
France, more than when it comes to it he seems to do; and Tudor refused by
her with some kind of indignity, not with a difficulty and honour that it
ought to have been done in to him. Thence home and to my office, wrote by
the post, and then to read a little in Dr. Power's book of discovery by
the Microscope to enable me a little how to use and what to expect from my
glasse. So to supper and to bed.

14th (Lord's day). After long lying discoursing with my wife, I up, and
comes Mr. Holliard to see me, who concurs with me that my pain is nothing
but cold in my legs breeding wind, and got only by my using to wear a
gowne, and that I am not at all troubled with any ulcer, but my thickness
of water comes from my overheat in my back. He gone, comes Mr. Herbert,
Mr. Honiwood's man, and dined with me, a very honest, plain, well-meaning
man, I think him to be; and by his discourse and manner of life, the true
embleme of an old ordinary serving-man. After dinner up to my chamber and
made an end of Dr. Power's booke of the Microscope, very fine and to my
content, and then my wife and I with great pleasure, but with great
difficulty before we could come to find the manner of seeing any thing by
my microscope. At last did with good content, though not so much as I
expect when I come to understand it better. By and by comes W. Joyce, in
his silke suit, and cloake lined with velvett: staid talking with me, and
I very merry at it. He supped with me; but a cunning, crafty fellow he
is, and dangerous to displease, for his tongue spares nobody. After
supper I up to read a little, and then to bed.

15th. Up, and with Sir J. Minnes by coach to St. James's, and there did
our business with the Duke, who tells us more and more signs of a Dutch
warr, and how we must presently set out a fleete for Guinny, for the Dutch
are doing so, and there I believe the warr will begin. Thence home with
him again, in our way he talking of his cures abroad, while he was with
the King as a doctor, and above all men the pox. And among others, Sir J.
Denham he told me he had cured, after it was come to an ulcer all over his
face, to a miracle. To the Coffee-house I, and so to the 'Change a
little, and then home to dinner with Creed, whom I met at the
Coffee-house, and after dinner by coach set him down at the Temple, and I
and my wife to Mr. Blagrave's. They being none of them at home; I to the
Hall, leaving her there, and thence to the Trumpett, whither came Mrs.
Lane, and there begins a sad story how her husband, as I feared, proves
not worth a farthing, and that she is with child and undone, if I do not
get him a place. I had my pleasure here of her, and she, like an impudent
jade, depends upon my kindness to her husband, but I will have no more to
do with her, let her brew as she has baked, seeing she would not take my
counsel about Hawly. After drinking we parted, and I to Blagrave's, and
there discoursed with Mrs. Blagrave about her kinswoman, who it seems is
sickly even to frantiqueness sometimes, and among other things chiefly
from love and melancholy upon the death of her servant,--[Servant =
lover.]--insomuch that she telling us all most simply and innocently I
fear she will not be able to come to us with any pleasure, which I am
sorry for, for I think she would have pleased us very well. In comes he,
and so to sing a song and his niece with us, but she sings very meanly.
So through the Hall and thence by coach home, calling by the way at
Charing Crosse, and there saw the great Dutchman that is come over, under
whose arm I went with my hat on, and could not reach higher than his
eye-browes with the tip of my fingers, reaching as high as I could. He is
a comely and well-made man, and his wife a very little, but pretty comely
Dutch woman. It is true, he wears pretty high-heeled shoes, but not very
high, and do generally wear a turbant, which makes him show yet taller
than really he is, though he is very tall, as I have said before. Home to
my office, and then to supper, and then to my office again late, and so
home to bed, my wife and I troubled that we do not speed better in this
business of her woman.

16th. Wakened about two o'clock this morning with the noise of thunder,
which lasted for an houre, with such continued lightnings, not flashes,
but flames, that all the sky and ayre was light; and that for a great
while, not a minute's space between new flames all the time; such a thing
as I never did see, nor could have believed had ever been in nature. And
being put into a great sweat with it, could not sleep till all was over.
And that accompanied with such a storm of rain as I never heard in my
life. I expected to find my house in the morning overflowed with the rain
breaking in, and that much hurt must needs have been done in the city with
this lightning; but I find not one drop of rain in my house, nor any newes
of hurt done. But it seems it has been here and all up and down the
countrie hereabouts the like tempest, Sir W. Batten saying much of the
greatness thereof at Epsum. Up and all the morning at the office. At noon
busy at the 'Change about one business or other, and thence home to
dinner, and so to my office all the afternoon very busy, and so to supper
anon, and then to my office again a while, collecting observations out of
Dr. Power's booke of Microscopes, and so home to bed, very stormy weather
to-night for winde. This day we had newes that my Lady Pen is landed and
coming hither, so that I hope the family will be in better order and more
neate than it hath been.

17th. Up, and going to Sir W. Batten to speak to him about business, he
did give me three, bottles of his Epsum water, which I drank and it
wrought well with me, and did give me many good stools, and I found myself
mightily cooled with them and refreshed. Thence I to Mr. Honiwood and my
father's old house, but he was gone out, and there I staid talking with
his man Herbert, who tells me how Langford and his wife are very
foul-mouthed people, and will speak very ill of my father, calling him old
rogue in reference to the hard penniworths he sold him of his goods when
the rogue need not have bought any of them. So that I am resolved he
shall get no more money by me, but it vexes me to think that my father
should be said to go away in debt himself, but that I will cause to be
remedied whatever comes of it. Thence to my Lord Crew, and there with him
a little while. Before dinner talked of the Dutch war, and find that he
do much doubt that we shall fall into it without the money or consent of
Parliament, that is expected or the reason of it that is fit to have for
every warr. Dined with him, and after dinner talked with Sir Thomas Crew,
who told me how Mr. Edward Montagu is for ever blown up, and now quite out
with his father again; to whom he pretended that his going down was, not
that he was cast out of the Court, but that he had leave to be absent a
month; but now he finds the truth. Thence to my Lady Sandwich, where by
agreement my wife dined, and after talking with her I carried my wife to
Mr. Pierce's and left her there, and so to Captain Cooke's, but he was not
at home, but I there spoke with my boy Tom Edwards, and directed him to go
to Mr. Townsend (with whom I was in the morning) to have measure taken of
his clothes to be made him there out of the Wardrobe, which will be so
done, and then I think he will come to me. Thence to White Hall, and after
long staying there was no Committee of the Fishery as was expected. Here
I walked long with Mr. Pierce, who tells me the King do still sup every
night with my Lady Castlemayne, who he believes has lately slunk a great
belly away, for from very big she is come to be down again. Thence to
Mrs. Pierce's, and with her and my wife to see Mrs. Clarke, where with him
and her very merry discoursing of the late play of Henry the 5th, which
they conclude the best that ever was made, but confess with me that
Tudor's being dismissed in the manner he is is a great blemish to the
play. I am mightily pleased with the Doctor, for he is the only man I
know that I could learn to pronounce by, which he do the best that ever I
heard any man. Thence home and to the office late, and so to supper and
to bed. My Lady Pen came hither first to-night to Sir W. Pen's lodgings.

18th. Lay too long in bed, till 8 o'clock, then up and Mr. Reeve came and
brought an anchor and a very fair loadstone. He would have had me bought
it, and a good stone it is, but when he saw that I would not buy it he
said he [would] leave it for me to sell for him. By and by he comes to
tell me that he had present occasion for L6 to make up a sum, and that he
would pay me in a day or two, but I had the unusual wit to deny him, and
so by and by we parted, and I to the office, where busy all the morning
sitting. Dined alone at home, my wife going to-day to dine with Mrs.
Pierce, and thence with her and. Mrs. Clerke to see a new play, "The
Court Secret." I busy all the afternoon, toward evening to Westminster,
and there in the Hall a while, and then to my barber, willing to have any
opportunity to speak to Jane, but wanted it. So to Mrs. Pierces, who was
come home, and she and Mrs. Clerke busy at cards, so my wife being gone
home, I home, calling by the way at the Wardrobe and met Mr. Townsend, Mr.
Moore and others at the Taverne thereby, and thither I to them and spoke
with Mr. Townsend about my boy's clothes, which he says shall be soon
done, and then I hope I shall be settled when I have one in the house that
is musicall. So home and to supper, and then a little to my office, and
then home to bed. My wife says the play she saw is the worst that ever
she saw in her life.

19th. Up and to the office, where Mr. Coventry and Sir W. Pen and I sat
all the morning hiring of ships to go to Guinny, where we believe the warr
with Holland will first break out. At noon dined at home, and after
dinner my wife and I to Sir W. Pen's, to see his Lady, the first time, who
is a well-looked, fat, short, old Dutchwoman, but one that hath been
heretofore pretty handsome, and is now very discreet, and, I believe, hath
more wit than her husband. Here we staid talking a good while, and very
well pleased I was with the old woman at first visit. So away home, and I
to my office, my wife to go see my aunt Wight, newly come to town. Creed
came to me, and he and I out, among other things, to look out a man to
make a case, for to keep my stone, that I was cut of, in, and he to buy
Daniel's history, which he did, but I missed of my end. So parted upon
Ludgate Hill, and I home and to the office, where busy till supper, and
home to supper to a good dish of fritters, which I bespoke, and were done
much to my mind. Then to the office a while again, and so home to bed.
The newes of the Emperour's victory over the Turkes is by some doubted,
but by most confessed to be very small (though great) of what was talked,
which was 80,000 men to be killed and taken of the Turke's side.

20th. Up and to the office a while, but this day the Parliament meeting
only to be adjourned to November (which was done, accordingly), we did not
meet, and so I forth to bespeak a case to be made to keep my stone in,
which will cost me 25s. Thence I walked to Cheapside, there to see the
effect of a fire there this morning, since four o'clock; which I find in
the house of Mr. Bois, that married Dr. Fuller's niece, who are both out
of towne, leaving only a mayde and man in towne. It begun in their house,
and hath burned much and many houses backward, though none forward; and
that in the great uniform pile of buildings in the middle of Cheapside. I
am very sorry for them, for the Doctor's sake. Thence to the 'Change, and
so home to dinner. And thence to Sir W. Batten's, whither Sir Richard
Ford came, the Sheriffe, who hath been at this fire all the while; and he
tells me, upon my question, that he and the Mayor were there, as it is
their dutys to be, not only to keep the peace, but they have power of
commanding the pulling down of any house or houses, to defend the whole
City. By and by comes in the Common Cryer of the City to speak with him;
and when he was gone, says he, "You may see by this man the constitution
of the Magistracy of this City; that this fellow's place, I dare give him
(if he will be true to me) L1000 for his profits every year, and expect to
get L500 more to myself thereby. When," says he, "I in myself am forced
to spend many times as much." By and by came Mr. Coventry, and so we met
at the office, to hire ships for Guinny, and that done broke up. I to Sir
W. Batten's, there to discourse with Mrs. Falconer, who hath been with Sir
W. Pen this evening, after Mr. Coventry had promised her half what W.
Bodham had given him for his place, but Sir W. Pen, though he knows that,
and that Mr. Bodham hath said that his place hath cost him L100 and would
L100 more, yet is he so high against the poor woman that he will not hear
to give her a farthing, but it seems do listen after a lease where he
expects Mr. Falconer hath put in his daughter's life, and he is afraid
that that is not done, and did tell Mrs. Falconer that he would see it and
know what is done therein in spite of her, when, poor wretch, she neither
do nor can hinder him the knowing it. Mr. Coventry knows of this business
of the lease, and I believe do think of it as well as I. But the poor
woman is gone home without any hope, but only Mr. Coventry's own
nobleness. So I to my office and wrote many letters, and so to supper and
to bed.

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