Diary of Samuel Pepys, 1665 N.S. Complete

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were all safe arrived, which I am sure is a great piece of good luck,
being in much more danger than those of Hambrough which were lost, and
their value much greater at this time to us. At night home, much
contented with this day's work, and being at home alone looking over my
papers, comes a neighbour of ours hard by to speak with me about business
of the office, one Mr. Fuller, a great merchant, but not my acquaintance,
but he come drunk, and would have had me gone and drunk with him at home,
or have let him send for wine hither, but I would do neither, nor offered
him any, but after some sorry discourse parted, and I up to [my] chamber
and to bed.

24th. Up betimes to my office, where my clerks with me, and very busy all
the morning writing letters. At noon down to Sir J. Minnes and Lord
Bruncker to Greenwich to sign some of the Treasurer's books, and there
dined very well; and thence to look upon our rooms again at the King's
house, which are not yet ready for us. So home and late writing letters,
and so, weary with business, home to supper and to bed.

25th. Up betimes to the office, and there, as well as all the afternoon,
saving a little dinner time, all alone till late at night writing letters
and doing business, that I may get beforehand with my business again,
which hath run behind a great while, and then home to supper and to bed.
This day I am told that Dr. Burnett, my physician, is this morning dead of
the plague; which is strange, his man dying so long ago, and his house
this month open again. Now himself dead. Poor unfortunate man!

26th. Up betimes, and prepared to my great satisfaction an account for
the board of my office disbursements, which I had suffered to run on to
almost L120. That done I down by water to Greenwich, where we met the
first day my Lord Bruncker, Sir J. Minnes, and I, and I think we shall do
well there, and begin very auspiciously to me by having my account
abovesaid passed, and put into a way of having it presently paid. When we
rose I find Mr. Andrews and Mr. Yeabsly, who is just come from Plymouth,
at the door, and we walked together toward my Lord Brunker's, talking
about their business, Yeabsly being come up on purpose to discourse with
me about it, and finished all in a quarter of an hour, and is gone again.
I perceive they have some inclination to be going on with their
victualling-business for a while longer before they resign it to Mr.
Gauden, and I am well contented, for it brings me very good profit with
certainty, yet with much care and some pains. We parted at my Lord
Bruncker's doore, where I went in, having never been there before, and
there he made a noble entertainment for Sir J. Minnes, myself, and Captain
Cocke, none else saving some painted lady that dined there, I know not who
she is. But very merry we were, and after dinner into the garden, and to
see his and her chamber, where some good pictures, and a very handsome
young woman for my lady's woman. Thence I by water home, in my way seeing
a man taken up dead, out of the hold of a small catch that lay at
Deptford. I doubt it might be the plague, which, with the thought of Dr.
Burnett, did something disturb me, so that I did not what I intended and
should have done at the office, as to business, but home sooner than
ordinary, and after supper, to read melancholy alone, and then to bed.

27th (Lord's day). Very well in the morning, and up and to my chamber all
the morning to put my things and papers yet more in order, and so to
dinner. Thence all the afternoon at my office till late making up my
papers and letters there into a good condition of order, and so home to
supper, and after reading a good while in the King's works,--[Charles I.'s
Works, now in the Pepysian Library]--which is a noble book, to bed.

28th. Up, and being ready I out to Mr. Colvill, the goldsmith's, having
not for some days been in the streets; but now how few people I see, and
those looking like people that had taken leave of the world. I there, and
made even all accounts in the world between him and I, in a very good
condition, and I would have done the like with Sir Robert Viner, but he is
out of towne, the sicknesse being every where thereabouts. I to the
Exchange, and I think there was not fifty people upon it, and but few more
like to be as they told me, Sir G. Smith and others. Thus I think to take
adieu to-day of the London streets, unless it be to go again to Viner's.
Home to dinner, and there W. Hewer brings me L119 he hath received for my
office disbursements, so that I think I have L1800 and more in the house,
and, blessed be God! no money out but what I can very well command and
that but very little, which is much the best posture I ever was in in my
life, both as to the quantity and the certainty I have of the money I am
worth; having most of it in my own hand. But then this is a trouble to me
what to do with it, being myself this day going to be wholly at Woolwich;
but for the present I am resolved to venture it in an iron chest, at least
for a while. In the afternoon I sent down my boy to Woolwich with some
things before me, in order to my lying there for good and all, and so I
followed him. Just now comes newes that the fleete is gone, or going this
day, out again, for which God be praised! and my Lord Sandwich hath done
himself great right in it, in getting so soon out again. I pray God, he
may meet the enemy. Towards the evening, just as I was fitting myself,
comes W. Hewer and shows me a letter which Mercer had wrote to her mother
about a great difference between my wife and her yesterday, and that my
wife will have her go away presently. This, together with my natural
jealousy that some bad thing or other may be in the way, did trouble me
exceedingly, so as I was in a doubt whether to go thither or no, but
having fitted myself and my things I did go, and by night got thither,
where I met my wife walking to the waterside with her paynter, Mr. Browne,
and her mayds. There I met Commissioner Pett, and my Lord Brunker, and
the lady at his house had been thereto-day, to see her. Commissioner Pett
staid a very little while, and so I to supper with my wife and Mr.
Shelden, and so to bed with great pleasure.

29th. In the morning waking, among other discourse my wife begun to tell
me the difference between her and Mercer, and that it was only from
restraining her to gad abroad to some Frenchmen that were in the town,
which I do not wholly yet in part believe, and for my quiet would not
enquire into it. So rose and dressed myself, and away by land walking a
good way, then remembered that I had promised Commissioner Pett to go with
him in his coach, and therefore I went back again to him, and so by his
coach to Greenwich, and called at Sir Theophilus Biddulph's, a sober,
discreet man, to discourse of the preventing of the plague in Greenwich,
and Woolwich, and Deptford, where in every place it begins to grow very
great. We appointed another meeting, and so walked together to Greenwich
and there parted, and Pett and I to the office, where all the morning, and
after office done I to Sir J. Minnes and dined with him, and thence to
Deptford thinking to have seen Bagwell, but did not, and so straight to
Redriffe, and home, and late at my business to dispatch away letters, and
then home to bed, which I did not intend, but to have staid for altogether
at Woolwich, but I made a shift for a bed for Tom, whose bed is gone to
Woolwich, and so to bed.

30th. Up betimes and to my business of settling my house and papers, and
then abroad and met with Hadley, our clerke, who, upon my asking how the
plague goes, he told me it encreases much, and much in our parish; for,
says he, there died nine this week, though I have returned but six: which
is a very ill practice, and makes me think it is so in other places; and
therefore the plague much greater than people take it to be. Thence, as I
intended, to Sir R. Viner's, and there found not Mr. Lewes ready for me,
so I went forth and walked towards Moorefields to see (God forbid my
presumption!) whether I could see any dead corps going to the grave; but,
as God would have it, did not. But, Lord! how every body's looks, and
discourse in the street is of death, and nothing else, and few people
going up and down, that the towne is like a place distressed and forsaken.
After one turne there back to Viner's, and there found my business ready
for me, and evened all reckonings with them to this day to my great
content. So home, and all day till very late at night setting my Tangier
and private accounts in order, which I did in both, and in the latter to
my great joy do find myself yet in the much best condition that ever I was
in, finding myself worth L2180 and odd, besides plate and goods, which I
value at L250 more, which is a very great blessing to me. The Lord make me
thankfull! and of this at this day above L1800 in cash in my house, which
speaks but little out of my hands in desperate condition, but this is very
troublesome to have in my house at this time. So late to bed, well pleased
with my accounts, but weary of being so long at them.

31st. Up and, after putting several things in order to my removal, to
Woolwich; the plague having a great encrease this week, beyond all
expectation of almost 2,000, making the general Bill 7,000, odd 100; and
the plague above 6,000. I down by appointment to Greenwich, to our
office, where I did some business, and there dined with our company and
Sir W. Boreman, and Sir The. Biddulph, at Mr. Boreman's, where a good
venison pasty, and after a good merry dinner I to my office, and there
late writing letters, and then to Woolwich by water, where pleasant with
my wife and people, and after supper to bed. Thus this month ends with
great sadness upon the publick, through the greatness of the plague every
where through the kingdom almost. Every day sadder and sadder news of its
encrease. In the City died this week 7,496 and of them 6,102 of the
plague. But it is feared that the true number of the dead, this week is
near 10,000; partly from the poor that cannot be taken notice of, through
the greatness of the number, and partly from the Quakers and others that
will not have any bell ring for them. Our fleete gone out to find the
Dutch, we having about 100 sail in our fleete, and in them the Soveraigne
one; so that it is a better fleete than the former with the Duke was. All
our fear is that the Dutch should be got in before them; which would be a
very great sorrow to the publick, and to me particularly, for my Lord
Sandwich's sake. A great deal of money being spent, and the kingdom not
in a condition to spare, nor a parliament without much difficulty to meet
to give more. And to that; to have it said, what hath been done by our
late fleetes? As to myself I am very well, only in fear of the plague,
and as much of an ague by being forced to go early and late to Woolwich,
and my family to lie there continually. My late gettings have been very
great to my great content, and am likely to have yet a few more profitable
jobbs in a little while; for which Tangier, and Sir W. Warren I am wholly
obliged to.

ETEXT EDITOR'S BOOKMARKS:

A fair salute on horseback, in Rochester streets, of the lady
Bagwell's wife waited at the door, and went with me to my office
Because I would not be over sure of any thing
Being the first Wednesday of the month
Bottle of strong water; whereof now and then a sip did me good
Copper to the value of L5,000
Disease making us more cruel to one another than if we are doggs
Every body is at a great losse and nobody can tell
Every body's looks, and discourse in the street is of death
First thing of that nature I did ever give her (L10 ring)
For my quiet would not enquire into it
Give the other notice of the future state, if there was any
His wife and three children died, all, I think, in a day
How sad a sight it is to see the streets empty of people
I met a dead corps of the plague, in the narrow ally
In our graves (as Shakespeere resembles it) we could dream
King is not at present in purse to do
King shall not be able to whip a cat
Not liking that it should lie long undone, for fear of death
Ordered in the yarde six or eight bargemen to be whipped
Pest coaches and put her into it to carry her to a pest house
Quakers and others that will not have any bell ring for them
Resolving not to be bribed to dispatch business
Two shops in three, if not more, generally shut up
Well enough pleased this morning with their night's lodging

THE DIARY OF SAMUEL PEPYS M.A. F.R.S.

CLERK OF THE ACTS AND SECRETARY TO THE ADMIRALTY

TRANSCRIBED FROM THE SHORTHAND MANUSCRIPT IN THE PEPYSIAN LIBRARY
MAGDALENE COLLEGE CAMBRIDGE BY THE REV. MYNORS BRIGHT M.A. LATE FELLOW
AND PRESIDENT OF THE COLLEGE

(Unabridged)

WITH LORD BRAYBROOKE'S NOTES

EDITED WITH ADDITIONS BY

HENRY B. WHEATLEY F.S.A.

DIARY OF SAMUEL PEPYS.
SEPTEMBER
1665

September 1st. Up, and to visit my Lady Pen and her daughter at the
Ropeyarde where I did breakfast with them and sat chatting a good while.
Then to my lodging at Mr. Shelden's, where I met Captain Cocke and eat a
little bit of dinner, and with him to Greenwich by water, having good
discourse with him by the way. After being at Greenwich a little while, I
to London, to my house, there put many more things in order for my totall
remove, sending away my girle Susan and other goods down to Woolwich, and
I by water to the Duke of Albemarle, and thence home late by water. At
the Duke of Albemarle's I overheard some examinations of the late plot
that is discoursed of and a great deale of do there is about it. Among
other discourses, I heard read, in the presence of the Duke, an
examination and discourse of Sir Philip Howard's, with one of the plotting
party. In many places these words being, "Then," said Sir P. Howard, "if
you so come over to the King, and be faithfull to him, you shall be
maintained, and be set up with a horse and armes," and I know not what.
And then said such a one, "Yes, I will be true to the King." "But, damn
me," said Sir Philip, "will you so and so?" And thus I believe twelve
times Sir P. Howard answered him a "damn me," which was a fine way of
rhetorique to persuade a Quaker or Anabaptist from his persuasion. And
this was read in the hearing of Sir P. Howard, before the Duke and twenty
more officers, and they make sport of it, only without any reproach, or he
being anything ashamed of it!

[This republican plot was described by the Lord Chancellor in a
speech delivered on October 9th, when parliament met at Oxford.]

But it ended, I remember, at last, "But such a one (the plotter) did at
last bid them remember that he had not told them what King he would be
faithfull to."

2nd. This morning I wrote letters to Mr. Hill and Andrews to come to dine
with me to-morrow, and then I to the office, where busy, and thence to
dine with Sir J. Minnes, where merry, but only that Sir J. Minnes who hath
lately lost two coach horses, dead in the stable, has a third now a dying.
After dinner I to Deptford, and there took occasion to 'entrar a la casa
de la gunaica de ma Minusier', and did what I had a mind . . . To
Greenwich, where wrote some letters, and home in pretty good time.

3rd (Lord's day). Up; and put on my coloured silk suit very fine, and my
new periwigg, bought a good while since, but durst not wear, because the
plague was in Westminster when I bought it; and it is a wonder what will
be the fashion after the plague is done, as to periwiggs, for nobody will
dare to buy any haire, for fear of the infection, that it had been cut off
of the heads of people dead of the plague. Before church time comes Mr.
Hill (Mr. Andrews failing because he was to receive the Sacrament), and to
church, where a sorry dull parson, and so home and most excellent company
with Mr. Hill and discourse of musique. I took my Lady Pen home, and her
daughter Pegg, and merry we were; and after dinner I made my wife show
them her pictures, which did mad Pegg Pen, who learns of the same man and
cannot do so well. After dinner left them and I by water to Greenwich,
where much ado to be suffered to come into the towne because of the
sicknesse, for fear I should come from London, till I told them who I was.
So up to the church, where at the door I find Captain Cocke in my Lord
Brunker's coach, and he come out and walked with me in the church-yarde
till the church was done, talking of the ill government of our Kingdom,
nobody setting to heart the business of the Kingdom, but every body
minding their particular profit or pleasures, the King himself minding
nothing but his ease, and so we let things go to wracke. This arose upon
considering what we shall do for money when the fleete comes in, and more
if the fleete should not meet with the Dutch, which will put a disgrace
upon the King's actions, so as the Parliament and Kingdom will have the
less mind to give more money, besides so bad an account of the last money,
we fear, will be given, not half of it being spent, as it ought to be,
upon the Navy. Besides, it is said that at this day our Lord Treasurer
cannot tell what the profit of Chimney money is, what it comes to per
annum, nor looks whether that or any other part of the revenue be duly
gathered as it ought; the very money that should pay the City the L200,000
they lent the King, being all gathered and in the hands of the Receiver
and hath been long and yet not brought up to pay the City, whereas we are
coming to borrow 4 or L500,000 more of the City, which will never be lent
as is to be feared. Church being done, my Lord Bruncker, Sir J. Minnes,
and I up to the Vestry at the desire of the justices of the Peace, Sir
Theo. Biddulph and Sir W. Boreman and Alderman Hooker, in order to the
doing something for the keeping of the plague from growing; but Lord! to
consider the madness of the people of the town, who will (because they are
forbid) come in crowds along with the dead corps to see them buried; but
we agreed on some orders for the prevention thereof. Among other stories,
one was very passionate, methought, of a complaint brought against a man
in the towne for taking a child from London from an infected house.
Alderman Hooker told us it was the child of a very able citizen in
Gracious Street, a saddler, who had buried all the rest of his children of
the plague, and himself and wife now being shut up and in despair of
escaping, did desire only to save the life of this little child; and so
prevailed to have it received stark-naked into the arms of a friend, who
brought it (having put it into new fresh clothes) to Greenwich; where upon
hearing the story, we did agree it should be permitted to be received and
kept in the towne. Thence with my Lord Bruncker to Captain Cocke's, where
we mighty merry and supped, and very late I by water to Woolwich, in great
apprehensions of an ague. Here was my Lord Bruncker's lady of pleasure,
who, I perceive, goes every where with him; and he, I find, is obliged to
carry her, and make all the courtship to her that can be.

4th. Writing letters all the morning, among others to my Lady Carteret,
the first I have wrote to her, telling her the state of the city as to
health and other sorrowfull stories, and thence after dinner to Greenwich,
to Sir J. Minnes, where I found my Lord Bruncker, and having staid our
hour for the justices by agreement, the time being past we to walk in the
Park with Mr. Hammond and Turner, and there eat some fruit out of the
King's garden and walked in the Parke, and so back to Sir J. Minnes, and
thence walked home, my Lord Bruncker giving me a very neat cane to walk
with; but it troubled me to pass by Coome farme where about twenty-one
people have died of the plague, and three or four days since I saw a dead
corps in a coffin lie in the Close unburied, and a watch is constantly
kept there night and day to keep the people in, the plague making us
cruel, as doggs, one to another.

5th. Up, and walked with some Captains and others talking to me to
Greenwich, they crying out upon Captain Teddiman's management of the
business of Bergen, that he staid treating too long while he saw the Dutch
fitting themselves, and that at first he might have taken every ship, and
done what he would with them. How true I cannot tell. Here we sat very
late and for want of money, which lies heavy upon us, did nothing of
business almost. Thence home with my Lord Bruncker to dinner where very
merry with him and his doxy. After dinner comes Colonell Blunt in his new
chariot made with springs; as that was of wicker, wherein a while since we
rode at his house. And he hath rode, he says, now this journey, many
miles in it with one horse, and out-drives any coach, and out-goes any
horse, and so easy, he says. So for curiosity I went into it to try it,
and up the hill to the heath, and over the cart-rutts and found it pretty
well, but not so easy as he pretends, and so back again, and took leave of
my Lord and drove myself in the chariot to the office, and there ended my
letters and home pretty betimes and there found W. Pen, and he staid
supper with us and mighty merry talking of his travells and the French
humours, etc., and so parted and to bed.

6th. Busy all the morning writing letters to several, so to dinner, to
London, to pack up more things thence; and there I looked into the street
and saw fires burning in the street, as it is through the whole City, by
the Lord Mayor's order. Thence by water to the Duke of Albemarle's: all
the way fires on each side of the Thames, and strange to see in broad
daylight two or three burials upon the Bankeside, one at the very heels of
another: doubtless all of the plague; and yet at least forty or fifty
people going along with every one of them. The Duke mighty pleasant with
me; telling me that he is certainly informed that the Dutch were not come
home upon the 1st instant, and so he hopes our fleete may meet with them,
and here to my great joy I got him to sign bills for the several sums I
have paid on Tangier business by his single letter, and so now I can get
more hands to them. This was a great joy to me: Home to Woolwich late by
water, found wife in bed, and yet late as [it] was to write letters in
order to my rising betimes to go to Povy to-morrow. So to bed, my wife
asking me to-night about a letter of hers I should find, which indeed Mary
did the other day give me as if she had found it in my bed, thinking it
had been mine, brought to her from a man without name owning great
kindness to her and I know not what. But looking it over seriously, and
seeing it bad sense and ill writ, I did believe it to be her brother's and
so had flung it away, but finding her now concerned at it and vexed with
Mary about it, it did trouble me, but I would take no notice of it
to-night, but fell to sleep as if angry.

7th. Up by 5 of the clock, mighty full of fear of an ague, but was
obliged to go, and so by water, wrapping myself up warm, to the Tower, and
there sent for the Weekely Bill, and find 8,252 dead in all, and of them
6,878 of the plague; which is a most dreadfull number, and shows reason to
fear that the plague hath got that hold that it will yet continue among
us. Thence to Brainford, reading "The Villaine," a pretty good play, all
the way. There a coach of Mr. Povy's stood ready for me, and he at his
house ready to come in, and so we together merrily to Swakely, Sir R.
Viner's. A very pleasant place, bought by him of Sir James Harrington's
lady. He took us up and down with great respect, and showed us all his
house and grounds; and it is a place not very moderne in the garden nor
house, but the most uniforme in all that ever I saw; and some things to
excess. Pretty to see over the screene of the hall (put up by Sir J.
Harrington, a Long Parliamentman) the King's head, and my Lord of Essex on
one side, and Fairfax on the other; and upon the other side of the
screene, the parson of the parish, and the lord of the manor and his
sisters. The window-cases, door-cases, and chimnys of all the house are
marble. He showed me a black boy that he had, that died of a consumption,
and being dead, he caused him to be dried in an oven, and lies there
entire in a box. By and by to dinner, where his lady I find yet handsome,
but hath been a very handsome woman; now is old. Hath brought him near
L100,000 and now he lives, no man in England in greater plenty, and
commands both King and Council with his credit he gives them. Here was a
fine lady a merchant's wife at dinner with us, and who should be here in
the quality of a woman but Mrs. Worship's daughter, Dr. Clerke's niece,
and after dinner Sir Robert led us up to his long gallery, very fine,
above stairs (and better, or such, furniture I never did see), and there
Mrs. Worship did give us three or four very good songs, and sings very
neatly, to my great delight. After all this, and ending the chief
business to my content about getting a promise of some money of him, we
took leave, being exceedingly well treated here, and a most pleasant
journey we had back, Povy and I, and his company most excellent in
anything but business, he here giving me an account of as many persons at
Court as I had a mind or thought of enquiring after. He tells me by a
letter he showed me, that the King is not, nor hath been of late, very
well, but quite out of humour; and, as some think, in a consumption, and
weary of every thing. He showed me my Lord Arlington's house that he was
born in, in a towne called Harlington: and so carried me through a most
pleasant country to Brainford, and there put me into my boat, and good
night. So I wrapt myself warm, and by water got to Woolwich about one in
the morning, my wife and all in bed.

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