Diary of Samuel Pepys, 1665 N.S. Complete

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8th. Waked, and fell in talk with my wife about the letter, and she
satisfied me that she did not know from whence it come, but believed it
might be from her cozen Franke Moore lately come out of France. The truth
is the thing I think cannot have much in it, and being unwilling (being in
other things so much at ease) to vex myself in a strange place at a
melancholy time, passed all by and were presently friends. Up, and
several with me about business. Anon comes my Lord Bruncker, as I
expected, and we to the enquiring into the business of the late desertion
of the Shipwrights from worke, who had left us for three days together for
want of money, and upon this all the morning, and brought it to a pretty
good issue, that they, we believe, will come to-morrow to work. To dinner,
having but a mean one, yet sufficient for him, and he well enough pleased,
besides that I do not desire to vye entertainments with him or any else.
Here was Captain Cocke also, and Mr. Wayth. We staid together talking
upon one business or other all the afternoon. In the evening my Lord
Bruncker hearing that Mr. Ackeworth's clerke, the Dutchman who writes and
draws so well, was transcribing a book of Rates and our ships for Captain
Millet a gallant of his mistress's, we sent for him for it. He would not
deliver it, but said it was his mistress's and had delivered it to her.
At last we were forced to send to her for it; she would come herself, and
indeed the book was a very neat one and worth keeping as a rarity, but we
did think fit, and though much against my will, to cancell all that he had
finished of it, and did give her the rest, which vexed her, and she bore
it discreetly enough, but with a cruel deal of malicious rancour in her
looks. I must confess I would have persuaded her to have let us have it
to the office, and it may be the board would not have censured too hardly
of it, but my intent was to have had it as a Record for the office, but
she foresaw what would be the end of it and so desired it might rather be
cancelled, which was a plaguy deal of spite. My Lord Bruncker being gone
and company, and she also, afterwards I took my wife and people and walked
into the fields about a while till night, and then home, and so to sing a
little and then to bed. I was in great trouble all this day for my boy Tom
who went to Greenwich yesterday by my order and come not home till
to-night for fear of the plague, but he did come home to-night, saying he
staid last night by Mr. Hater's advice hoping to have me called as I come
home with my boat to come along with me.

9th. Up and walked to Greenwich, and there we sat and dispatched a good
deal of business I had a mind to. At noon, by invitation, to my Lord
Bruncker's, all of us, to dinner, where a good venison pasty, and mighty
merry. Here was Sir W. Doyly, lately come from Ipswich about the sicke
and wounded, and Mr. Evelyn and Captain Cocke. My wife also was sent for
by my Lord Bruncker, by Cocke, and was here. After dinner, my Lord and
his mistress would see her home again, it being a most cursed rainy
afternoon, having had none a great while before, and I, forced to go to
the office on foot through all the rain, was almost wet to my skin, and
spoiled my silke breeches almost. Rained all the afternoon and evening,
so as my letters being done, I was forced to get a bed at Captain Cocke's,
where I find Sir W. Doyly, and he, and Evelyn at supper; and I with them
full of discourse of the neglect of our masters, the great officers of
State, about all business, and especially that of money: having now some
thousands prisoners, kept to no purpose at a great charge, and no money
provided almost for the doing of it. We fell to talk largely of the want
of some persons understanding to look after businesses, but all goes to
rack. "For," says Captain Cocke, "my Lord Treasurer, he minds his ease,
and lets things go how they will: if he can have his L8000 per annum, and
a game at l'ombre,--[Spanish card game]--he is well. My Lord Chancellor
he minds getting of money and nothing else; and my Lord Ashly will rob the
Devil and the Alter, but he will get money if it be to be got." But that
that put us into this great melancholy, was newes brought to-day, which
Captain Cocke reports as a certain truth, that all the Dutch fleete,
men-of-war and merchant East India ships, are got every one in from Bergen
the 3d of this month, Sunday last; which will make us all ridiculous. The
fleete come home with shame to require a great deale of money, which is
not to be had, to discharge many men that must get the plague then or
continue at greater charge on shipboard, nothing done by them to encourage
the Parliament to give money, nor the Kingdom able to spare any money, if
they would, at this time of the plague, so that, as things look at
present, the whole state must come to ruine. Full of these melancholy
thoughts, to bed; where, though I lay the softest I ever did in my life,
with a downe bed, after the Danish manner, upon me, yet I slept very ill,
chiefly through the thoughts of my Lord Sandwich's concernment in all this
ill successe at sea.

10th (Lord's day). Walked home; being forced thereto by one of my
watermen falling sick yesterday, and it was God's great mercy I did not go
by water with them yesterday, for he fell sick on Saturday night, and it
is to be feared of the plague. So I sent him away to London with his
fellow; but another boat come to me this morning, whom I sent to
Blackewall for Mr. Andrews. I walked to Woolwich, and there find Mr.
Hill, and he and I all the morning at musique and a song he hath set of
three parts, methinks, very good. Anon comes Mr. Andrews, though it be a
very ill day, and so after dinner we to musique and sang till about 4 or 5
o'clock, it blowing very hard, and now and then raining, and wind and tide
being against us, Andrews and I took leave and walked to Greenwich. My
wife before I come out telling me the ill news that she hears that her
father is very ill, and then I told her I feared of the plague, for that
the house is shut up. And so she much troubled she did desire me to send
them something; and I said I would, and will do so. But before I come out
there happened newes to come to the by an expresse from Mr. Coventry,
telling me the most happy news of my Lord Sandwich's meeting with part of
the Dutch; his taking two of their East India ships, and six or seven
others, and very good prizes and that he is in search of the rest of the
fleet, which he hopes to find upon the Wellbancke, with the loss only of
the Hector, poor Captain Cuttle. This newes do so overjoy me that I know
not what to say enough to express it, but the better to do it I did walk
to Greenwich, and there sending away Mr. Andrews, I to Captain Cocke's,
where I find my Lord Bruncker and his mistress, and Sir J. Minnes. Where
we supped (there was also Sir W. Doyly and Mr. Evelyn); but the receipt of
this newes did put us all into such an extacy of joy, that it inspired
into Sir J. Minnes and Mr. Evelyn such a spirit of mirth, that in all my
life I never met with so merry a two hours as our company this night was.
Among other humours, Mr. Evelyn's repeating of some verses made up of
nothing but the various acceptations of may and can, and doing it so aptly
upon occasion of something of that nature, and so fast, did make us all
die almost with laughing, and did so stop the mouth of Sir J. Minnes in
the middle of all his mirth (and in a thing agreeing with his own manner
of genius), that I never saw any man so out-done in all my life; and Sir
J. Minnes's mirth too to see himself out-done, was the crown of all our
mirth. In this humour we sat till about ten at night, and so my Lord and
his mistress home, and we to bed, it being one of the times of my life
wherein I was the fullest of true sense of joy.

11th. Up and walked to the office, there to do some business till ten of
the clock, and then by agreement my Lord, Sir J. Minnes, Sir W. Doyly, and
I took boat and over to the ferry, where Sir W. Batten's coach was ready
for us, and to Walthamstow drove merrily, excellent merry discourse in the
way, and most upon our last night's revells; there come we were very
merry, and a good plain venison dinner. After dinner to billiards, where
I won an angel,

[A gold coin, so called because it bore the image of an angel,
varying in value from six shillings and eightpence to ten
shillings.]

and among other sports we were merry with my pretending to have a warrant
to Sir W. Hickes (who was there, and was out of humour with Sir W. Doyly's
having lately got a warrant for a leash of buckes, of which we were now
eating one) which vexed him, and at last would compound with me to give my
Lord Bruncker half a buck now, and me a Doe for it a while hence when the
season comes in, which we agreed to and had held, but that we fear Sir W.
Doyly did betray our design, which spoiled all; however, my Lady Batten
invited herself to dine with him this week, and she invited us all to dine
with her there, which we agreed to, only to vex him, he being the most
niggardly fellow, it seems, in the world. Full of good victuals and mirth
we set homeward in the evening, and very merry all the way. So to
Greenwich, where when come I find my Lord Rutherford and Creed come from
Court, and among other things have brought me several orders for money to
pay for Tangier; and, among the rest L7000 and more, to this Lord, which
is an excellent thing to consider, that, though they can do nothing else,
they can give away the King's money upon their progresse. I did give him
the best answer I could to pay him with tallys, and that is all they could
get from me. I was not in humour to spend much time with them, but walked
a little before Sir J. Minnes's door and then took leave, and I by water
to Woolwich, where with my wife to a game at tables,

[The old name for backgammon, used by Shakespeare and others. The
following lines are from an epitaph entirely made up of puns on
backgammon

"Man's life's a game at tables, and he may
Mend his bad fortune by his wiser play."

Wit's Recre., i. 250, reprint, 1817.]

and to bed.

12th. Up, and walked to the office, where we sat late, and thence to
dinner home with Sir J. Minnes, and so to the office, where writing
letters, and home in the evening, where my wife shews me a letter from her
brother speaking of their father's being ill, like to die, which, God
forgive me! did not trouble me so much as it should, though I was indeed
sorry for it. I did presently resolve to send him something in a letter
from my wife, viz. 20s. So to bed.

13th. Up, and walked to Greenwich, taking pleasure to walk with my minute
watch in my hand, by which I am come now to see the distances of my way
from Woolwich to Greenwich, and do find myself to come within two minutes
constantly to the same place at the end of each quarter of an houre. Here
we rendezvoused at Captain Cocke's, and there eat oysters, and so my Lord
Bruncker, Sir J. Minnes, and I took boat, and in my Lord's coach to Sir W.
Hickes's, whither by and by my Lady Batten and Sir William comes. It is a
good seat, with a fair grove of trees by it, and the remains of a good
garden; but so let to run to ruine, both house and every thing in and
about it, so ill furnished and miserably looked after, I never did see in
all my life. Not so much as a latch to his dining-room door; which saved
him nothing, for the wind blowing into the room for want thereof, flung
down a great bow pott that stood upon the side-table, and that fell upon
some Venice glasses, and did him a crown's worth of hurt. He did give us
the meanest dinner (of beef, shoulder and umbles of venison

[Dr. Johnson was puzzled by the following passage in "The Merry
Wives of Windsor," act v., sc. 3: "Divide me like a bribe-buck, each
a haunch. I will keep the sides to myself; my shoulders for the
fellow of this walk." If he could have read the account of Sir
William Hickes's dinner, he would at once have understood the
allusion to the keeper's perquisites of the shoulders of all deer
killed in his walk.--B.]

which he takes away from the keeper of the Forest, and a few pigeons, and
all in the meanest manner) that ever I did see, to the basest degree.
After dinner we officers of the Navy stepped aside to read some letters
and consider some business, and so in again. I was only pleased at a very
fine picture of the Queene-Mother, when she was young, by Van-Dike; a very
good picture, and a lovely sweet face. Thence in the afternoon home, and
landing at Greenwich I saw Mr. Pen walking my way, so we walked together,
and for discourse I put him into talk of France, when he took delight to
tell me of his observations, some good, some impertinent, and all ill
told, but it served for want of better, and so to my house, where I find
my wife abroad, and hath been all this day, nobody knows where, which
troubled me, it being late and a cold evening. So being invited to his
mother's to supper, we took Mrs. Barbara, who was mighty finely dressed,
and in my Lady's coach, which we met going for my wife, we thither, and
there after some discourse went to supper. By and by comes my wife and
Mercer, and had been with Captain Cocke all day, he coming and taking her
out to go see his boy at school at Brumly [Bromley], and brought her home
again with great respect. Here pretty merry, only I had no stomach,
having dined late, to eat. After supper Mr. Pen and I fell to discourse
about some words in a French song my wife was saying, "D'un air tout
interdict," wherein I laid twenty to one against him which he would not
agree with me, though I know myself in the right as to the sense of the
word, and almost angry we were, and were an houre and more upon the
dispute, till at last broke up not satisfied, and so home in their coach
and so to bed. H. Russell did this day deliver my 20s. to my wife's
father or mother, but has not yet told us how they do.

14th. Up, and walked to Greenwich, and there fitted myself in several
businesses to go to London, where I have not been now a pretty while. But
before I went from the office newes is brought by word of mouth that
letters are now just now brought from the fleete of our taking a great
many more of the Dutch fleete, in which I did never more plainly see my
command of my temper in my not admitting myself to receive any kind of joy
from it till I had heard the certainty of it, and therefore went by water
directly to the Duke of Albemarle, where I find a letter of the Lath from
Solebay, from my Lord Sandwich, of the fleete's meeting with about
eighteen more of the Dutch fleete, and his taking of most of them; and the
messenger says, they had taken three after the letter was wrote and
sealed; which being twenty-one, and the fourteen took the other day, is
forty-five sail; some of which are good, and others rich ships, which is
so great a cause of joy in us all that my Lord and everybody is highly
joyed thereat. And having taken a copy of my Lord's letter, I away back
again to the Beare at the Bridge foot, being full of wind and out of
order, and there called for a biscuit and a piece of cheese and gill of
sacke, being forced to walk over the Bridge, toward the 'Change, and the
plague being all thereabouts. Here my news was highly welcome, and I did
wonder to see the 'Change so full, I believe 200 people; but not a man or
merchant of any fashion, but plain men all. And Lord! to see how I did
endeavour all I could to talk with as few as I could, there being now no
observation of shutting up of houses infected, that to be sure we do
converse and meet with people that have the plague upon them. I to Sir
Robert Viner's, where my main business was about settling the business of
Debusty's L5000 tallys, which I did for the present to enable me to have
some money, and so home, buying some things for my wife in the way. So
home, and put up several things to carry to Woolwich, and upon serious
thoughts I am advised by W. Griffin to let my money and plate rest there,
as being as safe as any place, nobody imagining that people would leave
money in their houses now, when all their families are gone. So for the
present that being my opinion, I did leave them there still. But, Lord!
to see the trouble that it puts a man to, to keep safe what with pain a
man hath been getting together, and there is good reason for it. Down to
the office, and there wrote letters to and again about this good newes of
our victory, and so by water home late. Where, when I come home I spent
some thoughts upon the occurrences of this day, giving matter for as much
content on one hand and melancholy on another, as any day in all my life.
For the first; the finding of my money and plate, and all safe at London,
and speeding in my business of money this day. The hearing of this good
news to such excess, after so great a despair of my Lord's doing anything
this year; adding to that, the decrease of 500 and more, which is the
first decrease we have yet had in the sickness since it begun: and great
hopes that the next week it will be greater. Then, on the other side, my
finding that though the Bill in general is abated, yet the City within the
walls is encreased, and likely to continue so, and is close to our house
there. My meeting dead corpses of the plague, carried to be buried close
to me at noon-day through the City in Fanchurch-street. To see a person
sick of the sores, carried close by me by Gracechurch in a hackney-coach.
My finding the Angell tavern, at the lower end of Tower-hill, shut up, and
more than that, the alehouse at the Tower-stairs, and more than that, the
person was then dying of the plague when I was last there, a little while
ago, at night, to write a short letter there, and I overheard the
mistresse of the house sadly saying to her husband somebody was very ill,
but did not think it was of the plague. To hear that poor Payne, my
waiter, hath buried a child, and is dying himself. To hear that a
labourer I sent but the other day to Dagenhams, to know how they did
there, is dead of the plague; and that one of my own watermen, that
carried me daily, fell sick as soon as he had landed me on Friday morning
last, when I had been all night upon the water (and I believe he did get
his infection that day at Brainford), and is now dead of the plague. To
hear that Captain Lambert and Cuttle are killed in the taking these ships;
and that Mr. Sidney Montague is sick of a desperate fever at my Lady
Carteret's, at Scott's-hall. To hear that Mr. Lewes hath another daughter
sick. And, lastly, that both my servants, W. Hewer and Tom Edwards, have
lost their fathers, both in St. Sepulchre's parish, of the plague this
week, do put me into great apprehensions of melancholy, and with good
reason. But I put off the thoughts of sadness as much as I can, and the
rather to keep my wife in good heart and family also. After supper
(having eat nothing all this day) upon a fine tench of Mr. Shelden's
taking, we to bed.

15th. Up, it being a cold misting morning, and so by water to the office,
where very busy upon several businesses. At noon got the messenger,
Marlow, to get me a piece of bread and butter and cheese and a bottle of
beer and ale, and so I went not out of the office but dined off that, and
my boy Tom, but the rest of my clerks went home to dinner. Then to my
business again, and by and by sent my waterman to see how Sir W. Warren
do, who is sicke, and for which I have reason to be very sorry, he being
the friend I have got most by of most friends in England but the King: who
returns me that he is pretty well again, his disease being an ague. I by
water to Deptford, thinking to have seen my valentine, but I could not,
and so come back again, and to the office, where a little business, and
thence with Captain Cocke, and there drank a cup of good drink, which I am
fain to allow myself during this plague time, by advice of all, and not
contrary to my oathe, my physician being dead, and chyrurgeon out of the
way, whose advice I am obliged to take, and so by water home and eat my
supper, and to bed, being in much pain to think what I shall do this
winter time; for go every day to Woolwich I cannot, without endangering my
life; and staying from my wife at Greenwich is not handsome.

16th. Up, and walked to Greenwich reading a play, and to the office,
where I find Sir J. Minnes gone to the fleete, like a doating foole, to do
no good, but proclaim himself an asse; for no service he can do there, nor
inform my Lord, who is come in thither to the buoy of the Nore, in
anything worth his knowledge. At noon to dinner to my Lord Bruncker,
where Sir W. Batten and his Lady come, by invitation, and very merry we
were, only that the discourse of the likelihood of the increase of the
plague this weeke makes us a little sad, but then again the thoughts of
the late prizes make us glad. After dinner, by appointment, comes Mr.
Andrews, and he and I walking alone in the garden talking of our Tangier
business, and I endeavoured by the by to offer some encouragements for
their continuing in the business, which he seemed to take hold of, and the
truth is my profit is so much concerned that I could wish they would, and
would take pains to ease them in the business of money as much as was
possible. He being gone (after I had ordered him L2000, and he paid me my
quantum out of it) I also walked to the office, and there to my business;
but find myself, through the unfitness of my place to write in, and my
coming from great dinners, and drinking wine, that I am not in the good
temper of doing business now a days that I used to be and ought still to
be. At night to Captain Cocke's, meaning to lie there, it being late, and
he not being at home, I walked to him to my Lord Bruncker's, and there
staid a while, they being at tables; and so by and by parted, and walked
to his house; and, after a mess of good broth, to bed, in great pleasure,
his company being most excellent.

17th (Lord's day). Up, and before I went out of my chamber did draw a
musique scale, in order to my having it at any time ready in my hand to
turn to for exercise, for I have a great mind in this Vacation to perfect
myself in my scale, in order to my practising of composition, and so that
being done I down stairs, and there find Captain Cocke under the barber's
hands, the barber that did heretofore trim Commissioner Pett, and with
whom I have been. He offered to come this day after dinner with his
violin to play me a set of Lyra-ayres upon it, which I was glad of, hoping
to be merry thereby. Being ready we to church, where a company of fine
people to church, and a fine Church, and very good sermon, Mr. Plume'
being a very excellent scholler and preacher. Coming out of the church I
met Mrs. Pierce, whom I was ashamed to see, having not been with her since
my coming to town, but promised to visit her. Thence with Captain Cocke,
in his coach, home to dinner, whither comes by invitation my Lord Bruncker
and his mistresse and very good company we were, but in dinner time comes
Sir J. Minnes from the fleete, like a simple weak man, having nothing to
say of what he hath done there, but tells of what value he imagines the
prizes to be, and that my Lord Sandwich is well, and mightily concerned to
hear that I was well. But this did put me upon a desire of going thither;
and, moving of it to my Lord, we presently agreed upon it to go this very
tide, we two and Captain Cocke. So every body prepared to fit himself for
his journey, and I walked to Woolwich to trim and shift myself, and by the
time I was ready they come down in the Bezan yacht, and so I aboard and my
boy Tom, and there very merrily we sailed to below Gravesend, and there
come to anchor for all night, and supped and talked, and with much
pleasure at last settled ourselves to sleep having very good lodging upon
cushions in the cabbin.

18th. By break of day we come to within sight of the fleete, which was a
very fine thing to behold, being above 100 ships, great and small; with
the flag-ships of each squadron, distinguished by their several flags on
their main, fore, or mizen masts. Among others, the Soveraigne, Charles,
and Prince; in the last of which my Lord Sandwich was. When we called by
her side his Lordshipp was not stirring, so we come to anchor a little
below his ship, thinking to have rowed on board him, but the wind and tide
was so strong against us that we could not get up to him, no, though rowed
by a boat of the Prince's that come to us to tow us up; at last however he
brought us within a little way, and then they flung out a rope to us from
the Prince and so come on board, but with great trouble and tune and
patience, it being very cold; we find my Lord newly up in his night-gown
very well. He received us kindly; telling us the state of the fleet,
lacking provisions, having no beer at all, nor have had most of them these
three weeks or month, and but few days' dry provisions. And indeed he
tells us that he believes no fleete was ever set to sea in so ill
condition of provision, as this was when it went out last. He did inform
us in the business of Bergen,

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