Diary of Samuel Pepys, 1665 N.S. Complete

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31st. Up, and to the office, Captain Ferrers going back betimes to my
Lord. I to the office, where Sir W. Batten met me, and did tell me that
Captain Cocke's black was dead of the plague, which I had heard of before,
but took no notice. By and by Captain Cocke come to the office, and Sir
W. Batten and I did send to him that he would either forbear the office,
or forbear going to his owne office. However, meeting yesterday the
Searchers with their rods in their hands coming from Captain Cocke's
house, I did overhear them say that the fellow did not die of the plague,
but he had I know been ill a good while, and I am told that his boy Jack
is also ill. At noon home to dinner, and then to the office again,
leaving Mr. Hill if he can to get Mrs. Coleman at night. About nine at
night I come home, and there find Mrs. Pierce come and little Fran.
Tooker, and Mr. Hill, and other people, a great many dancing, and anon
comes Mrs. Coleman with her husband and Laneare. The dancing ended and to
sing, which Mrs. Coleman do very finely, though her voice is decayed as to
strength but mighty sweet though soft, and a pleasant jolly woman, and in
mighty good humour was to-night. Among other things Laneare did, at the
request of Mr. Hill, bring two or three the finest prints for my wife to
see that ever I did see in all my life. But for singing, among other
things, we got Mrs. Coleman to sing part of the Opera, though she won't
owne that ever she did get any of it without book in order to the stage;
but, above all, her counterfeiting of Captain Cooke's part, in his
reproaching his man with cowardice, "Base slave," &c., she do it most
excellently. At it till past midnight, and then broke up and to bed.
Hill and I together again, and being very sleepy we had little discourse
as we had the other night. Thus we end the month merrily; and the more for
that, after some fears that the plague would have increased again this
week, I hear for certain that there is above 400 [less], the whole number
being 1,388, and of them of the plague, 1,031. Want of money in the Navy
puts everything out of order. Men grow mutinous; and nobody here to mind
the business of the Navy but myself. At least Sir W. Batten for the few
days he has been here do nothing. I in great hopes of my place of
Surveyor-Generall of the Victualling, which will bring me L300 per annum.

ETEXT EDITOR'S BOOKMARKS:

A conceited man, but of no Logique in his head at all
Best poem that ever was wrote (Siege of Rhodes)
French have taken two and sunk one of our merchant-men
Hath sent me masters that do observe that I take pains
How little heed is had to the prisoners and sicke and wounded
How unhppily a man may fall into a necessity of bribing people
Lechery will never leave him
Money I have not, nor can get
Mr. Evelyn's translating and sending me as a present
Poor seamen that lie starving in the streets
Saying me to be the fittest man in England
Searchers with their rods in their hands

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.
NOVEMBER & DECEMBER
1665

November 1st. Lay very long in bed discoursing with Mr. Hill of most
things of a man's life, and how little merit do prevail in the world, but
only favour; and that, for myself, chance without merit brought me in; and
that diligence only keeps me so, and will, living as I do among so many
lazy people that the diligent man becomes necessary, that they cannot do
anything without him, and so told him of my late business of the
victualling, and what cares I am in to keepe myself having to do with
people of so different factions at Court, and yet must be fair with them
all, which was very pleasant discourse for me to tell, as well as he
seemed to take it, for him to hear. At last up, and it being a very foule
day for raine and a hideous wind, yet having promised I would go by water
to Erith, and bearing sayle was in danger of oversetting, but ordered them
take down their sayle, and so cold and wet got thither, as they had ended
their dinner. How[ever], I dined well, and after dinner all on shore, my
Lord Bruncker with us to Mrs. Williams's lodgings, and Sir W. Batten, Sir
Edmund Pooly, and others; and there, it being my Lord's birth-day, had
every one a green riband tied in our hats very foolishly; and methinks
mighty disgracefully for my Lord to have his folly so open to all the
world with this woman. But by and by Sir W. Batten and I took coach, and
home to Boreman, and so going home by the backside I saw Captain Cocke
'lighting out of his coach (having been at Erith also with her but not on
board) and so he would come along with me to my lodging, and there sat and
supped and talked with us, but we were angry a little a while about our
message to him the other day about bidding him keepe from the office or
his owne office, because of his black dying. I owned it and the reason of
it, and would have been glad he had been out of the house, but I could not
bid him go, and so supped, and after much other talke of the sad condition
and state of the King's matters we broke up, and my friend and I to bed.
This night coming with Sir W. Batten into Greenwich we called upon Coll.
Cleggatt, who tells us for certaine that the King of Denmark hath declared
to stand for the King of England, but since I hear it is wholly false.

2nd. Up, left my wife and to the office, and there to my great content
Sir W. Warren come to me to settle the business of the Tangier boates,
wherein I shall get above L100, besides L100 which he gives me in the
paying for them out of his owne purse. He gone, I home to my lodgings to
dinner, and there comes Captain Wagers newly returned from the Streights,
who puts me in great fear for our last ships that went to Tangier with
provisions, that they will be taken. A brave, stout fellow this Captain
is, and I think very honest. To the office again after dinner and there
late writing letters, and then about 8 at night set out from my office and
fitting myself at my lodgings intended to have gone this night in a Ketch
down to the Fleete, but calling in my way at Sir J. Minnes's, who is come
up from Erith about something about the prizes, they persuaded me not to
go till the morning, it being a horrible darke and a windy night. So I
back to my lodging and to bed.

3rd. Was called up about four o'clock and in the darke by lanthorne took
boat and to the Ketch and set sayle, sleeping a little in the Cabbin till
day and then up and fell to reading of Mr. Evelyn's book about Paynting,

[This must surely have been Evelyn's "Sculptura, or the History and
Art of Chalcography and Engraving in Copper," published in 1662.
The translation of Freart's "Idea of the Perfection of Painting
demonstrated" was not published until 1668.]

which is a very pretty book. Carrying good victuals and Tom with me I to
breakfast about 9 o'clock, and then to read again and come to the Fleete
about twelve, where I found my Lord (the Prince being gone in) on board
the Royall James, Sir Thomas Allen commander, and with my Lord an houre
alone discoursing what was my chief and only errand about what was
adviseable for his Lordship to do in this state of things, himself being
under the Duke of Yorke's and Mr. Coventry's envy, and a great many more
and likely never to do anything honourably but he shall be envied and the
honour taken as much as can be from it. His absence lessens his interest
at Court, and what is worst we never able to set out a fleete fit for him
to command, or, if out, to keepe them out or fit them to do any great
thing, or if that were so yet nobody at home minds him or his condition
when he is abroad, and lastly the whole affairs of state looking as if
they would all on a sudden break in pieces, and then what a sad thing it
would be for him to be out of the way. My Lord did concur in every thing
and thanked me infinitely for my visit and counsel, telling me that in
every thing he concurs, but puts a query, what if the King will not think
himself safe, if any man should go but him. How he should go off then? To
that I had no answer ready, but the making the King see that he may be of
as good use to him here while another goes forth. But for that I am not
able to say much. We after this talked of some other little things and so
to dinner, where my Lord infinitely kind to me, and after dinner I rose
and left him with some Commanders at the table taking tobacco and I took
the Bezan back with me, and with a brave gale and tide reached up that
night to the Hope, taking great pleasure in learning the seamen's manner
of singing when they sound the depths, and then to supper and to sleep,
which I did most excellently all night, it being a horrible foule night
for wind and raine.

4th. They sayled from midnight, and come to Greenwich about 5 o'clock in
the morning. I however lay till about 7 or 8, and so to my office, my
head a little akeing, partly for want of natural rest, partly having so
much business to do to-day, and partly from the newes I hear that one of
the little boys at my lodging is not well; and they suspect, by their
sending for plaister and fume, that it may be the plague; so I sent Mr.
Hater and W. Hewer to speake with the mother; but they returned to me,
satisfied that there is no hurt nor danger, but the boy is well, and
offers to be searched, however, I was resolved myself to abstain coming
thither for a while. Sir W. Batten and myself at the office all the
morning. At noon with him to dinner at Boreman's, where Mr. Seymour with
us, who is a most conceited fellow and not over much in him. Here Sir W.
Batten told us (which I had not heard before) that the last sitting day
his cloake was taken from Mingo he going home to dinner, and that he was
beaten by the seamen and swears he will come to Greenwich, but no more to
the office till he can sit safe. After dinner I to the office and there
late, and much troubled to have 100 seamen all the afternoon there,
swearing below and cursing us, and breaking the glasse windows, and swear
they will pull the house down on Tuesday next. I sent word of this to
Court, but nothing will helpe it but money and a rope. Late at night to
Mr. Glanville's there to lie for a night or two, and to bed.

5th (Lord's day). Up, and after being trimmed, by boat to the Cockpitt,
where I heard the Duke of Albemarle's chaplin make a simple sermon: among
other things, reproaching the imperfection of humane learning, he cried:
"All our physicians cannot tell what an ague is, and all our arithmetique
is not able to number the days of a man;" which, God knows, is not the
fault of arithmetique, but that our understandings reach not the thing. To
dinner, where a great deale of silly discourse, but the worst is I hear
that the plague increases much at Lambeth, St. Martin's and Westminster,
and fear it will all over the city. Thence I to the Swan, thinking to
have seen Sarah but she was at church, and so I by water to Deptford, and
there made a visit to Mr. Evelyn, who, among other things, showed me most
excellent painting in little; in distemper, Indian incke, water colours:
graveing; and, above all, the whole secret of mezzo-tinto, and the manner
of it, which is very pretty, and good things done with it. He read to me
very much also of his discourse, he hath been many years and now is about,
about Guardenage; which will be a most noble and pleasant piece. He read
me part of a play or two of his making, very good, but not as he conceits
them, I think, to be. He showed me his Hortus Hyemalis; leaves laid up in
a book of several plants kept dry, which preserve colour, however, and
look very finely, better than any Herball. In fine, a most excellent
person he is, and must be allowed a little for a little conceitedness; but
he may well be so, being a man so much above others. He read me, though
with too much gusto, some little poems of his own, that were not
transcendant, yet one or two very pretty epigrams; among others, of a lady
looking in at a grate, and being pecked at by an eagle that was there.
Here comes in, in the middle of our discourse Captain Cocke, as drunk as a
dogg, but could stand, and talk and laugh. He did so joy himself in a
brave woman that he had been with all the afternoon, and who should it be
but my Lady Robinson, but very troublesome he is with his noise and talke,
and laughing, though very pleasant. With him in his coach to Mr.
Glanville's, where he sat with Mrs. Penington and myself a good while
talking of this fine woman again and then went away. Then the lady and I
to very serious discourse and, among other things, of what a bonny lasse
my Lady Robinson is, who is reported to be kind to the prisoners, and has
said to Sir G. Smith, who is her great crony, "Look! there is a pretty
man, I would be content to break a commandment with him," and such loose
expressions she will have often. After an houre's talke we to bed, the
lady mightily troubled about a pretty little bitch she hath, which is very
sicke, and will eat nothing, and the worst was, I could hear her in her
chamber bemoaning the bitch, and by and by taking her into bed with her.
The bitch pissed and shit a bed, and she was fain to rise and had coals
out of my chamber to dry the bed again. This night I had a letter that
Sir G. Carteret would be in towne to-morrow, which did much surprize me.

6th. Up, and to my office, where busy all the morning and then to dinner
to Captain Cocke's with Mr. Evelyn, where very merry, only vexed after
dinner to stay too long for our coach. At last, however, to Lambeth and
thence the Cockpitt, where we found Sir G. Carteret come, and in with the
Duke and the East India Company about settling the business of the prizes,
and they have gone through with it. Then they broke up, and Sir G.
Carteret come out, and thence through the garden to the water side and by
water I with him in his boat down with Captain Cocke to his house at
Greenwich, and while supper was getting ready Sir G. Carteret and I did
walk an houre in the garden before the house, talking of my Lord
Sandwich's business; what enemies he hath, and how they have endeavoured
to bespatter him: and particularly about his leaving of 30 ships of the
enemy, when Pen would have gone, and my Lord called him back again: which
is most false. However, he says, it was purposed by some hot-heads in the
House of Commons, at the same time when they voted a present to the Duke
of Yorke, to have voted L10,000 to the Prince, and half-a-crowne to my
Lord of Sandwich; but nothing come of it.

[The tide of popular indignation ran high against Lord Sandwich, and
he was sent to Spain as ambassador to get him honourably out of the
way (see post, December 6th).]

But, for all this, the King is most firme to my Lord, and so is my Lord
Chancellor, and my Lord Arlington. The Prince, in appearance, kind; the
Duke of Yorke silent, says no hurt; but admits others to say it in his
hearing. Sir W. Pen, the falsest rascal that ever was in the world; and
that this afternoon the Duke of Albemarle did tell him that Pen was a very
cowardly rogue, and one that hath brought all these rogueish fanatick
Captains into the fleete, and swears he should never go out with the
fleete again. That Sir W. Coventry is most kind to Pen still; and says
nothing nor do any thing openly to the prejudice of my Lord. He agrees
with me, that it is impossible for the King [to] set out a fleete again
the next year; and that he fears all will come to ruine, there being no
money in prospect but these prizes, which will bring, it may be, L20,000,
but that will signify nothing in the world for it. That this late Act of
Parliament for bringing the money into the Exchequer, and making of it
payable out there, intended as a prejudice to him and will be his
convenience hereafter and ruine the King's business, and so I fear it will
and do wonder Sir W. Coventry would be led by Sir G. Downing to persuade
the King and Duke to have it so, before they had thoroughly weighed all
circumstances; that for my Lord, the King has said to him lately that I
was an excellent officer, and that my Lord Chancellor do, he thinks, love
and esteem of me as well as he do of any man in England that he hath no
more acquaintance with. So having done and received from me the sad newes
that we are like to have no money here a great while, not even of the very
prizes, I set up my rest

[The phrase "set up my rest" is a metaphor from the once fashionable
game of Primero, meaning, to stand upon the cards you have in your
hand, in hopes they may prove better than those of your adversary.
Hence, to make up your mind, to be determined (see Nares's
"Glossary").]

in giving up the King's service to be ruined and so in to supper, where
pretty merry, and after supper late to Mr. Glanville's, and Sir G.
Carteret to bed. I also to bed, it being very late.

7th. Up, and to Sir G. Carteret, and with him, he being very passionate
to be gone, without staying a minute for breakfast, to the Duke of
Albemarle's and I with him by water and with Fen: but, among other things,
Lord! to see how he wondered to see the river so empty of boats, nobody
working at the Custome-house keys; and how fearful he is, and vexed that
his man, holding a wine-glasse in his hand for him to drinke out of, did
cover his hands, it being a cold, windy, rainy morning, under the
waterman's coate, though he brought the waterman from six or seven miles
up the river, too. Nay, he carried this glasse with him for his man to
let him drink out of at the Duke of Albemarle's, where he intended to
dine, though this he did to prevent sluttery, for, for the same reason he
carried a napkin with him to Captain Cocke's, making him believe that he
should eat with foule linnen. Here he with the Duke walked a good while
in the Parke, and I with Fen, but cannot gather that he intends to stay
with us, nor thinks any thing at all of ever paying one farthing of money
more to us here, let what will come of it. Thence in, and Sir W. Batten
comes in by and by, and so staying till noon, and there being a great deal
of company there, Sir W. Batten and I took leave of the Duke and Sir G.
Carteret, there being no good to be done more for money, and so over the
River and by coach to Greenwich, where at Boreman's we dined, it being
late. Thence my head being full of business and mind out of order for
thinking of the effects which will arise from the want of money, I made an
end of my letters by eight o'clock, and so to my lodging and there spent
the evening till midnight talking with Mrs. Penington, who is a very
discreet, understanding lady and very pretty discourse we had and great
variety, and she tells me with great sorrow her bitch is dead this
morning, died in her bed. So broke up and to bed.

8th. Up, and to the office, where busy among other things to looke my
warrants for the settling of the Victualling business, the warrants being
come to me for the Surveyors of the ports and that for me also to be
Surveyor-Generall. I did discourse largely with Tom Willson about it and
doubt not to make it a good service to the King as well, as the King gives
us very good salarys. It being a fast day, all people were at church and
the office quiett; so I did much business, and at noon adventured to my
old lodging, and there eat, but am not yet well satisfied, not seeing of
Christopher, though they say he is abroad. Thence after dinner to the
office again, and thence am sent for to the King's Head by my Lord
Rutherford, who, since I can hope for no more convenience from him, his
business is troublesome to me, and therefore I did leave him as soon as I
could and by water to Deptford, and there did order my matters so, walking
up and down the fields till it was dark night, that 'je allais a la maison
of my valentine,--[Bagwell's wife]--and there 'je faisais whatever je
voudrais avec' her, and, about eight at night, did take water, being glad
I was out of the towne; for the plague, it seems, rages there more than
ever, and so to my lodgings, where my Lord had got a supper and the
mistresse of the house, and her daughters, and here staid Mrs. Pierce to
speake with me about her husband's business, and I made her sup with us,
and then at night my Lord and I walked with her home, and so back again.
My Lord and I ended all we had to say as to his business overnight, and so
I took leave, and went again to Mr. Glanville's and so to bed, it being
very late.

9th. Up, and did give the servants something at Mr. Glanville's and so
took leave, meaning to lie to-night at my owne lodging. To my office,
where busy with Mr. Gawden running over the Victualling business, and he
is mightily pleased that this course is taking and seems sensible of my
favour and promises kindnesse to me. At noon by water, to the King's Head
at Deptford, where Captain Taylor invites Sir W: Batten, Sir John Robinson
(who come in with a great deale of company from hunting, and brought in a
hare alive and a great many silly stories they tell of their sport, which
pleases them mightily, and me not at all, such is the different sense of
pleasure in mankind), and others upon the score of a survey of his new
ship; and strange to see how a good dinner and feasting reconciles
everybody, Sir W. Batten and Sir J. Robinson being now as kind to him, and
report well of his ship and proceedings, and promise money, and Sir W.
Batten is a solicitor for him, but it is a strange thing to observe, they
being the greatest enemys he had, and yet, I believe, hath in the world in
their hearts. Thence after dinner stole away and to my office, where did
a great deale of business till midnight, and then to Mrs. Clerk's, to
lodge again, and going home W. Hewer did tell me my wife will be here
to-morrow, and hath put away Mary, which vexes me to the heart, I cannot
helpe it, though it may be a folly in me, and when I think seriously on
it, I think my wife means no ill design in it, or, if she do, I am a foole
to be troubled at it, since I cannot helpe it. The Bill of Mortality, to
all our griefs, is encreased 399 this week, and the encrease generally
through the whole City and suburbs, which makes us all sad.

10th. Up, and entered all my Journall since the 28th of October, having
every day's passages well in my head, though it troubles me to remember
it, and which I was forced to, being kept from my lodging, where my books
and papers are, for several days. So to my office, where till two or
three o'clock busy before I could go to my lodging to dinner, then did it
and to my office again. In the evening newes is brought me my wife is
come: so I to her, and with her spent the evening, but with no great
pleasure, I being vexed about her putting away of Mary in my absence, but
yet I took no notice of it at all, but fell into other discourse, and she
told me, having herself been this day at my house at London, which was
boldly done, to see Mary have her things, that Mr. Harrington, our
neighbour, an East country merchant, is dead at Epsum of the plague, and
that another neighbour of ours, Mr. Hollworthy, a very able man, is also
dead by a fall in the country from his horse, his foot hanging in the
stirrup, and his brains beat out. Here we sat talking, and after supper
to bed.

11th. I up and to the office (leaving my wife in bed) and there till
noon, then to dinner and back again to the office, my wife going to
Woolwich again, and I staying very late at my office, and so home to bed.

12th (Lord's day). Up, and invited by Captain Cocke to dinner. So after
being ready I went to him, and there he and I and Mr. Yard (one of the
Guinny Company) dined together and very merry. After dinner I by water to
the Duke of Albemarle, and there had a little discourse and business with
him, chiefly to receive his commands about pilotts to be got for our
Hambro' ships, going now at this time of the year convoy to the merchant
ships, that have lain at great pain and charge, some three, some four
months at Harwich for a convoy. They hope here the plague will be less
this weeke. Thence back by water to Captain Cocke's, and there he and I
spent a great deale of the evening as we had done of the day reading and
discoursing over part of Mr. Stillingfleet's "Origines Sacrae," wherein
many things are very good and some frivolous. Thence by and by he and I
to Mrs. Penington's, but she was gone to bed. So we back and walked a
while, and then to his house and to supper, and then broke up, and I home
to my lodging to bed.

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