Diary of Samuel Pepys, 1665 N.S. Complete

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13th. Up, and to my office, where busy all the morning, and at noon to
Captain Cocke's to dinner as we had appointed in order to settle our
business of accounts. But here came in an Alderman, a merchant, a very
merry man, and we dined, and, he being gone, after dinner Cocke and I
walked into the garden, and there after a little discourse he did
undertake under his hand to secure me in L500 profit, for my share of the
profit of what we have bought of the prize goods. We agreed upon the
terms, which were easier on my side than I expected, and so with
extraordinary inward joy we parted till the evening. So I to the office
and among other business prepared a deed for him to sign and seale to me
about our agreement, which at night I got him to come and sign and seale,
and so he and I to Glanville's, and there he and I sat talking and playing
with Mrs. Penington, whom we found undrest in her smocke and petticoats by
the fireside, and there we drank and laughed, and she willingly suffered
me to put my hand in her bosom very wantonly, and keep it there long.
Which methought was very strange, and I looked upon myself as a man
mightily deceived in a lady, for I could not have thought she could have
suffered it, by her former discourse with me; so modest she seemed and I
know not what. We staid here late, and so home after he and I had walked
till past midnight, a bright moonshine, clear, cool night, before his door
by the water, and so I home after one of the clock.

14th. Called up by break of day by Captain Cocke, by agreement, and he
and I in his coach through Kent-streete (a sad place through the plague,
people sitting sicke and with plaisters about them in the street begging)
to Viner's and Colvill's about money business, and so to my house, and
there I took L300 in order to the carrying it down to my Lord Sandwich in
part of the money I am to pay for Captain Cocke by our agreement. So I
took it down, and down I went to Greenwich to my office, and there sat
busy till noon, and so home to dinner, and thence to the office again, and
by and by to the Duke of Albemarle's by water late, where I find he had
remembered that I had appointed to come to him this day about money, which
I excused not doing sooner; but I see, a dull fellow, as he is, do
sometimes remember what another thinks he mindeth not. My business was
about getting money of the East India Company; but, Lord! to see how the
Duke himself magnifies himself in what he had done with the Company; and
my Lord Craven what the King could have done without my Lord Duke, and a
deale of stir, but most mightily what a brave fellow I am. Back by water,
it raining hard, and so to the office, and stopped my going, as I
intended, to the buoy of the Nore, and great reason I had to rejoice at
it, for it proved the night of as great a storme as was almost ever
remembered. Late at the office, and so home to bed. This day, calling at
Mr. Rawlinson's to know how all did there, I hear that my pretty grocer's
wife, Mrs. Beversham, over the way there, her husband is lately dead of
the plague at Bow, which I am sorry for, for fear of losing her
neighbourhood.

15th. Up and all the morning at the office, busy, and at noon to the
King's Head taverne, where all the Trinity House dined to-day, to choose a
new Master in the room of Hurlestone, that is dead, and Captain Crispe is
chosen. But, Lord! to see how Sir W. Batten governs all and tramples upon
Hurlestone, but I am confident the Company will grow the worse for that
man's death, for now Batten, and in him a lazy, corrupt, doating rogue,
will have all the sway there. After dinner who comes in but my Lady
Batten, and a troop of a dozen women almost, and expected, as I found
afterward, to be made mighty much of, but nobody minded them; but the best
jest was, that when they saw themselves not regarded, they would go away,
and it was horrible foule weather; and my Lady Batten walking through the
dirty lane with new spicke and span white shoes, she dropped one of her
galoshes in the dirt, where it stuck, and she forced to go home without
one, at which she was horribly vexed, and I led her; and after vexing her
a little more in mirth, I parted, and to Glanville's, where I knew Sir
John Robinson, Sir G. Smith, and Captain Cocke were gone, and there, with
the company of Mrs. Penington, whose father, I hear, was one of the Court
of justice, and died prisoner, of the stone, in the Tower, I made them,
against their resolutions, to stay from houre to houre till it was almost
midnight, and a furious, darke and rainy, and windy, stormy night, and,
which was best, I, with drinking small beer, made them all drunk drinking
wine, at which Sir John Robinson made great sport. But, they being gone,
the lady and I very civilly sat an houre by the fireside observing the
folly of this Robinson, that makes it his worke to praise himself, and all
he say and do, like a heavy-headed coxcombe. The plague, blessed be God!
is decreased 400; making the whole this week but 1300 and odd; for which
the Lord be praised!

16th. Up, and fitted myself for my journey down to the fleete, and
sending my money and boy down by water to Eriffe,--[Erith]--I borrowed a
horse of Mr. Boreman's son, and after having sat an houre laughing with my
Lady Batten and Mrs. Turner, and eat and drank with them, I took horse and
rode to Eriffe, where, after making a little visit to Madam Williams, who
did give me information of W. Howe's having bought eight bags of precious
stones taken from about the Dutch Vice-Admirall's neck, of which there
were eight dyamonds which cost him L60,000 sterling, in India, and hoped
to have made L2000 here for them. And that this is told by one that sold
him one of the bags, which hath nothing but rubys in it, which he had for
35s.; and that it will be proved he hath made L125 of one stone that he
bought. This she desired, and I resolved I would give my Lord Sandwich
notice of. So I on board my Lord Bruncker; and there he and Sir Edmund
Pooly carried me down into the hold of the India shipp, and there did show
me the greatest wealth lie in confusion that a man can see in the world.
Pepper scattered through every chink, you trod upon it; and in cloves and
nutmegs, I walked above the knees; whole rooms full. And silk in bales,
and boxes of copper-plate, one of which I saw opened. Having seen this,
which was as noble a sight as ever I saw in my life, I away on board the
other ship in despair to get the pleasure-boat of the gentlemen there to
carry me to the fleet. They were Mr. Ashburnham and Colonell Wyndham; but
pleading the King's business, they did presently agree I should have it.
So I presently on board, and got under sail, and had a good bedd by the
shift, of Wyndham's; and so,

17th. Sailed all night, and got down to Quinbrough water, where all the
great ships are now come, and there on board my Lord, and was soon
received with great content. And after some little discourse, he and I on
board Sir W. Pen; and there held a council of Warr about many wants of the
fleete, but chiefly how to get slopps and victuals for the fleete now
going out to convoy our Hambro' ships, that have been so long detained for
four or five months for want of convoy, which we did accommodate one way
or other, and so, after much chatt, Sir W. Pen did give us a very good and
neat dinner, and better, I think, than ever I did see at his owne house at
home in my life, and so was the other I eat with him. After dinner much
talke, and about other things, he and I about his money for his prize
goods, wherein I did give him a cool answer, but so as we did not disagree
in words much, and so let that fall, and so followed my Lord Sandwich, who
was gone a little before me on board the Royall James. And there spent an
houre, my Lord playing upon the gittarr, which he now commends above all
musique in the world, because it is base enough for a single voice, and is
so portable and manageable without much trouble. That being done, I got my
Lord to be alone, and so I fell to acquaint him with W. Howe's business,
which he had before heard a little of from Captain Cocke, but made no
great matter of it, but now he do, and resolves nothing less than to lay
him by the heels, and seize on all he hath, saying that for this yeare or
two he hath observed him so proud and conceited he could not endure him.
But though I was not at all displeased with it, yet I prayed him to
forbear doing anything therein till he heard from me again about it, and I
had made more enquiry into the truth of it, which he agreed to. Then we
fell to publique discourse, wherein was principally this: he cleared it to
me beyond all doubt that Coventry is his enemy, and has been long so. So
that I am over that, and my Lord told it me upon my proposal of a
friendship between them, which he says is impossible, and methinks that my
Lord's displeasure about the report in print of the first fight was not of
his making, but I perceive my Lord cannot forget it, nor the other think
he can. I shewed him how advisable it were upon almost any terms for him
to get quite off the sea employment. He answers me again that he agrees
to it, but thinks the King will not let him go off: He tells me he lacks
now my Lord Orrery to solicit it for him, who is very great with the King.
As an infinite secret, my Lord tells me, the factions are high between the
King and the Duke, and all the Court are in an uproare with their loose
amours; the Duke of Yorke being in love desperately with Mrs. Stewart.
Nay, that the Duchesse herself is fallen in love with her new Master of
the Horse, one Harry Sidney, and another, Harry Savill. So that God knows
what will be the end of it. And that the Duke is not so obsequious as he
used to be, but very high of late; and would be glad to be in the head of
an army as Generall; and that it is said that he do propose to go and
command under the King of Spayne, in Flanders. That his amours to Mrs.
Stewart are told the King. So that all is like to be nought among them.
That he knows that the Duke of Yorke do give leave to have him spoken
slightly of in his owne hearing, and doth not oppose it, and told me from
what time he hath observed this to begin. So that upon the whole my Lord
do concur to wish with all his heart that he could with any honour get
from off the imployment. After he had given thanks to me for my kind
visit and good counsel, on which he seems to set much by, I left him, and
so away to my Bezan againe, and there to read in a pretty French book, "La
Nouvelle Allegorique," upon the strife between rhetorique and its enemies,
very pleasant. So, after supper, to sleepe, and sayled all night, and
came to Erith before break of day.

18th. About nine of the clock, I went on shore, there (calling by the way
only to look upon my Lord Bruncker) to give Mrs. Williams an account of
her matters, and so hired an ill-favoured horse, and away to Greenwich to
my lodgings, where I hear how rude the souldiers have been in my absence,
swearing what they would do with me, which troubled me, but, however,
after eating a bit I to the office and there very late writing letters,
and so home and to bed.

19th (Lord's day). Up, and after being trimmed, alone by water to Erith,
all the way with my song book singing of Mr. Lawes's long recitative song
in the beginning of his book. Being come there, on board my Lord
Bruncker, I find Captain Cocke and other company, the lady not well, and
mighty merry we were; Sir Edmund Pooly being very merry, and a right
English gentleman, and one of the discontented Cavaliers, that think their
loyalty is not considered. After dinner, all on shore to my Lady
Williams, and there drank and talked; but, Lord! the most impertinent bold
woman with my Lord that ever I did see. I did give her an account again
of my business with my Lord touching W. Howe, and she did give me some
more information about it, and examination taken about it, and so we
parted and I took boat, and to Woolwich, where we found my wife not well
of them, and I out of humour begun to dislike her paynting, the last
things not pleasing me so well as the former, but I blame myself for my
being so little complaisant. So without eating or drinking, there being
no wine (which vexed me too), we walked with a lanthorne to Greenwich and
eat something at his house, and so home to bed.

20th. Up before day, and wrote some letters to go to my Lord, among
others that about W. Howe, which I believe will turn him out, and so took
horse for Nonesuch, with two men with me, and the ways very bad, and the
weather worse, for wind and rayne. But we got in good time thither, and I
did get my tallys got ready, and thence, with as many as could go, to
Yowell, and there dined very well, and I saw my Besse, a very
well-favoured country lass there, and after being very merry and having
spent a piece I took horse, and by another way met with a very good road,
but it rained hard and blew, but got home very well. Here I find Mr.
Deering come to trouble me about business, which I soon dispatched and
parted, he telling me that Luellin hath been dead this fortnight, of the
plague, in St. Martin's Lane, which much surprised me.

21st. Up, and to the office, where all the morning doing business, and at
noon home to dinner and quickly back again to the office, where very busy
all the evening and late sent a long discourse to Mr. Coventry by his
desire about the regulating of the method of our payment of bills in the
Navy, which will be very good, though, it may be, he did ayme principally
at striking at Sir G. Carteret. So weary but pleased with this business
being over I home to supper and to bed.

22nd. Up, and by water to the Duke of Albemarle, and there did some
little business, but most to shew myself, and mightily I am yet in his and
Lord Craven's books, and thence to the Swan and there drank and so down to
the bridge, and so to the 'Change, where spoke with many people, and about
a great deale of business, which kept me late. I heard this day that Mr.
Harrington is not dead of the plague, as we believed, at which I was very
glad, but most of all, to hear that the plague is come very low; that is,
the whole under 1,000, and the plague 600 and odd: and great hopes of a
further decrease, because of this day's being a very exceeding hard frost,
and continues freezing. This day the first of the Oxford Gazettes come
out, which is very pretty, full of newes, and no folly in it. Wrote by
Williamson. Fear that our Hambro' ships at last cannot go, because of the
great frost, which we believe it is there, nor are our ships cleared at
the Pillow [Pillau], which will keepe them there too all this winter, I
fear. From the 'Change, which is pretty full again, I to my office and
there took some things, and so by water to my lodging at Greenwich and
dined, and then to the office awhile and at night home to my lodgings, and
took T. Willson and T. Hater with me, and there spent the evening till
midnight discoursing and settling of our Victualling business, that
thereby I might draw up instructions for the Surveyours and that we might
be doing something to earne our money. This done I late to bed. Among
other things it pleased me to have it demonstrated, that a Purser without
professed cheating is a professed loser, twice as much as he gets.

23rd. Up betimes, and so, being trimmed, I to get papers ready against
Sir H. Cholmly come to me by appointment, he being newly come over from
Tangier. He did by and by come, and we settled all matters about his
money, and he is a most satisfied man in me, and do declare his resolution
to give me 200 per annum. It continuing to be a great frost, which gives
us hope for a perfect cure of the plague, he and I to walk in the parke,
and there discoursed with grief of the calamity of the times; how the
King's service is performed, and how Tangier is governed by a man, who,
though honourable, yet do mind his ways of getting and little else
compared, which will never make the place flourish. I brought him and had
a good dinner for him, and there come by chance Captain Cuttance, who
tells me how W. Howe is laid by the heels, and confined to the Royall
Katharine, and his things all seized and how, also, for a quarrel, which
indeed the other night my Lord told me, Captain Ferrers, having cut all
over the back of another of my Lord's servants, is parted from my Lord. I
sent for little Mrs. Frances Tooker, and after they were gone I sat
dallying with her an hour, doing what I would with my hands about her. And
a very pretty creature it is. So in the evening to the office, where late
writing letters, and at my lodging later writing for the last twelve days
my Journall and so to bed. Great expectation what mischief more the
French will do us, for we must fall out. We in extraordinary lacke of
money and everything else to go to sea next year. My Lord Sandwich is
gone from the fleete yesterday toward Oxford.

24th. Up, and after doing some business at the office, I to London, and
there, in my way, at my old oyster shop in Gracious Streete, bought two
barrels of my fine woman of the shop, who is alive after all the plague,
which now is the first observation or inquiry we make at London concerning
everybody we knew before it. So to the 'Change, where very busy with
several people, and mightily glad to see the 'Change so full, and hopes of
another abatement still the next week. Off the 'Change I went home with
Sir G. Smith to dinner, sending for one of my barrels of oysters, which
were good, though come from Colchester, where the plague hath been so
much. Here a very brave dinner, though no invitation; and, Lord! to see
how I am treated, that come from so mean a beginning, is matter of wonder
to me. But it is God's great mercy to me, and His blessing upon my taking
pains, and being punctual in my dealings. After dinner Captain Cocke and
I about some business, and then with my other barrel of oysters home to
Greenwich, sent them by water to Mrs. Penington, while he and I landed,
and visited Mr. Evelyn, where most excellent discourse with him; among
other things he showed me a ledger of a Treasurer of the Navy, his great
grandfather, just 100 years old; which I seemed mighty fond of, and he did
present me with it, which I take as a great rarity; and he hopes to find
me more, older than it. He also shewed us several letters of the old Lord
of Leicester's, in Queen Elizabeth's time, under the very hand-writing of
Queen Elizabeth, and Queen Mary, Queen of Scotts; and others, very
venerable names. But, Lord! how poorly, methinks, they wrote in those
days, and in what plain uncut paper. Thence, Cocke having sent for his
coach, we to Mrs. Penington, and there sat and talked and eat our oysters
with great pleasure, and so home to my lodging late and to bed.

25th. Up, and busy at the office all day long, saving dinner time, and in
the afternoon also very late at my office, and so home to bed. All our
business is now about our Hambro fleete, whether it can go or no this
yeare, the weather being set in frosty, and the whole stay being for want
of Pilotts now, which I have wrote to the Trinity House about, but have so
poor an account from them, that I did acquaint Sir W. Coventry with it
this post.

26th (Lord's day). Up, though very late abed, yet before day to dress
myself to go toward Erith, which I would do by land, it being a horrible
cold frost to go by water: so borrowed two horses of Mr. Howell and his
friend, and with much ado set out, after my horses being frosted

[Frosting means, having the horses' shoes turned up by the smith.]

(which I know not what it means to this day), and my boy having lost one
of my spurs and stockings, carrying them to the smith's; but I borrowed a
stocking, and so got up, and Mr. Tooker with me, and rode to Erith, and
there on board my Lord Bruncker, met Sir W. Warren upon his business,
among others, and did a great deale, Sir J. Minnes, as God would have it,
not being there to hinder us with his impertinences. Business done, we to
dinner very merry, there being there Sir Edmund Pooly, a very worthy
gentleman. They are now come to the copper boxes in the prizes, and hope
to have ended all this weeke. After dinner took leave, and on shore to
Madam Williams, to give her an account of my Lord's letter to me about
Howe, who he has clapped by the heels on suspicion of having the jewells,
and she did give me my Lord Bruncker's examination of the fellow, that
declares his having them; and so away, Sir W. Warren riding with me, and
the way being very bad, that is, hard and slippery by reason of the frost,
so we could not come to past Woolwich till night. However, having a great
mind to have gone to the Duke of Albemarle, I endeavoured to have gone
farther, but the night come on and no going, so I 'light and sent my horse
by Tooker, and returned on foot to my wife at Woolwich, where I found, as
I had directed, a good dinner to be made against to-morrow, and invited
guests in the yarde, meaning to be merry, in order to her taking leave,
for she intends to come in a day or two to me for altogether. But here,
they tell me, one of the houses behind them is infected, and I was fain to
stand there a great while, to have their back-door opened, but they could
not, having locked them fast, against any passing through, so was forced
to pass by them again, close to their sicke beds, which they were removing
out of the house, which troubled me; so I made them uninvite their guests,
and to resolve of coming all away to me to-morrow, and I walked with a
lanthorne, weary as I was, to Greenwich; but it was a fine walke, it being
a hard frost, and so to Captain Cocke's, but he I found had sent for me to
come to him to Mrs. Penington's, and there I went, and we were very merry,
and supped, and Cocke being sleepy he went away betimes. I stayed alone
talking and playing with her till past midnight, she suffering me whatever
'ego voulais avec ses mamilles . . . . Much pleased with her company we
parted, and I home to bed at past one, all people being in bed thinking I
would have staid out of town all night.

27th. Up, and being to go to wait on the Duke of Albemarle, who is to go
out of towne to Oxford to-morrow, and I being unwilling to go by water, it
being bitter cold, walked it with my landlady's little boy Christopher to
Lambeth, it being a very fine walke and calling at half the way and drank,
and so to the Duke of Albemarle, who is visited by every body against his
going; and mighty kind to me: and upon my desiring his grace to give me
his kind word to the Duke of Yorke, if any occasion there were of speaking
of me, he told me he had reason to do so; for there had been nothing done
in the Navy without me. His going, I hear, is upon putting the sea
business into order, and, as some say, and people of his owne family, that
he is agog to go to sea himself the next year. Here I met with a letter
from Sir G. Carteret, who is come to Cranborne, that he will be here this
afternoon and desires me to be with him. So the Duke would have me dine
with him. So it being not dinner time, I to the Swan, and there found
Sarah all alone in the house . . . . So away to the Duke of Albemarle
again, and there to dinner, he most exceeding kind to me to the
observation of all that are there. At dinner comes Sir G. Carteret and
dines with us. After dinner a great deal alone with Sir G. Carteret, who
tells me that my Lord hath received still worse and worse usage from some
base people about the Court. But the King is very kind, and the Duke do
not appear the contrary; and my Lord Chancellor swore to him "by---I will
not forsake my Lord of Sandwich." Our next discourse is upon this Act for
money, about which Sir G. Carteret comes to see what money can be got upon
it. But none can be got, which pleases him the thoughts of, for, if the
Exchequer should succeede in this, his office would faile. But I am apt
to think at this time of hurry and plague and want of trade, no money will
be got upon a new way which few understand. We walked, Cocke and I,
through the Parke with him, and so we being to meet the Vice-Chamberlayne
to-morrow at Nonesuch, to treat with Sir Robert Long about the same
business, I into London, it being dark night, by a hackney coach; the
first I have durst to go in many a day, and with great pain now for fear.
But it being unsafe to go by water in the dark and frosty cold, and unable
being weary with my morning walke to go on foot, this was my only way.
Few people yet in the streets, nor shops open, here and there twenty in a
place almost; though not above five or sixe o'clock at night. So to
Viner's, and there heard of Cocke, and found him at the Pope's Head,
drinking with Temple. I to them, where the Goldsmiths do decry the new
Act, for money to be all brought into the Exchequer, and paid out thence,
saying they will not advance one farthing upon it; and indeed it is their
interest to say and do so. Thence Cocke and I to Sir G. Smith's, it being
now night, and there up to his chamber and sat talking, and I
barbing--[shaving]--against to-morrow; and anon, at nine at night, comes
to us Sir G. Smith and the Lieutenant of the Tower, and there they sat
talking and drinking till past midnight, and mighty merry we were, the
Lieutenant of the Tower being in a mighty vein of singing, and he hath a
very good eare and strong voice, but no manner of skill. Sir G. Smith
shewed me his lady's closett, which was very fine; and, after being very
merry, here I lay in a noble chamber, and mighty highly treated, the first
time I have lain in London a long time.

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