Diary of Samuel Pepys, 1665 N.S. Complete

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[Alexander Browne, a printseller, who taught drawing, and practised
it with success. He published in 1669, "Ars Pictoria, or an Academy
treating of Drawing, Painting, Limning and Etching."]

which Mr. Hill helps her to, and, by her beginning upon some eyes, I think
she will [do] very fine things, and I shall take great delight in it.

8th. Up very betimes, and did much business before I went out with
several persons, among others Captain Taylor, who would leave the
management of most of his business now he is going to Harwich, upon me,
and if I can get money by it, which I believe it will, I shall take some
of it upon me. Thence with Sir W. Batten to the Duke of Albemarle's and
there did much business, and then to the 'Change, and thence off with Sir
W. Warren to an ordinary, where we dined and sat talking of most usefull
discourse till 5 in the afternoon, and then home, and very busy till late,
and so home and to bed.

9th. Up betimes, and to my business at the office, where all the morning.
At noon comes Mrs. The. Turner, and dines with us, and my wife's
painting-master staid and dined; and I take great pleasure in thinking
that my wife will really come to something in that business. Here dined
also Luellin. So after dinner to my office, and there very busy till
almost midnight, and so home to supper and to bed. This day we have newes
of eight ships being taken by some of ours going into the Texel, their two
men of warr, that convoyed them, running in. They come from about
Ireland, round to the north.

10th. Up betimes, and abroad to the Cocke-Pitt, where the Duke [of
Albemarle] did give Sir W. Batten and me an account of the late taking of
eight ships, and of his intent to come back to the Gunfleete--[The
Gunfleet Sand off the Essex coast.]--with the fleete presently; which
creates us much work and haste therein, against the fleete comes. So to
Mr. Povy, and after discourse with him home, and thence to the Guard in
Southwarke, there to get some soldiers, by the Duke's order, to go keep
pressmen on board our ships. So to the 'Change and did much business, and
then home to dinner, and there find my poor mother come out of the country
today in good health, and I am glad to see her, but my business, which I
am sorry for, keeps me from paying the respect I ought to her at her first
coming, she being grown very weak in her judgement, and doating again in
her discourse, through age and some trouble in her family. I left her and
my wife to go abroad to buy something, and then I to my office. In the
evening by appointment to Sir W. Warren and Mr. Deering at a taverne hard
by with intent to do some good upon their agreement in a great bargain of
planks. So home to my office again, and then to supper and to bed, my
mother being in bed already.

11th. Up betimes, and at the office all the morning. At home dined, and
then to the office all day till late at night, and then home to supper,
weary with business, and to bed.

12th. Up betimes, and find myself disappointed in my receiving presently
of my L50 I hoped for sure of Mr. Warren upon the benefit of my press
warrant, but he promises to make it good. So by water to the Exchequer,
and there up and down through all the offices to strike my tallys for
L17,500, which methinks is so great a testimony of the goodness of God to
me, that I, from a mean clerke there, should come to strike tallys myself
for that sum, and in the authority that I do now, is a very stupendous
mercy to me. I shall have them struck to-morrow. But to see how every
little fellow looks after his fees, and to get what he can for everything,
is a strange consideration; the King's fees that he must pay himself for
this L17,500 coming to above L100. Thence called my wife at Unthanke's to
the New Exchange and elsewhere to buy a lace band for me, but we did not
buy, but I find it so necessary to have some handsome clothes that I
cannot but lay out some money thereupon. To the 'Change and thence to my
watchmaker, where he has put it [i.e. the watch] in order, and a good and
brave piece it is, and he tells me worth L14 which is a greater present
than I valued it. So home to dinner, and after dinner comes several
people, among others my cozen, Thomas Pepys, of Hatcham,

[Thomas Pepys, of Hatcham Barnes, Surrey, Master of the Jewel House
to Charles II. and James II.]

to receive some money, of my Lord Sandwich's, and there I paid him what
was due to him upon my uncle's score, but, contrary to my expectation, did
get him to sign and seale to my sale of lands for payment of debts. So
that now I reckon myself in better condition by L100 in my content than I
was before, when I was liable to be called to an account and others after
me by my uncle Thomas or his children for every foot of land we had sold
before. This I reckon a great good fortune in the getting of this done.
He gone, come Mr. Povy, Dr. Twisden, and Mr. Lawson about settling my
security in the paying of the L4000 ordered to Sir J. Lawson. So a little
abroad and then home, and late at my office and closet settling this day's
disordering of my papers, then to supper and to bed.

13th. Up, and all day in some little gruntings of pain, as I used to have
from winde, arising I think from my fasting so long, and want of exercise,
and I think going so hot in clothes, the weather being hot, and the same
clothes I wore all winter. To the 'Change after office, and received my
watch from the watchmaker, and a very fine [one] it is, given me by
Briggs, the Scrivener. Home to dinner, and then I abroad to the Atturney
Generall, about advice upon the Act for Land Carriage, which he desired
not to give me before I had received the King's and Council's order
therein; going home bespoke the King's works, will cost me 50s., I
believe. So home and late at my office. But, Lord! to see how much of
my old folly and childishnesse hangs upon me still that I cannot forbear
carrying my watch in my hand in the coach all this afternoon, and seeing
what o'clock it is one hundred times; and am apt to think with myself, how
could I be so long without one; though I remember since, I had one, and
found it a trouble, and resolved to carry one no more about me while I
lived. So home to supper and to bed, being troubled at a letter from Mr.
Gholmly from Tangier, wherein he do advise me how people are at worke to
overthrow our Victualling business, by which I shall lose L300 per annum,
I am much obliged to him for this, secret kindnesse, and concerned to
repay it him in his own concernments and look after this.

14th (Lord's day). Up, and with my wife to church, it being Whitsunday;
my wife very fine in a new yellow bird's-eye hood, as the fashion is now.
We had a most sorry sermon; so home to dinner, my mother having her new
suit brought home, which makes her very fine. After dinner my wife and
she and Mercer to Thomas Pepys's wife's christening of his first child,
and I took a coach, and to Wanstead, the house where Sir H. Mildmay died,
and now Sir Robert Brookes lives, having bought it of the Duke of Yorke,
it being forfeited to him. A fine seat, but an old-fashioned house; and
being not full of people looks desolately. Thence to Walthamstow, where
(failing at the old place) Sir W. Batten by and by come home, I walking up
and down the house and garden with my Lady very pleasantly, then to supper
very merry, and then back by coach by dark night. I all the afternoon in
the coach reading the treasonous book of the Court of King James, printed
a great while ago, and worth reading, though ill intended. As soon as I
come home, upon a letter from the Duke of Albemarle, I took boat at about
12 at night, and down the River in a gally, my boy and I, down to the Hope
and so up again, sleeping and waking, with great pleasure, my business to
call upon every one of

15th. Our victualling ships to set them agoing, and so home, and after
dinner to the King's playhouse, all alone, and saw "Love's Maistresse."
Some pretty things and good variety in it, but no or little fancy in it.
Thence to the Duke of Albemarle to give him account of my day's works,
where he shewed me letters from Sir G. Downing, of four days' date, that
the Dutch are come out and joyned, well-manned, and resolved to board our
best ships, and fight for certain they will. Thence to the Swan at
Herbert's, and there the company of Sarah a little while, and so away and
called at the Harp and Ball, where the mayde, Mary, is very
'formosa'--[handsome]--; but, Lord! to see in what readiness I am, upon
the expiring of my vowes this day, to begin to run into all my pleasures
and neglect of business. Thence home, and being sleepy to bed.

16th. Up betimes, and to the Duke of Albemarle with an account of my
yesterday's actions in writing. So back to the office, where all the
morning very busy. After dinner by coach to see and speak with Mr. Povy,
and after little discourse back again home, where busy upon letters till
past 12 at night, and so home to supper and to bed, weary.

17th. Up, and by appointment to a meeting of Sir John Lawson and Mr.
Cholmly's atturney and Mr. Povy at the Swan taverne at Westminster to
settle their business about my being secured in the payment of money to
Sir J. Lawson in the other's absence. Thence at Langford's, where I never
was since my brother died there. I find my wife and Mercer, having with
him agreed upon two rich silk suits for me, which is fit for me to have,
but yet the money is too much, I doubt, to lay out altogether; but it is
done, and so let it be, it being the expense of the world that I can the
best bear with and the worst spare. Thence home, and after dinner to the
office, where late, and so home to supper and to bed. Sir J. Minnes and I
had an angry bout this afternoon with Commissioner Pett about his
neglecting his duty and absenting himself, unknown to us, from his place
at Chatham, but a most false man I every day find him more and more, and
in this very full of equivocation. The fleete we doubt not come to
Harwich by this time. Sir W. Batten is gone down this day thither, and
the Duchesse of Yorke went down yesterday to meet the Duke.

18th. Up, and with Sir J. Minnes to the Duke of Albemarle, where we did
much business, and I with good content to myself; among other things we
did examine Nixon and Stanesby, about their late running from two
Dutchmen;

[Captain Edward Nixon, of the "Elizabeth," and Captain John
Stanesby, of the "Eagle." John Lanyon wrote to the Navy
Commissioners from Plymouth, May 16th: "Understands from the seamen
that the conduct of Captains Nixon and Stanesby in their late
engagement with two Dutch capers was very foul; the night they left
the Dutch, no lights were put out as formerly, and though in sight
of them in the morning, they still kept on their way; the Eagle lay
by some time, and both the enemy's ships plied on her, but finding
the Elizabeth nearly out of sight she also made sail; it is true the
wind and sea were high, but there were no sufficient reasons for
such endeavours to get from them." ("Calendar of State Papers,"
Domestic, 1664-65, p. 367). Both captains were tried; Nixon was
condemned to be shot but Stanesby was cleared, and Charnock asserts
that he was commander the "Happy Return" in 1672.]

for which they are committed to a vessel to carry them to the fleete to be
tried. A most fowle unhandsome thing as ever was heard, for plain
cowardice on Nixon's part. Thence with the Duke of Albemarle in his coach
to my Lord Treasurer, and there was before the King (who ever now calls me
by my name) and Lord Chancellor, and many other great Lords, discoursing
about insuring of some of the King's goods, wherein the King accepted of
my motion that we should; and so away, well pleased. To the office, and
dined, and then to the office again, and abroad to speak with Sir G.
Carteret; but, Lord! to see how fraile a man I am, subject to my vanities,
that can hardly forbear, though pressed with never so much business, my
pursuing of pleasure, but home I got, and there very busy very late.
Among other things consulting with Mr. Andrews about our Tangier business,
wherein we are like to meet with some trouble, and my Lord Bellasses's
endeavour to supplant us, which vexes my mind; but, however, our
undertaking is so honourable that we shall stand a tug for it I think. So
home to supper and to bed.

19th. Up, and to White Hall, where the Committee for Tangier met, and
there, though the case as to the merit of it was most plain and most of
the company favourable to our business, yet it was with much ado that I
got the business not carried fully against us, but put off to another day,
my Lord Arlington being the great man in it, and I was sorry to be found
arguing so greatly against him. The business I believe will in the end be
carried against us, and the whole business fall; I must therefore
endeavour the most I can to get money another way. It vexed me to see
Creed so hot against it, but I cannot much blame him, having never
declared to him my being concerned in it. But that that troubles me most
is my Lord Arlington calls to me privately and asks me whether I had ever
said to any body that I desired to leave this employment, having not time
to look after it. I told him, No, for that the thing being settled it
will not require much time to look after it. He told me then he would do
me right to the King, for he had been told so, which I desired him to do,
and by and by he called me to him again and asked me whether I had no
friend about the Duke, asking me (I making a stand) whether Mr. Coventry
was not my friend. I told him I had received many friendships from him.
He then advised me to procure that the Duke would in his next letter write
to him to continue me in my place and remove any obstruction; which I told
him I would, and thanked him. So parted, vexed at the first and amazed at
this business of my Lord Arlington's. Thence to the Exchequer, and there
got my tallys for L17,500, the first payment I ever had out of the
Exchequer, and at the Legg spent 14s. upon my old acquaintance, some of
them the clerks, and away home with my tallys in a coach, fearful every
step of having one of them fall out, or snatched from me. Being come
home, I much troubled out again by coach (for company taking Sir W. Warren
with me), intending to have spoke to my Lord Arlington to have known the
bottom of it, but missed him, and afterwards discoursing the thing as a
confidant to Sir W. Warren, he did give me several good hints and
principles not to do anything suddenly, but consult my pillow upon that
and every great thing of my life, before I resolve anything in it. Away
back home, and not being fit for business I took my wife and Mercer down
by water to Greenwich at 8 at night, it being very fine and cool and
moonshine afterward. Mighty pleasant passage it was; there eat a cake or
two, and so home by 10 or 11 at night, and then to bed, my mind not
settled what to think.

20th. Up, and to my office, where busy all the morning. At noon dined at
home, and to my office, very busy.

21st. Till past one, Lord's day, in the morning writing letters to the
fleete and elsewhere, and my mind eased of much business, home to bed and
slept till 8. So up, and this day is brought home one of my new silk
suits, the plain one, but very rich camelott and noble. I tried it and it
pleases me, but did not wear it, being I would not go out today to church.
So laid it by, and my mind changed, thinking to go see my Lady Sandwich,
and I did go a little way, but stopped and returned home to dinner, after
dinner up to my chamber to settle my Tangier accounts, and then to my
office, there to do the like with other papers. In the evening home to
supper and to bed.

22nd. Up, and down to the ships, which now are hindered from going down
to the fleete (to our great sorrow and shame) with their provisions, the
wind being against them. So to the Duke of Albemarle, and thence down by
water to Deptford, it being Trinity Monday, and so the day of choosing the
Master of Trinity House for the next yeare, where, to my great content, I
find that, contrary to the practice and design of Sir W. Batten, to breake
the rule and custom of the Company in choosing their Masters by
succession, he would have brought in Sir W. Rider or Sir W. Pen, over the
head of Hurleston (who is a knave too besides, I believe), the younger
brothers did all oppose it against the elder, and with great heat did
carry it for Hurleston, which I know will vex him to the heart. Thence,
the election being over, to church, where an idle sermon from that
conceited fellow, Dr. Britton, saving that his advice to unity, and laying
aside all envy and enmity among them was very apposite. Thence walked to
Redriffe, and so to the Trinity House, and a great dinner, as is usual,
and so to my office, where busy all the afternoon till late, and then home
to bed, being much troubled in mind for several things, first, for the
condition of the fleete for lacke of provisions, the blame this office
lies under and the shame that they deserve to have brought upon them for
the ships not being gone out of the River, and then for my business of
Tangier which is not settled, and lastly for fear that I am not observed
to have attended the office business of late as much as I ought to do,
though there has been nothing but my attendance on Tangier that has
occasioned my absence, and that of late not much.

23rd. Up, and at the office busy all the morning. At noon dined alone,
my wife and mother being gone by invitation to dine with my mother's old
servant Mr. Cordery, who made them very welcome. So to Mr. Povy's, where
after a little discourse about his business I home again, and late at the
office busy. Late comes Sir Arthur Ingram to my office, to tell me that,
by letters from Amsterdam of the 28th of this month (their style),

[The new style was adopted by most of the countries of Europe long
before it was legalized in England, although Russia still retains
the old style.]

the Dutch fleete, being about 100 men-of-war, besides fire-ships, &c., did
set out upon the 23rd and 24th inst. Being divided into seven squadrons;
viz., 1. Generall Opdam. 2. Cottenar, of Rotterdam. 3. Trump. 4.
Schram, of Horne. 5. Stillingworth, of Freezland. 6. Everson. 7. One
other, not named, of Zealand.

24th. Up, and by 4 o'clock in the morning, and with W. Hewer, there till
12 without intermission putting some papers in order. Thence to the
Coffee-house with Creed, where I have not been a great while, where all
the newes is of the Dutch being gone out, and of the plague growing upon
us in this towne; and of remedies against it: some saying one thing, some
another. So home to dinner, and after dinner Creed and I to Colvill's,
thinking to shew him all the respect we could by obliging him in carrying
him 5 tallys of L5000 to secure him for so much credit he has formerly
given Povy to Tangier, but he, like an impertinent fool, cavills at it,
but most ignorantly that ever I heard man in my life. At last Mr. Viner
by chance comes, who I find a very moderate man, but could not persuade
the fool to reason, but brought away the tallys again, and so vexed to my
office, where late, and then home to my supper and to bed.

25th. Up, and to the office, where all the morning. At noon dined at
home, and then to the office all the afternoon, busy till almost 12 at
night, and then home to supper and to bed.

26th. Up at 4 o'clock, and all the morning in my office with W. Hewer
finishing my papers that were so long out of order, and at noon to my
bookseller's, and there bespoke a book or two, and so home to dinner,
where Creed dined with me, and he and I afterwards to Alderman Backewell's
to try him about supplying us with money, which he denied at first and
last also, saving that he spoke a little fairer at the end than before.
But the truth is I do fear I shall have a great deale of trouble in
getting of money. Thence home, and in the evening by water to the Duke of
Albemarle, whom I found mightily off the hooks, that the ships are not
gone out of the River; which vexed me to see, insomuch that I am afeard
that we must expect some change or addition of new officers brought upon
us, so that I must from this time forward resolve to make myself appear
eminently serviceable in attending at my office duly and no where else,
which makes me wish with all my heart that I had never anything to do with
this business of Tangier. After a while at my office, home to supper
vexed, and to bed.

27th. Up, and to the office, where all the morning; at noon dined at
home, and then to my office again,, where late, and so to bed, with my
mind full of fears for the business of this office and troubled with that
of Tangier, concerning which Mr. Povy was with me, but do give me little
help, but more reason of being troubled. So that were it not for our
Plymouth business I would be glad to be rid of it.

28th (Lord's day). By water to the Duke of Albemarle, where I hear that
Nixon is condemned to be shot to death, for his cowardice, by a Council of
War. Went to chapel and heard a little musique, and there met with Creed,
and with him a little while walking, and to Wilkinson's for me to drink,
being troubled with winde, and at noon to Sir Philip Warwicke's to dinner,
where abundance of company come in unexpectedly; and here I saw one pretty
piece of household stuff, as the company increaseth, to put a larger leaf
upon an oval table. After dinner much good discourse with Sir Philip, who
I find, I think, a most pious, good man, and a professor of a
philosophical manner of life and principles like Epictetus, whom he cites
in many things. Thence to my Lady Sandwich's, where, to my shame, I had
not been a great while before. Here, upon my telling her a story of my
Lord Rochester's running away on Friday night last with Mrs. Mallett, the
great beauty and fortune of the North, who had supped at White Hall with
Mrs. Stewart, and was going home to her lodgings with her grandfather, my
Lord Haly, by coach; and was at Charing Cross seized on by both horse and
foot men, and forcibly taken from him, and put into a coach with six
horses, and two women provided to receive her, and carried away. Upon
immediate pursuit, my Lord of Rochester (for whom the King had spoke to
the lady often, but with no successe) was taken at Uxbridge; but the lady
is not yet heard of, and the King mighty angry, and the Lord sent to the
Tower. Hereupon my Lady did confess to me, as a great secret, her being
concerned in this story. For if this match breaks between my Lord
Rochester and her, then, by the consent of all her friends, my Lord
Hinchingbroke stands fair, and is invited for her. She is worth, and will
be at her mother's death (who keeps but a little from her), L2500 per
annum. Pray God give a good success to it! But my poor Lady, who is
afeard of the sickness, and resolved to be gone into the country, is
forced to stay in towne a day or two, or three about it, to see the event
of it. Thence home and to see my Lady Pen, where my wife and I were shown
a fine rarity: of fishes kept in a glass of water, that will live so for
ever; and finely marked they are, being foreign.--[Gold-fish introduced
from China.]--So to supper at home and to bed, after many people being
with me about business, among others the two Bellamys about their old debt
due to them from the King for their victualling business, out of which I
hope to get some money.

29th. Lay long in bed, being in some little pain of the wind collique,
then up and to the Duke of Albemarle, and so to the Swan, and there drank
at Herbert's, and so by coach home, it being kept a great holiday through
the City, for the birth and restoration of the King. To my office, where
I stood by and saw Symson the joyner do several things, little jobbs, to
the rendering of my closet handsome and the setting up of some neat plates
that Burston has for my money made me, and so home to dinner, and then
with my wife, mother, and Mercer in one boat, and I in another, down to
Woolwich. I walking from Greenwich, the others going to and fro upon the
water till my coming back, having done but little business. So home and
to supper, and, weary, to bed. We have every where taken some prizes.
Our merchants have good luck to come home safe: Colliers from the North,
and some Streights men just now. And our Hambrough ships, of whom we were
so much afeard, are safe in Hambrough. Our fleete resolved to sail out
again from Harwich in a day or two.

30th. Lay long, and very busy all the morning, at noon to the 'Change,
and thence to dinner to Sir G. Carteret's, to talk upon the business of
insuring our goods upon the Hambrough [ships]. Here a very fine, neat
French dinner, without much cost, we being all alone with my Lady and one
of the house with her; thence home and wrote letters, and then in the
evening, by coach, with my wife and mother and Mercer, our usual tour by
coach, and eat at the old house at Islington; but, Lord! to see how my
mother found herself talk upon every object to think of old stories. Here
I met with one that tells me that Jack Cole, my old schoolefellow, is dead
and buried lately of a consumption, who was a great crony of mine. So
back again home, and there to my closet to write letters. Hear to my
great trouble that our Hambrough ships,

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