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Gilbert Parker - "The Translation of a Savage, Volume 1."

Samuel Pepys - "Diary of Samuel Pepys, July 1667"

George Barr McCutcheon - "Beverly of Graustark"

Unknown - "The Bible, Douay Rheims, Book 28: Jeremias"

Diary of Samuel Pepys, 1666 N.S. Complete

S >> Samuel Pepys >> Diary of Samuel Pepys, 1666 N.S. Complete




23rd. At the office all the morning, whither Sir W. Coventry sent me word
that the Dutch fleete is certainly abroad; and so we are to hasten all we
have to send to our fleete with all speed. But, Lord! to see how my Lord
Bruncker undertakes the despatch of the fire-ships, when he is no more fit
for it than a porter; and all the while Sir W. Pen, who is the most fit,
is unwilling to displease him, and do not look after it; and so the King's
work is like to be well done. At noon dined at home, Lovett with us; but
he do not please me in his business, for he keeps things long in hand, and
his paper do not hold so good as I expected--the varnish wiping off in a
little time--a very sponge; and I doubt by his discourse he is an odde
kind of fellow, and, in plain terms, a very rogue. He gone, I to the
office (having seen and liked the upholsters' work in my roome--which they
have almost done), and there late, and in the evening find Mr. Batelier
and his sister there and then we talked and eat and were merry, and so
parted late, and to bed.

24th. Up, and dispatched several businesses at home in the morning, and
then comes Sympson to set up my other new presses

[These presses still exist, and, according to Pepys's wish, they are
placed in the second court of Magdalene College in a room which they
exactly fit, and the books are arranged in the presses just as they
were when presented to the college.--M. B.]

for my books, and so he and I fell in to the furnishing of my new closett,
and taking out the things out of my old, and I kept him with me all day,
and he dined with me, and so all the afternoon till it was quite darke
hanging things, that is my maps and pictures and draughts, and setting up
my books, and as much as we could do, to my most extraordinary
satisfaction; so that I think it will be as noble a closett as any man
hath, and light enough--though, indeed, it would be better to have had a
little more light. He gone, my wife and I to talk, and sup, and then to
setting right my Tangier accounts and enter my Journall, and then to bed
with great content in my day's worke. This afternoon comes Mrs. Barbary
Sheldon, now Mrs. Wood, to see my wife. I was so busy I would not see
her. But she came, it seems, mighty rich in rings and fine clothes, and
like a lady, and says she is matched mighty well, at which I am very glad,
but wonder at her good fortune and the folly of her husband, and vexed at
myself for not paying her the respect of seeing her, but I will come out
of her debt another time.

25th. All the morning at the office. At noon dined at home, and after
dinner up to my new closett, which pleases me mightily, and there I
proceeded to put many things in order as far as I had time, and then set
it in washing, and stood by myself a great while to see it washed; and
then to the office, and then wrote my letters and other things, and then
in mighty good humour home to supper and to bed.

26th (Lord's day). Up betimes, and to the finishing the setting things in
order in my new closett out of my old, which I did thoroughly by the time
sermon was done at church, to my exceeding joy, only I was a little
disturbed with newes my Lord Bruncker brought me, that we are to attend
the King at White Hall this afternoon, and that it is about a complaint
from the Generalls against us. Sir W. Pen dined by invitation with me,
his Lady and daughter being gone into the country. We very merry. After
dinner we parted, and I to my office, whither I sent for Mr. Lewes and
instructed myself fully in the business of the Victualling, to enable me
to answer in the matter; and then Sir W. Pen and I by coach to White Hall,
and there staid till the King and Cabinet were met in the Green Chamber,
and then we were called in; and there the King begun with me, to hear how
the victualls of the fleete stood. I did in a long discourse tell him and
the rest (the Duke of Yorke, Lord Chancellor, Lord Treasurer, both the
Secretarys, Sir G. Carteret, and Sir W. Coventry,) how it stood, wherein
they seemed satisfied, but press mightily for more supplies; and the
letter of the Generalls, which was read, did lay their not going or too
soon returning from the Dutch coast, this next bout, to the want of
victuals. They then proceeded to the enquiry after the fireships; and did
all very superficially, and without any severity at all. But, however, I
was in pain, after we come out, to know how I had done; and hear well
enough. But, however, it shall be a caution to me to prepare myself
against a day of inquisition. Being come out, I met with Mr. Moore, and
he and I an houre together in the Gallery, telling me how far they are
gone in getting my Lord [Sandwich's] pardon, so as the Chancellor is
prepared in it; and Sir H. Bennet do promote it, and the warrant for the
King's signing is drawn. The business between my Lord Hinchingbroke and
Mrs. Mallett is quite broke off; he attending her at Tunbridge, and she
declaring her affections to be settled; and he not being fully pleased
with the vanity and liberty of her carriage. He told me how my Lord has
drawn a bill of exchange from Spayne of L1200, and would have me supply
him with L500 of it, but I avoyded it, being not willing to embarke myself
in money there, where I see things going to ruine. Thence to discourse of
the times; and he tells me he believes both my Lord Arlington and Sir W.
Coventry, as well as my Lord Sandwich and Sir G. Carteret, have reason to
fear, and are afeard of this Parliament now coming on. He tells me that
Bristoll's faction is getting ground apace against my Lord Chancellor. He
told me that my old Lord Coventry was a cunning, crafty man, and did make
as many bad decrees in Chancery as any man; and that in one case, that
occasioned many years' dispute, at last when the King come in, it was
hoped by the party grieved, to get my Lord Chancellor to reverse a decree
of his. Sir W. Coventry took the opportunity of the business between the
Duke of Yorke and the Duchesse, and said to my Lord Chancellor, that he
had rather be drawn up Holborne to be hanged, than live to see his father
pissed upon (in these very terms) and any decree of his reversed. And so
the Chancellor did not think fit to do it, but it still stands, to the
undoing of one Norton, a printer, about his right to the printing of the
Bible, and Grammar, &c. Thence Sir W. Pen and I to Islington and there
drank at the Katherine Wheele, and so down the nearest way home, where
there was no kind of pleasure at all. Being come home, hear that Sir J.
Minnes has had a very bad fit all this day, and a hickup do take him,
which is a very bad sign, which troubles me truly. So home to supper a
little and then to bed.

27th. Up, and to my new closett, which pleases me mightily, and there did
a little business. Then to break open a window, to the leads' side in my
old closett, which will enlighten the room mightily, and make it mighty
pleasant. So to the office, and then home about one thing or other, about
my new closet, for my mind is full of nothing but that. So at noon to
dinner, mightily pleased with my wife's picture that she is upon. Then to
the office, and thither come and walked an hour with me Sir G. Carteret,
who tells me what is done about my Lord's pardon, and is not for letting
the Duke of Yorke know any thing of it beforehand, but to carry it as
speedily and quietly as we can. He seems to be very apprehensive that the
Parliament will be troublesome and inquisitive into faults, but seems not
to value them as to himself. He gone, I to the Victualling Office, there
with Lewes' and Willson setting the business of the state of the fleete's
victualling even and plain, and that being done, and other good discourse
about it over, Mr. Willson and I by water down the River for discourse
only, about business of the office, and then back, and I home, and after a
little at my office home to my new closet, and there did much business on
my Tangier account and my Journall for three days. So to supper and to
bed. We are not sure that the Dutch fleete is out. I have another
memento from Sir W. Coventry of the want of provisions in the fleete,
which troubles me, though there is no reason for it; but will have the
good effect of making me more wary. So, full of thoughts, to bed.

28th. Up, and in my new closet a good while doing business. Then called
on Mrs. Martin and Burroughs of Westminster about business of the former's
husband. Which done, I to the office, where we sat all the morning. At
noon I, with my wife and Mercer, to Philpott Lane, a great cook's shop, to
the wedding of Mr. Longracke, our purveyor, a good, sober, civil man, and
hath married a sober, serious mayde. Here I met much ordinary company, I
going thither at his great request; but there was Mr. Madden and his lady,
a fine, noble, pretty lady, and he, and a fine gentleman seems to be. We
four were most together; but the whole company was very simple and
innocent. A good-dinner, and, what was best, good musique. After dinner
the young women went to dance; among others Mr. Christopher Pett his
daughter, who is a very pretty, modest girle, I am mightily taken with
her; and that being done about five o'clock, home, very well pleased with
the afternoon's work. And so we broke up mightily civilly, the bride and
bridegroom going to Greenwich (they keeping their dinner here only for my
sake) to lie, and we home, where I to the office, and anon am on a sudden
called to meet Sir W. Pen and Sir W. Coventry at the Victualling Office,
which did put me out of order to be so surprised. But I went, and there
Sir William Coventry did read me a letter from the Generalls to the King,

[The letter from Prince Rupert and the Duke of Albemarle to the king
(dated August 27th, from the "Royal Charles," Sole Bay) is among the
State Papers. The generals complain of the want of supplies, in
spite of repeated importunities. The demands are answered by
accounts from Mr. Pepys of what has been sent to the fleet, which
will not satisfy the ships, unless the provisions could be found
". . . Have not a month's provision of beer, yet Sir Wm. Coventry
assures the ministers that they are supplied till Oct. 3; unless
this is quickened they will have to return home too soon . . . .
Want provisions according to their own computation, not Sir Wm.
Coventry's, to last to the end of October" ("Calendar," 1666-67, p.
71).]

a most scurvy letter, reflecting most upon Sir W. Coventry, and then upon
me for my accounts (not that they are not true, but that we do not
consider the expence of the fleete), and then of the whole office, in
neglecting them and the King's service, and this in very plain and sharp
and menacing terms. I did give a good account of matters according to our
computation of the expence of the fleete. I find Sir W. Coventry willing
enough to accept of any thing to confront the Generalls. But a great
supply must be made, and shall be in grace of God! But, however, our
accounts here will be found the true ones. Having done here, and much
work set me, I with greater content home than I thought I should have
done, and so to the office a while, and then home, and a while in my new
closet, which delights me every day more and more, and so late to bed.

29th. Up betimes, and there to fit some Tangier accounts, and then, by
appointment, to my Lord Bellasses, but about Paul's thought of the chant
paper I should carry with me, and so fain to come back again, and did, and
then met with Sir W. Pen, and with him to my Lord Bellasses, he sitting in
the coach the while, while I up to my Lord and there offered him my
account of the bills of exchange I had received and paid for him, wherein
we agree all but one L200 bill of Vernatty's drawing, wherein I doubt he
hath endeavoured to cheate my Lord; but that will soon appear. Thence took
leave, and found Sir W. Pen talking to Orange Moll, of the King's house,
who, to our great comfort, told us that they begun to act on the 18th of
this month. So on to St. James's, in the way Sir W. Pen telling me that
Mr. Norton, that married Sir J. Lawson's daughter, is dead. She left L800
a year jointure, a son to inherit the whole estate. She freed from her
father-in-law's tyranny, and is in condition to helpe her mother, who
needs it; of which I am glad, the young lady being very pretty. To St.
James's, and there Sir W. Coventry took Sir W. Pen and me apart, and read
to us his answer to the Generalls' letter to the King that he read last
night; wherein he is very plain, and states the matter in full defence of
himself and of me with him, which he could not avoid; which is a good
comfort to me, that I happen to be involved with him in the same cause.
And then, speaking of the supplies which have been made to this fleete,
more than ever in all kinds to any, even that wherein the Duke of Yorke
himself was, "Well," says he, "if this will not do, I will say, as Sir J.
Falstaffe did to the Prince, 'Tell your father, that if he do not like
this let him kill the next Piercy himself,'"--["King Henry IV.," Part I,
act v., sc. 4.]--and so we broke up, and to the Duke, and there did our
usual business. So I to the Parke and there met Creed, and he and I
walked to Westminster to the Exchequer, and thence to White Hall talking
of Tangier matters and Vernatty's knavery, and so parted, and then I
homeward and met Mr. Povy in Cheapside, and stopped and talked a good
while upon the profits of the place which my Lord Bellasses hath made this
last year, and what share we are to have of it, but of this all imperfect,
and so parted, and I home, and there find Mrs. Mary Batelier, and she
dined with us; and thence I took them to Islington, and there eat a
custard; and so back to Moorfields, and shewed Batelier, with my wife,
"Polichinello," which I like the more I see it; and so home with great
content, she being a mighty good-natured, pretty woman, and thence I to
the Victualling office, and there with Mr. Lewes and Willson upon our
Victualling matters till ten at night, and so I home and there late
writing a letter to Sir W. Coventry, and so home to supper and to bed. No
newes where the Dutch are. We begin to think they will steale through the
Channel to meet Beaufort. We think our fleete sayled yesterday, but we
have no newes of it.

30th. Up and all the morning at the office, dined at home, and in the
afternoon, and at night till two in the morning, framing my great letter
to Mr. Hayes about the victualling of the fleete, about which there has
been so much ado and exceptions taken by the Generalls.

31st. To bed at 2 or 3 in the morning and up again at 6 to go by
appointment to my Lord Bellasses, but he out of town, which vexed me. So
back and got Mr. Poynter to enter into, my book while I read from my last
night's notes the letter, and that being done to writing it fair. At noon
home to dinner, and then the boy and I to the office, and there he read
while I writ it fair, which done I sent it to Sir W. Coventry to peruse
and send to the fleete by the first opportunity; and so pretty betimes to
bed. Much pleased to-day with thoughts of gilding the backs of all my
books alike in my new presses.

DIARY OF SAMUEL PEPYS.
SEPTEMBER
1666

September 1st. Up and at the office all the morning, and then dined at
home. Got my new closet made mighty clean against to-morrow. Sir W. Pen
and my wife and Mercer and I to "Polichinelly," but were there horribly
frighted to see Young Killigrew come in with a great many more young
sparks; but we hid ourselves, so as we think they did not see us. By and
by, they went away, and then we were at rest again; and so, the play being
done, we to Islington, and there eat and drank and mighty merry; and so
home singing, and, after a letter or two at the office, to bed.

2nd (Lord's day). Some of our mayds sitting up late last night to get
things ready against our feast to-day, Jane called us up about three in
the morning, to tell us of a great fire they saw in the City. So I rose
and slipped on my nightgowne, and went to her window, and thought it to be
on the backside of Marke-lane at the farthest; but, being unused to such
fires as followed, I thought it far enough off; and so went to bed again
and to sleep. About seven rose again to dress myself, and there looked
out at the window, and saw the fire not so much as it was and further off.
So to my closett to set things to rights after yesterday's cleaning. By
and by Jane comes and tells me that she hears that above 300 houses have
been burned down to-night by the fire we saw, and that it is now burning
down all Fish-street, by London Bridge. So I made myself ready presently,
and walked to the Tower, and there got up upon one of the high places, Sir
J. Robinson's little son going up with me; and there I did see the houses
at that end of the bridge all on fire, and an infinite great fire on this
and the other side the end of the bridge; which, among other people, did
trouble me for poor little Michell and our Sarah on the bridge. So down,
with my heart full of trouble, to the Lieutenant of the Tower, who tells
me that it begun this morning in the King's baker's' house in
Pudding-lane, and that it hath burned St. Magnus's Church and most part of
Fish-street already. So I down to the water-side, and there got a boat
and through bridge, and there saw a lamentable fire. Poor Michell's
house, as far as the Old Swan, already burned that way, and the fire
running further, that in a very little time it got as far as the
Steeleyard, while I was there. Everybody endeavouring to remove their
goods, and flinging into the river or bringing them into lighters that
layoff; poor people staying in their houses as long as till the very fire
touched them, and then running into boats, or clambering from one pair of
stairs by the water-side to another. And among other things, the poor
pigeons, I perceive, were loth to leave their houses, but hovered about
the windows and balconys till they were, some of them burned, their wings,
and fell down. Having staid, and in an hour's time seen the fire: rage
every way, and nobody, to my sight, endeavouring to quench it, but to
remove their goods, and leave all to the fire, and having seen it get as
far as the Steele-yard, and the wind mighty high and driving it into the
City; and every thing, after so long a drought, proving combustible, even
the very stones of churches, and among other things the poor steeple by
which pretty Mrs.--------lives, and whereof my old school-fellow Elborough
is parson, taken fire in the very top, an there burned till it fell down:
I to White Hall (with a gentleman with me who desired to go off from the
Tower, to see the fire, in my boat); to White Hall, and there up to the
Kings closett in the Chappell, where people come about me, and did give
them an account dismayed them all, and word was carried in to the King.
So I was called for, and did tell the King and Duke of Yorke what I saw,
and that unless his Majesty did command houses to be pulled down nothing
could stop the fire. They seemed much troubled, and the King commanded me
to go to my Lord Mayor--[Sir Thomas Bludworth. See June 30th,
1666.]--from him, and command him to spare no houses, but to pull down
before the fire every way. The Duke of York bid me tell him that if he
would have any more soldiers he shall; and so did my Lord Arlington
afterwards, as a great secret.

[Sir William Coventry wrote to Lord Arlington on the evening of this
day, "The Duke of York fears the want of workmen and tools to-morrow
morning, and wishes the deputy lieutenants and justices of peace to
summon the workmen with tools to be there by break of day. In some
churches and chapels are great hooks for pulling down houses, which
should be brought ready upon the place to-night against the morning"
("Calendar of State Papers," 1666-66, p. 95).]

Here meeting, with Captain Cocke, I in his coach, which he lent me, and
Creed with me to Paul's, and there walked along Watlingstreet, as well as
I could, every creature coming away loaden with goods to save, and here
and there sicke people carried away in beds. Extraordinary good goods
carried in carts and on backs. At last met my Lord Mayor in
Canningstreet, like a man spent, with a handkercher about his neck. To
the King's message he cried, like a fainting woman, "Lord! what can I do?
I am spent: people will not obey me. I have been pulling down houses; but
the fire overtakes us faster than we can do it." That he needed no more
soldiers; and that, for himself, he must go and refresh himself, having
been up all night. So he left me, and I him, and walked home, seeing
people all almost distracted, and no manner of means used to quench the
fire. The houses, too, so very thick thereabouts, and full of matter for
burning, as pitch and tarr, in Thames-street; and warehouses of oyle, and
wines, and brandy, and other things. Here I saw Mr. Isaake Houblon, the
handsome man, prettily dressed and dirty, at his door at Dowgate,
receiving some of his brothers' things, whose houses were on fire; and, as
he says, have been removed twice already; and he doubts (as it soon
proved) that they must be in a little time removed from his house also,
which was a sad consideration. And to see the churches all filling with
goods by people who themselves should have been quietly there at this
time. By this time it was about twelve o'clock; and so home, and there
find my guests, which was Mr. Wood and his wife Barbary Sheldon, and also
Mr. Moons: she mighty fine, and her husband; for aught I see, a likely
man. But Mr. Moone's design and mine, which was to look over my closett
and please him with the sight thereof, which he hath long desired, was
wholly disappointed; for we were in great trouble and disturbance at this
fire, not knowing what to think of it. However, we had an extraordinary
good dinner, and as merry, as at this time we could be. While at dinner
Mrs. Batelier come to enquire after Mr. Woolfe and Stanes (who, it seems,
are related to them), whose houses in Fish-street are all burned; and they
in a sad condition. She would not stay in the fright. Soon as dined, I
and Moone away, and walked, through the City, the streets full of nothing
but people and horses and carts loaden with goods, ready to run over one
another, and, removing goods from one burned house to another. They now
removing out of Canning-streets (which received goods in the morning) into
Lumbard-streets, and further;

and among others I now saw my little goldsmith, Stokes, receiving some
friend's goods, whose house itself was burned the day after. We parted at
Paul's; he home, and I to Paul's Wharf, where I had appointed a boat to
attend me, and took in Mr. Carcasse and his brother, whom I met in the
streets and carried them below and above bridge to and again to see the
fire, which was now got further, both below and above and no likelihood of
stopping it. Met with the King and Duke of York in their barge, and with
them to Queenhith and there called Sir Richard Browne to them. Their order
was only to pull down houses apace, and so below bridge the water-side;
but little was or could be done, the fire coming upon them so fast. Good
hopes there was of stopping it at the Three Cranes above, and at
Buttolph's Wharf below bridge, if care be used; but the wind carries it
into the City so as we know not by the water-side what it do there. River
full of lighters and boats taking in goods, and good goods swimming in the
water, and only I observed that hardly one lighter or boat in three that
had the goods of a house in, but there was a pair of Virginalls

[The virginal differed from the spinet in being square instead of
triangular in form. The word pair was used in the obsolete sense of
a set, as we read also of a pair of organs. The instrument is
supposed to have obtained its name from young women, playing upon
it.]

in it. Having seen as much as I could now, I away to White Hall by
appointment, and there walked to St. James's Parks, and there met my wife
and Creed and Wood and his wife, and walked to my boat; and there upon the
water again, and to the fire up and down, it still encreasing, and the
wind great. So near the fire as we could for smoke; and all over the
Thames, with one's face in the wind, you were almost burned with a shower
of firedrops. This is very true; so as houses were burned by these drops
and flakes of fire, three or four, nay, five or six houses, one from
another. When we could endure no more upon the water; we to a little
ale-house on the Bankside, over against the 'Three Cranes, and there staid
till it was dark almost, and saw the fire grow; and, as it grew darker,
appeared more and more, and in corners and upon steeples, and between
churches and houses, as far as we could see up the hill of the City, in a
most horrid malicious bloody flame, not like the fine flame of an ordinary
fire. Barbary and her husband away before us. We staid till, it being
darkish, we saw the fire as only one entire arch of fire from this to the
other side the bridge, and in a bow up the hill for an arch of above a
mile long: it made me weep to see it. The churches, houses, and all on
fire and flaming at once; and a horrid noise the flames made, and the
cracking of houses at their ruins. So home with a sad heart, and there
find every body discoursing and lamenting the fire; and poor Tom Hater
come with some few of his goods saved out of his house, which is burned
upon Fish-streets Hall. I invited him to lie at my house, and did receive
his goods, but was deceived in his lying there, the newes coming every
moment of the growth of the fire; so as we were forced to begin to pack up
our owne goods; and prepare for their removal; and did by moonshine (it
being brave dry, and moon: shine, and warm weather) carry much of my goods
into the garden, and Mr. Hater and I did remove my money and iron chests
into my cellar, as thinking that the safest place. And got my bags of
gold into my office, ready to carry away, and my chief papers of accounts
also there, and my tallys into a box by themselves. So great was our
fear, as Sir W. Batten hath carts come out of the country to fetch away
his goods this night. We did put Mr. Hater, poor man, to bed a little;
but he got but very little rest, so much noise being in my house, taking
down of goods.