Diary of Samuel Pepys, 1667 N.S. Complete

S >> Samuel Pepys >> Diary of Samuel Pepys, 1667 N.S. Complete

Pages:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43

2nd. Up, and to the office, where all the morning sitting, and much
troubled, but little business done for want of money, which makes me
mighty melancholy. At noon home to dinner, and Mr. Deane with me, who
hath promised me a very fine draught of the Rupert, which he will make
purposely for me with great perfection, which I will make one of the
beautifullest things that ever was seen of the kind in the world, she
being a ship that will deserve it. Then to the office, where all the
afternoon very busy, and in the evening weary home and there to sing, but
vexed with the unreadiness of the girle's voice to learn the latter part
of my song, though I confess it is very hard, half notes. So to supper
and to bed.

3rd. Up, and with Sir W. Batten to White Hall to Sir W. Coventry's
chamber, and there did receive the Duke's order for Balty's receiving of
the contingent money to be paymaster of it, and it pleases me the more for
that it is but L1500, which will be but a little sum for to try his
ability and honesty in the disposing of, and so I am the willinger to
trust and pass my word for him therein. By and by up to the Duke of York,
where our usual business, and among other things I read two most dismal
letters of the straits we are in (from Collonell Middleton and
Commissioner Taylor) that ever were writ in the world, so as the Duke of
York would have them to shew the King, and to every demand of money,
whereof we proposed many and very pressing ones, Sir G. Carteret could
make no answer but no money, which I confess made me almost ready to cry
for sorrow and vexation, but that which was the most considerable was when
Sir G. Carteret did say that he had no funds to raise money on; and being
asked by Sir W. Coventry whether the eleven months' tax was not a fund,
and he answered, "No, that the bankers would not lend money upon it."
Then Sir W. Coventry burst out and said he did supplicate his Royal
Highness, and would do the same to the King, that he would remember who
they were that did persuade the King from parting with the Chimney-money
to the Parliament, and taking that in lieu which they would certainly have
given, and which would have raised infallibly ready money; meaning the
bankers and the farmers of the Chimney-money, whereof Sir, G. Carteret, I
think, is one; saying plainly, that whoever did advise the King to that,
did, as much as in them lay, cut the King's throat, and did wholly betray
him; to which the Duke of York did assent; and remembered that the King
did say again and again at the time, that he was assured, and did fully
believe, the money would be raised presently upon a land-tax. This put as
all into a stound; and Sir W. Coventry went on to declare, that he was
glad he was come to have so lately concern in the Navy as he hath, for he
cannot now give any good account of the Navy business; and that all his
work now was to be able to provide such orders as would justify his Royal
Highness in the business, when it shall be called to account; and that he
do do, not concerning himself whether they are or can be performed, or no;
and that when it comes to be examined, and falls on my Lord Treasurer, he
cannot help it, whatever the issue of it shall be. Hereupon Sir W. Batten
did pray him to keep also by him all our letters that come from the office
that may justify us, which he says he do do, and, God knows, it is an ill
sign when we are once to come to study how to excuse ourselves. It is a
sad consideration, and therewith we broke up, all in a sad posture, the
most that ever I saw in my life. One thing more Sir W. Coventry did say to
the Duke of York, when I moved again, that of about L9000 debt to Lanyon,
at Plymouth, he might pay L3700 worth of prize-goods, that he bought
lately at the candle, out of this debt due to him from the King; and the
Duke of York, and Sir G: Carteret, and Lord Barkeley, saying, all of them,
that my Lord Ashly would not be got to yield to it, who is Treasurer of
the Prizes, Sir W. Coventry did plainly desire that it might be declared
whether the proceeds of the prizes were to go to the helping on of the
war, or no; and, if it were, how then could this be denied? which put them
all into another stound; and it is true, God forgive us! Thence to the
chappell, and there, by chance, hear that Dr. Crew is to preach; and so
into the organ-loft, where I met Mr. Carteret, and my Lady Jemimah, and
Sir Thomas Crew's two daughters, and Dr. Childe played; and Dr. Crew did
make a very pretty, neat, sober, honest sermon; and delivered it very
readily, decently, and gravely, beyond his years: so as I was exceedingly
taken with it, and I believe the whole chappell, he being but young; but
his manner of his delivery I do like exceedingly. His text was, "But
seeke ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these
things shall be added unto you." Thence with my Lady to Sir G. Carteret's
lodgings, and so up into the house, and there do hear that the Dutch
letters are come, and say that the Dutch have ordered a passe to be sent
for our Commissioners, and that it is now upon the way, coming with a
trumpeter blinded, as is usual. But I perceive every body begins to doubt
the success of the treaty, all their hopes being only that if it can be
had on any terms, the Chancellor will have it; for he dare not come before
a Parliament, nor a great many more of the courtiers, and the King himself
do declare he do not desire it, nor intend it but on a strait; which God
defend him from! Here I hear how the King is not so well pleased of this
marriage between the Duke of Richmond and Mrs. Stewart, as is talked; and
that he [the Duke] by a wile did fetch her to the Beare, at the
Bridge-foot, where a coach was ready, and they are stole away into Kent,
without the King's leave; and that the King hath said he will never see
her more; but people do think that it is only a trick. This day I saw
Prince Rupert abroad in the Vane-room, pretty well as he used to be, and
looks as well, only something appears to be under his periwigg on the
crown of his head. So home by water, and there find my wife gone abroad
to her tailor's, and I dined alone with W. Hewer, and then to the office
to draw up a memorial for the Duke of York this afternoon at the Council
about Lanyon's business. By and by we met by appointment at the office
upon a reference to Carcasses business to us again from the Duke of York,
but a very confident cunning rogue we have found him at length. He
carried himself very uncivilly to Sir W. Batten this afternoon, as
heretofore, and his silly Lord [Bruncker] pleaded for him, but all will
not nor shall not do for ought he shall give, though I love the man as a
man of great parts and ability. Thence to White Hall by water (only
asking Betty Michell by the way how she did), and there come too late to
do any thing at the Council. So by coach to my periwigg maker's and
tailor's, and so home, where I find my wife with her flageolet master,
which I wish she would practise, and so to the office, and then to Sir W.
Batten's, and then to Sir W. Pen's, talking and spending time in vain a
little while, and then home up to my chamber, and so to supper and to bed,
vexed at two or three things, viz. that my wife's watch proves so bad as
it do; the ill state of the office; and Kingdom's business; at the charge
which my mother's death for mourning will bring me when all paid.

4th. Up, and going down found Jervas the barber with a periwigg which I
had the other day cheapened at Westminster, but it being full of nits, as
heretofore his work used to be, I did now refuse it, having bought
elsewhere. So to the office till noon, busy, and then (which I think I
have not done three times in my life) left the board upon occasion of a
letter of Sir W. Coventry, and meeting Balty at my house I took him with
me by water, and to the Duke of Albemarle to give him an account of the
business, which was the escaping of some soldiers for the manning of a few
ships now going out with Harman to the West Indies, which is a sad
consideration that at the very beginning of the year and few ships abroad
we should be in such want of men that they do hide themselves, and swear
they will not go to be killed and have no pay. I find the Duke of
Albemarle at dinner with sorry company, some of his officers of the Army;
dirty dishes, and a nasty wife at table, and bad meat, of which I made but
an ill dinner. Pretty to hear how she talked against Captain Du Tell, the
Frenchman, that the Prince and her husband put out the last year; and how,
says she, the Duke of York hath made him, for his good services, his
Cupbearer; yet he fired more shot into the Prince's ship, and others of
the King's ships, than of the enemy. And the Duke of Albemarle did
confirm it, and that somebody in the fight did cry out that a little
Dutchman, by his ship, did plague him more than any other; upon which they
were going to order him to be sunk, when they looked and found it was Du
Tell, who, as the Duke of Albemarle says, had killed several men in
several of our ships. He said, but for his interest, which he knew he had
at Court, he had hanged him at the yard's-arm, without staying for a
Court-martiall. One Colonel Howard, at the table, magnified the Duke of
Albemarle's fight in June last, as being a greater action than ever was
done by Caesar. The Duke of Albemarle, did say it had been no great
action, had all his number fought, as they should have done, to have beat
the Dutch; but of his 55 ships, not above 25 fought. He did give an
account that it was a fight he was forced to: the Dutch being come in his
way, and he being ordered to the buoy of the Nore, he could not pass by
them without fighting, nor avoid them without great disadvantage and
dishonour; and this Sir G. Carteret, I afterwards giving him an account of
what he said, says that it is true, that he was ordered up to the Nore.
But I remember he said, had all his captains fought, he would no more have
doubted to have beat the Dutch, with all their number, than to eat the
apple that lay on his trencher. My Lady Duchesse, among other things,
discoursed of the wisdom of dividing the fleete; which the General said
nothing to, though he knows well that it come from themselves in the
fleete, and was brought up hither by Sir Edward Spragge. Colonel Howard,
asking how the prince did, the Duke of Albemarle answering, "Pretty well;"
the other replied, "But not so well as to go to sea again."--"How!" says
the Duchess, "what should he go for, if he were well, for there are no
ships for him to command? And so you have brought your hogs to a fair
market," said she. [It was pretty to hear the Duke of Albemarle himself
to wish that they would come on our ground, meaning the French, for that
he would pay them, so as to make them glad to go back to France again;
which was like a general, but not like an admiral.] One at the table told
an odd passage in this late plague: that at Petersfield, I think, he said,
one side of the street had every house almost infected through the town,
and the other, not one shut up. Dinner being done, I brought Balty to the
Duke of Albemarle to kiss his hand and thank him far his kindness the last
year to him, and take leave of him, and then Balty and I to walk in the
Park, and, out of pity to his father, told him what I had in my thoughts
to do for him about the money--that is, to make him Deputy Treasurer of
the fleete, which I have done by getting Sir G. Carteret's consent, and an
order from the Duke of York for L1500 to be paid to him. He promises the
whole profit to be paid to my wife, for to be disposed of as she sees fit,
for her father and mother's relief. So mightily pleased with our walk, it
being mighty pleasant weather, I back to Sir G. Carteret's, and there he
had newly dined, and talked, and find that he do give every thing over for
lost, declaring no money to be raised, and let Sir W. Coventry name the
man that persuaded the King to take the Land Tax on promise, of raising
present money upon it. He will, he says, be able to clear himself enough
of it. I made him merry, with telling him how many land-admirals we are
to have this year: Allen at Plymouth, Holmes at Portsmouth, Spragge for
Medway, Teddiman at Dover, Smith to the Northward, and Harman to the
Southward. He did defend to me Sir W. Coventry as not guilty of the
dividing of the fleete the last year, and blesses God, as I do, for my
Lord Sandwich's absence, and tells me how the King did lately observe to
him how they have been particularly punished that were enemies to my Lord
Sandwich. Mightily pleased I am with his family, and my Lady Carteret was
on the bed to-day, having been let blood, and tells me of my Lady
Jemimah's being big-bellied. Thence with him to my Lord Treasurer's, and
there walked during Council sitting with Sir Stephen Fox, talking of the
sad condition of the King's purse, and affairs thereby; and how sad the
King's life must be, to pass by his officers every hour, that are four
years behind-hand unpaid. My Lord Barkeley [of Stratton] I met with
there, and fell into talk with him on the same thing, wishing to God that
it might be remedied, to which he answered, with an oath, that it was as
easy to remedy it as anything in the world; saying, that there is himself
and three more would venture their carcasses upon it to pay all the King's
debts in three years, had they the managing his revenue, and putting
L300,000 in his purse, as a stock. But, Lord! what a thing is this to
me, that do know how likely a man my Lord Barkeley of all the world is, to
do such a thing as this. Here I spoke with Sir W. Coventry, who tells me
plainly that to all future complaints of lack of money he will answer but
with the shrug of his shoulder; which methought did come to my heart, to
see him to begin to abandon the King's affairs, and let them sink or swim,
so he do his owne part, which I confess I believe he do beyond any officer
the King hath, but unless he do endeavour to make others do theirs,
nothing will be done. The consideration here do make me go away very sad,
and so home by coach, and there took up my wife and Mercer, who had been
to-day at White Hall to the Maundy,

[The practice of giving alms on Maundy Thursday to poor men and
women equal in number to the years of the sovereign's age is a
curious survival in an altered form of an old custom. The original
custom was for the king to wash the feet of twelve poor persons, and
to give them a supper in imitation of Christ's last supper and his
washing of the Apostles' feet. James II. was the last sovereign to
perform the ceremony in person, but it was performed by deputy so
late as 1731. The Archbishop of York was the king's deputy on that
occasion. The institution has passed through the various stages of
feet washing with a supper, the discontinuance of the feet washing,
the substitution of a gift of provisions for the supper, and finally
the substitution of a gift of money for the provisions. The
ceremony took place at the Chapel Royal, Whitehall; but it is now
held at Westminster Abbey. Maundy is derived from the Latin word
'maudatum', which commences the original anthem sung during the
ceremony, in reference to Christ's command]

it being Maundy Thursday; but the King did not wash the poor people's feet
himself, but the Bishop of London did it for him, but I did not see it,
and with them took up Mrs. Anne Jones at her mother's door, and so to take
the ayre to Hackney, where good neat's tongue, and things to eat and
drink, and very merry, the weather being mighty pleasant; and here I was
told that at their church they have a fair pair of organs, which play
while the people sing, which I am mighty glad of, wishing the like at our
church at London, and would give L50 towards it. So very pleasant, and
hugging of Mercer in our going home, we home, and then to the office to do
a little business, and so to supper at home and to bed.

5th. Up, and troubled with Mr. Carcasse's coming to speak with me, which
made me give him occasion to fall into a heat, and he began to be
ill-mannered to me, which made me angry. He gone, I to Sir W. Pen about
the business of Mrs. Turner's son to keep his ship in employment, but so
false a fellow as Sir W. Pen is I never did nor hope shall ever know
again. So to the office, and there did business, till dinnertime, and
then home to dinner, wife and I alone, and then down to the Old Swan, and
drank with Betty and her husband, but no opportunity para baiser la. So
to White Hall to the Council chamber, where I find no Council held till
after the holidays. So to Westminster Hall, and there bought a pair of
snuffers, and saw Mrs. Howlett after her sickness come to the Hall again.
So by coach to the New Exchange and Mercer's and other places to take up
bills for what I owe them, and to Mrs. Pierce, to invite her to dinner
with us on Monday, but staid not with her. In the street met with Mr.
Sanchy, my old acquaintance at Cambridge, reckoned a great minister here
in the City; and by Sir Richard Ford particularly, which I wonder at; for
methinks, in his talk, he is but a mean man. I set him down in Holborne,
and I to the Old Exchange, and there to Sir Robert Viner's, and made up my
accounts there, to my great content; but I find they do not keep them so
regularly as, to be able to do it easily, and truly, and readily, nor
would it have been easily stated by any body on my behalf but myself,
several things being to be recalled to memory, which nobody else could
have done, and therefore it is fully necessary for me to even accounts
with these people as often as I can. So to the 'Change, and there met
with Mr. James Houblon, but no hopes, as he sees, of peace whatever we
pretend, but we shall be abused by the King of France. Then home to the
office, and busy late, and then to Sir W. Batten's, where Mr. Young was
talking about the building of the City again; and he told me that those
few churches that are to be new built are plainly not chosen with regard
to the convenience of the City; they stand a great many in a cluster about
Cornhill; but that all of them are either in the gift of the Lord
Archbishop, or Bishop of London, or Lord Chancellor, or gift of the City.
Thus all things, even to the building of churches, are done in this world!
And then he says, which I wonder at, that I should not in all this time
see, that Moorefields have houses two stories high in them, and paved
streets, the City having let leases for seven years, which he do conclude
will be very much to the hindering the building of the City; but it was
considered that the streets cannot be passable in London till a whole
street be built; and several that had got ground of the City for charity,
to build sheds on, had got the trick presently to sell that for L60, which
did not cost them L20 to put up; and so the City, being very poor in
stock, thought it as good to do it themselves, and therefore let leases
for seven years of the ground in Moorefields; and a good deal of this
money, thus advanced, hath been employed for the enabling them to find
some money for Commissioner Taylor, and Sir W. Batten, towards the charge
of "The Loyall London," or else, it is feared, it had never been paid.
And Taylor having a bill to pay wherein Alderman Hooker was concerned it
was his invention to find out this way of raising money, or else this had
not been thought on. So home to supper and to bed. This morning come to
me the Collectors for my Pollmoney; for which I paid for my title as
Esquire and place of Clerk of Acts, and my head and wife's, and servants'
and their wages, L40 17s; and though this be a great deal, yet it is a
shame I should pay no more; that is, that I should not be assessed for my
pay, as in the Victualling business and Tangier; and for my money, which,
of my own accord, I had determined to charge myself with L1000 money, till
coming to the Vestry, and seeing nobody of our ablest merchants, as Sir
Andrew Rickard, to do it, I thought it not decent for me to do it, nor
would it be thought wisdom to do it unnecessarily, but vain glory.

6th. Up, and betimes in the morning down to the Tower wharfe, there to
attend the shipping of soldiers, to go down to man some ships going out,
and pretty to see how merrily some, and most go, and how sad others--the
leave they take of their friends, and the terms that some wives, and other
wenches asked to part with them: a pretty mixture. So to the office,
having staid as long as I could, and there sat all the morning, and then
home at noon to dinner, and then abroad, Balty with me, and to White Hall,
by water, to Sir G. Carteret, about Balty's L1500 contingent money for the
fleete to the West Indys, and so away with him to the Exchange, and
mercers and drapers, up and down, to pay all my scores occasioned by this
mourning for my mother; and emptied a L50 bag, and it was a joy to me to
see that I am able to part with such a sum, without much inconvenience; at
least, without any trouble of mind. So to Captain Cocke's to meet Fenn,
to talk about this money for Balty, and there Cocke tells me that he is
confident there will be a peace, whatever terms be asked us, and he
confides that it will take because the French and Dutch will be jealous
one of another which shall give the best terms, lest the other should make
the peace with us alone, to the ruin of the third, which is our best
defence, this jealousy, for ought I at present see. So home and there very
late, very busy, and then home to supper and to bed, the people having got
their house very clean against Monday's dinner.

7th (Easter day). Up, and when dressed with my wife (in mourning for my
mother) to church both, where Mr. Mills, a lazy sermon. Home to dinner,
wife and I and W. Hewer, and after dinner I by water to White Hall to Sir
G. Carteret's, there to talk about Balty's money, and did present Balty to
him to kiss his hand, and then to walk in the Parke, and heard the Italian
musique at the Queen's chapel, whose composition is fine, but yet the
voices of eunuchs I do not like like our women, nor am more pleased with
it at all than with English voices, but that they do jump most excellently
with themselves and their instrument, which is wonderful pleasant; but I
am convinced more and more, that, as every nation has a particular accent
and tone in discourse, so as the tone of one not to agree with or please
the other, no more can the fashion of singing to words, for that the
better the words are set, the more they take in of the ordinary tone of
the country whose language the song speaks, so that a song well composed
by an Englishman must be better to an Englishman than it can be to a
stranger, or than if set by a stranger in foreign words. Thence back to
White Hall, and there saw the King come out of chapel after prayers in the
afternoon, which he is never at but after having received the Sacrament:
and the Court, I perceive, is quite out of mourning; and some very fine;
among others, my Lord Gerard, in a very rich vest and coat. Here I met
with my Lord Bellasses: and it is pretty to see what a formal story he
tells me of his leaving, his place upon the death of my Lord Cleveland,
by which he is become Captain of the Pensioners; and that the King did
leave it to him to keep the other or take this; whereas, I know the
contrary, that they had a mind to have him away from Tangier. He tells me
he is commanded by the King to go down to the Northward to satisfy the
Deputy Lieutenants of Yorkshire, who have desired to lay down their
commissions upon pretence of having no profit by their places but charge,
but indeed is upon the Duke of Buckingham's being under a cloud (of whom
there is yet nothing heard), so that the King is apprehensive of their
discontent, and sends him to pacify them, and I think he is as good a
dissembler as any man else, and a fine person he is for person, and proper
to lead the Pensioners, but a man of no honour nor faith I doubt. So to
Sir G. Carteret's again to talk with him about Balty's money, and wrote a
letter to Portsmouth about part of it, and then in his coach, with his
little daughter Porpot (as he used to nickname her), and saw her at home,
and her maid, and another little gentlewoman, and so I walked into Moore
Fields, and, as is said, did find houses built two stories high, and like
to stand; and it must become a place of great trade, till the City be
built; and the street is already paved as London streets used to be, which
is a strange, and to mean unpleasing sight. So home and to my chamber
about sending an express to Portsmouth about Balty's money, and then comes
Mrs. Turner to enquire after her son's business, which goes but bad, which
led me to show her how false Sir W. Pen is to her, whereupon she told me
his obligations to her, and promises to her, and how a while since he did
show himself dissatisfied in her son's coming to the table and applying
himself to me, which is a good nut, and a nut I will make use of. She
gone I to other business in my chamber, and then to supper and to bed.
The Swede's Embassadors and our Commissioners are making all the haste
they can over to the treaty for peace, and I find at Court, and
particularly Lord Bellasses, says there will be a peace, and it is worth
remembering what Sir W. Coventry did tell me (as a secret though) that
whereas we are afeard Harman's fleete to the West Indys will not be got
out before the Dutch come and block us up, we shall have a happy pretext
to get out our ships under pretence of attending the Embassadors and
Commissioners, which is a very good, but yet a poor shift.