Diary of Samuel Pepys, 1667 N.S. Complete

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was surprized with it, and made me no answer all the way home; but there
we parted, and I to the office late, and then home, and without supper to
bed, vexed.

12th (Lord's day). Up, and to my chamber, to settle some accounts there,
and by and by down comes my wife to me in her night-gown, and we begun
calmly, that upon having money to lace her gown for second mourning, she
would promise to wear white locks no more in my sight, which I, like a
severe fool, thinking not enough, begun to except against, and made her
fly out to very high terms and cry, and in her heat told me of keeping
company with Mrs. Knipp, saying, that if I would promise never to see her
more--of whom she hath more reason to suspect than I had heretofore of
Pembleton--she would never wear white locks more. This vexed me, but I
restrained myself from saying anything, but do think never to see this
woman--at least, to have her here more, but by and by I did give her money
to buy lace, and she promised to wear no more white locks while I lived,
and so all very good friends as ever, and I to my business, and she to
dress herself. Against noon we had a coach ready for us, and she and I to
White Hall, where I went to see whether Sir G. Carteret was at dinner or
no, our design being to make a visit there, and I found them set down,
which troubled me, for I would not then go up, but back to the coach to my
wife, and she and I homeward again, and in our way bethought ourselves of
going alone, she and I, to go to a French house to dinner, and so enquired
out Monsieur Robins, my perriwigg-maker, who keeps an ordinary, and in an
ugly street in Covent Garden, did find him at the door, and so we in; and
in a moment almost had the table covered, and clean glasses, and all in
the French manner, and a mess of potage first, and then a couple of
pigeons a la esterve, and then a piece of boeuf-a-la-mode, all exceeding
well seasoned, and to our great liking; at least it would have been
anywhere else but in this bad street, and in a perriwigg-maker's house;
but to see the pleasant and ready attendance that we had, and all things
so desirous to please, and ingenious in the people, did take me mightily.
Our dinner cost us 6s., and so my wife and I away to Islington, it being a
fine day, and thence to Sir G. Whitmore's house, where we 'light, and
walked over the fields to Kingsland, and back again; a walk, I think, I
have not taken these twenty years; but puts me in mind of my boy's time,
when I boarded at Kingsland, and used to shoot with my bow and arrows in
these fields. A very pretty place it is; and little did any of my friends
think I should come to walk in these fields in this condition and state
that I am. Then took coach again, and home through Shoreditch; and at
home my wife finds Barker to have been abroad, and telling her so many
lies about it, that she struck her, and the wench said she would not stay
with her: so I examined the wench, and found her in so many lies myself,
that I was glad to be rid of her, and so resolved having her go away
to-morrow. So my wife and W. Hewer and I to supper, and then he and I to
my chamber to begin the draught of the report from this office to the Duke
of York in the case of Mr. Carcasse, which I sat up till midnight to do,
and then to bed, believing it necessary to have it done, and to do it
plainly, for it is not to be endured the trouble that this rascal hath put
us to, and the disgrace he hath brought upon this office.

13th. Up, and when ready, to the office (my wife rising to send away
Barker, according to our resolution last night, and she did do it with
more clothes than have cost us L10, and 20s. in her purse, which I did for
the respect I bear Mr. Falconbridge, otherwise she had not deserved half
of it, but I am the more willing to do it to be rid of one that made work
and trouble in the house, and had not qualities of any honour or pleasure
to me or my family, but what is a strange thing did always declare to her
mistress and others that she had rather be put to drudgery and to wash the
house than to live as she did like a gentlewoman), and there I and Gibson
all the morning making an end of my report against Carcasse, which I think
will do our business, but it is a horrid shame such a rogue should give me
and all of us this trouble. This morning come Sir H. Cholmly to me for a
tally or two; and tells me that he hears that we are by agreement to give
the King of France Nova Scotia, which he do not like: but I do not know
the importance of it.

[Nova Scotia and the adjoining countries were called by the French
Acadie. Pepys is not the only official personage whose ignorance of
Nova Scotia is on record. A story is current of a prime minister
(Duke of Newcastle) who was surprised at hearing Cape Breton was an
island. "Egad, I'll go tell the King Cape Breton is an island!"
Of the same it is said, that when told Annapolis was in danger, and
ought to be defended: "Oh! certainly Annapolis must be defended,--
where is Annapolis?"--B.]

Then abroad with my wife to my Lord Treasurer's, and she to her tailor's.
I find Sir Philip Warwicke, who I perceive do give over my Lord Treasurer
for a man of this world, his pain being grown great again upon him, and
all the rest he hath is by narcotiques, and now Sir Philip Warwicke do
please himself, like a good man, to tell some of the good ejaculations of
my Lord Treasurer concerning the little worth of this world, to buy it
with so much pain, and other things fit for a dying man. So finding no
business likely to be done here for Tangier, I having a warrant for
tallies to be signed, I away to the New Exchange, and there staid a
little, and then to a looking-glass shop to consult about covering the
wall in my closet over my chimney, which is darkish, with looking-glasses,
and then to my wife's tailor's, but find her not ready to go home, but got
to buy things, and so I away home to look after my business and finish my
report of Carcasse, and then did get Sir W. Batten, Sir J. Minnes, and
[Sir] W. Pen together, and read it over with all the many papers relating
to the business, which they do wonder at, and the trouble I have taken
about it, and like the report, so as that they do unanimously resolve to
sign it, and stand by it, and after a great deal of discourse of the
strange deportment of my Lord Bruncker in this business to withstand the
whole board in behalf of such an impudent rogue as this is, I parted, and
home to my wife, and supped and talked with her, and then to bed,
resolving to rise betimes to-morrow to write fair the report.

14th. Up by 5 o'clock, and when ready down to my chamber, and there with
Mr. Fist, Sir W. Batten's clerk, who writes mighty well, writing over our
report in Mr. Carcasses business, in which we continued till 9 o'clock,
that the office met, and then to the office, where all the morning, and so
at noon home to dinner, where Mr. Holliard come and eat with us, who among
other things do give me good hopes that we shall give my father some ease
as to his rupture when he comes to town, which I expect to-morrow. After
dinner comes Fist, and he and I to our report again till 9 o'clock, and
then by coach to my Lord Chancellor's, where I met Mr. Povy, expecting the
coming of the rest of the Commissioners for Tangier. Here I understand
how the two Dukes, both the only sons of the Duke of York, are sick even
to danger, and that on Sunday last they were both so ill, as that the poor
Duchess was in doubt which would die first: the Duke of Cambridge of some
general disease; the other little Duke, whose title I know not, of the
convulsion fits, of which he had four this morning. Fear that either of
them might be dead, did make us think that it was the occasion that the
Duke of York and others were not come to the meeting of the Commission
which was designed, and my Lord Chancellor did expect. And it was pretty
to observe how, when my Lord sent down to St. James's to see why the Duke
of York come not, and Mr. Povy, who went, returned, my Lord (Chancellor)
did ask, not how the Princes or the Dukes do, as other people do, but "How
do the children?" which methought was mighty great, and like a great man
and grandfather. I find every body mightily concerned for these children,
as a matter wherein the State is much concerned that they should live. At
last it was found that the meeting did fail from no known occasion, at
which my Lord Chancellor was angry, and did cry out against Creed that he
should give him no notice. So Povy and I went forth, and staid at the gate
of the house by the streete, and there stopped to talk about the business
of the Treasury of Tangier, which by the badness of our credit, and the
resolution that the Governor shall not be paymaster, will force me to
provide one there to be my paymaster, which I will never do, but rather
lose my place, for I will not venture my fortune to a fellow to be
employed so far off, and in that wicked place. Thence home, and with Fist
presently to the finishing the writing fair of our report. And by and by
to Sir W. Batten's, and there he and I and [Sir] J. Minnes and [Sir] W.
Pen did read and sign it with great good liking, and so away to the office
again to look over and correct it, and then home to supper and to bed, my
mind being pretty well settled, having this report done, and so to supper
and to bed.

15th. [This morning my wife had some things brought home by a new woman
of the New Exchange, one Mrs. Smith, which she would have me see for her
fine hand, and indeed it is a fine hand, and the woman I have observed is
a mighty pretty looked woman.] Up, and with Sir W. Batten and [Sir] J.
Minnes to St. James's, and stopt at Temple Bar for Sir J. Minnes to go
into the Devil's Taverne to shit, he having drunk whey, and his belly
wrought. Being come, we up to the Duke of York's chamber, who, when
ready, we to our usual business, and being very glad, we all that signed
it, that is, Sir J. Minnes, W. Batten, W. Pen, and myself, and then Sir G.
Carteret and [Sir] W. Coventry, Bruncker, and T. Harvy, and the officers
of the Ordnance, Sir J. Duncombe, and Mr. Cholmely presented our report
about Carcasse, and did afterwards read it with that success that the Duke
of York was for punishing him, not only with turning him out of the
office, but with what other punishment he could, which nobody did forward,
and so he escaped, only with giving security to secure the King against
double tickets of his and other things that he might have wronged the King
or subject in before his dismission. Yet, Lord! to see how our silly
Lord Bruncker would have stood to have justified this rogue, though to the
reproach of all us who have signed, which I shall never forget to have
been a most malicious or a most silly act, and I do think it is as much
the latter as the other, for none but a fool could have done as this silly
Lord hath done in this business. So the Duke of York did like our report,
and ordered his being secured till he did give his security, which did
fully content me, and will I hope vindicate the office. It happened that
my Lord Arlington coming in by chance was at the hearing of all this,
which I was not sorry for, for he did move or did second the Duke of York
that this roguery of his might be put in the News-book that it might be
made publique to satisfy for the wrong the credit of this office hath
received by this rogue's occasion. So with utmost content I away with Sir
G. Carteret to London, talking all the way; and he do tell me that the
business of my Lord Hinchingbroke his marriage with my Lord Burlington's
daughter is concluded on by all friends; and that my Lady is now told of
it, and do mightily please herself with it; which I am mighty glad of. So
home, and there I find that my wife hath been at my desire at the Inne,
thinking that my father might be come up with the coach, but he is not
come this week, poor man, but will be here the next. At noon to dinner,
and then to Sir W. Batten's, where I hear the news how our Embassadors
were but ill received at Flushing, nor at Bredah itself, there being only
a house and no furniture provided for them, though it be said that they
have as much as the French. Here we staid talking a little, and then I to
the office about my business, and thence to the office, where busy about
my own papers of my office, and by and by comes the office full to examine
Sir W. Warren's account, which I do appear mighty fierce in against him,
and indeed am, for his accounts are so perplexed that I am sure he cannot
but expect to get many a L1000 in it before it passes our hands, but I
will not favour him, but save what I can to the King. At his accounts,
wherein I very high against him, till late, and then we broke up with
little done, and so broke up, and I to my office, where late doing of
business, and then home to supper and to bed. News still that my Lord
Treasurer is so ill as not to be any man of this world; and it is said
that the Treasury shall be managed by Commission. I would to God Sir G.
Carteret, or my Lord Sandwich, be in it! But the latter is the more fit
for it. This day going to White Hall, Sir W. Batten did tell me strange
stories of Sir W. Pen, how he is already ashamed of the fine coach which
his son-in-law and daughter have made, and indeed it is one of the most
ridiculous things for people of their low, mean fashion to make such a
coach that ever I saw. He tells me how his people come as they do to mine
every day to borrow one thing or other, and that his Lady hath been forced
to sell some coals (in the late dear time) only to enable her to pay money
that she hath borrowed of Griffin to defray her family expense, which is a
strange story for a rogue that spends so much money on clothes and other
occasions himself as he do, but that which is most strange, he tells me
that Sir W. Pen do not give L6000, as is usually [supposed], with his
daughter to him, and that Mr. Lowder is come to use the tubb, that is to
bathe and sweat himself, and that his lady is come to use the tubb too,
which he takes to be that he hath, and hath given her the pox, but I hope
it is not so, but, says Sir W. Batten, this is a fair joynture, that he
hath made her, meaning by that the costs the having of a bath.

16th. Up, and to the office, where we sat all the morning, and, among
other things, comes in Mr. Carcasse, and after many arguings against it,
did offer security as was desired, but who should this be but Mr. Powell,
that is one other of my Lord Bruncker's clerks; and I hope good use will
be made of it. But then he began to fall foul upon the injustice of the
Board, which when I heard I threatened him with being laid by the heels,
which my Lord Bruncker took up as a thing that I could not do upon the
occasion he had given, but yet did own that it was ill said of him. I
made not many words of it, but have let him see that I can say what I will
without fear of him, and so we broke off, leaving the bond to be drawn by
me, which I will do in the best manner I can. At noon, this being Holy
Thursday, that is, Ascension Day, when the boys go on procession round the
parish, we were to go to the Three Tuns' Tavern, to dine with the rest of
the parish; where all the parish almost was, Sir Andrew Rickard and
others; and of our house, J. Minnes, W. Batten, W. Pen, and myself; and
Mr. Mills did sit uppermost at the table. Here we were informed that the
report of our Embassadors being ill received in their way to Bredah is not
true, but that they are received with very great civility, which I am glad
to hear. But that that did vex me was that among all us there should come
in Mr. Carcasse to be a guest for his money (5s. a piece) as well as any
of us. This did vex me, and I would have gone, and did go to my house,
thinking to dine at home, but I was called away from them, and so we sat
down, and to dinner. Among other things Sir John Fredericke and Sir R.
Ford did talk of Paul's School, which, they tell me, must be taken away;
and then I fear it will be long before another place, as they say is
promised, is found; but they do say that the honour of their company is
concerned in the doing of it, and that it is a thing that they are obliged
to do. Thence home, and to my office, where busy; anon at 7 at night I
and my wife and Sir W. Pen in his coach to Unthanke's, my wife's tailor,
for her to speak one word, and then we to my Lord Treasurer's, where I
find the porter crying, and suspected it was that my Lord is dead; and,
poor Lord! we did find that he was dead just now; and the crying of the
fellow did so trouble me, that considering I was not likely to trouble him
any more, nor have occasion to give any more anything, I did give him 3s.;
but it may be, poor man, he hath lost a considerable hope by the death of
his Lord, whose house will be no more frequented as before, and perhaps I
may never come thither again about any business. There is a good man
gone: and I pray God that the Treasury may not be worse managed by the
hand or hands it shall now be put into; though, for certain, the slowness,
though he was of great integrity, of this man, and remissness, have gone
as far to undo the nation, as anything else that hath happened; and yet,
if I knew all the difficulties that he hath lain under, and his instrument
Sir Philip Warwicke, I might be brought to another mind. Thence we to
Islington, to the Old House, and there eat and drank, and then it being
late and a pleasant evening, we home, and there to my chamber, and to bed.
It is remarkable that this afternoon Mr. Moore come to me, and there,
among other things, did tell me how Mr. Moyer, the merchant, having
procured an order from the King and Duke of York and Council, with the
consent of my Lord Chancellor, and by assistance of Lord Arlington, for
the releasing out of prison his brother, Samuel Moyer, who was a great man
in the late times in Haberdashers'-hall, and was engaged under hand and
seal to give the man that obtained it so much in behalf of my Lord
Chancellor; but it seems my Lady Duchess of Albemarle had before
undertaken it for so much money, but hath not done it. The Duke of
Albemarle did the next day send for this Moyer, to tell him, that
notwithstanding this order of the King and Council's being passed for
release of his brother, yet, if he did not consider the pains of some
friends of his, he would stop that order. This Moyer being an honest,
bold man, told him that he was engaged to the hand that had done the thing
to give him a reward; and more he would not give, nor could own any
kindness done by his Grace's interest; and so parted. The next day Sir
Edward Savage did take the said Moyer in tax about it, giving ill words of
this Moyer and his brother; which he not being able to bear, told him he
would give to the person that had engaged him what he promised, and not
any thing to any body else; and that both he and his brother were as
honest men as himself, or any man else; and so sent him going, and bid him
do his worst. It is one of the most extraordinary cases that ever I saw
or understood; but it is true. This day Mr. Sheply is come to town and to
see me, and he tells me my father is very well only for his pain, so that
he is not able to stir; but is in great pain. I would to God that he were
in town that I might have what help can be got for him, for it troubles me
to have him live in that condition of misery if I can help it.

17th. Up, and to the office, where all the morning upon some accounts of
Mr. Gawden's, and at noon to the Three Tuns to dinner with Lord Bruncker,
Sir J. Minnes, W. Batten, W. Pen, and T. Harvy, where very merry, and my
Lord Bruncker in appearance as good friends as ever, though I know he has
a hatred to me in heart. After dinner to my house, where Mr. Sheply
dined, and we drank and talked together. He, poor man, hath had his arm
broke the late frost, slipping in going over Huntingdon Bridge. He tells
me that jasper Trice and Lewes Phillips and Mr. Ashfield are gone from
Brampton, and he thinks chiefly from the height of Sir J. Bernard's
carriage, who carries all things before him there, which they cannot bear
with, and so leave the town, and this is a great instance of the advantage
a man of the law hath over all other people, which would make a man to
study it a little. Sheply being gone, there come the flageolet master,
who having had a bad bargain of teaching my wife by the year, she not
practising so much as she should do, I did think that the man did deserve
some more consideration, and so will give him an opportunity of 20s. a
month more, and he shall teach me, and this afternoon I begun, and I think
it will be a few shillings well spent. Then to Sir R. Viner's with 600
pieces of gold to turn into silver, for the enabling me to answer Sir G.
Carteret's L3000; which he now draws all out of my hand towards the paying
for a purchase he hath made for his son and my Lady Jemimah, in
Northamptonshire, of Sir Samuel Luke, in a good place; a good house, and
near all her friends; which is a very happy thing. Thence to St. James's,
and there spoke with Sir W. Coventry, and give him some account of some
things, but had little discourse with him, there being company with him,
and so directly home again and then to my office, doing some business, and
so to my house, and with my wife to practice on the flageolet a little,
and with great pleasure I see she can readily hit her notes, but only want
of practice makes her she cannot go through a whole tune readily. So to
supper and to bed.

18th. Up, and all the morning at the office, and then to dinner, and
after dinner to the office to dictate some letters, and then with my wife
to Sir W. Turner's to visit The., but she being abroad we back again home,
and then I to the office, finished my letters, and then to walk an hour in
the garden talking with my wife, whose growth in musique do begin to
please me mightily, and by and by home and there find our Luce drunk, and
when her mistress told her of it would be gone, and so put up some of her
things and did go away of her accord, nobody pressing her to it, and the
truth is, though she be the dirtiest, homeliest servant that ever I kept,
yet I was sorry to have her go, partly through my love to my servants, and
partly because she was a very drudging, working wench, only she would be
drunk. But that which did a little trouble me was that I did hear her
tell her mistress that she would tell her master something before she was
aware of her that she would be sorry to have him know; but did it in such
a silly, drunken manner, that though it trouble me a little, yet not
knowing what to suspect she should know, and not knowing well whether she
said it to her mistress or Jane, I did not much think of it. So she gone,
we to supper and to bed, my study being made finely clean.

19th (Lord's day). Up, and to my chamber to set some papers in order, and
then, to church, where my old acquaintance, that dull fellow, Meriton,
made a good sermon, and hath a strange knack of a grave, serious delivery,
which is very agreeable. After church to White Hall, and there find Sir
G. Carteret just set down to dinner, and I dined with them, as I intended,
and good company, the best people and family in the world I think. Here
was great talk of the good end that my Lord Treasurer made; closing his
owne eyes and setting his mouth, and bidding adieu with the greatest
content and freedom in the world; and is said to die with the cleanest
hands that ever any Lord Treasurer did. After dinner Sir G. Carteret and
I alone, and there, among other discourse, he did declare that he would be
content to part with his place of Treasurer of the Navy upon good terms.
I did propose my Lord Belasses as a man likely to buy it, which he
listened to, and I did fully concur and promote his design of parting with
it, for though I would have my father live, I would not have him die
Treasurer of the Navy, because of the accounts which must be uncleared at
his death, besides many other circumstances making it advisable for him to
let it go. He tells me that he fears all will come to naught in the
nation soon if the King do not mind his business, which he do not seem
likely to do. He says that the Treasury will be managed for a while by a
Commission, whereof he thinks my Lord Chancellor for the honour of it, and
my Lord Ashly, and the two Secretaries will be, and some others he knows
not. I took leave of him, and directly by water home, and there to read
the life of Mr. Hooker, which pleases me as much as any thing I have read
a great while, and by and by comes Mr. Howe to see us, and after him a
little Mr. Sheply, and so we all to talk, and, Mercer being there, we some
of us to sing, and so to supper, a great deal of silly talk. Among other
things, W. Howe told us how the Barristers and Students of Gray's Inne
rose in rebellion against the Benchers the other day, who outlawed them,
and a great deal of do; but now they are at peace again. They being gone,
I to my book again, and made an end of Mr. Hooker's Life, and so to bed.