Diary of Samuel Pepys, 1667 N.S. Complete

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11th. And then rose and called W. Hewer, and he and I, with pails and a
sieve, did lock ourselves into the garden, and there gather all the earth
about the place into pails, and then sift those pails in one of the
summer-houses, just as they do for dyamonds in other parts of the world;
and there, to our great content, did with much trouble by nine o'clock
(and by the time we emptied several pails and could not find one), we did
make the last night's forty-five up seventy-nine: so that we are come to
about twenty or thirty of what I think the true number should be; and
perhaps within less; and of them I may reasonably think that Mr. Gibson
might lose some: so that I am pretty well satisfied that my loss is not
great, and do bless God that it is so well,

[About the year 1842, in removing the foundation of an old wall,
adjoining a mansion at Brampton, always considered the quondam
residence of the Pepys family, an iron pot, full of silver coins,
was discovered, and taken to the Earl of Sandwich, the owner of the
house, in whose possession they still remain. The pot was so much
corroded, that a small piece of it only could be preserved. The
coins were chiefly half-crowns of Elizabeth and the two elder
Stuarts, and all of a date anterior to the Restoration. Although
Pepys states that the treasure which he caused to be buried was gold
exclusively, it is very probable that, in the confusion, a pot full
of silver money was packed up with the rest; but, at all events, the
coincidence appeared too singular to pass over without notice.--B.]

and do leave my father to make a second examination of the dirt, which he
promises he will do, and, poor man, is mightily troubled for this
accident, but I declared myself very well satisfied, and so indeed I am;
and my mind at rest in it, being but an accident, which is unusual; and so
gives me some kind of content to remember how painful it is sometimes to
keep money, as well as to get it, and how doubtful I was how to keep it
all night, and how to secure it to London: and so got all my gold put up
in bags. And so having the last night wrote to my Lady Sandwich to lend
me John Bowles to go along with me my journey, not telling her the reason,
that it was only to secure my gold, we to breakfast, and then about ten
o'clock took coach, my wife and I, and Willet, and W. Hewer, and Murford
and Bowles (whom my Lady lent me), and my brother John on horseback; and
with these four I thought myself pretty safe. But, before we went out,
the Huntingdon musick come to me and played, and it was better than that
of Cambridge. Here I took leave of my father, and did give my sister 20s.
She cried at my going; but whether it was at her unwillingness for my
going, or any unkindness of my wife's, or no, I know not; but, God forgive
me! I take her to be so cunning and ill-natured, that I have no great
love for her; but only [she] is my sister, and must be provided for. My
gold I put into a basket, and set under one of the seats; and so my work
every quarter of an hour was to look to see whether all was well; and I
did ride in great fear all the day, but it was a pleasant day, and good
company, and I mightily contented. Mr. Shepley saw me beyond St. Neots,
and there parted, and we straight to Stevenage, through Bald Lanes, which
are already very bad; and at Stevenage we come well before night, and all
sat, and there with great care I got the gold up to the chamber, my wife
carrying one bag, and the girl another, and W. Hewer the rest in the
basket, and set it all under a bed in our chamber; and then sat down to
talk, and were very pleasant, satisfying myself, among other things, from
John Bowles, in some terms of hunting, and about deere, bucks, and does.
And so anon to supper, and very merry we were, and a good supper, and
after supper to bed. Brecocke alive still, and the best host I know
almost.

12th. Up, and eat our breakfast, and set out about nine o'clock, and so
to Barnett, where we staid and baited, the weather very good all day and
yesterday, and by five o'clock got home, where I find all well; and did
bring my gold, to my heart's content, very safe home, having not this day
carried it in a basket, but in our hands: the girl took care of one, and
my wife another bag, and I the rest, I being afraid of the bottom of the
coach, lest it should break, and therefore was at more ease in my mind
than I was yesterday. At home we find that Sir W. Batten's burial was
to-day carried from hence, with a hundred or two of coaches, to
Walthamstow, and there buried. Here I hear by Mr. Pierce the surgeon; and
then by Mr. Lewes, and also by Mr. Hater, that the Parliament hath met on
Thursday last, and adjourned to Monday next. The King did make them a
very kind speech, promising them to leave all to them to do, and call to
account what and whom they pleased; and declared by my Lord Keeper how
many, thirty-six, actes he had done since he saw them; among others,
disbanding the army, and putting all Papists out of employment, and
displacing persons that had managed their business ill, that the
Parliament is mightily pleased with the King's speech, and voted giving
him thanks for what he said and hath done; and, among things, would by
name thank him for displacing my Lord Chancellor, for which a great many
did speak in the House, but it was opposed by some, and particularly Harry
Coventry, who got that it should be put to a Committee to consider what
particulars to mention in their thanks to the King, saying that it was too
soon to give thanks for the displacing of a man, before they knew or had
examined what was the cause of his displacing. And so it rested; but this
do shew that they are and will be very high; and Mr. Pierce do tell me
that he fears, and do hear, that it hath been said among them, that they
will move for the calling my Lord Sandwich home, to bring him to account;
which do trouble me mightily; but I trust it will not be so. Anon comes
home Sir W. Pen from the burial, and he and I to walk in the garden, where
he did confirm the most of this news, and so to talk of our particular
concernments, and among the rest he says that Lady Batten and her
children-in-law are all broke in pieces, and that there is but L800 found
in the world, of money; and is in great doubt what we shall do towards the
doing ourselves right with them, about the prize-money. This troubles me,
but we will fall to work upon that next week close. Then he tells me he
did deliver my petition into the hands of Sir W. Coventry, who did take it
with great kindness and promised to present it to the Duke of York, and
that himself has since seen the Duke of York, but it was in haste, and
thinks the Duke of York did tell him that the thing was done, but he is
confident that it either is or will be done. This do please me mightily.
So after a little talk more I away home to supper with John Bowles and
brother and wife (who, I perceive, is already a little jealous of my being
fond of Willet, but I will avoid giving her any cause to continue in that
mind, as much as possible), and before that did go with Sir W. Pen to my
Lady Batten, whom I had not seen since she was a widow, which she took
unkindly, but I did excuse it; and the house being full of company, and of
several factions, she against the children, and they against one another
and her, I away, and home to supper, and after supper to bed.

13th (Lord's day). Up, and by water to White Hall, and thence walked to
Sir W. Coventry's lodgings, but he was gone out, so I to St. James's, and
there to the Duke of York's chamber: and there he was dressing; and many
Lords and Parliament-men come to kiss his hands, they being newly come to
town. And there the Duke of York did of himself call me to him, and tell
me that he had spoke to the King, and that the King had granted me the
ship I asked for; and did, moreover, say that he was mightily satisfied
with my service, and that he would be willing to do anything that was in
his power for me: which he said with mighty kindness; which I did return
him thanks for, and departed with mighty joy, more than I did expect. And
so walked over the Park to White Hall, and there met Sir H. Cholmly, who
walked with me, and told me most of the news I heard last night of the
Parliament; and thinks they will do all things very well, only they will
be revenged of my Lord Chancellor; and says, however, that he thinks there
will be but two things proved on him; and that one is, that he may have
said to the King, and to others, words to breed in the King an ill opinion
of the Parliament--that they were factious, and that it was better to
dissolve them: and this, he thinks, they will be able to prove; but what
this will amount to, he knows not. And next, that he hath taken money for
several bargains that have been made with the Crown; and did instance one
that is already complained of: but there are so many more involved in it,
that, should they unravel things of this sort, every body almost will be
more or less concerned. But these are the two great points which he
thinks they will insist on, and prove against him. Thence I to the Chapel,
and there heard the sermon and a pretty good anthem, and so home by water
to dinner, where Bowies and brother, and a good dinner, and in the
afternoon to make good my journal to this day, and so by water again to
White Hall, and thence only walked to Mrs. Martin's, and there sat with
her and her sister and Borroughs . . . and there drank and talked and
away by water home, and there walked with Sir W. Pen, and told him what
the Duke of York told me to-day about the ship I begged; and he was knave
enough, of his own accord, but, to be sure, in order to his own advantage,
to offer me to send for the master of the vessel, "The Maybolt Galliott,"
and bid him to get her furnished as for a long voyage, and I to take no
notice of it, that she might be the more worth to me: so that here he is a
very knave to the King, and I doubt not his being the same to me on
occasion. So in a doors and supped with my wife and brother, W. Hewer,
and Willett, and so evened with W. Hewer for my expenses upon the road
this last journey, and do think that the whole journey will cost me little
less than L18 or L20, one way or other; but I am well pleased with it, and
so after supper to bed.

14th. Up, and by water to White Hall, and thence walked to St. James's,
and there to Mr. Wren's; and he told me that my business was done about my
warrant on the Maybolt Galliott; which I did see, and though it was not so
full in the reciting of my services as the other was in that of Sir W.
Pen's, yet I was well pleased with it, and do intend to fetch it away
anon. Thence with Sir Thomas Allen, in a little sorry coach which he hath
set up of late, and Sir Jeremy Smith, to White Hall, and there I took
water and went to Westminster Hall, and there hear that the House is this
day again upon the business of giving the King the thanks of the House for
his speech, and, among other things, for laying aside of my Lord
Chancellor. Thence I to Mrs. Martin's, where by appointment comes to me
Mrs. Howlett, which I was afraid was to have told me something of my
freedom with her daughter, but it was not so, but only to complain to me
of her son-in-law, how he abuses and makes a slave of her, and his mother
is one that encourages him in it, so that they are at this time upon very
bad terms one with another, and desires that I would take a time to advise
him and tell him what it becomes him to do, which office I am very glad
of, for some ends of my own also con sa fille, and there drank and parted,
I mightily satisfied with this business, and so home by water with Sir W.
Warren, who happened to be at Westminster, and there I pretty strange to
him, and little discourse, and there at the office Lord Bruncker, W. Pen,
T. Hater and I did some business, and so home to dinner, and thence I out
to visit Sir G. Carteret and ladies there; and from him do understand that
the King himself (but this he told me as a great secret) is satisfied that
this thanks which he expects from the House, for the laying aside of my
Lord Chancellor, is a thing irregular; but, since it is come into the
House, he do think it necessary to carry it on, and will have it, and hath
made his mind known to be so, to some of the House. But Sir G. Carteret
do say he knows nothing of what my Lord Bruncker told us to-day, that the
King was angry with the Duke of York yesterday, and advised him not to
hinder what he had a mind to have done, touching this business; which is
news very bad, if true. Here I visited my Lady Carteret, who hath been
sick some time, but now pretty well, but laid on her bed. Thence to my
Lord Crew, to see him after my coming out of the country, and he seems
satisfied with some steps they have made in my absence towards my Lord
Sandwich's relief for money: and so I have no more to do, nor will trouble
myself more about it till they send for me. He tells me also that the
King will have the thanks of the House go on: and commends my Lord
Keeper's speech for all but what he was forced to say, about the reason of
the King's sending away the House so soon the last time, when they were
met, but this he was forced to do. Thence to Westminster Hall, and there
walked with Mr. Scowen, who tells me that it is at last carried in the
House that the thanks shall be given to the King--among other things,
particularly for the removal of my Lord Chancellor; but he tells me it is
a strange act, and that which he thinks would never have been, but that
the King did insist upon it, that, since it come into the House, it might
not be let fall. After walking there awhile I took coach and to the Duke
of York's House, and there went in for nothing into the pit, at the last
act, to see Sir Martin Marrall, and met my wife, who was there, and my
brother, and W. Hewer and Willett, and carried them home, still being
pleased with the humour of the play, almost above all that ever I saw.
Home, and there do find that John Bowles is not yet come thither. I
suppose he is playing the good fellow in the town. So to the office a
while, and then home to supper and to bed.

15th. Up, and to the office, where, Sir W. Pen being ill of the gout, we
all of us met there in his parlour and did the business of the office, our
greatest business now being to manage the pay of the ships in order and
with speed to satisfy the Commissioners of the Treasury. This morning my
brother set out for Brampton again, and is gone. At noon home to dinner,
and thence my wife and I and Willet to the Duke of York's house, where,
after long stay, the King and Duke of York come, and there saw "The
Coffee-house," the most ridiculous, insipid play that ever I saw in my
life, and glad we were that Betterton had no part in it. But here, before
the play begun, my wife begun to complain to me of Willet's confidence in
sitting cheek by jowl by us, which was a poor thing; but I perceive she is
already jealous of my kindness to her, so that I begin to fear this girle
is not likely to stay long with us. The play done, we home by coach, it
being moonlight, and got well home, and I to my chamber to settle some
papers, and so to supper and to bed.

16th. Up, and at home most of the morning with Sir H. Cholmly, about some
accounts of his; and for news he tells me that the Commons and Lords have
concurred, and delivered the King their thanks, among other things, for
his removal of the Chancellor; who took their thanks very well, and, among
other things, promised them, in these words, never, in any degree, to
entertain the Chancellor any employment again. And he tells me that it is
very true, he hath it from one that was by, that the King did, give the
Duke of York a sound reprimand; told him that he had lived with him with
more kindness than ever any brother King lived with a brother, and that he
lived as much like a monarch as himself, but advised him not to cross him
in his designs about the Chancellor; in which the Duke of York do very
wisely acquiesce, and will be quiet as the King bade him, but presently
commands all his friends to be silent in the business of the Chancellor,
and they were so: but that the Chancellor hath done all that is possible
to provoke the King, and to bring himself to lose his head by enraging of
people. He gone, I to the office, busy all the morning. At noon to Broad
Street to Sir G. Carteret and Lord Bruncker, and there dined with them,
and thence after dinner with Bruncker to White Hall, where the Duke of
York is now newly come for this winter, and there did our usual business,
which is but little, and so I away to the Duke of York's house, thinking
as we appointed, to meet my wife there, but she was not; and more, I was
vexed to see Young (who is but a bad actor at best) act Macbeth in the
room of Betterton, who, poor man! is sick: but, Lord! what a prejudice it
wrought in me against the whole play, and everybody else agreed in
disliking this fellow. Thence home, and there find my wife gone home;
because of this fellow's acting of the part, she went out of the house
again. There busy at my chamber with Mr. Yeabsly, and then with Mr.
Lewes, about public business late, and so to supper and to bed.

17th. Up, and being sent for by my Lady Batten, I to her, and there she
found fault with my not seeing her since her being a widow, which I
excused as well as I could, though it is a fault, but it is my nature not
to be forward in visits. But here she told me her condition, which is
good enough, being sole executrix, to the disappointment of all her
husband's children, and prayed my friendship about the accounts of the
prizes, which I promised her. And here do see what creatures widows are
in weeping for their husbands, and then presently leaving off; but I
cannot wonder at it, the cares of the world taking place of all other
passions. Thence to the office, where all the morning busy, and at noon
home to dinner, where Mr. John Andrews and his wife come and dined with
me, and pretty merry we were, only I out of humour the greatest part of
the dinner, by reason that my people had forgot to get wine ready, I
having none in my house, which I cannot say now these almost three years,
I think, without having two or three sorts, by which we were fain to stay
a great while, while some could be fetched. When it come I begun to be
merry, and merry we were, but it was an odd, strange thing to observe of
Mr. Andrews what a fancy he hath to raw meat, that he eats it with no
pleasure unless the blood run about his chops, which it did now by a leg
of mutton that was not above half boiled; but, it seems, at home all his
meat is dressed so, and beef and all, and [he] eats it so at nights also.
Here most of our discourse is of the business of the Parliament, who run
on mighty furiously, having yesterday been almost all the morning
complaining against some high proceedings of my Lord Chief Justice
Keeling, that the gentlemen of the country did complain against him in the
House, and run very high. It is the man that did fall out with my cozen
Roger Pepys, once, at the Assizes there, and would have laid him by the
heels; but, it seems, a very able lawyer. After dinner I to the office,
where we all met with intent to proceed to the publique sale of several
prize ships, but upon discourse my Lord Anglesey did discover (which
troubled me that he that is a stranger almost should do more than we
ourselves could) that the appraisements made by our officers were not
above half of what he had been offered for one of them, and did make it
good by bringing a gentleman to give us L700 for the Wildboare, which they
valued but at L276, which made us all startle and stop the sale, and I did
propose to acquaint the Duke of York with it, and accordingly we did agree
on it, and I wrote a severe letter about it, and we are to attend him with
it to-morrow about it. This afternoon my Lord Anglesey tells us that the
House of Commons have this morning run into the inquiry in many things;
as, the sale of Dunkirke, the dividing of the fleete the last year, the
business of the prizes with my Lord Sandwich, and many other things; so
that now they begin to fall close upon it, and God knows what will be the
end of it, but a Committee they have chosen to inquire into the
miscarriages of the war. Having done, and being a little tired, Sir W.
Pen and I in his coach out to Mile End Green, and there drank a cup of
Byde's ale, and so talking about the proceedings of Parliament, and how
little a thing the King is become to be forced to suffer it, though I
declare my being satisfied that things should be enquired into, we back
again home, and I to my office to my letters, and so home to supper and to
bed.

18th. Up, and by coach with Sir W. Pen to White Hall, and there attended
the Duke of York; but first we find him to spend above an hour in private
in his closet with Sir W. Coventry; which I was glad to see, that there is
so much confidence between them. By and by we were called in and did our
usual business, and complained of the business yesterday discovered of our
officers abusing the King in the appraisement of the prizes. Here it was
worth observing that the Duke of York, considering what third rate ships
to keep abroad, the Rupert was thought on, but then it was said that
Captain Hubbert was Commander of her and that the King had a mind for
Spragg to command the ship, which would not be well to be by turning out
Hubbert, who is a good man, but one the Duke of York said he did not know
whether he did so well conforme, as at this lime to please the people and
Parliament. Sir W. Coventry answered, and the Duke of York merrily agreed
to it, that it was very hard to know what it was that the Parliament would
call conformity at this time, and so it stopped, which I only observe to
see how the Parliament's present temper do amuse them all. Thence to
several places to buy a hat, and books, and neckcloths, and several
errands I did before I got home, and, among others, bought me two new pair
of spectacles of Turlington, who, it seems, is famous for them; and his
daughter, he being out of the way, do advise me two very young sights, as
that that will help me most, and promises me great ease from them, and I
will try them. At the Exchange I met Creed, and took him home with me,
and dined, and among other things he tells me that Sir Robert Brookes is
the man that did mention the business in Parliament yesterday about my
Lord Sandwich, but that it was seconded by nobody, but the matter will
fall before the Committee for miscarriages. Thence, after dinner, my wife
and he, and I, and Willet to the King's house, and saw "Brenoralt," which
is a good tragedy, that I like well, and parted after the play, and so
home, and there a little at my office, and so to my chamber, and spent
this night late in telling over all my gold, and putting it into proper
bags and my iron chest, being glad with my heart to see so much of it here
again, but cannot yet tell certainly how much I have lost by Gibson in his
journey, and my father's burying of it in the dirt. At this late, but did
it to my mind, and so to supper and to bed.

19th. At the office all the morning, where very busy, and at noon home to
a short dinner, being full of my desire of seeing my Lord Orrery's new
play this afternoon at the King's house, "The Black Prince," the first
time it is acted; where, though we come by two o'clock, yet there was no
room in the pit, but we were forced to go into one of the upper boxes, at
4s. a piece, which is the first time I ever sat in a box in my life. And
in the same box come, by and by, behind me, my Lord Barkeley [of Stratton]
and his lady; but I did not turn my face to them to be known, so that I
was excused from giving them my seat; and this pleasure I had, that from
this place the scenes do appear very fine indeed, and much better than in
the pit. The house infinite full, and the King and Duke of York was
there. By and by the play begun, and in it nothing particular but a very
fine dance for variety of figures, but a little too long. But, as to the
contrivance, and all that was witty (which, indeed, was much, and very
witty), was almost the same that had been in his two former plays of
"Henry the 5th" and "Mustapha," and the same points and turns of wit in
both, and in this very same play often repeated, but in excellent
language, and were so excellent that the whole house was mightily pleased
with it all along till towards the end he comes to discover the chief of
the plot of the play by the reading of along letter, which was so long and
some things (the people being set already to think too long) so
unnecessary that they frequently begun to laugh, and to hiss twenty times,
that, had it not been for the King's being there, they had certainly
hissed it off the stage. But I must confess that, as my Lord Barkeley
says behind me, the having of that long letter was a thing so absurd, that
he could not imagine how a man of his parts could possibly fall into it;
or, if he did, if he had but let any friend read it, the friend would have
told him of it; and, I must confess, it is one of the most remarkable
instances that ever I did or expect to meet with in my life of a wise
man's not being wise at all times, and in all things, for nothing could be
more ridiculous than this, though the letter of itself at another time
would be thought an excellent letter, and indeed an excellent Romance, but
at the end of the play, when every body was weary of sitting, and were
already possessed with the effect of the whole letter; to trouble them
with a letter a quarter of an hour long, was a most absurd thing. After
the play done, and nothing pleasing them from the time of the letter to
the end of the play, people being put into a bad humour of disliking
(which is another thing worth the noting), I home by coach, and could not
forbear laughing almost all the way home, and all the evening to my going
to bed, at the ridiculousness of the letter, and the more because my wife
was angry with me, and the world, for laughing, because the King was
there, though she cannot defend the length of the letter. So after having
done business at the office, I home to supper and to bed.