Diary of Samuel Pepys, 1667 N.S. Complete

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27th (Lord's day). Up, and to my office, there, with W. Hewer, to dictate
a long letter to the Duke of York, about the bad state of the office, it
being a work I do think fit for the office to do, though it be to no
purpose but for their vindication in these bad times; for I do now learn
many things tending to our safety which I did not wholly forget before,
but do find the fruits of, and would I had practised them more, as, among
other things, to be sure to let our answers to orders bear date presently
after their date, that we may be found quick in our execution. This did us
great good the other day before the Parliament. All the morning at this,
at noon home to dinner, with my own family alone. After dinner, I down to
Deptford, the first time that I went to look upon "The Maybolt," which the
King hath given me, and there she is; and I did meet with Mr. Uthwayte,
who do tell me that there are new sails ordered to be delivered her, and a
cable, which I did not speak of at all to him. So, thereupon, I told him
I would not be my own hindrance so much as to take her into my custody
before she had them, which was all I said to him, but desired him to take
a strict inventory of her, that I might not be cheated by the master nor
the company, when they come to understand that the vessel is gone away,
which he hath promised me, and so away back again home, reading all the
way the book of the collection of oaths in the several offices of this
nation, which is worth a man's reading, and so away home, and there my boy
and I to sing, and at it all the evening, and to supper, and so to bed.
This evening come Sir J. Minnes to me, to let me know that a
Parliament-man hath been with him, to tell him that the Parliament intend
to examine him particularly about Sir W. Coventry's selling of places, and
about my Lord Bruncker's discharging the ships at Chatham by ticket: for
the former of which I am more particularly sorry that that business of
[Sir] W. Coventry should come up again; though this old man tells me, and,
I believe, that he can say nothing to it.

28th. Up, and by water to White Hall (calling at Michell's and drank a
dram of strong water, but it being early I did not see his wife), and
thence walked to Sir W. Coventry's lodging, but he was gone out, and so
going towards St. James's I find him at his house which is fitting for
him; and there I to him, and was with him above an hour alone, discoursing
of the matters of the nation, and our Office, and himself. He owns that he
is, at this day, the chief person aymed at by the Parliament--that is, by
the friends of my Lord Chancellor, and also by the Duke of Albemarle, by
reason of his unhappy shewing of the Duke of Albemarle's letter, the other
day, in the House; but that he thinks that he is not liable to any hurt
they can fasten on him for anything, he is so well armed to justify
himself in every thing, unless in the old business of selling places, when
he says every body did; and he will now not be forward to tell his own
story, as he hath been; but tells me he is grown wiser, and will put them
to prove any thing, and he will defend himself: besides that, he will
dispute the statute, thinking that it will not be found to reach him. We
did talk many things, which, as they come into my mind now, I shall set
down without order: that he is weary of public employment; and neither
ever designed, nor will ever, if his commission were brought to him wrapt
in gold, would he accept of any single place in the State, as particularly
Secretary of State; which, he says, the world discourses Morrice is
willing to resign, and he thinks the King might have thought of him, but
he would not, by any means, now take it, if given him, nor anything, but
in commission with others, who may bear part of the blame; for now he
observes well, that whoever did do anything singly are now in danger,
however honest and painful they were, saying that he himself was the only
man, he thinks, at the council-board that spoke his mind clearly, as he
thought, to the good of the King; and the rest, who sat silent, have
nothing said to them, nor are taken notice of. That the first time the
King did take him so closely into his confidence and ministry of affairs
was upon the business of Chatham, when all the disturbances were there,
and in the kingdom; and then, while everybody was fancying for himself,
the King did find him to persuade him to call for the Parliament,
declaring that it was against his own proper interest, forasmuch as [it
was] likely they would find faults with him, as well as with others, but
that he would prefer the service of the King before his own: and,
thereupon, the King did take him into his special notice, and, from that
time to this, hath received him so; and that then he did see the folly and
mistakes of the Chancellor in the management of things, and saw that
matters were never likely to be done well in that sort of conduct, and did
persuade the King to think fit of the taking away the seals from the
Chancellor, which, when it was done, he told me that he himself, in his
own particular, was sorry for it; for, while he stood, there was he and my
Lord Arlington to stand between him and harm: whereas now there is only my
Lord Arlington, and he is now down, so that all their fury is placed upon
him but that he did tell the King, when he first moved it, that, if he
thought the laying of him, W. Coventry, aside, would at all facilitate the
removing of the Chancellor, he would most willingly submit to it,
whereupon the King did command him to try the Duke of York about it, and
persuade him to it, which he did, by the King's command, undertake, and
compass, and the Duke of York did own his consent to the King, but
afterwards was brought to be of another mind for the Chancellor, and now
is displeased with him, and [so is] the Duchesse, so that she will not see
him; but he tells me the Duke of York seems pretty kind, and hath said
that he do believe that W. Coventry did mean well, and do it only out of
judgment. He tells me that he never was an intriguer in his life, nor
will be, nor of any combination of persons to set up this, or fling down
that, nor hath, in his own business, this Parliament, spoke to three
members to say any thing for him, but will stand upon his own defence, and
will stay by it, and thinks that he is armed against all they can [say],
but the old business of selling places, and in that thinks they cannot
hurt him. However, I do find him mighty willing to have his name used as
little as he can, and he was glad when I did deliver him up a letter of
his to me, which did give countenance to the discharging of men by ticket
at Chatham, which is now coming in question; and wherein, I confess, I am
sorry to find him so tender of appearing, it being a thing not only good
and fit, all that was done in it, but promoted and advised by him. But he
thinks the House is set upon wresting anything to his prejudice that they
can pick up. He tells me he did never, as a great many have, call the
Chancellor rogue and knave, and I know not what; but all that he hath
said, and will stand by, is, that his counsels were not good, nor the
manner of his managing of things. I suppose he means suffering the King
to run in debt; for by and by the King walking in the parke, with a great
crowd of his idle people about him, I took occasion to say that it was a
sorry thing to be a poor King, and to have others to come to correct the
faults of his own servants, and that this was it that brought us all into
this condition. He answered that he would never be a poor King, and then
the other would mend of itself. "No," says he, "I would eat bread and
drink water first, and this day discharge all the idle company about me,
and walk only with two footmen; and this I have told the King, and this
must do it at last." I asked him how long the King would suffer this. He
told me the King must suffer it yet longer, that he would not advise the
King to do otherwise; for it would break out again worse, if he should
break them up before the core be come up. After this, we fell to other
talk, of my waiting upon him hereafter, it may be, to read a chapter in
Seneca, in this new house, which he hath bought, and is making very fine,
when we may be out of employment, which he seems to wish more than to
fear, and I do believe him heartily. Thence home, and met news from Mr.
Townsend of the Wardrobe that old Young, the yeoman taylor, whose place my
Lord Sandwich promised my father, is dead. Upon which, resolving
presently that my father shall not be troubled with it, but I hope I shall
be able to enable him to end his days where he is, in quiet, I went forth
thinking to tell Mrs. Ferrers (Captain Ferrers's wife), who do expect it
after my father, that she may look after it, but upon second thoughts
forbore it, and so back again home, calling at the New Exchange, and there
buying "The Indian Emperour," newly printed, and so home to dinner, where
I had Mr. Clerke, the sollicitor, and one of the Auditor's clerks to
discourse about the form of making up my accounts for the Exchequer, which
did give me good satisfaction, and so after dinner, my wife, and Mercer,
who grows fat, and Willett, and I, to the King's house, and there saw "The
Committee," a play I like well, and so at night home and to the office,
and so to my chamber about my accounts, and then to Sir W. Pen's to speak
with Sir John Chichly, who desired my advice about a prize which he hath
begged of the King, and there had a great deal of his foolish talk of
ladies and love and I know not what, and so home to supper and to bed.

29th. Up, and at the office, my Lord Bruncker and I close together till
almost 3 after noon, never stirring, making up a report for the Committee
this afternoon about the business of discharging men by ticket, which it
seems the House is mighty earnest in, but is a foolery in itself, yet
gives me a great deal of trouble to draw up a defence for the Board, as if
it was a crime; but I think I have done it to very good purpose. Then to
my Lady Williams's, with her and my Lord, and there did eat a snapp of
good victuals, and so to Westminster Hall, where we find the House not up,
but sitting all this day about the method of bringing in the charge
against my Lord Chancellor; and at last resolved for a Committee to draw
up the heads, and so rose, and no Committee to sit tonight. Here Sir W.
Coventry and Lord Bruncker and I did in the Hall (between the two Courts
at the top of the Hall) discourse about a letter of [Sir] W. Coventry's to
Bruncker, whereon Bruncker did justify his discharging men by ticket, and
insists on one word which Sir W. Coventry would not seem very earnest to
have left out, but I did see him concerned, and did after labour to
suppress the whole letter, the thing being in itself really impertinent,
but yet so it is that [Sir] W. Coventry do not desire to have his name
used in this business, and I have prevailed with Bruncker for it. Thence
Bruncker and I to the King's House, thinking to have gone into a box
above, for fear of being seen, the King being there, but the play being 3
acts done we would not give 4s., and so away and parted, and I home, and
there after a little supper to bed, my eyes ill, and head full of thoughts
of the trouble this Parliament gives us.

30th. All the morning till past noon preparing over again our report this
afternoon to the Committee of Parliament about tickets, and then home to
eat a bit, and then with Sir W. Pen to White Hall, where we did a very
little business with the Duke of York at our usual meeting, only I
perceive that he do leave all of us, as the King do those about him, to
stand and fall by ourselves, and I think is not without some cares himself
what the Parliament may do in matters wherein his honour is concerned.
Thence to the Parliament-house; where, after the Committee was sat, I was
called in; and the first thing was upon the complaint of a dirty slut that
was there, about a ticket which she had lost, and had applied herself to
me for another. . . . I did give them a short and satisfactory answer
to that; and so they sent her away, and were ashamed of their foolery, in
giving occasion to 500 seamen and seamen's wives to come before them, as
there was this afternoon. But then they fell to the business of tickets,
and I did give them the best answer I could, but had not scope to do it in
the methodical manner which I had prepared myself for, but they did ask a
great many broken rude questions about it, and were mightily hot whether
my Lord Bruncker had any order to discharge whole ships by ticket, and
because my answer was with distinction, and not direct, I did perceive
they were not so fully satisfied therewith as I could wish they were. So
my Lord Bruncker was called in, and they could fasten nothing on him that
I could see, nor indeed was there any proper matter for blame, but I do
see, and it was said publicly in the House by Sir T. Clerges that Sir W.
Batten had designed the business of discharging men by ticket and an order
after the thing was done to justify my Lord Bruncker for having done it.
But this I did not owne at all, nor was it just so, though he did indeed
do something like it, yet had contributed as much to it as any man of the
board by sending down of tickets to do it. But, Lord! to see that we
should be brought to justify ourselves in a thing of necessity and profit
to the King, and of no profit or convenience to us, but the contrary. We
being withdrawn, we heard no more of it, but there staid late and do hear
no more, only my cozen Pepys do tell me that he did hear one or two
whisper as if they thought that I do bogle at the business of my Lord
Bruncker, which is a thing I neither did or have reason to do in his
favour, but I do not think it fit to make him suffer for a thing that
deserves well. But this do trouble me a little that anything should stick
to my prejudice in any of them, and did trouble me so much that all the
way home with Sir W. Pen I was not at good ease, nor all night, though
when I come home I did find my wife, and Betty Turner, the two Mercers,
and Mrs. Parker, an ugly lass, but yet dances well, and speaks the best of
them, and W. Batelier, and Pembleton dancing; and here I danced with them,
and had a good supper, and as merry as I could be, and so they being gone
we to bed.

31st. Up, and all the morning at the office, and at noon Mr. Creed and
Yeabsly dined with me (my wife gone to dine with Mrs. Pierce and see a
play with her), and after dinner in comes Mr. Turner, of Eynsbury, lately
come to town, and also after him Captain Hill of the "Coventry," who lost
her at Barbadoes, and is come out of France, where he hath been long
prisoner. After a great deal of mixed discourse, and then Mr. Turner and
I alone a little in my closet, talking about my Lord Sandwich (who I hear
is now ordered by the King to come home again), we all parted, and I by
water, calling at Michell's, and saw and once kissed su wife, but I do
think that he is jealous of her, and so she dares not stand out of his
sight; so could not do more, but away by water to the Temple, and there,
after spending a little time in my bookseller's shop, I to Westminster;
and there at the lobby do hear by Commissioner Pett, to my great
amazement, that he is in worse condition than before, by the coming in of
the Duke of Albemarle's and Prince Rupert's Narratives' this day; wherein
the former do most severely lay matters upon him, so as the House this day
have, I think, ordered him to the Tower again, or something like it; so
that the poor man is likely to be overthrown, I doubt, right or wrong, so
infinite fond they are of any thing the Duke of Albemarle says or writes
to them! I did then go down, and there met with Colonel Reames and cozen
Roger Pepys; and there they do tell me how the Duke of Albemarle and the
Prince have laid blame on a great many, and particularly on our Office in
general; and particularly for want of provision, wherein I shall come to
be questioned again in that business myself; which do trouble me. But my
cozen Pepys and I had much discourse alone: and he do bewail the
constitution of this House, and says there is a direct caball and faction,
as much as is possible between those for and those against the Chancellor,
and so in other factions, that there is nothing almost done honestly and
with integrity; only some few, he says, there are, that do keep out of all
plots and combinations, and when their time comes will speak and see right
done, if possible; and that he himself is looked upon to be a man that
will be of no faction, and so they do shun to make him; and I am glad of
it. He tells me that he thanks God he never knew what it was to be
tempted to be a knave in his life; till he did come into the House of
Commons, where there is nothing done but by passion, and faction, and
private interest. Reames did tell me of a fellow last night (one Kelsy, a
commander of a fire-ship, who complained for want of his money paid him)
did say that he did see one of the Commissioners of the Navy bring in
three waggon-loads of prize-goods into Greenwich one night; but that the
House did take no notice of it, nor enquire; but this is me, and I must
expect to be called to account, and answer what I did as well as I can.
So thence away home, and in Holborne, going round, it being dark, I espied
Sir D. Gawden's coach, and so went out of mine into his; and there had
opportunity to talk of the business of victuals, which the Duke of
Albemarle and Prince did complain that they were in want of the last year:
but we do conclude we shall be able to show quite the contrary of that;
only it troubles me that we must come to contend with these great persons,
which will overrun us. So with some disquiet in my mind on this account I
home, and there comes Mr. Yeabsly, and he and I to even some accounts,
wherein I shall be a gainer about L200, which is a seasonable profit, for
I have got nothing a great while; and he being gone, I to bed.

ETEXT EDITOR'S BOOKMARKS:

Commons, where there is nothing done but by passion, and faction
Disquiet all night, telling of the clock till it was daylight
Painful to keep money, as well as to get it
Sorry thing to be a poor King
Spares not to blame another to defend himself
Wise man's not being wise at all times

THE DIARY OF SAMUEL PEPYS M.A. F.R.S.

CLERK OF THE ACTS AND SECRETARY TO THE ADMIRALTY

TRANSCRIBED FROM THE SHORTHAND MANUSCRIPT IN THE PEPYSIAN LIBRARY
MAGDALENE COLLEGE CAMBRIDGE BY THE REV. MYNORS BRIGHT M.A. LATE FELLOW
AND PRESIDENT OF THE COLLEGE

(Unabridged)

WITH LORD BRAYBROOKE'S NOTES

EDITED WITH ADDITIONS BY

HENRY B. WHEATLEY F.S.A.

DIARY OF SAMUEL PEPYS.
NOVEMBER
1667

November 1st. Up betimes, and down to the waterside (calling and drinking
a dram of the bottle at Michell's, but saw not Betty), and thence to White
Hall and to Sir W. Coventry's lodging, where he and I alone a good while,
where he gives me the full of the Duke of Albemarle's and Prince's
narratives, given yesterday by the House, wherein they fall foul of him
and Sir G. Carteret in something about the dividing of the fleete, and the
Prince particularly charging the Commissioners of the Navy with
negligence, he says the Commissioners of the Navy whereof Sir W. Coventry
is one. He tells me that he is prepared to answer any particular most
thoroughly, but the quality of the persons do make it difficult for him,
and so I do see is in great pain, poor man, though he deserves better than
twenty such as either of them, for his abilities and true service to the
King and kingdom. He says there is incoherences, he believes, to be found
between their two reports, which will be pretty work to consider. The
Duke of Albemarle charges W. Coventry that he should tell him, when he
come down to the fleete with Sir G. Carteret, to consult about dividing
the fleete, that the Dutch would not be out in six weeks, which W.
Coventry says is as false as is possible, and he can prove the contrary by
the Duke of Albemarle's own letters. The Duke of Albemarle says that he
did upon sight of the Dutch call a council of officers, and they did
conclude they could not avoid fighting the Dutch; and yet we did go to the
enemy, and found them at anchor, which is a pretty contradiction. And he
tells me that Spragg did the other day say in the House, that the Prince,
at his going from the Duke of Albemarle with his fleete, did tell him that
if the Dutch should come on, the Duke was to follow him, the Prince, with
his fleete, and not fight the Dutch. Out of all this a great deal of good
might well be picked. But it is a sad consideration that all this picking
of holes in one another's coats--nay, and the thanks of the House to the
Prince and the Duke of Albemarle, and all this envy and design to ruin Sir
W. Coventry--did arise from Sir W. Coventry's unfortunate mistake the
other day, in producing of a letter from the Duke of Albemarle, touching
the good condition of all things at Chatham just before the Dutch come up,
and did us that fatal mischiefe; for upon this they are resolved to undo
him, and I pray God they do not. He tells me upon my demanding it that he
thinks the King do not like this their bringing these narratives, and that
they give out that they would have said more but that the King hath
hindered them, that I suppose is about my Lord Sandwich. He is getting a
copy of the Narratives, which I shall then have, and so I parted from him
and away to White Hall, where I met Mr. Creed and Yeabsly, and discoursed
a little about Mr. Yeabsly's business and accounts, and so I to chapel and
there staid, it being All-Hallows day, and heard a fine anthem, made by
Pelham (who is come over) in France, of which there was great expectation,
and indeed is a very good piece of musique, but still I cannot call the
Anthem anything but instrumentall musique with the voice, for nothing is
made of the words at all. I this morning before chapel visited Sir G.
Carteret, who is vexed to see how things are likely to go, but cannot help
it, and yet seems to think himself mighty safe. I also visited my Lord
Hinchingbroke, at his chamber at White Hall, where I found Mr. Turner,
Moore, and Creed, talking of my Lord Sandwich, whose case I doubt is but
bad, and, I fear, will not escape being worse, though some of the company
did say otherwise. But I am mightily pleased with my Lord Hinchingbroke's
sobriety and few words. After chapel I with Creed to the Exchange, and
after much talk he and I there about securing of some money either by land
or goods to be always at our command, which we think a thing advisable in
this critical time, we parted, and I to the Sun Taverne with Sir W. Warren
(with whom I have not drank many a day, having for some time been strange
to him), and there did put it to him to advise me how to dispose of my
prize, which he will think of and do to my best advantage. We talked of
several other things relating to his service, wherein I promise
assistance, but coldly, thinking it policy to do so, and so, after eating
a short dinner, I away home, and there took out my wife, and she and I
alone to the King's playhouse, and there saw a silly play and an old one,
"The Taming of a Shrew," and so home and I to my office a little, and then
home to supper and to bed.

2nd. Up, and to the office, where busy all the morning; at noon home, and
after dinner my wife and Willett and I to the King's playhouse, and there
saw "Henry the Fourth:" and contrary to expectation, was pleased in
nothing more than in Cartwright's speaking of Falstaffe's speech about
"What is Honour?" The house full of Parliament-men, it being holyday with
them: and it was observable how a gentleman of good habit, sitting just
before us, eating of some fruit in the midst of the play, did drop down as
dead, being choked; but with much ado Orange Moll did thrust her finger
down his throat, and brought him to life again. After the play, we home,
and I busy at the office late, and then home to supper and to bed.

3rd (Lord's day). Up, and with my wife to church, and thither comes Roger
Pepys to our pew, and thence home to dinner, whither comes by invitation
Mr. Turner, the minister, and my cozen Roger brought with him Jeffrys, the
apothecary at Westminster, who is our kinsman, and we had much discourse
of Cottenhamshire, and other things with great pleasure. My cozen Roger
did tell me of a bargain which I may now have in Norfolke, that my
she-cozen, Nan Pepys, is going to sell, the title whereof is very good,
and the pennyworth is also good enough; but it is out of the way so of my
life, that I shall never enjoy it, nor, it may be, see it, and so I shall
have nothing to do with it. After dinner to talk, and I find by discourse
Mr. Turner to be a man mighty well read in the Roman history, which is
very pleasant. By and by Roger went, and Mr. Turner spent an hour talking
over my Lord Sandwich's condition as to this Parliament, which we fear may
be bad, and the condition of his family, which can be no better, and then
having little to comfort ourselves but that this humour will not last
always in the Parliament, and that [it] may well have a great many more as
great men as he enquired into, and so we parted, and I to my chamber, and
there busy all the evening, and then my wife and I to supper, and so to
bed, with much discourse and pleasure one with another.