Diary of Samuel Pepys, 1668 N.S. Complete

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ETEXT EDITOR'S BOOKMARKS:

Best fence against the Parliament's present fury is delay
But this the world believes, and so let them
Coach to W. Coventry about Mrs. Pett, 1s.
Ever have done his maister better service than to hang for him?
Making their own advantages to the disturbance of the peace
Parliament being vehement against the Nonconformists
Rough notes were made to serve for a sort of account book
Saw two battles of cocks, wherein is no great sport
Whip a boy at each place they stop at in their procession
Work that is not made the work of any one man

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.
MAY
1668

May 1st, 1668. Up, and to the office, where all the morning busy. Then
to Westminster Hall, and there met Sir W. Pen, who labours to have his
answer to his impeachment, and sent down from the Lords' House, read by
the House of Commons; but they are so busy on other matters, that he
cannot, and thereby will, as he believes, by design, be prevented from
going to sea this year. Here met my cozen Thomas Pepys of Deptford, and
took some turns with him; who is mightily troubled for this Act now passed
against Conventicles, and in few words, and sober, do lament the condition
we are in, by a negligent Prince and a mad Parliament. Thence I by coach
to the Temple, and there set him down, and then to Sir G. Carteret's to
dine, but he not being at home, I back again to the New Exchange a little,
and thence back again to Hercules Pillars, and there dined all alone, and
then to the King's playhouse, and there saw "The Surprizall;" and a
disorder in the pit by its raining in, from the cupola at top, it being a
very foul day, and cold, so as there are few I believe go to the Park
to-day, if any. Thence to Westminster Hall, and there I understand how
the Houses of Commons and Lords are like to disagree very much, about the
business of the East India Company and one Skinner; to the latter of which
the Lords have awarded L5000 from the former, for some wrong done him
heretofore; and the former appealing to the Commons, the Lords vote their
petition a libell; and so there is like to follow very hot work. Thence
by water, not being able to get a coach, nor boat but a sculler, and that
with company, is being so foul a day, to the Old Swan, and so home, and
there spent the evening, making Balty read to me, and so to supper and to
bed.

2nd. Up, and at the office all the morning. At noon with Lord Brouncker
in his coach as far as the Temple, and there 'light and to Hercules
Pillars, and there dined, and thence to the Duke of York's playhouse, at a
little past twelve, to get a good place in the pit, against the new play,
and there setting a poor man to keep my place, I out, and spent an hour at
Martin's, my bookseller's, and so back again, where I find the house quite
full. But I had my place, and by and by the King comes and the Duke of
York; and then the play begins, called "The Sullen Lovers; or, The
Impertinents," having many good humours in it, but the play tedious, and
no design at all in it. But a little boy, for a farce, do dance
Polichinelli, the best that ever anything was done in the world, by all
men's report: most pleased with that, beyond anything in the world, and
much beyond all the play. Thence to the King's house to see Knepp, but
the play done; and so I took a hackney alone, and to the park, and there
spent the evening, and to the lodge, and drank new milk. And so home to
the Office, ended my letters, and, to spare my eyes, home, and played on
my pipes, and so to bed.

3rd (Lord's day). Up, and to church, where I saw Sir A. Rickard, though
he be under the Black Rod, by order of the Lords' House, upon the quarrel
between the East India Company and Skinner, which is like to come to a
very great heat between the two Houses. At noon comes Mr. Mills and his
wife, and Mr. Turner and his wife, by invitation to dinner, and we were
mighty merry, and a very pretty dinner, of my Bridget and Nell's dressing,
very handsome. After dinner to church again . . . . So home and with
Sir W. Pen took a hackney, and he and I to Old Street, to a brew-house
there, to see Sir Thomas Teddiman, who is very ill in bed of a fever, got,
I believe, by the fright the Parliament have put him into, of late. But
he is a good man, a good seaman, and stout. Thence Pen and I to
Islington, and there, at the old house, eat, and drank, and merry, and
there by chance giving two pretty fat boys each of them a cake, they
proved to be Captain Holland's children, whom therefore I pity. So round
by Hackney home, having good discourse, he [Pen] being very open to me in
his talk, how the King ought to dissolve this Parliament, when the Bill of
Money is passed, they being never likely to give him more; how he [the
King] hath great opportunity of making himself popular by stopping this
Act against Conventicles; and how my Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, if the
Parliament continue, will undoubtedly fall, he having managed that place
with so much self-seeking, and disorder, and pleasure, and some great men
are designing to overthrow [him], as, among the rest, my Lord Orrery; and
that this will try the King mightily, he being a firm friend to my Lord
Lieutenant. So home; and to supper a little, and then to bed, having
stepped, after I come home, to Alderman Backewell's about business, and
there talked a while with him and his wife, a fine woman of the country,
and how they had bought an estate at Buckeworth, within four mile of
Brampton.

4th. Up betimes, and by water to Charing Cross, and so to W. Coventry,
and there talked a little with him, and thence over the Park to White
Hall, and there did a little business at the Treasury, and so to the Duke,
and there present Balty to the Duke of York and a letter from the Board to
him about him, and the Duke of York is mightily pleased with him, and I
doubt not his continuance in employment, which I am glad of. Thence with
Sir H. Cholmly to Westminster Hall talking, and he crying mightily out of
the power the House of Lords usurps in this business of the East India
Company. Thence away home and there did business, and so to dinner, my
sister Michell and I, and thence to the Duke of York's house, and there
saw "The Impertinents" again, and with less pleasure than before, it being
but a very contemptible play, though there are many little witty
expressions in it; and the pit did generally say that of it. Thence, going
out, Mrs. Pierce called me from the gallery, and there I took her and Mrs.
Corbet by coach up and down, and took up Captain Rolt in the street; and
at last, it being too late to go to the Park, I carried them to the Beare
in Drury Lane, and there did treat them with a dish of mackrell, the first
I have seen this year, and another dish, and mighty merry; and so carried
her home, and thence home myself, well pleased with this evening's
pleasure, and so to bed.

5th. Up, and all the morning at the office. At noon home to dinner and
Creed with me, and after dinner he and I to the Duke of York's playhouse;
and there coming late, he and I up to the balcony-box, where we find my
Lady Castlemayne and several great ladies; and there we sat with them, and
I saw "The Impertinents" once more, now three times, and the three only
days it hath been acted. And to see the folly how the house do this day
cry up the play more than yesterday! and I for that reason like it, I
find, the better, too; by Sir Positive At-all, I understand, is meant Sir
Robert Howard. My Lady [Castlemaine] pretty well pleased with it; but
here I sat close to her fine woman, Willson, who indeed is very handsome,
but, they say, with child by the King. I asked, and she told me this was
the first time her Lady had seen it, I having a mind to say something to
her. One thing of familiarity I observed in my Lady Castlemayne: she
called to one of her women, another that sat by this, for a little patch
off her face, and put it into her mouth and wetted it, and so clapped it
upon her own by the side of her mouth, I suppose she feeling a pimple
rising there. Thence with Creed to Westminster Hall, and there met with
cozen Roger, who tells me of the great conference this day between the
Lords and Commons, about the business of the East India Company, as being
one of the weightiest conferences that hath been, and managed as
weightily. I am heartily sorry I was not there, it being upon a mighty
point of the privileges of the subjects of England, in regard to the
authority of the House of Lords, and their being condemned by them as the
Supreme Court, which, we say, ought not to be, but by appeal from other
Courts. And he tells me that the Commons had much the better of them, in
reason and history there quoted, and believes the Lords will let it fall.
Thence to walk in the Hall, and there hear that Mrs. Martin's child, my
god-daughter, is dead, and so by water to the Old Swan, and thence home,
and there a little at Sir W. Pen's, and so to bed.

6th. Up, and to the office, and thence to White Hall, but come too late
to see the Duke of York, with whom my business was, and so to Westminster
Hall, where met with several people and talked with them, and among other
things understand that my Lord St. John is meant by Mr. Woodcocke, in "The
Impertinents."

["Whilst Positive walks, like Woodcock in the park,
Contriving projects with a brewer's clerk."

Andrew Marvell's "Instructions to a Painter," part iii., to which is
subjoined the following note: "Sir Robert Howard, and Sir William
Bucknell, the brewer."--Works, ed. by Capt. E. Thompson, vol.
iii., p. 405.--B.]

Here met with Mrs. Washington, my old acquaintance of the Hall, whose
husband has a place in the Excise at Windsor, and it seems lives well. I
have not seen her these 8 or 9 years, and she begins to grow old, I
perceive, visibly. So time do alter, and do doubtless the like in myself.
This morning the House is upon the City Bill, and they say hath passed it,
though I am sorry that I did not think to put somebody in mind of moving
for the churches to be allotted according to the convenience of the
people, and not to gratify this Bishop, or that College. Thence by water
to the New Exchange, where bought a pair of shoe-strings, and so to Mr.
Pierces, where invited, and there was Knepp and Mrs. Foster and here
dined, but a poor, sluttish dinner, as usual, and so I could not be
heartily merry at it: here saw her girl's picture, but it is mighty far
short of her boy's, and not like her neither; but it makes Hales's
picture of her boy appear a good picture. Thence to White Hall, walked
with Brisband, who dined there also, and thence I back to the King's
playhouse, and there saw "The Virgin Martyr," and heard the musick that I
like so well, and intended to have seen Knepp, but I let her alone; and
having there done, went to Mrs. Pierces back again, where she was, and
there I found her on a pallet in the dark . . . , that is Knepp. And
so to talk; and by and by did eat some curds and cream, and thence away
home, and it being night, I did walk in the dusk up and down, round
through our garden, over Tower Hill, and so through Crutched Friars, three
or four times, and once did meet Mercer and another pretty lady, but being
surprized I could say little to them,, although I had an opportunity of
pleasing myself with them, but left them, and then I did see our Nell,
Payne's daughter, and her je did desire venir after me, and so elle did
see me to, Tower Hill to our back entry there that comes upon the degres
entrant into nostra garden . . . , and so parted, and je home to put up
things against to-morrow's carrier for my wife; and, among others, a very
fine salmon-pie, sent me by Mr. Steventon, W. Hewer's uncle, and so to
bed.

7th. Up, and to the office, where all the morning. At noon home to
dinner, and thither I sent for Mercer to dine with me, and after dinner
she and I called Mrs. Turner, and I carried them to the Duke of York's
house, and there saw "The Man's the Master," which proves, upon my seeing
it again, a very good play. Thence called Knepp from the King's house,
where going in for her, the play being done, I did see Beck Marshall come
dressed, off of the stage, and looks mighty fine, and pretty, and noble:
and also Nell, in her boy's clothes, mighty pretty. But, Lord! their
confidence! and how many men do hover about them as soon as they come off
the stage, and how confident they are in their talk! Here I did kiss the
pretty woman newly come, called Pegg, that was Sir Charles Sidly's
mistress, a mighty pretty woman, and seems, but is not, modest. Here took
up Knepp into our coach, and all of us with her to her lodgings, and
thither comes Bannister with a song of hers, that he hath set in Sir
Charles Sidly's play for her, which is, I think, but very meanly set; but
this he did, before us, teach her, and it being but a slight, silly, short
ayre, she learnt it presently. But I did get him to prick me down the
notes of the Echo in "The Tempest," which pleases me mightily. Here was
also Haynes, the incomparable dancer of the King's house, and a seeming
civil man, and sings pretty well, and they gone, we abroad to Marrowbone,
and there walked in the garden, the first time I ever was there; and a
pretty place it is, and here we eat and drank and stayed till 9 at night,
and so home by moonshine . . . . And so set Mrs. Knepp at her lodging,
and so the rest, and I home talking with a great deal of pleasure, and so
home to bed.

8th. Up, and to the office, where busy all the morning. Towards noon I
to Westminster and there understand that the Lords' House did sit till
eleven o'clock last night, about the business in difference between them
and the Commons, in the matter of the East India Company. Here took a
turn or two, and up to my Lord Crew's, and there dined; where Mr. Case,
the minister, a dull fellow in his talk, and all in the Presbyterian
manner; a great deal of noise and a kind of religious tone, but very dull.
After dinner my Lord and I together. He tells me he hears that there are
great disputes like to be at Court, between the factions of the two women,
my Lady Castlemayne and Mrs. Stewart, who is now well again, and the King
hath made several public visits to her, and like to come to Court: the
other is to go to Barkeshire-house, which is taken for her, and they say a
Privy-Seal is passed for L5000 for it. He believes all will come to ruin.
Thence I to White Hall, where the Duke of York gone to the Lords' House,
where there is to be a conference on the Lords' side to the Commons this
afternoon, giving in their Reasons, which I would have been at, but could
not; for, going by direction to the Prince's chamber, there Brouncker, W.
Pen, and Mr. Wren, and I, met, and did our business with the Duke of York.
But, Lord! to see how this play of Sir Positive At-all,--["The
Impertinents."]--in abuse of Sir Robert Howard, do take, all the Duke's
and every body's talk being of that, and telling more stories of him, of
the like nature, that it is now the town and country talk, and, they say,
is most exactly true. The Duke of York himself said that of his playing
at trap-ball is true, and told several other stories of him. This being
done, Brouncker, Pen, and I to Brouncker's house, and there sat and
talked, I asking many questions in mathematics to my Lord, which he do me
the pleasure to satisfy me in, and here we drank and so spent an hour, and
so W. Pen and I home, and after being with W. Pen at his house an hour, I
home and to bed.

9th. Up, and to the office, where all the morning we sat. Here I first
hear that the Queene hath miscarryed of a perfect child, being gone about
ten weeks, which do shew that she can conceive, though it be unfortunate
that she cannot bring forth. Here we are told also that last night the
Duchesse of Monmouth, dancing at her lodgings, hath sprained her thigh.
Here we are told also that the House of Commons sat till five o'clock this
morning, upon the business of the difference between the Lords and them,
resolving to do something therein before they rise, to assert their
privileges. So I at noon by water to Westminster, and there find the King
hath waited in the Prince's chamber these two hours, and the Houses are
not ready for him. The Commons having sent this morning, after their long
debate therein the last night, to the Lords, that they do think the only
expedient left to preserve unity between the two Houses is, that they do
put a stop to any proceedings upon their late judgement against the East
India Company, till their next meeting; to which the Lords returned answer
that they would return answer to them by a messenger of their own, which
they not presently doing, they were all inflamed, and thought it was only
a trick, to keep them in suspense till the King come to adjourne them;
and, so, rather than lose the opportunity of doing themselves right, they
presently with great fury come to this vote: "That whoever should assist
in the execution of the judgement of the Lords against the Company, should
be held betrayers of the liberties of the people of England, and of the
privileges of that House." This the Lords had notice of, and were mad at
it; and so continued debating without any design to yield to the Commons,
till the King come in, and sent for the Commons, where the Speaker made a
short but silly speech, about their giving Him L300,000; and then the
several Bills, their titles were read, and the King's assent signified in
the proper terms, according to the nature of the Bills, of which about
three or four were public Bills, and seven or eight private ones, the
additional Bills for the building of the City and the Bill against
Conventicles being none of them. The King did make a short, silly speech,
which he read, giving them thanks for the money, which now, he said, he
did believe would be sufficient, because there was peace between his
neighbours, which was a kind of a slur, methought, to the Commons; and
that he was sorry for what he heard of difference between the two Houses,
but that he hoped their recesse would put them into a way of
accommodation; and so adjourned them to the 9th of August, and then
recollected himself, and told them the 11th; so imperfect a speaker he is.
So the Commons went to their House, and forthwith adjourned; and the Lords
resumed their House, the King being gone, and sat an hour or two after,
but what they did, I cannot tell; but every body expected they would
commit Sir Andrew Rickard, Sir Samuel Barnardiston, Mr. Boone, and Mr.
Wynne, who were all there, and called in, upon their knees, to the bar of
the House; and Sir John Robinson I left there, endeavouring to prevent
their being committed to the Tower, lest he should thereby be forced to
deny their order, because of this vote of the Commons, whereof he is one,
which is an odde case.

[This "odd case" was that of Thomas Skinner and the East India
Company. According to Ralph, the Commons had ordered Skinner, the
plaintiff, into the custody of the Serjeant-at-Arms, and the Lords
did the same by Sir Samuel Barnadiston, deputy-governor of the
company, as likewise Sir Andrew Rickard, Mr. Rowland Gwynn, and Mr.
Christopher Boone.--B.]

Thence I to the Rose Taverne in Covent Garden, and there sent for a pullet
and dined all alone, being to meet Sir W. Pen, who by and by come, and he
and I into the King's house, and there "The Mayd's Tragedy," a good play,
but Knepp not there; and my head and eyes out of order, the first from my
drinking wine at dinner, and the other from my much work in the morning.
Thence parted, and I towards the New Exchange and there bought a pair of
black silk stockings at the hosier's that hath the very pretty woman to
his wife, about ten doors on this side of the 'Change, and she is indeed
very pretty, but I think a notable talking woman by what I heard to others
there. Thence to Westminster Hall, where I hear the Lords are up, but
what they have done I know not, and so walked toward White Hall and thence
by water to the Tower, and so home and there to my letters, and so to Sir
W. Pen's; and there did talk with Mrs. Lowther, who is very kind to me,
more than usual, and I will make use of it. She begins to draw very well,
and I think do as well, if not better, than my wife, if it be true that
she do it herself, what she shews me, and so to bed, and my head akeing
all night with the wine I drank to-day, and my eyes ill. So lay long, my
head pretty well in the morning.

10th (Lord's day). Up, and to the office, there to do, business till
church time, when Mr. Shepley, newly come to town, come to see me, and we
had some discourse of all matters, and particularly of my Lord Sandwich's
concernments, and here did by the by as he would seem tell me that my
Lady--[Lady Sandwich.]--had it in her thoughts, if she had occasion, to,
borrow L100 of me, which I did not declare any opposition to, though I
doubt it will be so much lost. But, however, I will not deny my Lady, if
she ask it, whatever comes of it, though it be lost; but shall be glad
that it is no bigger sum. And yet it vexes me though, and the more
because it brings into my head some apprehensions what trouble I may here
after be brought to when my Lord comes home, if he should ask me to come
into bonds with him, as I fear he will have occasions to make money, but I
hope I shall have the wit to deny it. He being gone, I to church, and so
home, and there comes W. Hewer and Balty, and by and by I sent for Mercer
to come and dine with me, and pretty merry, and after dinner I fell to
teach her "Canite Jehovae," which she did a great part presently, and so
she away, and I to church, and from church home with my Lady Pen; and,
after being there an hour or so talking, I took her, and Mrs. Lowther, and
old Mrs. Whistler, her mother-in-law, by water with great pleasure as far
as Chelsy, and so back to Spring Garden, at Fox-hall, and there walked,
and eat, and drank, and so to water again, and set down the old woman at
home at Durham Yard:' and it raining all the way, it troubled us; but,
however, my cloak kept us all dry, and so home, and at the Tower wharf
there we did send for a pair of old shoes for Mrs. Lowther, and there I
did pull the others off and put them on, elle being peu shy, but do speak
con mighty kindness to me that she would desire me pour su mari if it were
to be done . . . . . Here staid a little at Sir W. Pen's, who was
gone to bed, it being about eleven at night, and so I home to bed.

11th. Up, and to my office, where alone all the morning. About noon
comes to me my cousin Sarah, and my aunt Livett, newly come out of
Gloucestershire, good woman, and come to see me; I took them home, and
made them drink, but they would not stay dinner, I being alone. But here
they tell me that they hear that this day Kate Joyce was to be married to
a man called Hollingshed, whom she indeed did once tell me of, and desired
me to enquire after him. But, whatever she said of his being rich, I do
fear, by her doing this without my advice, it is not as it ought to be;
but, as she brews, let her bake. They being gone, I to dinner with Balty
and his wife, who is come to town to-day from Deptford to see us, and
after dinner I out and took a coach, and called Mercer, and she and I to
the Duke of York's playhouse, and there saw "The Tempest," and between two
acts, I went out to Mr. Harris, and got him to repeat to me the words of
the Echo, while I writ them down, having tried in the play to have wrote
them; but, when I had done it, having done it without looking upon my
paper, I find I could not read the blacklead. But now I have got the words
clear, and, in going in thither, had the pleasure to see the actors in
their several dresses, especially the seamen and monster, which were very
droll: so into the play again. But there happened one thing which vexed
me, which is, that the orange-woman did come in the pit, and challenge me
for twelve oranges, which she delivered by my order at a late play, at
night, to give to some ladies in a box, which was wholly untrue, but yet
she swore it to be true. But, however, I did deny it, and did not pay
her; but, for quiet, did buy 4s. worth of oranges of her, at 6d. a-piece.
Here I saw first my Lord Ormond since his coming from Ireland, which is
now about eight days. After the play done, I took Mercer by water to
Spring Garden; and there with great pleasure walked, and eat, and drank,
and sang, making people come about us, to hear us, and two little children
of one of our neighbours that happened to be there, did come into our
arbour, and we made them dance prettily. So by water, with great
pleasure, down to the Bridge, and there landed, and took water again on
the other side; and so to the Tower, and I saw her home, I myself home to
my chamber, and by and by to bed.

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