Diary of Samuel Pepys, 1668 N.S. Complete

S >> Samuel Pepys >> Diary of Samuel Pepys, 1668 N.S. Complete

Pages:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27

24th (Lord's day). I up, at between two and three in the morning, and,
calling up my boy, and father's boy, we set out by three o'clock, it being
high day; end so through the water with very good success, though very
deep almost all the way, and got to Brampton, where most of them in bed,
and so I weary up to my wife's chamber, whom I find in bed, and pretended
a little not well, and indeed she hath those upon her, but fell to talk
and mightily pleased both of us, and upgot the rest, Betty Turner and
Willet and Jane, all whom I was glad to see, and very merry, and got me
ready in my new stuff clothes that I send down before me, and so my wife
and they got ready too, while I to my father, poor man, and walked with
him up and down the house--it raining a little, and the waters all over
Portholme and the meadows, so as no pleasure abroad. Here I saw my
brothers and sister Jackson, she growing fat, and, since being married, I
think looks comelier than before: but a mighty pert woman she is, and I
think proud, he keeping her mighty handsome, and they say mighty fond, and
are going shortly to live at Ellington of themselves, and will keep
malting, and grazing of cattle. At noon comes Mr. Phillips and dines with
us, and a pretty odd-humoured man he seems to be; but good withal, but of
mighty great methods in his eating and drinking, and will not kiss a woman
since his wife's death. After dinner my Lady Sandwich sending to see
whether I was come, I presently took horse, and find her and her family at
chapel; and thither I went in to them, and sat out the sermon, where I
heard Jervas Fullwood, now their chaplain, preach a very good and seraphic
kind of sermon, too good for an ordinary congregation. After sermon, I
with my Lady, and my Lady Hinchingbroke, and Paulina, and Lord
Hinchingbroke, to the dining-room, saluting none of them, and there sat
and talked an hour or two, with great pleasure and satisfaction, to my
Lady, about my Lord's matters; but I think not with that satisfaction to
her, or me, that otherwise would, she knowing that she did design
tomorrow, and I remaining all the while in fear, of being asked to lend
her some money, as I was afterward, when I had taken leave of her, by Mr.
Shepley, L100, which I will not deny my Lady, and am willing to be found
when my Lord comes home to have done something of that kind for them, and
so he riding to Brampton and supping there with me he did desire it of me
from my Lady, and I promised it, though much against my will, for I fear
it is as good as lost. After supper, where very merry, we to bed, myself
very weary and to sleep all night.

25th. Waked betimes, and lay long . . . . and there fell to talking,
and by and by rose, it being the first fair day, and yet not quite fair,
that we have had some time, and so up, and to walk with my father again in
the garden, consulting what to do with him and this house when Pall and
her husband go away; and I think it will be to let it, and he go live with
her, though I am against letting the house for any long time, because of
having it to retire to, ourselves. So I do intend to think more of it
before I resolve. By and by comes Mr. Cooke to see me and so spent the
morning, and he gone by and by at noon to dinner, where Mr. Shepley come
and we merry, all being in good humour between my wife and her people
about her, and after dinner took horse, I promising to fetch her away
about fourteen days hence, and so calling all of us, we men on horseback,
and the women and my father, at Goody Gorum's, and there in a frolic
drinking I took leave, there going with me and my boy, my two brothers,
and one Browne, whom they call in mirth Colonell, for our guide, and also
Mr. Shepley, to the end of Huntingdon, and another gentleman who
accidentally come thither, one Mr. Castle; and I made them drink at the
Chequers, where I observed the same tapster, Tom, that was there when I
was a little boy and so we, at the end of the town, took leave of Shepley
and the other gentleman, and so we away and got well to Cambridge, about
seven to the Rose, the waters not being now so high as before. And here
'lighting, I took my boy and two brothers, and walked to Magdalene
College: and there into the butterys, as a stranger, and there drank my
bellyfull of their beer, which pleased me, as the best I ever drank: and
hear by the butler's man, who was son to Goody Mulliner over against the
College, that we used to buy stewed prunes of, concerning the College and
persons in it; and find very few, only Mr. Hollins and Pechell, I think,
that were of my time. But I was mightily pleased to come in this
condition to see and ask, and thence, giving the fellow something, away
walked to Chesterton, to see our old walk, and there into the Church, the
bells ringing, and saw the place I used to sit in, and so to the ferry,
and ferried over to the other side, and walked with great pleasure, the
river being mighty high by Barnewell Abbey: and so by Jesus College to the
town, and so to our quarters, and to supper, and then to bed, being very
weary and sleepy and mightily pleased with this night's walk.

26th. Up by four o'clock; and by the time we were ready, and had eat, we
were called to the coach, where about six o'clock we set out, there being
a man and two women of one company, ordinary people, and one lady alone,
that is tolerably handsome, but mighty well spoken, whom I took great
pleasure in talking to, and did get her to read aloud in a book she was
reading, in the coach, being the King's Meditations;--[The meditations on
death, and prayers used by Charles I. shortly before his execution]--and
then the boy and I to sing, and so about noon come to Bishop's Stafford,
to another house than what we were at the other day, and better used. And
here I paid for the reckoning 11s., we dining together, and pretty merry;
and then set out again, sleeping most part of the way; and got to
Bishopsgate Street before eight o'clock, the waters being now most of them
down, and we avoiding the bad way in the forest by a privy way, which
brought us to Hodsden; and so to Tibalds, that road, which was mighty
pleasant. So home, where we find all well, and brother Balty and his wife
looking to the house, she mighty fine, in a new gold-laced 'just a cour'.
I shifted myself, and so to see Mrs. Turner, and Mercer appearing over the
way, called her in, and sat and talked, and then home to my house by and
by, and there supped and talked mighty merry, and then broke up and to
bed, being a little vexed at what W. Hewer tells me Sir John Shaw did this
day in my absence say at the Board, complaining of my doing of him injury
and the board permitting it, whereas they had more reason to except
against his attributing that to me alone which I could not do but with
their condent and direction, it being to very good service to the King,
and which I shall be proud to have imputed to me alone. The King I hear
come to town last night.

27th. Up, and to the office, where some time upon Sir D. Gawden's
accounts, and then I by water to Westminster for some Tangier orders, and
so meeting with Mr. Sawyers my old chamber-fellow, he and I by water
together to the Temple, he giving me an account of the base, rude usage,
which he and Sir G. Carteret had lately, before the Commissioners of
Accounts, where he was, as Counsel to Sir G. Carteret, which I was sorry
to hear, they behaving themselves like most insolent and ill-mannered men.
Thence by coach to the Exchange, and there met with Sir H. Cholmly at
Colvill's; and there did give him some orders, and so home, and there to
the office again, where busy till two o'clock, and then with Sir D. Gawden
to his house, with my Lord Brouncker and Sir J. Minnes, to dinner, where
we dined very well, and much good company, among others, a Dr., a fat man,
whom by face I know, as one that uses to sit in our church, that after
dinner did take me out, and walked together, who told me that he had now
newly entered himself into Orders, in the decay of the Church, and did
think it his duty so to do, thereby to do his part toward the support and
reformation thereof; and spoke very soberly, and said that just about the
same age Dr. Donne did enter into Orders. I find him a sober gentleman,
and a man that hath seen much of the world, and I think may do good.
Thence after dinner to the office, and there did a little business, and so
to see Sir W. Pen, who I find still very ill of the goute, sitting in his
great chair, made on purpose for persons sick of that disease, for their
ease; and this very chair, he tells me, was made for my Lady Lambert!
Thence I by coach to my tailor's, there to direct about the making of me
another suit, and so to White Hall, and through St. James's Park to St.
James's, thinking to have met with Mr. Wren, but could not, and so
homeward toward the New Exchange, and meeting Mr. Creed he and I to drink
some whey at the whey-house, and so into the 'Change and took a walk or
two, and so home, and there vexed at my boy's being out of doors till ten
at night, but it was upon my brother Jackson's business, and so I was the
less displeased, and then made the boy to read to me out of Dr. Wilkins
his "Real Character," and particularly about Noah's arke, where he do give
a very good account thereof, shewing how few the number of the several
species of beasts and fowls were that were to be in the arke, and that
there was room enough for them and their food and dung, which do please me
mightily and is much beyond what ever I heard of the subject, and so to
bed.

28th. Up, to set right some little matters of my Tangier accounts, and so
to the office, where busy all the morning, and then home with my people to
dinner, and after dinner comes about a petition for a poor woman
whose-ticket she would get paid, and so talked a little and did baiser
her, and so to the office, being pleased that this morning my bookseller
brings me home Marcennus's book of musick,' which costs me L3 2s.; but is
a very fine book. So to the office and did some business, and then by
coach to the New Exchange, and there by agreement at my bookseller's shop
met Mercer and Gayet, and took them by water, first to one of the
Neat-houses, where walked in the garden, but nothing but a bottle of wine
to be had, though pleased with seeing the garden; and so to Fox Hall,
where with great pleasure we walked, and then to the upper end of the
further retired walk, and there sat and sang, and brought great many
gallants and fine people about us, and, upon the bench, we did by and by
eat and drink what we had, and very merry: and so with much pleasure to
the Old Swan, and walked with them home, and there left them, and so I
home to my business at the office a little, and so to bed.

29th. Betimes up, and up to my Tangier accounts, and then by water to the
Council Chamber, and there received some directions from the Duke of York
and the Committee of the Navy there about casting up the charge of the
present summer's fleete, that so they may come within the bounds of the
sum given by the Parliament. But it is pretty to see how Prince Rupert
and other mad, silly people, are for setting out but a little fleete,
there being no occasion for it; and say it will be best to save the money
for better uses. But Sir W. Coventry did declare that, in wisdom, it was
better to do so; but that, in obedience to the Parliament, he was [for]
setting out the fifty sail talked on, though it spent all the money, and
to little purpose; and that this was better than to leave it to the
Parliament to make bad construction of their thrift, if any trouble should
happen. Thus wary the world is grown! Thence back again presently home,
and did business till noon: and then to Sir G. Carteret's to dinner, with
much good company, it being the King's birthday, and many healths drunk:
and here I did receive another letter from my Lord Sandwich, which
troubles me to see how I have neglected him, in not writing, or but once,
all this time of his being abroad; and I see he takes notice, but yet
gently, of it, that it puts me to great trouble, and I know not how to get
out of it, having no good excuse, and too late now to mend, he being
coming home. Thence home, whither, by agreement, by and by comes Mercer
and Gayet, and two gentlemen with them, Mr. Monteith and Pelham, the
former a swaggering young handsome gentleman, the latter a sober citizen
merchant. Both sing, but the latter with great skill-the other, no skill,
but a good voice, and a good basse, but used to sing only tavern tunes;
and so I spent all this evening till eleven at night singing with them,
till I was tired of them, because of the swaggering fellow with the base,
though the girl Mercer did mightily commend him before to me. This night
je had agreed par' alter at Deptford, there par' avoir lain con the moher
de Bagwell, but this company did hinder me.

30th. Up, and put on a new summer black bombazin suit, and so to the
office; and being come now to an agreement with my barber, to keep my
perriwig in good order at 20s. a-year, I am like to go very spruce, more
than I used to do. All the morning at the office and at noon home to
dinner, and so to the King's playhouse, and there saw "Philaster;" where
it is pretty to see how I could remember almost all along, ever since I
was a boy, Arethusa, the part which I was to have acted at Sir Robert
Cooke's; and it was very pleasant to me, but more to think what a
ridiculous thing it would have been for me to have acted a beautiful
woman. Thence to Mr. Pierces, and there saw Knepp also, and were merry;
and here saw my little Lady Katherine Montagu come to town, about her
eyes, which are sore, and they think the King's evil, poor, pretty lady.
Here I was freed from a fear that Knepp was angry or might take advantage
to declare the essay that je did the other day, quand je was con her
. . . Thence to the New Exchange, and there met Harris and Rolt, and one
Richards, a tailor and great company-keeper, and with these over to Fox
Hall, and there fell into the company of Harry Killigrew, a rogue newly
come back out of France, but still in disgrace at our Court, and young
Newport and others, as very rogues as any in the town, who were ready to
take hold of every woman that come by them. And so to supper in an
arbour: but, Lord! their mad bawdy talk did make my heart ake! And here I
first understood by their talk the meaning of the company that lately were
called Ballets; Harris telling how it was by a meeting of some young
blades, where he was among them, and my Lady Bennet

[Evidently adopted as a cant expression. The woman here alluded to
was a procuress well known in her day, and described in the "Tatler"
(No. 84) as "the celebrated Madam Bennet." We further learn, from
the "Spectator" (No. 266), that she was the Lady B. to whom
Wycherley addressed his ironical dedication of "The Plain Dealer,"
which is considered as a masterpiece of raillery. It is worthy of
remark that the fair sex may justly complain of almost every word in
the English language designating a woman having, at some time or
another, been used as a term of reproach; for we find Mother, Madam,
Mistress, and Miss, all denoting women of bad character; and here
Pepys adds the title of my Lady to the number, and completes the
ungracious catalogue.--B.]

and her ladies; and their there dancing naked, and all the roguish things
in the world. But, Lord! what loose cursed company was this, that I was
in to-night, though full of wit; and worth a man's being in for once, to
know the nature of it, and their manner of talk, and lives. Thence set
Rolt and some of [them] at the New Exchange, and so I home, and my
business being done at the office, I to bed.

31st (Lord's day). Up, and to church in the morning. At noon I sent for
Mr. Mills and his wife and daughter to dine, and they dined with me, and
W. Hewer, and very good company, I being in good humour. They gone to
church, comes Mr. Tempest, and he and I sang a psalm or two, and so
parted, and I by water to the New Exchange, and there to Mrs. Pierces,
where Knepp, and she, and W. Howe, and Mr. Pierce, and little Betty, over
to Fox Hall, and there walked and supped with great pleasure. Here was
Mrs. Manuel also, and mighty good company, and good mirth in making W.
Howe spend his six or seven shillings, and so they called him altogether
"Cully." So back, and at Somerset-stairs do understand that a boy is
newly drowned, washing himself there, and they cannot find his body. So
seeing them home, I home by water, W. Howe going with me, and after some
talk he lay at my house, and all to bed. Here I hear that Mrs. Davis is
quite gone from the Duke of York's house, and Gosnell comes in her room,
which I am glad of. At the play at Court the other night, Mrs. Davis was
there; and when she was to come to dance her jigg, the Queene would not
stay to see it, which people do think it was out of displeasure at her
being the King's whore, that she could not bear it. My Lady Castlemayne
is, it seems, now mightily out of request, the King coming little to her,
and thus she mighty melancholy and discontented.

ETEXT EDITOR'S BOOKMARKS:

And will not kiss a woman since his wife's death
Beating of a poor little dog to death, letting it lie
City to be burned, and the Papists to cut our throats
Disorder in the pit by its raining in, from the cupola
Down to the Whey house and drank some and eat some curds
Eat some butter and radishes
Little company there, which made it very unpleasing
So time do alter, and do doubtless the like in myself
There setting a poor man to keep my place
Whom I find in bed, and pretended a little not well

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.
JUNE & JULY
1668

June 1st. Up and with Sir J. Minnes to Westminster, and in the Hall there
I met with Harris and Rolt, and carried them to the Rhenish wine-house,
where I have not been in a morning--nor any tavern, I think, these seven
years and more. Here I did get the words of a song of Harris that I
wanted. Here also Mr. Young and Whistler by chance met us, and drank with
us. Thence home, and to prepare business against the afternoon, and did
walk an hour in the garden with Sir W. Warren, who do tell me of the great
difficulty he is under in the business of his accounts with the
Commissioners of Parliament, and I fear some inconveniences and troubles
may be occasioned thereby to me. So to dinner, and then with Sir J.
Minnes to White Hall, and there attended the Lords of the Treasury and
also a committee of Council with the Duke of York about the charge of this
year's fleete, and thence I to Westminster and to Mrs. Martin's, and did
hazer what je would con her, and did once toker la thigh de su landlady,
and thence all alone to Fox Hall, and walked and saw young Newport, and
two more rogues of the town, seize on two ladies, who walked with them an
hour with their masks on; perhaps civil ladies; and there I left them, and
so home, and thence to Mr. Mills's, where I never was before, and here
find, whom I indeed saw go in, and that did make me go thither, Mrs.
Hallworthy and Mrs. Andrews, and here supped, and, extraordinary merry
till one in the morning, Mr. Andrews coming to us: and mightily pleased
with this night's company and mirth I home to bed. Mrs. Turner, too, was
with us.

2nd. Up, and to the office, where all the morning. At noon home to
dinner, and there dined with me, besides my own people, W. Batelier and
Mercer, and we very merry. After dinner, they gone, only Mercer and I to
sing a while, and then parted, and I out and took a coach, and called
Mercer at their back-door, and she brought with her Mrs. Knightly, a
little pretty sober girl, and I carried them to Old Ford, a town by Bow,
where I never was before, and there walked in the fields very pleasant,
and sang: and so back again, and stopped and drank at the Gun, at Mile
End, and so to the Old Exchange door, and did buy them a pound of
cherries, cost me 2s., and so set them down again; and I to my little
mercer's Finch, that lives now in the Minories, where I have left my
cloak, and did here baiser su moher, a belle femme, and there took my
cloak which I had left there, and so by water, it being now about nine
o'clock, down to Deptford, where I have not been many a day, and there it
being dark I did by agreement aller a la house de Bagwell, and there after
a little playing and baisando we did go up in the dark a su camera . . .
and to my boat again, and against the tide home. Got there by twelve
o'clock, taking into my boat, for company, a man that desired a passage--a
certain western bargeman, with whom I had good sport, talking of the old
woman of Woolwich, and telling him the whole story.

3rd. Up, and to the office, where busy till g o'clock, and then to White
Hall, to the Council-chamber, where I did present the Duke of York with an
account of the charge of the present fleete, to his satisfaction; and this
being done, did ask his leave for my going out of town five or six days,
which he did give me, saying, that my diligence in the King's business was
such, that I ought not to be denied when my own business called me any
whither. Thence with Sir D. Gawden to Westminster, where I did take a
turn or two, and met Roger Pepys, who is mighty earnest for me to stay
from going into the country till he goes, and to bring my people thither
for some time: but I cannot, but will find another time this summer for
it. Thence with him home, and there to the office till noon, and then
with Lord Brouncker, Sir J. Minnes, and Sir G. Carteret, upon whose
accounts they have been this day to the Three Tuns to dinner, and thence
back again home, and after doing a little business I by coach to the
King's house, and there saw good, part of "The Scornfull Lady," and that
done, would have takn out Knepp, but she was engaged, and so to my Lord
Crew's to visit him; from whom I learn nothing but that there hath been
some controversy at the Council-table, about my Lord Sandwich's signing,
where some would not have had him, in the treaty with Portugall; but all,
I think, is over in it. Thence by coach to Westminster to the Hall, and
thence to the Park, where much good company, and many fine ladies; and in
so handsome a hackney I was, that I believe Sir W. Coventry and others,
who looked on me, did take me to be in one of my own, which I was a little
troubled for. So to the lodge, and drank a cup of new milk, and so home,
and there to Mrs. Turner's, and sat and talked with her, and then home to
bed, having laid my business with W. Hewer to go out of town Friday next,
with hopes of a great deal of pleasure.

4th. Up, and to the office, where all the morning, and at noon home to
dinner, where Mr. Clerke, the solicitor, dined with me and my clerks.
After dinner I carried and set him down at the Temple, he observing to me
how St. Sepulchre's church steeple is repaired already a good deal, and
the Fleet Bridge is contracted for by the City to begin to be built this
summer, which do please me mightily. I to White Hall, and walked through
the Park for a little ayre; and so back to the Council-chamber, to the
Committee of the Navy, about the business of fitting the present fleete,
suitable to the money given, which, as the King orders it, and by what
appears, will be very little; and so as I perceive the Duke of York will
have nothing to command, nor can intend to go abroad. But it is pretty to
see how careful these great men are to do every thing so as they may
answer it to the Parliament, thinking themselves safe in nothing but where
the judges, with whom they often advise, do say the matter is doubtful;
and so they take upon themselves then to be the chief persons to interpret
what is doubtful. Thence home, and all the evening to set matters in
order against my going to Brampton to-morrow, being resolved upon my
journey, and having the Duke of York's leave again to-day; though I do
plainly see that I can very ill be spared now, there being much business,
especially about this, which I have attended the Council about, and I the
man that am alone consulted with; and, besides, my Lord Brouncker is at
this time ill, and Sir W. Pen. So things being put in order at the
Office, I home to do the like there; and so to bed.

Pages:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27