Diary of Samuel Pepys, 1668 N.S. Complete

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["Such an operation was performed in this year, after a consultation
of medical men, and chiefly by Locke's advice, and the wound was
afterwards always kept open, a silver pipe being inserted. This
saved Lord Ashley's life, and gave him health"--Christie's Life of
the first Earl of Shaftesbury, vol. ii., p. 34. 'Tapski' was a name
given to Shaftesbury in derision, and vile defamers described the
abscess, which had originated in a carriage accident in Holland, as
the result of extreme dissipation. Lines by Duke, a friend and
imitator of Dryden:

"The working ferment of his active mind,
In his weak body's cask with pain confined,
Would burst the rotten vessel where 'tis pent,
But that 'tis tapt to give the treason vent."]

At noon home to dinner, and thence by coach to White Hall, where we
attended the Duke of York in his closet, upon our usual business. And
thence out, and did see many of the Knights of the Garter, with the King
and Duke of York, going into the Privychamber, to elect the Elector of
Saxony into that Order, who, I did hear the Duke of York say, was a good
drinker: I know not upon what score this compliment is done him. Thence
with W. Pen, who is in great pain of the gowte, by coach round by Holborne
home, he being at every kennel full of pain. Thence home, and by and by
comes my wife and Deb. home, have been at the King's playhouse to-day,
thinking to spy me there; and saw the new play, "Evening Love," of
Dryden's, which, though the world commends, she likes not. So to supper
and talk, and all in good humour, and then to bed, where I slept not well,
from my apprehensions of some trouble about some business of Mr. Povy's he
told me of the other day.

20th. Up, and talked with my wife all in good humour, and so to the
office, where all the morning, and then home to dinner, and so she and I
alone to the King's house, and there I saw this new play my wife saw
yesterday, and do not like it, it being very smutty, and nothing so good
as "The Maiden Queen," or "The Indian Emperour," of his making, that I was
troubled at it; and my wife tells me wholly (which he confesses a little
in the epilogue) taken out of the "Illustre Bassa." So she to Unthanke's
and I to Mr. Povy, and there settled some business; and here talked of
things, and he thinks there will be great revolutions, and that Creed will
be a great man, though a rogue, he being a man of the old strain, which
will now be up again. So I took coach, and set Povy down at Charing
Cross, and took my wife up, and calling at the New Exchange at Smith's
shop, and kissed her pretty hand, and so we home, and there able to do
nothing by candlelight, my eyes being now constantly so bad that I must
take present advice or be blind. So to supper, grieved for my eyes, and
to bed.

21st (Lord's day). Up, and to church, and home and dined with my wife and
Deb. alone, but merry and in good humour, which is, when all is done, the
greatest felicity of all, and after dinner she to read in the "Illustre
Bassa" the plot of yesterday's play, which is most exactly the same, and
so to church I alone, and thence to see Sir W. Pen, who is ill again, and
then home, and there get my wife to read to me till supper, and then to
bed.

22nd. Up, and with Balty to St. James's, and there presented him to Mr.
Wren about his being Muster-Master this year, which will be done. So up
to wait on the Duke of York, and thence, with W. Coventry, walked to White
Hall good discourse about the Navy, where want of money undoes us. Thence
to the Harp and Ball I to drink, and so to the Coffee-house in Covent
Garden; but met with nobody but Sir Philip Howard, who shamed me before
the whole house there, in commendation of my speech in Parliament, and
thence I away home to dinner alone, my wife being at her tailor's, and
after dinner comes Creed, whom I hate, to speak with me, and before him
comes Mrs. Daniel about business . . . . She gone, Creed and I to the
King's playhouse, and saw an act or two of the new play ["Evening's Love"]
again, but like it not. Calling this day at Herringman's, he tells me
Dryden do himself call it but a fifth-rate play. Thence with him to my
Lord Brouncker's, where a Council of the Royall Society; and there heard
Mr. Harry Howard's' noble offers about ground for our College, and his
intentions of building his own house there most nobly. My business was to
meet Mr. Boyle, which I did, and discoursed about my eyes; and he did give
me the best advice he could, but refers me to one Turberville, of
Salsbury, lately come to town, which I will go to.

[Daubigny Turberville, of Oriel College; created M.D. at
Oxford,1660. He was a physician of some eminence, and, dying at
Salisbury on the 21st April, 1696, aged eighty-five, he was buried
in the cathedral, where his monument remains. Cassan, in his "Lives
of the Bishops of Sarum," part iii., p. 103, has reprinted an
interesting account of Turberville, from the "Memoir of Bishop Seth
Ward," published in 1697, by Dr. Walter Pope. Turberville was born
at Wayford, co. Somerset, in 1612, and became an expert oculist; and
probably Pepys received great benefit from his advice, as his vision
does not appear to have failed during the many years that he lived
after discontinuing the Diary. The doctor died rich, and
subsequently to his decease his sister Mary, inheriting all his
prescriptions, and knowing how to use them, practised as an oculist
in London with good reputation.--B.]

Thence home, where the streets full, at our end of the town, removing
their wine against the Act begins, which will be two days hence, to raise
the price. I did get my store in of Batelier this night. So home to
supper and to bed.

23rd. Up, and all the morning at the office. At noon home to dinner, and
so to the office again all the afternoon, and then to Westminster to Dr.
Turberville about my eyes, whom I met with: and he did discourse, I
thought, learnedly about them; and takes time before he did prescribe me
any thing, to think of it. So I away with my wife and Deb., whom I left
at Unthanke's, and so to Hercules Pillars, and there we three supped on
cold powdered beef, and thence home and in the garden walked a good while
with Deane, talking well of the Navy miscarriages and faults. So home to
bed.

24th. Up, and Creed and Colonell Atkins come to me about sending coals to
Tangier: and upon that most of the morning. Thence Creed and I to
Alderman Backewell's about Tangier business of money, and thence I by
water (calling and drinking, but not baisado, at Michell's) to
Westminster, but it being holyday did no business, only to Martin's . . .
and so home again by water, and busy till dinner, and then with wife,
Mercer, Deb., and W. Hewer to the Duke of York's playhouse, and there saw
"The Impertinents," a pretty good play; and so by water to Spring Garden,
and there supped, and so home, not very merry, only when we come home,
Mercer and I sat and sung in the garden a good while, and so to bed.

25th. Up, and to the office all the morning, and after dinner at home to
the office again, and there all the afternoon very busy till night, and
then home to supper and to bed.

26th. All the morning doing business at the office. At noon, with my
Fellow-Officers, to the Dolphin, at Sir G. Carteret's charge, to dinner,
he having some accounts examined this morning. All the afternoon we all
at Sir W. Pen's with him about the Victuallers' accounts, and then in the
evening to Charing Cross, and there took up my wife at her tailor's, and
so home and to walk in the garden, and then to sup and to bed.

27th. At the office all the morning, at noon dined at home, and then my
wife, and Deb., and I to the King's playhouse, and saw "The Indian
Queene," but do not doat upon Nan Marshall's acting therein, as the world
talks of her excellence therein. Thence with my wife to buy some linnen,
L13 worth, for sheets, &c., at the new shop over against the New Exchange;
[and the master, who is] come out of London--[To the Strand.]--since the
fire, says his and other tradesmen's retail trade is so great here, and
better than it was in London, that they believe they shall not return, nor
the city be ever so great for retail as heretofore. So home and to my
business, and to bed.

28th (Lord's day). Up, and to church, and then home to dinner, where
Betty Turner, Mercer, and Captain Deane, and after dinner to sing, Mr.
Pelting coming. Then, they gone, Deane and I all the afternoon till night
to talk of navy matters and ships with great pleasure, and so at night, he
gone, I to supper, Pelling coming again and singing a while, then to bed.
Much talk of the French setting out their fleete afresh; but I hear
nothing that our King is alarmed at it, at all, but rather making his
fleete less.

29th. Called up by my Lady Peterborough's servant about some business of
hers, and so to the office. Thence by and by with Sir J. Minnes toward
St. James's, and I stop at Dr. Turberville's, and there did receive a
direction for some physic, and also a glass of something to drop into my
eyes: who gives me hopes that I may do well. Thence to St. James's, and
thence to White Hall, where I find the Duke of York in the
Council-chamber; where the Officers of the Navy were called in about Navy
business, about calling in of more ships; the King of France having, as
the Duke of York says, ordered his fleete to come in, notwithstanding what
he had lately ordered for their staying abroad. Thence to the Chapel, it
being St. Peter's day, and did hear an anthem of Silas Taylor's making; a
dull, old-fashioned thing, of six and seven parts, that nobody could
understand: and the Duke of York, when he come out, told me that he was a
better store-keeper than anthem-maker, and that was bad enough, too. This
morning Mr. May' shewed me the King's new buildings at White Hall, very
fine; and among other things, his ceilings, and his houses of office. So
home to dinner, and then with my wife to the King's playhouse--"The
Mulberry Garden," which she had not seen. So by coach to Islington, and
round by Hackney home with much pleasure, and to supper and bed.

30th. Up, and at the Office all the morning: then home to dinner, where a
stinking leg of mutton, the weather being very wet and hot to keep meat
in. Then to the Office again, all the afternoon: we met about the
Victualler's new contract. And so up, and to walk all the evening with my
wife and Mrs. Turner in the garden, till supper, about eleven at night;
and so, after supper, parted, and to bed, my eyes bad, but not worse, only
weary with working. But, however, I very melancholy under the fear of my
eyes being spoiled, and not to be recovered; for I am come that I am not
able to readout a small letter, and yet my sight good for the little while
I can read, as ever they were, I think.

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.
JULY
1668

July 1st. Up; and all the morning we met at the office about the
Victualler's contract. At noon home to dinner, my Cozen Roger, come newly
to town, dined with us, and mighty importunate for our coming down to
Impington, which I think to do, this Sturbridge fair. Thence I set him
down at the Temple, and Commissioner Middleton dining the first time with
me, he and I to White Hall, and so to St. James's, where we met; and much
business with the Duke of York. And I find the Duke of York very hot for
regulations in the Navy; and, I believe, is put on it by W. Coventry; and
I am glad of it; and particularly, he falls heavy on Chatham-yard,, and is
vexed that Lord Anglesey did, the other day, complain at the Council-table
of disorders in the Navy, and not to him. So I to White Hall to a
Committee of Tangier; and there vexed, with the importunity and clamours
of Alderman Backewell, for my acquittance for money supplied by him to the
garrison, before I have any order for paying it: so home, calling at
several places-among others, the 'Change, and on Cooper, to know when my
wife shall come to sit for her picture, which will be next week, and so
home and to walk with my wife, and then to supper and to bed.

2nd. Called up by a letter from W. Coventry telling me that the
Commissioners of Accounts intend to summons me about Sir W. Warren's
Hamburg contract, and so I up and to W. Coventry's (he and G. Carteret
being the party concerned in it), and after conference with him about it
to satisfaction I home again to the office. At noon home to dinner, and
then all the afternoon busy to prepare an answer to this demand of the
Commissioners of Accounts, and did discourse with Sir W. Warren about it,
and so in the evening with my wife and Deb. by coach to take ayre to
Mile-end, and so home and I to bed, vexed to be put to this frequent
trouble in things we deserve best in.

3rd. Betimes to the office, my head full of this business. Then by coach
to the Commissioners of Accounts at Brooke House, the first time I was
ever there, and there Sir W. Turner in the chair; and present, Lord
Halifax, Thoms[on], Gregory, Dunster, and Osborne. I long with them, and
see them hot set on this matter; but I did give them proper and safe
answers. Halifax, I perceive, was industrious on my side, in behalf of
his uncle Coventry, it being the business of fir W. Warren. Vexed only at
their denial of a copy of what I set my hand to, and swore. Here till
almost two o'clock, and then home to dinner, and set down presently what I
had done and said this day, and so abroad by water to Eagle Court in the
Strand, and there to an alehouse: met Mr. Pierce, the Surgeon, and Dr.
Clerke, Waldron, Turberville, my physician for the eyes, and Lowre, to
dissect several eyes of sheep and oxen, with great pleasure, and to my
great information. But strange that this Turberville should be so great a
man, and yet, to this day, had seen no eyes dissected, or but once, but
desired this Dr. Lowre to give him the opportunity to see him dissect
some. Thence to Unthanke's, to my wife, and carried her home, and there
walked in the garden, and so to supper and to bed.

4th. Up, and to see Sir W. Coventry, and give him account of my doings
yesterday, which he well liked of, and was told thereof by my Lord Halifax
before; but I do perceive he is much concerned for this business. Gives me
advice to write a smart letter to the Duke of York about the want of money
in the Navy, and desire him to communicate it to the Commissioners of the
Treasury; for he tells me he hath hot work sometimes to contend with the
rest for the Navy, they being all concerned for some other part of the
King's expenses, which they would prefer to this, of the Navy. He shewed
me his closet, with his round table, for him to sit in the middle, very
convenient; and I borrowed several books of him, to collect things out of
the Navy, which I have not, and so home, and there busy sitting all the
morning, and at noon dined, and then all the afternoon busy, till night,
and then to Mile-End with my wife and girl, and there drank and eat a joie
of salmon, at the Rose and Crown, our old house; and so home to bed.

5th (Lord's day). About four in the morning took four pills of Dr.
Turberville's prescribing, for my eyes, and they wrought pretty well most
of the morning, and I did get my wife to spend the morning reading of
Wilkins's Reall Character. At noon comes W. Hewer and Pelling, and young
Michell and his wife, and dined with us, and most of the afternoon
talking; and then at night my wife to read again, and to supper and to
bed.

6th. Up, and to St. James's, and there attended the Duke of York, and was
there by himself told how angry he was, and did declare to my Lord
Anglesey, about his late complaining of things of the Navy to the King in
Council, and not to him; and I perceive he is mightily concerned at it,
and resolved to reform things therein. Thence with W. Coventry walked in
the Park together a good while, he mighty kind to me. And hear many
pretty stories of my Lord Chancellor's being heretofore made sport of by
Peter Talbot the priest, in his story of the death of Cardinall Bleau;

[It is probable these stories, in ridicule of Clarendon, are nowhere
recorded. Cardinal Jean Balue was the minister of Louis XI. of
France. The reader will remember him in Sir W. Scott's "Quentin
Durward." He was confined for eleven years in an iron cage invented
by himself in the Chateau de Loches, and died soon after he regained
his liberty.--B.]

by Lord Cottington, in his 'Dolor de las Tyipas';

[Gripes. It was a joke against Lord Cottington that whenever he was
seriously ill he declared himself a Roman Catholic, when he was well
again he returned to the Protestant faith.]

and Tom Killigrew, in his being bred in Ram Ally, and now bound prentice
to Lord Cottington, going to Spain with L1000, and two suits of clothes.
Thence home to dinner, and thence to Mr. Cooper's, and there met my wife
and W. Hewer and Deb.; and there my wife first sat for her picture: but he
is a most admirable workman, and good company. Here comes Harris, and
first told us how Betterton is come again upon the stage: whereupon my
wife and company to the [Duke's] house to see "Henry the Fifth;" while I
to attend the Duke of York at the Committee of the Navy, at the Council,
where some high dispute between him and W. Coventry about settling
pensions upon all Flag-Officers, while unemployed: W. Coventry against it,
and, I think, with reason. Thence I to the playhouse, and saw a piece of
the play, and glad to see Betterton; and so with wife and Deb. to
Spring-garden, and eat a lobster, and so home in the evening and to bed.
Great doings at Paris, I hear, with their triumphs for their late
conquests! The Duchesse of Richmond sworn last week of the queen's
Bedchamber, and the King minding little else but what he used to do--about
his women.

7th. Up, and to the office, where Kate Joyce come to me about some
tickets of hers, but took no notice to me of her being married, but seemed
mighty pale, and doubtful what to say or do, expecting, I believe, that I
should begin; and not finding me beginning, said nothing, but, with
trouble in her face, went away. At the office all the morning, and after
dinner also all the afternoon, and in the evening with my wife and Deb.
and Betty Turner to Unthanke's, where we are fain to go round by Newgate,
because of Fleet Bridge being under rebuilding. They stayed there, and I
about some business, and then presently back and brought them home and
supped and Mrs. Turner, the mother, comes to us, and there late, and so to
bed.

8th. Betimes by water to Sir W. Coventry, and there discoursed of several
things; and I find him much concerned in the present enquiries now on foot
of the Commissioners of Accounts, though he reckons himself and the rest
very safe, but vexed to see us liable to these troubles, in things wherein
we have laboured to do best. Thence, he being to go out of town
to-morrow, to drink Banbury waters, I to the Duke of York, to attend him
about business of the Office; and find him mighty free to me, and how he
is concerned to mend things in the Navy himself, and not leave it to other
people. So home to dinner; and then with my wife to Cooper's, and there
saw her sit; and he do do extraordinary things indeed. So to White Hall;
and there by and by the Duke of York comes to the Robe-chamber, and spent
with us three hours till night, in hearing the business of the
Master-Attendants of Chatham, and the Store-keeper of Woolwich; and
resolves to displace them all; so hot he is of giving proofs of his
justice at this time, that it is their great fate now, to come to be
questioned at such a time as this. Thence I to Unthanke's, and took my
wife and Deb. home, and to supper and to bed.

9th. Up, and to the office, where sat all the morning, and after noon to
the office again till night, mighty busy getting Mr. Fist to come and help
me, my own clerks all busy, and so in the evening to ease my eyes, and
with my wife and Deb. and Betty Turner, by coach to Unthanke's and back
again, and then to supper and to bed.

10th. Up, and to attend the Council, but all in vain, the Council
spending all the morning upon a business about the printing of the
Critickes, a dispute between the first Printer, one Bee that is dead, and
the Abstractor, who would now print his Abstract, one Poole. So home to
dinner, and thence to Haward's to look upon an Espinette, and I did come
near the buying one, but broke off. I have a mind to have one. So to
Cooper's; and there find my wife and W. Hewer and Deb., sitting, and
painting; and here he do work finely, though I fear it will not be so like
as I expected: but now I understand his great skill in musick, his playing
and setting to the French lute most excellently; and speaks French, and
indeed is an excellent man. Thence, in the evening, with my people in a
glass hackney-coach to the park, but was ashamed to be seen. So to the
lodge, and drank milk, and so home to supper and to bed.

11th. At the office all the morning. After dinner to the King's
playhouse, to see an old play of Shirly's, called "Hide Parker" the first
day acted; where horses are brought upon the stage but it is but a very
moderate play, only an excellent epilogue spoke by Beck Marshall. Thence
home and to my office, and then to supper and to bed, and overnight took
some pills,

12th. Which work with me pretty betimes, being Lord's day, and so I
within all day. Busy all the morning upon some accounts with W. Hewer,
and at noon, an excellent dinner, comes Pelling and W. Howe, and the
latter staid and talked with me all the afternoon, and in the evening
comes Mr. Mills and his wife and supped and talked with me, and so to bed.
This last night Betty Michell about midnight cries out, and my wife goes
to her, and she brings forth a girl, and this afternoon the child is
christened, and my wife godmother again to a Betty.

13th. Up, and to my office, and thence by water to White Hall to attend
the Council, but did not, and so home to dinner, and so out with my wife,
and Deb., and W. Hewer towards Cooper's, but I 'light and walked to Ducke
Lane, and there to the bookseller's; at the Bible, whose moher je have a
mind to, but elle no erat dentro, but I did there look upon and buy some
books, and made way for coming again to the man, which pleases me. Thence
to Reeves's, and there saw some, and bespoke a little perspective, and was
mightily pleased with seeing objects in a dark room. And so to Cooper's,
and spent the afternoon with them; and it will be an excellent picture.
Thence my people all by water to Deptford, to see Balty, while I to buy my
espinette,

[Espinette is the French term for a small harpsichord, at that time
called in England a spinet. It was named from a fancied resemblance
of its quill plectra to spines or thorns.]

which I did now agree for, and did at Haward's meet with Mr. Thacker, and
heard him play on the harpsicon, so as I never heard man before, I think.
So home, it being almost night, and there find in the garden Pelling, who
hath brought Tempest, Wallington, and Pelham, to sings and there had most
excellent musick late, in the dark, with great pleasure. Made them drink
and eat; and so with much pleasure to bed, but above all with little
Wallington. This morning I was let blood, and did bleed about fourteen
ounces, towards curing my eyes.

14th. Up, and to my office, where sat all the morning. At noon home to
dinner, and thence all the afternoon hard at the office, we meeting about
the Victualler's new contract; and so into the garden, my Lady Pen, Mrs.
Turner and her daughter, my wife and I, and there supped in the dark and
were merry, and so to bed. This day Bossc finished his copy of my
picture, which I confess I do not admire, though my wife prefers him to
Browne; nor do I think it like. He do it for W. Hewer, who hath my wife's
also, which I like less. This afternoon my Lady Pickering come to see us:
I busy, saw her not. But how natural it is for us to slight people out of
power, and for people out of power to stoop to see those that while in
power they contemned!

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