Diary of Samuel Pepys, 1668 N.S. Complete

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[William Godolphin, descended from a younger branch of that family,
which was afterwards ennobled in the person of Sidney, Earl
Godolphin, Lord Treasurer. William Godolphin was of Christ Church,
Oxford, and graduated M.A., January 14th, 1660-61. He was
afterwards secretary to Sir H. Bennet (Lord Arlington), and M.P. for
Camelford. He was a great favourite at Court, and was knighted on
August 28th, 1668. In the spring of 1669 he returned to Spain as
Envoy Extraordinary, and in 1671 he became Ambassador. On July
11th, 1696, he died at Madrid, having been for some years a Roman
Catholic.]

at his lodgings, who is lately come from Spain from my Lord Sandwich, and
did, the other day, meeting me in White Hall, compliment me mightily, and
so I did offer him this visit, but missed him, and so back and took up my
wife and set her at Mrs. Turner's, and I to my bookbinder's, and there,
till late at night, binding up my second part of my Tangier accounts, and
I all the while observing his working, and his manner of gilding of books
with great pleasure, and so home, and there busy late, and then to bed.
This day Griffin did, in discourse in the coach, put me in the head of the
little house by our garden, where old goodman Taylor puts his brooms and
dirt, to make me a stable of, which I shall improve, so as, I think, to be
able to get me a stable without much charge, which do please me mightily.
He did also in discourse tell me that it is observed, and is true, in the
late fire of London, that the fire burned just as many Parish-Churches as
there were hours from the beginning to the end of the fire; and, next,
that there were just as many Churches left standing as there were taverns
left standing in the rest of the City that was not burned, being, I think
he told me, thirteen in all of each: which is pretty to observe.

ETEXT EDITOR'S BOOKMARKS:

And they did lay pigeons to his feet
As all other women, cry, and yet talk of other things
Carry them to a box, which did cost me 20s., besides oranges
Declared, if he come, she would not live with me
Fear that the goods and estate would be seized (after suicide)
Fears some will stand for the tolerating of Papists
Greater number of Counsellors is, the more confused the issue
He that will not stoop for a pin, will never be worth a pound
In my nature am mighty unready to answer no to anything
It may be, be able to pay for it, or have health
Lady Castlemayne do rule all at this time as much as ever
No man was ever known to lose the first time
She loves to be taken dressing herself, as I always find her
The devil being too cunning to discourage a gamester
The manner of the gaming
This kind of prophane, mad entertainment they give themselves
Turn out every man that will be drunk, they must turn out all
Where I expect most I find least satisfaction

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.
FEBRUARY
1667-1668

February 1st. Up, and to the office pretty betimes, and the Board not
meeting as soon as I wished, I was forced to go to White Hall in
expectation of a Committee for Tangier, but when I come it was put off,
and so home again to the office, and sat till past two o'clock; where at
the Board some high words passed between Sir W. Pen and I, begun by me,
and yielded to by him, I being in the right in finding fault with him for
his neglect of duty. At noon home to dinner, and after dinner out with my
wife, thinking to have gone to the Duke of York's playhouse, but was, to
my great content in the saving my vow, hindered by coming a little too
late; and so, it being a fine day, we out to Islington, and there to the
old house and eat cheese-cakes and drank and talked, and so home in the
evening, the ways being mighty bad, so as we had no pleasure in being
abroad at all almost, but only the variety of it, and so to the office,
where busy late, and then home to supper and to bed, my head mighty full
of business now on my hands: viz., of finishing my Tangier Accounts; of
auditing my last year's Accounts; of preparing answers to the
Commissioners of Accounts; of drawing up several important letters to the
Duke of York and the Commissioners of the Treasury; the marrying of my
sister; the building of a coach and stables against summer, and the
setting many things in the Office right; and the drawing up a new form of
Contract with the Victualler of the Navy, and several other things, which
pains, however, will go through with, among others the taking care of Kate
Joyce in that now she is in at present for saving her estate.

2nd (Lord's day). Wife took physick this day, I all day at home, and all
the morning setting my books in order in my presses, for the following
year, their number being much increased since the last, so as I am fain to
lay by several books to make room for better, being resolved to keep no
more than just my presses will contain. At noon to dinner, my wife coming
down to me, and a very good dinner we had, of a powdered leg of pork and a
loin of lamb roasted, and with much content she and I and Deb. After
dinner, my head combed an hour, and then to work again, and at it, doing
many things towards the setting my accounts and papers in order, and so in
the evening Mr. Pelling supping with us, and to supper, and so to bed.

3rd. Up, and to the office, where with my clerks all the morning very
busy about several things there wherein I was behindhand. At noon home to
dinner, and thence after dinner to the Duke of York's house, to the play,
"The Tempest," which we have often seen, but yet I was pleased again, and
shall be again to see it, it is so full of variety, and particularly this
day I took pleasure to learn the tune of the seaman's dance, which I have
much desired to be perfect in, and have made myself so. So home with my
wife and Deb., and there at the office met to my trouble with a warrant
from the Commissioners of Accounts for my attending them and Cocke two
days hence, which I apprehend by Captain Cocke's being to go also, to be
about the prizes. But, however, there is nothing of crime can be laid to
my charge, and the worst that can be is to refund my L500 profit, and who
can help it. So I resolve not to be troubled at it, though I fear I
cannot bear it so, my spirit being very poor and mean as to the bearing
with trouble that I do find of myself. So home, and there to my chamber
and did some business,--and thence to supper and to bed.

4th. Up, and to the office, where a full Board sat all the morning, busy
among other things concerning a solemn letter we intend to write to the
Duke of York about the state of the things of the Navy, for want of money,
though I doubt it will be to little purpose. After dinner I abroad by
coach to Kate Joyce's, where the jury did sit where they did before, about
her husband's death, and their verdict put off for fourteen days longer,
at the suit of somebody, under pretence of the King; but it is only to get
money out of her to compound the matter. But the truth is, something they
will make out of Stillingfleete's sermon, which may trouble us, he
declaring, like a fool, in his pulpit, that he did confess that his losses
in the world did make him do what he did. This do vex me to see how
foolish our Protestant Divines are, while the Papists do make it the duty
of Confessor to be secret, or else nobody would confess their sins to
them. All being put off for to-day, I took my leave of Kate, who is
mightily troubled at it for her estate sake, not for her husband; for her
sorrow for that, I perceive, is all over. I home, and, there to my office
busy till the evening, and then home, and there my wife and Deb. and I and
Betty Turner, I employed in the putting new titles to my books, which we
proceeded on till midnight, and then being weary and late to bed.

5th. Up, and I to Captain Cocke's, where he and I did discourse of our
business that we are to go about to the Commissioners of Accounts about
our prizes, and having resolved to conceal nothing but to confess the
truth, the truth being likely to do us most good, we parted, and I to
White Hall, where missing of the Commissioners of the Treasury, I to the
Commissioners of Accounts, where I was forced to stay two hours before I
was called in, and when come in did take an oath to declare the truth to
what they should ask me, which is a great power; I doubt more than the Act
do, or as some say can, give them, to force a man to swear against
himself; and so they fell to enquire about the business of prize-goods,
wherein I did answer them as well as I could, answer them in everything
the just truth, keeping myself to that. I do perceive at last, that, that
they did lay most like a fault to me was, that I did buy goods upon my
Lord Sandwich's declaring that it was with the King's allowance, and my
believing it, without seeing the King's allowance, which is a thing I will
own, and doubt not to justify myself in. That that vexed me most was,
their having some watermen by, to witness my saying that they were rogues
that they had betrayed my goods, which was upon some discontent with one
of the watermen that I employed at Greenwich, who I did think did discover
the goods sent from Rochester to the Custom-House officer; but this can do
me no great harm. They were inquisitive into the minutest particulars,
and the evening great information; but I think that they can do me no
hurt, at the worst, more than to make me refund, if it must be known, what
profit I did make of my agreement with Captain Cocke; and yet, though this
be all, I do find so poor a spirit within me, that it makes me almost out
of my wits, and puts me to so much pain, that I cannot think of anything,
nor do anything but vex and fret, and imagine myself undone, so that I am
ashamed of myself to myself, and do fear what would become of me if any
real affliction should come upon me. After they had done with me, they
called in Captain Cocke, with whom they were shorter; and I do fear he may
answer foolishly, for he did speak to me foolishly before he went in; but
I hope to preserve myself, and let him shift for himself as well as he
can. So I away, walked to my flageolet maker in the Strand, and there
staid for Captain Cocke, who took me up and carried me home, and there
coming home and finding dinner done, and Mr. Cooke, who come for my Lady
Sandwich's plate, which I must part with, and so endanger the losing of my
money, which I lent upon my thoughts of securing myself by that plate.
But it is no great sum--but L60: and if it must be lost, better that, than
a greater sum. I away back again, to find a dinner anywhere else, and so
I, first, to the Ship Tavern, thereby to get a sight of the pretty
mistress of the house, with whom I am not yet acquainted at all, and I do
always find her scolding, and do believe she is an ill-natured devil, that
I have no great desire to speak to her. Here I drank, and away by coach to
the Strand, there to find out Mr. Moore, and did find him at the Bell Inn,
and there acquainted him with what passed between me and the Commissioners
to-day about the prize goods, in order to the considering what to do about
my Lord Sandwich, and did conclude to own the thing to them as done by the
King's allowance, and since confirmed. Thence to other discourse, among
others, he mightily commends my Lord Hinchingbroke's match and Lady,
though he buys her L10,000 dear, by the jointure and settlement his father
makes her; and says that the Duke of York and Duchess of York did come to
see them in bed together, on their wedding-night, and how my Lord had
fifty pieces of gold taken out of his pocket that night, after he was in
bed. He tells me that an Act of Comprehension is likely to pass this
Parliament, for admitting of all persuasions in religion to the public
observation of their particular worship, but in certain places, and the
persons therein concerned to be listed of this, or that Church; which, it
is thought, will do them more hurt than good, and make them not own, their
persuasion. He tells me that there is a pardon passed to the Duke of
Buckingham, my Lord of Shrewsbury, and the rest, for the late duell and
murder;

[The royal pardon was thus announced in the "Gazette" of February
24th, 1668: "This day his Majesty was pleased to declare at the
Board, that whereas, in contemplation of the eminent services
heretofore done to his Majesty by most of the persons who were
engaged in the late duel, or rencounter, wherein William Jenkins was
killed, he Both graciously pardon the said offence: nevertheless, He
is resolved from henceforth that on no pretence whatsoever any
pardon shall be hereafter granted to any person whatsoever for
killing of any man, in any duel or rencounter, but that the course
of law shall wholly take place in all such cases." The warrant for
a pardon to George, Duke of Buckingham, is dated January 27th, 1668;
and on the following day was issued, "Warrant for a grant to
Francis, Earl of Shrewsbury, of pardon for killing William Jenkins,
and for all duels, assaults, or batteries on George, Duke of
Buckingham, Sir John Talbot, Sir Robert Holmes, or any other,
whether indicted or not for the same, with restitution of lands,
goods, &c." ("Calendar of State Papers," 1667-68, pp. 192,193).]

which he thinks a worse fault than any ill use my late Lord Chancellor
ever put the Great Seal to, and will be so thought by the Parliament, for
them to be pardoned without bringing them to any trial: and that my Lord
Privy-Seal therefore would not have it pass his hand, but made it go by
immediate warrant; or at least they knew that he would not pass it, and so
did direct it to go by immediate warrant, that it might not come to him.
He tells me what a character my Lord Sandwich hath sent over of Mr.
Godolphin, as the worthiest man, and such a friend to him as he may be
trusted in any thing relating to him in the world; as one whom, he says,
he hath infallible assurances that he will remaine his friend which is
very high, but indeed they say the gentleman is a fine man. Thence, after
eating a lobster for my dinner, having eat nothing to-day, we broke up,
here coming to us Mr. Townsend of the Wardrobe, who complains of the
Commissioners of the Treasury as very severe against my Lord Sandwich, but
not so much as they complain of him for a fool and a knave, and so I let
him alone, and home, carrying Mr. Moore as far as Fenchurch Street, and I
home, and there being vexed in my mind about my prize businesses I to my
chamber, where my wife and I had much talk of W. Hewer, she telling me
that he is mightily concerned for my not being pleased with him, and is
herself mightily concerned, but I have much reason to blame him for his
little assistance he gives me in my business, not being able to copy out a
letter with sense or true spelling that makes me mad, and indeed he is in
that regard of as little use to me as the boy, which troubles me, and I
would have him know it,--and she will let him know it. By and by to
supper, and so to bed, and slept but ill all night, my mind running like a
fool on my prize business, which according to my reason ought not to
trouble me at all.

6th. Up, and to the office, where all the morning, and among other
things Sir H. Cholmly comes to me about a little business, and there tells
me how the Parliament, which is to meet again to-day, are likely to fall
heavy on the business of the Duke of Buckingham's pardon; and I shall be
glad of it: and that the King hath put out of the Court the two Hides, my
Lord Chancellor's two sons, and also the Bishops of Rochester and
Winchester, the latter of whom should have preached before him yesterday,
being Ash Wednesday, and had his sermon ready, but was put by; which is
great news: He gone, we sat at the office all the morning, and at noon
home to dinner, and my wife being gone before, I to the Duke of York's
playhouse; where a new play of Etherige's, called "She Would if she
Could;" and though I was there by two o'clock, there was 1000 people put
back that could not have room in the pit: and I at last, because my wife
was there, made shift to get into the 18d. box, and there saw; but, Lord!
how full was the house, and how silly the play, there being nothing in the
world good in it, and few people pleased in it. The King was there; but I
sat mightily behind, and could see but little, and hear not all. The play
being done, I into the pit to look (for) my wife, and it being dark and
raining, I to look my wife out, but could not find her; and so staid going
between the two doors and through the pit an hour and half, I think, after
the play was done; the people staying there till the rain was over, and to
talk with one another. And, among the rest, here was the Duke of
Buckingham to-day openly sat in the pit; and there I found him with my
Lord Buckhurst, and Sidly, and Etherige, the poet; the last of whom I did
hear mightily find fault with the actors, that they were out of humour,
and had not their parts perfect, and that Harris did do nothing, nor could
so much as sing a ketch in it; and so was mightily concerned while all the
rest did, through the whole pit, blame the play as a silly, dull thing,
though there was something very roguish and witty; but the design of the
play, and end, mighty insipid. At last I did find my wife staying for me
in the entry; and with her was Betty Turner, Mercer, and Deb. So I got a
coach, and a humour took us, and I carried them to Hercules Pillars, and
there did give them a kind of a supper of about 7s., and very merry, and
home round the town, not through the ruines; and it was pretty how the
coachman by mistake drives us into the ruines from London-wall into
Coleman Street: and would persuade me that I lived there. And the truth
is, I did think that he and the linkman had contrived some roguery; but it
proved only a mistake of the coachman; but it was a cunning place to have
done us a mischief in, as any I know, to drive us out of the road into the
ruines, and there stop, while nobody could be called to help us. But we
come safe home, and there, the girls being gone home, I to the office,
where a while busy, my head not being wholly free of my trouble about my
prize business, I home to bed. This evening coming home I did put my hand
under the coats of Mercer and did touch her thigh, but then she did put by
my hand and no hurt done, but talked and sang and was merry.

7th. Up, and to the office, to the getting of my books in order, to carry
to the Commissioners of Accounts this morning. This being done, I away
first to Westminster Hall, and there met my cozen, Roger Pepys, by his
desire, the first time I have seen him since his coming to town, the
Parliament meeting yesterday and adjourned to Monday next; and here he
tells me that Mr. Jackson, my sister's servant, is come to town, and hath
this day suffered a recovery on his estate, in order to the making her a
settlement. The young man is gone out of the Hall, so I could not now see
him, but here I walked a good while with my cozen, and among other things
do hear that there is a great triall between my Lord Gerard and Carr
to-day, who is indicted for his life at the King's Bench, for running from
his colours; but all do say that my Lord Gerard, though he designs the
ruining of this man, will not get any thing by it. Thence to the
Commissioners of Accounts, and there presented my books, and was made to
sit down, and used with much respect, otherwise than the other day, when I
come to them as a criminal about the business of the prizes. I sat here
with them a great while, while my books were inventoried. And here do
hear from them by discourse that they are like to undo the Treasurer's
instruments of the Navy by making it a rule that they shall repay all
money paid to wrong parties, which is a thing not to be supported by these
poor creatures the Treasurer's instruments, as it is also hard for seamen
to be ruined by their paying money to whom they please. I know not what
will be the issue of it. I find these gentlemen to sit all day, and only
eat a bit of bread at noon, and a glass of wine; and are resolved to go
through their business with great severity and method. Thence I, about
two o'clock, to Westminster Hall, by appointment, and there met my cozen
Roger again, and Mr. Jackson, who is a plain young man, handsome enough
for Pall, one of no education nor discourse, but of few words, and one
altogether that, I think, will please me well enough. My cozen had got me
to give the odd sixth L100 presently, which I intended to keep to the
birth of the first child: and let it go--I shall be eased of the care, and
so, after little talk, we parted, resolving to dine together at my house
tomorrow. So there parted, my mind pretty well satisfied with this plain
fellow for my sister, though I shall, I see, have no pleasure nor content
in him, as if he had been a man of reading and parts, like Cumberland, and
to the Swan, and there sent for a bit of meat and eat and drank, and so to
White Hall to the Duke of York's chamber, where I find him and my fellows
at their usual meeting, discoursing about securing the Medway this year,
which is to shut the door after the horse is stole. However, it is good.
Having done here, my Lord Brouncker, and W. Pen, and I, and with us Sir
Arnold Breames, to the King's playhouse, and there saw a piece of "Love in
a Maze," a dull, silly play, I think; and after the play, home with W. Pen
and his son Lowther, whom we met there, and then home and sat most of the
evening with my wife and Mr. Pelting, talking, my head being full of
business of one kind or other, and most such as do not please me, and so
to supper and to bed.

8th. Up, and to the office, where sat all day, and at noon home, and
there find cozen Roger and Jackson by appointment come to dine with me,
and Creed, and very merry, only Jackson hath few words, and I like him
never the worse for it. The great talk is of Carr's coming off in all his
trials, to the disgrace of my Lord Gerard, to that degree, and the ripping
up of so many notorious rogueries and cheats of my Lord's, that my Lord,
it is thought, will be ruined; and, above all things, do skew the madness
of the House of Commons, who rejected the petition of this poor man by a
combination of a few in the House; and, much more, the base proceedings
(just the epitome of all our publick managements in this age), of the
House of Lords, that ordered him to stand in the pillory for those very
things, without hearing and examining what he hath now, by the seeking of
my Lord Gerard himself, cleared himself of, in open Court, to the gaining
himself the pity of all the world, and shame for ever to my Lord Gerard.
We had a great deal of good discourse at table, and after dinner we four
men took coach, and they set me down at the Old Exchange, and they home,
having discoursed nothing today with cozen or Jackson about our business.
I to Captain Cocke's, and there discoursed over our business of prizes,
and I think I shall go near to state the matter so as to secure myself
without wrong to him, doing nor saying anything but the very truth.
Thence away to the Strand, to my bookseller's, and there staid an hour,
and bought the idle, rogueish book, "L'escholle des filles;" which I have
bought in plain binding, avoiding the buying of it better bound, because I
resolve, as soon as I have read it, to burn it, that it may not stand in
the list of books, nor among them, to disgrace them if it should be found.
Thence home, and busy late at the office, and then home to supper and to
bed. My wife well pleased with my sister's match, and designing how to be
merry at their marriage. And I am well at ease in my mind to think that
that care will be over. This night calling at the Temple, at the
Auditor's, his man told me that he heard that my account must be brought
to the view of the Commissioners of Tangier before it can be passed, which
though I know no hurt in it, yet it troubled me lest there should be any
or any designed by them who put this into the head of the Auditor, I
suppose Auditor Beale, or Creed, because they saw me carrying my account
another way than by them.

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