Diary of Samuel Pepys, 1669 N.S. Complete

S >> Samuel Pepys >> Diary of Samuel Pepys, 1669 N.S. Complete

Pages:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11

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.

1669 N.S.

JANUARY
1668-1669

January 1st. Up, and presented from Captain Beckford with a noble silver
warming-pan, which I am doubtful whether to take or no. Up, and with W.
Hewer to the New Exchange, and then he and I to the cabinet-shops, to look
out, and did agree, for a cabinet to give my wife for a New-year's gift;
and I did buy one cost me L11, which is very pretty, of walnutt-tree, and
will come home to-morrow. So back to the old Exchange, and there met my
uncle Wight; and there walked, and met with the Houblons, and talked with
them--gentlemen whom I honour mightily: and so to my uncle's, and met my
wife; and there, with W. Hewer, we dined with our family, and had a very
good dinner, and pretty merry and after dinner, my wife and I with our
coach to the King's playhouse, and there in a box saw "The Mayden Queene."
Knepp looked upon us, but I durst not shew her any countenance; and, as
well as I could carry myself, I found my wife uneasy there, poor wretch!
therefore, I shall avoid that house as much as I can. So back to my
aunt's, and there supped and talked, and staid pretty late, it being dry
and moonshine, and so walked home, and to bed in very good humour.

2nd. Up, at the office all the morning, and at noon home to dinner, where
I find my cabinet come home, and paid for it, and it pleases me and my
wife well. So after dinner busy late at the office, and so home and to
bed.

3rd (Lord's day). Up, and busy all the morning, getting rooms and dinner
ready for my guests, which were my uncle and aunt Wight, and two of their
cousins, and an old woman, and Mr. Mills and his wife; and a good dinner,
and all our plate out, and mighty fine and merry, only I a little vexed at
burning a new table-cloth myself, with one of my trencher-salts. Dinner
done, I out with W. Hewer and Mr. Spong, who by accident come to dine with
me, and good talk with him: to White Hall by coach, and there left him,
and I with my Lord Brouncker to attend the Duke of York, and then up and
down the House till the evening, hearing how the King do intend this
frosty weather, it being this day the first, and very hard frost, that
hath come this year, and very cold it is. So home; and to supper and
read; and there my wife and I treating about coming to an allowance to my
wife for clothes; and there I, out of my natural backwardness, did hang
off, which vexed her, and did occasion some discontented talk in bed, when
we went to bed; and also in the morning, but I did recover all in the
morning.

4th. Lay long, talking with my wife, and did of my own accord come to an
allowance of her of L30 a-year for all expences, clothes and everything,
which she was mightily pleased with, it being more than ever she asked or
expected, and so rose, with much content, and up with W. Hewer to White
Hall, there to speak with Mr. Wren, which I did about several things of
the office entered in my memorandum books, and so about noon, going
homeward with W. Hewer, he and I went in and saw the great tall woman that
is to be seen, who is but twenty-one years old, and I do easily stand
under her arms. Then, going further, The. Turner called me, out of her
coach where her mother, &c., was, and invited me by all means to dine with
them, at my cozen Roger's mistress's, the widow Dickenson! So, I went to
them afterwards, and dined with them, and mighty handsomely treated, and
she a wonderful merry, good-humoured, fat, but plain woman, but I believe
a very good woman, and mighty civil to me. Mrs. Turner, the mother, and
Mrs. Dyke, and The., and Betty was the company, and a gentleman of their
acquaintance. Betty I did long to see, and she is indifferent pretty, but
not what the world did speak of her; but I am mighty glad to have one so
pretty of our kindred. After dinner, I walked with them, to shew them the
great woman, which they admire, as well they may; and so back with them,
and left them; and I to White Hall, where a Committee of Tangier met, but
little to do there, but I did receive an instance of the Duke of York's
kindness to me, and the whole Committee, that they would not order any
thing about the Treasurer for the Corporation now in establishing, without
my assent, and considering whether it would be to my wrong or no. Thence
up and down the house, and to the Duke of York's side, and there in the
Duchess's presence; and was mightily complimented by my Lady Peterborough,
in my Lord Sandwich's presence, whom she engaged to thank me for my
kindness to her and her Lord. . . . By and by I met my Lord Brouncker;
and he and I to the Duke of York alone, and discoursed over the carriage
of the present Treasurers, in opposition to, or at least independency of,
the Duke of York, or our Board, which the Duke of York is sensible of, and
all remember, I believe; for they do carry themselves very respectlessly
of him and us. We also declared our minds together to the Duke of York
about Sir John Minnes's incapacity to do any service in the Office, and
that it is but to betray the King to have any business of trust committed
to his weakness. So the Duke of York was very sensible of it and promised
to speak to the King about it. That done, I with W. Hewer took up my wife
at Unthank's, and so home, and there with pleasure to read and talk, and
so to supper, and put into writing, in merry terms, our agreement between
my wife and me, about L30 a-year, and so to bed. This was done under both
our hands merrily, and put into W. Hewer's to keep.

5th. Up, and to the office all the morning, the frost and cold
continuing. At noon home with my people to dinner; and so to work at the
office again; in the evening comes Creed to me, and tells me his wife is
at my house. So I in, and spent an hour with them, the first time she
hath been here, or I have seen her, since she was married. She is not
overhandsome, though a good lady, and one I love. So after some pleasant
discourse, they gone, I to the Office again, and there late, and then home
to supper to my wife, who is not very well of those, and so sat talking
till past one in the morning, and then to bed.

6th (Twelfth day). Up, and to look after things against dinner to-day for
my guests, and then to the Office to write down my journall for five or
six days backward, and so home to look after dinner, it being now almost
noon. At noon comes Mrs. Turner and Dyke, and Mrs. Dickenson, and then
comes The. and Betty Turner, the latter of which is a very pretty girl;
and then Creed and his wife, whom I sent for, by my coach. These were my
guests, and Mrs. Turner's friend, whom I saw the other day, Mr. Wicken,
and very merry we were at dinner, and so all the afternoon, talking, and
looking up and down my house; and in the evening I did bring out my
cake--a noble cake, and there cut it into pieces, with wine and good
drink: and after a new fashion, to prevent spoiling the cake, did put so
many titles into a hat, and so drew cuts; and I was the Queene; and The.
Turner, King--Creed, Sir Martin Marr-all; and Betty, Mrs. Millicent: and
so we were mighty merry till it was night; and then, being moonshine and
fine frost, they went home, I lending some of them my coach to help to
carry them, and so my wife and I spent the rest of the evening in talk and
reading, and so with great pleasure to bed.

7th. Up, and to the office, where busy all the morning, and then at noon
home to dinner, and thence my wife and I to the King's playhouse, and
there saw "The Island Princesse," the first time I ever saw it; and it is
a pretty good play, many good things being in it, and a good scene of a
town on fire. We sat in an upper box, and the jade Nell come and sat in
the next box; a bold merry slut, who lay laughing there upon people; and
with a comrade of hers of the Duke's house, that come in to see the play.
Thence home and to the office to do some business, and so home to supper
and to bed.

8th. Up, and with Colonel Middleton, in his coach, and Mr. Tippets to
White Hall; and there attended the Duke of York with the rest, where the
Duke was mighty plain with the Treasurers, according to the advice my Lord
Brouncker and I did give him the other night, and he did it fully; and so
as, I believe, will make the Treasurers carefull of themselves, unless
they do resolve upon defying the Duke of York. Thence with W. Hewer home,
and to dinner, and so out again, my wife and I and Mr. Hater to White
Hall, where she set us down, and she up and down to buy things, while we
at the Treasury-Chamber, where I alone did manage the business of "The
Leopard" against the whole Committee of the East India Company, with Mr.
Blackburne with them; and to the silencing of them all, to my no great
content. Thence walked to my wife, and so set out for home in our coach,
it being very cold weather, and so to the office to do a little business,
and then home to my wife's chamber, my people having laid the cloth, and
got the rooms all clean above-stairs to-night for our dinner to-morrow,
and therefore I to bed.

9th. Up, and at the office all the morning, and at noon, my Lord
Brouncker, Mr. Wren, Joseph Williamson, and Captain Cocke, dined with me;
and, being newly sat down, comes in, by invitation of Williamson's, the
Lieutenant of the Tower, and he brings in with him young Mr. Whore, whose
father, of the Tower, I know.--And here I had a neat dinner, and all in so
good manner and fashion, and with so good company, and everything to my
mind, as I never had more in my life--the company being to my heart's
content, and they all well pleased. So continued, looking over my books
and closet till the evening, and so I to the Office and did a good deal of
business, and so home to supper and to bed with my mind mightily pleased
with this day's management, as one of the days of my life of fullest
content.

10th (Lord's day). Accidentally talking of our maids before we rose, I
said a little word that did give occasion to my wife to fall out; and she
did most vexatiously, almost all the morning, but ended most perfect good
friends; but the thoughts of the unquiet which her ripping up of old
faults will give me, did make me melancholy all day long. So about noon,
past 12, we rose, and to dinner, and then to read and talk, my wife and I
alone, for Balty was gone, who come to dine with us, and then in the
evening comes Pelting to sit and talk with us, and so to supper and pretty
merry discourse, only my mind a little vexed at the morning's work, but
yet without any appearance. So after supper to bed.

11th. Up, and with W. Hewer, my guard, to White Hall, where no Committee
of Tangier met, so up and down the House talking with this and that man,
and so home, calling at the New Exchange for a book or two to send to Mr.
Shepley and thence home, and thence to the 'Change, and there did a little
business, and so walked home to dinner, and then abroad with my wife to
the King's playhouse, and there saw "The Joviall Crew," but ill acted to
what it was heretofore, in Clun's time, and when Lacy could dance. Thence
to the New Exchange, to buy some things; and, among others, my wife did
give me my pair of gloves, which, by contract, she is to give me in her
L30 a-year. Here Mrs. Smith tells us of the great murder thereabouts, on
Saturday last, of one Captain Bumbridge, by one Symons, both of her
acquaintance; and hectors that were at play, and in drink: the former is
killed, and is kinsman to my Lord of Ormond, which made him speak of it
with so much passion, as I overheard him this morning, but could not make
anything of it till now, but would they would kill more of them. So home;
and there at home all the evening; and made Tom to prick down some little
conceits and notions of mine, in musique, which do mightily encourage me
to spend some more thoughts about it; for I fancy, upon good reason, that
I am in the right way of unfolding the mystery of this matter, better than
ever yet.

12th. Up, and to the Office, where, by occasion of a message from the
Treasurers that their Board found fault with Commissioner Middleton, I
went up from our Board to the Lords of the Treasury to meet our
Treasurers, and did, and there did dispute the business, it being about
the matter of paying a little money to Chatham Yard, wherein I find the
Treasurers mighty supple, and I believe we shall bring them to reason,
though they begun mighty upon us, as if we had no power of directing them,
but they, us. Thence back presently home, to dinner, where I discern my
wife to have been in pain about where I have been, but said nothing to me,
but I believe did send W. Hewer to seek me, but I take no notice of it,
but am vexed. So to dinner with my people, and then to the Office, where
all the afternoon, and did much business, and at it late, and so home to
supper, and to bed. This day, meeting Mr. Pierce at White Hall, he tells
me that his boy hath a great mind to see me, and is going to school again;
and Dr. Clerke, being by, do tell me that he is a fine boy; but I durst
not answer anything, because I durst not invite him to my house, for fear
of my wife; and therefore, to my great trouble, was forced to neglect that
discourse. But here Mr. Pierce, I asking him whither he was going, told
me as a great secret that he was going to his master's mistress, Mrs.
Churchill, with some physic; meaning for the pox I suppose, or else that
she is got with child. This evening I observed my wife mighty dull, and I
myself was not mighty fond, because of some hard words she did give me at
noon, out of a jealousy at my being abroad this morning, which, God knows,
it was upon the business of the Office unexpectedly: but I to bed, not
thinking but she would come after me. But waking by and by out of a
slumber, which I usually fall into presently after my coming into the bed,
I found she did not prepare to come to bed, but got fresh candles, and
more wood for her fire, it being mighty cold, too. At this being
troubled, I after a while prayed her to come to bed, all my people being
gone to bed; so, after an hour or two, she silent, and I now and then
praying her to come to bed, she fell out into a fury, that I was a rogue,
and false to her. But yet I did perceive that she was to seek what to
say, only she invented, I believe, a business that I was seen in a hackney
coach with the glasses up with Deb., but could not tell the time, nor was
sure I was he. I did, as I might truly, deny it, and was mightily
troubled, but all would not serve. At last, about one o'clock, she come to
my side of the bed, and drew my curtaine open, and with the tongs red hot
at the ends, made as if she did design to pinch me with them, at which, in
dismay, I rose up, and with a few words she laid them down; and did by
little and, little, very sillily, let all the discourse fall; and about
two, but with much seeming difficulty, come to bed, and there lay well all
night, and long in bed talking together, with much pleasure, it being, I
know, nothing but her doubt of my going out yesterday, without telling her
of my going, which did vex her, poor wretch! last night, and I cannot
blame her jealousy, though it do vex me to the heart.

13th. So up and by coach to Sir W. Coventry's, but he gone out, so I to
White Hall, and thence walked out into the Park, all in the snow, with the
Duke of York and the rest, and so home, after visiting my Lady
Peterborough, and there by invitation find Mr. Povy, and there was also
Talbot Pepys, newly come from Impington, and dined with me; and after
dinner and a little talk with Povy about publick matters, he gone, and I
and my wife and Talbot towards the Temple, and there to the King's
playhouse, and there saw, I think, "The Maiden Queene," and so home and to
supper and read, and to bed. This day come home the instrument I have so
long longed for, the Parallelogram.

14th. Up and to the office, where all the morning busy, and so home to
dinner, where Goodgroome with us, and after dinner a song, and then to the
office, where busy till night, and then home to work there with W. Hewer
to get ready some Tangier papers against to-morrow, and so to supper and
to bed.

15th. Up, and by coach to Sir W. Coventry, where with him a good while in
his chamber, talking of one thing or another; among others, he told me of
the great factions at Court at this day, even to the sober engaging of
great persons, and differences, and making the King cheap and ridiculous.
It is about my Lady Harvy's being offended at Doll Common's acting of
Sempronia, to imitate her; for which she got my Lord Chamberlain, her
kinsman, to imprison Doll: when my Lady Castlemayne made the King to
release her, and to order her to act it again, worse than ever, the other
day, where the King himself was: and since it was acted again, and my Lady
Harvy provided people to hiss her and fling oranges at her: but, it seems
the heat is come to a great height, and real troubles at Court about it.
Thence he and I out of doors, but he to Sir J. Duncomb, and I to White
Hall through the Park, where I met the King and the Duke of York, and so
walked with them, and so to White Hall, where the Duke of York met the
office and did a little business; and I did give him thanks for his favour
to me yesterday, at the Committee of Tangier, in my absence, Mr. Povy
having given me advice of it, of the discourse there of doing something as
to the putting the payment of the garrison into some undertaker's hand,
Alderman Backewell, which the Duke of York would not suffer to go on,
without my presence at the debate. And he answered me just thus: that he
ought to have a care of him that do the King's business in the manner that
I do, and words of more force than that. Then down with Lord Brouncker to
Sir R. Murray, into the King's little elaboratory, under his closet, a
pretty place; and there saw a great many chymical glasses and things, but
understood none of them. So I home and to dinner, and then out again and
stop with my wife at my cozen Turner's where I staid and sat a while, and
carried The. and my wife to the Duke of York's house, to "Macbeth," and
myself to White Hall, to the Lords of the Treasury, about Tangier
business; and there was by at much merry discourse between them and my
Lord Anglesey, who made sport of our new Treasurers, and called them his
deputys, and much of that kind. And having done my own business, I away
back, and carried my cozen Turner and sister Dyke to a friend's house,
where they were to sup, in Lincoln's Inn Fields; and I to the Duke of
York's house and saw the last two acts, and so carried The. thither, and
so home with my wife, who read to me late, and so to supper and to bed.
This day The. Turner shewed me at the play my Lady Portman, who has grown
out of my knowledge.

16th. Up, and to the office all the morning, dined at home with my
people, and so all the afternoon till night at the office busy, and so
home to supper and to bed. This morning Creed, and in the afternoon comes
Povy, to advise with me about my answer to the Lords [Commissioners] of
Tangier, about the propositions for the Treasurership there, which I am
not much concerned for. But the latter, talking of publick things, told
me, as Mr. Wren also did, that the Parliament is likely to meets again,
the King being frighted with what the Speaker hath put him in mind of--his
promise not to prorogue, but only to adjourne them. They speak mighty
freely of the folly of the King in this foolish woman's business, of my
Lady Harvy. Povy tells me that Sir W. Coventry was with the King alone,
an hour this day; and that my Lady Castlemayne is now in a higher command
over the King than ever--not as a mistress, for she scorns him, but as a
tyrant, to command him: and says that the Duchess of York and the Duke of
York are mighty great with her, which is a great interest to my Lord
Chancellor's' family; and that they do agree to hinder all they can the
proceedings of the Duke of Buckingham and Arlington: and so we are in the
old mad condition, or rather worse than any; no man knowing what the
French intend to do the next summer.

17th (Lord's day). To church myself after seeing every thing fitted for
dinner, and so, after church, home, and thither comes Mrs. Batelier and
her two daughters to dinner to us; and W. Hewer and his mother, and Mr.
Spong. We were very civilly merry, and Mrs. Batelier a very discreet
woman, but mighty fond in the stories she tells of her son Will. After
dinner, Mr. Spong and I to my closet, there to try my instrument
Parallelogram, which do mighty well, to my full content; but only a little
stiff, as being new. Thence, taking leave of my guests, he and I and W.
Hewer to White Hall, and there parting with Spong, a man that I mightily
love for his plainness and ingenuity, I into the Court, and there up and
down and spoke with my Lords Bellassis and Peterborough about the business
now in dispute, about my deputing a Treasurer to pay the garrison at
Tangier, which I would avoid, and not be accountable, and they will serve
me therein. Here I met Hugh May, and he brings me to the knowledge of Sir
Henry Capell, a Member of Parliament, and brother of my Lord of Essex, who
hath a great value, it seems, for me; and they appoint a day to come and
dine with me, and see my books, and papers of the Office, which I shall be
glad to shew them, and have opportunity to satisfy them therein. Here all
the discourse is, that now the King is of opinion to have the Parliament
called, notwithstanding his late resolutions for proroguing them; so
unstable are his councils, and those about him. So staying late talking
in the Queen's side, I away, with W. Hewer home, and there to read and
talk with my wife, and so to bed.

18th. Up by candlelight, and with W. Hewer walked to the Temple, and
thence took coach and to Sir William Coventry's, and there discoursed the
business of my Treasurer's place, at Tangier, wherein he consents to my
desire, and concurs therein, which I am glad of, that I may not be
accountable for a man so far off. And so I to my Lord Sandwich's, and
there walk with him through the garden, to White Hall, where he tells me
what he had done about this Treasurer's place, and I perceive the whole
thing did proceed from him: that finding it would be best to have the
Governor have nothing to do with the pay of the garrison, he did propose
to the Duke of York alone that a pay-master should be there; and that
being desirous to do a courtesy to Sir Charles Harbord, and to prevent the
Duke of York's looking out for any body else, he did name him to the Duke
of York. That when he come the other day to move this to the Board of
Tangier, the Duke of York, it seems, did readily reply, that it was fit to
have Mr. Pepys satisfied therein first, and that it was not good to make
places for persons. This my Lord in great confidence tells me, that he do
take very ill from the Duke of York, though nobody knew the meaning of
these words but him; and that he did take no notice of them, but bit his
lip, being satisfied that the Duke of York's care of me was as desirable
to him, as it could be to have Sir Charles Harbord: and did seem
industrious to let me see that he was glad that the Duke of York and he
might come to contend who shall be the kindest to me, which I owned as his
great love, and so I hope and believe it is, though my Lord did go a
little too far in this business, to move it so far, without consulting me.
But I took no notice of that, but was glad to see this competition come
about, that my Lord Sandwich is apparently jealous of my thinking that the
Duke of York do mean me more kindness than him. So we walked together,
and I took this occasion to invite him to dinner one day to my house, and
he readily appointed Friday next, which I shall be glad to have over to
his content, he having never yet eat a bit of my bread. Thence to the Duke
of York on the King's side, with our Treasurers of the Navy, to discourse
some business of the Navy, about the pay of the yards, and there I was
taken notice of, many Lords being there in the room, of the Duke of York's
conference with me; and so away, and meeting Mr. Sidney Montagu and
Sheres, a small invitation served their turn to carry them to London,
where I paid Sheres his L100, given him for his pains in drawing the plate
of Tangier fortifications, &c., and so home to my house to dinner, where I
had a pretty handsome sudden dinner, and all well pleased; and thence we
three and my wife to the Duke of York's playhouse, and there saw "The
Witts," a medley of things, but some similes mighty good, though ill
mixed; and thence with my wife to the Exchange and bought some things, and
so home, after I had been at White Hall, and there in the Queen's
withdrawing-room invited my Lord Peterborough to dine with me, with my
Lord Sandwich, who readily accepted it. Thence back and took up my wife
at the 'Change, and so home. This day at noon I went with my young
gentlemen (thereby to get a little time while W. Hewer went home to bid
them get a dinner ready) to the Pope's Head tavern, there to see the fine
painted room which Rogerson told me of, of his doing; but I do not like it
at all, though it be good for such a publick room.

Pages:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11