Diary of Samuel Pepys, 1669 N.S. Complete
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Samuel Pepys >> Diary of Samuel Pepys, 1669 N.S. Complete
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23rd. Up, and to my office to do a little business there, and so, my
things being all ready, I took coach with Commissioner Middleton, Captain
Tinker, and Mr. Huchinson, a hackney coach, and over the bridge, and so
out towards Chatham, and; dined at Dartford, where we staid an hour or
two, it being a cold day; and so on, and got to Chatham just at night,
with very good discourse by the way, but mostly of matters of religion,
wherein Huchinson his vein lies. After supper, we fell to talk of spirits
and apparitions, whereupon many pretty, particular stories were told, so
as to make me almost afeard to lie alone, but for shame I could not help
it; and so to bed and, being sleepy, fell soon to rest, and so rested
well.
24th. Up, and walked abroad in the garden, and find that Mrs. Tooker has
not any of her daughters here as I expected and so walked to the yard,
leaving Middleton at the pay, and there I only walked up and down the
yard, and then to the Hill-House, and there did give order for the coach
to be made ready; and got Mr. Gibson, whom I carried with me, to go with
me and Mr. Coney, the surgeon, towards Maydston which I had a mighty mind
to see, and took occasion, in my way, at St. Margett's, to pretend to call
to see Captain Allen to see whether Mrs. Jowles, his daughter, was there;
and there his wife come to the door, he being at London, and through a
window, I spied Jowles, but took no notice of he but made excuse till
night, and then promised to come and see Mrs. Allen again, and so away, it
being a mighty cold and windy, but clear day; and had the pleasure of
seeing the Medway running, winding up and down mightily, and a very fine
country; and I went a little out of the way to have visited Sir John
Bankes, but he at London; but here I had a sight of his seat and house,
the outside, which is an old abbey just like Hinchingbroke, and as good at
least, and mighty finely placed by the river; and he keeps the grounds
about it, and walls and the house, very handsome: I was mightily pleased
with the sight of it. Thence to Maydstone, which I had a mighty mind to
see, having never been there; and walked all up and down the town, and up
to the top of the steeple, and had a noble view, and then down again: and
in the town did see an old man beating of flax, and did step into the barn
and give him money, and saw that piece of husbandry which I never saw, and
it is very pretty: in the street also I did buy and send to our inne, the
Bell, a dish of fresh fish. And so, having walked all round the town, and
found it very pretty, as most towns I ever saw, though not very big, and
people of good fashion in it, we to our inne to dinner, and had a good
dinner; and after dinner a barber come to me, and there trimmed me, that I
might be clean against night, to go to Mrs. Allen. And so, staying till
about four o'clock, we set out, I alone in the coach going and coming; and
in our way back, I 'light out of the way to see a Saxon monument,
[Kits-Cotty House, a cromlech in Aylesford parish, Kent, on a
hillside adjacent to the river Medway, three and a half miles N. by
W. of Maidstone. It consists of three upright stones and an
overlying one, and forms a small chamber open in front. It is
supposed to have been the centre of a group of monuments indicating
the burial-place of the Belgian settlers in this part of Britain.
Other stones of a similar character exist in the neighbourhood.]
as they say, of a King, which is three stones standing upright, and a
great round one lying on them, of great bigness, although not so big as
those on Salisbury Plain; but certainly it is a thing of great antiquity,
and I mightily glad to see it; it is near to Aylesford, where Sir John
Bankes lives. So homeward, and stopped again at Captain Allen's, and
there 'light, and sent the coach and Gibson home, and I and Coney staid;
and there comes to us Mrs. Jowles, who is a very fine, proper lady, as
most I know, and well dressed. Here was also a gentleman, one Major
Manly, and his wife, neighbours; and here we staid, and drank, and talked,
and set Coney and him to play while Mrs. Jowles and I to talk, and there
had all our old stories up, and there I had the liberty to salute her
often, and pull off her glove, where her hand mighty moist, and she mighty
free in kindness to me, and je do not at all doubt that I might have had
that that I would have desired de elle had I had time to have carried her
to Cobham, as she, upon my proposing it, was very willing to go, for elle
is a whore, that is certain, but a very brave and comely one. Here was a
pretty cozen of hers come in to supper also, of a great fortune,
daughter-in-law to this Manly, mighty pretty, but had now such a cold, she
could not speak. Here mightily pleased with Mrs. Jowles, and did get her
to the street door, and there to her su breasts, and baiser her without
any force, and credo that I might have had all else, but it was not time
nor place. Here staid till almost twelve at night, and then with a
lanthorn from thence walked over the fields, as dark as pitch, and mighty
cold, and snow, to Chatham, and Mr. Coney with great kindness to me: and
there all in bed before I come home, and so I presently to bed.
25th. Up, and by and by, about eight o'clock, come Rear-Admiral
Kempthorne and seven Captains more, by the Duke of York's order, as we
expected, to hold the Court-martiall about the loss of "The Defyance;" and
so presently we by boat to "The Charles," which lies over against Upnor
Castle, and there we fell to the business; and there I did manage the
business, the Duke of York having, by special order, directed them to take
the assistance of Commissioner Middleton and me, forasmuch as there might
be need of advice in what relates to the government of the ships in
harbour. And so I did lay the law open to them, and rattle the Master
Attendants out of their wits almost; and made the trial last till seven at
night, not eating a bit all the day; only when we had done examination,
and I given my thoughts that the neglect of the Gunner of the ship was as
great as I thought any neglect could be, which might by the law deserve
death, but Commissioner Middleton did declare that he was against giving
the sentence of death, we withdrew, as not being of the Court, and so left
them to do what they pleased; and, while they were debating it, the
Boatswain of the ship did bring us out of the kettle a piece of hot salt
beef, and some brown bread and brandy; and there we did make a little
meal, but so good as I never would desire to eat better meat while I live,
only I would have cleaner dishes. By and by they had done, and called us
down from the quarterdeck; and there we find they do sentence that the
Gunner of "The Defyance" should stand upon "The Charles" three hours with
his fault writ upon his breast, and with a halter about his neck, and so
be made incapable of any office. The truth is, the man do seem, and is, I
believe, a good man; but his neglect, in trusting a girl to carry fire
into his cabin, is not to be pardoned. This being done, we took boat and
home; and there a good supper was ready for us, which should have been our
dinner. The Captains, desirous to be at London, went away presently for
Gravesend, to get thither by this night's tide; and so we to supper, it
having been a great snowy and mighty cold, foul day; and so after supper
to bed.
26th. Up, and with Middleton all the morning at the Docke, looking over
the storehouses and Commissioner Pett's house, in order to Captain Cox's
coming to live there in his stead, as Commissioner. But it is a mighty
pretty house; and pretty to see how every thing is said to be out of
repair for this new man, though L10 would put it into as good condition in
every thing as it ever was in, so free every body is of the King's money.
By and by to Mr. Wilson's, and there drank, but did not see his wife, nor
any woman in the yard, and so to dinner at the Hill-House; and after
dinner, till eight at night, close, Middleton and I, examining the
business of Mr. Pett, about selling a boat, and we find him a very knave;
and some other quarrels of his, wherein, to justify himself, he hath made
complaints of others. This being done, we to supper, and so to talk,
Commissioner Middleton being mighty good company upon a journey, and so to
bed, thinking how merry my people are at this time, putting Tom and Jane
to bed, being to have been married this day, it being also my feast for
my being cut of the stone, but how many years I do not remember, but I
think it to be about ten or eleven.
27th. Up, and did a little business, Middleton and I, then; after
drinking a little buttered ale, he and Huchinson and: I took coach, and,
exceeding merry in talk, to Dartford: Middleton finding stories of his own
life at Barbadoes, and up and down at Venice, and elsewhere, that are
mighty pretty, and worth hearing; and he is a strange good companion, and;
droll upon the road, more than ever I could have thought to have been in
him. Here we dined and met Captain Allen of Rochester, who dined with us,
and so went on his journey homeward, and we by and by took coach again and
got home about six at night, it being all the morning as cold, snowy,
windy, and rainy day, as any in the whole winter past, but pretty clear in
the afternoon. I find all well, but my wife abroad with Jane, who was
married yesterday, and I to the office busy, till by and by my wife comes
home, and so home, and there hear how merry they were yesterday, and I
glad at it, they being married, it seems, very handsomely, at Islington;
and dined at the old house, and lay in our blue chamber, with much
company, and wonderful merry. The Turner and Mary Batelier bridesmaids,
and Talbot Pepys and W. Hewer bridesmen. Anon to supper and to bed, my
head a little troubled with the muchness of the business I have upon me at
present. So to bed.
28th (Lord's day). Lay long talking with pleasure with my wife, and so up
and to the Office with Tom, who looks mighty smug upon his marriage, as
Jane also do, both of whom I did give joy, and so Tom and I at work at the
Office all the morning, till dinner, and then dined, W. Batelier with us;
and so after dinner to work again, and sent for Gibson, and kept him also
till eight at night, doing much business. And so, that being done, and my
journal writ, my eyes being very bad, and every day worse and worse, I
fear: but I find it most certain that stronge drinks do make my eyes sore,
as they have done heretofore always; for, when I was in the country, when
my eyes were at the best, their stronge beere would make my eyes sore: so
home to supper, and by and by to bed.
29th. Up, and by water to White Hall; and there to the Duke of York, to
shew myself, after my journey to Chatham, but did no business to-day with
him: only after gone from him, I to Sir T. Clifford's; and there, after an
hour's waiting, he being alone in his closet, I did speak with him, and
give him the account he gave me to draw up, and he did like it very well:
and then fell to talk of the business of the Navy and giving me good
words, did fall foul of the constitution [of the Board], and did then
discover his thoughts, that Sir J. Minnes was too old, and so was Colonel
Middleton, and that my Lord Brouncker did mind his mathematics too much.
I did not give much encouragement to that of finding fault with my
fellow-officers; but did stand up for the constitution, and did say that
what faults there were in our Office would be found not to arise from the
constitution, but from the failures of the officers in whose hands it was.
This he did seem to give good ear to; but did give me of myself very good
words, which pleased me well, though I shall not build upon them any
thing. Thence home; and after dinner by water with Tom down to Greenwich,
he reading to me all the way, coming and going, my collections out of the
Duke of York's old manuscript of the Navy, which I have bound up, and do
please me mightily. At Greenwich I come to Captain Cocke's, where the
house full of company, at the burial of James Temple, who, it seems, hath
been dead these five days here I had a very good ring, which I did give my
wife as soon as I come home. I spent my time there walking in the garden,
talking with James Pierce, who tells me that he is certain that the Duke
of Buckingham had been with his wenches all the time that he was absent,
which was all the last week, nobody knowing where he was. The great talk
is of the King's being hot of late against Conventicles, and to see
whether the Duke of Buckingham's being returned will turn the King, which
will make him very popular: and some think it is his plot to make the King
thus, to shew his power in the making him change his mind. But Pierce did
tell me that the King did certainly say, that he that took one stone from
the Church, did take two from his Crown. By and by the corpse come out;
and I, with Sir Richard Browne and Mr. Evelyn, in their coach to the
church, where Mr. Plume preached. But I, in the midst of the sermon, did
go out, and walked all alone, round to Deptford, thinking para have seen
the wife of Bagwell, which I did at her door, but I could not conveniently
go into her house, and so lost my labour: and so to the King's Yard, and
there my boat by order met me; and home, where I made my boy to finish the
my manuscript, and so to supper and to bed my new chamber-maid, that comes
in the room of Jane; is come, Jane and Tom lying at their own lodging this
night: the new maid's name is Matt, a proper and very comely maid . . .
This day also our cook-maid Bridget went away, which I was sorry for;
but, just at her going she was found to be a thief, and so I was the less
trouble for it; but now our whole house will, in a manner, be new which,
since Jane is gone, I am not at all sorry for, for that my late
differences with my wife about poor Deb. will not be remembered. So to
bed after supper, and to sleep with great content.
30th. Up, and to Sir W. Coventry, to see and discourse with him; and he
tells me that he hath lately been with my Lord Keeper, and had much
discourse about the Navy; and particularly he tells me that he finds they
are divided touching me and my Lord Brouncker; some are for removing; and
some for keeping us. He told my Lord Keeper that it would cost the King
L10,000 before he hath made another as fit to serve him in the Navy as I
am; which, though I believe it is true, yet I am much pleased to have that
character given me by W. Coventry, whatever be the success of it. But I
perceive they do think that I know too much, and shall impose upon
whomever shall come next, and therefore must be removed, though he tells
me that Sir T. Clifford is inclined well enough to me, and Sir T. Osborne;
by what I have lately done, I suppose. This news do a little trouble me,
but yet, when I consider it, it is but what I ought not to be much
troubled for, considering my incapacity, in regard to my eyes, to continue
long at this work, and this when I think of and talk with my wife do make
me the less troubled for it. After some talk of the business of the navy
more with him, I away and to the Office, where all the morning; and Sir W.
Pen, the first time that he hath been here since his being last sick,
which, I think, is two or three months; and I think will be the last that
he will be here as one of the Board, he now inviting us all to dine with
him, as a parting dinner, on Thursday next, which I am glad of, I am sure;
for he is a very villain. At noon home to dinner, where, and at the
office, all the afternoon, troubled at what I have this morning heard, at
least my mind full of thoughts upon it, and so at night after supper to
bed.
31st. Up, and by water to Sir W. Coventry's, there to talk with him about
business of the Navy, and received from him direction what to advise the
Duke of York at this time, which was, to submit and give way to the King's
naming a man or two, that the people about him have a mind should be
brought into the Navy, and perhaps that may stop their fury in running
further against the whole; and this, he believes, will do it. After much
discourse with him, I walked out with him into St. James's Park, where,
being afeard to be seen with him, he having not leave yet to kiss the
King's hand, but notice taken, as I hear, of all that go to him, I did
take the pretence of my attending the Tangier Committee, to take my leave,
though to serve him I should, I think, stick at nothing. At the
Committee, this morning, my Lord Middleton declares at last his being
ready to go, as soon as ever money can be made ready to pay the garrison:
and so I have orders to get money, but how soon I know not. Thence home,
and there find Mr Sheres, for whom I find my moher of late to talk with
mighty kindness; and particularly he hath shewn himself to be a poet, and
that she do mightily value him for. He did not stay to dine with us, but
we to dinner; and then, in the afternoon, my wife being very well dressed
by her new maid, we abroad, to make a visit to Mrs. Pickering; but she
abroad again, and so we never yet saw her. Thence to Dancre's, and there,
saw our pictures which are in doing; and I did choose a view of Rome
instead of Hampton Court; and mightily pleased I shall be in them. Here
were Sir Charles Cotterell and his son bespeaking something; both
ingenious men. Thence my wife and I to the Park; and pretty store of
company; and so home with great content the month, my mind in pretty good
content for all things, but the designs on foot to bring alterations in
the Office, which troubles me.
ETEXT EDITOR'S BOOKMARKS:
Broken sort of people, that have not much to lose
But so fearful I am of discontenting my wife
By her wedding-ring, I suppose he hath married her at last
Have not much to lose, and therefore will venture all
His satisfaction is nothing worth, it being easily got
Nor was there any pretty woman that I did see, but my wife
With egg to keep off the glaring of the light
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.
APRIL & MAY
1669
April 1st. Up, and with Colonel Middleton, at the desire of Rear-Admiral
Kempthorne, the President, for our assisting them, to the Court-martiall
on board a yacht in the River here, to try the business of the Purser's
complaints, Baker against Trevanion, his Commander, of "The Dartmouth."
But, Lord! to see what wretched doings there were among all the Commanders
to ruin the Purser, and defend the Captain in all his rogueries, be it to
the prejudice of the King or Purser, no good man could bear! I confess I
was pretty high, which did not at least the young gentlemen Commander
like; and Middleton did the like. But could not bring it to any issue
this day, sitting till two o'clock; and therefore we being sent for, went
to Sir W. Pen's by invitation to dine; where my wife was, and my Lord
Brouncker and his mistress, and Sir J. Minnes and his niece; and here a
bad dinner, and little mirth, I being little pleased with my host.
However, I made myself sociable; and so, after dinner, my wife and I, with
my Lord Brouncker and his mistress, they set us down at my cozen Turner's,
and there we staid awhile and talked; and particularly here we met with
Dr. Ball, the Parson of the Temple, who did tell me a great many pretty
stories about the manner of the Parsons being paid for their preaching at
Paul's heretofore, and now, and the ground of the Lecture, and heretofore
the names of the founders thereof, which were many, at some 5s., some 6s.
per annum towards it: and had their names read in the pulpit every sermon
among those holy persons that the Church do order a collect for, giving
God thanks for. By and by comes by my desire Commissioner Middleton's
coach and horses for us, and we went with it towards the Park, thinking to
have met The. Turner and Betty, but did not; so turned back again to their
lodging, and there found them and Mr. Batelier, and there, after a little
talk, we took leave, and carry Batelier home with us. So to supper, and
so to bed.
2nd. Up, and by water to White Hall, and there with the Office attended
the Duke of York, and staid in White Hall till about noon, and so with W.
Hewer to the Cocke, and there he and I dined alone with great content, he
reading to me, for my memory's sake, my late collections of the history of
the Navy, that I might represent the same by and by to the Duke of York;
and so, after dinner, he and I to White Hall, and there to the Duke of
York's lodgings, whither he, by and by, by his appointment come: and alone
with him an hour in his closet, telling him mine and W. Coventry's advice
touching the present posture of the Navy, as the Duke of Buckingham and
the rest do now labour to make changes therein; and that it were best for
him to suffer the King to be satisfied with the bringing in of a man or
two which they desire. I did also give the Duke of York a short account
of the history of the Navy, as to our Office, wherewith he was very well
satisfied: but I do find that he is pretty stiff against their bringing in
of men against his mind, as the Treasures were, and particularly against
Child's' coming in, because he is a merchant. After much discourse with
him, we parted; and [he to] the Council, while I staid waiting for his
telling me when I should be ready to give him a written account of the
administration of the Navy. This caused me to wait the whole afternoon,
till night. In the mean time, stepping to the Duchess of York's side to
speak with Lady Peterborough; I did see the young Duchess,
[The Princess Mary, afterwards Queen of England.]
a little child in hanging sleeves; dance most finely, so as almost to
ravish me, her ears were so good: taught by a Frenchman that did
heretofore teach the King, and all the King's children, and the
Queen-Mother herself, who do still dance well. Thence to the council door
and Mr. Chevins took me into the back stairs, and they with his friend,
Mr. Fowkes, for whom he is very solicitous in some things depending in
this Office, he did make me, with some others that he took in (among
others, Alderman Back well), eat a pickled herring, the largest I ever
saw, and drink variety of wines till I was almost merry; but I did keep in
good tune; and so, after the Council was up, I home; and there find my
wife not yet come home from Deptford, he she hath been all this day to see
her mother, but she come and by, and so to talk, and supper, and to bed.
This night I did bring home from the King's potticary's, in White Hall by
Mr. Cooling's direction, a water that he says did him mighty good for his
eyes. I pray God it may do me good; but, by his description, his disease
was the same as mine, and this do encourage me to use it.
3rd. Up, and to the Council of War again, with Middleton: but the
proceedings of the Commanders so devilishly bad, and so professedly
partial to the Captain, that I could endure it no longer, but took
occasion to pretend business at the Office, and away, and Colonel
Middleton with me, who was of the same mind, and resolved to declare our
minds freely to the Duke of York about it. So to the office, where we sat
all the morning. Then home to dinner, and so back to the office, where
busy late till night, and so home to supper and to bed.
4th (Lord's day). Up, and to church, where Alderman Backewell's wife, by
my invitation with my head, come up with her mother, and sat with us, and
after sermon I did walk with them home, and there left them, and home to
dinner, and after dinner with Sir J. Minnes and T. Middleton to White
Hall, by appointment; and at my Lord Arlington's the Office did attend the
King and Cabal, to discourse the further quantity of victuals fit to be
declared for, which was 2,000 men for six months; and so without more ado
or stay, there, hearing no news but that Sir Thomas Allen is to be
expected every hour at home with his fleete, or news of his being gone
back to Algier, and so home, where got my wife to read to me; and so after
supper to bed. The Queen-Mother hath been of late mighty ill, and some
fears of her death.
5th. Up, and by coach, it being very cold, to White Hall, expecting a
meeting of Tangier, but it did not. But, however, did wait there all the
morning, and, among other things, I spent a little time with Creed walking
in the garden, and talking about our Office, and Child's coming in to be a
Commissioner; and, being his friend, I did think he might do me a kindness
to learn of him what the Duke of Buckingham and the faction do design
touching me, and to instil good words concerning me, which he says, and I
believe he will: and it is but necessary; for I have not a mind indeed at
this time to be put out of my Office, if I can make any shift that is
honourable to keep it; but I will not do it by deserting the Duke of York.
At noon by appointment comes Mr. Sheres, and he and I to Unthanke's, where
my wife stays for us in our coach, and Betty Turner with her; and we to
the Mulberry Garden, where Sheres is to treat us with a Spanish Olio,
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