Diary of Samuel Pepys, August 1665
S >>
Samuel Pepys >> Diary of Samuel Pepys, August 1665
16th. Up, and after doing some necessary business about my accounts at
home, to the office, and there with Mr. Hater wrote letters, and I did
deliver to him my last will, one part of it to deliver to my wife when I
am dead. Thence to the Exchange, where I have not been a great while.
But, Lord! how sad a sight it is to see the streets empty of people, and
very few upon the 'Change. Jealous of every door that one sees shut up,
lest it should be the plague; and about us two shops in three, if not
more, generally shut up. From the 'Change to Sir G. Smith's' with Mr.
Fenn, to whom I am nowadays very complaisant, he being under payment of my
bills to me, and some other sums at my desire, which he readily do. Mighty
merry with Captain Cocke and Fenn at Sir G. Smith's, and a brave dinner,
but I think Cocke is the greatest epicure that is, eats and drinks with
the greatest pleasure and liberty that ever man did. Very contrary newes
to-day upon the 'Change, some that our fleete hath taken some of the Dutch
East India ships, others that we did attaque it at Bergen and were
repulsed, others that our fleete is in great danger after this attaque by
meeting with the great body now gone out of Holland, almost 100 sayle of
men of warr. Every body is at a great losse and nobody can tell. Thence
among the goldsmiths to get some money, and so home, settling some new
money matters, and to my great joy have got home L500 more of the money
due to me, and got some more money to help Andrews first advanced. This
day I had the ill news from Dagenhams, that my poor lord of Hinchingbroke
his indisposition is turned to the small-pox. Poor gentleman! that he
should be come from France so soon to fall sick, and of that disease too,
when he should be gone to see a fine lady, his mistresse. I am most
heartily sorry for it. So late setting papers to rights, and so home to
bed.
17th. Up and to the office, where we sat all the morning, and at noon
dined together upon some victuals I had prepared at Sir W. Batten's upon
the King's charge, and after dinner, I having dispatched some business and
set things in order at home, we down to the water and by boat to Greenwich
to the Bezan yacht, where Sir W. Batten, Sir J. Minnes, my Lord Bruncker
and myself, with some servants (among others Mr. Carcasse, my Lord's
clerk, a very civil gentleman), embarked in the yacht and down we went
most pleasantly, and noble discourse I had with my Lord Bruneker, who is a
most excellent person. Short of Gravesend it grew calme, and so we come
to an anchor, and to supper mighty merry, and after it, being moonshine,
we out of the cabbin to laugh and talk, and then, as we grew sleepy, went
in and upon velvet cushions of the King's that belong to the yacht fell to
sleep, which we all did pretty well till 3 or 4 of the clock, having risen
in the night to look for a new comet which is said to have lately shone,
but we could see no such thing.
18th. Up about 5 o'clock and dressed ourselves, and to sayle again down
to the Soveraigne at the buoy of the Nore, a noble ship, now rigged and
fitted and manned; we did not stay long, but to enquire after her
readinesse and thence to Sheernesse, where we walked up and down, laying
out the ground to be taken in for a yard to lay provisions for cleaning
and repairing of ships, and a most proper place it is for the purpose.
Thence with great pleasure up the Meadeway, our yacht contending with
Commissioner Pett's, wherein he met us from Chatham, and he had the best
of it. Here I come by, but had not tide enough to stop at Quinbrough, a
with mighty pleasure spent the day in doing all and seeing these places,
which I had never done before. So to the Hill house at Chatham and there
dined, and after dinner spent some time discoursing of business. Among
others arguing with the Commissioner about his proposing the laying out so
much money upon Sheerenesse, unless it be to the slighting of Chatham
yarde, for it is much a better place than Chatham, which however the King
is not at present in purse to do, though it were to be wished he were.
Thence in Commissioner Pett's coach (leaving them there). I late in the
darke to Gravesend, where great is the plague, and I troubled to stay
there so long for the tide. At 10 at night, having supped, I took boat
alone, and slept well all the way to the Tower docke about three o'clock
in the morning. So knocked up my people, and to bed.
19th. Slept till 8 o'clock, and then up and met with letters from the
King and Lord Arlington, for the removal of our office to Greenwich. I
also wrote letters, and made myself ready to go to Sir G. Carteret, at
Windsor; and having borrowed a horse of Mr. Blackbrough, sent him to wait
for me at the Duke of Albemarle's door: when, on a sudden, a letter comes
to us from the Duke of Albemarle, to tell us that the fleete is all come
back to Solebay, and are presently to be dispatched back again. Whereupon
I presently by water to the Duke of Albemarle to know what news; and there
I saw a letter from my Lord Sandwich to the Duke of Albemarle, and also
from Sir W. Coventry and Captain Teddiman; how my Lord having commanded
Teddiman with twenty-two ships
[A news letter of August 19th (Salisbury), gives the following
account of this affair:--"The Earl of Sandwich being on the Norway
coast, ordered Sir Thomas Teddeman with 20 ships to attack 50 Dutch
merchant ships in Bergen harbour; six convoyers had so placed
themselves that only four or five of the ships could be reached at
once. The Governor of Bergen fired on our ships, and placed 100
pieces of ordnance and two regiments of foot on the rocks to attack
them, but they got clear without the loss of a ship, only 500 men
killed or wounded, five or six captains among them. The fleet has
gone to Sole Bay to repair losses and be ready to encounter the
Dutch fleet, which is gone northward" ("Calendar of State Papers,"
1664-65, pp. 526, 527). Medals were struck in Holland, the
inscription in Dutch on one of these is thus translated: "Thus we
arrest the pride of the English, who extend their piracy even
against their friends, and who insulting the forts of Norway,
violate the rights of the harbours of King Frederick; but, for the
reward of their audacity, see their vessels destroyed by the balls
of the Dutch" (Hawkins's "Medallic Illustrations of the History of
Great Britain and Ireland," ed. Franks and Grueber, 1885, vol. i.,
p. 508). Sir Gilbert Talbot's "True Narrative of the Earl of
Sandwich's Attempt upon Bergen with the English Fleet on the 3rd of
August, 1665, and the Cause of his Miscarriage thereupon," is in the
British Museum (Harl. MS., No. 6859). It is printed in
"Archaeologia," vol. xxii., p. 33. The Earl of Rochester also gave
an account of the action in a letter to his mother (Wordsworth's
"Ecclesiastical Biography," fourth edition, vol. iv., p. 611). Sir
John Denham, in his "Advice to a Painter," gives a long satirical
account of the affair. A coloured drawing of the attack upon
Bergen, on vellum, showing the range of the ships engaged, is in the
British Museum. Shortly after the Bergen affair forty of the Dutch
merchant vessels, on their way to Holland, fell into the hands of
the English, and in Penn's "Memorials of Sir William Penn," vol.
ii., p. 364, is a list of the prizes taken on the 3rd and 4th
September. The troubles connected with these prizes and the
disgrace into which Lord Sandwich fell are fully set forth in
subsequent pages of the Diary. Evelyn writes in his Diary (November
27th, 1665): "There was no small suspicion of my Lord Sandwich
having permitted divers commanders who were at ye taking of ye East
India prizes to break bulk and take to themselves jewels, silkes,
&c., tho' I believe some whom I could name fill'd their pockets, my
Lo. Sandwich himself had the least share. However, he underwent the
blame, and it created him enemies, and prepossess'd ye Lo. Generall
[Duke of Albemarle], for he spake to me of it with much zeale and
concerne, and I believe laid load enough on Lo. Sandwich at
Oxford."]
(of which but fifteen could get thither, and of those fifteen but eight or
nine could come up to play) to go to Bergen; where, after several messages
to and fro from the Governor of the Castle, urging that Teddiman ought not
to come thither with more than five ships, and desiring time to think of
it, all the while he suffering the Dutch ships to land their guns to their
best advantage; Teddiman on the second pretence, began to play at the
Dutch ships, (wherof ten East India-men,) and in three hours' time (the
town and castle, without any provocation, playing on our ships,) they did
cut all our cables, so as the wind being off the land, did force us to go
out, and rendered our fire-ships useless; without doing any thing, but
what hurt of course our guns must have done them: we having lost five
commanders, besides Mr. Edward Montagu, and Mr. Windham.
[This Mr. Windham had entered into a formal engagement with the Earl
of Rochester, "not without ceremonies of religion, that if either of
them died, he should appear, and give the other notice of the future
state, if there was any." He was probably one of the brothers of
Sir William Wyndham, Bart. See Wordsworth's "Ecclesiastical
Biography," fourth. edition, vol. iv., p. 615.--B.]
Our fleete is come home to our great grief with not above five weeks' dry,
and six days' wet provisions: however, must out again; and the Duke hath
ordered the Soveraigne, and all other ships ready, to go out to the fleete
to strengthen them. This news troubles us all, but cannot be helped.
Having read all this news, and received commands of the Duke with great
content, he giving me the words which to my great joy he hath several
times said to me, that his greatest reliance is upon me. And my Lord
Craven also did come out to talk with me, and told me that I am in mighty
esteem with the Duke, for which I bless God. Home, and having given my
fellow-officers an account hereof, to Chatham, and wrote other letters, I
by water to Charing-Cross, to the post-house, and there the people tell me
they are shut up; and so I went to the new post-house, and there got a
guide and horses to Hounslow, where I was mightily taken with a little
girle, the daughter of the master of the house (Betty Gysby), which, if
she lives, will make a great beauty. Here I met with a fine fellow who,
while I staid for my horses, did enquire newes, but I could not make him
remember Bergen in Norway, in 6 or 7 times telling, so ignorant he was.
So to Stanes, and there by this time it was dark night, and got a guide
who lost his way in the forest, till by help of the moone (which
recompenses me for all the pains I ever took about studying of her
motions,) I led my guide into the way back again; and so we made a man
rise that kept a gate, and so he carried us to Cranborne. Where in the
dark I perceive an old house new building with a great deal of rubbish,
and was fain to go up a ladder to Sir G. Carteret's chamber. And there in
his bed I sat down, and told him all my bad newes, which troubled him
mightily; but yet we were very merry, and made the best of it; and being
myself weary did take leave, and after having spoken with Mr. Fenn in bed,
I to bed in my Lady's chamber that she uses to lie in, and where the
Duchesse of York, that now is, was born. So to sleep; being very well,
but weary, and the better by having carried with me a bottle of strong
water; whereof now and then a sip did me good.
20th (Lord's day). Sir G. Carteret come and walked by my bedside half an
houre, talking and telling me how my Lord is in this unblameable in all
this ill-successe, he having followed orders; and that all ought to be
imputed to the falsenesse of the King of Denmarke, who, he told me as a
secret, had promised to deliver up the Dutch ships to us, and we expected
no less; and swears it will, and will easily, be the ruine of him and his
kingdom, if we fall out with him, as we must in honour do; but that all
that can be, must be to get the fleete out again to intercept De Witt, who
certainly will be coming home with the East India ships, he being gone
thither. He being gone, I up and with Fenn, being ready to walk forth to
see the place; and I find it to be a very noble seat in a noble forest,
with the noblest prospect towards Windsor, and round about over many
countys, that can be desired; but otherwise a very melancholy place, and
little variety save only trees. I had thoughts of going home by water,
and of seeing Windsor Chappell and Castle, but finding at my coming in
that Sir G. Carteret did prevent me in speaking for my sudden return to
look after business, I did presently eat a bit off the spit about 10
o'clock, and so took horse for Stanes, and thence to Brainford to Mr.
Povy's, the weather being very pleasant to ride in. Mr. Povy not being at
home I lost my labour, only eat and drank there with his lady, and told my
bad newes, and hear the plague is round about them there. So away to
Brainford; and there at the inn that goes down to the water-side, I 'light
and paid off my post-horses, and so slipped on my shoes, and laid my
things by, the tide not serving, and to church, where a dull sermon, and
many Londoners. After church to my inn, and eat and drank, and so about
seven o'clock by water, and got between nine and ten to Queenhive, very
dark. And I could not get my waterman to go elsewhere for fear of the
plague. Thence with a lanthorn, in great fear of meeting of dead corpses,
carried to be buried; but, blessed be God, met none, but did see now and
then a linke (which is the mark of them) at a distance. So got safe home
about 10 o'clock, my people not all abed, and after supper I weary to bed.
21st. Called up, by message from Lord Bruncker and the rest of my
fellows, that they will meet me at the Duke of Albemarle's this morning;
so I up, and weary, however, got thither before them, and spoke with my
Lord, and with him and other gentlemen to walk in the Parke, where, I
perceive, he spends much of his time, having no whither else to go; and
here I hear him speake of some Presbyter people that he caused to be
apprehended yesterday, at a private meeting in Covent Garden, which he
would have released upon paying L5 per man to the poor, but it was
answered, they would not pay anything; so he ordered them to another
prison from the guard. By and by comes my fellow-officers, and the Duke
walked in, and to counsel with us; and that being done we departed, and
Sir W. Batten and I to the office, where, after I had done a little
business, I to his house to dinner, whither comes Captain Cocke, for whose
epicurisme a dish of partriges was sent for, and still gives me reason to
think is the greatest epicure in the world. Thence, after dinner, I by
water to Sir W. Warren's and with him two hours, talking of things to his
and my profit, and particularly good advice from him what use to make of
Sir G. Carteret's kindnesse to me and my interest in him, with exceeding
good cautions for me not using it too much nor obliging him to fear by
prying into his secrets, which it were easy for me to do. Thence to my
Lord Bruncker, at Greenwich, and Sir J. Minnes by appointment, to looke
after the lodgings appointed for us there for our office, which do by no
means please me, they being in the heart of all the labourers and workmen
there, which makes it as unsafe as to be, I think, at London. Mr. Hugh
May, who is a most ingenuous man, did show us the lodgings, and his
acquaintance I am desirous of. Thence walked, it being now dark, to Sir
J. Minnes's, and there staid at the door talking with him an hour while
messengers went to get a boat for me, to carry me to Woolwich, but all to
no purpose; so I was forced to walk it in the darke, at ten o'clock at
night, with Sir J. Minnes's George with me, being mightily troubled for
fear of the doggs at Coome farme, and more for fear of rogues by the way,
and yet more because of the plague which is there, which is very strange,
it being a single house, all alone from the towne, but it seems they use
to admit beggars, for their owne safety, to lie in their barns, and they
brought it to them; but I bless God I got about eleven of the clock well
to my wife, and giving 4s. in recompence to George, I to my wife, and
having first viewed her last piece of drawing since I saw her, which is
seven or eight days, which pleases me beyond any thing in the world, to
bed with great content but weary.
22nd. Up, and after much pleasant talke and being importuned by my wife
and her two mayds, which are both good wenches, for me to buy a necklace
of pearle for her, and I promising to give her one of L60 in two years at
furthest, and in less if she pleases me in her painting, I went away and
walked to Greenwich, in my way seeing a coffin with a dead body therein,
dead of the plague, lying in an open close belonging to Coome farme, which
was carried out last night, and the parish have not appointed any body to
bury it; but only set a watch there day and night, that nobody should go
thither or come thence, which is a most cruel thing: this disease making
us more cruel to one another than if we are doggs. So to the King's
House, and there met my Lord Bruncker and Sir J. Minnes, and to our
lodgings again that are appointed for us, which do please me better to day
than last night, and are set a doing. Thence I to Deptford, where by
appointment I find Mr. Andrews come, and to the Globe, where we dined
together and did much business as to our Plymouth gentlemen; and after a
good dinner and good discourse, he being a very good man, I think verily,
we parted and I to the King's yard, walked up and down, and by and by out
at the back gate, and there saw the Bagwell's wife's mother and daughter,
and went to them, and went in to the daughter's house with the mother, and
'faciebam le cose que ego tenebam a mind to con elle', and drinking and
talking, by and by away, and so walked to Redriffe, troubled to go through
the little lane, where the plague is, but did and took water and home,
where all well; but Mr. Andrews not coming to even accounts, as I
expected, with relation to something of my own profit, I was vexed that I
could not settle to business, but home to my viall, though in the evening
he did come to my satisfaction. So after supper (he being gone first) I
to settle my journall and to bed.
23rd. Up, and whereas I had appointed Mr. Hater and Will to come betimes
to the office to meet me about business there, I was called upon as soon
as ready by Mr. Andrews to my great content, and he and I to our Tangier
accounts, where I settled, to my great joy, all my accounts with him, and,
which is more, cleared for my service to the contractors since the last
sum I received of them, L222 13s. profit to myself, and received the money
actually in the afternoon. After he was gone comes by a pretence of mine
yesterday old Delks the waterman, with his daughter Robins, and several
times to and again, he leaving her with me, about the getting of his son
Robins off, who was pressed yesterday again . . . . All the afternoon
at my office mighty busy writing letters, and received a very kind and
good one from my Lord Sandwich of his arrival with the fleete at Solebay,
and the joy he has at my last newes he met with, of the marriage of my
Lady Jemimah; and he tells me more, the good newes that all our ships,
which were in such danger that nobody would insure upon them, from the
Eastland,
[Eastland was a name given to the eastern countries of Europe. The
Eastland Company, or Company of Merchants trading to the East
Country, was incorporated in Queen Elizabeth's reign (anno 21), and
the charter was confirmed 13 Car. II. They were also called "The
Merchants of Elbing."]
were all safe arrived, which I am sure is a great piece of good luck,
being in much more danger than those of Hambrough which were lost, and
their value much greater at this time to us. At night home, much
contented with this day's work, and being at home alone looking over my
papers, comes a neighbour of ours hard by to speak with me about business
of the office, one Mr. Fuller, a great merchant, but not my acquaintance,
but he come drunk, and would have had me gone and drunk with him at home,
or have let him send for wine hither, but I would do neither, nor offered
him any, but after some sorry discourse parted, and I up to [my] chamber
and to bed.
24th. Up betimes to my office, where my clerks with me, and very busy all
the morning writing letters. At noon down to Sir J. Minnes and Lord
Bruncker to Greenwich to sign some of the Treasurer's books, and there
dined very well; and thence to look upon our rooms again at the King's
house, which are not yet ready for us. So home and late writing letters,
and so, weary with business, home to supper and to bed.
25th. Up betimes to the office, and there, as well as all the afternoon,
saving a little dinner time, all alone till late at night writing letters
and doing business, that I may get beforehand with my business again,
which hath run behind a great while, and then home to supper and to bed.
This day I am told that Dr. Burnett, my physician, is this morning dead of
the plague; which is strange, his man dying so long ago, and his house
this month open again. Now himself dead. Poor unfortunate man!
26th. Up betimes, and prepared to my great satisfaction an account for
the board of my office disbursements, which I had suffered to run on to
almost L120. That done I down by water to Greenwich, where we met the
first day my Lord Bruncker, Sir J. Minnes, and I, and I think we shall do
well there, and begin very auspiciously to me by having my account
abovesaid passed, and put into a way of having it presently paid. When we
rose I find Mr. Andrews and Mr. Yeabsly, who is just come from Plymouth,
at the door, and we walked together toward my Lord Brunker's, talking
about their business, Yeabsly being come up on purpose to discourse with
me about it, and finished all in a quarter of an hour, and is gone again.
I perceive they have some inclination to be going on with their
victualling-business for a while longer before they resign it to Mr.
Gauden, and I am well contented, for it brings me very good profit with
certainty, yet with much care and some pains. We parted at my Lord
Bruncker's doore, where I went in, having never been there before, and
there he made a noble entertainment for Sir J. Minnes, myself, and Captain
Cocke, none else saving some painted lady that dined there, I know not who
she is. But very merry we were, and after dinner into the garden, and to
see his and her chamber, where some good pictures, and a very handsome
young woman for my lady's woman. Thence I by water home, in my way seeing
a man taken up dead, out of the hold of a small catch that lay at
Deptford. I doubt it might be the plague, which, with the thought of Dr.
Burnett, did something disturb me, so that I did not what I intended and
should have done at the office, as to business, but home sooner than
ordinary, and after supper, to read melancholy alone, and then to bed.
27th (Lord's day). Very well in the morning, and up and to my chamber all
the morning to put my things and papers yet more in order, and so to
dinner. Thence all the afternoon at my office till late making up my
papers and letters there into a good condition of order, and so home to
supper, and after reading a good while in the King's works,--[Charles I.'s
Works, now in the Pepysian Library]--which is a noble book, to bed.
28th. Up, and being ready I out to Mr. Colvill, the goldsmith's, having
not for some days been in the streets; but now how few people I see, and
those looking like people that had taken leave of the world. I there, and
made even all accounts in the world between him and I, in a very good
condition, and I would have done the like with Sir Robert Viner, but he is
out of towne, the sicknesse being every where thereabouts. I to the
Exchange, and I think there was not fifty people upon it, and but few more
like to be as they told me, Sir G. Smith and others. Thus I think to take
adieu to-day of the London streets, unless it be to go again to Viner's.
Home to dinner, and there W. Hewer brings me L119 he hath received for my
office disbursements, so that I think I have L1800 and more in the house,
and, blessed be God! no money out but what I can very well command and
that but very little, which is much the best posture I ever was in in my
life, both as to the quantity and the certainty I have of the money I am
worth; having most of it in my own hand. But then this is a trouble to me
what to do with it, being myself this day going to be wholly at Woolwich;
but for the present I am resolved to venture it in an iron chest, at least
for a while. In the afternoon I sent down my boy to Woolwich with some
things before me, in order to my lying there for good and all, and so I
followed him. Just now comes newes that the fleete is gone, or going this
day, out again, for which God be praised! and my Lord Sandwich hath done
himself great right in it, in getting so soon out again. I pray God, he
may meet the enemy. Towards the evening, just as I was fitting myself,
comes W. Hewer and shows me a letter which Mercer had wrote to her mother
about a great difference between my wife and her yesterday, and that my
wife will have her go away presently. This, together with my natural
jealousy that some bad thing or other may be in the way, did trouble me
exceedingly, so as I was in a doubt whether to go thither or no, but
having fitted myself and my things I did go, and by night got thither,
where I met my wife walking to the waterside with her paynter, Mr. Browne,
and her mayds. There I met Commissioner Pett, and my Lord Brunker, and
the lady at his house had been thereto-day, to see her. Commissioner Pett
staid a very little while, and so I to supper with my wife and Mr.
Shelden, and so to bed with great pleasure.