Diary of Samuel Pepys, August 1668
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Samuel Pepys >> Diary of Samuel Pepys, August 1668
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.
AUGUST
1668
August 1st. All the morning at the office. After dinner my wife, and
Deb., and I, to the King's house again, coming too late yesterday to hear
the prologue, and do like the play better now than before; and, indeed,
there is a great deal of true wit in it, more than in the common sort of
plays, and so home to my business, and at night to bed, my eyes making me
sad.
2nd. (Lord's day). Up and at home all the morning, hanging, and removing
of some pictures, in my study and house. At noon Pelling dined with me.
After dinner, I and Tom, my boy, by water up to Putney, and there heard a
sermon, and many fine people in the church. Thence walked to Barne Elmes,
and there, and going and coming, did make the boy read to me several
things, being now-a-days unable to read myself anything, for above two
lines together, but my eyes grow weary. Home about night, and so to
supper and then to bed.
3rd. Up, and by water to White Hall and St. James's, where I did much
business, and about noon meeting Dr. Gibbons, carried him to the Sun
taverne, in King Street, and there made him, and some friends of his,
drink; among others, Captain Silas Taylor, and here did get Gibbons to
promise me some things for my flageolets. So to the Old Exchange, and
then home to dinner, and so, Mercer dining with us, I took my wife and her
and Deb. out to Unthanke's, while I to White Hall to the Commissioners of
the Treasury, and so back to them and took them out to Islington, where we
met with W. Joyce and his wife and boy, and there eat and drank, and a
great deal of his idle talk, and so we round by Hackney home, and so to
sing a little in the garden, and then to bed.
4th. Up, and to my office a little, and then to White Hall about a
Committee for Tangier at my Lord Arlington's, where, by Creed's being out
of town, I have the trouble given me of drawing up answers to the
complaints of the Turks of Algiers, and so I have all the papers put into
my hand. Here till noon, and then back to the Office, where sat a little,
and then to dinner, and presently to the office, where come to me my Lord
Bellassis, Lieutenant-Colonell Fitzgerald, newly come from Tangier, and
Sir Arthur Basset, and there I received their informations, and so, they
being gone, I with my clerks and another of Lord Brouncker's, Seddon, sat
up till two in the morning, drawing up my answers and writing them fair,
which did trouble me mightily to sit up so long, because of my eyes.
5th. So to bed about two o'clock, and then up about seven and to White
Hall, where read over my report to Lord Arlington and Berkeley, and then
afterward at the Council Board with great good liking, but, Lord! how it
troubled my eyes, though I did not think I could have done it, but did do
it, and was not very bad afterward. So home to dinner, and thence out to
the Duke of York's playhouse, and there saw "The Guardian;" formerly the
same, I find, that was called "Cutter of Coleman Street;" a silly play.
And thence to Westminster Hall, where I met Fitzgerald; and with him to a
tavern, to consider of the instructions for Sir Thomas Allen, against his
going to Algiers; he and I being designed to go down to Portsmouth by the
Council's order, and by and by he and I went to the Duke of York, who
orders me to go down to-morrow morning. So I away home, and there bespeak
a coach; and so home and to bed, my wife being abroad with the Mercers
walking in the fields, and upon the water.
6th. Waked betimes, and my wife, at an hour's warning, is resolved to go
with me, which pleases me, her readiness. But, before ready, comes a
letter from Fitzgerald, that he is seized upon last night by an order of
the General's by a file of musqueteers, and kept prisoner in his chamber.
The Duke of York did tell me of it to-day: it is about a quarrel between.
him and Witham, and they fear a challenge: so I to him, and sent my wife
by the coach round to Lambeth. I lost my labour going to his lodgings,
and he in bed: and, staying a great while for him, I at last grew
impatient, and would stay no longer; but to St. James's to Mr. Wren, to
bid him "God be with you!" and so over the water to Fox Hall; and there my
wife and Deb. come and took me up, and we away to Gilford, losing our way
for three or four mile, about Cobham. At Gilford we dined; and, I shewed
them the hospitall there of Bishop Abbot's, and his tomb in the church,
which, and the rest of the tombs there, are kept mighty clean and neat,
with curtains before them. So to coach again, and got to Lippock,2 late
over Hindhead, having an old man, a guide, in the coach with us; but got
thither with great fear of being out of our way, it being ten at night.
Here good, honest people; and after supper, to bed . . . .
7th. Up, and to coach, and with a guide to Petersfield, where I find Sir
Thomas Allen and Mr. Tippets come; the first about the business, the
latter only in respect to me; as also Fitzgerald, who come post all last
night, and newly arrived here. We four sat down presently to our
business, and in an hour despatched all our talk; and did inform Sir
Thomas Allen well in it, who, I perceive, in serious matters, is a serious
man: and tells me he wishes all we are told be true, in our defence; for
he finds by all, that the Turks have, to this day, been very civil to our
merchant-men everywhere; and, if they would have broke with us, they never
had such an opportunity over our rich merchant-men, as lately, coming out
of the Streights. Then to dinner, and pretty merry: and here was Mr.
Martin, the purser, and dined with us, and wrote some things for us. And
so took coach again back; Fitzgerald with us, whom I was pleased with all
the day, with his discourse of his observations abroad, as being a great
soldier and of long standing abroad: and knows all things and persons
abroad very well--I mean, the great soldiers of France, and Spain, and
Germany; and talks very well. Come at night to Gilford, where the Red Lyon
so full of people, and a wedding, that the master of the house did get us
a lodging over the way, at a private house, his landlord's, mighty neat
and fine; and there supped and talked with the landlord and his wife: and
so to bed with great content, only Fitzgerald lay at the Inne. So to bed.
8th. Up, and I walked out, and met Uncle Wight, whom I sent to last
night, and Mr. Wight coming to see us, and I walked with them back to see
my aunt at Katherine Hill, and there walked up and down the hill and
places, about: but a dull place, but good ayre, and the house dull. But
here I saw my aunt, after many days not seeing her--I think, a year or
two; and she walked with me to see my wife. And here, at the Red Lyon, we
all dined together, and mighty merry, and then parted: and we home to Fox
Hall, where Fitzgerald and I 'light, and by water to White Hall, where the
Duke of York being abroad, I by coach and met my wife, who went round, and
after doing at the office a little, and finding all well at home, I to
bed. I hear that Colbert, the French Ambassador, is come, and hath been
at Court incognito. When he hath his audience, I know not.
9th (Lord's day). Up, and walked to Holborne, where got John Powell's
coach at the Black Swan, and he attended me at St. James's, where waited
on the Duke of York: and both by him and several of the Privy-Council,
beyond expectation, I find that my going to Sir Thomas Allen was looked
upon as a thing necessary: and I have got some advantage by it, among
them. Thence to White Hall, and thence to visit Lord Brouncker, and back
to White Hall, where saw the Queen and ladies; and so, with Mr. Slingsby,
to Mrs. Williams's, thinking to dine with Lord Brouncker there, but did
not, having promised my wife to come home, though here I met Knepp, to my
great content. So home; and, after dinner, I took my wife and Deb. round
by Hackney, and up and down to take the ayre; and then home, and made
visits to Mrs. Turner, and Mrs. Mercer, and Sir W. Pen, who is come from
Epsom not well, and Sir J. Minnes, who is not well neither. And so home
to supper, and to set my books a little right, and then to bed. This day
Betty Michell come and dined with us, the first day after her lying in,
whom I was glad to see.
10th. Up, and by water to White Hall, and thence to Sir W. Coventry, but
he is gone out of town this morning, so thence to my Lord Arlington's
house, the first time I there since he come thither, at Goring House, a
very fine, noble place; and there he received me in sight of several Lords
with great respect. I did give him an account of my journey; and here,
while I waited for him a little, my Lord Orrery took notice of me, and
begun discourse of hangings, and of the improvement of shipping: I not
thinking that he knew me, but did then discover it, with a mighty
compliment of my abilities and ingenuity, which I am mighty proud of; and
he do speak most excellently. Thence to Westminster Hall, and so by coach
to the old Exchange, and there did several businesses, and so home to
dinner, and then abroad to Duck Lane, where I saw my belle femme of the
book vendor, but had no opportunity para hazer con her. So away to
Cooper's, where I spent all the afternoon with my wife and girl, seeing
him-make an end of her picture, which he did Jo my great content, though
not so great as, I confess, I expected, being not satisfied in the
greatness of the resemblance, nor in the blue garment: but it is most
certainly a most rare piece of work, as to the painting. He hath L30 for
his work--and the chrystal, and case, and gold case comes to L8 3s. 4d.;
and which I sent him this night, that I might be out of debt. Thence my
people home, and I to Westminster Hall about a little business, and so by
water home [to] supper, and my wife to read a ridiculous book I bought
today of the History of the Taylors' Company,
[The title of this book was, "The Honour of the Merchant Taylors."
Wherein is set forth the noble acts, valliant deeds, and heroick
performances of Merchant Taylors in former ages; their honourable
loves, and knightly adventures, their combating of foreign enemies
and glorious successes in honour of the English nation: together
with their pious....]
and all the while Deb. did comb my head, and I did toker her with my main
para very great pleasure, and so to bed.
11th. Up, and by water to Sir W. Coventry to visit him, whom I find yet
troubled at the Commissioners of Accounts, about this business of Sir W.
Warren, which is a ridiculous thing, and can come to nothing but contempt,
and thence to Westminster Hall, where the Parliament met enough to
adjourne, which they did, to the 10th of November next, and so by water
home to the office, and so to dinner, and thence at the Office all the
afternoon till night, being mightily pleased with a little trial I have
made of the use of a tube-spectacall of paper, tried with my right eye.
This day I hear that, to the great joy of the Nonconformists, the time is
out of the Act against them, so that they may meet: and they have declared
that they will have a morning lecture
[During the troubled reign of Charles I., the House of Commons gave
parishioners the right of appointing lecturers at the various
churches without the consent of rector or vicar, and this naturally
gave rise to many quarrels. In the early period of the war between
the king and the parliament, a course of sermons or lectures was
projected in aid of the parliamentary cause. These lectures, which
were preached by eminent Presbyterian divines at seven o'clock on
the Sunday mornings, were commenced in the church of St. Mary
Magdalen in Milk Street, but were soon afterwards removed to St.
Giles's, Cripplegate. After the Restoration the lectures were
collected in four volumes, and published under the title of the
"Cripplegate Morning Exercises," vol. i. in 1661; vol. ii. in 1674;
vol. iii. in 1682; and vol. iv. in 1690. In addition there were two
volumes which form a supplement to the work, viz., "The Morning
Exercises methodized," preached at St. Giles's-in-the-Fields, edited
by the Rev. Thomas Case in 1660, and the "Exercises against Popery,"
preached in Southwark, and published in 1675 (see Demon's "Records
of St. Giles's, Crinnlegate," 1883, pp. 55-56).]
up again, which is pretty strange; and they are connived at by the King
every where, I hear, in City and country. So to visit W. Pen, who is yet
ill, and then home, where W. Batelier and Mrs. Turner come and sat and
supped with us, and so they gone we to bed. This afternoon my wife, and
Mercer, and Deb., went with Pelting to see the gypsies at Lambeth, and
have their fortunes told; but what they did, I did not enquire.
12th. Up, and all the morning busy at my office. Thence to the Excise
Office, and so to the Temple to take counsel about Major Nicholls's
business for the King. So to several places about business, and among
others to Drumbleby's about the mouths for my paper tubes, and so to the
'Change and home. Met Captain Cocke, who tells me that he hears for
certain the Duke of York will lose the authority of an Admiral, and be
governed by a Committee: and all our Office changed; only they are in
dispute whether I shall continue or no, which puts new thoughts in me, but
I know not whether to be glad or sorry. Home to dinner, where Pelting
dines with us, and brings some partridges, which is very good meat; and,
after dinner, I, and wife, and Mercer, and Deb., to the Duke of York's
house, and saw "Mackbeth," to our great content, and then home, where the
women went to the making of my tubes, and I to the office, and then come
Mrs. Turner and her husband to advise about their son, the Chaplain, who
is turned out of his ship, a sorrow to them, which I am troubled for, and
do give them the best advice I can, and so they gone we to bed.
13th. Up, and Greeting comes, and there he and I tried some things of Mr.
Locke's for two flageolets, to my great content, and this day my wife
begins again to learn of him; for I have a great mind for her to be able
to play a part with me. Thence I to the Office, where all the afternoon
[morning??], and then to dinner, where W. Howe dined with me, who tells me
for certain that Creed is like to speed in his match with Mrs. Betty
Pickering. Here dined with me also Mr. Hollier, who is mighty vain in his
pretence to talk Latin. So to the Office again all the afternoon till
night, very busy, and so with much content home, and made my wife sing and
play on the flageolet to me till I slept with great pleasure in bed.
14th. Up, and by water to White Hall and St. James's, and to see Sir W.
Coventry, and discourse about business of our Office, telling him my
trouble there, to see how things are ordered. I told him also what Cocke
told me the other day, but he says there is not much in it, though he do
know that this hath been in the eye of some persons to compass for the
turning all things in the navy, and that it looks so like a popular thing
as that he thinks something may be done in it, but whether so general or
no, as I tell it him, he knows not. Thence to White Hall, and there wait
at the Council-chamber door a good while, talking with one or other, and
so home by water, though but for a little while, because I am to return to
White Hall. At home I find Symson, putting up my new chimney-piece, in
our great chamber, which is very fine, but will cost a great deal of
money, but it is not flung away. So back to White Hall, and after the
council up, I with Mr. Wren, by invitation, to Sir Stephen Fox's to
dinner, where the Cofferer and Sir Edward Savage; where many good stories
of the antiquity and estates of many families at this day in Cheshire, and
that part of the kingdom, more than what is on this side, near London. My
Lady [Fox] dining with us; a very good lady, and a family governed so
nobly and neatly as do me good to see it. Thence the Cofferer, Sir
Stephen, and I to the Commissioners of the Treasury about business: and so
I up to the Duke of York, who enquired for what I had promised him, about
my observations of the miscarriages of our Office;
[This refers to the letter on the affairs of the office which Pepys
prepared, and respecting which, and the proceedings which grew out
of it, so many references are made in future pages of the Diary.]
and I told him he should have it next week, being glad he called for it;
for I find he is concerned to do something, and to secure himself thereby,
I believe: for the world is labouring to eclipse him, I doubt; I mean, the
factious part of the Parliament. The Office met this afternoon as usual,
and waited on him; where, among other things, he talked a great while of
his intentions of going to Dover soon, to be sworn as Lord Warden, which
is a matter of great ceremony and state, and so to the Temple with Mr.
Wren, to the Attorney's chamber, about business, but he abroad, and so I
home, and there spent the evening talking with my wife and piping, and
pleased with our chimney-piece, and so to bed.
15th. Up, and to the office, where all the morning busy, and after dinner
with my wife, Mercer, and Deb., to the King's playhouse, and there saw
"Love's Mistresse" revived, the thing pretty good, but full of variety of
divertisement. So home and to my business at the office, my eyes bad
again, and so to bed.
16th (Lord's day). All the morning at my Office with W. Hewer, there
drawing up my Report to the Duke of York, as I have promised, about the
faults of this Office, hoping thereby to have opportunity of doing myself
[something]. At noon to dinner, and again with him to work all the
afternoon till night, till I was weary and had despatched a good deal of
business, and so to bed after hearing my wife read a little.
17th. Up, and by water to White Hall, and so to St. James's, and thence
with Mr. Wren by appointment in his coach to Hampstead, to speak with the
Atturney-general, whom we met in the fields, by his old route and house;
and after a little talk about our business of Ackeworth, went and saw the
Lord Wotton's house and garden, which is wonderfull fine: too good for the
house the gardens are, being, indeed, the most noble that ever I saw, and
brave orange and lemon trees. Thence to Mr. Chichley's by invitation, and
there dined with Sir John, his father not coming home. And while at dinner
comes by the French Embassador Colbert's mules, the first I eversaw, with
their sumpter-clothes mighty rich, and his coaches, he being to have his
entry to-day: but his things, though rich, are not new; supposed to be the
same his brother
[A mistake of Pepys's. Colbert de Croissy, then in England, had
himself been the French Plenipotentiary at Aix-la-Chapelle.--B.]
had the other day, at the treaty at Aix-la-Chapelle, in Flanders. Thence
to the Duke of York's house, and there saw "Cupid's Revenge," under the
new name of "Love Despised," that hath something very good in it, though I
like not the whole body of it. This day the first time acted here. Thence
home, and there with Mr. Hater and W. Hewer late, reading over all the
principal officers' instructions in order to my great work upon my hand,
and so to bed, my eyes very ill.
18th. Up, and to my office about my great business betimes, and so to the
office, where all the morning. At noon dined, and then to the office all
the afternoon also, and in the evening to Sir W. Coventry's, but he not
within, I took coach alone to the Park, to try to meet him there, but did
not; but there were few coaches, but among the few there were in two
coaches our two great beauties, my Lady Castlemayne and Richmond; the
first time I saw the latter since she had the smallpox. I had much
pleasure to see them, but I thought they were strange one to another.
Thence going out I met a coach going, which I thought had Knepp in it, so
I went back, but it was not she. So back to White Hall and there took
water, and so home, and busy late about my great letter to the Duke of
York, and so to supper and to bed . . . .
19th. Up betimes, and all day and afternoon without going out, busy upon
my great letter to the Duke of York, which goes on to my content. W. Hewer
and Gibson I employ with me in it. This week my people wash, over the
water, and so I little company at home. In the evening, being busy above,
a great cry I hear, and go down; and what should it be but Jane, in a fit
of direct raving, which lasted half-an-hour. Beyond four or five of our
strength to keep her down; and, when all come to all, a fit of jealousy
about Tom, with whom she is in love. So at night, I, and my wife, and W.
Hewer called them to us, and there I did examine all the thing, and them,
in league. She in love, and he hath got her to promise him to marry, and
he is now cold in it, so that I must rid my hands of them, which troubles
me, and the more because my head is now busy upon other greater things. I
am vexed also to be told by W. Hewer that he is summoned to the
Commissioners of Accounts about receiving a present of L30 from Mr. Mason,
the timber merchant, though there be no harm in it, that will appear on
his part, he having done them several lawful kindnesses and never demanded
anything, as they themselves have this day declared to the Commissioners,
they being forced up by the discovery of somebody that they in confidence
had once told it to. So to supper vexed and my head full of care, and so
to bed.
20th. Betimes at my business again, and so to the office, and dined with
Brouncker and J. Minnes, at Sir W. Pen's at a bad pasty of venison, and so
to work again, and at it till past twelve at night, that I might get my
great letter
[In the Pepysian Library is a MS. (No. 2242), entitled, "Papers
conteyning my addresse to his Royall Highnesse James Duke of Yorke,
Lord High Admirall of England, &c., by letter dated the 20th of
August, 1668, humbly tendering him my advice touching the present
State of the Office of the Navy, with his Royall Highness's
proceedings upon the same, and their result."]
to the Duke of York ready against to-morrow, which I shall do, to my great
content. So to bed.
21st. Up betimes, and with my people again to work, and finished all
before noon: and then I by water to White Hall, and there did tell the
Duke of York that I had done; and he hath to my great content desired me
to come to him at Sunday next in the afternoon, to read it over, by which
I have more time to consider and correct it. So back home and to the
'Change, in my way calling at Morris', my vintner's, where I love to see
su moher, though no acquaintance accostais this day con her. Did several
things at the 'Change, and so home to dinner. After dinner I by coach to
my bookseller's in Duck Lane, and there did spend a little time and
regarder su moher, and so to St. James's, where did a little ordinary
business; and by and by comes Monsieur Colbert, the French Embassador, to
make his first visit to the Duke of York, and then to the Duchess: and I
saw it: a silly piece of ceremony, he saying only a few formal words. A
comely man, and in a black suit and cloak of silk, which is a strange
fashion, now it hath been so long left off: This day I did first see the
Duke of York's room of pictures of some Maids of Honour, done by Lilly:
good, but not like.
[The set of portraits known as "King Charles's Beauties," formerly
in Windsor Castle, but now at Hampton Court.--B.]
Thence to Reeves's, and bought a reading-glass, and so to my bookseller's
again, there to buy a Book of Martyrs,
[The popular name of John Fox's "Acts and Monuments," first
published in 1562-63.]
which I did agree for; and so, after seeing and beginning acquaintance con
his femme, but very little, away home, and there busy very late at the
correcting my great letter to the Duke of York, and so to bed.
22nd. Up betimes, at it again with great content, and so to the Office,
where all the morning, and did fall out with W. Pen about his slight
performance of his office, and so home to dinner, fully satisfied that
this Office must sink or the whole Service be undone. To the office all
the afternoon again, and then home to supper and to bed, my mind being
pretty well at ease, my great letter being now finished to my full
content; and I thank God I have opportunity of doing it, though I know it
will set the Office and me by the ears for ever. This morning Captain
Cocke comes, and tells me that he is now assured that it is true, what he
told me the other day, that our whole Office will be turned out, only me,
which, whether he says true or no, I know not, nor am much concerned,
though I should be better contented to have it thus than otherwise. This
afternoon, after I was weary in my business of the office, I went forth to
the 'Change, thinking to have spoke with Captain Cocke, but he was not
within. So I home, and took London-bridge in my way; walking down Fish
Street and Gracious Street, to see how very fine a descent they have now
made down the hill, that it is become very easy and pleasant, and going
through Leaden-Hall, it being market-day, I did see a woman catched, that
had stolen a shoulder of mutton off of a butcher's stall, and carrying it
wrapt up in a cloth, in a basket. The jade was surprised, and did not
deny it, and the woman so silly, as to let her go that took it, only
taking the meat.