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Diary of Samuel Pepys, Complete

S >> Samuel Pepys >> Diary of Samuel Pepys, Complete




12th. At the office all the morning. Dined at home alone. So abroad
with Sir W. Pen. My wife and I to "Bartholomew Fayre," with puppets which
I had seen once before, and Ate play without puppets often, but though I
love the play as much as ever I did, yet I do not like the puppets at all,
but think it to be a lessening to it. Thence to the Greyhound in Fleet
Street, and there drank some raspberry sack and eat some sasages, and so
home very merry. This day Holmes come to town; and we do expect hourly to
hear what usage he hath from the Duke and the King about this late
business of letting the Swedish Embassador go by him without striking his
flag.

[And that, too, in the river Thames itself. The right of obliging
ships of all nations to lower topsails, and strike their flag to the
English, whilst in the British seas, and even on the French coasts,
had, up to this time, been rigidly enforced. When Sully was sent by
Henry IV., in 1603, to congratulate James I. on his accession, and
in a ship commanded by a vice-admiral of France, he was fired upon
by the English Admiral Mansel, for daring to hoist the flag of
France in the presence of that of England, although within sight of
Calais. The French flag was lowered, and all Sully's remonstrances
could obtain no redress for the alleged injury. According to Rugge,
Holmes had insisted upon the Swede's lowering his flag, and had even
fired a shot to enforce the observance of the usual tribute of
respect, but the ambassador sent his secretary and another gentleman
on board the English frigate, to assure the captain, upon the word
and honour of an ambassador, that the king, by a verbal order, had
given him leave and a dispensation in that particular, and upon this
false representation he was allowed to proceed on his voyage without
further question. This want of caution, and disobedience of orders,
fell heavily on Holmes, who was imprisoned for two months, and not
re-appointed to the same ship. Brahe afterwards made a proper
submission for the fault he had committed, at his own court. His
conduct reminds us of Sir Henry Wotton's definition of an
ambassador--that he is an honest man sent to lie abroad for the good
of his country. A pun upon the term lieger--ambassador.--B.]

13th. By appointment, we all went this morning to wait upon the Duke of
York, which we did in his chamber, as he was dressing himself in his
riding suit to go this day by sea to the Downs. He is in mourning for his
wife's grandmother, which is thought a great piece of fondness.

[Fondness, foolishness.

"Fondness it were for any, being free,
To covet fetters, tho' they golden be."
Spenser, Sonnet 37,--M. B.]

After we had given him our letter relating the bad condition of the Navy
for want of money, he referred it to his coming back and so parted, and I
to Whitehall and to see la belle Pierce, and so on foot to my Lord Crew's,
where I found him come to his new house, which is next to that he lived in
last; here I was well received by my Lord and Sir Thomas, with whom I had
great talk: and he tells me in good earnest that he do believe the
Parliament (which comes to sit again the next week), will be troublesome
to the Court and Clergy, which God forbid! But they see things carried so
by my Lord Chancellor and some others, that get money themselves, that
they will not endure it. From thence to the Theatre, and there saw
"Father's own Son" again, and so it raining very hard I went home by
coach, with my mind very heavy for this my expensefull life, which will
undo me, I fear, after all my hopes, if I do not take up, for now I am
coming to lay out a great deal of money in clothes for my wife, I must
forbear other expenses. To bed, and this night began to lie in the little
green chamber, where the maids lie, but we could not a great while get
Nell to lie there, because I lie there and my wife, but at last, when she
saw she must lie there or sit up, she, with much ado, came to bed.

4th. At the office all the morning. At noon I went by appointment to the
Sun in Fish Street to a dinner of young Mr. Bernard's for myself, Mr.
Phillips, Davenport, Weaver, &c., where we had a most excellent dinner,
but a pie of such pleasant variety of good things, as in all my life I
never tasted. Hither came to me Captain Lambert to take his leave of me,
he being this day to set sail for the Straights. We drank his farewell
and a health to all our friends, and were very merry, and drank wine
enough. Hence to the Temple to Mr. Turner about drawing up my bill in
Chancery against T. Trice, and so to Salisbury Court, where Mrs. Turner is
come to town to-night, but very ill still of an ague, which I was sorry to
see. So to the Wardrobe and talked with my Lady, and so home and to bed.

15th. At home all the morning, and at noon with my wife to the Wardrobe
to dinner, and there, did shew herself to my Lady in the handkercher that
she bought the lace for the other day, and indeed it is very handsome.
Here I left my wife and went to my Lord Privy Seal to Whitehall, and there
did give him a copy of the Fees of the office as I have received them, and
he was well pleased with it. So to the Opera, where I met my wife and
Captain Ferrers and Madamoiselle Le Blanc, and there did see the second
part of "The Siege of Rhodes" very well done; and so by coach set her
home, and the coach driving down the hill through Thames Street, which I
think never any coach did before from that place to the bridge-foot, but
going up Fish Street Hill his horses were so tired, that they could not be
got to go up the hill, though all the street boys and men did beat and
whip them. At last I was fain to send my boy for a link, and so light out
of the coach till we got to another at the corner of Fenchurch Street, and
so home, and to bed.

16th. At the office all the morning. Dined at home, and so about my
business in the afternoon to the Temple, where I found my Chancery bill
drawn against T. Trice, which I read and like it, and so home.

17th (Lord's day). To our own church, and at noon, by invitation, Sir W.
Pen dined with me, and I took Mrs. Hester, my Lady Batten's kinswoman, to
dinner from church with me, and we were very merry. So to church again,
and heard a simple fellow upon the praise of Church musique, and
exclaiming against men's wearing their hats on in the church, but I slept
part of the sermon, till latter prayer and blessing and all was done
without waking which I never did in my life. So home, and by and by comes
my uncle Wight and my aunt and Mr. Norbury and his lady, and we drank hard
and were very merry till supper time, and then we parted, my wife and I
being invited to Sir W. Pen's, where we also were very merry, and so home
to prayers and to bed.

18th. By coach with Sir W. Pen; my wife and I toward Westminster, but
seeing Mr. Moore in the street I light and he and I went to Mr.
Battersby's the minister, in my way I putting in at St. Paul's, where I
saw the quiristers in their surplices going to prayers, and a few idle
poor people and boys to hear them, which is the first time I have seen
them, and am sorry to see things done so out of order, and there I
received L50 more, which make up L100 that I now have borrowed of him, and
so I did burn the old bond for L50, and paying him the use of it did make
a new bond for the whole L100. Here I dined and had a good dinner, and his
wife a good pretty woman. There was a young Parson at the table that had
got himself drunk before dinner, which troubled me to see. After dinner to
Mr. Bowers at Westminster for my wife, and brought her to the Theatre to
see "Philaster," which I never saw before, but I found it far short of my
expectations. So by coach home.

19th. At the office all the morning, and coming home found Mr. Hunt with
my wife in the chamber alone, which God forgive me did trouble my head,
but remembering that it was washing and that there was no place else with
a fire for him to be in, it being also cold weather, I was at ease again.
He dined with us, and after dinner took coach and carried him with us as
far as my cozen Scott's, where we set him down and parted, and my wife and
I staid there at the christening of my cozens boy, where my cozen Samuel
Pepys, of Ireland, and I were godfathers, and I did name the child Samuel.
There was a company of pretty women there in the chamber, but we staid
not, but went with the minister into another room and eat and drank, and
at last, when most of the women were gone, Sam and I went into my cozen
Scott, who was got off her bed, and so we staid and talked and were very
merry, my she-cozen, Stradwick, being godmother. And then I left my wife
to go home by coach, and I walked to the Temple about my law business, and
there received a subpoena for T. Trice. I carried it myself to him at the
usual house at Doctors Commons and did give it him, and so home and to
bed. It cost me 20s, between the midwife and the two nurses to-day.

20th. To Westminster Hall by water in the morning, where I saw the King
going in his barge to the Parliament House; this being the first day of
their meeting again. And the Bishops, I hear, do take their places in the
Lords House this day. I walked long in the Hall, but hear nothing of
news, but what Ned Pickering tells me, which I am troubled at, that Sir J.
Minnes should send word to the King, that if he did not remove all my Lord
Sandwich's captains out of this fleet, he believed the King would not be
master of the fleet at its coming again: and so do endeavour to bring
disgrace upon my Lord. But I hope all that will not do, for the King
loves him. Hence by water to the Wardrobe, and dined with my Lady, my
Lady Wright being there too, whom I find to be a witty but very conceited
woman and proud. And after dinner Mr. Moore and I to the Temple, and
there he read my bill and likes it well enough, and so we came back again,
he with me as far as the lower end of Cheapside, and there I gave him a
pint of sack and parted, and I home, and went seriously to look over my
papers touching T. Trice, and I think I have found some that will go near
to do me more good in this difference of ours than all I have before. So
to bed with my mind cheery upon it, and lay long reading "Hobbs his
Liberty and Necessity," and a little but very shrewd piece, and so to
sleep.

21st. In the morning again at looking over my last night's papers, and by
and by comes Mr. Moore, who finds that my papers may do me much good. He
staid and dined with me, and we had a good surloyne of rost beefe, the
first that ever I had of my own buying since I kept house; and after
dinner he and I to the Temple, and there showed Mr. Smallwood my papers,
who likes them well, and so I left them with him, and went with Mr. Moore
to Gray's Inn to his chamber, and there he shewed me his old Camden's
"Britannica", which I intend to buy of him, and so took it away with me,
and left it at St. Paul's Churchyard to be bound, and so home and to the
office all the afternoon; it being the first afternoon that we have sat,
which we are now to do always, so long as the Parliament sits, who this
day have voted the King L 120,000

[A mistake. According to the journals, L1,200,000. And see Diary,
February 29th, 1663-64.--M. B.]

to be raised to pay his debts. And after the office with Sir W. Batten to
the Dolphin, and drank and left him there, and I again to the Temple about
my business, and so on foot home again and to bed.

22nd. Within all the morning, and at noon with my wife, by appointment to
dinner at the Dolphin, where Sir W. Batten, and his lady and daughter
Matt, and Captain Cocke and his lady, a German lady, but a very great
beauty, and we dined together, at the spending of some wagers won and lost
between him and I; and there we had the best musique and very good songs,
and were very merry and danced, but I was most of all taken with Madam
Cocke and her little boy, which in mirth his father had given to me. But
after all our mirth comes a reckoning of L4, besides 40s. to the
musicians, which did trouble us, but it must be paid, and so I took leave
and left them there about eight at night. And on foot went to the Temple,
and then took my cozen Turner's man Roger, and went by his advice to
Serjeant Fountaine and told him our case, who gives me good comfort in it,
and I gave him 30s. fee. So home again and to bed. This day a good
pretty maid was sent my wife by Mary Bowyer, whom my wife has hired.

23rd. To Westminster with my wife (she to her father's), and about 10
o'clock back again home, and there I to the office a little, and thence by
coach with Commissioner Pett to Cheapside to one Savill, a painter, who I
intend shall do my picture and my wife's. Thence I to dinner at the
Wardrobe, and so home to the office, and there all the afternoon till
night, and then both Sir Williams to my house, and in comes Captain Cock,
and they to cards. By and by Sir W. Batten and Cock, after drinking a
good deal of wine, went away, and Sir W. Pen staid with my wife and I to
supper, very pleasant, and so good night. This day I have a chine of beef
sent home, which I bespoke to send, and did send it as a present to my
uncle Wight.

24th (Lord's day). Up early, and by appointment to St. Clement Danes to
church, and there to meet Captain Cocke, who had often commended Mr.
Alsopp, their minister, to me, who is indeed an able man, but as all
things else did not come up to my expectations. His text was that all
good and perfect gifts are from above. Thence Cocke and I to the Sun
tavern behind the Exchange, and there met with others that are come from
the same church, and staid and drank and talked with them a little, and so
broke up, and I to the Wardrobe and there dined, and staid all the
afternoon with my Lady alone talking, and thence to see Madame Turner,
who, poor lady, continues very ill, and I begin to be afraid of her.
Thence homewards, and meeting Mr. Yong, the upholster, he and I to the
Mitre, and with Mr. Rawlinson sat and drank a quart of sack, and so I to
Sir W. Batten's and there staid and supped, and so home, where I found an
invitation sent my wife and I to my uncle Wight's on Tuesday next to the
chine of beef which I presented them with yesterday. So to prayers and to
bed.

25th. To Westminster Hall in the morning with Captain Lambert, and there
he did at the Dog give me and some other friends of his, his foy, he being
to set sail to-day towards the Streights. Here we had oysters and good
wine. Having this morning met in the Hall with Mr. Sanchy, we appointed
to meet at the play this afternoon. At noon, at the rising of the House,
I met with Sir W. Pen and Major General Massy,

[Major-General Edward Massey (or Massie), son of John Massie, was
captain of one of the foot companies of the Irish Expedition, and
had Oliver Cromwell as his ensign (see Peacock's "Army Lists in
1642," p. 65). He was Governor of Gloucester in its obstinate
defence against the royal forces, 1643; dismissed by the self-
denying ordinance when he entered Charles II's service. He was
taken prisoner at the battle of Worcester, September 3rd, 1651, but
escaped abroad.]

who I find by discourse to be a very ingenious man, and among other things
a great master in the secresys of powder and fireworks, and another knight
to dinner, at the Swan, in the Palace yard, and our meat brought from the
Legg; and after dinner Sir W. Pen and I to the Theatre, and there saw "The
Country Captain," a dull play, and that being done, I left him with his
Torys

[This is a strange use of the word Tory, and an early one also. The
word originally meant bogtrotters or wild Irish, and as Penn was
Governor of Kildare these may have been some of his Irish followers.
The term was not used politically until about 1679.]

and went to the Opera, and saw the last act of "The Bondman," and there
found Mr. Sanchy and Mrs. Mary Archer, sister to the fair Betty, whom I
did admire at Cambridge, and thence took them to the Fleece in Covent
Garden, there to bid good night to Sir W. Pen who staid for me; but Mr.
Sanchy could not by any argument get his lady to trust herself with him
into the tavern, which he was much troubled at, and so we returned
immediately into the city by coach, and at the Mitre in Cheapside there
light and drank, and then yet her at her uncle's in the Old Jewry. And so
he and I back again thither, and drank till past 12 at night, till I had
drank something too much. He all the while telling me his intention to
get a girl who is worth L1000, and many times we had her sister Betty's
health, whose memory I love. At last parted, and I well home, only had
got cold and was hoarse and so to bed.

27th. This morning our maid Dorothy and my wife parted, which though she
be a wench for her tongue not to be borne with, yet I was loth to part
with her, but I took my leave kindly of her and went out to Savill's, the
painter, and there sat the first time for my face with him; thence to
dinner with my Lady; and so after an hour or two's talk in divinity with
my Lady, Captain Ferrers and Mr. Moore and I to the Theatre, and there saw
"Hamlett" very well done, and so I home, and found that my wife had been
with my aunt Wight and Ferrers to wait on my Lady to-day this afternoon,
and there danced and were very merry, and my Lady very fond as she is
always of my wife. So to bed.

28th. At home all the morning; at noon Will brought me from Whitehall,
whither I had sent him, some letters from my Lord Sandwich, from Tangier;
where he continues still, and hath done some execution upon the Turks, and
retaken an Englishman from them, of one Mr. Parker's, a merchant in
Marke-lane. In the afternoon Mr. Pett and I met at the office; there
being none more there than we two I saw there was not the reverence due to
us observed, and so I took occasion to break up and took Mr. Gawdon along
with me, and he and I (though it rained) were resolved to go, he to my
Lord Treasurer's and I to the Chancellor's with a letter from my Lord
to-day. So to a tavern at the end of Mark Lane, and there we staid till
with much ado we got a coach, and so to my Lord Treasurer's and lost our
labours, then to the Chancellor's, and there met with Mr. Dugdale, and
with him and one Mr. Simons, I think that belongs to my Lord Hatton, and
Mr. Kipps and others, to the Fountain tavern, and there staid till twelve
at night drinking and singing, Mr. Simons and one Mr. Agar singing very
well. Then Mr. Gawdon being almost drunk had the wit to be gone, and so I
took leave too, and it being a fine moonshine night he and I footed it all
the way home, but though he was drunk he went such a pace as I did admire
how he was able to go. When I came home I found our new maid
Sarah--[Sarah did not stay long with Mrs. Pepys, who was continually
falling out with her. She left to enter Sir William Penn's
service.]--come, who is a tall and a very well favoured wench, and one
that I think will please us. So to bed.

29th. I lay long in bed, till Sir Williams both sent me word that we were
to wait upon the Duke of York to-day; and that they would have me to meet
them at Westminster Hall, at noon: so I rose and went thither; and there I
understand that they are gone to Mr. Coventry's lodgings, in the Old
Palace Yard, to dinner (the first time I knew he had any); and there I met
them two and Sir G. Carteret, and had a very fine dinner, and good
welcome, and discourse; and so, by water, after dinner to White Hall to
the Duke, who met us in his closet; and there he did discourse to us the
business of Holmes, and did desire of us to know what hath been the common
practice about making of forrayne ships to strike sail to us, which they
did all do as much as they could; but I could say nothing to it, which I
was sorry for. So indeed I was forced to study a lie, and so after we
were gone from the Duke, I told Mr. Coventry that I had heard Mr. Selden
often say, that he could prove that in Henry the 7th's time, he did give
commission to his captains to make the King of Denmark's ships to strike
to him in the Baltique. From thence Sir W. Pen and I to the Theatre, but
it was so full that we could hardly get any room, so he went up to one of
the boxes, and I into the 18d. places, and there saw "Love at first
sight," a play of Mr. Killigrew's, and the first time that it hath been
acted since before the troubles, and great expectation there was, but I
found the play to be a poor thing, and so I perceive every body else do.
So home, calling at Paul's Churchyard for a "Mare Clausum," having it in
my mind to write a little matter, what I can gather, about the business of
striking sayle, and present it to the Duke, which I now think will be a
good way to make myself known. So home and to bed.

30th. In the morning to the Temple, Mr. Philips and Dr. Williams about my
several law matters, and so to the Wardrobe to dinner, and after dinner
stole away, my Lady not dining out of her chamber, and so home and then to
the office all the afternoon, and that being done Sir W. Batten and I and
Captain Cock got a bottle of sack into the office, and there we sat late
and drank and talked, and so home and to bed. I am this day in very good
health, only got a little cold. The Parliament has sat a pretty while.
The old condemned judges of the late King have been brought before the
Parliament, and like to be hanged. I am deep in Chancery against Tom
Trice, God give a good issue; and myself under great trouble for my late
great expending of money vainly, which God stop for the future. This is
the last day for the old State's coyne

[In a speech of Lord Lucas in the House of Lords, the 22nd February,
1670-1 (which speech was burnt by the common hangman), he thus
adverted to that coin: "It is evident that there is scarcity of
money; for all the parliament's money called breeches (a fit stamp
for the coin of the Rump) is wholly vanished--the king's
proclamation and the Dutch have swept it all away, and of his now
majesty's coin there appears but very little; so that in effect we
have none left for common use, but a little old lean coined money of
the late three former princes. And what supply is preparing for it,
my lords? I hear of none, unless it be of copper farthings, and
this is the metal that is to vindicate, according to the inscription
on it, the dominion of the four seas."--Quoted in Penn's "Memorials
of Sir Wm. Penn," ii. 264.]

to pass in common payments, but they say it is to pass in publique
payments to the King three months still.

DIARY OF SAMUEL PEPYS.
DECEMBER
1661

December 1st (Lord's day). In the morning at church and heard Mr. Mills.
At home dined and with me by appointment Mr. Sanchy, who should have
brought his mistress, Mrs. Mary Archer, of Cambridge, but she could not
come, but we had a good dinner for him. And so in the afternoon my wife
went to church, and he and I stayed at home and drank and talked, and he
stayed with me till night and supped with me, when I expected to have seen
Jack Cole and Lem. Wagstaffe, but they did not come. We this day cut a
brave collar of brawn from Winchcombe which proves very good, and also
opened the glass of girkins which Captain Cocke did give my wife the other
day, which are rare things. So at night to bed. There hath lately been
great clapping up of some old statesmen, such as Ireton, Moyer, and
others, and they say, upon a great plot, but I believe no such thing; but
it is but justice that they should be served as they served the poor
Cavaliers; and I believe it will oftentimes be so as long as I live,
whether there be cause or no. This evening my brother Tom was with me,
and I did talk again to him about Mr. Townsend's daughter, and I do intend
to put the business in hand. I pray God give a good end to it.

2nd. To Savill the painter's, but he not being well I could do nothing
there, and so I returned home, and in my way met Mr. Moore and took him
with me home; where we staid and talked all the morning, and he dined with
me, and after dinner went away to the Privy Seal, this being our first day
this month. By and by called on by Mr. Sanchy and his mistress, and with
them by coach to the Opera, to see "The Mad Lover," but not much pleased
with the play. That done home all to my house, where they staid and
supped and were merry, and at last late bid good night and so we to bed.

3rd. To the Paynter's and sat and had more of my picture done; but it do
not please me, for I fear it will not be like me. At noon from thence to
the Wardrobe, where dinner not being ready Mr. Moore and I to the Temple
about my little business at Mr. Turner's, and so back again, and dinner
being half done I went in to my Lady, where my Lady Wright was at dinner
with her, and all our talk about the great happiness that my Lady Wright
says there is in being in the fashion and in variety of fashions, in scorn
of others that are not so, as citizens' wives and country gentlewomen,
which though it did displease me enough, yet I said nothing to it. Thence
by water to the office through bridge, being carried by him in oars that
the other day rowed in a scull faster than my oars to the Towre, and I did
give him 6d. At the office all the afternoon, and at night home to read
in "Mare Clausum" till bedtime, and so to bed, but had a very bad night by
dreams of my wife's riding with me and her horse throwing her and breaking
her leg, and then I dreamed that I . . [was] in such pain that I waked
with it, and had a great deal of pain there a very great while till I fell
asleep again, and such apprehension I had of it that when I rose and
trussed up myself thinking that it had been no dream. Till in the daytime
I found myself very well at ease, and remembered that I did dream so, and
that Mr. Creed was with me, and that I did complain to him of it, and he
said he had the same pain in his left that I had in my right . . .
which pleased me much to remember.

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