Diary of Samuel Pepys, December 1666
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Samuel Pepys >> Diary of Samuel Pepys, December 1666
26th. Up, and walked all the way (it being a most fine frost), to White
Hall, to Sir W. Coventry's chamber, and thence with him up to the Duke of
York, where among other things at our meeting I did offer my assistance to
Sir J. Minnes to do the business of his office, relating to the Pursers'
accounts, which was well accepted by the Duke of York, and I think I have
and shall do myself good in it, if it be taken, for it will confirm me in
the business of the victualling office, which I do now very little for.
Thence home, carrying a barrel of oysters with me. Anon comes Mr. John
Andrews and his wife by invitation from Bow to dine with me, and young
Batelier and his wife with her great belly, which has spoiled her looks
mightily already. Here was also Mercer and Creed, whom I met coming home,
who tells me of a most bitter lampoone now out against the Court and the
management of State from head to foot, mighty witty and mighty severe. By
and by to dinner, a very good one, and merry. After dinner I put the
women into a coach, and they to the Duke's house, to a play which was
acted, "The--------." It was indifferently done, but was not pleased with
the song, Gosnell not singing, but a new wench, that sings naughtily.
Thence home, all by coach, and there Mr. Andrews to the vyall, who plays
most excellently on it, which I did not know before. Then to dance, here
being Pembleton come, by my wife's direction, and a fiddler; and we got,
also, the elder Batelier to-night, and Nan Wright, and mighty merry we
were, and I danced; and so till twelve at night, and to supper, and then
to cross purposes, mighty merry, and then to bed, my eyes being sore.
Creed lay here in Barker's bed.
27th. Up; and called up by the King's trumpets, which cost me 10s. So to
the office, where we sat all the morning. At noon, by invitation, my
wife, who had not been there these to months, I think, and I, to meet all
our families at Sir W. Batten's at dinner, whither neither a great dinner
for so much company nor anything good or handsome. In the middle of
dinner I rose, and my wife, and by coach to the King's playhouse, and
meeting Creed took him up, and there saw "The Scornfull Lady" well acted;
Doll Common doing Abigail most excellently, and Knipp the widow very well,
and will be an excellent actor, I think. In other parts the play not so
well done as used to be, by the old actors. Anon to White Hall by coach,
thinking to have seen a play there to-night, but found it a mistake, so
back again, and missed our coach[man], who was gone, thinking to come time
enough three hours hence, and we could not blame him. So forced to get
another coach, and all three home to my house, and there to Sir W.
Batten's, and eat a bit of cold chine of beef, and then staid and talked,
and then home and sat and talked a little by the fireside with my wife and
Creed, and so to bed, my left eye being very sore. No business publick or
private minded all these two days. This day a house or two was blown up
with powder in the Minorys, and several people spoiled, and many dug out
from under the rubbish.
28th. Up, and Creed and I walked (a very fine walk in the frost) to my
Lord Bellasses, but missing him did find him at White Hall, and there
spoke with him about some Tangier business. That done, we to Creed's
lodgings, which are very pretty, but he is going from them. So we to
Lincoln's Inne Fields, he to Ned Pickering's, who it seems lives there,
keeping a good house, and I to my Lord Crew's, where I dined, and hear the
newes how my Lord's brother, Mr. Nathaniel Crew, hath an estate of 6 or
L700 per annum, left him by the death of an old acquaintance of his, but
not akin to him at all. And this man is dead without will, but had, above
ten years since, made over his estate to this Mr. Crew, to him and his
heirs for ever, and given Mr. Crew the keeping of the deeds in his own
hand all this time; by which, if he would, he might have taken present
possession of the estate, for he knew what they were. This is as great an
act of confident friendship as this latter age, I believe, can shew. From
hence to the Duke's house, and there saw "Macbeth" most excellently acted,
and a most excellent play for variety. I had sent for my wife to meet me
there, who did come, and after the play was done, I out so soon to meet
her at the other door that I left my cloake in the playhouse, and while I
returned to get it, she was gone out and missed me, and with W. Hewer away
home. I not sorry for it much did go to White Hall, and got my Lord
Bellasses to get me into the playhouse; and there, after all staying above
an hour for the players, the King and all waiting, which was absurd, saw
"Henry the Fifth" well done by the Duke's people, and in most excellent
habits, all new vests, being put on but this night. But I sat so high and
far off, that I missed most of the words, and sat with a wind coming into
my back and neck, which did much trouble me. The play continued till
twelve at night; and then up, and a most horrid cold night it was, and
frosty, and moonshine. But the worst was, I had left my cloak at Sir G.
Carteret's, and they being abed I was forced to go home without it. So by
chance got a coach and to the Golden Lion Taverne in the Strand, and there
drank some mulled sack, and so home, where find my poor wife staying for
me, and then to bed mighty cold.
29th. Up, called up with newes from Sir W. Batten that Hogg hath brought
in two prizes more: and so I thither, and hear the particulars, which are
good; one of them, if prize, being worth L4,000: for which God be thanked!
Then to the office, and have the newes brought us of Captain Robinson's
coming with his fleete from Gottenburgh: dispersed, though, by foul
weather. But he hath light of five Dutch men-of-war, and taken three,
whereof one is sunk; which is very good newes to close up the year with,
and most of our merchantmen already heard of to be safely come home,
though after long lookings-for, and now to several ports, as they could
make them. At noon home to dinner, where Balty is and now well recovered.
Then to the office to do business, and at night, it being very cold, home
to my chamber, and there late writing, but my left eye still very sore. I
write by spectacles all this night, then to supper and to bed. This day's
good news making me very lively, only the arrears of much business on my
hands and my accounts to be settled for the whole year past do lie as a
weight on my mind.
30th (Lord's day). Lay long, however up and to church, where Mills made a
good sermon. Here was a collection for the sexton; but it come into my
head why we should be more bold in making the collection while the psalm
is singing, than in the sermon or prayer. Home, and, without any
strangers, to dinner, and then all the afternoon and evening in my chamber
preparing all my accounts in good condition against to-morrow, to state
them for the whole year past, to which God give me a good issue when I
come to close them! So to supper and to bed.
31st. Rising this day with a full design to mind nothing else but to make
up my accounts for the year past, I did take money, and walk forth to
several places in the towne as far as the New Exchange, to pay all my
debts, it being still a very great frost and good walking. I staid at the
Fleece Tavern in Covent Garden while my boy Tom went to W. Joyce's to pay
what I owed for candles there. Thence to the New Exchange to clear my
wife's score, and so going back again I met Doll Lane (Mrs. Martin's
sister), with another young woman of the Hall, one Scott, and took them to
the Half Moon Taverne and there drank some burnt wine with them, without
more pleasure, and so away home by coach, and there to dinner, and then to
my accounts, wherein, at last, I find them clear and right; but, to my
great discontent, do find that my gettings this year have been L573 less
than my last: it being this year in all but L2,986; whereas, the last, I
got L3,560. And then again my spendings this year have exceeded my
spendings the last by L644: my whole spendings last year being but L509;
whereas this year, it appears, I have spent L1154, which is a sum not fit
to be said that ever I should spend in one year, before I am master of a
better estate than I am. Yet, blessed be God! and I pray God make me
thankful for it, I do find myself worth in money, all good, above L6,200;
which is above L1800 more than I was the last year. This, I trust in God,
will make me thankfull for what I have, and carefull to make up by care
next year what by my negligence and prodigality I have lost and spent this
year. The doing of this, and entering of it fair, with the sorting of all
my expenses, to see how and in what points I have exceeded, did make it
late work, till my eyes become very sore and ill, and then did give over,
and supper, and to bed. Thus ends this year of publick wonder and mischief
to this nation, and, therefore, generally wished by all people to have an
end. Myself and family well, having four mayds and one clerk, Tom, in my
house, and my brother, now with me, to spend time in order to his
preferment. Our healths all well, only my eyes with overworking them are
sore as candlelight comes to them, and not else; publick matters in a most
sad condition; seamen discouraged for want of pay, and are become not to
be governed: nor, as matters are now, can any fleete go out next year.
Our enemies, French and Dutch, great, and grow more by our poverty. The
Parliament backward in raising, because jealous of the spending of the
money; the City less and less likely to be built again, every body
settling elsewhere, and nobody encouraged to trade. A sad, vicious,
negligent Court, and all sober men there fearful of the ruin of the whole
kingdom this next year; from which, good God deliver us! One thing I
reckon remarkable in my owne condition is, that I am come to abound in
good plate, so as at all entertainments to be served wholly with silver
plates, having two dozen and a half.
ETEXT EDITOR'S BOOKMARKS:
Being five years behindhand for their wages (court musicians)
But fit she should live where he hath a mind
Gladder to have just now received it (than a promise)
Most homely widow, but young, and pretty rich, and good natured
No Parliament can, as he says, be kept long good
Peace with France, which, as a Presbyterian, he do not like
That I may have nothing by me but what is worth keeping
Weary of the following of my pleasure