Diary of Samuel Pepys, December 1667
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Samuel Pepys >> Diary of Samuel Pepys, December 1667
9th. All the morning busy at the office, doing very considerable
business, and thither comes Sir G. Carteret to talk with me; who seems to
think himself safe as to his particular, but do doubt what will become of
the whole kingdom, things being so broke in pieces. He tells me that the
King himself did the other day very particularly tell the whole story of
my Lord Sandwich's not following the Dutch ships, with which he is
charged; and shews the reasons of it to be the only good course he could
have taken, and do discourse it very knowingly. This I am glad of,
though, as the King is now, his favour, for aught I see, serves very
little in stead at this day, but rather is an argument against a man; and
the King do not concern himself to relieve or justify any body, but is
wholly negligent of everybody's concernment. This morning I was troubled
with my Lord Hinchingbroke's sending to borrow L200 of me; but I did
answer that I had none, nor could borrow any; for I am resolved I will not
be undone for any body, though I would do much for my Lord Sandwich--for
it is to answer a bill of exchange of his, and I perceive he hath made use
of all other means in the world to do it, but I am resolved to serve him,
but not ruin myself, as it may be to part with so much of the little I
have by me to keep if I should by any turn of times lose the rest. At
noon I to the 'Change, and there did a little business, and among other
things called at Cade's, the stationer, where he tells me how my Lord
Gerard is troubled for several things in the House of Commons, and in one
wherein himself is concerned; and, it seems, this Lord is a very proud and
wicked man, and the Parliament is likely to order him. Then home to
dinner, and then a little abroad, thinking to have gone to the other end
of the town, but it being almost night I would not, but home again, and
there to my chamber, and all alone did there draw up my answer to Sir Rob.
Brookes's letter, and when I had done it went down to my clerks at the
office for their opinion which at this time serves me to very good
purpose, they having many things in their heads which I had not in the
businesses of the office now in dispute. Having done with this, then I
home and to supper very late, and to bed. My [wife] being yet very ill of
her looseness, by which she is forced to lie from me to-night in the
girl's chamber.
10th. Up, and all the morning at the office, and then home with my people
to dinner, and very merry, and then to my office again, where did much
business till night, that my eyes begun to be sore, and then forced to
leave off, and by coach set my wife at her tailor's and Willet, and I to
Westminster Hall, and there walked a good while till 8 at night, and there
hear to my great content that the King did send a message to the House
to-day that he would adjourne them on the 17th instant to February; by
which time, at least, I shall have more respite to prepare things on my
own behalf, and the Office, against their return. Here met Mr. Hinxton,
the organist, walking, and I walked with him; and, asking him many
questions, I do find that he can no more give an intelligible answer to a
man that is not a great master in his art, than another man. And this
confirms me that it is only want of an ingenious man that is master in
musique, to bring musique to a certainty, and ease in composition. Having
done this, I home, taking up my wife and girle, and there to supper and to
bed, having finished my letters, among which one to Commissioner
Middleton, who is now coming up to town from Portsmouth, to enter upon his
Surveyorship.
11th. By coach to White Hall, and there attended the Duke of York, as we
are wont, who is now grown pretty well, and goes up and down White Hall,
and this night will be at the Council, which I am glad of. Thence to
Westminster Hall, and there walked most of the morning, and among others
did there meet my cozen Roger Pepys, who intends to go to Impington on
this day s'ennight, the Parliament break up the night before. Here I met
Rolt and Sir John Chichly, and Harris, the player, and there we talked of
many things, and particularly of "Catiline," which is to be suddenly acted
at the King's house; and there all agree that it cannot be well done at
that house, there not being good actors enow: and Burt' acts Cicero, which
they all conclude he will not be able to do well. The King gives them L500
for robes, there being, as they say, to be sixteen scarlett robes. Thence
home to dinner, and would have had Harris home with me, but it was too
late for him to get to the playhouse after it, and so home to dinner, and
spent the afternoon talking with my wife and people at home till the
evening, and then comes Sir W. Warren to talk about some business of his
and mine: and he, I find, would have me not to think that the Parliament,
in the mind they are in, and having so many good offices in their view to
dispose of, will leave any of the King's officers in, but will rout all,
though I am likely to escape as well as any, if any can escape; and I
think he is in the right, and I do look for it accordingly. Then we fell
to discourse of my little vessel, "The Maybolt," and he thinks that it
will be best for me to employ her for a voyage to Newcastle for coles,
they being now dear, and the voyage not long, nor dangerous yet; and I
think I shall go near to do so. Then, talking of his business, I away to
the office, where very busy, and thither comes Sir W. Pen, and he and I
walked together in the garden, and there told me what passed to-day with
him in the Committee, by my Lord Sandwich's breaking bulk of the prizes;
and he do seem to me that he hath left it pretty well understood by them,
he saying that what my Lord did was done at the desire, and with the
advice, of the chief officers of the fleete, and that it was no more than
admirals heretofore have done in like cases, which, if it be true that he
said it, is very well, and did please me well. He being gone, I to my
office again and there late, and so weary home.
12th. Rose before day, and took coach, by daylight, and to Westminster to
Sir G. Downing's, and there met Sir Stephen Fox, and thence he and I to
Sir Robert Longs to discourse the business of our orders for money, he for
the guards, and I for Tangier, and were a little angry in our concerns,
one against the other, but yet parted good friends, and I think I got
ground by it. Thence straight to the office, and there sat all the
morning, and then home to dinner, and after dinner I all alone to the Duke
of York's house, and saw "The Tempest," which, as often as I have seen it,
I do like very well, and the house very full. But I could take little
pleasure more than the play, for not being able to look about, for fear of
being seen. Here only I saw a French lady in the pit, with a tunique,
just like one of ours, only a handkercher about her neck; but this fashion
for a woman did not look decent. Thence walked to my bookseller's, and
there he did give me a list of the twenty who were nominated for the
Commission in Parliament for the Accounts: and it is strange that of the
twenty the Parliament could not think fit to choose their nine, but were
fain to add three that were not in the list of the twenty, they being many
of them factious people and ringleaders in the late troubles; so that Sir
John Talbott did fly out and was very hot in the business of Wildman's
being named, and took notice how he was entertained in the bosom of the
Duke of Buckingham, a Privy-counsellor; and that it was fit to be observed
by the House, and punished. The men that I know of the nine I like very
well; that is, Mr. Pierrepont, Lord Brereton, and Sir William Turner; and
I do think the rest are so, too; but such as will not be able to do this
business as it ought to be, to do any good with. Here I did also see
their votes against my Lord Chiefe Justice Keeling, that his proceedings
were illegal, and that he was a contemner of Magna Charta (the great
preserver of our lives, freedoms, and properties) and an introduction to
arbitrary government; which is very high language, and of the same sound
with that in the year 1640. I home, and there wrote my letters, and so to
supper and to bed. This day my Lord Chancellor's letter was burned at the
'Change.'
13th. Up, lying long all alone (my wife lying for these two or three days
of sickness alone), thinking of my several businesses in hand, and then
rose and to the office, being in some doubt of having my cozen Roger and
Lord Hinchinbroke and Sir Thos. Crew by my cozens invitation at dinner
to-day, and we wholly unprovided. So I away to Westminster, to the
Parliament-door, to speak with Roger: and here I saw my Lord Keeling go
into the House to the barr, to have his business heard by the whole House
to-day; and a great crowd of people to stare upon him. Here I hear that
the Lords' Bill for banishing and disabling my Lord Clarendon from bearing
any office, or being in the King's dominions, and its being made felony
for any to correspond with him but his own children, is brought to the
Commons: but they will not agree to it, being not satisfied with that as
sufficient, but will have a Bill of Attainder brought in against him: but
they make use of this against the Lords, that they, that would not think
there was cause enough to commit him without hearing, will have him
banished without hearing. By and by comes out my cozen Roger to me, he
being not willing to be in the House at the business of my Lord Keeling,
lest he should be called upon to complain against him for his abusing him
at Cambridge, very wrongfully and shamefully, but not to his reproach, but
to the Chief justice's in the end, when all the world cried shame upon him
for it. So he with me home, and Creed, whom I took up by the way, going
thither, and they to dine with me, and pretty merry, and among other
pieces of news, it is now fresh that the King of Portugall is deposed, and
his brother made King; and that my Lord Sandwich is gone from Madrid with
great honour to Lisbon, to make up, at this juncture, a peace to the
advantage, as the Spaniard would have it, of Spain. I wish it may be for
my Lord's honour, if it be so; but it seems my Lord is in mighty
estimation in Spain. After dinner comes Mr. Moore, and he and I alone a
while, he telling me my Lord Sandwich's credit is like to be undone, if
the bill of L200 my Lord Hinchingbroke wrote to me about be not paid
to-morrow, and that, if I do not help him about it, they have no way but
to let it be protested. So, finding that Creed hath supplied them with
L150 in their straits, and that this is no bigger sum, I am very willing
to serve my Lord, though not in this kind; but yet I will endeavour to get
this done for them, and the rather because of some plate that was lodged
the other day with me, by my Lady's order, which may be in part of
security for my money, as I may order it, for, for ought I see, there is
no other to be hoped for. This do trouble me; but yet it is good luck
that the sum is no bigger. He gone, I with my cozen Roger to Westminster
Hall; and there we met the House rising: and they have voted my Lord Chief
Justice Keeling's proceedings illegal; but that, out of particular respect
to him, and the mediation of a great many, they have resolved to proceed
no further against him. After a turn or two with my cozen, I away with
Sir W. Warren, who met me here by my desire, and to Exeter House, and
there to counsel, to Sir William Turner, about the business of my bargain
with my Lady Batten; and he do give me good advice, and that I am safe,
but that there is a great many pretty considerations in it that makes it
necessary for me to be silent yet for a while till we see whether the ship
be safe or no; for she is drove to the coast of Holland, where she now is
in the Texell, so that it is not prudence for me yet to resolve whether I
will stand by the bargain or no, and so home, and Sir W. Warren and I
walked upon Tower Hill by moonlight a great while, consulting business of
the office and our present condition, which is but bad, it being most
likely that the Parliament will change all hands, and so let them, so I
may keep but what I have. Thence home, and there spent the evening at home
with my wife and entering my journal, and so to supper and to bed,
troubled with my parting with the L200, which I must lend my Lord Sandwich
to answer his bill of exchange.
14th. Up and to the office, where busy, and after dinner also to the
office again till night, when Mr. Moore come to me to discourse about the
L200 I must supply my Lord Hinchingbroke, and I promised him to do it,
though much against my will. So home, to supper and to bed.
15th (Lord's day). Up, and to church, where I heard a German preach, in a
tone hard to be understood, but yet an extraordinary good sermon, and
wholly to my great content. So home, and there all alone with wife and
girle to dinner, and then I busy at my chamber all the afternoon, and
looking over my plate, which indeed is a very fine quantity, God knows,
more than ever I expected to see of my own, and more than is fit for a man
of no better quality than I am. In the evening comes Mrs. Turner to visit
us, who hath been long sick, and she sat and supped with us, and after
supper, her son Francke being there, now upon the point of his going to
the East Indys, I did give him "Lex Mercatoria," and my wife my old pair
of tweezers, which are pretty, and my book an excellent one for him. Most
of our talk was of the great discourse the world hath against my Lady
Batten, for getting her husband to give her all, and disinherit his eldest
son; though the truth is, the son, as they say, did play the knave with
his father when time was, and the father no great matter better with him,
nor with other people also. So she gone, we to bed.
16th. Up, and to several places, to pay what I owed. Among others, to my
mercer, to pay for my fine camlott cloak, which costs me, the very stuff,
almost L6; and also a velvet coat-the outside cost me above L8. And so to
Westminster, where I find the House mighty busy upon a petition against my
Lord Gerard, which lays heavy things to his charge, of his abusing the
King in his Guards; and very hot the House is upon it. I away home to
dinner alone with wife and girle, and so to the office, where mighty busy
to my great content late, and then home to supper, talk with my wife, and
to bed. It was doubtful to-day whether the House should be adjourned
to-morrow or no.
17th. Up, and to the office, where very busy all the morning, and then in
the afternoon I with Sir W. Pen and Sir T. Harvy to White Hall to attend
the Duke of York, who is now as well as ever, and there we did our usual
business with him, and so away home with Sir W. Pen, and there to the
office, where pretty late doing business, my wife having been abroad all
day with Mrs. Turner buying of one thing or other. This day I do hear at
White Hall that the Duke of Monmouth is sick, and in danger of the
smallpox. So home to supper and to bed.
18th. Up, and to my goldsmith's in the morning, to look after the
providing of L60 for Mr. Moore, towards the answering of my Lord
Sandwich's bill of exchange, he being come to be contented with my lending
him L60 in part of it, which pleases me, I expecting to have been forced
to answer the whole bill; and this, which I do do, I hope to secure out of
the plate, which was delivered into my custody of my Lord's the other day
by Mr. Cooke, and which I did get Mr. Stokes, the goldsmith, last night to
weigh at my house, and there is enough to secure L100. Thence home to the
office, and there all the morning by particular appointment with Sir W.
Pen, Sir R. Ford, and those that are concerned for my Lady Batten (Mr.
Wood, Young, and Lewes), to even the accounts of our prize business, and
at noon broke up, and to dinner, every man to his own home, and to it till
late at night again, and we did come to some end, and I am mightily put to
it how to order the business of my bargaine, but my industry is to keep it
off from discourse till the ship be brought home safe, and this I did do,
and so we broke up, she appearing in our debts about L1500, and so we
parted, and I to my business, and home to my wife, who is troubled with
the tooth ake, and there however I got her to read to me the History of
Algiers, which I find a very pretty book, and so to supper with much
pleasure talking, and to bed. The Parliament not adjourned yet.
19th. Up, and to the Office, where Commissioner Middleton first took
place at the Board as Surveyor of the Navy; and indeed I think will be an
excellent officer; I am sure much beyond what his predecessor was. At
noon, to avoid being forced to invite him to dinner, it being his first
day, and nobody inviting him, I did go to the 'Change with Sir W. Pen in
his coach, who first went to Guildhall, whither I went with him, he to
speak with Sheriff Gawden--I only for company; and did here look up and
down this place, where I have not been before since the fire; and I see
that the city are got a pace on in the rebuilding of Guildhall. Thence to
the 'Change, where I stayed very little, and so home to dinner, and there
find my wife mightily out of order with her teeth. At the office all the
afternoon, and at night by coach to Westminster, to the Hall, where I met
nobody, and do find that this evening the King by message (which he never
did before) hath passed several bills, among others that for the Accounts,
and for banishing my Lord Chancellor, and hath adjourned the House to
February; at which I am glad, hoping in this time to get leisure to state
my Tangier Accounts, and to prepare better for the Parliament's enquiries.
Here I hear how the House of Lords, with great severity, if not tyranny,
have ordered poor Carr, who only erred in the manner of the presenting his
petition against my Lord Gerard, it being first printed before it was
presented; which was, it, seems, by Colonel Sands's going into the
country, into whose hands he had put it: the poor man is ordered to stand
in the pillory two or three times, and his eares cut, and be imprisoned I
know not how long. But it is believed that the Commons, when they meet,
will not be well pleased with it; and they have no reason, I think.
Having only heard this from Mrs. Michell, I away again home, and there to
supper and to bed, my wife exceeding ill in her face with the tooth ake,
and now her face has become mightily swelled that I am mightily troubled
for it.
20th. Up, and all the morning at the office with Sir R. Ford and the same
company as on Wednesday about my Lady Batten's accounts. At noon home to
dinner, where my poor wife in bed in mighty pain, her left cheek so
swelled as that we feared it would break, and so were fain to send for Mr.
Hollier, who come, and seems doubtful of the defluxions of humours that
may spoil her face, if not timely cured. He laid a poultice to it and
other directions, and so away, and I to the office, where on the same
accounts very late, and did come pretty near a settlement. So at night to
Sir W. Pen's with Sir R. Ford, and there was Sir D. Gawden, and there we
only talked of sundry things; and I have found of late, by discourse, that
the present sort of government is looked upon as a sort of government that
we never had yet--that is to say, a King and House of Commons against the
House of Lords; for so indeed it is, though neither of the two first care
a fig for one another, nor the third for them both, only the Bishops are
afeard of losing ground, as I believe they will. So home to my poor wife,
who is in mighty pain, and her face miserably swelled: so as I was
frighted to see it, and I was forced to lie below in the great chamber,
where I have not lain many a day, and having sat up with her, talking and
reading and pitying her, I to bed.
21st. At the office all the morning, and at noon home to dinner with my
Clerks and Creed, who among other things all alone, after dinner, talking
of the times, he tells me that the Nonconformists are mighty high, and
their meetings frequented and connived at; and they do expect to have
their day now soon; for my Lord of Buckingham is a declared friend to
them, and even to the Quakers, who had very good words the other day from
the King himself: and, what is more, the Archbishop of Canterbury is
called no more to the Cabal, nor, by the way, Sir W. Coventry; which I am
sorry for, the Cabal at present being, as he says, the King, and Duke of
Buckingham, and Lord Keeper, the Duke of Albemarle, and Privy Seale. The
Bishops, differing from the King in the late business in the House of
Lords, having caused this and what is like to follow, for every body is
encouraged nowadays to speak, and even to preach, as I have heard one of
them, as bad things against them as ever in the year 1640; which is a
strange change. He gone, I to the office, where busy till late at night,
and then home to sit with my wife, who is a little better, and her cheek
asswaged. I read to her out of "The History of Algiers," which is mighty
pretty reading, and did discourse alone about my sister Pall's match,
which is now on foot with one Jackson, another nephew of Mr. Phillips's,
to whom he hath left his estate.
22nd (Lord's day). Up, and my wife, poor wretch, still in pain, and then
to dress myself and down to my chamber to settle some papers, and thither
come to me Willet with an errand from her mistress, and this time I first
did give her a little kiss, she being a very pretty humoured girle, and so
one that I do love mightily. Thence to my office, and there did a little
business, and so to church, where a dull sermon, and then home, and Cozen
Kate Joyce come and dined with me and Mr. Holliard; but by chance I
offering occasion to him to discourse of the Church of Rome, Lord! how he
run on to discourse with the greatest vehemence and importunity in the
world, as the only thing in the world that he is full of, and it was good
sport to me to see him so earnest on so little occasion. She come to see
us and to tell me that her husband is going to build his house again, and
would borrow of me L300, which I shall upon good security be willing to
do, and so told her, being willing to have some money out of my hands upon
good security. After dinner up to my wife again, who is in great pain
still with her tooth, and there, they gone, I spent the most of the
afternoon and night reading and talking to bear her company, and so to
supper and to bed.
23rd. Up before day, and by coach to Sir W. Coventry's, and with him to
White Hall, and there walked a great while with him in the garden till the
Commissioners of the Treasury met, and there talked over many businesses,
and particularly he tells me that by my desire he hath moved the Duke of
York that Sir J. Minnes might be removed from the Navy, at least the
Controller's place, and his business put on my Lord Brouncker and Sir W.
Pen; that the Committee for Accounts are good sober men, and such as he
thinks we shall have fair play from; that he hopes that the kingdom will
escape ruin in general, notwithstanding all our fears, and yet I find he
do seem not very confident in it. So to the Commissioners of the
Treasury, and there I had a dispute before them with Sir Stephen Fox about
our orders for money, who is very angry, but I value it not. But, Lord! to
see with what folly my Lord Albemarle do speak in this business would make
a man wonder at the good fortune of such a fool. Thence meeting there with
Creed, he and I to the Exchange, and there I saw Carr stand in the pillory
for the business of my Lord Gerard, which is supposed will make a hot
business in the House of Commons, when they shall come to sit again, the
Lords having ordered this with great injustice, as all people think, his
only fault being the printing his petition before, by accident, his
petition be read in the House. Here walked up and down the Exchange with
Creed, and then home to dinner, and there hear by Creed that the Bishops
of Winchester and of Rochester, and the Dean of the Chapel, and some other
great prelates, are suspended: and a cloud upon the Archbishop ever since
the late business in the House of Lords; and I believe it will be a heavy
blow to the Clergy. This noon I bought a sermon of Dr. Floyd's, which
Creed read a great part of to me and Mr. Hollier, who dined with me, but
as well writ and as good, against the Church of Rome, as ever I read; but,
Lord! how Hollier, poor man, was taken with it. They gone I to the
office, and there very late with Mr. Willson and my people about the
making of a new contract for the victualler, which do and will require a
great deal of pains of me, and so to supper and to bed, my wife being
pretty well all this day by reason of her imposthume being broke in her
cheek into her mouth. This day, at the 'Change, Creed shewed me Mr.
Coleman, of whom my wife hath so good an opinion, and says that he is as
very a rogue for women as any in the world; which did disquiet me, like a
fool, and run in my mind a great while.