Diary of Samuel Pepys, December 1668
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Samuel Pepys >> Diary of Samuel Pepys, December 1668
19th. Up, and to the office, where all the morning, and at noon, eating
very little dinner, my wife and I by hackney to the King's playhouse, and
there, the pit being full, satin a box above, and saw "Catiline's
Conspiracy," yesterday being the first day: a play of much good sense and
words to read, but that do appear the worst upon the stage, I mean, the
least diverting, that ever I saw any, though most fine in clothes; and a
fine scene of the Senate, and of a fight, that ever I saw in my life. But
the play is only to be read, and therefore home, with no pleasure at all,
but only in sitting next to Betty Hall, that did belong to this house, and
was Sir Philip Howard's mistress; a mighty pretty wench, though my wife
will not think so; and I dare neither commend, nor be seen to look upon
her, or any other now, for fear of offending her. So, our own coach
coming for us, home, and to end letters, and so home, my wife to read to
me out of "The Siege of Rhodes," and so to supper, and to bed.
20th (Lord's day). Up, and with my wife to church, and then home, and
there found W. Joyce come to dine with me, as troublesome a talking
coxcombe as ever he was, and yet once in a year I like him well enough. In
the afternoon my wife and W. Hewer and I to White Hall, where they set me
down and staid till I had been with the Duke of York, with the rest of us
of the Office, and did a little business, and then the Duke of York in
good humour did fall to tell us many fine stories of the wars in Flanders,
and how the Spaniards are the [best] disciplined foot in the world; will
refuse no extraordinary service if commanded, but scorn to be paid for it,
as in other countries, though at the same time they will beg in the
streets: not a soldier will carry you a cloak-bag for money for the world,
though he will beg a penny, and will do the thing, if commanded by his
Commander. That, in the citadel of Antwerp, a soldier hath not a liberty
of begging till he hath served three years. They will cry out against
their King and Commanders and Generals, none like them in the world, and
yet will not hear a stranger say a word of them but he will cut his
throat. That, upon a time, some of the Commanders of their army
exclaiming against their Generals, and particularly the Marquis de
Caranen, the Confessor of the Marquis coming by and hearing them, he stops
and gravely tells them that the three great trades of the world are, the
lawyers, who govern the world; the churchmen, who enjoy the world; and a
sort of fools whom they call souldiers, who make it their work to defend
the world. He told us, too, that Turenne being now become a Catholique,
he is likely to get over the head of Colbert, their interests being
contrary; the latter to promote trade
[This reminds us of the famous reply, 'Laissez nous affaire', made
to Colbert by the French merchants, whose interests he thought to
promote by laws and regulations.--B.]
and the sea, which, says the Duke of York, is that that we have most cause
to fear; and Turenne to employ the King and his forces by land, to
encrease his conquests. Thence to the coach to my wife, and so home, and
there with W. Hewer to my office and to do some business, and so set down
my Journall for four or five days, and then home to supper and read a
little, and to bed. W. Hewer tells me to-day that he hears that the King
of France hath declared in print, that he do intend this next summer to
forbid his Commanders to strike--[Strike topsails]--to us, but that both
we and the Dutch shall strike to him; and that he hath made his captains
swear it already, that they will observe it: which is a great thing if he
do it, as I know nothing to hinder him.
21st. My own coach carrying me and my boy Tom, who goes with me in the
room of W. Hewer, who could not, and I dare not go alone, to the Temple,
and there set me down, the first time my fine horses ever carried me, and
I am mighty proud of them, and there took a hackney and to White Hall,
where a Committee of Tangier, but little to do, and so away home, calling
at the Exchange and buying several little things, and so home, and there
dined with my wife and people and then she, and W. Hewer, and I by
appointment out with our coach, but the old horses, not daring yet to use
the others too much, but only to enter them, and to the Temple, there to
call Talbot Pepys, and took him up, and first went into Holborne, and
there saw the woman that is to be seen with a beard. She is a little
plain woman, a Dane: her name, Ursula Dyan; about forty years old; her
voice like a little girl's; with a beard as much as any man I ever saw,
black almost, and grizly; they offered to shew my wife further
satisfaction if she desired it, refusing it to men that desired it there,
but there is no doubt but by her voice she is a woman; it begun to grow at
about seven years old, and was shaved not above seven months ago, and is
now so big as any man's almost that ever I saw; I say, bushy and thick.
It was a strange sight to me, I confess, and what pleased me mightily.
Thence to the Duke's playhouse, and saw "Macbeth." The King and Court
there; and we sat just under them and my Lady Castlemayne, and close to
the woman that comes into the pit, a kind of a loose gossip, that pretends
to be like her, and is so, something. And my wife, by my troth, appeared,
I think, as pretty as any of them; I never thought so much before; and so
did Talbot and W. Hewer, as they said, I heard, to one another. The King
and Duke of York minded me, and smiled upon me, at the handsome woman near
me but it vexed me to see Moll Davis, in the box over the King's and my
Lady Castlemayne's head, look down upon the King, and he up to her; and so
did my Lady Castlemayne once, to see who it was; but when she saw her, she
looked like fire; which troubled me. The play done, took leave of Talbot,
who goes into the country this Christmas, and so we home, and there I to
work at the office late, and so home to supper and to bed.
22nd. At the office all the morning, and at noon to the 'Change, thinking
to meet with Langford about my father's house in Fleet Streete, but I come
too late, and so home to dinner, and all the afternoon at the office busy,
and at night home to supper and talk, and with mighty content with my
wife, and so to bed.
23rd. Met at the Office all the morning, and at noon to the 'Change, and
there met with Langford and Mr. Franke, the landlord of my father's house
in Fleet Streete, and are come to an arbitration what my father shall give
him to be freed of his lease and building the house again. Walked up and
down the 'Change, and among others discoursed with Sir John Bankes, who
thinks this prorogation will please all but the Parliament itself, which
will, if ever they meet, be vexed at Buckingham, who yet governs all. He
says the Nonconformists are glad of it, and, he believes, will get the
upperhand in a little time, for the King must trust to them or nobody; and
he thinks the King will be forced to it. He says that Sir D. Gawden is
mightily troubled at Pen's being put upon him, by the Duke of York, and
that he believes he will get clear of it, which, though it will trouble me
to have Pen still at the Office, yet I shall think D. Gawden do well in
it, and what I would advise him to, because I love him. So home to
dinner, and then with my wife alone abroad, with our new horses, the
beautifullest almost that ever I saw, and the first time they ever carried
her, and me but once; but we are mighty proud of them. To her tailor's,
and so to the 'Change, and laid out three or four pounds in lace, for her
and me; and so home, and there I up to my Lord Brouncker, at his lodgings,
and sat with him an hour, on purpose to talk over the wretched state of
this Office at present, according to the present hands it is made up of;
wherein he do fully concur with me, and that it is our part not only to
prepare for defending it and ourselves, against the consequences of it,
but to take the best ways we can, to make it known to the Duke of York;
for, till Sir J. Minnes be removed, and a sufficient man brought into W.
Pen's place, when he is gone, it is impossible for this Office ever to
support itself. So home, and to supper and to bed.
24th. A cold day. Up, and to the Office, where all the morning alone at
the Office, nobody meeting, being the eve of Christmas. At noon home to
dinner, and then to the Office busy, all the afternoon, and at night home
to supper, and it being now very cold, and in hopes of a frost, I begin
this night to put on a waistcoat, it being the first winter in my whole
memory that ever I staid till this day before I did so. So to bed in
mighty good humour with my wife, but sad, in one thing, and that is for my
poor eyes.
25th (Christmas-day). Up, and continued on my waistcoat, the first day
this winter, and I to church, where Alderman Backewell, coming in late, I
beckoned to his lady to come up to us, who did, with another lady; and
after sermon, I led her down through the church to her husband and coach,
a noble, fine woman, and a good one, and one my wife shall be acquainted
with. So home, and to dinner alone with my wife, who, poor wretch! sat
undressed all day, till ten at night, altering and lacing of a noble
petticoat: while I by her, making the boy read to me the Life of Julius
Caesar, and Des Cartes' book of Musick
["Musicae Compendium." By Rene Des Cartes, Amsterdam, 1617;
rendered into English, London, 1653, 4to. The translator, whose
name did not appear on the title, was William, Viscount Brouncker,
Pepys's colleague, who proved his knowledge of music by the
performance.]
--the latter of which I understand not, nor think he did well that writ
it, though a most learned man. Then, after supper, I made the boy play
upon his lute, which I have not done twice before since he come to me; and
so, my mind in mighty content, we to bed.
26th. Lay long with pleasure, prating with my wife, and then up, and I a
little to the Office, and my head busy setting some papers and accounts to
rights, which being long neglected because of my eyes will take me up much
time and care to do, but it must be done. So home at noon to dinner, and
then abroad with my wife to a play, at the Duke of York's house, the house
full of ordinary citizens. The play was "Women Pleased," which we had
never seen before; and, though but indifferent, yet there is a good design
for a good play. So home, and there to talk, and my wife to read to me,
and so to bed.
27th (Lord's day). Walked to White Hall and there saw the King at chapel;
but staid not to hear anything, but went to walk in the Park, with W.
Hewer, who was with me; and there, among others, met with Sir G. Downing,
and walked with him an hour, talking of business, and how the late war was
managed, there being nobody to take care of it, and telling how, when he
was in Holland, what he offered the King to do, if he might have power,
and they would give him power, and then, upon the least word, perhaps of a
woman, to the King, he was contradicted again, and particularly to the
loss of all that we lost in Guinny. He told me that he had so good spies,
that he hath had the keys taken out of De Witt's
[The celebrated John de Witt, Grand Pensionary of Holland, who,
a few years afterwards, was massacred, with his brother Cornelius,
by the Dutch mob, enraged at their opposition to the elevation of
William of Orange to the Stadtholdership, when the States were
overrun by the French army, and the Dutch fleets beaten at sea by
the English. The murder of the De Witts forms one of the main
incidents of Alexandre Dumas's "Black Tulip."]
pocket when he was a-bed, and his closet opened, and papers brought to
him, and left in his hands for an hour, and carried back and laid in the
place again, and keys put into his pocket again. He says that he hath
always had their most private debates, that have been but between two or
three of the chief of them, brought to him in an hour after, and an hour
after that, hath sent word thereof to the King, but nobody here regarded
them. But he tells me the sad news, that he is out of all expectations
that ever the debts of the Navy will be paid, if the Parliament do not
enable the King to do it by money; all they can hope for to do out of the
King's revenue being but to keep our wheels a-going on present services,
and, if they can, to cut off the growing interest: which is a sad story,
and grieves me to the heart. So home, my coach coming for me, and there
find Balty and Mr. How, who dined with me; and there my wife and I fell
out a little about the foulness of the linen of the table, but were
friends presently, but she cried, poor heart! which I was troubled for,
though I did not give her one hard word. Dinner done, she to church, and
W. How and I all the afternoon talking together about my Lord Sandwich's
suffering his business of the prizes to be managed by Sir R. Cuttance, who
is so deep in the business, more than my Lord knows of, and such a
loggerhead, and under such prejudice, that he will, we doubt, do my Lord
much wrong. In the evening, he gone, my wife to read to me and talk, and
spent the evening with much pleasure, and so to supper and to bed.
28th. Up, called up by drums and trumpets; these things and boxes [??]
having cost me much money this Christmas already, and will do more. My
wife down by water to see her mother, and I with W. Hewer all day together
in my closet making some advance in the settling of my accounts, which
have been so long unevened that it troubles me how to set them right,
having not the use of my eyes to help me. My wife at night home, and
tells me how much her mother prays for me and is troubled for my eyes; and
I am glad to have friendship with them, and believe they are truly glad to
see their daughter come to live so well as she do. So spent the night in
talking, and so to supper and to bed.
29th. Up, and at the Office all the morning, and at noon to dinner, and
there, by a pleasant mistake, find my uncle and aunt Wight, and three more
of their company, come to dine with me to-day, thinking that they had been
invited, which they were not; but yet we did give them a pretty good
dinner, and mighty merry at the mistake. They sat most of the afternoon
with us, and then parted, and my wife and I out, thinking to have gone to
a play, but it was too far begun, and so to the 'Change, and there she and
I bought several things, and so home, with much pleasure talking, and then
to reading, and so to supper and to bed.
30th. Up, and vexed a little to be forced to pay 40s. for a glass of my
coach, which was broke the other day, nobody knows how, within the door,
while it was down; but I do doubt that I did break it myself with my
knees. After dinner, my wife and I to the Duke's playhouse, and there did
see King Harry the Eighth; and was mightily pleased, better than I ever
expected, with the history and shows of it. We happened to sit by Mr.
Andrews, our neighbour, and his wife, who talked so fondly to his little
boy. Thence my wife and I to the 'Change; but, in going, our neere horse
did fling himself, kicking of the coachbox over the pole; and a great deal
of trouble it was to get him right again, and we forced to 'light, and in
great fear of spoiling the horse, but there was no hurt. So to the
'Change, and then home, and there spent the evening talking, and so to
supper and to bed.
31st. Up, and at the Office all the morning. At noon Capt. Ferrers and
Mr. Sheres
[Henry Sheres accompanied Lord Sandwich in his embassy to Spain, and
returned to England in September, 1667, bearing letters from the
ambassador (see September 8th, 22nd, 27th). He was an officer in
the Ordnance, and served under Lord Dartmouth at the demolition of
the Mole at Tangier in 1683. He was knighted about 1684. He
translated Polybius (2 vols. 8vo., 1693), and also some of the
"Dialogues" of Lucian, included in the translation published in 1711
(3 vols. 8vo.). Pepys bequeathed him a ring, and he died about
1713.]
come to me to dinner, who did, and pretty pleased with their talk of
Spayne; but my wife did not come down, I suppose because she would not,
Captain Ferrers being there, to oblige me by it. They gone, after dinner,
I to the office, and then in the evening home, being the last day of the
year, to endeavour to pay all bills and servants' wages, &c., which I did
almost to L5 that I know that I owe in the world, but to the publique; and
so with great pleasure to supper and to bed, and, blessed be God! the year
ends, after some late very great sorrow with my wife by my folly, yet
ends, I say, with great mutual peace and content, and likely to last so by
my care, who am resolved to enjoy the sweet of it, which I now possess, by
never giving her like cause of trouble. My greatest trouble is now from
the backwardness of my accounts, which I have not seen the bottom of now
near these two years, so that I know not in what condition I am in the
world, but by the grace of God, as far as my eyes will give me leave, I
will do it.
ETEXT EDITOR'S BOOKMARKS:
Craft and cunning concerning the buying and choosing of horses
Did see the knaveries and tricks of jockeys
Hath not a liberty of begging till he hath served three years
He told me that he had so good spies
Laissez nous affaire--Colbert
Nonconformists do now preach openly in houses
Offered to shew my wife further satisfaction if she desired
Seeing that he cared so little if he was out
Tell me that I speak in my dreams