Diary of Samuel Pepys, July 1665
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Samuel Pepys >> Diary of Samuel Pepys, July 1665
26th. Up, and after doing a little business, down to Deptford with Sir W.
Batten, and there left him, and I to Greenwich to the Park, where I hear
the King and Duke are come by water this morn from Hampton Court. They
asked me several questions. The King mightily pleased with his new
buildings there. I followed them to Castle's ship in building, and there,
met Sir W. Batten, and thence to Sir G. Carteret's, where all the morning
with them; they not having any but the Duke of Monmouth, and Sir W.
Killigrew, and one gentleman, and a page more. Great variety of talk, and
was often led to speak to the King and Duke. By and by they to dinner,
and all to dinner and sat down to the King saving myself, which, though I
could not in modesty expect, yet, God forgive my pride! I was sorry I was
there, that Sir W. Batten should say that he could sit down where I could
not, though he had twenty times more reason than I, but this was my pride
and folly. I down and walked with Mr. Castle, who told me the design of
Ford and Rider to oppose and do all the hurt they can to Captain Taylor in
his new ship "The London," and how it comes, and that they are a couple of
false persons, which I believe, and withal that he himself is a knave too.
He and I by and by to dinner mighty nobly, and the King having dined, he
come down, and I went in the barge with him, I sitting at the door. Down
to Woolwich (and there I just saw and kissed my wife, and saw some of her
painting, which is very curious; and away again to the King) and back
again with him in the barge, hearing him and the Duke talk, and seeing and
observing their manner of discourse. And God forgive me! though I admire
them with all the duty possible, yet the more a man considers and observes
them, the less he finds of difference between them and other men, though
(blessed be God!) they are both princes of great nobleness and spirits.
The barge put me into another boat that come to our side, Mr. Holder with
a bag of gold to the Duke, and so they away and I home to the office. The
Duke of Monmouth is the most skittish leaping gallant that ever I saw,
always in action, vaulting or leaping, or clambering. Thence mighty full
of the honour of this day, I took coach and to Kate Joyce's, but she not
within, but spoke with Anthony, who tells me he likes well of my proposal
for Pall to Harman, but I fear that less than L500 will not be taken, and
that I shall not be able to give, though I did not say so to him. After a
little other discourse and the sad news of the death of so many in the
parish of the plague, forty last night, the bell always going, I back to
the Exchange, where I went up and sat talking with my beauty, Mrs.
Batelier, a great while, who is indeed one of the finest women I ever saw
in my life. After buying some small matter, I home, and there to the
office and saw Sir J. Minnes now come from Portsmouth, I home to set my
Journall for these four days in order, they being four days of as great
content and honour and pleasure to me as ever I hope to live or desire, or
think any body else can live. For methinks if a man would but reflect
upon this, and think that all these things are ordered by God Almighty to
make me contented, and even this very marriage now on foot is one of the
things intended to find me content in, in my life and matter of mirth,
methinks it should make one mightily more satisfied in the world than he
is. This day poor Robin Shaw at Backewell's died, and Backewell himself
now in Flanders. The King himself asked about Shaw, and being told he was
dead, said he was very sorry for it. The sicknesse is got into our parish
this week, and is got, indeed, every where; so that I begin to think of
setting things in order, which I pray God enable me to put both as to soul
and body.
27th. Called up at 4 o'clock. Up and to my preparing some papers for
Hampton Court, and so by water to Fox Hall, and there Mr. Gauden's coach
took me up, and by and by I took up him, and so both thither, a brave
morning to ride in and good discourse with him. Among others he begun
with me to speak of the Tangier Victuallers resigning their employment,
and his willingness to come on. Of which I was glad, and took the
opportunity to answer him with all kindness and promise of assistance. He
told me a while since my Lord Berkeley did speak of it to him, and
yesterday a message from Sir Thomas Ingram. When I come to Hampton Court
I find Sir T. Ingram and Creed ready with papers signed for the putting of
Mr. Gawden in, upon a resignation signed to by Lanyon and sent to Sir
Thos. Ingram. At this I was surprized but yet was glad, and so it passed
but with respect enough to those that are in, at least without any thing
ill taken from it. I got another order signed about the boats, which I
think I shall get something by. So dispatched all my business, having
assurance of continuance of all hearty love from Sir W. Coventry, and so
we staid and saw the King and Queene set out toward Salisbury, and after
them the Duke and Duchesse, whose hands I did kiss. And it was the first
time I did ever, or did see any body else, kiss her hand, and it was a
most fine white and fat hand. But it was pretty to see the young pretty
ladies dressed like men, in velvet coats, caps with ribbands, and with
laced bands, just like men. Only the Duchesse herself it did not become.
They gone, we with great content took coach again, and hungry come to
Clapham about one o'clock, and Creed there too before us, where a good
dinner, the house having dined, and so to walk up and down in the gardens,
mighty pleasant. By and by comes by promise to me Sir G. Carteret, and
viewed the house above and below, and sat and drank there, and I had a
little opportunity to kiss and spend some time with the ladies above, his
daughter, a buxom lass, and his sister Fissant, a serious lady, and a
little daughter of hers, that begins to sing prettily. Thence, with
mighty pleasure, with Sir G. Carteret by coach, with great discourse of
kindnesse with him to my Lord Sandwich, and to me also; and I every day
see more good by the alliance. Almost at Deptford I 'light and walked
over to Half-way House, and so home, in my way being shown my cozen
Patience's house, which seems, at distance, a pretty house. At home met
the weekly Bill, where above 1000 encreased in the Bill, and of them, in
all about 1,700 of the plague, which hath made the officers this day
resolve of sitting at Deptford, which puts me to some consideration what
to do. Therefore home to think and consider of every thing about it, and
without determining any thing eat a little supper and to bed, full of the
pleasure of these 6 or 7 last days.
28th. Up betimes, and down to Deptford, where, after a little discourse
with Sir G. Carteret, who is much displeased with the order of our
officers yesterday to remove the office to Deptford, pretending other
things, but to be sure it is with regard to his own house (which is much
because his family is going away). I am glad I was not at the order
making, and so I will endeavour to alter it. Set out with my Lady all
alone with her with six horses to Dagenhams; going by water to the Ferry.
And a pleasant going, and good discourse; and when there, very merry, and
the young couple now well acquainted. But, Lord! to see in what fear all
the people here do live would make one mad, they are afeard of us that
come to them, insomuch that I am troubled at it, and wish myself away. But
some cause they have; for the chaplin, with whom but a week or two ago we
were here mighty high disputing, is since fallen into a fever and dead,
being gone hence to a friend's a good way off. A sober and a healthful
man. These considerations make us all hasten the marriage, and resolve it
upon Monday next, which is three days before we intended it. Mighty merry
all of us, and in the evening with full content took coach again and home
by daylight with great pleasure, and thence I down to Woolwich, where find
my wife well, and after drinking and talking a little we to bed.
29th. Up betimes, and after viewing some of my wife's pictures, which now
she is come to do very finely to my great satisfaction beyond what I could
ever look for, I went away and by water to the office, where nobody to
meet me, but busy all the morning. At noon to dinner, where I hear that
my Will is come in thither and laid down upon my bed, ill of the headake,
which put me into extraordinary fear; and I studied all I could to get him
out of the house, and set my people to work to do it without discouraging
him, and myself went forth to the Old Exchange to pay my fair Batelier for
some linnen, and took leave of her, they breaking up shop for a while; and
so by coach to Kate Joyce's, and there used all the vehemence and
rhetorique I could to get her husband to let her go down to Brampton, but
I could not prevail with him; he urging some simple reasons, but most that
of profit, minding the house, and the distance, if either of them should
be ill. However, I did my best, and more than I had a mind to do, but
that I saw him so resolved against it, while she was mightily troubled at
it. At last he yielded she should go to Windsor, to some friends there.
So I took my leave of them, believing that it is great odds that we ever
all see one another again; for I dare not go any more to that end of the
towne. So home, and to writing of letters--hard, and then at night home,
and fell to my Tangier papers till late, and then to bed, in some ease of
mind that Will is gone to his lodging, and that he is likely to do well,
it being only the headake.
30th (Lord's day). Up, and in my night gowne, cap and neckcloth,
undressed all day long, lost not a minute, but in my chamber, setting my
Tangier accounts to rights. Which I did by night to my very heart's
content, not only that it is done, but I find every thing right, and even
beyond what, after so long neglecting them, I did hope for. The Lord of
Heaven be praised for it! Will was with me to-day, and is very well
again. It was a sad noise to hear our bell to toll and ring so often
to-day, either for deaths or burials; I think five or six times. At night
weary with my day's work, but full of joy at my having done it, I to bed,
being to rise betimes tomorrow to go to the wedding at Dagenhams. So to
bed, fearing I have got some cold sitting in my loose garments all this
day.
31st. Up, and very betimes by six o'clock at Deptford, and there find Sir
G. Carteret, and my Lady ready to go: I being in my new coloured silk
suit, and coat trimmed with gold buttons and gold broad lace round my
hands, very rich and fine. By water to the Ferry, where, when we come, no
coach there; and tide of ebb so far spent as the horse-boat could not get
off on the other side the river to bring away the coach. So we were fain
to stay there in the unlucky Isle of Doggs, in a chill place, the morning
cool, and wind fresh, above two if not three hours to our great
discontent. Yet being upon a pleasant errand, and seeing that it could
not be helped, we did bear it very patiently; and it was worth my
observing, I thought, as ever any thing, to see how upon these two scores,
Sir G. Carteret, the most passionate man in the world, and that was in
greatest haste to be gone, did bear with it, and very pleasant all the
while, at least not troubled much so as to fret and storm at it. Anon the
coach comes: in the mean time there coming a News thither with his horse
to go over, that told us he did come from Islington this morning; and that
Proctor the vintner of the Miter in Wood-street, and his son, are dead
this morning there, of the plague; he having laid out abundance of money
there, and was the greatest vintner for some time in London for great
entertainments. We, fearing the canonicall hour would be past before we
got thither, did with a great deal of unwillingness send away the license
and wedding ring. So that when we come, though we drove hard with six
horses, yet we found them gone from home; and going towards the church,
met them coming from church, which troubled us. But, however, that trouble
was soon over; hearing it was well done: they being both in their old
cloaths; my Lord Crew giving her, there being three coach fulls of them.
The young lady mighty sad, which troubled me; but yet I think it was only
her gravity in a little greater degree than usual. All saluted her, but I
did not till my Lady Sandwich did ask me whether I had saluted her or no.
So to dinner, and very merry we were; but yet in such a sober way as never
almost any wedding was in so great families: but it was much better.
After dinner company divided, some to cards, others to talk. My Lady
Sandwich and I up to settle accounts, and pay her some money. And mighty
kind she is to me, and would fain have had me gone down for company with
her to Hinchingbroke; but for my life I cannot. At night to supper, and
so to talk; and which, methought, was the most extraordinary thing, all of
us to prayers as usual, and the young bride and bridegroom too and so
after prayers, soberly to bed; only I got into the bridegroom's chamber
while he undressed himself, and there was very merry, till he was called
to the bride's chamber, and into bed they went. I kissed the bride in
bed, and so the curtaines drawne with the greatest gravity that could be,
and so good night. But the modesty and gravity of this business was so
decent, that it was to me indeed ten times more delightfull than if it had
been twenty times more merry and joviall. Whereas I feared I must have
sat up all night, we did here all get good beds, and I lay in the same I
did before with Mr. Brisband, who is a good scholler and sober man; and we
lay in bed, getting him to give me an account of home, which is the most
delightfull talke a man can have of any traveller: and so to sleep. My
eyes much troubled already with the change of my drink. Thus I ended this
month with the greatest joy that ever I did any in my life, because I have
spent the greatest part of it with abundance of joy, and honour, and
pleasant journeys, and brave entertainments, and without cost of money;
and at last live to see the business ended with great content on all
sides. This evening with Mr. Brisband, speaking of enchantments and
spells; I telling him some of my charms; he told me this of his owne
knowledge, at Bourdeaux, in France. The words these:
Voyci un Corps mort,
Royde come un Baston,
Froid comme Marbre,
Leger come un esprit,
Levons to au nom de Jesus Christ.
He saw four little girles, very young ones, all kneeling, each of them,
upon one knee; and one begun the first line, whispering in the eare of the
next, and the second to the third, and the third to the fourth, and she to
the first. Then the first begun the second line, and so round quite
through, and, putting each one finger only to a boy that lay flat upon his
back on the ground, as if he was dead; at the end of the words, they did
with their four fingers raise this boy as high as they could reach, and he
[Mr. Brisband] being there, and wondering at it, as also being afeard to
see it, for they would have had him to have bore a part in saying the
words, in the roome of one of the little girles that was so young that
they could hardly make her learn to repeat the words, did, for feare there
might be some sleight used in it by the boy, or that the boy might be
light, call the cook of the house, a very lusty fellow, as Sir G.
Carteret's cook, who is very big, and they did raise him in just the same
manner. This is one of the strangest things I ever heard, but he tells it
me of his owne knowledge, and I do heartily believe it to be true. I
enquired of him whether they were Protestant or Catholique girles; and he
told me they were Protestant, which made it the more strange to me. Thus
we end this month, as I said, after the greatest glut of content that ever
I had; only under some difficulty because of the plague, which grows
mightily upon us, the last week being about 1700 or 1800 of the plague.
My Lord Sandwich at sea with a fleet of about 100 sail, to the Northward,
expecting De Ruyter, or the Dutch East India fleet. My Lord Hinchingbroke
coming over from France, and will meet his sister at Scott's-hall. Myself
having obliged both these families in this business very much; as both my
Lady, and Sir G. Carteret and his Lady do confess exceedingly, and the
latter do also now call me cozen, which I am glad of. So God preserve us
all friends long, and continue health among us.
ETEXT EDITOR'S BOOKMARKS:
About two o'clock, too late and too soon to go home to bed
And all to dinner and sat down to the King saving myself
Baseness and looseness of the Court
Being able to do little business (but the less the better)
Contracted for her as if he had been buying a horse
Did bear with it, and very pleasant all the while
Doubtfull whether her daughter will like of it or no
Endeavouring to strike tallys for money for Tangier
For, for her part, she should not be buried in the commons
Had what pleasure almost I would with her
Hath a good heart to bear, or a cunning one to conceal his evil
I have promised, but know not when I shall perform
I kissed the bride in bed, and so the curtaines drawne
Less he finds of difference between them and other men
Lord! in the dullest insipid manner that ever lover did
Nan at Moreclacke, very much pleased and merry with her
Not had the confidence to take his lady once by the hand
Out of my purse I dare not for fear of a precedent
Plague, forty last night, the bell always going
Pretty to see the young pretty ladies dressed like men
So to bed, to be up betimes by the helpe of a larum watch
This absence makes us a little strange instead of more fond
What silly discourse we had by the way as to love-matters