Diary of Samuel Pepys, November 1666
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Samuel Pepys >> Diary of Samuel Pepys, November 1666
11th (Lord's day). Up, and to church, myself and wife, where the old
dunce Meriton, brother to the known Meriton; of St. Martin's, Westminster,
did make a very good sermon, beyond my expectation. Home to dinner, and
we carried in Pegg Pen, and there also come to us little Michell and his
wife, and dined very pleasantly. Anon to church, my wife and I and Betty
Michell, her husband being gone to Westminster . . . . Alter church
home, and I to my chamber, and there did finish the putting time to my
song of "It is decreed," and do please myself at last and think it will be
thought a good song. By and by little Michell comes and takes away his
wife home, and my wife and brother and I to my uncle Wight's, where my
aunt is grown so ugly and their entertainment so bad that I am in pain to
be there; nor will go thither again a good while, if sent for, for we were
sent for to-night, we had not gone else. Wooly's wife, a silly woman, and
not very handsome, but no spirit in her at all; and their discourse mean,
and the fear of the troubles of the times hath made them not to bring
their plate to town, since it was carried out upon the business of the
fire, so that they drink in earth and a wooden can, which I do not like.
So home, and my people to bed. I late to finish my song, and then to bed
also, and the business of the firing of the city, and the fears we have of
new troubles and violences, and the fear of fire among ourselves, did keep
me awake a good while, considering the sad condition I and my family
should be in. So at last to sleep.
12th. Lay long in bed, and then up, and Mr. Carcasse brought me near 500
tickets to sign, which I did, and by discourse find him a cunning,
confident, shrewd man, but one that I do doubt hath by his discourse of
the ill will he hath got with my Lord Marquess of Dorchester (with whom he
lived), he hath had cunning practices in his time, and would not now spare
to use the same to his profit. That done I to the office; whither by and
by comes Creed to me, and he and I walked in the garden a little, talking
of the present ill condition of things, which is the common subject of all
men's discourse and fears now-a-days, and particularly of my Lady Denham,
whom everybody says is poisoned, and he tells me she hath said it to the
Duke of York; but is upon the mending hand, though the town says she is
dead this morning. He and I to the 'Change. There I had several little
errands, and going to Sir R. Viner's, I did get such a splash and spots of
dirt upon my new vest, that I was out of countenance to be seen in the
street. This day I received 450 pieces of gold more of Mr. Stokes, but
cost me 22 1/2d. change; but I am well contented with it,--I having now
near L2800 in gold, and will not rest till I get full L3000, and then will
venture my fortune for the saving that and the rest. Home to dinner,
though Sir R. Viner would have staid us to dine with him, he being
sheriffe; but, poor man, was so out of countenance that he had no wine
ready to drink to us, his butler being out of the way, though we know him
to be a very liberal man. And after dinner I took my wife out, intending
to have gone and have seen my Lady Jemimah, at White Hall, but so great a
stop there was at the New Exchange, that we could not pass in half an
houre, and therefore 'light and bought a little matter at the Exchange,
and then home, and then at the office awhile, and then home to my chamber,
and after my wife and all the mayds abed but Jane, whom I put confidence
in--she and I, and my brother, and Tom, and W. Hewer, did bring up all the
remainder of my money, and my plate-chest, out of the cellar, and placed
the money in my study, with the rest, and the plate in my dressing-room;
but indeed I am in great pain to think how to dispose of my money, it
being wholly unsafe to keep it all in coin in one place. 'But now I have
it all at my hand, I shall remember it better to think of disposing of it.
This done, by one in the morning to bed. This afternoon going towards
Westminster, Creed and I did stop, the Duke of York being just going away
from seeing of it, at Paul's, and in the Convocation House Yard did there
see the body of Robert Braybrooke, Bishop of London, that died 1404: He
fell down in his tomb out of the great church into St. Fayth's this late
fire, and is here seen his skeleton with the flesh on; but all tough and
dry like a spongy dry leather, or touchwood all upon his bones. His head
turned aside. A great man in his time, and Lord Chancellor; and his
skeletons now exposed to be handled and derided by some, though admired
for its duration by others. Many flocking to see it.
13th. At the office all the morning, at noon home to dinner, and out to
Bishopsgate Street, and there bought some drinking-glasses, a case of
knives, and other things, against tomorrow, in expectation of my Lord
Hinchingbroke's coming to dine with me. So home, and having set some
things in the way of doing, also against to-morrow, I to my, office, there
to dispatch business, and do here receive notice from my Lord
Hinchingbroke that he is not well, and so not in condition to come to dine
with me to-morrow, which I am not in much trouble for, because of the
disorder my house is in, by the bricklayers coming to mend the chimney in
my dining-room for smoking, which they were upon almost till midnight, and
have now made it very pretty, and do carry smoke exceeding well. This
evening come all the Houblons to me, to invite me to sup with them
to-morrow night. I did take them home, and there we sat and talked a good
while, and a glass of wine, and then parted till to-morrow night. So at
night, well satisfied in the alteration of my chimney, to bed.
14th. Up, and by water to White Hall, and thence to Westminster, where I
bought several things, as a hone, ribbon, gloves, books, and then took
coach and to Knipp's lodging, whom I find not ready to go home with me. So
I away to do a little business, among others to call upon Mr. Osborne for
my Tangier warrant for the last quarter, and so to the Exchange for some
things for my wife, and then to Knipp's again, and there staid reading of
Waller's verses, while she finished dressing, her husband being by. I had
no other pastime. Her lodging very mean, and the condition she lives in;
yet makes a shew without doors, God bless us! I carried him along with us
into the City, and set him down in Bishopsgate Street, and then home with
her. She tells me how Smith, of the Duke's house, hath killed a man upon
a quarrel in play; which makes every body sorry, he being a good actor,
and, they say, a good man, however this happens. The ladies of the Court
do much bemoan him, she says. Here she and we alone at dinner to some
good victuals, that we could not put off, that was intended for the great
dinner of my Lord Hinchingbroke's, if he had come. After dinner I to
teach her my new recitative of "It is decreed," of which she learnt a good
part, and I do well like it and believe shall be well pleased when she
hath it all, and that it will be found an agreeable thing. Then carried
her home, and my wife and I intended to have seen my Lady Jemimah at White
Hall, but the Exchange Streete was so full of coaches, every body, as they
say, going thither to make themselves fine against tomorrow night, that,
after half an hour's stay, we could not do any [thing], only my wife to
see her brother, and I to go speak one word with Sir G. Carteret about
office business, and talk of the general complexion of matters, which he
looks upon, as I do, with horrour, and gives us all for an undone people.
That there is no such thing as a peace in hand, nor possibility of any
without our begging it, they being as high, or higher, in their terms than
ever, and tells me that, just now, my Lord Hollis had been with him, and
wept to think in what a condition we are fallen. He shewed me my Lord
Sandwich's letter to him, complaining of the lack of money, which Sir G.
Carteret is at a loss how in the world to get the King to supply him with,
and wishes him, for that reason, here; for that he fears he will be
brought to disgrace there, for want of supplies. He says the House is yet
in a bad humour; and desiring to know whence it is that the King stirs
not, he says he minds it not, nor will be brought to it, and that his
servants of the House do, instead of making the Parliament better, rather
play the rogue one with another, and will put all in fire. So that, upon
the whole, we are in a wretched condition, and I went from him in full
apprehensions of it. So took up my wife, her brother being yet very bad,
and doubtful whether he will recover or no, and so to St. Ellen's [St.
Helen's], and there sent my wife home, and myself to the Pope's Head,
where all the Houblons were, and Dr. Croone,
[William Croune, or Croone, of Emanuel College, Cambridge, chosen
Rhetoric Professor at Gresham College, 1659, F.R.S. and M.D. Died
October 12th, 1684, and was interred at St. Mildred's in the
Poultry. He was a prominent Fellow of the Royal Society and first
Registrar. In accordance with his wishes his widow (who married Sir
Edwin Sadleir, Bart.) left by will one-fifth of the clear rent of
the King's Head tavern in or near Old Fish Street, at the corner of
Lambeth Hill, to the Royal Society for the support of a lecture and
illustrative experiments for the advancement of natural knowledge on
local motion. The Croonian lecture is still delivered before the
Royal Society.]
and by and by to an exceeding pretty supper, excellent discourse of all
sorts, and indeed [they] are a set of the finest gentlemen that ever I met
withal in my life. Here Dr. Croone told me, that, at the meeting at
Gresham College to-night, which, it seems, they now have every Wednesday
again, there was a pretty experiment of the blood of one dogg let out,
till he died, into the body of another on one side, while all his own run
out on the other side.
[At the meeting on November 14th, "the experiment of transfusing the
blood of one dog into another was made before the Society by Mr.
King and Mr. Thomas Coxe upon a little mastiff and a spaniel with
very good success, the former bleeding to death, and the latter
receiving the blood of the other, and emitting so much of his own,
as to make him capable of receiving that of the other." On November
21st the spaniel "was produced and found very well" (Birch's
"History of the Royal Society," vol. ii., pp. 123, 125). The
experiment of transfusion of blood, which occupied much of the
attention of the Royal Society in its early days, was revived within
the last few years.]
The first died upon the place, and the other very well, and likely to do
well. This did give occasion to many pretty wishes, as of the blood of a
Quaker to be let into an Archbishop, and such like; but, as Dr. Croone
says, may, if it takes, be of mighty use to man's health, for the amending
of bad blood by borrowing from a better body. After supper, James Houblon
and another brother took me aside and to talk of some businesses of their
owne, where I am to serve them, and will, and then to talk of publique
matters, and I do find that they and all merchants else do give over trade
and the nation for lost, nothing being done with care or foresight, no
convoys granted, nor any thing done to satisfaction; but do think that the
Dutch and French will master us the next yeare, do what we can: and so do
I, unless necessity makes the King to mind his business, which might yet
save all. Here we sat talking till past one in the morning, and then
home, where my people sat up for me, my wife and all, and so to bed.
15th. This [morning] come Mr. Shepley (newly out of the country) to see
me; after a little discourse with him, I to the office, where we sat all
the morning, and at noon home, and there dined, Shepley with me, and after
dinner I did pay him L70, which he had paid my father for my use in the
country. He being gone, I took coach and to Mrs. Pierce's, where I find
her as fine as possible, and himself going to the ball at night at Court,
it being the Queen's birth-day, and so I carried them in my coach, and
having set them into the house, and gotten Mr. Pierce to undertake the
carrying in my wife, I to Unthanke's, where she appointed to be, and there
told her, and back again about business to White Hall, while Pierce went
and fetched her and carried her in. I, after I had met with Sir W.
Coventry and given him some account of matters, I also to the ball, and
with much ado got up to the loft, where with much trouble I could see very
well. Anon the house grew full, and the candles light, and the King and
Queen and all the ladies set: and it was, indeed, a glorious sight to see
Mrs. Stewart in black and white lace, and her head and shoulders dressed
with dyamonds, and the like a great many great ladies more, only the Queen
none; and the King in his rich vest of some rich silke and silver
trimming, as the Duke of York and all the dancers were, some of cloth of
silver, and others of other sorts, exceeding rich. Presently after the
King was come in, he took the Queene, and about fourteen more couple there
was, and began the Bransles. As many of the men as I can remember
presently, were, the King, Duke of York, Prince Rupert, Duke of Monmouth,
Duke of Buckingham, Lord Douglas,' Mr. [George] Hamilton, Colonell
Russell, Mr. Griffith, Lord Ossory, Lord Rochester; and of the ladies, the
Queene, Duchess of York, Mrs. Stewart, Duchess of Monmouth, Lady Essex
Howard, Mrs. Temples Swedes Embassadress, Lady Arlington; Lord George
Barkeley's daughter, and many others I remember not; but all most
excellently dressed in rich petticoats and gowns, and dyamonds, and
pearls. After the Bransles, then to a Corant, and now and then a French
dance; but that so rare that the Corants grew tiresome, that I wished it
done. Only Mrs. Stewart danced mighty finely, and many French dances,
specially one the King called the New Dance, which was very pretty; but
upon the whole matter, the business of the dancing of itself was not
extraordinary pleasing. But the clothes and sight of the persons was
indeed very pleasing, and worth my coming, being never likely to see more
gallantry while I live, if I should come twenty times. About twelve at
night it broke up, and I to hire a coach with much difficulty, but Pierce
had hired a chair for my wife, and so she being gone to his house, he and
I, taking up Barker at Unthanke's, to his house, whither his wife was come
home a good while ago and gone to bed. So away home with my wife, between
displeased with the dull dancing, and satisfied at the clothes and
persons. My Lady Castlemayne, without whom all is nothing, being there,
very rich, though not dancing. And so after supper, it being very cold,
to bed.
16th. Up again betimes to attend the examination of Mr. Gawden's,
accounts, where we all met, but I did little but fit myself for the
drawing my great letter to the Duke of York of the state of the Navy for
want of money. At noon to the 'Change, and thence back to the new taverne
come by us; the Three Tuns, where D. Gawden did feast us all with a chine
of beef and other good things, and an infinite dish of fowl, but all
spoiled in the dressing. This noon I met with Mr. Hooke, and he tells me
the dog which was filled with another dog's blood, at the College the
other day, is very well, and like to be so as ever, and doubts not its
being found of great use to men; and so do Dr. Whistler, who dined with us
at the taverne. Thence home in the evening, and I to my preparing my
letter, and did go a pretty way in it, staying late upon it, and then home
to supper and to bed, the weather being on a sudden set in to be very
cold.
17th. Up, and to the office, where all the morning. At noon home to
dinner, and in the afternoon shut myself in my chamber, and there till
twelve at night finishing my great letter to the Duke of York, which do
lay the ill condition of the Navy so open to him, that it is impossible if
the King and he minds any thing of their business, but it will operate
upon them to set all matters right, and get money to carry on the war,
before it be too late, or else lay out for a peace upon any termes. It was
a great convenience to-night that what I had writ foule in short hand, I
could read to W. Hewer, and he take it fair in short hand, so as I can
read it to-morrow to Sir W. Coventry, and then come home, and Hewer read
it to me while I take it in long-hand to present, which saves me much
time. So to bed.
18th (Lord's day). Up by candle-light and on foote to White Hall, where
by appointment I met Lord Bruncker at Sir W. Coventry's chamber, and there
I read over my great letter, and they approved it: and as I do do our
business in defence of the Board, so I think it is as good a letter in the
manner, and believe it is the worst in the matter of it, as ever come from
any office to a Prince. Back home in my Lord Bruncker's coach, and there
W. Hewer and I to write it over fair; dined at noon, and Mercer with us,
and mighty merry, and then to finish my letter; and it being three o'clock
ere we had done, when I come to Sir W. Batten; he was in a huffe, which I
made light of, but he signed the letter, though he would not go, and liked
the letter well. Sir W. Pen, it seems, he would not stay for it: so,
making slight of Sir W. Pen's putting so much weight upon his hand to Sir
W. Batten, I down to the Tower Wharf, and there got a sculler, and to
White Hall, and there met Lord Bruncker, and he signed it, and so I
delivered it to Mr. Cheving,
[William Chiffinch, pimp to Charles II. and receiver of the secret
pensions paid by the French Court. He succeeded his brother, Thomas
Chiffinch (who died in April, 1666), as Keeper of the King's Private
Closet (see note, vol. v., p. 265). He is introduced by Scott into
his "Peveril of the Peak."]
and he to Sir W. Coventry, in the cabinet, the King and councill being
sitting, where I leave it to its fortune, and I by water home again, and
to my chamber, to even my Journall; and then comes Captain Cocke to me,
and he and I a great deal of melancholy discourse of the times, giving all
over for gone, though now the Parliament will soon finish the Bill for
money. But we fear, if we had it, as matters are now managed, we shall
never make the best of it, but consume it all to no purpose or a bad one.
He being gone, I again to my Journall and finished it, and so to supper
and to bed.
19th. Lay pretty long in bed talking with pleasure with my wife, and then
up and all the morning at my own chamber fitting some Tangier matters
against the afternoon for a meeting. This morning also came Mr. Caesar,
and I heard him on the lute very finely, and my boy begins to play well.
After dinner I carried and set my wife down at her brother's, and then to
Barkeshire-house, where my Lord Chancellor hath been ever since the fire,
but he is not come home yet, so I to Westminster Hall, where the Lords
newly up and the Commons still sitting. Here I met with Mr. Robinson, who
did give me a printed paper wherein he states his pretence to the post
office, and intends to petition the Parliament in it. Thence I to the
Bull-head tavern, where I have not been since Mr. Chetwind and the time of
our club, and here had six bottles of claret filled, and I sent them to
Mrs. Martin, whom I had promised some of my owne, and, having none of my
owne, sent her this. Thence to my Lord Chancellor's, and there Mr. Creed
and Gawden, Cholmley, and Sir G. Carteret walking in the Park over against
the house. I walked with Sir G. Carteret, who I find displeased with the
letter I have drawn and sent in yesterday, finding fault with the account
we give of the ill state of the Navy, but I said little, only will justify
the truth of it. Here we walked to and again till one dropped away after
another, and so I took coach to White Hall, and there visited my Lady
Jemimah, at Sir G. Carteret's lodgings. Here was Sir Thomas Crew, and he
told me how hot words grew again to-day in the House of Lords between my
Lord Ossory and Ashly, the former saying that something said by the other
was said like one of Oliver's Council. Ashly said that he must give him
reparation, or he would take it his owne way. The House therefore did
bring my Lord Ossory to confess his fault, and ask pardon for it, as he
was also to my Lord Buckingham, for saying that something was not truth
that my Lord Buckingham had said. This will render my Lord Ossory very
little in a little time. By and by away, and calling my wife went home,
and then a little at Sir W. Batten's to hear news, but nothing, and then
home to supper, whither Captain Cocke, half foxed, come and sat with us,
and so away, and then we to bed.
20th. Called up by Mr. Sheply, who is going into the country to-day to
Hinchingbroke, I sent my service to my Lady, and in general for newes:
that the world do think well of my Lord, and do wish he were here again,
but that the publique matters of the State as to the war are in the worst
condition that is possible. By and by Sir W. Warren, and with him half an
hour discoursing of several businesses, and some I hope will bring me a
little profit. He gone, and Sheply, I to the office a little, and then to
church, it being thanksgiving-day for the cessation of the plague; but,
Lord! how the towne do say that it is hastened before the plague is quite
over, there dying some people still,
[According to the Bills of Mortality seven persons died in London of
the plague during the week November 20th to 27th; and for some weeks
after deaths continued from this cause.]
but only to get ground for plays to be publickly acted, which the Bishops
would not suffer till the plague was over; and one would thinke so, by the
suddenness of the notice given of the day, which was last Sunday, and the
little ceremony. The sermon being dull of Mr. Minnes, and people with
great indifferency come to hear him. After church home, where I met Mr.
Gregory, who I did then agree with to come to teach my wife to play on the
Viall, and he being an able and sober man, I am mightily glad of it. He
had dined, therefore went away, and I to dinner, and after dinner by coach
to Barkeshire-house, and there did get a very great meeting; the Duke of
York being there, and much business done, though not in proportion to the
greatness of the business, and my Lord Chancellor sleeping and snoring the
greater part of the time. Among other things I declared the state of our
credit as to tallys to raise money by, and there was an order for payment
of L5000 to Mr. Gawden, out of which I hope to get something against
Christmas. Here we sat late, and here I did hear that there are some
troubles like to be in Scotland, there being a discontented party already
risen, that have seized on the Governor of Dumfreeze and imprisoned him,
[William Fielding, writing to Sir Phil. Musgrave from Carlisle on
November 15th, says: "Major Baxter, who has arrived from Dumfries,
reports that this morning a great number of horse and foot came into
that town, with drawn swords and pistols, gallopped up to Sir Jas.
Turner's lodgings, seized him in his bed, carried him without
clothes to the marketplace, threatened to cut him to pieces, and
seized and put into the Tollbooth all the foot soldiers that were
with him; they also secured the minister of Dumfries. Many of the
party were lairds and county people from Galloway--200 horse well
mounted, one minister was with them who had swords and pistols, and
200 or 300 foot, some with clubs, others with scythes." On November
17th Rob. Meine wrote to Williamson: "On the 15th 120 fanatics from
the Glenkins, Deray; and neighbouring parishes in Dumfriesshire,
none worth L10 except two mad fellows, the lairds of Barscob and
Corsuck, came to Dumfries early in the morning, seized Sir Jas.
Turner, commander of a company of men in Dumfriesshire, and carried
him, without violence to others, to a strong house in Maxwell town,
Galloway, declaring they sought only revenge against the tyrant who
had been severe with them for not keeping to church, and had laid
their families waste" ("Calendar of State Papers," 1666-67, pp. 262,
268).]
but the story is yet very uncertain, and therefore I set no great weight
on it. I home by Mr. Gawden in his coach, and so with great pleasure to
spend the evening at home upon my Lyra Viall, and then to supper and to
bed. With mighty peace of mind and a hearty desire that I had but what I
have quietly in the country, but, I fear, I do at this day see the best
that either I or the rest of our nation will ever see.
21st. Up, with Sir W. Batten to Charing Cross, and thence I to wait on
Sir Philip Howard, whom I find dressing himself in his night-gown and
turban like a Turke, but one of the finest persons that ever I saw in my
life. He had several gentlemen of his owne waiting on him, and one
playing finely on the gittar: he discourses as well as ever I heard man,
in few words and handsome. He expressed all kindness to Balty, when I
told him how sick he is: he says that, before he comes to be mustered
again, he must bring a certificate of his swearing the oaths of Allegiance
and Supremacy, and having taken the Sacrament according to the rites of
the Church of England. This, I perceive, is imposed on all, and he will
be ready to do. I pray God he may have his health again to be able to do
it. Being mightily satisfied with his civility, I away to Westminster
Hall, and there walked with several people, and all the discourse is about
some trouble in Scotland I heard of yesterday, but nobody can tell the
truth of it. Here was Betty Michell with her mother. I would have carried
her home, but her father intends to go with her, so I lost my hopes. And
thence I to the Excise Office about some tallies, and then to the
Exchange, where I did much business, and so home to dinner, and then to
the office, where busy all the afternoon till night, and then home to
supper, and after supper an hour reading to my wife and brother something
in Chaucer with great pleasure, and so to bed.