Diary of Samuel Pepys, November 1667
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Samuel Pepys >> Diary of Samuel Pepys, November 1667
THE DIARY OF SAMUEL PEPYS M.A. F.R.S.
CLERK OF THE ACTS AND SECRETARY TO THE ADMIRALTY
TRANSCRIBED FROM THE SHORTHAND MANUSCRIPT IN THE PEPYSIAN LIBRARY
MAGDALENE COLLEGE CAMBRIDGE BY THE REV. MYNORS BRIGHT M.A. LATE FELLOW
AND PRESIDENT OF THE COLLEGE
(Unabridged)
WITH LORD BRAYBROOKE'S NOTES
EDITED WITH ADDITIONS BY
HENRY B. WHEATLEY F.S.A.
DIARY OF SAMUEL PEPYS.
NOVEMBER
1667
November 1st. Up betimes, and down to the waterside (calling and drinking
a dram of the bottle at Michell's, but saw not Betty), and thence to White
Hall and to Sir W. Coventry's lodging, where he and I alone a good while,
where he gives me the full of the Duke of Albemarle's and Prince's
narratives, given yesterday by the House, wherein they fall foul of him
and Sir G. Carteret in something about the dividing of the fleete, and the
Prince particularly charging the Commissioners of the Navy with
negligence, he says the Commissioners of the Navy whereof Sir W. Coventry
is one. He tells me that he is prepared to answer any particular most
thoroughly, but the quality of the persons do make it difficult for him,
and so I do see is in great pain, poor man, though he deserves better than
twenty such as either of them, for his abilities and true service to the
King and kingdom. He says there is incoherences, he believes, to be found
between their two reports, which will be pretty work to consider. The
Duke of Albemarle charges W. Coventry that he should tell him, when he
come down to the fleete with Sir G. Carteret, to consult about dividing
the fleete, that the Dutch would not be out in six weeks, which W.
Coventry says is as false as is possible, and he can prove the contrary by
the Duke of Albemarle's own letters. The Duke of Albemarle says that he
did upon sight of the Dutch call a council of officers, and they did
conclude they could not avoid fighting the Dutch; and yet we did go to the
enemy, and found them at anchor, which is a pretty contradiction. And he
tells me that Spragg did the other day say in the House, that the Prince,
at his going from the Duke of Albemarle with his fleete, did tell him that
if the Dutch should come on, the Duke was to follow him, the Prince, with
his fleete, and not fight the Dutch. Out of all this a great deal of good
might well be picked. But it is a sad consideration that all this picking
of holes in one another's coats--nay, and the thanks of the House to the
Prince and the Duke of Albemarle, and all this envy and design to ruin Sir
W. Coventry--did arise from Sir W. Coventry's unfortunate mistake the
other day, in producing of a letter from the Duke of Albemarle, touching
the good condition of all things at Chatham just before the Dutch come up,
and did us that fatal mischiefe; for upon this they are resolved to undo
him, and I pray God they do not. He tells me upon my demanding it that he
thinks the King do not like this their bringing these narratives, and that
they give out that they would have said more but that the King hath
hindered them, that I suppose is about my Lord Sandwich. He is getting a
copy of the Narratives, which I shall then have, and so I parted from him
and away to White Hall, where I met Mr. Creed and Yeabsly, and discoursed
a little about Mr. Yeabsly's business and accounts, and so I to chapel and
there staid, it being All-Hallows day, and heard a fine anthem, made by
Pelham (who is come over) in France, of which there was great expectation,
and indeed is a very good piece of musique, but still I cannot call the
Anthem anything but instrumentall musique with the voice, for nothing is
made of the words at all. I this morning before chapel visited Sir G.
Carteret, who is vexed to see how things are likely to go, but cannot help
it, and yet seems to think himself mighty safe. I also visited my Lord
Hinchingbroke, at his chamber at White Hall, where I found Mr. Turner,
Moore, and Creed, talking of my Lord Sandwich, whose case I doubt is but
bad, and, I fear, will not escape being worse, though some of the company
did say otherwise. But I am mightily pleased with my Lord Hinchingbroke's
sobriety and few words. After chapel I with Creed to the Exchange, and
after much talk he and I there about securing of some money either by land
or goods to be always at our command, which we think a thing advisable in
this critical time, we parted, and I to the Sun Taverne with Sir W. Warren
(with whom I have not drank many a day, having for some time been strange
to him), and there did put it to him to advise me how to dispose of my
prize, which he will think of and do to my best advantage. We talked of
several other things relating to his service, wherein I promise
assistance, but coldly, thinking it policy to do so, and so, after eating
a short dinner, I away home, and there took out my wife, and she and I
alone to the King's playhouse, and there saw a silly play and an old one,
"The Taming of a Shrew," and so home and I to my office a little, and then
home to supper and to bed.
2nd. Up, and to the office, where busy all the morning; at noon home, and
after dinner my wife and Willett and I to the King's playhouse, and there
saw "Henry the Fourth:" and contrary to expectation, was pleased in
nothing more than in Cartwright's speaking of Falstaffe's speech about
"What is Honour?" The house full of Parliament-men, it being holyday with
them: and it was observable how a gentleman of good habit, sitting just
before us, eating of some fruit in the midst of the play, did drop down as
dead, being choked; but with much ado Orange Moll did thrust her finger
down his throat, and brought him to life again. After the play, we home,
and I busy at the office late, and then home to supper and to bed.
3rd (Lord's day). Up, and with my wife to church, and thither comes Roger
Pepys to our pew, and thence home to dinner, whither comes by invitation
Mr. Turner, the minister, and my cozen Roger brought with him Jeffrys, the
apothecary at Westminster, who is our kinsman, and we had much discourse
of Cottenhamshire, and other things with great pleasure. My cozen Roger
did tell me of a bargain which I may now have in Norfolke, that my
she-cozen, Nan Pepys, is going to sell, the title whereof is very good,
and the pennyworth is also good enough; but it is out of the way so of my
life, that I shall never enjoy it, nor, it may be, see it, and so I shall
have nothing to do with it. After dinner to talk, and I find by discourse
Mr. Turner to be a man mighty well read in the Roman history, which is
very pleasant. By and by Roger went, and Mr. Turner spent an hour talking
over my Lord Sandwich's condition as to this Parliament, which we fear may
be bad, and the condition of his family, which can be no better, and then
having little to comfort ourselves but that this humour will not last
always in the Parliament, and that [it] may well have a great many more as
great men as he enquired into, and so we parted, and I to my chamber, and
there busy all the evening, and then my wife and I to supper, and so to
bed, with much discourse and pleasure one with another.
4th. Up betimes, and by water with Sir R. Ford (who is going to
Parliament) to Westminster; and there landing at the New Exchange stairs,
I to Sir W. Coventry: and there he read over to me the Prince's and the
Duke of Albemarle's Narratives; wherein they are very severe against him
and our Office. But [Sir] W. Coventry do contemn them; only that their
persons and qualities are great, and so I do perceive [he] is afeard of
them, though he will not confess it. But he do say that, if he can get
out of these briars, he will never trouble himself with Princes nor Dukes
again. He finds several things in their Narratives, which are both
inconsistent and foolish, as well as untrue, especially as to what the
Duke of Albemarle avers of his knowing of the enemy's being abroad sooner
than he says it, which [Sir] W. Coventry will shew him his own letter
against him, for I confess I do see so much, that, were I but well
possessed of what I should have in the world, I think I could willingly
retreat, and trouble myself no more with it. Thence home, and there met
Sir H. Cholmly, and he and I to the Excise Office to see what tallies are
paying, and thence back to the Old Exchange, by the way talking of news,
and he owning Sir W. Coventry, in his opinion, to be one of the worthiest
men in the nation, as I do really think he is. He tells me he do think
really that they will cut off my Lord Chancellor's head, the Chancellor at
this day showing as much pride as is possible to those few that venture
their fortunes by coming to see him; and that the Duke of York is troubled
much, knowing that those that fling down the Chancellor cannot stop there,
but will do something to him, to prevent his having it in his power
hereafter to avenge himself and father-in-law upon them. And this Sir H.
Cholmly fears may be by divorcing the Queen and getting another, or
declaring the Duke of Monmouth legitimate; which God forbid! He tells me
he do verily believe that there will come in an impeachment of High
Treason against my Lord of Ormond; among other things, for ordering the
quartering of soldiers in Ireland on free quarters; which, it seems, is
High Treason in that country, and was one of the things that lost the Lord
Strafford his head, and the law is not yet repealed; which, he says, was a
mighty oversight of him not to have it repealed, which he might with ease
have done, or have justified himself by an Act. From the Exchange I took
a coach, and went to Turlington, the great spectacle-maker, for advice,
who dissuades me from using old spectacles, but rather young ones, and do
tell me that nothing can wrong my eyes more than for me to use
reading-glasses, which do magnify much. Thence home, and there dined, and
then abroad and left my wife and Willett at her tailor's, and I to White
Hall, where the Commissioners of the Treasury do not sit, and therefore I
to Westminster to the Hall, and there meeting with Col. Reames I did very
cheaply by him get copies of the Prince's and Duke of Albemarle's
Narratives, which they did deliver the other day to the House, of which I
am mighty glad, both for my present information and for my future
satisfaction. So back by coach, and took up my wife, and away home, and
there in my chamber all the evening among my papers and my accounts of
Tangier to my great satisfaction, and so to supper and to bed.
5th. Up, and all the morning at the office. At noon home to dinner, and
thence out with my wife and girle, and left them at her tailor's, and I to
the Treasury, and there did a little business for Tangier, and so took
them up again, and home, and when I had done at the office, being post
night, I to my chamber, and there did something more, and so to supper and
to bed.
6th. Up, and to Westminster, where to the Parliament door, and there
spoke with Sir G. Downing, to see what was done yesterday at the Treasury
for Tangier, and it proved as good as nothing, so that I do see we shall
be brought to great straits for money there. He tells me here that he is
passing a Bill to make the Excise and every other part of the King's
Revenue assignable on the Exchequer, which indeed will be a very good
thing. This he says with great glee as an act of his, and how poor a
thing this was in the beginning, and with what envy he carried it on, and
how my Lord Chancellor could never endure him for it since he first begun
it. He tells me that the thing the House is just now upon is that of
taking away the charter from the Company of Woodmongers, whose frauds, it
seems, have been mightily laid before them. He tells me that they are
like to fly very high against my Lord Chancellor. Thence I to the House
of Lords, and there first saw Dr. Fuller, as Bishop of Lincoln, to sit
among the Lords. Here I spoke with the Duke of York and the Duke of
Albemarle about Tangier; but methinks both of them do look very coldly one
upon another, and their discourse mighty cold, and little to the purpose
about our want of money. Thence homeward, and called at Allestry's, the
bookseller, who is bookseller to the Royal Society, and there did buy
three or four books, and find great variety of French and foreign books.
And so home and to dinner, and after dinner with my wife to a play, and
the girl--"Macbeth," which we still like mightily, though mighty short of
the content we used to have when Betterton acted, who is still sick. So
home, troubled with the way and to get a coach, and so to supper and to
bed. This day, in the Paynted-chamber, I met and walked with Mr. George
Montagu, who thinks it may go hard with my Lord Sandwich, but he says the
House is offended with Sir W. Coventry much, and that he do endeavour to
gain them again in the most precarious manner in all things that is
possible.
7th. Up, and at the office hard all the morning, and at noon resolved
with Sir W. Pen to go see "The Tempest," an old play of Shakespeare's,
acted, I hear, the first day; and so my wife, and girl, and W. Hewer by
themselves, and Sir W. Pen and I afterwards by ourselves; and forced to
sit in the side balcone over against the musique-room at the Duke's house,
close by my Lady Dorset and a great many great ones. The house mighty
full; the King and Court there and the most innocent play that ever I saw;
and a curious piece of musique in an echo of half sentences, the echo
repeating the former half, while the man goes on to the latter; which is
mighty pretty. The play [has] no great wit, but yet good, above ordinary
plays. Thence home with [Sir] W. Pen, and there all mightily pleased with
the play; and so to supper and to bed, after having done at the office.
8th. Called up betimes by Sir H. Cholmly, and he and I to good purpose
most of the morning--I in my dressing-gown with him, on our Tangier
accounts, and stated them well; and here he tells me that he believes it
will go hard with my Lord Chancellor. Thence I to the office, where met
on some special, business; and here I hear that the Duke of York is very
ill; and by and by word brought us that we shall not need to attend to-day
the Duke of York, for he is not well, which is bad news. They being gone,
I to my workmen, who this day come to alter my office, by beating down the
wall, and making me a fayre window both there, and increasing the window
of my closet, which do give me some present trouble; but will be mighty
pleasant. So all the whole day among them to very late, and so home
weary, to supper, and to bed, troubled for the Duke of York his being
sick.
9th. Up and to my workmen, who are at work close again, and I at the
office all the morning, and there do hear by a messenger that Roger Pepys
would speak with me, so before the office up I to Westminster, and there
find the House very busy, and like to be so all day, about my Lord
Chancellor's impeachment, whether treason or not, where every body is
mighty busy. I spoke with my cozen Roger, whose business was only to give
me notice that Carcasse hath been before the Committee; and to warn me of
it, which is a great courtesy in him to do, and I desire him to continue
to do so. This business of this fellow, though it may be a foolish thing,
yet it troubles me, and I do plainly see my weakness that I am not a man
able to go through trouble, as other men, but that I should be a miserable
man if I should meet with adversity, which God keep me from! He desirous
to get back into the House, he having his notes in his hand, the lawyers
being now speaking to the point of whether treason or not treason, the
article of advising the King to break up the Parliament, and to govern by
the sword. Thence I down to the Hall, and there met Mr. King, the
Parliament-man for Harwich, and there he did shew, and let me take a copy
of, all the articles against my Lord Chancellor, and what members they
were that undertook to bring witnesses to make them good, of which I was
mighty glad, and so away home, and to dinner and to my workmen, and in the
afternoon out to get Simpson the joyner to come to work at my office, and
so back home and to my letters by the post to-night, and there, by W. Pen,
do hear that this article was overvoted in the House not to be a ground of
impeachment of treason, at which I was glad, being willing to have no
blood spilt, if I could help it. So home to supper, and glad that the
dirty bricklayers' work of my office is done, and home to supper and to
bed.
10th (Lord's day). Mighty cold, and with my wife to church, where a lazy
sermon. Here was my Lady Batten in her mourning at church, but I took no
notice of her. At noon comes Michell and his wife to dine with us, and
pretty merry. I glad to see her still. After dinner Sir W. Pen and I to
White Hall, to speak with Sir W. Coventry; and there, beyond all we looked
for, do hear that the Duke of York hath got, and is full of, the
small-pox; and so we to his lodgings; and there find most of the family
going to St. James's, and the gallery doors locked up, that nobody might
pass to nor fro and a sad house, I am sure. I am sad to consider the
effects of his death, if he should miscarry; but Dr. Frazier tells me that
he is in as good condition as a man can be in his case. The eruption
appeared last night; it seems he was let blood on Friday. Thence, not
finding [Sir] W. Coventry, and going back again home, we met him coming
with the Lord Keeper, and so returned and spoke with him in White Hall
Garden, two or three turns, advising with him what we should do about
Carcasse's bringing his letter into the Committee of Parliament, and he
told us that the counsel he hath too late learned is, to spring nothing in
the House, nor offer anything, but just what is drawn out of a man: that
this is the best way of dealing with a Parliament, and that he hath paid
dear, and knows not how much more he may pay, for not knowing it sooner,
when he did unnecessarily produce the Duke of Albemarle's letter about
Chatham, which if demanded would have come out with all the advantages in
the world to Sir W. Coventry, but, as he brought it out himself, hath
drawn much evil upon him. After some talk of this kind, we back home, and
there I to my chamber busy all the evening, and then to supper and to bed,
my head running all night upon our businesses in Parliament and what
examinations we are likely to go under before they have done with us,
which troubles me more than it should a wise man and a man the best able
to defend himself, I believe, of our own whole office, or any other, I am
apt to think.
11th. Up, and to Simpson at work in my office, and thence with Sir G.
Carteret (who come to talk with me) to Broad Streete, where great crowding
of people for money, at which he blamed himself. Thence with him and Lord
Bruncker to Captain Cocke's (he out of doors), and there drank their
morning draught, and thence [Sir] G. Carteret and I toward the Temple in
coach together; and there he did tell me how the King do all he can in the
world to overthrow my Lord Chancellor, and that notice is taken of every
man about the King that is not seen to promote the ruine of the
Chancellor; and that this being another great day in his business, he
dares not but be there. He tells me that as soon as Secretary Morrice
brought the Great Seale from my Lord Chancellor, Bab. May fell upon his
knees, and catched the King about the legs, and joyed him, and said that
this was the first time that ever he could call him King of England, being
freed from this great man: which was a most ridiculous saying. And he
told me that, when first my Lord Gerard, a great while ago, come to the
King, and told him that the Chancellor did say openly that the King was a
lazy person and not fit to govern, which is now made one of the things in
the people's mouths against the Chancellor, "Why," says the King, "that is
no news, for he hath told me so twenty times, and but the other day he
told me so;" and made matter of mirth at it: but yet this light discourse
is likely to prove bad to him. I 'light at the Temple, and went to my
tailor's and mercer's about a cloake, to choose the stuff, and so to my
bookseller's and bought some books, and so home to dinner, and Simpson my
joyner with me, and after dinner, my wife, and I, and Willett, to the
King's play-house, and there saw "The Indian Emperour," a good play, but
not so good as people cry it up, I think, though above all things Nell's
ill speaking of a great part made me mad. Thence with great trouble and
charge getting a coach (it being now and having been all this day a most
cold and foggy, dark, thick day), we home, and there I to my office, and
saw it made clean from top to bottom, till I feared I took cold in walking
in a damp room while it is in washing, and so home to supper and to bed.
This day I had a whole doe sent me by Mr. Hozier, which is a fine present,
and I had the umbles of it for dinner. This day I hear Kirton, my
bookseller, poor man, is dead, I believe, of grief for his losses by the
fire.
12th. Up, and to the Office, where sat all the morning; and there hear
the Duke of York do yet do very well with his smallpox: pray God he may
continue to do so! This morning also, to my astonishment, I hear that
yesterday my Lord Chancellor, to another of his Articles, that of
betraying the King's councils to his enemies, is voted to have matter
against him for an impeachment of High Treason, and that this day the
impeachment is to be carried up to the House of Lords which is very high,
and I am troubled at it; for God knows what will follow, since they that
do this must do more to secure themselves against any that will revenge
this, if it ever come in their power! At noon home to dinner, and then to
my office, and there saw every thing finished, so as my papers are all in
order again and my office twice as pleasant as ever it was, having a noble
window in my closet and another in my office, to my great content, and so
did business late, and then home to supper and to bed.
13th. Up, and down to the Old Swan, and so to Westminster; where I find
the House sitting, and in a mighty heat about Commissioner Pett, that they
would have him impeached, though the Committee have yet brought in but
part of their Report: and this heat of the House is much heightened by Sir
Thomas Clifford telling them, that he was the man that did, out of his own
purse, employ people at the out-ports to prevent the King of Scots to
escape after the battle of Worcester. The House was in a great heat all
this day about it; and at last it was carried, however, that it should be
referred back to the Committee to make further enquiry. I here spoke with
Roger Pepys, who sent for me, and it was to tell me that the Committee is
mighty full of the business of buying and selling of tickets, and to
caution me against such an enquiry (wherein I am very safe), and that they
have already found out Sir Richard Ford's son to have had a hand in it,
which they take to be the same as if the father had done it, and I do
believe the father may be as likely to be concerned in it as his son. But
I perceive by him they are resolved to find out the bottom of the business
if it be possible. By and by I met with Mr. Wren, who tells me that the
Duke of York is in as good condition as is possible for a man, in his
condition of the smallpox. He, I perceive, is mightily concerned in the
business of my Lord Chancellor, the impeachment against whom is gone up to
the House of Lords; and great differences there are in the Lords' House
about it, and the Lords are very high one against another. Thence home to
dinner, and as soon as dinner done I and my wife and Willet to the Duke of
York's, house, and there saw the Tempest again, which is very pleasant,
and full of so good variety that I cannot be more pleased almost in a
comedy, only the seamen's part a little too tedious. Thence home, and
there to my chamber, and do begin anew to bind myself to keep my old vows,
and among the rest not to see a play till Christmas but once in every
other week, and have laid aside L10, which is to be lost to the poor, if I
do. This I hope in God will bind me, for I do find myself mightily
wronged in my reputation, and indeed in my purse and business, by my late
following of my pleasure for so long time as I have done. So to supper
and then to bed. This day Mr. Chichly told me, with a seeming trouble,
that the House have stopped his son Jack (Sir John) his going to France,
that he may be a witness against my Lord Sandwich: which do trouble me,
though he can, I think, say little.
14th. At the office close all the morning. At noon, all my clerks with
me to dinner, to a venison pasty; and there comes Creed, and dined with
me, and he tells me how high the Lords were in the Lords' House about the
business of the Chancellor, and that they are not yet agreed to impeach
him. After dinner, he and I, and my wife and girl, the latter two to
their tailor's, and he and I to the Committee of the Treasury, where I had
a hearing, but can get but L6000 for the pay of the garrison, in lieu of
above L16,000; and this Alderman Backewell gets remitted there, and I am
glad of it. Thence by coach took up my wife and girl, and so home, and
set down Creed at Arundell House, going to the Royal Society, whither I
would be glad to go, but cannot. Thence home, and to the Office, where
about my letters, and so home to supper, and to bed, my eyes being bad
again; and by this means, the nights, now-a-days, do become very long to
me, longer than I can sleep out.