Diary of Samuel Pepys, October 1666
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Samuel Pepys >> Diary of Samuel Pepys, October 1666
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.
OCTOBER
1666
October 1st, 1666. Up, and all the morning at the office, getting the
list of all the ships and vessels employed since the war, for the
Committee of Parliament. At noon with it to Sir W. Coventry's chamber,
and there dined with him and [Sir] W. Batten, and [Sir] W. Pen, and after
dinner examined it and find it will do us much right in the number of men
rising to near the expense we delivered to the Parliament. [Sir] W.
Coventry and I (the others going before the Committee) to Lord Bruncker's
for his hand, and find him simply mighty busy in a council of the Queen's.
He come out and took in the papers to sign, and sent them mighty wisely
out again. Sir W. Coventry away to the Committee, and I to the Mercer's,
and there took a bill of what I owe of late, which comes to about L17.
Thence to White Hall, and there did hear Betty Michell was at this end of
the towne, and so without breach of vowe did stay to endeavour to meet
with her and carry her home; but she did not come, so I lost my whole
afternoon. But pretty! how I took another pretty woman for her, taking
her a clap on the breech, thinking verily it had been her. Staid till
[Sir] W. Batten and [Sir] W. Pen come out, and so away home by water with
them, and to the office to do some business, and then home, and my wife do
tell me that W. Hewer tells her that Mercer hath no mind to come. So I
was angry at it, and resolved with her to have Falconbridge's girle, and I
think it will be better for us, and will please me better with singing.
With this resolution, to supper and to bed.
2nd. Up, and am sent for to Sir G. Carteret, and to him, and there he
tells me how our lists are referred to a Sub-committee to consider and
examine, and that I am ordered to be there this afternoon. So I away
thence to my new bookbinder to see my books gilding in the backs, and then
to White Hall to the House, and spoke to Sir W. Coventry, where he told me
I must attend the Committee in the afternoon, and received some hints of
more work to do. So I away to the 'Chequer, and thence to an alehouse,
and found Mr. Falconbridge, and agreed for his kinswoman to come to me.
He says she can dress my wife, and will do anything we would have her to
do, and is of a good spirit and mighty cheerful. He is much pleased
therewith, and so we shall be. So agreed for her coming the next week.
So away home, and eat a short dinner, and then with Sir W. Pen to White
Hall, and do give his boy my book of papers to hold while he went into the
Committee Chamber in the Inner Court of Wards, and I walked without with
Mr. Slingsby, of the Tower, who was there, and who did in walking inform
me mightily in several things; among others, that the heightening or
lowering of money is only a cheat, and do good to some particular men,
which, if I can but remember how, I am now by him fully convinced of.
Anon Sir W. Pen went away, telling me that Sir W. Coventry that was within
had told him that the fleete is all come into the buoy of the Nore, and
that he must hasten down to them, and so went away, and I into the
Committee Chamber before the Committee sat, and there heard Birch
discourse highly and understandingly about the Navy business and a
proposal made heretofore to farm the Navy; but Sir W. Coventry did
abundantly answer him, and is a most excellent person. By and by the
Committee met, and I walked out, and anon they rose and called me in, and
appointed me to attend a Committee of them to-morrow at the office to
examine our lists. This put me into a mighty fear and trouble; they doing
it in a very ill humour, methought. So I away and called on my Lord
Bruncker to desire him to be there to-morrow, and so home, having taken up
my wife at Unthanke's, full of trouble in mind to think what I shall be
obliged to answer, that am neither fully fit, nor in any measure concerned
to take the shame and trouble of this office upon me, but only from the
inability and folly of the Comptroller that occasions it. When come home
I to Sir W. Pen's, to his boy, for my book, and there find he hath it not,
but delivered it to the doorekeeper of the Committee for me. This, added
to my former disquiet, made me stark mad, considering all the nakedness of
the office lay open in papers within those covers. I could not tell in
the world what to do, but was mad on all sides, and that which made me
worse Captain Cocke was there, and he did so swear and curse at the boy
that told me. So Cocke, Griffin, and the boy with me, they to find the
housekeeper of the Parliament, Hughes, while I to Sir W. Coventry, but
could hear nothing of it there. But coming to our rendezvous at the Swan
Taverne, in Ding Streete, I find they have found the housekeeper, and the
book simply locked up in the Court. So I staid and drank, and rewarded
the doore-keeper, and away home, my heart lighter by all this, but to bed
very sad notwithstanding, in fear of what will happen to-morrow upon their
coming.
3rd. Waked betimes, mightily troubled in mind, and in the most true
trouble that I ever was in my life, saving in the business last year of
the East India prizes. So up, and with Mr. Hater and W. Hewer and Griffin
to consider of our business, and books and papers necessary for this
examination; and by and by, by eight o'clock, comes Birch, the first, with
the lists and books of accounts delivered in. He calls me to work, and
there he and I begun, when, by and by, comes Garraway,
[William Garway, elected M.P. for Chichester, March 26th, 1661, and
in 1674 he was appointed by the House to confer with Lord
Shaftesbury respecting the charge against Pepys being popishly
affected. See note to the Life, vol. i., p, xxxii, and for his
character, October 6th, 1666]
the first time I ever saw him, and Sir W. Thompson and Mr. Boscawen. They
to it, and I did make shift to answer them better than I expected. Sir W.
Batten, Lord Bruncker, [Sir] W. Pen, come in, but presently went out; and
[Sir] J. Minnes come in, and said two or three words from the purpose, but
to do hurt; and so away he went also, and left me all the morning with
them alone to stand or fall. At noon Sir W. Batten comes to them to
invite them (though fast day) to dinner, which they did, and good company
they were, but especially Garraway. Here I have news brought me of my
father's coming to town, and I presently to him, glad to see him, poor
man, he being come to town unexpectedly to see us and the city. I could
not stay with him, but after dinner to work again, only the Committee and
I, till dark night, and by that time they cast up all the lists, and found
out what the medium of men was borne all the war, of all sorts, and ended
with good peace, and much seeming satisfaction; but I find them wise and
reserved, and instructed to hit all our blots, as among others, that we
reckon the ships full manned from the beginning. They gone, and my heart
eased of a great deale of fear and pain, and reckoning myself to come off
with victory, because not overcome in anything or much foiled, I away to
Sir W. Coventry's chamber, but he not within, then to White Hall, and
there among the ladies, and saw my Lady Castlemaine never looked so ill,
nor Mrs. Stewart neither, as in this plain, natural dress. I was not
pleased with either of them. Away, not finding [Sir] W. Coventry, and so
home, and there find my father and my brother come to towne--my father
without my expectation; but glad I am to see him. And so to supper with
him, and to work again at the office; then home, to set up all my folio
books, which are come home gilt on the backs, very handsome to the eye,
and then at midnight to bed. This night [Sir] W. Pen told me [Sir] W.
Batten swears he will have nothing to do with the Privateer if his son do
not go Lieutenant, which angers me and him; but we will be even with him,
one way or other.
4th. Up, and mighty betimes, to [Sir] W. Coventry, to give him an account
of yesterday's work, which do give him good content. He did then tell me
his speech lately to the House in his owne vindication about the report of
his selling of places, he having a small occasion offered him by chance,
which he did desire, and took, and did it to his content, and, he says, to
the House's seeming to approve of it by their hum. He confessed how long
he had done it, and how he desired to have something else; and, since
then, he had taken nothing, and challenged all the world. I was glad of
this also. Thence up to the Duke of York, by appointment, with fellow
officers, to complaine, but to no purpose, of want of money, and so away.
I to Sir G. Carteret, to his lodging, and here discoursed much of the want
of money and our being designed for destruction. How the King hath lost
his power, by submitting himself to this way of examining his accounts,
and is become but as a private man. He says the King is troubled at it,
but they talk an entry shall be made, that it is not to be brought into
example; that the King must, if they do not agree presently, make them a
courageous speech, which he says he may do, the City of London being now
burned, and himself master of an army, better than any prince before him,
and so I believe. Thence home, about noon, to dinner. After dinner the
book binder come, and I sent by him some more books to gild. I to the
office all day, and spent most of it with Sir W. Warren, whom I have had
no discourse with a great while, and when all is done I do find him a
mighty wise man as any I know, and his counsel as much to be followed.
Late with Mr. Hater upon comparing the charge and husbandry of the last
Dutch war with ours now, and do find good roome to think we have done
little worse than they, whereof good use may and will be made. So home to
supper, and to bed.
5th. Up, and with my father talking awhile, then to the office, and there
troubled with a message from Lord Peterborough about money; but I did give
as kind answer as I could, though I hate him. Then to Sir G. Carteret to
discourse about paying of part of the great ships come in, and so home
again to compare the comparison of the two Dutch wars' charges for [Sir]
W. Coventry, and then by water (and saw old Mr. Michell digging like a
painfull father for his son) to him, and find him at dinner. After dinner
to look over my papers, and comparing them with some notes of his and
brought me, the sight of some good Navy notes of his which I shall get.
Then examined and liked well my notes, and away together to White Hall, in
the way discoursing the inconvenience of the King's being thus subject to
an account, but it will be remedied for the time to come, he thinks, if we
can get this over, and I find he will have the Comptroller's business
better done, swearing he will never be for a wit to be employed on
business again. Thence I home, and back again to White Hall, and meeting
Sir H. Cholmly to White Hall; there walked till night that the Committee
come down, and there Sir W. Coventry tells me that the Subcommittee have
made their report to the Grand Committee, and in pretty kind terms, and
have agreed upon allowing us L4 per head, which I am sure will do the
business, but he had endeavoured to have got more, but this do well, and
he and I are both mighty glad it is come to this, and the heat of the
present business seems almost over. But I have more worke cut out for me,
to prepare a list of the extraordinaries, not to be included within the
L4, against Monday. So I away from him, and met with the
Vice-Chamberlain, and I told him when I had this evening in coming hither
met with Captain Cocke, and he told me of a wild motion made in the House
of Lords by the Duke of Buckingham for all men that had cheated the King
to be declared traitors and felons, and that my Lord Sandwich was named.
This put me into a great pain, so the Vice-Chamberlain, who had heard
nothing of it, having been all day in the City, away with me to White
Hall; and there come to me and told me that, upon Lord Ashly's asking
their direction whether, being a peere, he should bring in his accounts to
the Commons, which they did give way to, the Duke of Buckingham did move
that, for the time to come, what I have written above might be declared by
some fuller law than heretofore. Lord Ashly answered, that it was not the
fault of the present laws, but want of proof; and so said the Lord
Chancellor. He answered, that a better law, he thought, might be made so
the House laughing, did refer it to him to bring in a Bill to that
purpose, and this was all. So I away with joyful heart home, calling on
Cocke and telling him the same. So I away home to the office to clear my
Journall for five days, and so home to supper and to bed, my father who
had staid out late and troubled me thereat being come home well and gone
to bed, which pleases me also. This day, coming home, Mr. Kirton's
kinsman, my bookseller, come in my way; and so I am told by him that Mr.
Kirton is utterly undone, and made 2 or L3000 worse than nothing, from
being worth 7 or L8,000. That the goods laid in the Churchyarde fired
through the windows those in St. Fayth's church; and those coming to the
warehouses' doors fired them, and burned all the books and the pillars of
the church, so as the roof falling down, broke quite down, which it did
not do in the other places of the church, which is alike pillared (which I
knew not before); but being not burned, they stand still. He do believe
there is above; L50,000 of books burned; all the great booksellers almost
undone: not only these, but their warehouses at their Hall, and under
Christchurch, and elsewhere being all burned. A great want thereof there
will be of books, specially Latin books and foreign books; and, among
others, the Polyglottes and new Bible, which he believes will be presently
worth L40 a-piece.
6th. Up, and having seen my brother in his cassocke, which I am not the
most satisfied in, being doubtfull at this time what course to have him
profess too soon. To the office and there busy about a list of the
extraordinaries of the charge of the fleete this war; and was led to go to
the office of the ordnance to be satisfied in something, and find their
accounts and books kept in mighty good order, but that they can give no
light, nor will the nature of their affairs permit it to tell what the
charge of the ordnance comes to a man a month. So home again and to
dinner, there coming Creed to me; but what with business and my hatred to
the man, I did not spend any time with him, but after dinner [my] wife and
he and I took coach and to Westminster, but he 'light about Paul's, and
set her at her tailor's, and myself to St. James's, but there missing
[Sir] W. Coventry, returned and took up my wife, and calling at the
Exchange home, whither Sir H. Cholmly come to visit me, but my business
suffered me not to stay with him. So he gone I by water to Westminster
Hall and thence to St. James's, and there found [Sir] W. Coventry waiting
for me, and I did give him a good account to his mind of the business he
expected about extraordinaries and then fell to other talke, among others,
our sad condition contracted by want of a Comptroller;
[As Sir John Minnes performed the duties inefficiently, it was
considered necessary to take the office from him: See January 21st.]
and it was his words, that he believes, besides all the shame and trouble
he hath brought on the office, the King had better have given L100,000
than ever have had him there. He did discourse about some of these
discontented Parliament-men, and says that Birch is a false rogue, but
that Garraway is a man that hath not been well used by the Court, though
very stout to death, and hath suffered all that is possible for the King
from the beginning. But discontented as he is, yet he never knew a
Session of Parliament but he hath done some good deed for the King before
it rose. I told him the passage Cocke told me of his having begged a
brace of bucks of the Lord Arlington for him, and when it come to him, he
sent it back again. Sir W. Coventry told me, it is much to be pitied that
the King should lose the service of a man so able and faithfull; and that
he ought to be brought over, but that it is always observed, that by
bringing over one discontented man, you raise up three in his room; which
is a State lesson I never knew before. But when others discover your
fear, and that discontent procures favour, they will be discontented too,
and impose on you. Thence to White Hall and got a coach and home, and
there did business late, and so home and set up my little books of one of
my presses come home gilt, which pleases me mightily, and then to bed.
This morning my wife told me of a fine gentlewoman my Lady Pen tells her
of, for L20 per annum, that sings, dances, plays on four or five
instruments and many other fine things, which pleases me mightily: and she
sent to have her see her, which she did this afternoon; but sings basely,
and is a tawdry wench that would take L8, but [neither] my wife nor I
think her fit to come.
7th (Lord's day). Up, and after visiting my father in his chamber, to
church, and then home to dinner. Little Michell and his wife come to dine
with us, which they did, and then presently after dinner I with Sir J.
Minnes to White Hall, where met by Sir W. Batten and Lord Bruncker, to
attend the King and Duke of York at the Cabinet; but nobody had determined
what to speak of, but only in general to ask for money. So I was forced
immediately to prepare in my mind a method of discoursing. And anon we
were called in to the Green Room, where the King, Duke of York, Prince
Rupert, Lord Chancellor, Lord Treasurer, Duke of Albemarle, [Sirs] G.
Carteret, W. Coventry, Morrice. Nobody beginning, I did, and made a
current, and I thought a good speech, laying open the ill state of the
Navy: by the greatness of the debt; greatness of work to do against next
yeare; the time and materials it would take; and our incapacity, through a
total want of money. I had no sooner done, but Prince Rupert rose up and
told the King in a heat, that whatever the gentleman had said, he had
brought home his fleete in as good a condition as ever any fleete was
brought home; that twenty boats would be as many as the fleete would want:
and all the anchors and cables left in the storm might be taken up again.
This arose from my saying, among other things we had to do, that the
fleete was come in--the greatest fleete that ever his Majesty had yet
together, and that in as bad condition as the enemy or weather could put
it; and to use Sir W. Pen's words, who is upon the place taking a survey,
he dreads the reports he is to receive from the Surveyors of its defects.
I therefore did only answer, that I was sorry for his Highness's offence,
but that what I said was but the report we received from those entrusted
in the fleete to inform us. He muttered and repeated what he had said;
and so, after a long silence on all hands, nobody, not so much as the Duke
of Albemarle, seconding the Prince, nor taking notice of what he said, we
withdrew. I was not a little troubled at this passage, and the more when
speaking with Jacke Fenn about it, he told me that the Prince will be
asking now who this Pepys is, and find him to be a creature of my Lord
Sandwich's, and therefore this was done only to disparage him. Anon they
broke, up, and Sir W. Coventry come out; so I asked his advice. He told
me he had said something to salve it, which was, that his Highnesse had,
he believed, rightly informed the King that the fleete is come in good
condition to have staid out yet longer, and have fought the enemy, but yet
that Mr. Pepys his meaning might be, that, though in so good condition, if
they should come in and lie all the winter, we shall be very loth to send
them to sea for another year's service with[out] great repairs. He said
it would be no hurt if I went to him, and showed him the report himself
brought up from the fleete, where every ship, by the Commander's report,
do need more or less, and not to mention more of Sir W. Pen for doing him
a mischief. So I said I would, but do not think that all this will redound
to my hurt, because the truth of what I said will soon appear. Thence,
having been informed that, after all this pains, the King hath found out
how to supply us with 5 or L6000, when L100,000 were at this time but
absolutely necessary, and we mentioned L50,000. This is every day a
greater and greater omen of ruine. God fit us for it! Sir J. Minnes and
I home (it raining) by coach, calling only on Sir G. Cartefet at his
lodging (who is I find troubled at my Lord Treasurer and Sir Ph. Warwicke
bungling in his accounts), and come home to supper with my father, and
then all to bed. I made my brother in his cassocke to say grace this day,
but I like his voice so ill that I begin to be sorry he hath taken this
order upon him.
8th. Up and to my office, called up by Commissioner Middleton, newly come
to town, but staid not with me; so I to my office busy all the morning.
Towards noon, by water to Westminster Hall, and there by several hear that
the Parliament do resolve to do something to retrench Sir G. Carteret's
great salary; but cannot hear of any thing bad they can lay to his charge.
The House did this day order to be engrossed the Bill against importing
Irish cattle; a thing, it seems, carried on by the Western Parliament-men,
wholly against the sense of most of the rest of the House; who think if
you do this, you give the Irish again cause to rebel. Thus plenty on both
sides makes us mad. The Committee of the Canary Company of both factions
come to me for my Cozen Roger that is of the Committee. Thence with [Sir]
W. Coventry when the House rose and [Sir] W. Batten to St. James's, and
there agreed of and signed our paper of extraordinaries, and there left
them, and I to Unthanke's, where Mr. Falconbridge's girle is, and by and
by comes my wife, who likes her well, though I confess I cannot (though
she be of my finding out and sings pretty well), because she will be
raised from so mean a condition to so high all of a sudden; but she will
be much to our profit, more than Mercer, less expense. Here we bespoke
anew gowne for her, and to come to us on Friday. She being gone, my wife
and I home by coach, and then I presently by water with Mr. Pierce to
Westminster Hall, he in the way telling me how the Duke of York and Duke
of Albemarle do not agree. The Duke of York is wholly given up to this
bitch of Denham. The Duke of Albemarle and Prince Rupert do less agree.
So that we are all in pieces, and nobody knows what will be done the next
year. The King hath yesterday in Council declared his resolution of
setting a fashion for clothes, which he will never alter.
[There are several references to this new fashion of dress
introduced by the king, Pepys saw the Duke of York put on the vest
on the 13th, and he says Charles II. himself put it on on the 15th.
On November 4th Pepys dressed himself in the new vest and coat. See
notes, October 15th and November 22nd.]
It will be a vest, I know not well how; but it is to teach the nobility
thrift, and will do good. By and by comes down from the Committee [Sir]
W. Coventry, and I find him troubled at several things happened this
afternoon, which vexes me also; our business looking worse and worse, and
our worke growing on our hands. Time spending, and no money to set
anything in hand with; the end thereof must be speedy ruine. The Dutch
insult and have taken off Bruant's head,
[Captain Du Buat, a Frenchman in the Dutch service, plotted with two
magistrates of Rotterdam to obtain a peace with England as the
readiest means of pressing the elevation of the Prince of Orange to
the office of Captain-General. He was brought before the Supreme
Court of Holland, condemned, and executed. He had been one of the
household of the Prince of Orange who were dismissed by De Witt.]
which they have not dared to do (though found guilty of the fault he did
die for, of something of the Prince of Orange's faction) till just now,
which speaks more confidence in our being worse than before. Alderman
Maynell, I hear, is dead. Thence returned in the darke by coach all
alone, full of thoughts of the consequences of this ill complexion of
affairs, and how to save myself and the little I have, which if I can do,
I have cause to bless God that I am so well, and shall be well contented
to retreat to Brampton, and spend the rest of my days there. So to my
office, and did some business, and finished my Journall with resolutions,
if God bless me, to apply myself soberly to settle all matters for myself,
and expect the event of all with comfort. So home to supper and to bed.