Diary of Samuel Pepys, September 1665
S >>
Samuel Pepys >> Diary of Samuel Pepys, September 1665
21st. Up between five and six o'clock; and by the time I was ready, my
Lord's coach comes for me; and taking Will Hewer with me, who is all in
mourning for his father, who is lately dead of the plague, as my boy Tom's
is also, I set out, and took about L100 with me to pay the fees there, and
so rode in some fear of robbing. When I come thither, I find only Mr.
Ward, who led me to Burgess's bedside, and Spicer's, who, watching of the
house, as it is their turns every night, did lie long in bed to-day, and I
find nothing at all done in my business, which vexed me. But not seeing
how to helpe it I did walk up and down with Mr. Ward to see the house; and
by and by Spicer and Mr. Falconbrige come to me and he and I to a towne
near by, Yowell, there drink and set up my horses and also bespoke a
dinner, and while that is dressing went with Spicer and walked up and down
the house and park; and a fine place it hath heretofore been, and a fine
prospect about the house. A great walk of an elme and a walnutt set one
after another in order. And all the house on the outside filled with
figures of stories, and good painting of Rubens' or Holben's doing. And
one great thing is, that most of the house is covered, I mean the posts,
and quarters in the walls; covered with lead, and gilded. I walked into
the ruined garden, and there found a plain little girle, kinswoman of Mr.
Falconbridge, to sing very finely by the eare only, but a fine way of
singing, and if I come ever to lacke a girle again I shall think of
getting her. Thence to the towne, and there Spicer, Woodruffe, and W.
Bowyer and I dined together and a friend of Spicer's; and a good dinner I
had for them. Falconbrige dined somewhere else, by appointment. Strange
to see how young W. Bowyer looks at 41 years; one would not take him for
24 or more, and is one of the greatest wonders I ever did see. After
dinner, about 4 of the clock we broke up, and I took coach and home (in
fear for the money I had with me, but that this friend of Spicer's, one of
the Duke's guard did ride along the best part of the way with us). I got
to my Lord Bruncker's before night, and there I sat and supped with him
and his mistresse, and Cocke whose boy is yet ill. Thence, after losing a
crowne betting at Tables--[Cribbage]--, we walked home, Cocke seeing me at
my new lodging, where I went to bed. All my worke this day in the coach
going and coming was to refresh myself in my musique scale, which I would
fain have perfecter than ever I had yet.
22nd. Up betimes and to the office, meaning to have entered my last 5 or
6 days' Journall, but was called away by my Lord Bruncker and Sir J.
Minnes, and to Blackwall, there to look after the storehouses in order to
the laying of goods out of the East India ships when they shall be
unloaden. That being done, we into Johnson's house, and were much made
of, eating and drinking. But here it is observable what he tells us, that
in digging his late Docke, he did 12 foot under ground find perfect trees
over-covered with earth. Nut trees, with the branches and the very nuts
upon them; some of whose nuts he showed us. Their shells black with age,
and their kernell, upon opening, decayed, but their shell perfectly hard
as ever. And a yew tree he showed us (upon which, he says, the very ivy
was taken up whole about it), which upon cutting with an addes [adze], we
found to be rather harder than the living tree usually is. They say, very
much, but I do not know how hard a yew tree naturally is.
[The same discovery was made in 1789, in digging the Brunswick Dock,
also at Blackwall, and elsewhere in the neighbourhood.]
The armes, they say, were taken up at first whole, about the body, which
is very strange. Thence away by water, and I walked with my Lord Bruncker
home, and there at dinner comes a letter from my Lord Sandwich to tell me
that he would this day be at Woolwich, and desired me to meet him. Which
fearing might have lain in Sir J. Minnes' pocket a while, he sending it
me, did give my Lord Bruncker, his mistress, and I occasion to talk of him
as the most unfit man for business in the world. Though at last
afterwards I found that he was not in this faulty, but hereby I have got a
clear evidence of my Lord Bruncker's opinion of him. My Lord Bruncker
presently ordered his coach to be ready and we to Woolwich, and my Lord
Sandwich not being come, we took a boat and about a mile off met him in
his Catch, and boarded him, and come up with him; and, after making a
little halt at my house, which I ordered, to have my wife see him, we all
together by coach to Mr. Boreman's, where Sir J. Minnes did receive him
very handsomely, and there he is to lie; and Sir J. Minnes did give him on
the sudden, a very handsome supper and brave discourse, my Lord Bruncker,
and Captain Cocke, and Captain Herbert being there, with myself. Here my
Lord did witness great respect to me, and very kind expressions, and by
other occasions, from one thing to another did take notice how I was
overjoyed at first to see the King's letter to his Lordship, and told them
how I did kiss it, and that, whatever he was, I did always love the King.
This my Lord Bruncker did take such notice [of] as that he could not
forbear kissing me before my Lord, professing his finding occasion every
day more and more to love me, and Captain Cocke has since of himself taken
notice of that speech of my Lord then concerning me, and may be of good
use to me. Among other discourse concerning long life, Sir J. Minnes
saying that his great-grandfather was alive in Edward the Vth's time; my
Lord Sandwich did tell us how few there have been of his family since King
Harry the VIIIth; that is to say, the then Chiefe Justice, and his son the
Lord Montagu, who was father to Sir Sidney,
[These are the words in the MS., and not "his son and the Lord
Montagu," as in some former editions. Pepys seems to have written
Lord Montagu by mistake for Sir Edward Montagu.]
who was his father. And yet, what is more wonderfull, he did assure us
from the mouth of my Lord Montagu himself, that in King James's time
([when he] had a mind to get the King to cut off the entayle of some land
which was given in Harry the VIIIth's time to the family, with the
remainder in the Crowne); he did answer the King in showing how unlikely
it was that ever it could revert to the Crown, but that it would be a
present convenience to him; and did show that at that time there were
4,000 persons derived from the very body of the Chiefe Justice. It seems
the number of daughters in the family having been very great, and
they too had most of them many children, and grandchildren, and
great-grandchildren. This he tells as a most known and certain truth.
After supper, my Lord Bruncker took his leave, and I also did mine, taking
Captain Herbert home to my lodging to lie with me, who did mighty
seriously inquire after who was that in the black dress with my wife
yesterday, and would not believe that it was my wife's mayde, Mercer,
but it was she.
23rd. Up, and to my Lord Sandwich, who did advise alone with me how far
he might trust Captain Cocke in the business of the prize-goods, my Lord
telling me that he hath taken into his hands 2 or L3000 value of them: it
being a good way, he says, to get money, and afterwards to get the King's
allowance thereof, it being easier, he observes, to keepe money when got
of the King than to get it when it is too late. I advised him not to
trust Cocke too far, and did therefore offer him ready money for a L1000
or two, which he listens to and do agree to, which is great joy to me,
hoping thereby to get something! Thence by coach to Lambeth, his
Lordship, and all our office, and Mr. Evelyn, to the Duke of Albemarle,
where, after the compliment with my Lord very kind, we sat down to consult
of the disposing and supporting of the fleete with victuals and money, and
for the sicke men and prisoners; and I did propose the taking out some
goods out of the prizes, to the value of L10,000, which was accorded to,
and an order, drawn up and signed by the Duke and my Lord, done in the
best manner I can, and referred to my Lord Bruncker and Sir J. Minnes, but
what inconveniences may arise from it I do not yet see, but fear there may
be many. Here we dined, and I did hear my Lord Craven whisper, as he is
mightily possessed with a good opinion of me, much to my advantage, which
my good Lord did second, and anon my Lord Craven did speak publiquely of
me to the Duke, in the hearing of all the rest; and the Duke did say
something of the like advantage to me; I believe, not much to the
satisfaction of my brethren; but I was mightily joyed at it. Thence took
leave, leaving my Lord Sandwich to go visit the Bishop of Canterbury, and
I and Sir W. Batten down to the Tower, where he went further by water, and
I home, and among other things took out all my gold to carry along with me
to-night with Captain Cocke downe to the fleete, being L180 and more,
hoping to lay out that and a great deal more to good advantage. Thence
down to Greenwich to the office, and there wrote several letters, and so
to my Lord Sandwich, and mighty merry and he mighty kind to me in the face
of all, saying much in my favour, and after supper I took leave and with
Captain Cocke set out in the yacht about ten o'clock at night, and after
some discourse, and drinking a little, my mind full of what we are going
about and jealous of Cocke's outdoing me. So to sleep upon beds brought by
Cocke on board mighty handsome, and never slept better than upon this bed
upon the floor in the Cabbin.
24th (Lord's day). Waked, and up and drank, and then to discourse; and
then being about Grayes, and a very calme, curious morning, we took our
wherry, and to the fishermen, and bought a great deal of fine fish, and to
Gravesend to White's, and had part of it dressed; and, in the meantime, we
to walk about a mile from the towne, and so back again; and there, after
breakfast, one of our watermen told us he had heard of a bargain of cloves
for us, and we went to a blind alehouse at the further end wretched dirty
seamen, who, of the towne to a couple of poor wretches, had got together
about 37 lb. of cloves and to 10 of nutmeggs, and we bought them of them,
the first at 5s. 6d. per lb. and the latter at 4s.; and paid them in
gold; but, Lord! to see how silly these men are in the selling of it, and
easily to be persuaded almost to anything, offering a bag to us to pass as
20 lbs. of cloves, which upon weighing proved 25 lbs. But it would never
have been allowed by my conscience to have wronged the poor wretches, who
told us how dangerously they had got some, and dearly paid for the rest of
these goods. This being done we with great content herein on board again
and there Captain Cocke and I to discourse of our business, but he will
not yet be open to me, nor am I to him till I hear what he will say and do
with Sir Roger Cuttance. However, this discourse did do me good, and got
me a copy of the agreement made the other day on board for the parcel of
Mr. Pierce and Sir Roger Cuttance, but this great parcel is of my Lord
Sandwich's. By and by to dinner about 3 o'clock and then I in the cabbin
to writing down my journall for these last seven days to my, great
content, it having pleased God that in this sad time of the plague every
thing else has conspired to my happiness and pleasure more for these last
three months than in all my, life before in so little time. God long
preserve it and make me thankful) for it! After finishing my Journal),
then to discourse and to read, and then to supper and to bed, my mind not
being at full ease, having not fully satisfied myself how Captain Cocke
will deal with me as to the share of the profits.
25th. Found ourselves come to the fleete, and so aboard the Prince; and
there, after a good while in discourse, we did agree a bargain of L5,000
with Sir Roger Cuttance for my Lord Sandwich for silk, cinnamon, nutmeggs,
and indigo. And I was near signing to an undertaking for the payment of
the whole sum; but I did by chance escape it; having since, upon second
thoughts, great cause to be glad of it, reflecting upon the craft and not
good condition, it may be, of Captain Cocke. I could get no trifles for
my wife. Anon to dinner and thence in great haste to make a short visit
to Sir W. Pen, where I found them and his lady and daughter and many
commanders at dinner. Among others Sir G. Askue, of whom whatever the
matter is, the world is silent altogether. But a very pretty dinner there
was, and after dinner Sir W. Pen made a bargain with Cocke for ten bales
of silke, at 16s. per lb., which, as Cocke says, will be a good
pennyworth, and so away to the Prince and presently comes my Lord on board
from Greenwich, with whom, after a little discourse about his trusting of
Cocke, we parted and to our yacht; but it being calme, we to make haste,
took our wherry toward Chatham; but, it growing darke, we were put to
great difficultys, our simple, yet confident waterman, not knowing a step
of the way; and we found ourselves to go backward and forward, which, in
the darke night and a wild place, did vex us mightily. At last we got a
fisher boy by chance, and took him into the boat, and being an odde kind
of boy, did vex us too; for he would not answer us aloud when we spoke to
him, but did carry us safe thither, though with a mistake or two; but I
wonder they were not more. In our way I was [surprised] and so were we
all, at the strange nature of the sea-water in a darke night, that it
seemed like fire upon every stroke of the oare, and, they say, is a sign
of winde. We went to the Crowne Inne, at Rochester, and there to supper,
and made ourselves merry with our poor fisher-boy, who told us he had not
been in a bed in the whole seven years since he came to 'prentice, and
hath two or three more years to serve. After eating something, we in our
clothes to bed.
26th. Up by five o'clock and got post horses and so set out for
Greenwich, calling and drinking at Dartford. Being come to Greenwich and
shifting myself I to the office, from whence by and by my Lord Bruncker
and Sir J. Minnes set out toward Erith to take charge of the two East
India shipps, which I had a hand in contriving for the King's service and
may do myself a good office too thereby. I to dinner with Mr. Wright to
his father-in-law in Greenwich, one of the most silly, harmless, prating
old men that ever I heard in my life. Creed dined with me, and among
other discourses got of me a promise of half that he could get my Lord
Rutherford to give me upon clearing his business, which should not be
less, he says, than L50 for my half, which is a good thing, though
cunningly got of him. By and by Luellin comes, and I hope to get
something of Deering shortly. They being gone, Mr. Wright and I went into
the garden to discourse with much trouble for fear of losing all the
profit and principal of what we have laid out in buying of prize goods,
and therefore puts me upon thoughts of flinging up my interest, but yet I
shall take good advice first. Thence to the office, and after some
letters down to Woolwich, where I have not lain with my wife these eight
days I think, or more. After supper, and telling her my mind in my
trouble in what I have done as to buying' of these goods, we to bed.
27th. Up, and saw and admired my wife's picture of our Saviour,
[This picture by Mrs. Pepys may have given trouble when Pepys was
unjustifiably attacked for having Popish pictures in his house.]
now finished, which is very pretty. So by water to Greenwich, where with
Creed and Lord Rutherford, and there my Lord told me that he would give me
L100 for my pains, which pleased me well, though Creed, like a cunning
rogue, hath got a promise of half of it from me. We to the King's Head,
the great musique house, the first time I was ever there, and had a good
breakfast, and thence parted, I being much troubled to hear from Creed,
that he was told at Salsbury that I am come to be a great swearer and
drinker, though I know the contrary; but, Lord! to see how my late little
drinking of wine is taken notice of by envious men to my disadvantage. I
thence to Captain Cocke's, [and] (he not yet come from town) to Mr.
Evelyn's, where much company; and thence in his coach with him to the Duke
of Albemarle by Lambeth, who was in a mighty pleasant humour; there the
Duke tells us that the Dutch do stay abroad, and our fleet must go out
again, or to be ready to do so. Here we got several things ordered as we
desired for the relief of the prisoners, and sick and wounded men. Here I
saw this week's Bill of Mortality, wherein, blessed be God! there is above
1800 decrease, being the first considerable decrease we have had. Back
again the same way and had most excellent discourse of Mr. Evelyn touching
all manner of learning; wherein I find him a very fine gentleman, and
particularly of paynting, in which he tells me the beautifull Mrs.
Middleton is rare, and his own wife do brave things. He brought me to the
office, whither comes unexpectedly Captain Cocke, who hath brought one
parcel of our goods by waggons, and at first resolved to have lodged them
at our office; but then the thoughts of its being the King's house altered
our resolution, and so put them at his friend's, Mr. Glanvill's, and there
they are safe. Would the rest of them were so too! In discourse, we come
to mention my profit, and he offers me L500 clear, and I demand L600 for
my certain profit. We part to-night, and I lie there at Mr. Glanvill's
house, there being none there but a maydeservant and a young man; being in
some pain, partly from not knowing what to do in this business, having a
mind to be at a certainty in my profit, and partly through his having
Jacke sicke still, and his blackemore now also fallen sicke. So he being
gone, I to bed.
28th. Up, and being mightily pleased with my night's lodging, drank a cup
of beer, and went out to my office, and there did some business, and so
took boat and down to Woolwich (having first made a visit to Madam
Williams, who is going down to my Lord Bruncker) and there dined, and then
fitted my papers and money and every thing else for a journey to Nonsuch
to-morrow. That being done I walked to Greenwich, and there to the office
pretty late expecting Captain Cocke's coming, which he did, and so with me
to my new lodging (and there I chose rather to lie because of my interest
in the goods that we have brought there to lie), but the people were abed,
so we knocked them up, and so I to bed, and in the night was mightily
troubled with a looseness (I suppose from some fresh damp linen that I put
on this night), and feeling for a chamber-pott, there was none, I having
called the mayde up out of her bed, she had forgot I suppose to put one
there; so I was forced in this strange house to rise and shit in the
chimney twice; and so to bed and was very well again, and
29th. To sleep till 5 o'clock, when it is now very dark, and then rose,
being called up by order by Mr. Marlow, and so up and dressed myself, and
by and by comes Mr. Lashmore on horseback, and I had my horse I borrowed
of Mr. Gillthropp, Sir W. Batten's clerke, brought to me, and so we set
out and rode hard and was at Nonsuch by about eight o'clock, a very fine
journey and a fine day. There I come just about chappell time and so I
went to chappell with them and thence to the several offices about my
tallys, which I find done, but strung for sums not to my purpose, and so
was forced to get them to promise me to have them cut into other sums.
But, Lord! what ado I had to persuade the dull fellows to it, especially
Mr. Warder, Master of the Pells, and yet without any manner of reason for
their scruple. But at last I did, and so left my tallies there against
another day, and so walked to Yowell, and there did spend a peece upon
them, having a whole house full, and much mirth by a sister of the
mistresse of the house, an old mayde lately married to a lieutenant of a
company that quarters there, and much pleasant discourse we had and,
dinner being done, we to horse again and come to Greenwich before night,
and so to my lodging, and there being a little weary sat down and fell to
order some of my pocket papers, and then comes Captain Cocke, and after a
great deal of discourse with him seriously upon the disorders of our state
through lack of men to mind the public business and to understand it, we
broke up, sitting up talking very late. We spoke a little of my late
business propounded of taking profit for my money laid out for these
goods, but he finds I rise in my demand, he offering me still L500
certain. So we did give it over, and I to bed. I hear for certain this
night upon the road that Sir Martin Noell is this day dead of the plague
in London, where he hath lain sick of it these eight days.
30th. Up and to the office, where busy all the morning, and at noon with
Sir W. Batten to Coll. Cleggat to dinner, being invited, where a very
pretty dinner to my full content and very merry. The great burden we have
upon us at this time at the office, is the providing for prisoners and
sicke men that are recovered, they lying before our office doors all night
and all day, poor wretches. Having been on shore, the captains won't
receive them on board, and other ships we have not to put them on, nor
money to pay them off, or provide for them. God remove this difficulty!
This made us followed all the way to this gentleman's house and there are
waited for our coming out after dinner. Hither come Luellin to me and
would force me to take Mr. Deering's 20 pieces in gold he did offer me a
good while since, which I did, yet really and sincerely against my will
and content, I seeing him a man not likely to do well in his business, nor
I to reap any comfort in having to do with, and be beholden to, a man that
minds more his pleasure and company than his business. Thence mighty
merry and much pleased with the dinner and company and they with me I
parted and there was set upon by the poor wretches, whom I did give good
words and some little money to, and the poor people went away like lambs,
and in good earnest are not to be censured if their necessities drive them
to bad courses of stealing or the like, while they lacke wherewith to
live. Thence to the office, and there wrote a letter or two and
dispatched a little business, and then to Captain Cocke's, where I find
Mr. Temple, the fat blade, Sir Robert. Viner's chief man. And we three
and two companions of his in the evening by agreement took ship in the
Bezan and the tide carried us no further than Woolwich about 8 at night,
and so I on shore to my wife, and there to my great trouble find my wife
out of order, and she took me downstairs and there alone did tell me her
falling out with both her mayds and particularly Mary, and how Mary had to
her teeth told her she would tell me of something that should stop her
mouth and words of that sense. Which I suspect may be about Brown, but my
wife prays me to call it to examination, and this, I being of myself
jealous, do make me mightily out of temper, and seeing it not fit to enter
into the dispute did passionately go away, thinking to go on board again.
But when I come to the stairs I considered the Bezan would not go till the
next ebb, and it was best to lie in a good bed and, it may be, get myself
into a better humour by being with my wife. So I back again and to bed
and having otherwise so many reasons to rejoice and hopes of good profit,
besides considering the ill that trouble of mind and melancholly may in
this sickly time bring a family into, and that if the difference were
never so great, it is not a time to put away servants, I was resolved to
salve up the business rather than stir in it, and so become pleasant with
my wife and to bed, minding nothing of this difference. So to sleep with
a good deal of content, and saving only this night and a day or two about
the same business a month or six weeks ago, I do end this month with the
greatest content, and may say that these last three months, for joy,
health, and profit, have been much the greatest that ever I received in
all my life in any twelve months almost in my life, having nothing upon me
but the consideration of the sicklinesse of the season during this great
plague to mortify mee. For all which the Lord God be praised!
ETEXT EDITOR'S BOOKMARKS:
And feeling for a chamber-pott, there was none
Discourse of Mr. Evelyn touching all manner of learning
Fell to sleep as if angry
King himself minding nothing but his ease
Not to be censured if their necessities drive them to bad
Ordered him L2000, and he paid me my quantum out of it
Sicke men that are recovered, they lying before our office doors
Told us he had not been in a bed in the whole seven years