Diary of Samuel Pepys — Volume 55: July 1667

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Title: Diary of Samuel Pepys — Volume 55: July 1667
Author: Pepys, Samuel, 1633-1703
Language: English
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*** Start of this LibraryBlog Digital Book "Diary of Samuel Pepys — Volume 55: July 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.
JULY
1667

July 1st. Up betimes, about 9 o'clock, waked by a damned noise between a
sow gelder and a cow and a dog, nobody after we were up being able to tell
us what it was. After being ready we took coach, and, being very sleepy,
droused most part of the way to Gravesend, and there 'light, and down to
the new batterys, which are like to be very fine, and there did hear a
plain fellow cry out upon the folly of the King's officers above, to spend
so much money in works at Woolwich and Deptford, and sinking of good ships
loaden with goods, when, if half the charge had been laid out here, it
would have secured all that, and this place too, before now. And I think
it is not only true in this, but that the best of the actions of us all
are so silly, that the meanest people begin to see through them, and
contemn them. Besides, says he, they spoil the river by it. Then informed
ourselves where we might have some creame, and they guided us to one Goody
Best's, a little out of the towne towards London road, and thither we went
with the coach, and find it a mighty clean, plain house, and had a dish of
very good creame to our liking, and so away presently very merry, and fell
to reading of the several Advices to a Painter, which made us good sport,
and indeed are very witty, and Creed did also repeat to me some of the
substance of letters of old Burleigh in Queen Elizabeth's time, which he
hath of late read in the printed Cabbala, which is a very fine style at
this day and fit to be imitated. With this, and talking and laughing at
the folly of our masters in the management of things at this day, we got
home by noon, where all well, and then to dinner, and after dinner both of
us laid down upon the couch and chairs and to sleep, which I did for an
hour or two, and then to the office, where I am sorry to hear that Sir J.
Minnes is likely to die this night, or to-morrow, I forgot to set down
that we met this morning upon the road with Mrs. Williams going down to my
Lord Bruncker; we bowed without speaking one to another, but I am ashamed
at the folly of the man to have her down at this serious busy time, when
the town and country is full of people and full of censure, and against
him particularly. At Sir W. Batten's my Lady tells me that she hears for
certain that my Lord's maid of his lodging here do give out that Mrs.
Williams hath been fain of late to sell her best clothes and jewels to get
a little money upon, which is a sad condition. Thence to the office, and
did write to my Lord Bruncker to give me a little satisfaction about the
certainty of the chain's being broke, which I begin to doubt, and the more
from Sir W. Pen's discourse. It is worth while to read my letter to him
entered in my letter book. Home in the evening to supper, and so pretty
betimes, about 10 o'clock, to bed, and slept well. This day letters are
come that my sister is very ill.

2nd. Up, and put on my new silke camelott suit, made of my cloak, and
suit now made into a vest. So to the office, where W. Pen and myself, and
Sir T. Harvy met, the first time we have had a meeting since the coming of
the Dutch upon this coast. Our only business (for we have little else to
do, nobody being willing to trust us for anything) was to speak with the
owners of six merchantmen which we have been taking up this fortnight, and
are yet in no readiness, they not fitting their ships without money
advanced to them, we owing them for what their ships have earned the last
year. So every thing stands still for money, while we want money to pay
for some of the most necessary things that we promised ready money for in
the height of our wants, as grapnells, &c. At noon home to dinner, and
after dinner my wife and Jane (mighty fine the girle) to go to see Jane's
old mistress, who was to see her, and did see my wife the other day, and
it is pleasant to hear with what kindness her old mistress speaks of this
girle, and how she would still have her, and how the wench cried when she
told her that she must come to her old mistress my wife. They gone, I to
my chamber, and there dallied a little with my maid Nell . . . . and
so to the office where busy till night, and then comes Mrs. Turner, and
walks with me in the garden to talk with me about her husband's business,
and to tell me how she hears at the other end of the town how bad our
office is spoken of by the King and Prince and Duke of Albemarle, and that
there is not a good word said of any of us but of me; and me they all do
speak mightily of, which, whether true or no, I am mighty glad to hear,
but from all put together that I hear from other people, I am likely to
pass as well as anybody. So, she gone, comes my wife and to walk in the
garden, Sir J. Minnes being still ill and so keeping us from singing, and
by and by Sir W. Pen come and walked with us and gave us a bottle of
Syder, and so we home to supper and to bed. This day I am told that poor
Tooker is dead, a very painfull poor man as ever I knew.

3rd. Up, and within most of the morning, my tailor's boy coming to alter
something in my new suit I put on yesterday. Then to the office and did
business, and then (my wife being a little ill of those in bed) I to Sir
W. Batten's and dined, and there comes in Sir Richard Ford, tells us how
he hath been at the Sessions-house, and there it is plain that there is a
combination of rogues in the town, that do make it their business to set
houses on fire, and that one house they did set on fire in Aldersgate
Streete last Easter; and that this is proved by two young men, whom one of
them debauched by degrees to steal their fathers' plate and clothes, and
at last to be of their company; and they had their places to take up what
goods were flung into the streets out of the windows, when the houses were
on fire; and this is like to be proved to a great number of rogues,
whereof five are already found, and some found guilty this day. One of
these boys is the son of a Montagu, of my Lord Manchester's family; but
whose son he could not tell me. This is a strange thing methinks, but I
am glad that it is proved so true and discovered. So home, and to enter
my Journall of my late journey to this hour, and then to the office, where
to do a little business, and then by water to White Hall (calling at
Michell's in my way, but the rogue would not invite me in, I having a mind
para voir his wife), and there to the Council-chamber, to deliver a letter
to their Lordships about the state of the six merchantmen which we have
been so long fitting out. When I come, the King and the whole table full
of Lords were hearing of a pitifull cause of a complaint of an old man,
with a great grey beard, against his son, for not allowing him something
to live on; and at last come to the ordering the son to allow his father
L10 a year. This cause lasted them near two hours; which, methinks, at
this time to be the work of the Council-board of England, is a scandalous
thing, and methought Sir W. Coventry to me did own as much. Here I find
all the newes is the enemy's landing 3,000 men near Harwich,

[Richard Browne, writing to Williamson from Aldeburgh, on July 2nd,
says: "The Dutch fleet of 80 sail has anchored in the bay; they were
expected to land, but they tacked about, and stood first northward
and then southward, close by Orford lighthouse, and have now passed
the Ness towards Harwich; they have fired no guns, but made false
fires" ("Calendar of State Papers," 1667, p. 258).]

and attacking Landguard Fort, and being beat off thence with our great
guns, killing some of their men, and they leaving their ladders behind
them; but we had no Horse in the way on Suffolk side, otherwise we might
have galled their Foot. The Duke of York is gone down thither this day,
while the General sat sleeping this afternoon at the Council-table. The
news so much talked of this Exchange, of a peace, I find by Sir Richard
Browne arises from a letter the Swedes' agent hath received from Bredah
and shewed at Court to-day, that they are come very near it, but I do not
find anybody here relying upon it. This cause being over, the Trinity
House men, whom I did not expect to meet, were called in, and there Sir W.
Pen made a formal speech in answer to a question of the King's, whether
the lying of the sunk ships in the river would spoil the river. But, Lord!
how gingerly he answered it, and with a deal of do that he did not know
whether it would be safe as to the enemy to have them taken up, but that
doubtless it would be better for the river to have them taken up.
Methought the Council found them answer like fools, and it ended in
bidding them think more of it, and bring their answer in writing. Thence
I to Westminster Hall, and there hear how they talk against the present
management of things, and against Sir W. Coventry for his bringing in of
new commanders and casting out the old seamen, which I did endeavour to
rectify Mrs. Michell and them in, letting them know that he hath opposed
it all his life the most of any man in England. After a deal of this
tittle tattle, I to Mrs. Martin's, and there she was gone in before, but
when I come, contrary to my expectation, I find her all in trouble, and
what was it for but that I have got her with child . . . . and is in
exceeding grief, and swears that the child is mine, which I do not
believe, but yet do comfort her that either it cannot be so, or if it be
that I will take care to send for her husband, though I do hardly see how
I can be sure of that, the ship being at sea, and as far as Scotland, but
however I must do it, and shall find some way or other of doing it, though
it do trouble me not a little. Thence, not pleased, away to White Hall to
Mr. Williamson, and by and by my Lord Arlington about Mr. Lanyon's
business, and it is pretty to see how Mr. Williamson did altogether excuse
himself that my business was not done when I come to my Lord and told him
my business; "Why," says my Lord, "it hath been done, and the King signed
it several days ago," and so it was and was in Mr. Williamson's hands,
which made us both laugh, and I in innocent mirth, I remember, said, it is
pretty to see in what a condition we are that all our matters now-a-days
are undone, we know not how, and done we know not when. He laughed at it,
but I have since reflected on it, and find it a severe speech as it might
be taken by a chief minister of state, as indeed Mr. Williamson is, for he
is indeed the Secretary. But we fell to other pleasant talk, and a fine
gentleman he is, and so gave him L5 for his fee, and away home, and to Sir
W. Batten's to talk a little, and then to the office to do a little
business, and so home to supper and read myself asleep, and then to bed.

4th. Up, and, in vain expecting Sir R. Ford's calling on me, I took coach
and to the Sessions-house, where I have a mind to hear Bazill Fielding's
case--[See May 9th, 1667]--tried; and so got up to the Bench, my Lord
Chief-Justice Keeling being Judge. Here I stood bare, not challenging,
though I might well enough, to be covered. But here were several fine
trials; among others, several brought in for making it their trade to set
houses on fire merely to get plunder; and all proved by the two little
boys spoken of yesterday by Sir R. Ford, who did give so good account of
particulars that I never heard children in my life. And I confess, though
I was unsatisfied with the force given to such little boys, to take away
men's lives, yet, when I was told that my Lord Chief-Justice did declare
that there was no law against taking the oath of children above twelve
years old, and then heard from Sir R. Ford the good account which the boys
had given of their understanding the nature and consequence of an oath,
and now my own observation of the sobriety and readiness of their answers,
further than of any man of any rank that come to give witness this day,
though some men of years and learning, I was a little amazed, and fully
satisfied that they ought to have as much credit as the rest. They proved
against several, their consulting several times at a bawdy-house in
Moore-Fields, called the Russia House, among many other rogueries, of
setting houses on fire, that they might gather the goods that were flung
into the streets; and it is worth considering how unsafe it is to have
children play up and down this lewd town. For these two boys, one is my
Lady Montagu's (I know not what Lady Montagu) son, and the other of good
condition, were playing in Moore-Fields, and one rogue, Gabriel Holmes,
did come to them and teach them to drink, and then to bring him plate and
clothes from their fathers' houses, and carry him into their houses, and
leaving open the doors for him, and at last were made of their conspiracy,
and were at the very burning of this house in Aldersgate Street, on Easter
Sunday at night last, and did gather up goods, as they had resolved before
and this Gabriel Holmes did advise to have had two houses set on fire, one
after another, that, while they were quenching of one, they might be
burning another. And it is pretty that G. Holmes did tell his fellows,
and these boys swore it, that he did set fire to a box of linen in the
Sheriffe, Sir Joseph Shelden's' house, while he was attending the fire in
Aldersgate Street, and the Sheriffe himself said that there was a fire in
his house, in a box of linen, at the same time, but cannot conceive how
this fellow should do it. The boys did swear against one of them, that he
had made it his part to pull the plug out of the engine while it was
a-playing; and it really was so. And goods they did carry away, and the
manner of the setting the house on fire was, that Holmes did get to a
cockpit; where, it seems, there was a publick cockpit, and set fire to the
straw in it, and hath a fire-ball at the end of the straw, which did take
fire, and so it prevailed, and burned the house; and, among other things
they carried away, he took six of the cocks that were at the cockpit; and
afterwards the boys told us how they had one dressed, by the same token it
was so hard they could not eat it. But that which was most remarkable was
the impudence of this Holmes, who hath been arraigned often, and still got
away; and on this business was taken and broke loose just at Newgate Gate;
and was last night luckily taken about Bow, who got loose, and run into
the river, and hid himself in the rushes; and they pursued him with a dog,
and the dog got him and held him till he was taken. But the impudence of
this fellow was such, that he denied he ever saw the boys before, or ever
knew the Russia House, or that the people knew him; and by and by the
mistress of the Russia House was called in, being indicted, at the same
time, about another thing; and she denied that the fellow was of her
acquaintance, when it was pretty to see how the little boys did presently
fall upon her, and ask her how she durst say so, when she was always with
them when they met at her house, and particularly when she come in in her
smock before a dozen of them, at which the Court laughed, and put the
woman away. Well, this fellow Holmes was found guilty of the act of
burning the house, and other things, that he stood indicted for. And then
there were other good cases, as of a woman that come to serve a
gentlewoman, and in three days run away, betimes in the morning, with a
great deal of plate and rings, and other good things. It was time very
well spent to be here. Here I saw how favourable the judge was to a young
gentleman that struck one of the officers, for not making him room: told
him he had endangered the loss of his hand, but that he hoped he had not
struck him, and would suppose that he had not struck him. About that the
Court rose, and I to dinner with my Lord Mayor and Sheriffs; where a good
dinner and good discourse; the judge being there. There was also tried
this morning Fielding, which I thought had been Bazilll--but it proved the
other, and Bazill was killed; that killed his brother, who was found
guilty of murder, and nobody pitied him. The judge seems to be a worthy
man, and able: and do intend, for these rogues that burned this house to
be hung in some conspicuous place in the town, for an example. After
dinner to the Court again, where I heard some more causes, but with so
much trouble because of the hot weather that I had no pleasure in it.
Anon the Court rose, and I walked to Fleet streete for my belt at the
beltmaker's, and so home and to the office, wrote some letters, and then
home to supper and to bed.

5th. Up, and to the office, where Sir W. Batten, [Sir] W. Pen, [Sir] T.
Harvy and I met upon Mr. Gawden's accounts, and was at it all the morning.
This morning Sir G. Carteret did come to us, and walked in the garden. It
was to talk with me about some thing of my Lord Sandwich's, but here he
told us that the great seale is passed to my Lord Annesly [Anglesey] for
Treasurer of the Navy: so that now he do no more belong to us: and I
confess, for his sake, I am glad of it, and do believe the other will have
little content in it. At noon I home to dinner with my wife, and after
dinner to sing, and then to the office a little and Sir W. Batten's, where
I am vexed to hear that Nan Wright, now Mrs. Markham, Sir W. Pen's mayde
and whore, is come to sit in our pew at church, and did so while my Lady
Batten was there. I confess I am very much vexed at it and ashamed. By
and by out with [Sir] W. Pen to White Hall, where I staid not, but to the
New Exchange to buy gloves and other little errands, and so home and to my
office busy till night, and then walked in the garden with my wife, and
then to supper and to sing, and so to bed. No news, but that the Dutch are
gone clear from Harwich northward, and have given out they are going to
Yarmouth.

6th. Up, and to the office, where some of us sat busy all the morning. At
noon home to dinner, whither Creed come to dine with us and brings the
first word I hear of the news of a peace, the King having letters come to
him this noon signifying that it is concluded on, and that Mr. Coventry is
upon his way coming over for the King's satisfaction. The news was so
good and sudden that I went with great joy to [Sir] W. Batten and then to
[Sir] W. Pen to tell it them, and so home to dinner, mighty merry, and
light at my heart only on this ground, that a continuing of the war must
undo us, and so though peace may do the like if we do not make good use of
it to reform ourselves and get up money, yet there is an opportunity for
us to save ourselves. At least, for my own particular, we shall continue
well till I can get my money into my hands, and then I will shift for
myself. After dinner away, leaving Creed there, by coach to Westminster,
where to the Swan and drank, and then to the Hall, and there talked a
little with great joy of the peace, and then to Mrs. Martin's, where I met
with the good news que elle ne est con child, the fear of which she did
give me the other day, had troubled me much. My joy in this made me send
for wine, and thither come her sister and Mrs. Cragg, and I staid a good
while there. But here happened the best instance of a woman's falseness
in the world, that her sister Doll, who went for a bottle of wine, did
come home all blubbering and swearing against one Captain Vandener, a
Dutchman of the Rhenish Wine House, that pulled her into a stable by the
Dog tavern, and there did tumble her and toss her, calling him all the
rogues and toads in the world, when she knows that elle hath suffered me
to do any thing with her a hundred times. Thence with joyful heart to
White Hall to ask Mr. Williamson the news, who told me that Mr. Coventry
is coming over with a project of a peace; which, if the States agree to,
and our King, when their Ministers on both sides have shewed it them, we
shall agree, and that is all: but the King, I hear, do give it out plain
that the peace is concluded. Thence by coach home, and there wrote a few
letters, and then to consult with my wife about going to Epsum to-morrow,
sometimes designing to go and then again not; and at last it grew late and
I bethought myself of business to employ me at home tomorrow, and so I did
not go. This afternoon I met with Mr. Rolt, who tells me that he is going
Cornett under Collonel Ingoldsby, being his old acquaintance, and
Ingoldsby hath a troop now from under the King, and I think it is a
handsome way for him, but it was an ominous thing, methought, just as he
was bidding me his last adieu, his nose fell a-bleeding, which ran in my
mind a pretty while after. This afternoon Sir Alexander Frazier, who was
of council for Sir J. Minnes, and had given him over for a dead man, said
to me at White Hall:--"What," says he, "Sir J. Minnes is dead." I told
him, "No! but that there is hopes of his life." Methought he looked very
sillily after it, and went his way. Late home to supper, a little
troubled at my not going to Epsum to-morrow, as I had resolved, especially
having the Duke of York and [Sir] W. Coventry out of town, but it was my
own fault and at last my judgment to stay, and so to supper and to bed.
This day, with great satisfaction, I hear that my Lady Jemimah is brought
to bed, at Hinchingbroke, of a boy.

7th (Lord's day). Up, and to my chamber, there to settle some papers, and
thither comes Mr. Moore to me and talked till church time of the news of
the times about the peace and the bad consequences of it if it be not
improved to good purpose of fitting ourselves for another war. He tells
me he heard that the discontented Parliament-men are fearful that the next
sitting the King will put for a general excise, by which to raise him
money, and then to fling off the Parliament, and raise a land-army and
keep them all down like slaves; and it is gotten among them, that Bab.
May, the Privy-purse, hath been heard to say that L300 a-year is enough
for any country gentleman; which makes them mad, and they do talk of 6 or
L800,000 gone into the Privy-purse this war, when in King James's time it
arose but to L5,000, and in King Charles's but L10,000 in a year. He tells
me that a goldsmith in town told him that, being with some plate with my
Lady Castlemayne lately, she directed her woman (the great beauty),
"Wilson," says she, "make a note for this, and for that, to the
Privy-purse for money." He tells me a little more of the baseness of the
courses taken at Court in the case of Mr. Moyer, who is at liberty, and is
to give L500 for his liberty; but now the great ones are divided, who
shall have the money, the Duke of Albemarle on one hand, and another Lord
on the other; and that it is fain to be decided by having the person's
name put into the King's warrant for his liberty, at whose intercession
the King shall own that he is set at liberty; which is a most lamentable
thing, that we do professedly own that we do these things, not for right
and justice sake, but only to gratify this or that person about the King.
God forgive us all! Busy till noon, and then home to dinner, and Mr.
Moore come and dined with us, and much more discourse at and after dinner
of the same kind, and then, he gone, I to my office busy till the evening,
and then with my wife and Jane over to Half-way house, a very good walk;
and there drank, and in the cool of the evening back again, and sang with
pleasure upon the water, and were mightily pleased in hearing a boatfull
of Spaniards sing, and so home to supper and to bed. Jane of late mighty
fine, by reason of a laced whiske her mistress hath given her, which makes
her a very gracefull servant. But, above all, my wife and I were the most
surprised in the beauty of a plain girle, which we met in the little lane
going from Redriffe-stairs into the fields, one of the prettiest faces
that we think we ever saw in our lives.

8th. Up, and to my chamber, and by and by comes Greeting, and to my
flageolett with him with a pretty deal of pleasure, and then to the
office, where [Sir] W. Batten, [Sir] W. Pen and I met about putting men to
work for the weighing of the ships in the River sunk. Then home again,
and there heard Mr. Caesar play some very good things on the lute together
with myself on the violl and Greeting on the viallin. Then with my wife
abroad by coach, she to her tailor's, I to Westminster to Burges about my
Tangier business, and thence to White Hall, where I spoke with Sir John
Nicholas, who tells me that Mr. Coventry is come from Bredah, as was
expected; but, contrary to expectation, brings with him two or three
articles which do not please the King: as, to retrench the Act of
Navigation, and then to ascertain what are contraband goods; and then that
those exiled persons, who are or shall take refuge in their country, may
be secure from any further prosecution. Whether these will be enough to
break the peace upon, or no, he cannot tell; but I perceive the certainty
of peace is blown over. So called on my wife and met Creed by the way,
and they two and I to Charing Cross, there to see the great boy and girle
that are lately come out of Ireland, the latter eight, the former but four
years old, of most prodigious bigness for their age. I tried to weigh them
in my arms, and find them twice as heavy as people almost twice their age;
and yet I am apt to believe they are very young. Their father a little
sorry fellow, and their mother an old Irish woman. They have had four
children of this bigness, and four of ordinary growth, whereof two of each
are dead. If, as my Lord Ormond certifies, it be true that they are no
older, it is very monstrous. So home and to dinner with my wife and to
pipe, and then I to the office, where busy all the afternoon till the
evening, and then with my wife by coach abroad to Bow and Stratford, it
being so dusty weather that there was little pleasure in it, and so home
and to walk in the garden, and thither comes Pelling to us to talk, and so
in and to supper, and then to bed. All the world being as I hear very
much damped that their hopes of peace is become uncertain again.

9th. Up pretty betimes and to the office, where busy till office time,
and then we sat, but nothing to do but receive clamours about money. This
day my Lord Anglesey, our new Treasurer, come the first time to the Board,
and there sat with us till noon; and I do perceive he is a very notable
man, and understanding, and will do things regular, and understand them
himself, not trust Fenn, as Sir G. Carteret did, and will solicit soundly
for money, which I do fear was Sir G. Carteret's fault, that he did not do
that enough, considering the age we live in, that nothing will do but by
solicitation, though never so good for the King or Kingdom, and a bad
business well solicited shall, for peace sake, speed when a good one shall
not. But I do confess that I do think it a very bold act of him to take
upon himself the place of Treasurer of the Navy at this time, but when I
consider that a regular accountant never ought to fear any thing nor have
reason I then do cease to wonder. At noon home to dinner and to play on
the flageolet with my wife, and then to the office, where very busy close
at my office till late at night. At night walked and sang with my wife in
the garden, and so home to supper and to bed. This evening news comes for
certain that the Dutch are with their fleete before Dover, and that it is
expected they will attempt something there. The business of the peace is
quite dashed again, so as now it is doubtful whether the King will
condescend to what the Dutch demand, it being so near the Parliament, it
being a thing that will, it may be, recommend him to them when they shall
find that the not having of a peace lies on his side by denying some of
their demands. This morning Captain Clerke (Robin Clerke) was at the
table, now commands the Monmouth, and did when the enemy passed the chaine
at Chatham the other day, who said publickly at the table that he did
admire at the order when it was brought him for sinking of the Monmouth
(to the endangering of the ship, and spoiling of all her provisions) when
her number of men were upon her that he could have carried her up the
River whither he pleased, and have-been a guard to the rest, and could
have sunk her at any time. He did carry some 100 barrels of powder out of
the ship to save it after the orders come for the sinking her. He knew no
reason at all, he declares, that could lead them to order the sinking her,
nor the rest of the great ships that were sunk, but above all admires they
would burn them on shore and sink them there, when it had been better to
have sunk them long way in the middle of the River, for then they would
not have burned them so low as now they did.

10th. Up, and to the office betimes, and there all the morning very busy
causing papers to be entered and sorted to put the office in order against
the Parliament. At noon home to dinner, and then to the office again
close all the afternoon upon the same occasion with great pleasure till
late, and then with my wife and Mercer in the garden and sung, and then
home and sung, and to supper with great content, and so to bed. The Duke
of York is come back last night from Harwich, the news he brings I know
not, nor hear anything to-day from Dover, whether the enemy have made any
attempt there as was expected. This day our girle Mary, whom Payne helped
us to, to be under his daughter, when she come to be our cook-mayde, did
go away declaring that she must be where she might earn something one day,
and spend it and play away the next. But a good civil wench, and one
neither wife nor I did ever give angry word to, but she has this silly
vanity that she must play.

11th. Up betimes and to my office, and there busy till the office (which
was only Sir T. Harvy and myself) met, and did little business and then
broke up. He tells me that the Council last night did sit close to
determine of the King's answer about the peace, and that though he do not
certainly know, yet by all discourse yesterday he do believe it is peace,
and that the King had said it should be peace, and had bidden Alderman
Baclewell to declare [it] upon the 'Change. It is high time for us to
have peace that the King and Council may get up their credits and have
time to do it, for that indeed is the bottom of all our misery, that
nobody have any so good opinion of the King and his Council and their
advice as to lend money or venture their persons, or estates, or pains
upon people that they know cannot thrive with all that we can do, but
either by their corruption or negligence must be undone. This indeed is
the very bottom of every man's thought, and the certain ground that we
must be ruined unless the King change his course, or the Parliament come
and alter it. At noon dined alone with my wife. All the afternoon close
at the office, very hard at gathering papers and putting things in order
against the Parliament, and at night home with my wife to supper, and then
to bed, in hopes to have all things in my office in good condition in a
little time for any body to examine, which I am sure none else will.

12th. Up betimes and to my chamber, there doing business, and by and by
comes Greeting and begun a new month with him, and now to learn to set
anything from the notes upon the flageolet, but, Lord! to see how like a
fool he goes about to give me direction would make a man mad. I then out
and by coach to White Hall and to the Treasury chamber, where did a little
business, and thence to the Exchequer to Burges, about Tangier business,
and so back again, stepping into the Hall a little, and then homeward by
coach, and met at White Hall with Sir H. Cholmly, and so into his coach,
and he with me to the Excise Office, there to do a little business also,
in the way he telling me that undoubtedly the peace is concluded; for he
did stand yesterday where he did hear part of the discourse at the Council
table, and there did hear the King argue for it. Among other things, that
the spirits of the seamen were down, and the forces of our enemies are
grown too great and many for us, and he would not have his subjects
overpressed; for he knew an Englishman would do as much as any man upon
hopeful terms; but where he sees he is overpressed, he despairs soon as
any other; and, besides that, they have already such a load of dejection
upon them, that they will not be in temper a good while again. He heard
my Lord Chancellor say to the King, "Sir," says he, "the whole world do
complain publickly of treachery, that things have been managed falsely by
some of his great ministers."--"Sir," says he, "I am for your Majesty's
falling into a speedy enquiry into the truth of it, and, where you meet
with it, punish it. But, at the same time, consider what you have to do,
and make use of your time for having a peace; for more money will not be
given without much trouble, nor is it, I fear, to be had of the people,
nor will a little do it to put us into condition of doing our business."
But Sir H. Cholmly tells me he [the] Chancellors did say the other day at
his table, "Treachery!" says he; "I could wish we could prove there was
anything of that in it; for that would imply some wit and thoughtfulness;
but we are ruined merely by folly and neglect." And so Sir H. Cholmly
tells me they did all argue for peace, and so he do believe that the King
hath agreed to the three points Mr. Coventry brought over, which I have
mentioned before, and is gone with them back. He tells me further that
the Duke of Buckingham was before the Council the other day, and there did
carry it very submissively and pleasingly to the King; but to my Lord
Arlington, who do prosecute the business, he was most bitter and sharp,
and very slighting. As to the letter about his employing a man to cast the
King's nativity, says he to the King, "Sir," says he, "this is none of my
hand, and I refer it to your Majesty whether you do not know this hand."
The King answered, that it was indeed none of his, and that he knew whose
it was, but could not recall it presently. "Why," says he, "it is my
sister of Richmond's, some frolick or other of hers of some certain
person; and there is nothing of the King's name in it, but it is only said
to be his by supposition, as is said." The King, it seems, seemed not
very much displeased with what the Duke had said; but, however, he is
still in the Tower, and no discourse of his being out in haste, though my
Lady Castlemayne hath so far solicited for him that the King and she are
quite fallen out: he comes not to her, nor hath for some three or four
days; and parted with very foul words, the King calling her a whore, and a
jade that meddled with things she had nothing to do with at all: and she
calling him fool; and told him if he was not a fool, he would not suffer
his businesses to be carried on by fellows that did not understand them,
and cause his best subjects, and those best able to serve him, to be
imprisoned; meaning the Duke of Buckingham. And it seems she was not only
for his liberty, but to be restored to all his places; which, it is
thought, he will never be. While we were at the Excise office talking
with Mr. Ball, it was computed that the Parliament had given the King for
this war only, besides all prizes, and besides the L200,000 which he was
to spend of his own revenue, to guard the sea above L5,000,000 and odd
L100,000; which is a most prodigious sum. Sir H. Cholmly, as a true
English gentleman, do decry the King's expenses of his Privy-purse, which
in King James's time did not rise to above L5000 a year, and in King
Charles's to L10,000, do now cost us above L100,000, besides the great
charge of the monarchy, as the Duke of York L100,000 of it, and other
limbs of the Royal family, and the guards, which, for his part, says he,
"I would have all disbanded, for the King is not the better by them, and
would be as safe without them; for we have had no rebellions to make him
fear anything." But, contrarily, he is now raising of a land-army, which
this Parliament and kingdom will never bear; besides, the commanders they
put over them are such as will never be able to raise or command them; but
the design is, and the Duke of York, he says, is hot for it, to have a
land-army, and so to make the government like that of France, but our
princes have not brains, or at least care and forecast enough to do that.
It is strange how he and every body do now-a-days reflect upon Oliver, and
commend him, what brave things he did, and made all the neighbour princes
fear him; while here a prince, come in with all the love and prayers and
good liking of his people, who have given greater signs of loyalty and
willingness to serve him with their estates than ever was done by any
people, hath lost all so soon, that it is a miracle what way a man could
devise to lose so much in so little time. Thence he set me down at my
Lord Crew's and away, and I up to my Lord, where Sir Thomas Crew was, and
by and by comes Mr. Caesar, who teaches my Lady's page upon the lute, and
here Mr. Caesar did play some very fine things indeed, to my great liking.
Here was my Lord Hinchingbroke also, newly come from Hinchingbroke, where
all well, but methinks I knowing in what case he stands for money by his
demands to me and the report Mr. Moore gives of the management of the
family, makes me, God forgive me! to contemn him, though I do really
honour and pity them, though they deserve it not, that have so good an
estate and will live beyond it. To dinner, and very good discourse with
my Lord. And after dinner Sir Thomas Crew and I alone, and he tells me
how I am mightily in esteem with the Parliament; there being harangues
made in the House to the Speaker, of Mr. Pepys's readiness and civility to
show them every thing, which I am at this time very glad of. He tells me
the news of the King and my Lady Castlemayne which I have wrote already
this day, and the design of the Parliament to look into things very well
before they give any more money, and I pray God they may. Thence, after
dinner, to St. James's, but missed Sir W. Coventry, and so home, and there
find my wife in a dogged humour for my not dining at home, and I did give
her a pull by the nose and some ill words, which she provoked me to by
something she spoke, that we fell extraordinarily out, insomuch, that I
going to the office to avoid further anger, she followed me in a devilish
manner thither, and with much ado I got her into the garden out of
hearing, to prevent shame, and so home, and by degrees I found it
necessary to calme her, and did, and then to the office, where pretty
late, and then to walk with her in the garden, and so to supper, and
pretty good friends, and so to bed with my mind very quiet.

13th. Up pretty betimes, it being mighty hot weather, I lying this night,
which I have not done, I believe, since a boy, I am sure not since I had
the stone before, with only a rugg and a sheet upon me. To my chamber,
and my wife up to do something, and by chance we fell out again, but I to
the office, and there we did at the board much business, though the most
was the dividing of L5000 which the Lords Commissioners have with great
difficulty found upon our letter to them this week that would have
required L50,000 among a great many occasions. After rising, my Lord
Anglesey, this being the second time of his being with us, did take me
aside and asked me where I lived, because he would be glad to have some
discourse with me. This I liked well enough, and told him I would wait
upon him, which I will do, and so all broke up, and I home to dinner,
where Mr. Pierce dined with us, who tells us what troubles me, that my
Lord Buckhurst hath got Nell away from the King's house, lies with her,
and gives her L100 a year, so as she hath sent her parts to the house, and
will act no more.

[Lord Buckhurst and Nell Gwyn, with the help of Sir Charles Sedley,
kept "merry house" at Epsom next door to the King's Head Inn (see
Cunningham's "Story of Nell Gwyn," ed. 1892, p. 57)]

And yesterday Sir Thomas Crew told me that Lacy lies a-dying of the pox,
and yet hath his whore by him, whom he will have to look on, he says,
though he can do no more; nor would receive any ghostly advice from a
Bishop, an old acquaintance of his, that went to see him. He says there is
a strangeness between the King and my Lady Castlemayne, as I was told
yesterday. After dinner my wife and I to the New Exchange, to pretty maid
Mrs. Smith's shop, where I left my wife, and I to Sir W. Coventry, and
there had the opportunity of talk with him, who I perceive do not like our
business of the change of the Treasurer's hand, and he tells me that he is
entered the lists with this new Treasurer before the King in taking away
the business of the Victualling money from his hand, and the Regiment, and
declaring that he hath no right to the 3d. per by his patent, for that it
was always heretofore given by particular Privy Seal, and that the King
and Council just upon his coming in had declared L2000 a year sufficient.
This makes him angry, but Sir W. Coventry I perceive cares not, but do
every day hold up his head higher and higher, and this day I have received
an order from the Commissioners of the Treasury to pay no more pensions
for Tangier, which I am glad of, and he tells me they do make bold with
all things of that kind. Thence I to White Hall, and in the street I
spied Mrs. Borroughs, and took a means to meet and salute her and talk a
little, and then parted, and I home by coach, taking up my wife at the
Exchange, and there I am mightily pleased with this Mrs. Smith, being a
very pleasant woman. So home, and resolved upon going to Epsum tomorrow,
only for ayre, and got Mrs. Turner to go with us, and so home and to
supper (after having been at the office) and to bed. It is an odd and sad
thing to say, that though this be a peace worse than we had before, yet
every body's fear almost is, that the Dutch will not stand by their
promise, now the King hath consented to all they would have. And yet no
wise man that I meet with, when he comes to think of it, but wishes, with
all his heart, a war; but that the King is not a man to be trusted with
the management of it. It was pleasantly said by a man in this City, a
stranger, to one that told him that the peace was concluded, "Well," says
he, "and have you a peace?"--"Yes," says the other.--"Why, then," says he,
"hold your peace!" partly reproaching us with the disgracefulness of it,
that it is not fit to be mentioned; and next, that we are not able to make
the Dutch keep it, when they have a mind to break it. Sir Thomas Crew
yesterday, speaking of the King of France, how great a man he is, why,
says he, all the world thought that when the last Pope died, there would
have been such bandying between the Crowns of France and Spain, whereas,
when he was asked what he would have his ministers at Rome do, why, says
he, let them choose who they will; if the Pope will do what is fit, the
Pope and I will be friends. If he will not, I will take a course with
him: therefore, I will not trouble myself; and thereupon the election was
despatched in a little time--I think in a day, and all ended.

[Of Clement IX., Giulio Rispogliosi, elected June 20th, 1667, N.S.
He was succeeded by Clement X. in 1670.]

14th (Lord's day). Up, and my wife, a little before four, and to make us
ready; and by and by Mrs. Turner come to us, by agreement, and she and I
staid talking below, while my wife dressed herself, which vexed me that
she was so long about it keeping us till past five o'clock before she was
ready. She ready; and, taking some bottles of wine, and beer, and some
cold fowle with us into the coach, we took coach and four horses, which I
had provided last night, and so away. A very fine day, and so towards
Epsum, talking all the way pleasantly, and particularly of the pride and
ignorance of Mrs. Lowther, in having of her train carried up? The country
very fine, only the way very dusty. We got to Epsum by eight o'clock, to
the well; where much company, and there we 'light, and I drank the water:
they did not, but do go about and walk a little among the women, but I did
drink four pints, and had some very good stools by it. Here I met with
divers of our town, among others with several of the tradesmen of our
office, but did talk but little with them, it growing hot in the sun, and
so we took coach again and to the towne, to the King's Head, where our
coachman carried us, and there had an ill room for us to go into, but the
best in the house that was not taken up. Here we called for drink, and
bespoke dinner; and hear that my Lord Buckhurst and Nelly are lodged at
the next house, and Sir Charles Sidly with them and keep a merry house.
Poor girl! I pity her; but more the loss of her at the King's house. Here
I saw Gilsthrop, Sir W. Batten's clerk that hath been long sick, he looks
like a dying man, with a consumption got, as is believed, by the pox, but
God knows that the man is in a sad condition, though he finds himself much
better since his coming thither, he says. W. Hewer rode with us, and I
left him and the women, and myself walked to church, where few people,
contrary to what I expected, and none I knew, but all the Houblons,
brothers, and them after sermon I did salute, and walk with towards my
inne, which was in their way to their lodgings. They come last night to
see their elder brother, who stays here at the waters, and away to-morrow.
James did tell me that I was the only happy man of the Navy, of whom, he
says, during all this freedom the people have taken of speaking treason,
he hath not heard one bad word of me, which is a great joy to me; for I
hear the same of others, but do know that I have deserved as well as most.
We parted to meet anon, and I to my women into a better room, which the
people of the house borrowed for us, and there to dinner, a good dinner,
and were merry, and Pendleton come to us, who happened to be in the house,
and there talked and were merry. After dinner, he gone, we all lay down
after dinner (the day being wonderful hot) to sleep, and each of us took a
good nap, and then rose; and Tom Wilson come to see me, and sat and talked
an hour; and I perceive he hath been much acquainted with Dr. Fuller (Tom)
and Dr. Pierson, and several of the great cavalier parsons during the late
troubles; and I was glad to hear him talk of them, which he did very
ingeniously, and very much of Dr. Fuller's art of memory, which he did
tell me several instances of. By and by he parted, and we took coach and
to take the ayre, there being a fine breeze abroad; and I went and carried
them to the well, and there filled some bottles of water to carry home
with me; and there talked with the two women that farm the well, at L12
per annum, of the lord of the manor, Mr. Evelyn (who with his lady, and
also my Lord George Barkeley's lady, and their fine daughter, that the
King of France liked so well, and did dance so rich in jewells before the
King at the Ball I was at, at our Court, last winter, and also their son,
a Knight of the Bath, were at church this morning). Here W. Hewer's horse
broke loose, and we had the sport to see him taken again. Then I carried
them to see my cozen Pepys's house, and 'light, and walked round about it,
and they like it, as indeed it deserves, very well, and is a pretty place;
and then I walked them to the wood hard by, and there got them in the
thickets till they had lost themselves, and I could not find the way into
any of the walks in the wood, which indeed are very pleasant, if I could
have found them. At last got out of the wood again; and I, by leaping
down the little bank, coming out of the wood, did sprain my right foot,
which brought me great present pain, but presently, with walking, it went
away for the present, and so the women and W. Hewer and I walked upon the
Downes, where a flock of sheep was; and the most pleasant and innocent
sight that ever I saw in my life--we find a shepherd and his little boy
reading, far from any houses or sight of people, the Bible to him; so I
made the boy read to me, which he did, with the forced tone that children
do usually read, that was mighty pretty, and then I did give him
something, and went to the father, and talked with him; and I find he had
been a servant in my cozen Pepys's house, and told me what was become of
their old servants. He did content himself mightily in my liking his
boy's reading, and did bless God for him, the most like one of the old
patriarchs that ever I saw in my life, and it brought those thoughts of
the old age of the world in my mind for two or three days after. We took
notice of his woolen knit stockings of two colours mixed, and of his shoes
shod with iron shoes, both at the toe and heels, and with great nails in
the soles of his feet, which was mighty pretty: and, taking notice of
them, "Why," says the poor man, "the downes, you see, are full of stones,
and we are faine to shoe ourselves thus; and these," says he, "will make
the stones fly till they sing before me." I did give the poor man
something, for which he was mighty thankful, and I tried to cast stones
with his horne crooke. He values his dog mightily, that would turn a
sheep any way which he would have him, when he goes to fold them: told me
there was about eighteen scoare sheep in his flock, and that he hath four
shillings a week the year round for keeping of them: so we posted thence
with mighty pleasure in the discourse we had with this poor man, and Mrs.
Turner, in the common fields here, did gather one of the prettiest
nosegays that ever I saw in my life. So to our coach, and through Mr.
Minnes's wood, and looked upon Mr. Evelyn's house; and so over the common,
and through Epsum towne to our inne, in the way stopping a poor woman with
her milk-pail, and in one of my gilt tumblers did drink our bellyfulls of
milk, better than any creame; and so to our inne, and there had a dish of
creame, but it was sour, and so had no pleasure in it; and so paid our
reckoning, and took coach, it being about seven at night, and passed and
saw the people walking with their wives and children to take the ayre, and
we set out for home, the sun by and by going down, and we in the cool of
the evening all the way with much pleasure home, talking and pleasing
ourselves with the pleasure of this day's work, Mrs. Turner mightily
pleased with my resolution, which, I tell her, is never to keep a
country-house, but to keep a coach, and with my wife on the Saturday to go
sometimes for a day to this place, and then quit to another place; and
there is more variety and as little charge, and no trouble, as there is in
a country-house. Anon it grew dark, and as it grew dark we had the
pleasure to see several glow-wormes, which was mighty pretty, but my foot
begins more and more to pain me, which Mrs. Turner, by keeping her warm
hand upon it, did much ease; but so that when we come home, which was just
at eleven at night, I was not able to walk from the lane's end to my house
without being helped, which did trouble me, and therefore to bed
presently, but, thanks be to God, found that I had not been missed, nor
any business happened in my absence. So to bed, and there had a cerecloth
laid to my foot and leg alone, but in great pain all night long.

15th. So as I was not able to go to-day to wait on the Duke of York with
my fellows, but was forced in bed to write the particulars for their
discourse there, and kept my bed all day, and anon comes Mrs. Turner, and
new-dressed my foot, and did it so, that I was at much ease presently, and
so continued all day, so as I slept much and well in the daytime, and in
the evening rose and eat something, where our poor Jane very sad for the
death of her poor brother, who hath left a wife and two small children. I
did give her 20s. in money, and what wine she needed, for the burying him.
This evening come to see me Pelling, and we did sing together, and he
sings well indeed, and after supper I was willing to go to bed to ease my
foot again, which I did, and slept well all night.

16th. In the morning I was able to put on a wide shoe on the foot, and to
the office without much pain, and there sat all the morning. At noon home
to dinner, where Creed to discourse of our Tangier business, which stands
very bad in the business of money, and therefore we expect to have a
committee called soon, and to acquaint them among other things with the
order come to me for the not paying of any more pensions. We dined
together, and after dinner I to the office, and there very late, very
busy, doing much business indeed, and so with great comfort home to
supper, and so to bed to ease my foot, which toward night began to ake.

17th. Up, and to my chamber to set down my Journall of Sunday last with
much pleasure, and my foot being pretty well, but yet I am forced to limp.
Then by coach, set my wife down at the New Exchange, and I to White Hall
to the Treasury chamber, but to little purpose. So to Mr. Burges to as
little. There to the Hall and talked with Mrs. Michell, who begins to
tire me about doing something for her elder son, which I am willing to do,
but know not what. Thence to White Hall again, and thence away, and took
up my wife at Unthanke's, and left her at the 'Change, and so I to
Bennet's to take up a bill for the last silk I had for my vest and coat,
which I owe them for, and so to the Excise Office, and there did a little
business, and so to Temple Bar and staid at my bookseller's till my wife
calls me, and so home, where I am saluted with the news of Hogg's bringing
a rich Canary prize to Hull:

[Thomas Pointer to Samuel Pepys (Hull, July 15th): "Capt. Hogg has
brought in a great prize laden with Canary wine; also Capt. Reeves
of the 'Panther,' and the 'Fanfan,' whose commander is slain, have
come in with their prizes" ("Calendar of State Papers," 1667,
p. 298).]

and Sir W. Batten do offer me L1000 down for my particular share, beside
Sir Richard Ford's part, which do tempt me; but yet I would not take it,
but will stand and fall with the company. He and two more, the Panther
and Fanfan, did enter into consortship; and so they have all brought in
each a prize, though ours worth as much as both theirs, and more. However,
it will be well worth having, God be thanked for it! This news makes us
all very glad. I at Sir W. Batten's did hear the particulars of it; and
there for joy he did give the company that were there a bottle or two of
his own last year's wine, growing at Walthamstow, than which the whole
company said they never drank better foreign wine in their lives. Home,
and to dinner, and by and by comes Mr. Pierce, who is interested in the
Panther, for some advice, and then comes Creed, and he and I spent the
whole afternoon till eight at night walking and talking of sundry things
public and private in the garden, but most of all of the unhappy state of
this nation at this time by the negligence of the King and his Council.
The Duke of Buckingham is, it seems, set at liberty, without any further
charge against him or other clearing of him, but let to go out; which is
one of the strangest instances of the fool's play with which all publick
things are done in this age, that is to be apprehended. And it is said
that when he was charged with making himself popular--as indeed he is, for
many of the discontented Parliament, Sir Robert Howard and Sir Thomas
Meres, and others, did attend at the Council-chamber when he was
examined--he should answer, that whoever was committed to prison by my
Lord Chancellor or my Lord Arlington, could not want being popular. But it
is worth considering the ill state a Minister of State is in, under such a
Prince as ours is; for, undoubtedly, neither of those two great men would
have been so fierce against the Duke of Buckingham at the Council-table
the other day, had they [not] been assured of the King's good liking, and
supporting them therein: whereas, perhaps at the desire of my Lady
Castlemayne, who, I suppose, hath at last overcome the King, the Duke of
Buckingham is well received again, and now these men delivered up to the
interest he can make for his revenge. He told me over the story of Mrs.
Stewart, much after the manner which I was told it long since, and have
entered it in this book, told me by Mr. Evelyn; only he says it is verily
believed that the King did never intend to marry her to any but himself,
and that the Duke of York and Lord Chancellor were jealous of it; and that
Mrs. Stewart might be got with child by the King, or somebody else, and
the King own a marriage before his contract, for it is but a contract, as
he tells me, to this day, with the Queene, and so wipe their noses of the
Crown; and that, therefore, the Duke of York and Chancellor did do all
they could to forward the match with my Lord Duke of Richmond, that she
might be married out of the way; but, above all, it is a worthy part that
this good lady hath acted. Thus we talked till night and then parted, and
so I to my office and did business, and so home to supper, and there find
my sister Michell

[The wife of Balthazar St. Michel, Mrs. Pepys's brother.--B. Leigh,
opposite to Sheerness.--R.]

come from Lee to see us; but do tattle so much of the late business of the
Dutch coming thither that I was weary of it. Yet it is worth remembering
what she says: that she hath heard both seamen and soldiers swear they
would rather serve the Dutch than the King, for they should be better
used.

[Reference has already been made to Andrew Marvell's "Instructions
to a Painter", in which the unpaid English sailors are described as
swimming to the Dutch ships, where they received the money which was
withheld from them on their own ships.]

She saw "The Royal Charles" brought into the river by them; and how they
shot off their great guns for joy, when they got her out of Chatham River.
I would not forget that this very day when we had nothing to do almost but
five merchantmen to man in the River, which have now been about it some
weeks, I was asked at Westminster, what the matter was that there was such
ado kept in pressing of men, as it seems there is thereabouts at this day.
So after supper we all to bed, my foot very well again, I thank God.

18th. Up and to the office, where busy all the morning, and most of our
time taken up with Carcasse upon some complaints brought in against him,
and many other petitions about tickets lost, which spends most of our
time. Home to dinner, and then to the office again, where very well
employed at the office till evening; and then being weary, took out my
wife and Will Batelier by coach to Islington, but no pleasure in our
going, the way being so dusty that one durst not breathe. Drank at the
old house, and so home, and then to the office a little, and so home to
supper and to bed.

19th. Up and comes the flageolet master, and brings me two new great
Ivory pipes which cost me 32s., and so to play, and he being done, and
Balty's wife taking her leave of me, she going back to Lee to-day, I to
Westminster and there did receive L15,000 orders out of the Exchequer in
part of a bigger sum upon the eleven months tax for Tangier, part of which
I presently delivered to Sir H. Cholmly, who was there, and thence with
Mr. Gawden to Auditor Woods and Beales to examine some precedents in his
business of the Victualling on his behalf, and so home, and in my way by
coach down Marke Lane, mightily pleased and smitten to see, as I thought,
in passing, the pretty woman, the line-maker's wife that lived in
Fenchurch Streete, and I had great mind to have gone back to have seen,
but yet would correct my nature and would not. So to dinner with my wife,
and then to sing, and so to the office, where busy all the afternoon late,
and to Sir W. Batten's and to Sir R. Ford's, we all to consider about our
great prize at Hull, being troubled at our being likely to be troubled
with Prince Rupert, by reason of Hogg's consorting himself with two
privateers of the Prince's, and so we study how to ease or secure
ourselves. So to walk in the garden with my wife, and then to supper and
to bed. One tells me that, by letter from Holland, the people there are
made to believe that our condition in England is such as they may have
whatever they will ask; and that so they are mighty high, and despise us,
or a peace with us; and there is too much reason for them to do so. The
Dutch fleete are in great squadrons everywhere still about Harwich, and
were lately at Portsmouth; and the last letters say at Plymouth, and now
gone to Dartmouth to destroy our Streights' fleete lately got in thither;
but God knows whether they can do it any hurt, or no, but it was pretty
news come the other day so fast, of the Dutch fleets being in so many
places, that Sir W. Batten at table cried, "By God," says he, "I think the
Devil shits Dutchmen."

20th. Up and to the office, where all the morning, and then towards the
'Change, at noon, in my way observing my mistake yesterday in Mark Lane,
that the woman I saw was not the pretty woman I meant, the line-maker's
wife, but a new-married woman, very pretty, a strong-water seller: and in
going by, to my content, I find that the very pretty daughter at the Ship
tavern, at the end of Billiter Lane, is there still, and in the bar: and,
I believe, is married to him that is new come, and hath new trimmed the
house. Home to dinner, and then to the office, we having dispatched away
Mr. Oviatt to Hull, about our prizes there; and I have wrote a letter of
thanks by him to Lord Bellasses, who had writ to me to offer all his
service for my interest there, but I dare not trust him. In the evening
late walking in the garden with my wife, and then to bed.

21st (Lord's day). Up betimes, and all the morning, and then to dinner
with my wife alone, and then all the afternoon in like manner, in my
chamber, making up my Tangier accounts and drawing a letter, which I have
done at last to my full content, to present to the Lords Commissioners for
Tangier tomorrow; and about seven at night, when finished my letter and
weary, I and my wife and Mercer up by water to Barne Elmes, where we
walked by moonshine, and called at Lambeth, and drank and had cold meat in
the boat, and did eat, and sang, and down home, by almost twelve at night,
very fine and pleasant, only could not sing ordinary songs with the
freedom that otherwise I would. Here Mercer tells me that the pretty maid
of the Ship tavern I spoke of yesterday is married there, which I am glad
of. So having spent this night, with much serious pleasure to consider
that I am in a condition to fling away an angell

[The angel coin was so called from the figure of the Archangel
Michael in conflict with the dragon on the obverse. On the reverse
was a representation of a ship with a large cross as a mast. The
last angel coined was in Charles I.'s reign, and the value varied
from 6s. 8d. to 10s.]

in such a refreshment to myself and family, we home and to bed, leaving
Mercer, by the way, at her own door.

22nd. Up, and with Sir W. Batten and [Sir] J. Minnes to St. James's,
where the first time I have been there since the enemy's being with us,
where little business but lack of money, which now is so professed by Sir
W. Coventry as nothing is more, and the King's whole business owned to be
at a stand for want of it. So up to my Lord Chancellor's, where was a
Committee of Tangier in my Lord's roome, where he is to hear causes, where
all the judges' pictures hang up, very fine. Here I read my letter to
them, which was well received, and they did fall seriously to discourse
the want of money and other particulars, and to some pretty good purpose.
But to see how Sir W. Coventry did oppose both my Lord Chancellor and the
Duke of York himself, about the Order of the Commissioners of the Treasury
to me for not paying of pensions, and with so much reason, and eloquence
so natural, was admirable. And another thing, about his pressing for the
reduction of the charge of Tangier, which they would have put off to
another time; "But," says he, "the King suffers so much by the putting off
of the consideration of reductions of charge, that he is undone; and
therefore I do pray you, sir, to his Royal Highness, that when any thing
offers of the kind, you will not let it escape you." Here was a great
bundle of letters brought hither, sent up from sea, from a vessel of ours
that hath taken them after they had been flung over by a Dutchman;
wherein, among others, the Duke of York did read the superscription of one
to De Witt, thus "To the most wise, foreseeing and discreet, These, &c.;"
which, I thought with myself, I could have been glad might have been duly
directed to any one of them at the table, though the greatest men in this
kingdom. The Duke of York, the Lord Chancellor, my Lord Duke of
Albemarle, Arlington, Ashley, Peterborough, and Coventry (the best of them
all for parts), I perceive they do all profess their expectation of a
peace, and that suddenly, and do advise of things accordingly, and do all
speak of it (and expressly, I remember, the Duke of Albemarle), saying
that they hoped for it. Letters were read at the table from Tangier that
Guiland is wholly lost, and that he do offer Arzill to us to deliver it to
us. But Sir W. Coventry did declare his opinion that we should have
nothing to do with it, and said that if Tangier were offered us now, as
the King's condition is, he would advise against the taking it; saying,
that the King's charge is too great, and must be brought down, it being,
like the fire of this City, never to be mastered till you have brought it
under you; and that these places abroad are but so much charge to the
King, and we do rather hitherto strive to greaten them than lessen them;
and then the King is forced to part with them, "as," says he, "he did with
Dunkirke," by my Lord Tiviott's making it so chargeable to the King as he
did that, and would have done Tangier, if he had lived: I perceive he is
the only man that do seek the King's profit, and is bold to deliver what
he thinks on every occasion. Having broke up here, I away with Mr. Gawden
in his coach to the 'Change, and there a, little, and then home and dined,
and then to the office, and by and by with my wife to White Hall (she to
Unthanke's), and there met Creed and did a little business at the Treasury
chamber, and then to walk in Westminster Hall an hour or two, with much
pleasure reflecting upon our discourse to-day at the Tangier meeting, and
crying up the worth of Sir W. Coventry. Creed tells me of the fray
between the Duke of Buckingham at the Duke's playhouse the last Saturday
(and it is the first day I have heard that they have acted at either the
King's or Duke's houses this month or six weeks) and Henry Killigrew, whom
the Duke of Buckingham did soundly beat and take away his sword, and make
a fool of, till the fellow prayed him to spare his life; and I am glad of
it; for it seems in this business the Duke of Buckingham did carry himself
very innocently and well, and I wish he had paid this fellow's coat well.
I heard something of this at the 'Change to-day: and it is pretty to hear
how people do speak kindly of the Duke of Buckingham, as one that will
enquire into faults; and therefore they do mightily favour him. And it
puts me in mind that, this afternoon, Billing, the Quaker, meeting me in
the Hall, come to me, and after a little discourse did say, "Well," says
he, "now you will be all called to an account;" meaning the Parliament is
drawing near. This done I took coach and took up my wife, and so home,
and after a little at the office I home to my chamber a while, and then to
supper and to bed.

23rd: Up betimes and to the office, doing something towards our great
account to the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, and anon the office
sat, and all the morning doing business. At noon home to dinner, and then
close to my business all the afternoon. In the evening Sir R. Ford is
come back from the Prince and tells Sir W. Batten and me how basely Sir W.
Pen received our letter we sent him about the prizes at Hull, and slily
answered him about the Prince's leaving all his concerns to him, but the
Prince did it afterward by letter brought by Sir R. Ford to us, which Sir
W. Pen knows not of, but a very rogue he is. By and by comes sudden news
to me by letter from the Clerke of the Cheque at Gravesend, that there
were thirty sail of Dutch men-of-war coming up into the Hope this last
tide: which I told Sir W. Pen of; but he would not believe it, but
laughed, and said it was a fleete of Billanders,

["Bilander. A small merchant vessel with two masts, particularly
distinguished from other vessels with two masts by the form of her
mainsail, which is bent to the whole length of her yard, hanging
fore and aft, and inclined to the horizon at an angle of about 45
deg. Few vessels are now rigged in this manner, and the name is
rather indiscriminately used."--Smyth's Sailor's Word-Book.]

and that the guns that were heard was the salutation of the Swede's
Ambassador that comes over with them. But within half an hour comes
another letter from Captain Proud, that eight of them were come into the
Hope, and thirty more following them, at ten this morning. By and by
comes an order from White Hall to send down one of our number to Chatham,
fearing that, as they did before, they may make a show first up hither,
but then go to Chatham: so my Lord Bruncker do go, and we here are ordered
to give notice to the merchant men-of-war, gone below the barricado at
Woolwich, to come up again. So with much trouble to supper, home and to
bed.

24th. Betimes this morning comes a letter from the Clerke of the Cheque
at Gravesend to me, to tell me that the Dutch fleete did come all into the
Hope yesterday noon, and held a fight with our ships from thence till
seven at night; that they had burned twelve fire-ships, and we took one of
their's, and burned five of our fire-ships. But then rising and going to
Sir W. Batten, he tells me that we have burned one of their men-of-war,
and another of theirs is blown up: but how true this is, I know not. But
these fellows are mighty bold, and have had the fortune of the wind
easterly this time to bring them up, and prevent our troubling them with
our fire-ships; and, indeed, have had the winds at their command from the
beginning, and now do take the beginning of the spring, as if they had
some great design to do. I to my office, and there hard at work all the
morning, to my great content, abstracting the contract book into my
abstract book, which I have by reason of the war omitted for above two
years, but now am endeavouring to have all my books ready and perfect
against the Parliament comes, that upon examination I may be in condition
to value myself upon my perfect doing of my own duty. At noon home to
dinner, where my wife mighty musty,--[Dull, heavy, spiritless]--but I took
no notice of it, but after dinner to the office, and there with Mr. Harper
did another good piece of work about my late collection of the accounts of
the Navy presented to the Parliament at their last session, which was left
unfinished, and now I have done it which sets my mind at my ease, and so,
having tired myself, I took a pair of oares about five o'clock, which I
made a gally at Redriffe, and so with very much pleasure down to
Gravesend, all the way with extraordinary content reading of Boyle's
Hydrostatickes, which the more I read and understand, the more I admire,
as a most excellent piece of philosophy; as we come nearer Gravesend, we
hear the Dutch fleete and ours a-firing their guns most distinctly and
loud. But before we got to Gravesend they ceased, and it grew darkish,
and so I landed only (and the flood being come) and went up to the Ship
and discoursed with the landlord of the house, who undeceives me in what I
heard this morning about the Dutch having lost two men-of-war, for it is
not so, but several of their fire-ships. He do say, that this afternoon
they did force our ships to retreat, but that now they are gone down as
far as Shield-haven: but what the event hath been of this evening's guns
they know not, but suppose not much, for they have all this while shot at
good distance one from another. They seem confident of the security of
this town and the River above it, if the enemy should come up so high;
their fortifications being so good, and guns many. But he do say that
people do complain of Sir Edward Spragg, that he hath not done
extraordinary; and more of Sir W. Jenings, that he come up with his
tamkins

[Tamkin, or tampion, the wooden stopper of a cannon placed in the
muzzle to exclude water or dust.]

in his guns. Having discoursed this a little with him, and eat a bit of
cold venison and drank, I away, took boat, and homeward again, with great
pleasure, the moon shining, and it being a fine pleasant cool evening, and
got home by half-past twelve at night, and so to bed.

25th. Up, and to the office, where we sat all the morning. At noon home
to dinner, and there sang with much pleasure with my wife, and so to the
office again, and busy all the afternoon. At night Sir W. Batten, [Sir]
W. Pen, and myself, and Sir R. Ford, did meet in the garden to discourse
about our prizes at Hull. It appears that Hogg is the eeriest rogue, the
most observable embezzler, that ever was known. This vexes us, and made
us very free and plain with Sir W. Pen, who hath been his great patron,
and as very a rogue as he. But he do now seem to own that his opinion is
changed of him, and that he will joyne with us in our strictest inquiries,
and did sign to the letters we had drawn, which he had refused before, and
so seemingly parted good friends, and then I demanded of Sir R. Ford and
the rest, what passed to-day at the meeting of the Parliament: who told me
that, contrary to all expectation by the King that there would be but a
thin meeting, there met above 300 this first day, and all the discontented
party; and, indeed, the whole House seems to be no other almost. The
Speaker told them, as soon as they were sat, that he was ordered by the
King to let them know he was hindered by some important business to come
to them and speak to them, as he intended; and, therefore, ordered him to
move that they would adjourn themselves till Monday next, it being very
plain to all the House that he expects to hear by that time of the sealing
of the peace, which by letters, it seems, from my Lord Holis, was to be
sealed the last Sunday.

[The peace was signed on the 31st. See August 9th.--B.]

But before they would come to the question whether they would adjourn, Sir
Thomas Tomkins steps up and tells them, that all the country is grieved at
this new raised standing army; and that they thought themselves safe
enough in their trayn-bands; and that, therefore, he desired the King
might be moved to disband them. Then rises Garraway and seconds him, only
with this explanation, which he said he believed the other meant; that, as
soon as peace should be concluded, they might be disbanded. Then rose Sir
W. Coventry, and told them that he did approve of what the last gentleman
said; but also, that at the same time he did no more than what, he durst
be bold to say, he knew to be the King's mind, that as soon as peace was
concluded he would do it of himself. Then rose Sir Thomas Littleton, and
did give several reasons for the uncertainty of their meeting again but to
adjourne, in case news comes of the peace being ended before Monday next,
and the possibility of the King's having some about him that may endeavour
to alter his own, and the good part of his Council's advice, for the
keeping up of the land-army; and, therefore, it was fit that they did
present it to the King as their desire, that, as soon as peace was
concluded, the land-army might be laid down, and that this their request
might be carried to the King by them of their House that were
Privy-councillors; which was put to the vote, and carried 'nemine
contradicente'. So after this vote passed, they adjourned: but it is
plain what the effects of this Parliament will be, if they be suffered to
sit, that they will fall foul upon the faults of the Government; and I
pray God they may be permitted to do it, for nothing else, I fear, will
save the King and kingdom than the doing it betimes. They gone, I to walk
with my wife in the garden, and then home to supper and to bed.

26th. Up, and betimes to the office, where Mr. Hater and I together all
the morning about the perfecting of my abstract book of contracts and
other things to my great content. At noon home to dinner, and then to the
office again all the afternoon doing of other good things there, and being
tired, I then abroad with my wife and left her at the New Exchange, while
I by water thence to Westminster to the Hall, but shops were shut up, and
so to White Hall by water, and thence took up my wife at Unthanke's, and
so home, mightily tired with the dust in riding in a coach, it being
mighty troublesome. So home and to my office, and there busy very late,
and then to walk a little with my wife, and then to supper and to bed. No
news at all this day what we have done to the enemy, but that the enemy is
fallen down, and we after them, but to little purpose.

27th. Up and to the office, where I hear that Sir John Coventry is come
over from Bredah, a nephew, I think, of Sir W. Coventry's: but what
message he brings I know not. This morning news is come that Sir Jos.
Jordan is come from Harwich, with sixteen fire-ships and four other little
ships of war: and did attempt to do some execution upon the enemy, but did
it without discretion, as most do say, so as that they have been able to
do no good, but have lost four of their fire ships. They attempted
[this], it seems, when the wind was too strong, that our grapplings could
not hold: others say we come to leeward of them, but all condemn it as a
foolish management. They are come to Sir Edward Spragg about Lee, and the
Dutch are below at the Nore. At the office all the morning; and at noon
to the 'Change, where I met Fenn; and he tells me that Sir John Coventry
do bring the confirmation of the peace; but I do not find the 'Change at
all glad of it, but rather the worse, they looking upon it as a peace made
only to preserve the King for a time in his lusts and ease, and to
sacrifice trade and his kingdoms only to his own pleasures: so that the
hearts of merchants are quite down. He tells me that the King and my Lady
Castlemayne are quite broke off, and she is gone away, and is with child,
and swears the King shall own it; and she will have it christened in the
Chapel at White Hall so, and owned for the King's, as other Kings have
done; or she will bring it into White Hall gallery, and dash the brains of
it out before the King's face.

[Charles owned only four children by Lady Castlemaine-Anne, Countess
of Sussex, and the Dukes of Southampton, Grafton, and
Northumberland. The last of these was born in 1665. The paternity
of all her other children was certainly doubtful. See pp. 50,52.]

He tells me that the King and Court were never in the world so bad as they
are now for gaming, swearing, whoring, and drinking, and the most
abominable vices that ever were in the world; so that all must come to
nought. He told me that Sir G. Carteret was at this end of the town; so I
went to visit him in Broad Street; and there he and I together: and he is
mightily pleased with my Lady Jem's having a son; and a mighty glad man he
is. He [Sir George Carteret] tells me, as to news, that the peace is now
confirmed, and all that over. He says it was a very unhappy motion in the
House the other day about the land-army; for, whether the King hath a mind
of his own to do the thing desired or no, his doing it will be looked upon
as a thing done only in fear of the Parliament. He says that the Duke of
York is suspected to be the great man that is for raising of this army,
and bringing things to be commanded by an army; but he believes that he is
wronged, and says that he do know that he is wronged therein. He do say
that the Court is in a way to ruin all for their pleasures; and says that
he himself hath once taken the liberty to tell the King the necessity of
having, at least, a show of religion in the Government, and sobriety; and
that it was that, that did set up and keep up Oliver, though he was the
greatest rogue in the world, and that it is so fixed in the nature of the
common Englishman that it will not out of him. He tells me that while all
should be labouring to settle the kingdom, they are at Court all in
factions, some for and others against my Lord Chancellor, and another for
and against another man, and the King adheres to no man, but this day
delivers himself up to this, and the next to that, to the ruin of himself
and business; that he is at the command of any woman like a slave, though
he be the best man to the Queene in the world, with so much respect, and
never lies a night from her: but yet cannot command himself in the
presence of a woman he likes. Having had this discourse, I parted, and
home to dinner, and thence to the, office all the afternoon to my great
content very busy. It raining this day all day to our great joy, it
having not rained, I think, this month before, so as the ground was
everywhere so burned and dry as could be; and no travelling in the road or
streets in London, for dust. At night late home to supper and to bed.

28th (Lord's day). Up and to my chamber, where all the morning close, to
draw up a letter to Sir W. Coventry upon the tidings of peace, taking
occasion, before I am forced to it, to resign up to his Royall Highness my
place of the Victualling, and to recommend myself to him by promise of
doing my utmost to improve this peace in the best manner we may, to save
the kingdom from ruin. By noon I had done this to my good content, and
then with my wife all alone to dinner, and so to my chamber all the
afternoon to write my letter fair, and sent it away, and then to talk with
my wife, and read, and so by daylight (the only time I think I have done
it this year) to supper, and then to my chamber to read and so to bed, my
mind very much eased after what I have done to-day.

29th. Up, and with Sir W. Batten to St. James's, to Sir W. Coventry's
chamber; where, among other things, he come to me, and told me that he had
received my yesterday's letters, and that we concurred very well in our
notions; and that, as to my place which I had offered to resign of the
Victualling, he had drawn up a letter at the same time for the Duke of
York's signing for the like places in general raised during this war; and
that he had done me right to the Duke of York, to let him know that I had,
of my own accord, offered to resign mine. The letter do bid us to do all
things, particularizing several, for the laying up of the ships, and
easing the King of charge; so that the war is now professedly over. By and
by up to the Duke of York's chamber; and there all the talk was about
Jordan's coming with so much indiscretion, with his four little frigates
and sixteen fire-ships from Harwich, to annoy the enemy. His failures
were of several sorts, I know not which the truest: that he come with so
strong a gale of wind, that his grapplings would not hold; that he did
come by their lee; whereas if he had come athwart their hawse, they would
have held; that they did not stop a tide, and come up with a windward
tide, and then they would not have come so fast. Now, there happened to
be Captain Jenifer by, who commanded the Lily in this business, and thus
says that, finding the Dutch not so many as they expected, they did not
know but that there were more of them above, and so were not so earnest to
the setting upon these; that they did do what they could to make the
fire-ships fall in among the enemy; and, for their lives, neither Sir J.
Jordan nor others could, by shooting several times at them, make them go
in; and it seems they were commanded by some idle fellows, such as they
could of a sudden gather up at Harwich; which is a sad consideration that,
at such a time as this, where the saving the reputation of the whole
nation lay at stake, and after so long a war, the King had not credit to
gather a few able men to command these vessels. He says, that if they had
come up slower, the enemy would, with their boats and their great sloops,
which they have to row with a great many men, they would, and did, come
and cut up several of our fireships, and would certainly have taken most
of them, for they do come with a great provision of these boats on
purpose, and to save their men, which is bravely done of them, though they
did, on this very occasion, shew great fear, as they say, by some men
leaping overboard out of a great ship, as these were all of them of sixty
and seventy guns a-piece, which one of our fireships laid on board, though
the fire did not take. But yet it is brave to see what care they do take
to encourage their men to provide great stores of boats to save them,
while we have not credit to find one boat for a ship. And, further, he
told us that this new way used by Deane, and this Sir W. Coventry observed
several times, of preparing of fire-ships, do not do the work; for the
fire, not being strong and quick enough to flame up, so as to take the
rigging and sails, lies smothering a great while, half an hour before it
flames, in which time they can get her off safely, though, which is
uncertain, and did fail in one or two this bout, it do serve to burn our
own ships. But what a shame it is to consider how two of our ships'
companies did desert their ships for fear of being taken by their boats,
our little frigates being forced to leave them, being chased by their
greater! And one more company did set their ship on fire, and leave her;
which afterwards a Feversham fisherman come up to, and put out the fire,
and carried safe into Feversham, where she now is, which was observed by
the Duke of York, and all the company with him, that it was only want of
courage, and a general dismay and abjectness of spirit upon all our men;
and others did observe our ill management, and God Almighty's curse upon
all that we have in hand, for never such an opportunity was of destroying
so many good ships of theirs as we now had. But to see how negligent we
were in this business, that our fleete of Jordan's should not have any
notice where Spragg was, nor Spragg of Jordan's, so as to be able to meet
and join in the business, and help one another; but Jordan, when he saw
Spragg's fleete above, did think them to be another part of the enemy's
fleete! While, on the other side, notwithstanding our people at Court
made such a secret of Jordan's design that nobody must know it, and even
this Office itself must not know it; nor for my part I did not, though Sir
W. Batten says by others' discourse to him he had heard something of it;
yet De Ruyter, or he that commanded this fleete, had notice of it, and
told it to a fisherman of ours that he took and released on Thursday last,
which was the day before our fleete came to him. But then, that, that
seems most to our disgrace, and which the Duke of York did take special
and vehement notice of, is, that when the Dutch saw so many fire-ships
provided for them, themselves lying, I think, about the Nore, they did
with all their great ships, with a North-east wind, as I take it they
said, but whatever it was, it was a wind that we should not have done it
with, turn down to the Middle-ground; which the Duke of York observed,
never was nor would have been undertaken by ourselves. And whereas some
of the company answered, it was their great fear, not their choice that
made them do it, the Duke of York answered, that it was, it may be, their
fear and wisdom that made them do it; but yet their fear did not make them
mistake, as we should have done, when we have had no fear upon us, and
have run our ships on ground. And this brought it into my mind, that they
managed their retreat down this difficult passage, with all their fear,
better than we could do ourselves in the main sea, when the Duke of
Albemarle run away from the Dutch, when the Prince was lost, and the Royal
Charles and the other great ships come on ground upon the Galloper. Thus,
in all things, in wisdom, courage, force, knowledge of our own streams,
and success, the Dutch have the best of us, and do end the war with
victory on their side. The Duke of York being ready, we into his closet,
but, being in haste to go to the Parliament House, he could not stay. So
we parted, and to Westminster Hall, where the Hall full of people to see
the issue of the day, the King being come to speak to the House to-day.
One thing extraordinary was, this day a man, a Quaker, came naked through
the Hall, only very civilly tied about the privities to avoid scandal, and
with a chafing-dish of fire and brimstone burning upon his head, did pass
through the Hall, crying, "Repent! repent!" I up to the Painted Chamber,
thinking to have got in to have heard the King's speech, but upon second
thoughts did not think it would be worth the crowd, and so went down again
into the Hall and there walked with several, among others my Lord
Rutherford, who is come out of Scotland, and I hope I may get some
advantage by it in reference to the business of the interest of the great
sum of money I paid him long since without interest. But I did not now
move him in it. But presently comes down the House of Commons, the King
having made then a very short and no pleasing speech to them at all, not
at all giving them thanks for their readiness to come up to town at this
busy time; but told them that he did think he should have had occasion for
them, but had none, and therefore did dismiss them to look after their own
occasions till October; and that he did wonder any should offer to bring
in a suspicion that he intended to rule by an army, or otherwise than by
the laws of the land, which he promised them he would do; and so bade them
go home and settle the minds of the country in that particular; and only
added, that he had made a peace which he did believe they would find
reasonable, and a good peace, but did give them none of the particulars
thereof. Thus they are dismissed again to their general great distaste, I
believe the greatest that ever Parliament was, to see themselves so
fooled, and the nation in certain condition of ruin, while the King, they
see, is only governed by his lust, and women, and rogues about him. The
Speaker, they found, was kept from coming in the morning to the House on
purpose, till after the King was come to the House of Lords, for fear they
should be doing anything in the House of Commons to the further
dissatisfaction of the King and his courtiers. They do all give up the
kingdom for lost that I speak to; and do hear what the King says, how he
and the Duke of York do do what they can to get up an army, that they may
need no more Parliaments: and how my Lady Castlemayne hath, before the
late breach between her and the King, said to the King that he must rule
by an army, or all would be lost, and that Bab. May hath given the like
advice to the King, to crush the English gentlemen, saying that L300
a-year was enough for any man but them that lived at Court. I am told
that many petitions were provided for the Parliament, complaining of the
wrongs they have received from the Court and courtiers, in city and
country, if the Parliament had but sat: and I do perceive they all do
resolve to have a good account of the money spent before ever they give a
farthing more: and the whole kingdom is everywhere sensible of their being
abused, insomuch that they forced their Parliament-men to come up to sit;
and my cozen Roger told me that (but that was in mirth) he believed, if he
had not come up, he should have had his house burned. The kingdom never
in so troubled a condition in this world as now; nobody pleased with the
peace, and yet nobody daring to wish for the continuance of the war, it
being plain that nothing do nor can thrive under us. Here I saw old good
Mr. Vaughan, and several of the great men of the Commons, and some of them
old men, that are come 200 miles, and more, to attend this session-of
Parliament; and have been at great charge and disappointments in their
other private business; and now all to no purpose, neither to serve their
country, content themselves, nor receive any thanks from the King. It is
verily expected by many of them that the King will continue the
prorogation in October, so as, if it be possible, never to have [this]
Parliament more. My Lord Bristoll took his place in the House of Lords
this day, but not in his robes; and when the King come in, he withdrew but
my Lord of Buckingham was there as brisk as ever, and sat in his robes;
which is a monstrous thing, that a man proclaimed against, and put in the
Tower, and all, and released without any trial, and yet not restored to
his places: But, above all, I saw my Lord Mordaunt as merry as the best,
that it seems hath done such further indignities to Mr. Taylor' since the
last sitting of Parliament as would hang [him], if there were nothing
else, would the King do what were fit for him; but nothing of that is now
likely to be. After having spent an hour or two in the hall, my cozen
Roger and I and Creed to the Old Exchange, where I find all the merchants
sad at this peace and breaking up of the Parliament, as men despairing of
any good to the nation, which is a grievous consideration; and so home,
and there cozen Roger and Creed to dinner with me, and very merry:--but
among other things they told me of the strange, bold sermon of Dr. Creeton
yesterday, before the King; how he preached against the sins of the Court,
and particularly against adultery, over and over instancing how for that
single sin in David, the whole nation was undone; and of our negligence in
having our castles without ammunition and powder when the Dutch come upon
us; and how we have no courage now a-days, but let our ships be taken out
of our harbour. Here Creed did tell us the story of the dwell last night,
in Coventgarden, between Sir H. Bellasses and Tom Porter. It is worth
remembering the silliness of the quarrell, and is a kind of emblem of the
general complexion of this whole kingdom at present. They two it seems
dined yesterday at Sir Robert Carr's, where it seems people do drink high,
all that come. It happened that these two, the greatest friends in the
world, were talking together: and Sir H. Bellasses talked a little louder
than ordinary to Tom Porter, giving of him some advice. Some of the
company standing by said, "What! are they quarrelling, that they talk so
high?" Sir H. Bellasses hearing it, said, "No!" says he: "I would have
you know that I never quarrel, but I strike; and take that as a rule of
mine!"--"How?" says Tom Porter, "strike! I would I could see the man in
England that durst give me a blow!" with that Sir H. Bellasses did give
him a box of the eare; and so they were going to fight there, but were
hindered. And by and by Tom Porter went out; and meeting Dryden the poet,
told him of the business, and that he was resolved to fight Sir H.
Bellasses presently; for he knew, if he did not, they should be made
friends to-morrow, and then the blow would rest upon him; which he would
prevent, and desired Dryden to let him have his boy to bring him notice
which way Sir H. Bellasses goes. By and by he is informed that Sir H.
Bellasses's coach was coming: so Tom Porter went down out of the
Coffee-house where he stayed for the tidings, and stopped the coach, and
bade Sir H. Bellasses come out. "Why," says H. Bellasses, "you will not
hurt me coming out, will you?"--"No," says Tom Porter. So out he went,
and both drew: and H. Bellasses having drawn and flung away his scabbard,
Tom Porter asked him whether he was ready? The other answering him he
was, they fell to fight, some of their acquaintance by. They wounded one
another, and H. Bellasses so much that it is feared he will die: and
finding himself severely wounded, he called to Tom Porter, and kissed him,
and bade him shift for himself; "for," says he, "Tom, thou hast hurt me;
but I will make shift to stand upon my legs till thou mayest withdraw, and
the world not take notice of you, for I would not have thee troubled for
what thou hast done." And so whether he did fly or no I cannot tell: but
Tom Porter shewed H. Bellasses that he was wounded too: and they are both
ill, but H. Bellasses to fear of life. And this is a fine example; and H.
Bellasses a Parliament-man too, and both of them most extraordinary
friends! Among other discourse, my cozen Roger told us a thing certain,
that the Archbishop of Canterbury; that now is, do keep a wench, and that
he is as very a wencher as can be; and tells us it is a thing publickly
known that Sir Charles Sidley had got away one of the Archbishop's wenches
from him, and the Archbishop sent to him to let him know that she was his
kinswoman, and did wonder that he would offer any dishonour to one related
to him. To which Sir Charles Sidley is said to answer, "A pox take his
Grace! pray tell his Grace that I believe he finds himself too old, and is
afraid that I should outdo him among his girls, and spoil his trade." But
he makes no more of doubt to say that the Archbishop is a wencher, and
known to be so, which is one of the most astonishing things that I have
heard of, unless it be, what for certain he says is true, that my Lady
Castlemayne hath made a Bishop lately, namely,--her uncle, Dr. Glenham,
who, I think they say, is Bishop of Carlisle; a drunken, swearing rascal,
and a scandal to the Church; and do now pretend to be Bishop of Lincoln,
in competition with Dr. Raynbow, who is reckoned as worthy a man as most
in the Church for piety and learning: which are things so scandalous to
consider, that no man can doubt but we must be undone that hears of them.
After dinner comes W. How and a son of Mr. Pagett's to see me, with whom I
drank, but could not stay, and so by coach with cozen Roger (who before
his going did acquaint me in private with an offer made of his marrying of
Mrs. Elizabeth Wiles, whom I know; a kinswoman of Mr. Honiwood's, an ugly
old maid, but a good housewife; and is said to have L2500 to her portion;
but if I can find that she hath but L2000, which he prays me to examine,
he says he will have her, she being one he hath long known intimately, and
a good housewife, and discreet woman; though I am against it in my heart,
she being not handsome at all) and it hath been the very bad fortune of
the Pepyses that ever I knew, never to marry an handsome woman, excepting
Ned Pepys and Creed, set the former down at the Temple resolving to go to
Cambridge to-morrow, and Creed and I to White Hall to the Treasury chamber
there to attend, but in vain, only here, looking out of the window into
the garden, I saw the King (whom I have not had any desire to see since
the Dutch come upon the coast first to Sheerness, for shame that I should
see him, or he me, methinks, after such a dishonour) come upon the garden;
with him two or three idle Lords; and instantly after him, in another
walk, my Lady Castlemayne, led by Bab. May: at which I was surprised,
having but newly heard the stories of the King and her being parted for
ever. So I took Mr. Povy, who was there, aside, and he told me all, how
imperious this woman is, and hectors the King to whatever she will. It
seems she is with child, and the King says he did not get it: with that
she made a slighting "puh" with her mouth, and went out of the house, and
never come in again till the King went to Sir Daniel Harvy's to pray her;
and so she is come to-day, when one would think his mind should be full of
some other cares, having but this morning broken up such a Parliament,
with so much discontent, and so many wants upon him, and but yesterday
heard such a sermon against adultery. But it seems she hath told the King,
that whoever did get it, he should own it; and the bottom of the quarrel
is this:--She is fallen in love with young Jermin who hath of late lain
with her oftener than the King, and is now going to marry my Lady
Falmouth; the King he is mad at her entertaining Jermin, and she is mad at
Jermin's going to marry from her: so they are all mad; and thus the
kingdom is governed! and they say it is labouring to make breaches between
the Duke of Richmond and his lady that the King may get her to him. But
he tells me for certain that nothing is more sure than that the King, and
Duke of York, and the Chancellor, are desirous and labouring all they can
to get an army, whatever the King says to the Parliament; and he believes
that they are at last resolved to stand and fall all three together: so
that he says match of the Duke of York with the Chancellor's daughter hath
undone the nation. He tells me also that the King hath not greater
enemies in the world than those of his own family; for there is not an
officer in the house almost but curses him for letting them starve, and
there is not a farthing of money to be raised for the buying them bread.
Having done talking with him I to Westminster Hall, and there talked and
wandered up and down till the evening to no purpose, there and to the
Swan, and so till the evening, and so home, and there to walk in the
garden with my wife, telling her of my losing L300 a year by my place that
I am to part with, which do a little trouble me, but we must live with
somewhat more thrift, and so home to supper and to play on the flageolet,
which do do very prettily, and so to bed. Many guns were heard this
afternoon, it seems, at White Hall and in the Temple garden very plain;
but what it should be nobody knows, unless the Dutch be driving our ships
up the river. To-morrow we shall know.

30th. Up and to the office, where we sat busy all the morning. At noon
home to dinner, where Daniel and his wife with us, come to see whether I
could get him any employment. But I am so far from it, that I have the
trouble upon my mind how to dispose of Mr. Gibson and one or two more I am
concerned for in the Victualling business, which are to be now discharged.
After dinner by coach to White Hall, calling on two or three tradesmen and
paying their bills, and so to White Hall, to the Treasury-chamber, where I
did speak with the Lords, and did my business about getting them to assent
to 10 per cent. interest on the 11 months tax, but find them mightily put
to it for money. Here I do hear that there are three Lords more to be
added to them; my Lord Bridgewater, my Lord Anglesey, and my Lord
Chamberlaine. Having done my business, I to Creed's chamber, and thence
out with Creed to White Hall with him; in our way, meeting with Mr.
Cooling, my Lord Chamberlain's secretary, on horseback, who stopped to
speak with us, and he proved very drunk, and did talk, and would have
talked all night with us, I not being able to break loose from him, he
holding me so by the hand. But, Lord! to see his present humour, how he
swears at every word, and talks of the King and my Lady Castlemayne in the
plainest words in the world. And from him I gather that the story I
learned yesterday is true--that the King hath declared that he did not get
the child of which she is conceived at this time, he having not as he says
lain with her this half year. But she told him, "God damn me, but you
shall own it!" It seems, he is jealous of Jermin, and she loves him so,
that the thoughts of his marrying of my Lady Falmouth puts her into fits
of the mother; and he, it seems, hath lain with her from time to time,
continually, for a good while; and once, as this Cooling says, the King
had like to have taken him a-bed with her, but that he was fain to creep
under the bed into her closet . . . . But it is a pretty thing he told
us how the King, once speaking of the Duke of York's being mastered by his
wife, said to some of the company by, that he would go no more abroad with
this Tom Otter (meaning the Duke of York) and his wife. Tom Killigrew,
being by, answered, "Sir," says he, "pray which is the best for a man, to
be a Tom Otter to his wife or to his mistress?" meaning the King's being
so to my Lady Castlemayne. Thus he went on; and speaking then of my Lord
Sandwich, whom he professed to love exceedingly, says Creed, "I know not
what, but he is a man, methinks, that I could love for himself, without
other regards." . . . He talked very lewdly; and then took notice of my
kindness to him on shipboard seven years ago, when the King was coming
over, and how much he was obliged to me; but says, pray look upon this
acknowledgement of a kindness in me to be a miracle; for, says he, "it is
against the law at Court for a man that borrows money of me, even to buy
his place with, to own it the next Sunday;" and then told us his horse was
a bribe, and his boots a bribe; and told us he was made up of bribes, as
an Oxford scholar is set out with other men's goods when he goes out of
town, and that he makes every sort of tradesman to bribe him; and invited
me home to his house, to taste of his bribe wine. I never heard so much
vanity from a man in my life; so, being now weary of him, we parted, and I
took coach, and carried Creed to the Temple. There set him down, and to
my office, where busy late till my eyes begun to ake, and then home to
supper: a pullet, with good sauce, to my liking, and then to play on the
flageolet with my wife, which she now does very prettily, and so to bed.

31st. Up, and after some time with Greeting upon my flageolet I to my
office, and there all the morning busy. Among other things, Sir W.
Batten, [Sir] W. Pen, and myself did examine a fellow of our private
man-of-war, who we have found come up from Hull, with near L500 worth of
pieces of eight, though he will confess but 100 pieces. But it appears
that there have been fine doings there. At noon dined at home, and then
to the office, where busy again till the evening, when Major Halsey and
Kinaston to adjust matters about Mrs. Rumbald's bill of exchange, and here
Major Halsey, speaking much of my doing business, and understanding
business, told me how my Lord Generall do say that I am worth them all,
but I have heard that Halsey hath said the same behind my back to others.
Then abroad with my wife by coach to Marrowbone, where my Lord Mayor and
Aldermen, it seem, dined to-day: and were just now going away, methought,
in a disconsolate condition, compared with their splendour they formerly
had, when the City was standing. Here my wife and I drank at the gate,
not 'lighting, and then home with much pleasure, and so to my chamber, and
my wife and I to pipe, and so to supper and to bed.

ETEXT EDITOR'S BOOKMARKS:

20s. in money, and what wine she needed, for the burying him
Archbishop is a wencher, and known to be so
Bold to deliver what he thinks on every occasion
Cast stones with his horne crooke
Court is in a way to ruin all for their pleasures
Dash the brains of it out before the King's face
Dog, that would turn a sheep any way which
Dutch fleets being in so many places
Fool's play with which all publick things are done
Good purpose of fitting ourselves for another war (A Peace)
He was charged with making himself popular
King governed by his lust, and women, and rogues about him
King is at the command of any woman like a slave
King the necessity of having, at least, a show of religion
Never to keep a country-house, but to keep a coach
Nobody being willing to trust us for anything
She has this silly vanity that she must play
So every thing stands still for money
They are all mad; and thus the kingdom is governed!
What way a man could devise to lose so much in so little time

*** End of this LibraryBlog Digital Book "Diary of Samuel Pepys — Volume 55: July 1667" ***

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