Title: Diary of Samuel Pepys — Volume 59: November 1667
Author: Pepys, Samuel, 1633-1703
Language: English
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                THE DIARY OF SAMUEL PEPYS M.A. F.R.S.

            CLERK OF THE ACTS AND SECRETARY TO THE ADMIRALTY

    TRANSCRIBED FROM THE SHORTHAND MANUSCRIPT IN THE PEPYSIAN LIBRARY
 MAGDALENE COLLEGE CAMBRIDGE BY THE REV. MYNORS BRIGHT M.A. LATE FELLOW
                      AND PRESIDENT OF THE COLLEGE

                              (Unabridged)

                      WITH LORD BRAYBROOKE'S NOTES

                        EDITED WITH ADDITIONS BY

                        HENRY B. WHEATLEY F.S.A.

                          DIARY OF SAMUEL PEPYS.
                               NOVEMBER
                                 1667

November 1st.  Up betimes, and down to the waterside (calling and drinking
a dram of the bottle at Michell's, but saw not Betty), and thence to White
Hall and to Sir W. Coventry's lodging, where he and I alone a good while,
where he gives me the full of the Duke of Albemarle's and Prince's
narratives, given yesterday by the House, wherein they fall foul of him
and Sir G. Carteret in something about the dividing of the fleete, and the
Prince particularly charging the Commissioners of the Navy with
negligence, he says the Commissioners of the Navy whereof Sir W. Coventry
is one.  He tells me that he is prepared to answer any particular most
thoroughly, but the quality of the persons do make it difficult for him,
and so I do see is in great pain, poor man, though he deserves better than
twenty such as either of them, for his abilities and true service to the
King and kingdom.  He says there is incoherences, he believes, to be found
between their two reports, which will be pretty work to consider.  The
Duke of Albemarle charges W. Coventry that he should tell him, when he
come down to the fleete with Sir G. Carteret, to consult about dividing
the fleete, that the Dutch would not be out in six weeks, which W.
Coventry says is as false as is possible, and he can prove the contrary by
the Duke of Albemarle's own letters.  The Duke of Albemarle says that he
did upon sight of the Dutch call a council of officers, and they did
conclude they could not avoid fighting the Dutch; and yet we did go to the
enemy, and found them at anchor, which is a pretty contradiction.  And he
tells me that Spragg did the other day say in the House, that the Prince,
at his going from the Duke of Albemarle with his fleete, did tell him that
if the Dutch should come on, the Duke was to follow him, the Prince, with
his fleete, and not fight the Dutch. Out of all this a great deal of good
might well be picked.  But it is a sad consideration that all this picking
of holes in one another's coats--nay, and the thanks of the House to the
Prince and the Duke of Albemarle, and all this envy and design to ruin Sir
W. Coventry--did arise from Sir W. Coventry's unfortunate mistake the
other day, in producing of a letter from the Duke of Albemarle, touching
the good condition of all things at Chatham just before the Dutch come up,
and did us that fatal mischiefe; for upon this they are resolved to undo
him, and I pray God they do not. He tells me upon my demanding it that he
thinks the King do not like this their bringing these narratives, and that
they give out that they would have said more but that the King hath
hindered them, that I suppose is about my Lord Sandwich.  He is getting a
copy of the Narratives, which I shall then have, and so I parted from him
and away to White Hall, where I met Mr. Creed and Yeabsly, and discoursed
a little about Mr. Yeabsly's business and accounts, and so I to chapel and
there staid, it being All-Hallows day, and heard a fine anthem, made by
Pelham (who is come over) in France, of which there was great expectation,
and indeed is a very good piece of musique, but still I cannot call the
Anthem anything but instrumentall musique with the voice, for nothing is
made of the words at all.  I this morning before chapel visited Sir G.
Carteret, who is vexed to see how things are likely to go, but cannot help
it, and yet seems to think himself mighty safe.  I also visited my Lord
Hinchingbroke, at his chamber at White Hall, where I found Mr. Turner,
Moore, and Creed, talking of my Lord Sandwich, whose case I doubt is but
bad, and, I fear, will not escape being worse, though some of the company
did say otherwise.  But I am mightily pleased with my Lord Hinchingbroke's
sobriety and few words.  After chapel I with Creed to the Exchange, and
after much talk he and I there about securing of some money either by land
or goods to be always at our command, which we think a thing advisable in
this critical time, we parted, and I to the Sun Taverne with Sir W. Warren
(with whom I have not drank many a day, having for some time been strange
to him), and there did put it to him to advise me how to dispose of my
prize, which he will think of and do to my best advantage.  We talked of
several other things relating to his service, wherein I promise
assistance, but coldly, thinking it policy to do so, and so, after eating
a short dinner, I away home, and there took out my wife, and she and I
alone to the King's playhouse, and there saw a silly play and an old one,
"The Taming of a Shrew," and so home and I to my office a little, and then
home to supper and to bed.

2nd.  Up, and to the office, where busy all the morning; at noon home, and
after dinner my wife and Willett and I to the King's playhouse, and there
saw "Henry the Fourth:" and contrary to expectation, was pleased in
nothing more than in Cartwright's speaking of Falstaffe's speech about
"What is Honour?"  The house full of Parliament-men, it being holyday with
them: and it was observable how a gentleman of good habit, sitting just
before us, eating of some fruit in the midst of the play, did drop down as
dead, being choked; but with much ado Orange Moll did thrust her finger
down his throat, and brought him to life again.  After the play, we home,
and I busy at the office late, and then home to supper and to bed.

3rd (Lord's day).  Up, and with my wife to church, and thither comes Roger
Pepys to our pew, and thence home to dinner, whither comes by invitation
Mr. Turner, the minister, and my cozen Roger brought with him Jeffrys, the
apothecary at Westminster, who is our kinsman, and we had much discourse
of Cottenhamshire, and other things with great pleasure. My cozen Roger
did tell me of a bargain which I may now have in Norfolke, that my
she-cozen, Nan Pepys, is going to sell, the title whereof is very good,
and the pennyworth is also good enough; but it is out of the way so of my
life, that I shall never enjoy it, nor, it may be, see it, and so I shall
have nothing to do with it.  After dinner to talk, and I find by discourse
Mr. Turner to be a man mighty well read in the Roman history, which is
very pleasant.  By and by Roger went, and Mr. Turner spent an hour talking
over my Lord Sandwich's condition as to this Parliament, which we fear may
be bad, and the condition of his family, which can be no better, and then
having little to comfort ourselves but that this humour will not last
always in the Parliament, and that [it] may well have a great many more as
great men as he enquired into, and so we parted, and I to my chamber, and
there busy all the evening, and then my wife and I to supper, and so to
bed, with much discourse and pleasure one with another.

4th.  Up betimes, and by water with Sir R. Ford (who is going to
Parliament) to Westminster; and there landing at the New Exchange stairs,
I to Sir W. Coventry: and there he read over to me the Prince's and the
Duke of Albemarle's Narratives; wherein they are very severe against him
and our Office.  But [Sir] W. Coventry do contemn them; only that their
persons and qualities are great, and so I do perceive [he] is afeard of
them, though he will not confess it.  But he do say that, if he can get
out of these briars, he will never trouble himself with Princes nor Dukes
again.  He finds several things in their Narratives, which are both
inconsistent and foolish, as well as untrue, especially as to what the
Duke of Albemarle avers of his knowing of the enemy's being abroad sooner
than he says it, which [Sir] W. Coventry will shew him his own letter
against him, for I confess I do see so much, that, were I but well
possessed of what I should have in the world, I think I could willingly
retreat, and trouble myself no more with it.  Thence home, and there met
Sir H. Cholmly, and he and I to the Excise Office to see what tallies are
paying, and thence back to the Old Exchange, by the way talking of news,
and he owning Sir W. Coventry, in his opinion, to be one of the worthiest
men in the nation, as I do really think he is.  He tells me he do think
really that they will cut off my Lord Chancellor's head, the Chancellor at
this day showing as much pride as is possible to those few that venture
their fortunes by coming to see him; and that the Duke of York is troubled
much, knowing that those that fling down the Chancellor cannot stop there,
but will do something to him, to prevent his having it in his power
hereafter to avenge himself and father-in-law upon them.  And this Sir H.
Cholmly fears may be by divorcing the Queen and getting another, or
declaring the Duke of Monmouth legitimate; which God forbid!  He tells me
he do verily believe that there will come in an impeachment of High
Treason against my Lord of Ormond; among other things, for ordering the
quartering of soldiers in Ireland on free quarters; which, it seems, is
High Treason in that country, and was one of the things that lost the Lord
Strafford his head, and the law is not yet repealed; which, he says, was a
mighty oversight of him not to have it repealed, which he might with ease
have done, or have justified himself by an Act.  From the Exchange I took
a coach, and went to Turlington, the great spectacle-maker, for advice,
who dissuades me from using old spectacles, but rather young ones, and do
tell me that nothing can wrong my eyes more than for me to use
reading-glasses, which do magnify much.  Thence home, and there dined, and
then abroad and left my wife and Willett at her tailor's, and I to White
Hall, where the Commissioners of the Treasury do not sit, and therefore I
to Westminster to the Hall, and there meeting with Col. Reames I did very
cheaply by him get copies of the Prince's and Duke of Albemarle's
Narratives, which they did deliver the other day to the House, of which I
am mighty glad, both for my present information and for my future
satisfaction.  So back by coach, and took up my wife, and away home, and
there in my chamber all the evening among my papers and my accounts of
Tangier to my great satisfaction, and so to supper and to bed.

5th.  Up, and all the morning at the office.  At noon home to dinner, and
thence out with my wife and girle, and left them at her tailor's, and I to
the Treasury, and there did a little business for Tangier, and so took
them up again, and home, and when I had done at the office, being post
night, I to my chamber, and there did something more, and so to supper and
to bed.

6th.  Up, and to Westminster, where to the Parliament door, and there
spoke with Sir G. Downing, to see what was done yesterday at the Treasury
for Tangier, and it proved as good as nothing, so that I do see we shall
be brought to great straits for money there.  He tells me here that he is
passing a Bill to make the Excise and every other part of the King's
Revenue assignable on the Exchequer, which indeed will be a very good
thing.  This he says with great glee as an act of his, and how poor a
thing this was in the beginning, and with what envy he carried it on, and
how my Lord Chancellor could never endure him for it since he first begun
it.  He tells me that the thing the House is just now upon is that of
taking away the charter from the Company of Woodmongers, whose frauds, it
seems, have been mightily laid before them.  He tells me that they are
like to fly very high against my Lord Chancellor.  Thence I to the House
of Lords, and there first saw Dr. Fuller, as Bishop of Lincoln, to sit
among the Lords.  Here I spoke with the Duke of York and the Duke of
Albemarle about Tangier; but methinks both of them do look very coldly one
upon another, and their discourse mighty cold, and little to the purpose
about our want of money.  Thence homeward, and called at Allestry's, the
bookseller, who is bookseller to the Royal Society, and there did buy
three or four books, and find great variety of French and foreign books.
And so home and to dinner, and after dinner with my wife to a play, and
the girl--"Macbeth," which we still like mightily, though mighty short of
the content we used to have when Betterton acted, who is still sick.  So
home, troubled with the way and to get a coach, and so to supper and to
bed.  This day, in the Paynted-chamber, I met and walked with Mr. George
Montagu, who thinks it may go hard with my Lord Sandwich, but he says the
House is offended with Sir W. Coventry much, and that he do endeavour to
gain them again in the most precarious manner in all things that is
possible.

7th.  Up, and at the office hard all the morning, and at noon resolved
with Sir W. Pen to go see "The Tempest," an old play of Shakespeare's,
acted, I hear, the first day; and so my wife, and girl, and W. Hewer by
themselves, and Sir W. Pen and I afterwards by ourselves; and forced to
sit in the side balcone over against the musique-room at the Duke's house,
close by my Lady Dorset and a great many great ones.  The house mighty
full; the King and Court there and the most innocent play that ever I saw;
and a curious piece of musique in an echo of half sentences, the echo
repeating the former half, while the man goes on to the latter; which is
mighty pretty.  The play [has] no great wit, but yet good, above ordinary
plays.  Thence home with [Sir] W. Pen, and there all mightily pleased with
the play; and so to supper and to bed, after having done at the office.

8th.  Called up betimes by Sir H. Cholmly, and he and I to good purpose
most of the morning--I in my dressing-gown with him, on our Tangier
accounts, and stated them well; and here he tells me that he believes it
will go hard with my Lord Chancellor.  Thence I to the office, where met
on some special, business; and here I hear that the Duke of York is very
ill; and by and by word brought us that we shall not need to attend to-day
the Duke of York, for he is not well, which is bad news.  They being gone,
I to my workmen, who this day come to alter my office, by beating down the
wall, and making me a fayre window both there, and increasing the window
of my closet, which do give me some present trouble; but will be mighty
pleasant.  So all the whole day among them to very late, and so home
weary, to supper, and to bed, troubled for the Duke of York his being
sick.

9th.  Up and to my workmen, who are at work close again, and I at the
office all the morning, and there do hear by a messenger that Roger Pepys
would speak with me, so before the office up I to Westminster, and there
find the House very busy, and like to be so all day, about my Lord
Chancellor's impeachment, whether treason or not, where every body is
mighty busy.  I spoke with my cozen Roger, whose business was only to give
me notice that Carcasse hath been before the Committee; and to warn me of
it, which is a great courtesy in him to do, and I desire him to continue
to do so.  This business of this fellow, though it may be a foolish thing,
yet it troubles me, and I do plainly see my weakness that I am not a man
able to go through trouble, as other men, but that I should be a miserable
man if I should meet with adversity, which God keep me from!  He desirous
to get back into the House, he having his notes in his hand, the lawyers
being now speaking to the point of whether treason or not treason, the
article of advising the King to break up the Parliament, and to govern by
the sword.  Thence I down to the Hall, and there met Mr. King, the
Parliament-man for Harwich, and there he did shew, and let me take a copy
of, all the articles against my Lord Chancellor, and what members they
were that undertook to bring witnesses to make them good, of which I was
mighty glad, and so away home, and to dinner and to my workmen, and in the
afternoon out to get Simpson the joyner to come to work at my office, and
so back home and to my letters by the post to-night, and there, by W. Pen,
do hear that this article was overvoted in the House not to be a ground of
impeachment of treason, at which I was glad, being willing to have no
blood spilt, if I could help it.  So home to supper, and glad that the
dirty bricklayers' work of my office is done, and home to supper and to
bed.

10th (Lord's day).  Mighty cold, and with my wife to church, where a lazy
sermon.  Here was my Lady Batten in her mourning at church, but I took no
notice of her.  At noon comes Michell and his wife to dine with us, and
pretty merry.  I glad to see her still.  After dinner Sir W. Pen and I to
White Hall, to speak with Sir W. Coventry; and there, beyond all we looked
for, do hear that the Duke of York hath got, and is full of, the
small-pox; and so we to his lodgings; and there find most of the family
going to St. James's, and the gallery doors locked up, that nobody might
pass to nor fro and a sad house, I am sure.  I am sad to consider the
effects of his death, if he should miscarry; but Dr. Frazier tells me that
he is in as good condition as a man can be in his case.  The eruption
appeared last night; it seems he was let blood on Friday. Thence, not
finding [Sir] W. Coventry, and going back again home, we met him coming
with the Lord Keeper, and so returned and spoke with him in White Hall
Garden, two or three turns, advising with him what we should do about
Carcasse's bringing his letter into the Committee of Parliament, and he
told us that the counsel he hath too late learned is, to spring nothing in
the House, nor offer anything, but just what is drawn out of a man: that
this is the best way of dealing with a Parliament, and that he hath paid
dear, and knows not how much more he may pay, for not knowing it sooner,
when he did unnecessarily produce the Duke of Albemarle's letter about
Chatham, which if demanded would have come out with all the advantages in
the world to Sir W. Coventry, but, as he brought it out himself, hath
drawn much evil upon him.  After some talk of this kind, we back home, and
there I to my chamber busy all the evening, and then to supper and to bed,
my head running all night upon our businesses in Parliament and what
examinations we are likely to go under before they have done with us,
which troubles me more than it should a wise man and a man the best able
to defend himself, I believe, of our own whole office, or any other, I am
apt to think.

11th.  Up, and to Simpson at work in my office, and thence with Sir G.
Carteret (who come to talk with me) to Broad Streete, where great crowding
of people for money, at which he blamed himself.  Thence with him and Lord
Bruncker to Captain Cocke's (he out of doors), and there drank their
morning draught, and thence [Sir] G. Carteret and I toward the Temple in
coach together; and there he did tell me how the King do all he can in the
world to overthrow my Lord Chancellor, and that notice is taken of every
man about the King that is not seen to promote the ruine of the
Chancellor; and that this being another great day in his business, he
dares not but be there.  He tells me that as soon as Secretary Morrice
brought the Great Seale from my Lord Chancellor, Bab. May fell upon his
knees, and catched the King about the legs, and joyed him, and said that
this was the first time that ever he could call him King of England, being
freed from this great man: which was a most ridiculous saying.  And he
told me that, when first my Lord Gerard, a great while ago, come to the
King, and told him that the Chancellor did say openly that the King was a
lazy person and not fit to govern, which is now made one of the things in
the people's mouths against the Chancellor, "Why," says the King, "that is
no news, for he hath told me so twenty times, and but the other day he
told me so;" and made matter of mirth at it: but yet this light discourse
is likely to prove bad to him. I 'light at the Temple, and went to my
tailor's and mercer's about a cloake, to choose the stuff, and so to my
bookseller's and bought some books, and so home to dinner, and Simpson my
joyner with me, and after dinner, my wife, and I, and Willett, to the
King's play-house, and there saw "The Indian Emperour," a good play, but
not so good as people cry it up, I think, though above all things Nell's
ill speaking of a great part made me mad.  Thence with great trouble and
charge getting a coach (it being now and having been all this day a most
cold and foggy, dark, thick day), we home, and there I to my office, and
saw it made clean from top to bottom, till I feared I took cold in walking
in a damp room while it is in washing, and so home to supper and to bed.
This day I had a whole doe sent me by Mr. Hozier, which is a fine present,
and I had the umbles of it for dinner.  This day I hear Kirton, my
bookseller, poor man, is dead, I believe, of grief for his losses by the
fire.

12th.  Up, and to the Office, where sat all the morning; and there hear
the Duke of York do yet do very well with his smallpox: pray God he may
continue to do so!  This morning also, to my astonishment, I hear that
yesterday my Lord Chancellor, to another of his Articles, that of
betraying the King's councils to his enemies, is voted to have matter
against him for an impeachment of High Treason, and that this day the
impeachment is to be carried up to the House of Lords which is very high,
and I am troubled at it; for God knows what will follow, since they that
do this must do more to secure themselves against any that will revenge
this, if it ever come in their power!  At noon home to dinner, and then to
my office, and there saw every thing finished, so as my papers are all in
order again and my office twice as pleasant as ever it was, having a noble
window in my closet and another in my office, to my great content, and so
did business late, and then home to supper and to bed.

13th.  Up, and down to the Old Swan, and so to Westminster; where I find
the House sitting, and in a mighty heat about Commissioner Pett, that they
would have him impeached, though the Committee have yet brought in but
part of their Report: and this heat of the House is much heightened by Sir
Thomas Clifford telling them, that he was the man that did, out of his own
purse, employ people at the out-ports to prevent the King of Scots to
escape after the battle of Worcester.  The House was in a great heat all
this day about it; and at last it was carried, however, that it should be
referred back to the Committee to make further enquiry.  I here spoke with
Roger Pepys, who sent for me, and it was to tell me that the Committee is
mighty full of the business of buying and selling of tickets, and to
caution me against such an enquiry (wherein I am very safe), and that they
have already found out Sir Richard Ford's son to have had a hand in it,
which they take to be the same as if the father had done it, and I do
believe the father may be as likely to be concerned in it as his son.  But
I perceive by him they are resolved to find out the bottom of the business
if it be possible.  By and by I met with Mr. Wren, who tells me that the
Duke of York is in as good condition as is possible for a man, in his
condition of the smallpox.  He, I perceive, is mightily concerned in the
business of my Lord Chancellor, the impeachment against whom is gone up to
the House of Lords; and great differences there are in the Lords' House
about it, and the Lords are very high one against another.  Thence home to
dinner, and as soon as dinner done I and my wife and Willet to the Duke of
York's, house, and there saw the Tempest again, which is very pleasant,
and full of so good variety that I cannot be more pleased almost in a
comedy, only the seamen's part a little too tedious.  Thence home, and
there to my chamber, and do begin anew to bind myself to keep my old vows,
and among the rest not to see a play till Christmas but once in every
other week, and have laid aside L10, which is to be lost to the poor, if I
do.  This I hope in God will bind me, for I do find myself mightily
wronged in my reputation, and indeed in my purse and business, by my late
following of my pleasure for so long time as I have done.  So to supper
and then to bed.  This day Mr. Chichly told me, with a seeming trouble,
that the House have stopped his son Jack (Sir John) his going to France,
that he may be a witness against my Lord Sandwich: which do trouble me,
though he can, I think, say little.

14th.  At the office close all the morning.  At noon, all my clerks with
me to dinner, to a venison pasty; and there comes Creed, and dined with
me, and he tells me how high the Lords were in the Lords' House about the
business of the Chancellor, and that they are not yet agreed to impeach
him.  After dinner, he and I, and my wife and girl, the latter two to
their tailor's, and he and I to the Committee of the Treasury, where I had
a hearing, but can get but L6000 for the pay of the garrison, in lieu of
above L16,000; and this Alderman Backewell gets remitted there, and I am
glad of it.  Thence by coach took up my wife and girl, and so home, and
set down Creed at Arundell House, going to the Royal Society, whither I
would be glad to go, but cannot.  Thence home, and to the Office, where
about my letters, and so home to supper, and to bed, my eyes being bad
again; and by this means, the nights, now-a-days, do become very long to
me, longer than I can sleep out.

15th.  Up, and to Alderman Backewell's

     [Edward Backwell, goldsmith and alderman of the City of London.  He
     was a man of considerable wealth during the Commonwealth.  After the
     Restoration he negotiated Charles II.'s principal money
     transactions.  He was M.P. for Wendover in the parliament of 1679,
     and in the Oxford parliament of 1680.  According to the writer of
     the life in the "Diet.  of Nat.  Biog. "his heirs did not ultimately
     suffer any pecuniary loss by the closure of the Exchequer.  Mr.
     Hilton Price stated that Backwell removed to Holland in 1676, and
     died therein 1679; but this is disproved by the pedigree in
     Lipscomb's "Hist. of Bucks," where the date of his death is given
     as 1683, as well as by the fact that he sat for Wendover in 1679 and
     1680, as stated above.]

and there discoursed with him about the remitting of this L6000 to
Tangier, which he hath promised to do by the first post, and that will be
by Monday next, the 18th, and he and I agreed that I would take notice of
it that so he may be found to have done his best upon the desire of the
Lords Commissioners.  From this we went to discourse of his condition, and
he with some vain glory told me that the business of Sheernesse did make
him quite mad, and indeed might well have undone him; but yet that he did
the very next day pay here and got bills to answer his promise to the King
for the Swedes Embassadors (who were then doing our business at the treaty
at Breda) L7000, and did promise the Bankers there, that if they would
draw upon him all that he had of theirs and L10,000 more, he would answer
it.  He told me that Serjeant Maynard come to him for a sum of money that
he had in his hands of his, and so did many others, and his answer was,
What countrymen are you?  And when they told him, why then, says he, here
is a tally upon the Receiver of your country for so [much], and to yours
for so much, and did offer to lay by tallies to the full value of all that
he owed in the world, and L40,000 more for the security thereof, and not
to touch a penny of his own till the full of what he owed was paid, which
so pleased every body that he hath mastered all, so that he hath lent the
Commissioners of the Treasury above L40,000 in money since that business,
and did this morning offer to a lady who come to give him notice that she
should need her money L3000, in twenty days, he bid her if she pleased
send for it to-day and she should have it. Which is a very great thing,
and will make them greater than ever they were, I am apt to think, in some
time.  Thence to Westminster, and there I walked with several, and do hear
that there is to be a conference between the two Houses today; so I
stayed: and it was only to tell the Commons that the Lords cannot agree to
the confining or sequestring of the Earle of Clarendon from the
Parliament, forasmuch as they do not specify any particular crime which
they lay upon him and call Treason. This the House did receive, and so
parted: at which, I hear, the Commons are like to grow very high, and will
insist upon their privileges, and the Lords will own theirs, though the
Duke of Buckingham, Bristoll, and others, have been very high in the House
of Lords to have had him committed.  This is likely to breed ill blood.
Thence I away home, calling at my mercer's and tailor's, and there find,
as I expected, Mr. Caesar and little Pelham Humphreys, lately returned
from France, and is an absolute Monsieur, as full of form, and confidence,
and vanity, and disparages everything, and everybody's skill but his own.
The truth is, every body says he is very able, but to hear how he laughs
at all the King's musick here, as Blagrave and others, that they cannot
keep time nor tune, nor understand anything; and that Grebus, the
Frenchman, the King's master of the musick, how he understands nothing,
nor can play on any instrument, and so cannot compose: and that he will
give him a lift out of his place; and that he and the King are mighty
great! and that he hath already spoke to the King of Grebus would make a
man piss.  I had a good dinner for them, as a venison pasty and some fowl,
and after dinner we did play, he on the theorbo.  Mr. Caesar on his French
lute, and I on the viol, but made but mean musique, nor do I see that this
Frenchman do so much wonders on the theorbo, but without question he is a
good musician, but his vanity do offend me.  They gone, towards night, I
to the office awhile, and then home and to my chamber, where busy till by
and by comes Mr. Moore, and he staid and supped and talked with me about
many things, and tells me his great fear that all things will go to ruin
among us, for that the King hath, as he says Sir Thomas Crew told him,
been heard to say that the quarrel is not between my Lord Chancellor and
him, but his brother and him; which will make sad work among us if that be
once promoted, as to be sure it will, Buckingham and Bristoll being now
the only counsel the King follows, so as Arlington and Coventry are come
to signify little.  He tells me they are likely to fall upon my Lord
Sandwich; but, for my part, sometimes I am apt to think they cannot do him
much harm, he telling me that there is no great fear of the business of
Resumption!  By and by, I got him to read part of my Lord Cooke's chapter
of treason, which is mighty well worth reading, and do inform me in many
things, and for aught I see it is useful now to know what these crimes
are.  And then to supper, and after supper he went away, and so I got the
girl to comb my head, and then to bed, my eyes bad.  This day, Poundy, the
waterman, was with me, to let me know that he was summonsed to bear
witness against me to Prince Rupert's people (who have a commission to
look after the business of prize-goods) about the business of the
prize-goods I was concerned in: but I did desire him to speak all he knew,
and not to spare me, nor did promise nor give him any thing, but sent him
away with good words, to bid him say all he knew to be true. This do not
trouble me much.

16th.  At the office all the morning, and at noon took my Lord Bruncker
into the garden, and there told him of his man Carcasses proceedings
against the Office in the House of Commons.  I did [not] desire nor advise
him anything, but in general, that the end of this might be ruin to the
Office, but that we shall be brought to fencing for ourselves, and that
will be no profit to the office, but let it light where it would I thought
I should be as well as any body.  This I told him, and so he seeming to be
ignorant of it, and not pleased with it, we broke off by Sir Thos. Harvy's
coming to us from the Pay Office, whither we had sent a smart letter we
had writ to him this morning about keeping the clerks at work at the
making up the books, which I did to place the fault somewhere, and now I
let him defend himself.  He was mighty angry, and particularly with me,
but I do not care, but do rather desire it, for I will not spare him, that
we shall bear the blame, and such an idle fellow as he have L500 a year
for nothing.  So we broke off, and I home to dinner, and then to the
office, and having spent the afternoon on letters, I took coach in the
evening, and to White Hall, where there is to be a performance of musique
of Pelham's before the King.  The company not come; but I did go into the
musique-room, where Captain Cocke and many others; and here I did hear the
best and the smallest organ go that ever I saw in my life, and such a one
as, by the grace of God, I will have the next year, if I continue in this
condition, whatever it cost me. I never was so pleased in my life.
Thence, it being too soon, I to Westminster Hall, it being now about 7 at
night, and there met Mr. Gregory, my old acquaintance, an understanding
gentleman; and he and I walked an hour together, talking of the bad
prospect of the times; and the sum of what I learn from him is this: That
the King is the most concerned in the world against the Chancellor, and
all people that do not appear against him, and therefore is angry with the
Bishops, having said that he had one Bishop on his side (Crofts ), and but
one: that Buckingham and Bristoll are now his only Cabinet Council;

     [The term Cabinet Council, as stated by Clarendon, originated thus,
     in 1640: "The bulk and burden of the state affairs lay principally
     upon the shoulders of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Earl of
     Strafford, and the Lord Cottington; some others being joined to
     them, as the Earl of Northumberland for ornament, the Bishop of
     London for his place, the two Secretaries, Sir H. Vane and Sir
     Francis Windebank, for service and communication of intelligence:
     only the Marquis of Hamilton, indeed, by his skill and interest,
     bore as great a part as he had a mind to do, and had the skill to
     meddle no further than he had a mind.  These persons made up the
     committee of state, which was reproachfully after called the junto,
     and enviously then in the Court the Cabinet Council" ("History of
     the Rebellion," vol. i., p. 211, edit. 1849).]

and that, before the Duke of York fell sick, Buckingham was admitted to
the King of his Cabinet, and there stayed with him several hours, and the
Duke of York shut out.  That it is plain that there is dislike between the
King and Duke of York, and that it is to be feared that the House will go
so far against the Chancellor, that they must do something to undo the
Duke of York, or will not think themselves safe.  That this Lord Vaughan,
that is so great against the Chancellor, is one of the lewdest fellows of
the age, worse than Sir Charles Sidly; and that he was heard to swear, God
damn him, he would do my Lord Clarendon's business.  That he do find that
my Lord Clarendon hath more friends in both Houses than he believes he
would have, by reason that they do see what are the hands that pull him
down; which they do not like.  That Harry Coventry was scolded at by the
King severely the other day; and that his answer was that, if he must not
speak what he thought in this business in Parliament, he must not come
thither.  And he says that by this very business Harry Coventry hath got
more fame and common esteem than any gentleman in England hath at this
day, and is an excellent and able person.  That the King, who not long ago
did say of Bristoll, that he was a man able in three years to get himself
a fortune in any kingdom in the world, and lose all again in three months,
do now hug him, and commend his parts every where, above all the world.
How fickle is this man [the King], and how unhappy we like to be!  That he
fears some furious courses will be taken against the Duke of York; and
that he hath heard that it was designed, if they cannot carry matters
against the Chancellor, to impeach the Duke of York himself, which God
forbid!  That Sir Edward Nicholas, whom he served while Secretary, is one
of the best men in the world, but hated by the Queen-Mother, for a service
he did the old King against her mind and her favourites; and that she and
my Lady Castlemayne did make the King to lay him aside: but this man says
that he is one of the most perfect heavenly and charitable men in the
whole world.  That the House of Commons resolve to stand by their
proceedings, and have chosen a Committee to draw up the reasons thereof to
carry to the Lords; which is likely to breed great heat between them.
That the Parliament, after all this, is likely to give the King no money;
and, therefore, that it is to be wondered what makes the King give way to
so great extravagancies, which do all tend to the making him less than he
is, and so will, every day more and more: and by this means every creature
is divided against the other, that there never was so great an uncertainty
in England, of what would, be the event of things, as at this day; nobody
being at ease, or safe.  Being full of his discourse, and glad of the
rencontre, I to White Hall; and there got into the theater-room, and there
heard both the vocall and instrumentall musick, where the little fellow'
stood keeping time; but for my part, I see no great matter, but quite the
contrary in both sorts of musique.  The composition I believe is very
good, but no more of delightfulness to the eare or understanding but what
is very ordinary.  Here was the King and Queen, and some of the ladies;
among whom none more jolly than my Lady Buckingham, her Lord being once
more a great man.  Thence by coach home and to my office, ended my
letters, and then home to supper, and, my eyes being bad, to bed.

17th (Lord's day).  Up, and to church with my wife.  A dull sermon of Mr.
Mills, and then home, without strangers to dinner, and then my wife to
read, and I to the office, enter my journall to this day, and so home with
great content that it is done, but with sorrow to my eyes.  Then home, and
got my wife to read to me out of Fuller's Church History, when by and by
comes Captain Cocke, who sat with me all the evening, talking, and I find
by him, as by all others, that we are like to expect great confusions, and
most of our discourse was the same, and did agree with that the last
night, particularly that about the difference between the King and the
Duke of York which is like to be.  He tells me that he hears that Sir W.
Coventry was, a little before the Duke of York fell sick, with the Duke of
York in his closet, and fell on his knees, and begged his pardon for what
he hath done to my Lord Chancellor; but this I dare not soon believe.  But
he tells me another thing, which he says he had from the person himself
who spoke with the Duke of Buckingham, who, he says, is a very sober and
worthy man, that he did lately speak with the Duke of Buckingham about his
greatness now with the King, and told him-"But, sir, these things that the
King do now, in suffering the Parliament to do all this, you know are not
fit for the King to suffer, and you know how often you have said to me
that the King was a weak man, and unable to govern, but to be governed,
and that you could command him as you listed; why do you suffer him to go
on in these things?"--"Why," says the Duke of Buckingham, "I do suffer him
to do this, that I may hereafter the better command him."  This he swears
to me the person himself to whom the Duke of Buckingham said this did tell
it him, and is a man of worth, understanding, and credit.  He told me one
odd passage by the Duke of Albemarle, speaking how hasty a man he is, and
how for certain he would have killed Sir W. Coventry, had he met him in a
little time after his shewing his letter in the House.  He told me that a
certain lady, whom he knows, did tell him that, she being certainly
informed that some of the Duke of Albemarle's family did say that the Earl
of Torrington was a bastard, [she] did think herself concerned to tell the
Duke of Albemarle of it, and did first tell the Duchesse, and was going to
tell the old man, when the Duchesse pulled her back by the sleeve, and
hindered her, swearing to her that if he should hear it, he would
certainly kill the servant that should be found to have said it, and
therefore prayed her to hold her peace.  One thing more he told me, which
is, that Garraway is come to town, and is thinking how to bring the House
to mind the public state of the nation and to put off these particular
piques against man and man, and that he propounding this to Sir W.
Coventry, Sir W. Coventry did give no encouragement to it: which he says
is that by their running after other men he may escape.  But I do believe
this is not true neither.  But however I am glad that Garraway is here,
and that he do begin to think of the public condition in reference to our
neighbours that we are in, and in reference to ourselves, whereof I am
mightily afeard of trouble.  So to supper, and he gone and we to bed.

18th.  Up, and all the morning at my office till 3 after noon with Mr.
Hater about perfecting my little pocket market book of the office, till my
eyes were ready to fall out of my head, and then home to dinner, glad that
I had done so much, and so abroad to White Hall, to the Commissioners of
the Treasury, and there did a little business with them, and so home,
leaving multitudes of solicitors at their door, of one sort or other,
complaining for want of such despatch as they had in my Lord Treasurer's
time, when I believe more business was despatched, but it was in his
manner to the King's wrong.  Among others here was Gresham College coming
about getting a grant of Chelsey College for their Society, which the
King, it seems, hath given them his right in; but they met with some other
pretences, I think; to it, besides the King's.  Thence took up my wife,
whom I had left at her tailor's, and home, and there, to save my eyes, got
my wife at home to read again, as last night, in the same book, till W.
Batelier come and spent the evening talking with us, and supped with us,
and so to bed.

19th.  To the office, and thence before noon I, by the Board's direction,
to the Parliament House to speak with Sir R. Brookes about the meaning of
an order come to us this day to bring all the books of the office to the
Committee.  I find by him that it is only about the business of an order
of ours for paying off the ships by ticket, which they think I on behalf
of my Lord Bruncker do suppress, which vexes me, and more at its
occasioning the bringing them our books.  So home and to dinner, where Mr.
Shepley with me, newly come out of the country, but I was at little
liberty to talk to him, but after dinner with two contracts to the
Committee, with Lord Bruncker and Sir T. Harvy, and there did deliver
them, and promised at their command more, but much against my will.  And
here Sir R. Brookes did take me alone, and pray me to prevent their
trouble, by discovering the order he would have.  I told him I would
suppress none, nor could, but this did not satisfy him, and so we parted,
I vexed that I should bring on myself this suspicion.  Here I did stand by
unseen, and did hear their impertinent yet malicious examinations of some
rogues about the business of Bergen, wherein they would wind in something
against my Lord Sandwich (it was plain by their manner of examining, as
Sir Thomas Crew did afterwards observe to me, who was there), but all
amounted to little I think.  But here Sir Thomas Crew and W. Hewer, who
was there also, did tell me that they did hear Captain Downing give a
cruel testimony against my Lord Bruncker, for his neglect, and doing
nothing, in the time of straits at Chatham, when he was spoke to, and did
tell the Committee that he, Downing, did presently after, in Lord
Bruncker's hearing, tell the Duke of Albemarle, that if he might advise
the King, he should hang both my Lord Bruncker and Pett.  This is very
hard.  Thence with W. Hewer and our messenger, Marlow, home by coach, and
so late at letters, and then home to supper, and my wife to read and then
to bed.  This night I wrote to my father, in answer to a new match which
is proposed (the executor of Ensum, my sister's former servant) for my
sister, that I will continue my mind of giving her L500, if he likes of
the match.  My father did also this week, by Shepley, return me up a
'guinny, which, it seems, upon searching the ground, they have found since
I was there.  I was told this day that Lory Hide,

     [Laurence Hyde, second son of Lord Chancellor Clarendon (1614-1711).
     He held many important offices, and was First Lord of the Treasury,
     1679-84; created Earl of Rochester in 1681, and K.G. 1685.]

second son of my Lord Chancellor, did some time since in the House say,
that if he thought his father was guilty but of one of the things then
said against him, he would be the first that should call for judgement
against him: which Mr. Waller, the poet, did say was spoke like the old
Roman, like Brutus, for its greatness and worthiness.

20th.  Up, and all the morning at my office shut up with Mr. Gibson, I
walking and he reading to me the order books of the office from the
beginning of the war, for preventing the Parliament's having them in their
hands before I have looked them over and seen the utmost that can be said
against us from any of our orders, and to my great content all the morning
I find none.  So at noon home to dinner with my clerks, who have of late
dined frequently with me, and I do purpose to have them so still, by that
means I having opportunity to talk with them about business, and I love
their company very well.  All the morning Mr. Hater and the boy did shut
up themselves at my house doing something towards the finishing the
abstract book of our contracts for my pocket, which I shall now want very
much.  After dinner I stayed at home all the afternoon, and Gibson with
me; he and I shut up till about ten at night. We went through all our
orders, and towards the end I do meet with two or three orders for our
discharging of two or three little vessels by ticket without money, which
do plunge me; but, however, I have the advantage by this means to study an
answer and to prepare a defence, at least for myself.  So he gone I to
supper, my mind busy thinking after our defence in this matter, but with
vexation to think that a thing of this kind, which in itself brings
nothing but trouble and shame to us, should happen before all others to
become a charge against us.  This afternoon Mr. Mills come and visited me,
and stayed a little with me (my wife being to be godmother to his child
to-morrow), and among other talk he told me how fully satisfactory my
first Report was to the House in the business of Chatham: which I am glad
to hear; and the more, for that I know that he is a great creature of Sir
R. Brookes's.

21st.  Up, and to the office, where all the morning, and at noon home,
where my wife not very well, but is to go to Mr. Mills's child's
christening, where she is godmother, Sir J. Minnes and Sir R. Brookes her
companions.  I left her after dinner (my clerks dining with me) to go with
Sir J. Minnes, and I to the office, where did much business till after
candlelight, and then my eyes beginning to fail me, I out and took coach
to Arundell House, where the meeting of Gresham College was broke up; but
there meeting Creed, I with him to the taverne in St. Clement's
Churchyard, where was Deane Wilkins, Dr. Whistler, Dr. Floyd, a divine
admitted, I perceive, this day, and other brave men; and there, among
other things of news, I do hear, that upon the reading of the House of
Commons's Reasons of the manner of their proceedings in the business of my
Lord Chancellor, the Reasons were so bad, that my Lord Bristoll himself
did declare that he would not stand to what he had, and did still, advise
the Lords to concur to, upon any of the Reasons of the House of Commons;
but if it was put to the question whether it should be done on their
Reasons, he would be against them; and indeed it seems the
Reasons--however they come to escape the House of Commons, which shews how
slightly the greatest matters are done in this world, and even in
Parliaments were none of them of strength, but the principle of them
untrue; they saying, that where any man is brought before a judge, accused
of Treason in general, without specifying the particular, the judge do
there constantly and is obliged to commit him.  Whereas the question being
put by the Lords to my Lord Keeper, he said that quite the contrary was
true: and then, in the Sixth Article (I will get a copy of them if I can)
there are two or three things strangely asserted to the diminishing of the
King's power, as is said, at least things that heretofore would not have
been heard of.  But then the question being put among the Lords, as my
Lord Bristoll advised, whether, upon the whole matter and Reasons that had
been laid before them, they would commit my Lord Clarendon, it was carried
five to one against it; there being but three Bishops against him, of whom
Cosens and Dr. Reynolds were two, and I know not the third.  This made the
opposite Lords, as Bristoll and Buckingham, so mad, that they declared and
protested against it, speaking very broad that there was mutiny and
rebellion in the hearts of the Lords, and that they desired they might
enter their dissents, which they did do, in great fury.  So that upon the
Lords sending to the Commons, as I am told, to have a conference for them
to give their answer to the Commons's Reasons, the Commons did desire a
free conference: but the Lords do deny it; and the reason is, that they
hold not the Commons any Court, but that themselves only are a Court, and
the Chief Court of judicature, and therefore are not to dispute the laws
and method of their own Court with them that are none, and so will not
submit so much as to have their power disputed.  And it is conceived that
much of this eagerness among the Lords do arise from the fear some of them
have, that they may be dealt with in the same manner themselves, and
therefore do stand upon it now.  It seems my Lord Clarendon hath, as is
said and believed, had his horses several times in his coach, ready to
carry him to the Tower, expecting a message to that purpose; but by this
means his case is like to be laid by.  From this we fell to other
discourse, and very good; among the rest they discourse of a man that is a
little frantic, that hath been a kind of minister, Dr. Wilkins saying that
he hath read for him in his church, that is poor and a debauched man, that
the College' have hired for 20s. to have some of the blood of a sheep let
into his body; and it is to be done on Saturday next.

     [This was Arthur Coga, who had studied at Cambridge, and was said to
     be a bachelor of divinity.  He was indigent, and "looked upon as a
     very freakish and extravagant man."  Dr. King, in a letter to the
     Hon.  Robert Boyle, remarks "that Mr. Coga was about thirty-two
     years of age; that he spoke Latin well, when he was in company,
     which he liked, but that his brain was sometimes a little too warm."
     The experiment was performed on November 23rd, 1667, by Dr. King, at
     Arundel House, in the presence of many spectators of quality, and
     four or five physicians.  Coga wrote a description of his own case
     in Latin, and when asked why he had not the blood of some other
     creature, instead of that of a sheep, transfused into him, answered,
     "Sanguis ovis symbolicam quandam facultatem habet cum sanguine
     Christi, quia Christus est agnus Dei" (Birch's "History of the Royal
     Society," vol. ii., pp. 214-16).  Coga was the first person in
     England to be experimented upon; previous experiments were made by
     the transfusion of the blood of one dog into another.  See November
     14th, 1666 (vol. vi., p. 64).]

They purpose to let in about twelve ounces; which, they compute, is what
will be let in in a minute's time by a watch.  They differ in the opinion
they have of the effects of it; some think it may have a good effect upon
him as a frantic man by cooling his blood, others that it will not have
any effect at all.  But the man is a healthy man, and by this means will
be able to give an account what alteration, if any, he do find in himself,
and so may be usefull.  On this occasion, Dr. Whistler told a pretty story
related by Muffet, a good author, of Dr. Caius, that built Keys College;
that, being very old, and living only at that time upon woman's milk, he,
while he fed upon the milk of an angry, fretful woman, was so himself; and
then, being advised to take it of a good-natured, patient woman, he did
become so, beyond the common temper of his age. Thus much nutriment, they
observed, might do.  Their discourse was very fine; and if I should be put
out of my office, I do take great content in the liberty I shall be at of
frequenting these gentlemen's company. Broke up thence and home, and there
to my wife in her chamber, who is not well (of those), and there she tells
me great stories of the gossiping women of the parish--what this, and what
that woman was; and, among the rest, how Mrs. Hollworthy is the veriest
confident bragging gossip of them all, which I should not have believed;
but that Sir R. Brookes, her partner, was mighty civil to her, and taken
with her, and what not.  My eyes being bad I spent the evening with her in
her chamber talking and inventing a cypher to put on a piece of plate,
which I must give, better than ordinary, to the Parson's child, and so to
bed, and through my wife's illness had a bad night of it, and she a worse,
poor wretch!

22nd.  Up betimes, and drinking my morning draught of strong water with
Betty Michell, I had not opportunity para baiser la, I by water to White
Hall, and there met Creed, and thence with him to Westminster Hall, where
we talked long together of news, and there met with Cooling, my Lord
Chamberlain's Secretary, and from him learn the truth of all I heard last
night; and understand further, that this stiffness of the Lords is in no
manner of kindness to my Lord Chancellor, for he neither hath, nor do, nor
for the future likely can oblige any of them, but rather the contrary; but
that they do fear what the consequence may be to themselves, should they
yield in his case, as many of them have reason. And more, he shewed me how
this is rather to the wrong and prejudice of my Lord Chancellor; for that
it is better for him to come to be tried before the Lords, where he can
have right and make interest, than, when the Parliament is up, be
committed by the King, and tried by a Court on purpose made by the King,
of what Lords the King pleases, who have a mind to have his head.  So that
my Lord [Cornbury] himself, his son, he tells me, hath moved, that if they
have Treason against my Lord of Clarendon, that they would specify it and
send it up to the Lords, that he might come to his trial; so full of
intrigues this business is!  Having now a mind to go on and to be rid of
Creed, I could not, but was forced to carry him with me to the Excise
Office, and thence to the Temple, and there walked a good while in the
Temple church, observing the plainness of Selden's tomb, and how much
better one of his executors hath, who is buried by him, and there I parted
with him and took coach and home, where to dinner.

23rd.  Up, and to the office, where all the morning, and at noon home to
dinner, and all the afternoon also busy till late preparing things to
fortify myself and fellows against the Parliament; and particularly myself
against what I fear is thought, that I have suppressed the Order of the
Board by which the discharging the great ships off at Chatham by tickets
was directed; whereas, indeed, there was no such Order.  So home at night
to supper and to bed.

24th (Lord's day).  In my chamber all the morning (having lain long in
bed) till Mr. Shepley come to dine with me, and there being to return to
Hinchinbroke speedily, I did give him as good account how matters go here
as I could.  After dinner, he being gone, I to the office, and there for
want of other of my clerks, sent to Mr. Gibbs, whom I never used till now,
for the writing over of my little pocket Contract-book; and there I
laboured till nine at night with him, in drawing up the history of all
that hath passed concerning tickets, in order to the laying the whole, and
clearing myself and Office, before Sir R. Brookes; and in this I took
great pains, and then sent him away, and proceeded, and had W. Hewer come
to me, and he and I till past twelve at night in the Office, and he, which
was a good service, did so inform me in the consequences of my writing
this report, and that what I said would not hold water, in denying this
Board to have ever ordered the discharging out of the service whole ships
by ticket, that I did alter my whole counsel, and fall to arme myself with
good reasons to justify the Office in so doing, which hath been but rare,
and having done this, I went, with great quiet in my mind, home, though
vexed that so honest a business should bring me so much trouble; but
mightily was pleased to find myself put out of my former design; and so,
after supper, to bed.

25th.  Up, and all the morning finishing my letter to Sir Robert Brookes,
which I did with great content, and yet at noon when I come home to dinner
I read it over again after it was sealed and delivered to the messenger,
and read it to my clerks who dined with me, and there I did resolve upon
some alteration, and caused it to be new writ, and so to the office after
dinner, and there all the afternoon mighty busy, and at night did take
coach thinking to have gone to Westminster, but it was mighty dark and
foul, and my business not great, only to keep my eyes from reading by
candle, being weary, but being gone part of my way I turned back, and so
home, and there to read, and my wife to read to me out of Sir Robert
Cotton's book about warr, which is very fine, showing how the Kings of
England have raised money by the people heretofore upon the people, and
how they have played upon the kings also.  So after supper I to bed.  This
morning Sir W. Pen tells me that the House was very hot on Saturday last
upon the business of liberty of speech in the House, and damned the vote
in the beginning of the Long Parliament against it; I so that he fears
that there may be some bad thing which they have a mind to broach, which
they dare not do without more security than they now have.  God keep us,
for things look mighty ill!

26th.  Up, all the morning at the office, and then home to dinner, where
dined Mr. Clerke, solicitor, with me, to discourse about my Tangier
accounts, which I would fain make up, but I have not time.  After dinner,
by coach as far as the Temple, and there saw a new book, in folio, of all
that suffered for the King in the late times, which I will buy, it seems
well writ, and then back to the Old Exchange, and there at my goldsmith's
bought a basin for my wife to give the Parson's child, to which the other
day she was godmother.  It cost me; L10 14s. besides graving, which I do
with the cypher of the name, Daniel Mills, and so home to the office, and
then home to supper and hear my wife read, and then to bed.  This
afternoon, after dinner, come to me Mr. Warren, and there did tell me that
he come to pay his debt to me for the kindness I did him in getting his
last ship out, which I must also remember was a service to the King,
though I did not tell him so, as appeared by my advising with the board,
and there writing to Sir W. Coventry to get the pass for the ship to go
for it to Genoa.  Now that which he had promised me for the courtesy was I
take it 100 pieces or more, I think more, and also for the former courtesy
I had done for the getting of his first ship out for this hemp he did
promise me a consideration upon the return of the goods, but I never did
to this day demand any thing of him, only about a month ago he told me
that now his ship was come, and he would come out of my debt, but told me
that whereas he did expect to have had some profit by the voyage, it had
proved of loss to him, by the loss of some ships, or some accidents, I
know not what, and so that he was not able to do what he intended, but
told me that he would present me with sixty pieces in gold. I told him I
would demand nothing of his promises, though they were much greater, nor
would have thus much, but if he could afford to give me but fifty pieces,
it should suffice me.  So now he brought something in a paper, which since
proves to be fifty pieces.  But before I would take them I told him that I
did not insist on anything, and therefore prayed him to consult his
ability before he did part with them: and so I refused them once or twice
till he did the third time offer them, and then I took them, he saying
that he would present me with as many more if I would undertake to get him
L500 paid on his bills.  I told him I would by no means have any promise
of the kind, nor would have any kindness from him for any such service,
but that I should do my utmost for nothing to do him that justice, and
would endeavour to do what I could for him, and so we parted, he owning
himself mightily engaged to me for my kind usage of him in accepting of so
small a matter in satisfaction of all that he owed me; which I enter at
large for my justification if anything of this should be hereafter
enquired after.  This evening also comes to me to my closet at the Office
Sir John Chichly, of his own accord, to tell me what he shall answer to
the Committee, when, as he expects, he shall be examined about my Lord
Sandwich; which is so little as will not hurt my Lord at all, I know.  He
do profess great generousness towards my Lord, and that this jealousy of
my Lord's of him is without ground, but do mightily inveigh against Sir
Roger Cuttance, and would never have my Lord to carry him to sea again, as
being a man that hath done my Lord more hurt than ever he can repair by
his ill advice, and disobliging every body.  He will by no means seem to
crouch to my Lord, but says that he hath as good blood in his veins as any
man, though not so good a title, but that he will do nothing to wrong or
prejudice my Lord, and I hope he will not, nor I believe can; but he tells
me that Sir E. Spragg and Utber are the men that have done my Lord the
most wrong, and did bespatter him the most at Oxford, and that my Lord was
misled to believe that all that was there said was his, which indeed it
was not, and says that he did at that time complain to his father of this
his misfortune.  This I confess is strange to me touching these two men,
but yet it may well enough as the world goes, though I wonder I confess at
the latter of the two, who always professes great love to my Lord.  Sir
Roger Cuttance was with me in the morning, and there gives me an account
so clear about Bergen and the other business against my Lord, as I do not
see what can be laid to my Lord in either, and tells me that Pen, however
he now dissembles it, did on the quarter deck of my Lord's ship, after he
come on board, when my Lord did fire a gun for the ships to leave pursuing
the enemy, Pen did say, before a great many, several times, that his heart
did leap in his belly for joy when he heard the gun, and that it was the
best thing that could be done for securing the fleet.  He tells me also
that Pen was the first that did move and persuade my Lord to the breaking
bulke, as a thing that was now the time to do right to the commanders of
the great ships, who had no opportunity of getting anything by prizes, now
his Lordship might distribute to everyone something, and he himself did
write down before my Lord the proportions for each man.  This I am glad
of, though it may be this dissembling fellow may, twenty to one, deny it.

27th.  Up, and all the morning at my Lord Bruncker's lodgings with Sir J.
Minnes and [Sir] W. Pen about Sir W. Warren's accounts, wherein I do not
see that they are ever very likely to come to an understanding of them, as
Sir J. Minnes hath not yet handled them.  Here till noon, and then home to
dinner, where Mr. Pierce comes to me, and there, in general, tells me how
the King is now fallen in and become a slave to the Duke of Buckingham,
led by none but him, whom he, Mr. Pierce, swears he knows do hate the very
person of the King, and would, as well as will, certainly ruin him.  He do
say, and I think with right, that the King do in this do the most
ungrateful part of a master to a servant that ever was done, in this
carriage of his to my Lord Chancellor: that, it may be, the Chancellor may
have faults, but none such as these they speak of; that he do now really
fear that all is going to ruin, for he says he hears that Sir W. Coventry
hath been, just before his sickness, with the Duke of York, to ask his
forgiveness and peace for what he had done; for that he never could
foresee that what he meant so well, in the councilling to lay by the
Chancellor, should come to this.  As soon as dined, I with my boy Tom to
my bookbinder's, where all the afternoon long till 8 or 9 at night seeing
him binding up two or three collections of letters and papers that I had
of him, but above all things my little abstract pocket book of contracts,
which he will do very neatly.  Then home to read, sup, and to bed.

28th.  Up, and at the office all this morning, and then home to dinner,
and then by coach sent my wife to the King's playhouse, and I to White
Hall, there intending, with Lord Bruncker, Sir J. Minnes, and Sir T. Harvy
to have seen the Duke of York, whom it seems the King and Queen have
visited, and so we may now well go to see him.  But there was nobody could
speak with him, and so we parted, leaving a note in Mr. Wren's chamber
that we had been there, he being at the free conference of the two Houses
about this great business of my Lord Chancellor's, at which they were at
this hour, three in the afternoon, and there they say my Lord Anglesey do
his part admirablyably, and each of us taking a copy of the Guinny
Company's defence to a petition against them to the Parliament the other
day.  So I away to the King's playhouse, and there sat by my wife, and saw
"The Mistaken Beauty," which I never, I think, saw before, though an old
play; and there is much in it that I like, though the name is but improper
to it--at least, that name, it being also called "The Lyer," which is
proper enough.  Here I met with Sir. Richard Browne, who wondered to find
me there, telling the that I am a man of so much business, which
character, I thank God, I have ever got, and have for a long time had and
deserved, and yet am now come to be censured in common with the office for
a man of negligence.  Thence home and to the office to my letters, and
then home to supper and to bed.

29th.  Waked about seven o'clock this morning with a noise I supposed I
heard, near our chamber, of knocking, which, by and by, increased: and I,
more awake, could, distinguish it better.  I then waked my wife, and both
of us wondered at it, and lay so a great while, while that increased, and
at last heard it plainer, knocking, as if it were breaking down a window
for people to get out; and then removing of stools and chairs; and
plainly, by and by, going up and down our stairs.  We lay, both of us,
afeard; yet I would have rose, but my wife would not let me.  Besides, I
could not do it without making noise; and we did both conclude that
thieves were in the house, but wondered what our people did, whom we
thought either killed, or afeard, as we were.  Thus we lay till the clock
struck eight, and high day.  At last, I removed my gown and slippers
safely to the other side of the bed over my wife: and there safely rose,
and put on my gown and breeches, and then, with a firebrand in my hand,
safely opened the door, and saw nor heard any thing.  Then (with fear, I
confess) went to the maid's chamber-door, and all quiet and safe.  Called
Jane up, and went down safely, and opened my chamber door, where all well.
Then more freely about, and to the kitchen, where the cook-maid up, and
all safe.  So up again, and when Jane come, and we demanded whether she
heard no noise, she said, "yes, and was afeard," but rose with the other
maid, and found nothing; but heard a noise in the great stack of chimnies
that goes from Sir J. Minnes through our house; and so we sent, and their
chimnies have been swept this morning, and the noise was that, and nothing
else.  It is one of the most extraordinary accidents in my life, and gives
ground to think of Don Quixote's adventures how people may be surprised,
and the more from an accident last night, that our young gibb-cat

     [A male cat.  "Gib" is a contraction of the Christian name Gilbert
     (Old French), "Tibert".

                         "I am melancholy as a gib-cat"

                              Shakespeare, I Henry IV, act i., sc. 3.

     Gib alone is also used, and a verb made from it--"to gib," or act
     like a cat.]

did leap down our stairs from top to bottom, at two leaps, and frighted
us, that we could not tell well whether it was the cat or a spirit, and do
sometimes think this morning that the house might be haunted.  Glad to
have this so well over, and indeed really glad in my mind, for I was much
afeard, I dressed myself and to the office both forenoon and afternoon,
mighty hard putting papers and things in order to my extraordinary
satisfaction, and consulting my clerks in many things, who are infinite
helps to my memory and reasons of things, and so being weary, and my eyes
akeing, having overwrought them to-day reading so much shorthand, I home
and there to supper, it being late, and to bed.  This morning Sir W. Pen
and I did walk together a good while, and he tells me that the Houses are
not likely to agree after their free conference yesterday, and he fears
what may follow.

30th.  Up, and to the office, where all the morning, and then by coach to
Arundel House, to the election of Officers for the next year; where I was
near being chosen of the Council, but am glad I was not, for I could not
have attended, though, above all things, I could wish it; and do take it
as a mighty respect to have been named there.  The company great, and the
elections long, and then to Cary House, a house now of entertainment, next
my Lord Ashly's; and there, where I have heretofore heard Common Prayer in
the time of Dr. Mossum, we after two hours' stay, sitting at the table
with our napkins open, had our dinners brought, but badly done. But here
was good company.  I choosing to sit next Dr. Wilkins, Sir George Ent, and
others whom I value, there talked of several things. Among others Dr.
Wilkins, talking of the universal speech, of which he hath a book coming
out, did first inform me how man was certainly made for society, he being
of all creatures the least armed for defence, and of all creatures in the
world the young ones are not able to do anything to help themselves, nor
can find the dug without being put to it, but would die if the mother did
not help it; and, he says, were it not for speech man would be a very mean
creature.  Much of this good discourse we had.  But here, above all, I was
pleased to see the person who had his blood taken out.  He speaks well,
and did this day give the Society a relation thereof in Latin, saying that
he finds himself much better since, and as a new man, but he is cracked a
little in his head, though he speaks very reasonably, and very well.  He
had but 20s. for his suffering it, and is to have the same again tried
upon him: the first sound man that ever had it tried on him in England,
and but one that we hear of in France, which was a porter hired by the
virtuosos.  Here all the afternoon till within night.  Then I took coach
and to the Exchange, where I was to meet my wife, but she was gone home,
and so I to Westminster Hall, and there took a turn or two, but meeting
with nobody to discourse with, returned to Cary House, and there stayed
and saw a pretty deception of the sight by a glass with water poured into
it, with a stick standing up with three balls of wax upon it, one distant
from the other.  How these balls did seem double and disappear one after
another, mighty pretty!  Here Mr. Carcasse did come to me, and brought
first Mr. Colwall, our Treasurer, and then Dr. Wilkins to engage me to be
his friend, and himself asking forgiveness and desiring my friendship,
saying that the Council have now ordered him to be free to return to the
Office to be employed.  I promised him my friendship, and am glad of this
occasion, having desired it; for there is nobody's ill tongue that I fear
like his, being a malicious and cunning bold fellow.  Thence, paying our
shot, 6s. apiece, I home, and there to the office and wrote my letters,
and then home, my eyes very sore with yesterday's work, and so home and
tried to make a piece by my eare and viall to "I wonder what the grave,"
&c., and so to supper and to bed, where frighted a good while and my wife
again with noises, and my wife did rise twice, but I think it was Sir John
Minnes's people again late cleaning their house, for it was past I o'clock
in the morning before we could fall to sleep, and so slept.  But I
perceive well what the care of money and treasure in a man's house is to a
man that fears to lose it.  My Lord Anglesey told me this day that he did
believe the House of Commons would, the next week, yield to the Lords;
but, speaking with others this day, they conclude they will not, but that
rather the King will accommodate it by committing my Lord Clarendon
himself.  I remember what Mr. Evelyn said, that he did believe we should
soon see ourselves fall into a Commonwealth again.  Joseph Williamson I
find mighty kind still, but close, not daring to say anything almost that
touches upon news or state of affairs.



     ETEXT EDITOR'S BOOKMARKS:

     Anthem anything but instrumentall musique with the voice
     Chief Court of judicature (House of Lords)
     Confidence, and vanity, and disparages everything
     Had the umbles of it for dinner
     I am not a man able to go through trouble, as other men
     Liberty of speech in the House
     Nor offer anything, but just what is drawn out of a man
     Through my wife's illness had a bad night of it, and she a worse
     What I said would not hold water





*** End of this LibraryBlog Digital Book "Diary of Samuel Pepys — Volume 59: November 1667" ***

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