Book: Diary of Samuel Pepys, 1662 N.S. Complete

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[The game of shovelboard was played by two players (each provided
with five coins) on a smooth heavy table. On the table were marked
with chalk a series of lines, and the play was to strike the coin on
the edge of the table with the hand so that it rested between these
lines. Shakespeare uses the expression "shove-groat shilling," as
does Ben Jonson. These shillings were usually smooth and worn for
the convenience of playing. Strutt says ("Sports and Pastimes"), "I
have seen a shovel-board table at a low public house in Benjamin
Street, near Clerkenwell Green, which is about three feet in breadth
and thirty-nine feet two inches in length, and said to be the
longest at this time in London."]

and when at last they heard I was there, they went about their survey. But
God help the King! what surveys, shall be taken after this manner! I
after dinner about my business to the Rope-yard, and there staid till
night, repeating several trialls of the strength, wayte, waste, and other
things of hemp, by which I have furnished myself enough to finish my
intended business of stating the goodness of all sorts of hemp. At night
home by boat with Sir W. Warren, who I landed by the way, and so being
come home to bed.

31st. Up early and among my workmen, I ordering my rooms above, which
will please me very well. So to my office, and there we sat all the
morning, where I begin more and more to grow considerable there. At noon
Mr. Coventry and I by his coach to the Exchange together; and in
Lumbard-street met Captain Browne of the Rosebush: at which he was cruel
angry: and did threaten to go to-day to the Duke at Hampton Court, and get
him turned out because he was not sailed. But at the Exchange we resolved
of eating a bit together, which we did at the Ship behind the Exchange,
and so took boat to Billingsgate, and went down on board the Rosebush at
Woolwich, and found all things out of order, but after frightening the
officers there, we left them to make more haste, and so on shore to the
yard, and did the same to the officers of the yard, that the ship was not
dispatched. Here we found Sir W. Batten going about his survey, but so
poorly and unlike a survey of the Navy, that I am ashamed of it, and so is
Mr. Coventry. We found fault with many things, and among others the
measure of some timber now serving in which Mr. Day the assistant told us
of, and so by water home again, all the way talking of the office business
and other very pleasant discourse, and much proud I am of getting thus far
into his books, which I think I am very much in. So home late, and it
being the last day of the month, I did make up my accounts before I went
to bed, and found myself worth about L650, for which the Lord God be
praised, and so to bed. I drank but two glasses of wine this day, and yet
it makes my head ake all night, and indisposed me all the next day, of
which I am glad. I am now in town only with my man Will and Jane, and
because my house is in building, I do lie at Sir W. Pen's house, he being
gone to Ireland. My wife, her maid and boy gone to Brampton. I am very
well entered into the business and esteem of the office, and do ply it
close, and find benefit by it.

DIARY OF SAMUEL PEPYS.
AUGUST
1662

August 1st. Up, my head aching, and to my office, where Cooper read me
another lecture upon my modell very pleasant. So to my business all the
morning, which increases by people coming now to me to the office. At
noon to the Exchange, where meeting Mr. Creed and Moore we three to a
house hard by (which I was not pleased with) to dinner, and after dinner
and some discourse ordinary by coach home, it raining hard, and so at the
office all the afternoon till evening to my chamber, where, God forgive
me, I was sorry to hear that Sir W. Pen's maid Betty was gone away
yesterday, for I was in hopes to have had a bout with her before she had
gone, she being very pretty. I had also a mind to my own wench, but I
dare not for fear she should prove honest and refuse and then tell my
wife. I staid up late, putting things in order for my going to Chatham
to-morrow, and so to bed, being in pain . . . with the little riding in
a coach to-day from the Exchange, which do trouble me.

2nd. Up early, and got me ready in my riding clothes, and so to the
office, and there wrote letters to my father and wife against night, and
then to the business of my office, which being done, I took boat with
Will, and down to Greenwich, where Captain Cocke not being at home I was
vexed, and went to walk in the Park till he come thither to me: and Will's
forgetting to bring my boots in the boat did also vex me, for I was forced
to send the boat back again for them. I to Captain Cocke's along with him
to dinner, where I find his lady still pretty, but not so good a humour as
I thought she was. We had a plain, good dinner, and I see they do live
very frugally. I eat among other fruit much mulberrys, a thing I have not
eat of these many years, since I used to be at Ashted, at my cozen
Pepys's. After dinner we to boat, and had a pleasant passage down to
Gravesend, but it was nine o'clock before we got thither, so that we were
in great doubt what to do, whether to stay there or no; and the rather
because I was afeard to ride, because of my pain . . . ; but at the
Swan, finding Mr. Hemson and Lieutenant Carteret of the Foresight come to
meet me, I borrowed Mr. Hemson's horse, and he took another, and so we
rode to Rochester in the dark, and there at the Crown Mr. Gregory, Barrow,
and others staid to meet me. So after a glass of wine, we to our barge,
that was ready for me, to the Hill-house, where we soon went to bed,
before we slept I telling upon discourse Captain Cocke the manner of my
being cut of the stone, which pleased him much. So to sleep.

3rd (Lord's day). Up early, and with Captain Cocke to the dock-yard, a
fine walk, and fine weather. Where we walked till Commissioner Pett come
to us, and took us to his house, and showed us his garden and fine things,
and did give us a fine breakfast of bread and butter, and sweetmeats and
other things with great choice, and strong drinks, with which I could not
avoyde making my head ake, though I drank but little. Thither came Captain
Allen of the Foresight, and the officers of the yard to see me. Thence by
and by to church, by coach, with the Commissioner, and had a dull sermon.
A full church, and some pretty women in it; among others, Beck Allen, who
was a bride-maid to a new married couple that came to church to-day, and,
which was pretty strange, sat in a pew hung with mourning for a mother of
the bride's, which methinks should have been taken down. After dinner
going out of the church saluted Mrs. Pett, who came after us in the coach
to church, and other officers' wives. The Commissioner staid at dinner
with me, and we had a good dinner, better than I would have had, but I saw
there was no helping of it. After dinner the Commissioner and I left the
company and walked in the garden at the Hill-house, which is very
pleasant, and there talked of our businesses and matters of the navy. So
to church again, where quite weary, and so after sermon walked with him to
the yard up and down and the fields, and saw the place designed for the
wet dock. And so to his house, and had a syllabub, and saw his closet,
which come short of what I expected, but there was fine modells of ships
in it indeed, whose worth I could not judge of. At night walked home to
the Hill-house, Mr. Barrow with me, talking of the faults of the yard,
walking in the fields an hour or two, and so home to supper, and so
Captain Cocke and I to bed. This day among other stories he told me how
despicable a thing it is to be a hangman in Poland, although it be a place
of credit. And that, in his time, there was some repairs to be made of
the gallows there, which was very fine of stone; but nobody could be got
to mend it till the Burgomaster, or Mayor of the town, with all the
companies of those trades which were necessary to be used about those
repairs, did go in their habits with flags, in solemn procession to the
place, and there the Burgomaster did give the first blow with the hammer
upon the wooden work; and the rest of the Masters of the Companys upon the
works belonging to their trades; that so workmen might not be ashamed to
be employed upon doing of the gallows' works.

4th. Up by four o'clock in the morning and walked to the Dock, where
Commissioner Pett and I took barge and went to the guardships and mustered
them, finding them but badly manned; thence to the Sovereign, which we
found kept in good order and very clean, which pleased us well, but few of
the officers on board. Thence to the Charles, and were troubled to see
her kept so neglectedly by the boatswain Clements, who I always took for a
very good officer; it is a very brave ship. Thence to Upnor Castle, and
there went up to the top, where there is a fine prospect, but of very
small force; so to the yard, and there mustered the whole ordinary, where
great disorder by multitude of servants and old decrepid men, which must
be remedied. So to all the storehouses and viewed the stores of all sorts
and the hemp, where we found Captain Cocke's (which he came down to see
along with me) very bad, and some others, and with much content (God
forgive me) I did hear by the Clerk of the Ropeyard how it was by Sir W.
Batten's private letter that one parcel of Alderman Barker's' was
received. At two o'clock to dinner to the Hill-house, and after dinner
dispatched many people's business, and then to the yard again, and looked
over Mr. Gregory's and Barrow's houses to see the matter of difference
between them concerning an alteration that Barrow would make, which I
shall report to the board, but both their houses very pretty, and deserve
to be so, being well kept. Then to a trial of several sorts of hemp, but
could not perform it here so well as at Woolwich, but we did do it pretty
well. So took barge at the dock and to Rochester, and there Captain Cocke
and I and our two men took coach about 8 at night and to Gravesend, where
it was very dark before we got thither to the Swan; and there, meeting
with Doncaster, an old waterman of mine above bridge, we eat a short
supper, being very merry with the drolling, drunken coachman that brought
us, and so took water. It being very dark, and the wind rising, and our
waterman unacquainted with this part of the river, so that we presently
cast upon the Essex shore, but got off again, and so, as well as we could,
went on, but I in such fear that I could not sleep till we came to Erith,
and there it begun to be calm, and the stars to shine, and so I began to
take heart again, and the rest too, and so made shift to slumber a little.
Above Woolwich we lost our way, and went back to Blackwall, and up and
down, being guided by nothing but the barking of a dog, which we had
observed in passing by Blackwall, and so,

5th. Got right again with much ado, after two or three circles and so on,
and at Greenwich set in Captain Cocke, and I set forward, hailing to all
the King's ships at Deptford, but could not wake any man: so that we could
have done what we would with their ships. At last waked one man; but it
was a merchant ship, the Royall Catharine: so to the Towerdock and home,
where the girl sat up for me. It was about three o'clock, and putting Mr.
Boddam out of my bed, went to bed, and lay till nine o'clock, and so to
the office, where we sat all the morning, and I did give some accounts of
my service. Dined alone at home, and was glad my house is begun tiling.
And to the office again all the afternoon, till it was so dark that I
could not see hardly what it is that I now set down when I write this
word, and so went to my chamber and to bed, being sleepy.

6th. Up early, and, going to my office, met Sir G. Carteret in coming
through the yard, and so walked a good while talking with him about Sir W.
Batten, and find that he is going down the wind in every body's esteem,
and in that of his honesty by this letter that he wrote to Captn. Allen
concerning Alderman Barker's hemp. Thence by water to White Hall; and so
to St. James's; but there found Mr. Coventry gone to Hampton Court. So to
my Lord's; and he is also gone: this being a great day at the Council
about some business at the Council before the King. Here I met with Mr.
Pierce, the chyrurgeon, who told me how Mr. Edward Montagu hath lately had
a duell with Mr. Cholmely, that is first gentleman-usher to the Queen, and
was a messenger from the King to her in Portugall, and is a fine
gentleman; but had received many affronts from Mr. Montagu, and some
unkindness from my Lord, upon his score (for which I am sorry). He proved
too hard for Montagu, and drove him so far backward that he fell into a
ditch, and dropt his sword, but with honour would take no advantage over
him; but did give him his life: and the world says Mr. Montagu did carry
himself very poorly in the business, and hath lost his honour for ever
with all people in it, of which I am very glad, in hopes that it will
humble him. I hear also that he hath sent to my Lord to borrow L400,
giving his brother Harvey's' security for it, and that my Lord will lend
it him, for which I am sorry. Thence home, and at my office all the
morning, and dined at home, and can hardly keep myself from having a mind
to my wench, but I hope I shall not fall to such a shame to myself. All
the afternoon also at my office, and did business. In the evening came Mr.
Bland the merchant to me, who has lived long in Spain, and is concerned in
the business of Tangier, who did discourse with me largely of it, and
after he was gone did send me three or four printed things that he hath
wrote of trade in general and of Tangier particularly, but I do not find
much in them. This afternoon Mr. Waith was with me, and did tell me much
concerning the Chest, which I am resolved to look into; and I perceive he
is sensible of Sir W. Batten's carriage; and is pleased to see any thing
work against him. Who, poor man, is, I perceive, much troubled, and did
yesterday morning walk in the garden with me, did tell me he did see there
was a design of bringing another man in his room, and took notice of my
sorting myself with others, and that we did business by ourselves without
him. Part of which is true, but I denied, and truly, any design of doing
him any such wrong as that. He told me he did not say it particularly of
me, but he was confident there was somebody intended to be brought in,
nay, that the trayne was laid before Sir W. Pen went, which I was glad to
hear him say. Upon the whole I see he perceives himself tottering, and
that he is suspected, and would be kind to me, but I do my business in the
office and neglect him. At night writing in my study a mouse ran over my
table, which I shut up fast under my shelf's upon my table till to-morrow,
and so home and to bed.

7th. Up by four o'clock and to my office, and by and by Mr. Cooper comes
and to our modell, which pleases me more and more. At this till 8
o'clock, and so we sat in the office and staid all the morning, my
interest still growing, for which God be praised. This morning I got
unexpectedly the Reserve for Mr. Cooper to be maister of, which was only
by taking an opportune time to motion [it], which is one good effect of my
being constant at the office, that nothing passes without me; and I have
the choice of my own time to propose anything I would have. Dined at
home, and to the office again at my business all the afternoon till night,
and so to supper and to bed. It being become a pleasure to me now-a-days
to follow my business, and the greatest part may be imputed to my drinking
no wine, and going to no plays.

8th. Up by four o'clock in the morning, and at five by water to Woolwich,
there to see the manner of tarring, and all the morning looking to see the
several proceedings in making of cordage, and other things relating to
that sort of works, much to my satisfaction. At noon came Mr. Coventry on
purpose from Hampton Court to see the same, and dined with Mr. Falconer,
and after dinner to several experiments of Hemp, and particularly some
Milan hemp that is brought over ready dressed. Thence we walked talking,
very good discourse all the way to Greenwich, and I do find most excellent
discourse from him. Among other things, his rule of suspecting every man
that proposes any thing to him to be a knave; or, at least, to have some
ends of his own in it. Being led thereto by the story of Sir John
Millicent, that would have had a patent from King James for every man to
have had leave to have given him a shilling; and that he might take it of
every man that had a mind to give it, and being answered that that was a
fair thing, but what needed he a patent for it, and what he would do to
them that would not give him. He answered, he would not force them; but
that they should come to the Council of State, to give a reason why they
would not. Another rule is a proverb that he hath been taught, which is
that a man that cannot sit still in his chamber (the reason of which I did
not understand him), and he that cannot say no (that is, that is of so
good a nature that he cannot deny any thing, or cross another in doing any
thing), is not fit for business. The last of which is a very great fault
of mine, which I must amend in. Thence by boat; I being hot, he put the
skirt of his cloak about me; and it being rough, he told me the passage of
a Frenchman through London Bridge, where, when he saw the great fall, he
begun to cross himself and say his prayers in the greatest fear in the
world, and soon as he was over, he swore "Morbleu! c'est le plus grand
plaisir du monde," being the most like a French humour in the world.

[When the first editions of this Diary were printed no note was
required here. Before the erection of the present London Bridge the
fall of water at the ebb tide was great, and to pass at that time
was called "Shooting the bridge". It was very hazardous for small
boats. The ancient mode, even in Henry VIII.'s time, of going to
the Tower and Greenwich, was to land at the Three Cranes, in Upper
Thames Street, suffer the barges to shoot the bridge, and to enter
them again at Billingsgate. See Cavendish's "Wolsey," p. 40, ed.
1852]

To Deptford, and there surprised the Yard, and called them to a muster,
and discovered many abuses, which we shall be able to understand hereafter
and amend. Thence walked to Redriffe, and so to London Bridge, where I
parted with him, and walked home and did a little business, and to supper
and to bed.

9th. Up by four o'clock or a little after, and to my office, whither by
and by comes Cooper, to whom I told my getting for him the Reserve, for
which he was very thankful, and fell to work upon our modell, and did a
good morning's work upon the rigging, and am very sorry that I must lose
him so soon. By and by comes Mr. Coventry, and he and I alone sat at the
office all the morning upon business. And so to dinner to Trinity House,
and thence by his coach towards White Hall; but there being a stop at the
Savoy, we 'light and took water, and my Lord Sandwich being out of town,
we parted there, all the way having good discourse, and in short I find
him the most ingenuous person I ever found in my life, and am happy in his
acquaintance and my interest in him. Home by water, and did business at
my office. Writing a letter to my brother John to dissuade him from being
Moderator of his year, which I hear is proffered him, of which I am very
glad. By and by comes Cooper, and he and I by candlelight at my modell,
being willing to learn as much of him as is possible before he goes. So
home and to bed.

10th (Lord's day). Being to dine at my brother's, I walked to St.
Dunstan's, the church being now finished; and here I heard Dr. Bates,' who
made a most eloquent sermon; and I am sorry I have hitherto had so low an
opinion of the man, for I have not heard a neater sermon a great while,
and more to my content. So to Tom's, where Dr. Fairebrother, newly come
from Cambridge, met me, and Dr. Thomas Pepys. I framed myself as pleasant
as I could, but my mind was another way. Hither came my uncle Fenner,
hearing that I was here, and spoke to me about Pegg Kite's business of her
portion, which her husband demands, but I will have nothing to do with it.
I believe he has no mind to part with the money out of his hands, but let
him do what he will with it. He told me the new service-book--[The Common
Prayer Book of 1662, now in use.]--(which is now lately come forth) was
laid upon their deske at St. Sepulchre's for Mr. Gouge to read; but he
laid it aside, and would not meddle with it: and I perceive the Presbyters
do all prepare to give over all against Bartholomew-tide.

[Thomas Gouge (1609-1681), an eminent Presbyterian minister, son of
William Gouge, D.D. (lecturer at and afterwards Rector of St.
Anne's, Blackfriars). He was vicar of the parish of St. Sepulchre
from 1638 until the Act of Uniformity, in 1662, forced him to resign
his living.]

Mr. Herring, being lately turned out at St. Bride's, did read the psalm to
the people while they sung at Dr. Bates's, which methought is a strange
turn. After dinner to St. Bride's, and there heard one Carpenter, an old
man, who, they say, hath been a Jesuit priest, and is come over to us; but
he preaches very well. So home with Mrs. Turner, and there hear that Mr.
Calamy hath taken his farewell this day of his people, and that others
will do so the next Sunday. Mr. Turner, the draper, I hear, is knighted,
made Alderman, and pricked for Sheriffe, with Sir Thomas Bluddel, for the
next year, by the King, and so are called with great honour the King's
Sheriffes. Thence walked home, meeting Mr. Moore by the way, and he home
with me and walked till it was dark in the garden, and so good night, and
I to my closet in my office to perfect my Journall and to read my solemn
vows, and so to bed.

11th. All the morning at the office. Dined at home all alone, and so to
my office again, whither Dean Fuller came to see me, and having business
about a ship to carry his goods to Dublin, whither he is shortly to
return, I went with him to the Hermitage, and the ship happening to be
Captn. Holland's I did give orders for them to be well looked after, and
thence with him to the Custom House about getting a pass for them, and so
to the Dolphin tavern, where I spent 6d. on him, but drank but one glass
of wine, and so parted. He tells me that his niece, that sings so well,
whom I have long longed to see, is married to one Mr. Boys, a wholesale
man at the Three Crowns in Cheapside. I to the office again, whither
Cooper came and read his last lecture to me upon my modell, and so bid me
good bye, he being to go to-morrow to Chatham to take charge of the ship I
have got him. So to my business till 9 at night, and so to supper and to
bed, my mind a little at ease because my house is now quite tiled.

12th. Up early at my office, and I find all people beginning to come to
me. Among others Mr. Deane, the Assistant of Woolwich, who I find will
discover to me the whole abuse that his Majesty suffers in the measuring
of timber, of which I shall be glad. He promises me also a modell of a
ship, which will please me exceedingly, for I do want one of my own. By
and by we sat, and among other things Sir W. Batten and I had a difference
about his clerk's making a warrant for a Maister, which I would not
suffer, but got another signed, which he desires may be referred to a full
board, and I am willing to it. But though I did get another signed of my
own clerk's, yet I will give it to his clerk, because I would not be
judged unkind, and though I will stand upon my privilege. At noon home
and to dinner alone, and so to the office again, where busy all the
afternoon till to o'clock at night, and so to supper and to bed, my mind
being a little disquieted about Sir W. Batten's dispute to-day, though
this afternoon I did speak with his man Norman at last, and told him the
reason of my claim.

13th. Up early, and to my office, where people come to me about business,
and by and by we met on purpose to enquire into the business of the
flag-makers, where I am the person that do chiefly manage the business
against them on the King's part; and I do find it the greatest cheat that
I have yet found; they having eightpence per yard allowed them by pretence
of a contract, where no such thing appears; and it is threepence more than
was formerly paid, and than I now offer the Board to have them done. We
did not fully end it, but refer it to another time. At noon Commr. Pett
and I by water to Greenwich, and on board the pleasure-boats to see what
they wanted, they being ordered to sea, and very pretty things I still
find them, and so on shore and at the Shipp had a bit of meat and dined,
there waiting upon us a barber of Mr. Pett's acquaintance that plays very
well upon the viollin. Thence to Lambeth; and there saw the little
pleasure-boat in building by the King, my Lord Brunkard, and the
virtuosoes of the town, according to new lines, which Mr. Pett cries up
mightily, but how it will prove we shall soon see. So by water home, and
busy at my study late, drawing a letter to the yards of reprehension and
direction for the board to sign, in which I took great pains. So home and
to bed.

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