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

S >> Samuel Pepys >> Diary of Samuel Pepys, 1662 N.S. Complete




14th. Up early and to look on my works, and find my house to go on apace.
So to my office to prepare business, and then we met and sat till noon,
and then Commissioner Pett and I being invited, went by Sir John Winter's
coach sent for us, to the Mitre, in Fenchurch street, to a venison-pasty;
where I found him a very worthy man; and good discourse. Most of which was
concerning the Forest of Dean, and the timber there, and iron-workes with
their great antiquity, and the vast heaps of cinders which they find, and
are now of great value, being necessary for the making of iron at this
day; and without which they cannot work: with the age of many trees there
left at a great fall in Edward the Third's time, by the name of
forbid-trees, which at this day are called vorbid trees. Thence to my
office about business till late, and so home and to bed.

15th. Up very early, and up about seeing how my work proceeds, and am
pretty well pleased therewith; especially my wife's closet will be very
pretty. So to the office and there very busy, and many people coming to
me. At noon to the Change, and there hear of some Quakers that are seized
on, that would have blown up the prison in Southwark where they are put.
So to the Swan, in Old Fish Street, where Mr. Brigden and his
father-in-law, Blackbury, of whom we had bought timber in the office, but
have not dealt well with us, did make me a fine dinner only to myself; and
after dinner comes in a jugler, which shewed us very pretty tricks. I
seemed very pleasant, but am no friend to the man's dealings with us in
the office. After an hour or two sitting after dinner talking about
office business, where I had not spent any time a great while, I went to
Paul's Church Yard to my bookseller's; and there I hear that next Sunday
will be the last of a great many Presbyterian ministers in town, who, I
hear, will give up all. I pray God the issue may be good, for the
discontent is great. Home and to my office till 9 at night doing
business, and so to bed. My mind well pleased with a letter I found at
home from Mr. Coventry, expressing his satisfaction in a letter I writ
last night, and sent him this morning, to be corrected by him in order to
its sending down to all the Yards as a charge to them.

17th (Lord's day). Up very early, this being the last Sunday that the
Presbyterians are to preach, unless they read the new Common Prayer and
renounce the Covenant,

[On St. Bartholomew's day, August 24th, 1662, the Act of Uniformity
took effect, and about two hundred Presbyterian and Independent
ministers lost their preferments.]

and so I had a mind to hear Dr. Bates's farewell sermon, and walked
thither, calling first at my brother's, where I found that he is come home
after being a week abroad with Dr. Pepys, nobody knows where, nor I but by
chance, that he was gone, which troubles me. So I called only at the
door, but did not ask for him, but went to Madam Turner's to know whether
she went to church, and to tell her that I would dine with her; and so
walked to St. Dunstan's, where, it not being seven o'clock yet, the doors
were not open; and so I went and walked an hour in the Temple-garden,
reading my vows, which it is a great content to me to see how I am a
changed man in all respects for the better, since I took them, which the
God of Heaven continue to me, and make me thankful for. At eight o'clock
I went, and crowded in at a back door among others, the church being
half-full almost before any doors were open publicly; which is the first
time that I have done so these many years since I used to go with my
father and mother, and so got into the gallery, beside the pulpit, and
heard very well. His text was, "Now the God of Peace--;" the last
Hebrews, and the 20th verse: he making a very good sermon, and very little
reflections in it to any thing of the times. Besides the sermon, I was
very well pleased with the sight of a fine lady that I have often seen
walk in Graye's Inn Walks, and it was my chance to meet her again at the
door going out, and very pretty and sprightly she is, and I believe the
same that my wife and I some years since did meet at Temple Bar gate and
have sometimes spoke of. So to Madam Turner's, and dined with her. She
had heard Parson Herring take his leave; tho' he, by reading so much of
the Common Prayer as he did, hath cast himself out of the good opinion of
both sides. After dinner to St. Dunstan's again; and the church quite
crowded before I came, which was just at one o'clock; but I got into the
gallery again, but stood in a crowd and did exceedingly sweat all the
time. He pursued his text again very well; and only at the conclusion
told us, after this manner: "I do believe that many of you do expect that
I should say something to you in reference to the time, this being the
last time that possibly I may appear here. You know it is not my manner
to speak any thing in the pulpit that is extraneous to my text and
business; yet this I shall say, that it is not my opinion, fashion, or
humour that keeps me from complying with what is required of us; but
something which, after much prayer, discourse, and study yet remains
unsatisfied, and commands me herein. Wherefore, if it is my unhappiness
not to receive such an illumination as should direct me to do otherwise, I
know no reason why men should not pardon me in this world, and am
confident that God will pardon me for it in the next." And so he
concluded. Parson Herring read a psalm and chapters before sermon; and
one was the chapter in the Acts, where the story of Ananias and Sapphira
is. And after he had done, says he, "This is just the case of England at
present. God he bids us to preach, and men bid us not to preach; and if
we do, we are to be imprisoned and further punished. All that I can say
to it is, that I beg your prayers, and the prayers of all good Christians,
for us." This was all the exposition he made of the chapter in these very
words, and no more. I was much pleased with Dr. Bates's manner of
bringing in the Lord's Prayer after his own; thus, "In whose comprehensive
words we sum up all our imperfect desires; saying, 'Our Father,'" &c.
Church being done and it raining I took a hackney coach and so home, being
all in a sweat and fearful of getting cold. To my study at my office, and
thither came Mr. Moore to me and walked till it was quite dark. Then I
wrote a letter to my Lord Privy Seale as from my Lord for Mr.-------to be
sworn directly by deputy to my Lord, he denying to swear him as deputy
together with me. So that I am now clear of it, and the profit is now
come to be so little that I am not displeased at my getting off so well.
He being gone I to my study and read, and so to eat a bit of bread and
cheese and so to bed. I hear most of the Presbyters took their leaves
to-day, and that the City is much dissatisfied with it. I pray God keep
peace among us, and make the Bishops careful of bringing in good men in
their rooms, or else all will fly a-pieces; for bad ones will not [go]
down with the City.

18th. Up very early, and up upon my house to see how work goes on, which
do please me very well. So about seven o'clock took horse and rode to
Bowe, and there staid at the King's Head, and eat a breakfast of eggs till
Mr. Deane of Woolwich came to me, and he and I rid into Waltham Forest,
and there we saw many trees of the King's a-hewing; and he showed me the
whole mystery of off square,

[Off-square is evidently a mistake, in the shorthand MS., for half
square.]

wherein the King is abused in the timber that he buys, which I shall with
much pleasure be able to correct. After we had been a good while in the
wood, we rode to Illford, and there, while dinner was getting ready, he
and I practised measuring of the tables and other things till I did
understand measuring of timber and board very well. So to dinner and by
and by, being sent for, comes Mr. Cooper, our officer in the Forest, and
did give me an account of things there, and how the country is backward to
come in with their carts. By and by comes one Mr. Marshall, of whom the
King has many carriages for his timber, and they staid and drank with me,
and while I am here, Sir W. Batten passed by in his coach, homewards from
Colchester, where he had been seeing his son-in-law, Lemon, that lies
a-dying, but I would take no notice of him, but let him go. By and by I
got a horseback again and rode to Barking, and there saw the place where
they ship this timber for Woolwich; and so Deane and I home again, and
parted at Bowe, and I home just before a great showre of rayne, as God
would have it. I find Deane a pretty able man, and able to do the King
service; but, I think, more out of envy to the rest of the officers of the
yard, of whom he complains much, than true love, more than others, to the
service. He would fain seem a modest man, and yet will commend his own
work and skill, and vie with other persons, especially the Petts, but I
let him alone to hear all he will say. Whiled away the evening at my
office trying to repeat the rules of measuring learnt this day, and so to
bed with my mind very well pleased with this day's work.

19th. Up betimes and to see how my work goes on. Then Mr. Creed came to
me, and he and I walked an hour or two till 8 o'clock in the garden,
speaking of our accounts one with another and then things public. Among
other things he tells me that my Lord has put me into Commission with
himself and many noblemen and others for Tangier, which, if it be, is not
only great honour, but may be of profit too, and I am very glad of it. By
and by to sit at the office; and Mr. Coventry did tell us of the duell
between Mr. Jermyn, nephew to my Lord St. Albans, and Colonel Giles
Rawlins, the latter of whom is killed, and the first mortally wounded, as
it is thought. They fought against Captain Thomas Howard, my Lord
Carlisle's brother, and another unknown; who, they say, had armour on that
they could not be hurt, so that one of their swords went up to the hilt
against it. They had horses ready, and are fled. But what is most
strange, Howard sent one challenge, but they could not meet, and then
another, and did meet yesterday at the old Pall Mall at St. James's, and
would not to the last tell Jermyn what the quarrel was; nor do any body
know. The Court is much concerned in this fray, and I am glad of it;
hoping that it will cause some good laws against it. After sitting, Sir
G. Carteret and I walked a good while in the garden, who told me that Sir
W. Batten had made his complaint to him that some of us had a mind to do
him a bad turn, but I do not see that Sir George is concerned for him at
all, but rather against him. He professes all love to me, and did tell me
how he had spoke of me to my Lord Chancellor, and that if my Lord Sandwich
would ask my Lord Chancellor, he should know what he had said of me to him
to my advantage, of which I am very glad, and do not doubt that all things
will grow better and better every day for me. Dined at home alone, then
to my office, and there till late at night doing business, and so home,
eat a bit, and to bed.

20th. Up early, and to my office, and thence to my Lord Sandwich, whom I
found in bed, and he sent for me in. Among other talk, he do tell me that
he hath put me into commission with a great many great persons in the
business of Tangier, which is a very great honour to me, and may be of
good concernment to me. By and by comes in Mr. Coventry to us, whom my
Lord tells that he is also put into the commission, and that I am there,
of which he said he was glad; and did tell my Lord that I was indeed the
life of this office, and much more to my commendation beyond measure. And
that, whereas before he did bear me respect for his sake, he do do it now
much more for my own; which is a great blessing to me. Sir G. Carteret
having told me what he did yesterday concerning his speaking to my Lord
Chancellor about me. So that on all hands, by God's blessing, I find
myself a very rising man. By and by comes my Lord Peterborough in, with
whom we talked a good while, and he is going tomorrow towards Tangier
again. I perceive there is yet good hopes of peace with Guyland,--[A
Moorish usurper, who had put himself at the head of an army for the
purpose of attacking Tangier.--B.]--which is of great concernment to
Tangier. And many other things I heard which yet I understand not, and so
cannot remember. My Lord and Lord Peterborough going out to the Solicitor
General about the drawing up of this Commission, I went to Westminster
Hall with Mr. Moore, and there meeting Mr. Townsend, he would needs take
me to Fleet Street, to one Mr. Barwell, squire sadler to the King, and
there we and several other Wardrobe-men dined. We had a venison pasty,
and other good plain and handsome dishes; the mistress of the house a
pretty, well-carriaged woman, and a fine hand she hath; and her maid a
pretty brown lass. But I do find my nature ready to run back to my old
course of drinking wine and staying from my business, and yet, thank God,
I was not fully contented with it, but did stay at little ease, and after
dinner hastened home by water, and so to my office till late at night. In
the evening Mr. Hayward came to me to advise with me about the business of
the Chest, which I have now a mind to put in practice, though I know it
will vex Sir W. Batten, which is one of the ends (God forgive me) that I
have in it. So home, and eat a bit, and to bed.

21st. Up early, and to my office, and by and by we sat all the morning.
At noon, though I was invited to my uncle Fenner's to dinner to a haunch
of venison I sent him yesterday, yet I did not go, but chose to go to Mr.
Rawlinson's, where my uncle Wight and my aunt, and some neighbour couples
were at a very good venison pasty. Hither came, after we were set down, a
most pretty young lady (only her hands were not white nor handsome), which
pleased me well, and I found her to be sister to Mrs. Anne Wight that
comes to my uncle Wight's. We were good company, and had a very pretty
dinner. And after dinner some talk, I with my aunt and this young lady
about their being [at] Epsom, from whence they came to-day, and so home
and to my office, and there doing business till past 9 at night, and so
home and to bed. But though I drank no wine to-day, yet how easily was I
of my own accord stirred up to desire my aunt and this pretty lady (for it
was for her that I did it) to carry them to Greenwich and see the pleasure
boats. But my aunt would not go, of which since I am much glad.

22nd. About three o'clock this morning I waked with the noise of the
rayne, having never in my life heard a more violent shower; and then the
catt was lockt in the chamber, and kept a great mewing, and leapt upon the
bed, which made me I could not sleep a great while. Then to sleep, and
about five o'clock rose, and up to my office, and about 8 o'clock went
down to Deptford, and there with Mr. Davis did look over most of his
stores; by the same token in the great storehouse, while Captain Badily
was talking to us, one from a trap-door above let fall unawares a coyle of
cable, that it was 10,000 to one it had not broke Captain Badily's neck,
it came so near him, but did him no hurt. I went on with looking and
informing myself of the stores with great delight, and having done there,
I took boat home again and dined, and after dinner sent for some of my
workmen and did scold at them so as I hope my work will be hastened. Then
by water to Westminster Hall, and there I hear that old Mr. Hales did
lately die suddenly in an hour's time. Here I met with Will Bowyer, and
had a promise from him of a place to stand to-morrow at his house to see
the show. Thence to my Lord's, and thither sent for Mr. Creed, who came,
and walked together talking about business, and then to his lodgings at
Clerke's, the confectioner's, where he did give me a little banquet, and I
had liked to have begged a parrot for my wife, but he hath put me in a way
to get a better from Steventon; at Portsmouth. But I did get of him a
draught of Tangier to take a copy by, which pleases me very well. So home
by water and to my office, where late, and so home to bed.

23d. Up early, and about my works in my house, to see what is done and
design more. Then to my office, and by and by we sat till noon at the
office. After sitting, Mr. Coventry and I did walk together a great while
in the Garden, where he did tell me his mind about Sir G. Carteret's
having so much the command of the money, which must be removed. And
indeed it is the bane of all our business. He observed to me also how Sir
W. Batten begins to struggle and to look after his business, which he do
indeed a little, but it will come to nothing. I also put him upon getting
an order from the Duke for our inquiries into the Chest, which he will see
done. So we parted, and Mr. Creed by appointment being come, he and I
went out together, and at an ordinary in Lumbard Streete dined together,
and so walked down to the Styllyard, and so all along Thames-street, but
could not get a boat: I offered eight shillings for a boat to attend me
this afternoon, and they would not, it being the day of the Queen's coming
to town from Hampton Court. So we fairly walked it to White Hall, and
through my Lord's lodgings we got into White Hall garden, and so to the
Bowling-green, and up to the top of the new Banqueting House there, over
the Thames, which was a most pleasant place as any I could have got; and
all the show consisted chiefly in the number of boats and barges; and two
pageants, one of a King, and another of a Queen, with her Maydes of Honour
sitting at her feet very prettily; and they tell me the Queen is Sir.
Richard Ford's daughter. Anon come the King and Queen in a barge under a
canopy with 10,000 barges and boats, I think, for we could see no water
for them, nor discern the King nor Queen. And so they landed at White
Hall Bridge, and the great guns on the other side went off: But that which
pleased me best was, that my Lady Castlemaine stood over against us upon a
piece of White Hall, where I glutted myself with looking on her. But
methought it was strange to see her Lord and her upon the same place
walking up and down without taking notice one of another, only at first
entry he put off his hat, and she made him a very civil salute, but
afterwards took no notice one of another; but both of them now and then
would take their child, which the nurse held in her armes, and dandle it.
One thing more; there happened a scaffold below to fall, and we feared
some hurt, but there was none, but she of all the great ladies only run
down among the common rabble to see what hurt was done, and did take care
of a child that received some little hurt, which methought was so noble.
Anon there came one there booted and spurred that she talked long with.
And by and by, she being in her hair, she put on his hat, which was but an
ordinary one, to keep the wind off. But methinks it became her mightily,
as every thing else do. The show being over, I went away, not weary with
looking on her, and to my Lord's lodgings, where my brother Tom and Dr.
Thomas Pepys were to speak with me. So I walked with them in the garden,
and was very angry with them both for their going out of town without my
knowledge; but they told me the business, which was to see a gentlewoman
for a wife for Tom, of Mr. Cooke's providing, worth L500, of good
education, her name Hobell, and lives near Banbury, demands L40 per annum
joynter. Tom likes her, and, they say, had a very good reception, and
that Cooke hath been very serviceable therein, and that she is committed
to old Mr. Young, of the Wardrobe's, tuition. After I had told them my
mind about their folly in going so unadvisedly, I then begun to inquire
after the business, and so did give no answer as to my opinion till I have
looked farther into it by Mr. Young. By and by, as we were walking in my
Lord's walk, comes my Lord, and so we broke our discourse and went in with
him, and after I had put them away I went in to my Lord, and he and I had
half an hour's private discourse about the discontents of the times, which
we concluded would not come to anything of difference, though the
Presbyters would be glad enough of it; but we do not think religion will
so soon cause another war. Then to his own business. He asked my advice
there, whether he should go on to purchase more land and to borrow money
to pay for it, which he is willing to do, because such a bargain as that
of Mr. Buggins's, of Stukely, will not be every day to be had, and
Brampton is now perfectly granted him by the King--I mean the reversion of
it--after the Queen's death; and, in the meantime, he buys it of Sir Peter
Ball his present right. Then we fell to talk of Navy business, and he
concludes, as I do, that he needs not put himself upon any more voyages
abroad to spend money, unless a war comes; and that by keeping his family
awhile in the country, he shall be able to gather money. He is glad of a
friendship with Mr. Coventry, and I put him upon increasing it, which he
will do, but he (as Mr. Coventry do) do much cry against the course of our
payments and the Treasurer to have the whole power in his own hands of
doing what he will, but I think will not meddle in himself. He told me
also that in the Commission for Tangier Mr. Coventry had advised him that
Mr. Povy, who intended to be Treasurer,

[Thomas Povy, who had held, under Cromwell, a high situation in the
Office of Plantations, was appointed in July, 1660, Treasurer and
Receiver-General of the Rents and Revenues of James, Duke of York;
but his royal master's affairs falling into confusion, he
surrendered his patent on the 27th July, 1668, for a consideration
of L2,000. He was also First Treasurer for Tangier, which office he
resigned to Pepys. Povy, had apartments at Whitehall, besides his
lodgings in Lincoln's Inn, and a villa near Hounslow, called the
Priory, which he had inherited from Justinian Povy, who purchased it
in 1625. He was one of the sons of Justinian Povy, Auditor-General
to Queen Anne of Denmark in 1614, whose father was John Povy,
citizen and embroiderer of London.]

and it is intended him, may not be of the Commission itself, and my Lord I
think will endeavour to get him to be contented to be left out of the
Commission, and it is a very good rule indeed that the Treasurer in no
office ought to be of the Commission. Here we broke off, and I bid him
good night, and so with much ado, the streets being at nine o'clock at
night crammed with people going home to the city, for all the borders of
the river had been full of people, as the King had come, to a miracle got
to the Palace Yard, and there took boat, and so to the Old Swan, and so
walked home, and to bed very weary.

24th (Lord's day). Slept till 7 o'clock, which I have not done a very
great while, but it was my weariness last night that caused it. So rose
and to my office till church time, writing down my yesterday's
observations, and so to church, where I all alone, and found Will Griffin
and Thomas Hewett got into the pew next to our backs, where our maids sit,
but when I come, they went out; so forward some people are to outrun
themselves. Here we had a lazy, dull sermon. So home to dinner, where my
brother Tom came to me, and both before and after dinner he and I walked
all alone in the garden, talking about his late journey and his mistress,
and for what he tells me it is like to do well. He being gone, I to
church again, where Mr. Mills, making a sermon upon confession, he did
endeavour to pull down auricular confession, but did set it up by his bad
arguments against it, and advising people to come to him to confess their
sins when they had any weight upon their consciences, as much as is
possible, which did vex me to hear. So home, and after an hour's being in
my office alone, looking over the plates and globes, I walked to my uncle
Wight's, the truth is, in hopes to have seen and been acquainted with the
pretty lady that came along with them to dinner the other day to Mr.
Rawlinson, but she is gone away. But here I staid supper, and much
company there was; among others, Dr. Burnett, Mr. Cole the lawyer, Mr.
Rawlinson, and Mr. Sutton, a brother of my aunt's, that I never saw
before. Among other things they tell me that there hath been a
disturbance in a church in Friday Street; a great many young people
knotting together and crying out "Porridge"

[A nickname given by the Dissenters to the Prayer-Book. In Mrs.
Behn's "City Heiress" (1682), Sir Anthony says to Sir Timothy, "You
come from Church, too." Sir Timothy replies, "Ay, needs must when
the Devil drives--I go to save my bacon, as they say, once a month,
and that too after the Porridge is served up." Scott quotes, in his
notes to "Woodstock," a pamphlet entitled, "Vindication of the Book
of Common Prayer, against the contumelious Slanders of the Fanatic
party terming it Porridge."]

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