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

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16th (Lord's day). This morning, till churches were done, I spent going
from one church to another and hearing a bit here and a bit there. So to
the Wardrobe to dinner with the young Ladies, and then into my Lady's
chamber and talked with her a good while, and so walked to White Hall, an
hour or two in the Park, which is now very pleasant. Here the King and
Duke came to see their fowl play. The Duke took very civil notice of me.
So walked home, calling at Tom's, giving him my resolution about my boy's
livery. Here I spent an hour walking in the garden with Sir W. Pen, and
then my wife and I thither to supper, where his son William is at home not
well. But all things, I fear, do not go well with them; they look
discontentedly, but I know not what ails them. Drinking of cold small beer
here I fell ill, and was forced to go out and vomit, and so was well again
and went home by and by to bed. Fearing that Sarah would continue ill,
wife and I removed this night to our matted chamber and lay there.

17th. All the morning at the office by myself about setting things in
order there, and so at noon to the Exchange to see and be seen, and so
home to dinner and then to the office again till night, and then home and
after supper and reading a while to bed. Last night the Blackmore pink

[A "pink" was a form of vessel now obsolete, and had a very narrow
stern. The "Blackmoor" was a sixth-rate of twelve guns, built at
Chatham by Captain Tayler in 1656.]

brought the three prisoners, Barkestead, Okey, and Corbet, to the Tower,
being taken at Delfe in Holland; where, the Captain tells me, the Dutch
were a good while before they could be persuaded to let them go, they
being taken prisoners in their land. But Sir G. Downing would not be
answered so: though all the world takes notice of him for a most
ungrateful villain for his pains.

18th. All the morning at the office with Sir W. Pen. Dined at home, and
Luellin and Blurton with me. After dinner to the office again, where Sir
G. Carteret and we staid awhile, and then Sir W. Pen and I on board some
of the ships now fitting for East Indys and Portugall, to see in what
forwardness they are, and so back home again, and I write to my father by
the post about Brampton Court, which is now coming on. But that which
troubles me is that my Father has now got an ague that I fear may endanger
his life. So to bed.

19th. All the morning and afternoon at my office putting things in order,
and in the evening I do begin to digest my uncle the Captain's papers into
one book, which I call my Brampton book, for the clearer understanding
things how they are with us. So home and supper and to bed. This noon
came a letter from T. Pepys, the turner, in answer to one of mine the
other day to him, wherein I did cheque him for not coming to me, as he had
promised, with his and his father's resolucion about the difference
between us. But he writes to me in the very same slighting terms that I
did to him, without the least respect at all, but word for word as I did
him, which argues a high and noble spirit in him, though it troubles me a
little that he should make no more of my anger, yet I cannot blame him for
doing so, he being the elder brother's son, and not depending upon me at
all.

20th. At my office all the morning, at noon to the Exchange, and so home
to dinner, and then all the afternoon at the office till late at night,
and so home and to bed, my mind in good ease when I mind business, which
methinks should be a good argument to me never to do otherwise.

21st. With Sir W. Batten by water to Whitehall, and he to Westminster. I
went to see Sarah and my Lord's lodgings, which are now all in dirt, to be
repaired against my Lord's coming from sea with the Queen. Thence to
Westminster Hall; and there walked up and down and heard the great
difference that hath been between my Lord Chancellor and my Lord of
Bristol, about a proviso that my Lord Chancellor would have brought into
the Bill for Conformity, that it shall be in the power of the King, when
he sees fit, to dispense with the Act of Conformity; and though it be
carried in the House of Lords, yet it is believed it will hardly pass in
the Commons. Here I met with Chetwind, Parry, and several others, and
went to a little house behind the Lords' house to drink some wormwood ale,
which doubtless was a bawdy house, the mistress of the house having the
look and dress: Here we staid till noon and then parted, I by water to the
Wardrobe to meet my wife, but my Lady and they had dined, and so I dined
with the servants, and then up to my Lady, and there staid and talked a
good while, and then parted and walked into Cheapside, and there saw my
little picture, for which I am to sit again the next week. So home, and
staid late writing at my office, and so home and to bed, troubled that now
my boy is also fallen sick of an ague we fear.

22nd. At the office all the morning. At noon Sir Williams both and I by
water down to the Lewes, Captain Dekins, his ship, a merchantman, where we
met the owners, Sir John Lewes and Alderman Lewes, and several other great
merchants; among others one Jefferys, a merry man that is a fumbler, and
he and I called brothers, and he made all the mirth in the company. We
had a very fine dinner, and all our wives' healths, with seven or nine
guns apiece; and exceeding merry we were, and so home by barge again, and
I vexed to find Griffin leave the office door open, and had a design to
have carried away the screw or the carpet in revenge to him, but at last I
would not, but sent for him and chid him, and so to supper and to bed,
having drank a great deal of wine.

23rd (Lord's day). This morning was brought me my boy's fine livery,
which is very handsome, and I do think to keep to black and gold lace upon
gray, being the colour of my arms, for ever. To church in the morning,
and so home with Sir W. Batten, and there eat some boiled great oysters,
and so home, and while I was at dinner with my wife I was sick, and was
forced to vomit up my oysters again, and then I was well. By and by a
coach came to call me by my appointment, and so my wife and I carried to
Westminster to Mrs. Hunt's, and I to Whitehall, Worcester House, and to my
Lord Treasurer's to have found Sir G. Carteret, but missed in all these
places. So back to White Hall, and there met with Captn. Isham, this day
come from Lisbon, with letters from the Queen to the King. And he did
give me letters which speak that our fleet is all at Lisbon;

[One of these letters was probably from John Creed. Mr. S. J.
Davey, of 47, Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, in 1889 had in his
possession nine long letters from Creed to Pepys. In the first of
these, dated from Lisbon, March, 1662, Creed wrote: "My Lord
Embassador doth all he can to hasten the Queen's Majestie's
embarquement, there being reasons enough against suffering any
unnecessary delay." There appear to have been considerable delays
in the arrangements for the following declaration of Charles II.
was dated June 22nd, 1661: "Charles R. Whereas his Maj. is resolved
to declare, under his Royall hand and seale, the most illustrious
Lady Infanta of Portugall to be his lawfull wife, before the Treaty
shall be signed by the King of Portugall; which is to be done only
for the better expediting the marriage, without sending to Rome for
a dispensation, which the laws of Portugall would require if the
said most Illustrious Infanta were to be betrothed in that
Kingdome," &c.]

and that the Queen do not intend to embarque sooner than tomorrow come
fortnight. So having sent for my wife, she and I to my Lady Sandwich, and
after a short visit away home. She home, and I to Sir G. Carteret's about
business, and so home too, and Sarah having her fit we went to bed.

24th. Early Sir G. Carteret, both Sir Williams and I on board the
Experiment, to dispatch her away, she being to carry things to the
Madeiras with the East Indy fleet. Here (Sir W. Pen going to Deptford to
send more hands) we staid till noon talking, and eating and drinking a
good ham of English bacon, and having put things in very good order home,
where I found Jane, my old maid, come out of the country, and I have a
mind to have her again. By and by comes La Belle Pierce to see my wife,
and to bring her a pair of peruques of hair, as the fashion now is for
ladies to wear; which are pretty, and are of my wife's own hair, or else I
should not endure them. After a good whiles stay, I went to see if any
play was acted, and I found none upon the post, it being Passion week. So
home again, and took water with them towards Westminster; but as we put
off with the boat Griffin came after me to tell me that Sir G. Carteret
and the rest were at the office, so I intended to see them through the
bridge and come back again, but the tide being against us, when we were
almost through we were carried back again with much danger, and Mrs.
Pierce was much afeard and frightened. So I carried them to the other
side and walked to the Beare, and sent them away, and so back again myself
to the office, but finding nobody there I went again to the Old Swan, and
thence by water to the New Exchange, and there found them, and thence by
coach carried my wife to Bowes to buy something, and while they were there
went to Westminster Hall, and there bought Mr. Grant's book of
observations upon the weekly bills of mortality, which appear to me upon
first sight to be very pretty. So back again and took my wife, calling at
my brother Tom's, whom I found full of work, which I am glad of, and
thence at the New Exchange and so home, and I to Sir W. Batten's, and
supped there out of pure hunger and to save getting anything ready at
home, which is a thing I do not nor shall not use to do. So home and to
bed.

26th. Up early. This being, by God's great blessing, the fourth solemn
day of my cutting for the stone this day four years, and am by God's mercy
in very good health, and like to do well, the Lord's name be praised for
it. To the office and Sir G. Carteret's all the morning about business.
At noon come my good guests, Madame Turner, The., and Cozen Norton, and a
gentleman, one Mr. Lewin of the King's Life-Guard; by the same token he
told us of one of his fellows killed this morning in a duel. I had a
pretty dinner for them, viz., a brace of stewed carps, six roasted
chickens, and a jowl of salmon, hot, for the first course; a tanzy

[Tansy (tanacetum), a herb from which puddings were made. Hence any
pudding of the kind. Selden ("Table Talk") says: "Our tansies at
Easter have reference to the bitter herbs." See in Wordsworth's
"University Life in the Eighteenth Century" recipes for "an apple
tansey," "a bean tansey," and "a gooseberry tansey."--M. B.]

and two neats' tongues, and cheese the second; and were very merry all the
afternoon, talking and singing and piping upon the flageolette. In the
evening they went with great pleasure away, and I with great content and
my wife walked half an hour in the garden, and so home to supper and to
bed. We had a man-cook to dress dinner to-day, and sent for Jane to help
us, and my wife and she agreed at L3 a year (she would not serve under)
till both could be better provided, and so she stays with us, and I hope
we shall do well if poor Sarah were but rid of her ague.

27th. Early Sir G. Carteret, both Sir Williams and I by coach to
Deptford, it being very windy and rainy weather, taking a codd and some
prawnes in Fish Street with us. We settled to pay the Guernsey, a small
ship, but come to a great deal of money, it having been unpaid ever since
before the King came in, by which means not only the King pays wages while
the ship has lain still, but the poor men have most of them been forced to
borrow all the money due for their wages before they receive it, and that
at a dear rate, God knows, so that many of them had very little to receive
at the table, which grieved me to see it. To dinner, very merry. Then
Sir George to London, and we again to the pay, and that done by coach home
again and to the office, doing some business, and so home and to bed.

28th (Good Friday). At home all the morning, and dined with my wife, a
good dinner. At my office all the afternoon. At night to my chamber to
read and sing, and so to supper and to bed.

29th. At the office all the morning. Then to the Wardrobe, and there
coming late dined with the people below. Then up to my Lady, and staid
two hours talking with her about her family business with great content
and confidence in me. So calling at several places I went home, where my
people are getting the house clean against to-morrow. I to the office and
wrote several letters by post, and so home and to bed.

30th (Easter day). Having my old black suit new furbished, I was pretty
neat in clothes to-day, and my boy, his old suit new trimmed, very
handsome. To church in the morning, and so home, leaving the two Sir
Williams to take the Sacrament, which I blame myself that I have hitherto
neglected all my life, but once or twice at Cambridge.

[This does not accord with the certificate which Dr. Mines wrote in
1681, where he says that Pepys was a constant communicant. See Life
of Pepys in vol. i.]

Dined with my wife, a good shoulder of veal well dressed by Jane, and
handsomely served to table, which pleased us much, and made us hope that
she will serve our turn well enough. My wife and I to church in the
afternoon, and seated ourselves, she below me, and by that means the
precedence of the pew, which my Lady Batten and her daughter takes, is
confounded; and after sermon she and I did stay behind them in the pew,
and went out by ourselves a good while after them, which we judge a very
fine project hereafter to avoyd contention. So my wife and I to walk an
hour or two on the leads, which begins to be very pleasant, the garden
being in good condition. So to supper, which is also well served in. We
had a lobster to supper, with a crabb Pegg Pen sent my wife this
afternoon, the reason of which we cannot think; but something there is of
plot or design in it, for we have a little while carried ourselves pretty
strange to them. After supper to bed.

31st. This morning Mr. Coventry and all our company met at the office
about some business of the victualling, which being dispatched we parted.
I to my Lord Crew's to dinner (in my way calling upon my brother Tom, with
whom I staid a good while and talked, and find him a man like to do well,
which contents me much), where used with much respect, and talking with
him about my Lord's debts, and whether we should make use of an offer of
Sir G. Carteret's to lend my Lady 4 or L500, he told me by no means, we
must not oblige my Lord to him, and by the by he made a question whether
it was not my Lord's interest a little to appear to the King in debt, and
for people to clamor against him as well as others for their money, that
by that means the King and the world may see that he do lay out for the
King's honour upon his own main stock, which many he tells me do, that in
fine if there be occasion he and I will be bound for it. Thence to Sir
Thomas Crew's lodgings. He hath been ill, and continues so, under fits of
apoplexy. Among other things, he and I did discourse much of Mr.
Montagu's base doings, and the dishonour that he will do my Lord, as well
as cheating him of 2 or L3,000, which is too true. Thence to the play,
where coming late, and meeting with Sir W. Pen, who had got room for my
wife and his daughter in the pit, he and I into one of the boxes, and
there we sat and heard "The Little Thiefe," a pretty play and well done.
Thence home, and walked in the garden with them, and then to the house to
supper and sat late talking, and so to bed.

DIARY OF SAMUEL PEPYS.

APRIL 1662

April 1st. Within all the morning and at the office. At noon my wife and
I (having paid our maid Nell her whole wages, who has been with me half a
year, and now goes away for altogether) to the Wardrobe, where my Lady and
company had almost dined. We sat down and dined. Here was Mr. Herbert,
son to Sir Charles Herbert, that lately came with letters from my Lord
Sandwich to the King. After some discourse we remembered one another to
have been together at the tavern when Mr. Fanshaw took his leave of me at
his going to Portugall with Sir Richard. After dinner he and I and the
two young ladies and my wife to the playhouse, the Opera, and saw "The
Mayde in the Mill," a pretty good play. In the middle of the play my Lady
Paulina, who had taken physique this morning, had need to go forth, and so
I took the poor lady out and carried her to the Grange, and there sent the
maid of the house into a room to her, and she did what she had a mind to,
and so back again to the play; and that being done, in their coach I took
them to Islington, and then, after a walk in the fields, I took them to
the great cheese-cake house and entertained them, and so home, and after
an hour's stay with my Lady, their coach carried us home, and so weary to
bed.

2nd. Mr. Moore came to me, and he and I walked to the Spittle an hour or
two before my Lord Mayor and the blewcoat boys come, which at last they
did, and a fine sight of charity it is indeed. We got places and staid to
hear a sermon; but, it being a Presbyterian one, it was so long, that
after above an hour of it we went away, and I home and dined; and then my
wife and I by water to the Opera, and there saw "The Bondman" most
excellently acted; and though we had seen it so often, yet I never liked
it better than to-day, Ianthe acting Cleora's part very well now Roxalana
is gone. We are resolved to see no more plays till Whitsuntide, we having
been three days together. Met Mr. Sanchy, Smithes; Gale, and Edlin at the
play, but having no great mind to spend money, I left them there. And so
home and to supper, and then dispatch business, and so to bed.

3rd. At home and at the office all day. At night to bed.

4th. By barge Sir George, Sir Williams both and I to Deptford, and there
fell to pay off the Drake and Hampshire, then to dinner, Sir George to his
lady at his house, and Sir Wm. Pen to Woolwich, and Sir W. Batten and I to
the tavern, where much company came to us and our dinner, and somewhat
short by reason of their taking part away with them. Then to pay the rest
of the Hampshire and the Paradox, and were at it till 9 at night, and so
by night home by barge safe, and took Tom Hater with some that the clerks
had to carry home along with us in the barge, the rest staying behind to
pay tickets, but came home after us that night. So being come home, to
bed. I was much troubled to-day to see a dead man lie floating upon the
waters, and had done (they say) these four days, and nobody takes him up
to bury him, which is very barbarous.

5th. At the office till almost noon, and then broke up. Then came Sir G.
Carteret, and he and I walked together alone in the garden, taking notice
of some faults in the office, particularly of Sir W. Batten's, and he
seemed to be much pleased with me, and I hope will be the ground of a
future interest of mine in him, which I shall be glad of. Then with my
wife abroad, she to the Wardrobe and there dined, and I to the Exchange
and so to the Wardrobe, but they had dined. After dinner my wife and the
two ladies to see my aunt Wight, and thence met me at home. From thence
(after Sir W. Batten and I had viewed our houses with a workman in order
to the raising of our roofs higher to enlarge our houses) I went with them
by coach first to Moorfields and there walked, and thence to Islington and
had a fine walk in the fields there, and so, after eating and drinking,
home with them, and so by water with my wife home, and after supper to
bed.

6th (Lord's day). By water to White Hall, to Sir G. Carteret, to give him
an account of the backwardness of the ships we have hired to Portugall: at
which he is much troubled. Thence to the Chappell, and there, though
crowded, heard a very honest sermon before the King by a Canon of Christ
Church, upon these words, "Having a form of godliness, but denying," &c.
Among other things, did much insist upon the sin of adultery: which
methought might touch the King, and the more because he forced it into his
sermon, methinks, besides his text. So up and saw the King at dinner; and
thence with Sir G. Carteret to his lodgings to dinner, with him and his
lady, where I saluted her, and was well received as a stranger by her; she
seems a good lady, and all their discourse, which was very much, was upon
their sufferings and services for the King. Yet not without some trouble,
to see that some that had been much bound to them, do now neglect them;
and others again most civil that have received least from them: and I do
believe that he hath been a good servant to the King. Thence to walk in
the Park, where the King and Duke did walk round the Park. After I was
tired I went and took boat to Milford stairs, and so to Graye's Inn walks,
the first time I have been there this year, and it is very pleasant and
full of good company. When tired I walked to the Wardrobe, and there
staid a little with my Lady, and so by water from Paul's Wharf (where my
boat staid for me), home and supped with my wife with Sir W. Pen, and so
home and to bed.

7th. By water to Whitehall and thence to Westminster, and staid at the
Parliament-door long to speak with Mr. Coventry, which vexed me. Thence
to the Lords' House, and stood within the House, while the Bishops and
Lords did stay till the Chancellor's coming, and then we were put out, and
they to prayers. There comes a Bishop; and while he was rigging himself,
he bid his man listen at the door, whereabout in the prayers they were but
the man told him something, but could not tell whereabouts it was in the
prayers, nor the Bishop neither, but laughed at the conceit; so went in:
but, God forgive me! I did tell it by and by to people, and did say that
the man said that they were about something of saving their souls, but
could not tell whereabouts in the prayers that was. I sent in a note to
my Lord Privy Seal, and he came out to me; and I desired he would make
another deputy for me, because of my great business of the Navy this
month; but he told me he could not do it without the King's consent, which
vexed me. So to Dr. Castle's, and there did get a promise from his clerk
that his master should officiate for me to-morrow. Thence by water to
Tom's, and there with my wife took coach and to the old Exchange, where
having bought six large Holland bands, I sent her home, and myself found
out my uncle Wight and Mr. Rawlinson, and with them went to the tatter's
house to dinner, and there had a good dinner of cold meat and good wine,
but was troubled in my head after the little wine I drank, and so home to
my office, and there did promise to drink no more wine but one glass a
meal till Whitsuntide next upon any score. Mrs. Bowyer and her daughters
being at my house I forbore to go to them, having business and my head
disturbed, but staid at my office till night, and then to walk upon the
leads with my wife, and so to my chamber and thence to bed. The great
talk is, that the Spaniards and the Hollanders do intend to set upon the
Portuguese by sea, at Lisbon, as soon as our fleet is come away; and by
that means our fleet is not likely to come yet these two months or three;
which I hope is not true.

8th. Up very early and to my office, and there continued till noon. So
to dinner, and in comes uncle Fenner and the two Joyces. I sent for a
barrel of oysters and a breast of veal roasted, and were very merry; but I
cannot down with their dull company and impertinent. After dinner to the
office again. So at night by coach to Whitehall, and Mr. Coventry not
being there I brought my business of the office to him, it being almost
dark, and so came away and took up my wife. By the way home and on
Ludgate Hill there being a stop I bought two cakes, and they were our
supper at home.

9th. Sir George Carteret, Sir Williams both and myself all the morning at
the office passing the Victualler's accounts, and at noon to dinner at the
Dolphin, where a good chine of beef and other good cheer. At dinner Sir
George showed me an account in French of the great famine, which is to the
greatest extremity in some part of France at this day, which is very
strange.

[On the 5th of June following, Louis, notwithstanding the scarcity,
gave that splendid carousal in the court before the Tuileries, from
which the place has ever since taken its name.--B.]

So to the Exchange, Mrs. Turner (who I found sick in bed), and several
other places about business, and so home. Supper and to bed.

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