Book: Diary of Samuel Pepys, February 1659/1660
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Samuel Pepys >> Diary of Samuel Pepys, February 1659/1660
11th. This morning I lay long abed, and then to my office, where I read
all the morning my Spanish book of Rome. At noon I walked in the Hall,
where I heard the news of a letter from Monk, who was now gone into the
City again, and did resolve to stand for the sudden filling up of the
House, and it was very strange how the countenance of men in the Hall was
all changed with joy in half an hour's time. So I went up to the lobby,
where I saw the Speaker reading of the letter; and after it was read, Sir
A. Haselrigge came out very angry, and Billing--[The quaker mentioned
before on the 7th of this month.]--standing at the door, took him by the
arm, and cried, "Thou man, will thy beast carry thee no longer? thou must
fall!" The House presently after rose, and appointed to meet again at
three o'clock. I went then down into the Hall, where I met with Mr.
Chetwind, who had not dined no more than myself, and so we went toward
London, in our way calling at two or three shops, but could have no
dinner. At last, within Temple Bar, we found a pullet ready roasted, and
there we dined. After that he went to his office in Chancery Lane,
calling at the Rolls, where I saw the lawyers pleading. Then to his
office, where I sat in his study singing, while he was with his man (Mr.
Powell's son) looking after his business. Thence we took coach for the
City to Guildhall, where the Hall was full of people expecting Monk and
Lord Mayor to come thither, and all very joyfull. Here we stayed a great
while, and at last meeting with a friend of his we went to the 3 Tun
tavern and drank half a pint of wine, and not liking the wine we went to
an alehouse, where we met with company of this third man's acquaintance,
and there we drank a little. Hence I went alone to Guildhall to see
whether Monk was come again or no, and met with him coming out of the
chamber where he had been with the Mayor and Aldermen, but such a shout I
never heard in all my life, crying out, "God bless your Excellence." Here
I met with Mr. Lock, and took him to an alehouse, and left him there to
fetch Chetwind; when we were come together, Lock told us the substance of
the letter that went from Monk to the Parliament; wherein, after
complaints that he and his officers were put upon such offices against the
City as they could not do with any content or honour, that there are many
members now in the House that were of the late tyrannical Committee of
Safety. That Lambert and Vane are now in town, contrary to the vote of
Parliament. That there were many in the House that do press for new oaths
to be put upon men; whereas we have more cause to be sorry for the many
oaths that we have already taken and broken. That the late petition of
the fanatique people presented by Barebone, for the imposing of an oath
upon all sorts of people, was received by the House with thanks. That
therefore he [Monk] do desire that all writs for filling up of the House
be issued by Friday next, and that in the mean time, he would retire into
the City and only leave them guards for the security of the House and
Council. The occasion of this was the order that he had last night to go
into the City and disarm them, and take away their charter; whereby he and
his officers say that the House had a mind to put them upon things that
should make them odious; and so it would be in their power to do what they
would with them. He told us that they [the Parliament] had sent Scott and
Robinson to him [Monk] this afternoon, but he would not hear them. And
that the Mayor and Aldermen had offered him their own houses for himself
and his officers; and that his soldiers would lack for nothing. And
indeed I saw many people give the soldiers drink and money, and all along
in the streets cried, "God bless them!" and extraordinary good words.
Hence we went to a merchant's house hard by, where Lock wrote a note and
left, where I saw Sir Nich. Crisp, and so we went to the Star Tavern (Monk
being then at Benson's), where we dined and I wrote a letter to my Lord
from thence. In Cheapside there was a great many bonfires, and Bow bells
and all the bells in all the churches as we went home were a-ringing.
Hence we went homewards, it being about ten o'clock. But the common joy
that was every where to be seen! The number of bonfires, there being
fourteen between St. Dunstan's and Temple Bar, and at Strand Bridge' I
could at one view tell thirty-one fires. In King-street seven or eight;
and all along burning, and roasting, and drinking for rumps. There being
rumps tied upon sticks and carried up and down. The butchers at the May
Pole in the Strand rang a peal with their knives when they were going to
sacrifice their rump. On Ludgate Hill there was one turning of the spit
that had a rump tied upon it, and another basting of it. Indeed it was
past imagination, both the greatness and the suddenness of it. At one end
of the street you would think there was a whole lane of fire, and so hot
that we were fain to keep still on the further side merely for heat. We
came to the Chequers at Charing Cross, where Chetwind wrote a letter and I
gave him an account of what I had wrote for him to write. Thence home and
sent my letters to the posthouse in London, and my wife and I (after Mr.
Hunt was gone, whom I found waiting at my house) went out again to show
her the fires, and after walking as far as the Exchange we returned and to
bed.
12th. In the morning, it being Lord's day, Mr. Pierce came to me to
enquire how things go. We drank our morning draft together and thence to
White Hall, where Dr. Hones preached; but I staid not to hear, but walking
in the court, I heard that Sir Arth. Haselrigge was newly gone into the
City to Monk, and that Monk's wife removed from White Hall last night.
Home again, where at noon came according to my invitation my cos. Thos.
Pepys and his partner and dined with me, but before dinner we went and
took a walk round the park, it being a most pleasant day as ever I saw.
After dinner we three went into London together, where I heard that Monk
had been at Paul's in the morning, and the people had shouted much at his
coming out of the church. In the afternoon he was at a church in
Broad-street, whereabout he do lodge. But not knowing how to see him we
went and walked half a hour in Moorfields, which were full of people, it
being so fine a day. Here I took leave of them, and so to Paul's, where I
met with Mr. Kirton's' apprentice (the crooked fellow) and walked up and
down with him two hours, sometimes in the street looking for a tavern to
drink in, but not finding any open, we durst not knock; other times in the
churchyard, where one told me that he had seen the letter printed. Thence
to Mr. Turner's, where I found my wife, Mr. Edw. Pepys, and Roger' and Mr.
Armiger being there, to whom I gave as good an account of things as I
could, and so to my father's, where Charles Glascocke was overjoyed to see
how things are now; who told me the boys had last night broke Barebone's
windows. Hence home, and being near home we missed our maid, and were at
a great loss and went back a great way to find her, but when we could not
see her we went homewards and found her there, got before us which we
wondered at greatly. So to bed, where my wife and I had some high words
upon my telling her that I would fling the dog which her brother gave her
out of window if he [dirtied] the house any more.
13th. To my office till noon, thence home to dinner, my mouth being very
bad of the cancer and my left leg beginning to be sore again. After
dinner to see Mrs. Jem, and in the way met with Catan on foot in the
street and talked with her a little, so home and took my wife to my
father's. In my way I went to Playford's, and for two books that I had
and 6s. 6d. to boot I had my great book of songs which he sells always for
r 4s. At my father's I staid a while, while my mother sent her maid Bess
to Cheapside for some herbs to make a water for my mouth. Then I went to
see Mr. Cumberland, and after a little stay with him I returned, and took
my wife home, where after supper to bed. This day Monk was invited to
White Hall to dinner by my Lords; not seeming willing, he would not come.
I went to Mr. Fage from my father's, who had been this afternoon with
Monk, who do promise to live and die with the City, and for the honour of
the City; and indeed the City is very open-handed to the soldiers, that
they are most of them drunk all day, and have money given them. He did
give me something for my mouth which I did use this night.
14th. Called out in the morning by Mr. Moore, whose voice my wife hearing
in my dressing-chamber with me, got herself ready, and came down and
challenged him for her valentine, this being the day.
[The practice of choosing valentines was very general at this time,
but some of the best examples of the custom are found in this
Diary.]
To Westminster Hall, there being many new remonstrances and declarations
from many counties to Monk and the City, and one coming from the North
from Sir Thomas Fairfax. Hence I took him to the Swan and gave him his
morning draft. So to my office, where Mr. Hill of Worcestershire came to
see me and my partner in our office, with whom we went to Will's to drink.
At noon I went home and so to Mr. Crew's, but they had dined, and so I
went to see Mrs. Jem where I stayed a while, and home again where I stayed
an hour or two at my lute, and so forth to Westminster Hall, where I heard
that the Parliament hath now changed the oath so much talked of to a
promise; and that among other qualifications for the members that are to
be chosen, one is, that no man, nor the son of any man that hath been in
arms during the life of the father, shall be capable of being chosen to
sit in Parliament. To Will's, where like a fool I staid and lost 6d. at
cards. So home, and wrote a letter to my Lord by the post. So after
supper to bed. This day, by an order of the House, Sir H. Vane was sent
out of town to his house in Lincolnshire.
15th. Called up in the morning by Captain Holland and Captain Cuttance,
and with them to Harper's, thence to my office, thence with Mr. Hill of
Worcestershire to Will's, where I gave him a letter to Nan Pepys, and some
merry pamphlets against the Rump to carry to her into the country. So to
Mr. Crew's, where the dining room being full, Mr. Walgrave and I dined
below in the buttery by ourselves upon a good dish of buttered salmon.
Thence to Hering' the merchant about my Lord's Worcester money and back to
Paul's Churchyard, where I staid reading in Fuller's History of the Church
of England an hour or two, and so to my father's, where Mr. Hill came to
me and I gave him direction what to do at Worcester about the money.
Thence to my Lady Wright's and gave her a letter from my Lord privily. So
to Mrs. Jem and sat with her, who dined at Mr. Crew's to-day, and told me
that there was at her coming away at least forty gentlemen (I suppose
members that were secluded, for Mr. Walgrave told me that there were about
thirty met there the last night) came dropping in one after another
thither. Thence home and wrote into the country against to-morrow by the
carrier and so to bed. At my father's I heard how my cousin Kate Joyce
had a fall yesterday from her horse and had some hurt thereby. No news
to-day, but all quiet to see what the Parliament will do about the issuing
of the writs to-morrow for filling up of the House, according to Monk's
desire.
16th, In the morning at my lute. Then came Shaw and Hawly, and I gave
them their morning draft at my house. So to my office, where I wrote by
the carrier to my Lord and sealed my letter at Will's, and gave it old
East to carry it to the carrier's, and to take up a box of china oranges
and two little barrels of scallops at my house, which Captain Cuttance
sent to me for my Lord. Here I met with Osborne and with Shaw and Spicer,
and we went to the Sun Tavern in expectation of a dinner, where we had
sent us only two trenchers-full of meat, at which we were very merry,
while in came Mr. Wade and his friend Capt. Moyse (who told us of his
hopes to get an estate merely for his name's sake), and here we staid till
seven at night, I winning a quart of sack of Shaw that one trencherfull
that was sent us was all lamb and he that it was veal. I by having but
3d. in my pocket made shift to spend no more, whereas if I had had more I
had spent more as the rest did, so that I see it is an advantage to a man
to carry little in his pocket. Home, and after supper, and a little at my
flute, I went to bed.
17th. In the morning Tom that was my Lord's footboy came to see me and
had 10s. of me of the money which I have to keep of his. So that now I
have but 35s. more of his. Then came Mr. Hills the instrument maker, and
I consulted with him about the altering my lute and my viall. After that
I went into my study and did up my accounts, and found that I am about;
L40 beforehand in the world, and that is all. So to my office and from
thence brought Mr. Hawly home with me to dinner, and after dinner wrote a
letter to Mr. Downing about his business and gave it Hawly, and so went to
Mr. Gunning's to his weekly fast, and after sermon, meeting there with
Monsieur L'Impertinent, we went and walked in the park till it was dark. I
played on my pipe at the Echo, and then drank a cup of ale at Jacob's. So
to Westminster Hall, and he with me, where I heard that some of the
members of the House were gone to meet with some of the secluded members
and General Monk in the City. Hence we went to White Hall, thinking to
hear more news, where I met with Mr. Hunt, who told me how Monk had sent
for all his goods that he had here into the City; and yet again he told
me, that some of the members of the House had this day laid in firing into
their lodgings at White Hall for a good while, so that we are at a great
stand to think what will become of things, whether Monk will stand to the
Parliament or no. Hence Mons. L'Impertinent and I to Harper's, and there
drank a cup or two to the King, and to his fair sister Frances--[Frances
Butler, the great beauty, who is sometimes styled. la belle
Boteler.]--good health, of whom we had much discourse of her not being
much the worse for the small pox, which she had this last summer. So home
and to bed. This day we are invited to my uncle Fenner's wedding feast,
but went not, this being the 27th year.
18th. A great while at my vial and voice, learning to sing "Fly boy, fly
boy," without book. So to my office, where little to do. In the Hall I
met with Mr. Eglin and one Looker, a famous gardener, servant to my Lord
Salsbury, and among other things the gardener told a strange passage in
good earnest . . . . Home to dinner, and then went to my Lord's
lodgings to my turret there and took away most of my books, and sent them
home by my maid. Thither came Capt. Holland to me who took me to the
Half Moon tavern and Mr. Southorne, Blackburne's clerk. Thence he took me
to the Mitre in Fleet Street, where we heard (in a room over the music
room) very plainly through the ceiling. Here we parted and I to Mr.
Wotton's, and with him to an alehouse and drank while he told me a great
many stories of comedies that he had formerly seen acted, and the names of
the principal actors, and gave me a very good account of it. Thence to
Whitehall, where I met with Luellin and in the clerk's chamber wrote a
letter to my Lord. So home and to bed. This day two soldiers were hanged
in the Strand for their late mutiny at Somerset-house.
19th (Lord's day). Early in the morning I set my books that I brought
home yesterday up in order in my study. Thence forth to Mr. Harper's to
drink a draft of purle,--[Purl is hot beer flavoured with wormwood or
other aromatic herbs. The name is also given to hot beer flavoured with
gin, sugar, and ginger.]--whither by appointment Monsieur L'Impertinent,
who did intend too upon my desire to go along with me to St.
Bartholomew's, to hear one Mr. Sparks, but it raining very hard we went to
Mr. Gunning's and heard an excellent sermon, and speaking of the character
that the Scripture gives of Ann the mother of the blessed Virgin, he did
there speak largely in commendation of widowhood, and not as we do to
marry two or three wives or husbands, one after another. Here I met with
Mr. Moore, and went home with him to dinner, where he told me the
discourse that happened between the secluded members and the members of
the House, before Monk last Friday. How the secluded said, that they did
not intend by coming in to express revenge upon these men, but only to
meet and dissolve themselves, and only to issue writs for a free
Parliament. He told me how Haselrigge was afraid to have the candle
carried before him, for fear that the people seeing him, would do him
hurt; and that he is afraid to appear in the City. That there is great
likelihood that the secluded members will come in, and so Mr. Crew and my
Lord are likely to be great men, at which I was very glad. After diner
there was many secluded members come in to Mr. Crew, which, it being the
Lord's day, did make Mr. Moore believe that there was something
extraordinary in the business. Hence home and brought my wife to Mr.
Mossum's to hear him, and indeed he made a very good sermon, but only too
eloquent for a pulpit. Here Mr. L'Impertinent helped me to a seat. After
sermon to my father's; and fell in discourse concerning our going to
Cambridge the next week with my brother John. To Mrs. Turner where her
brother, Mr. Edward Pepys, was there, and I sat a great while talking of
public business of the times with him. So to supper to my Father's, all
supper talking of John's going to Cambridge. So home, and it raining my
wife got my mother's French mantle and my brother John's hat, and so we
went all along home and to bed.
20th. In the morning at my lute. Then to my office, where my partner and
I made even our balance. Took him home to dinner with me, where my
brother John came to dine with me. After dinner I took him to my study at
home and at my Lord's, and gave him some books and other things against
his going to Cambridge. After he was gone I went forth to Westminster
Hall, where I met with Chetwind, Simons, and Gregory. And with them to
Marsh's at Whitehall to drink, and staid there a pretty while reading a
pamphlet well writ and directed to General Monk, in praise of the form of
monarchy which was settled here before the wars.
[This pamphlet is among the Thomason Collection of Civil War Tracts
(British Museum), and dated in MS. this same day, February 20th--
"A Plea for Limited Monarchy as it was established in this Nation
before the late War. In an Humble Address to his Excellency General
Monck. By a Zealot for the good old Laws of his Country, before any
Faction or Caprice, with additions." "An Eccho to the Plea for
Limited Monarchy, &c.," was published soon afterwards.]
They told me how the Speaker Lenthall do refuse to sign the writs for
choice of new members in the place of the excluded; and by that means the
writs could not go out to-day. In the evening Simons and I to the Coffee
Club, where nothing to do only I heard Mr. Harrington, and my Lord of
Dorset and another Lord, talking of getting another place as the Cockpit,
and they did believe it would come to something. After a small debate
upon the question whether learned or unlearned subjects are the best the
Club broke up very poorly, and I do not think they will meet any more.
Hence with Vines, &c. to Will's, and after a pot or two home, and so to
bed.
21st. In the morning going out I saw many soldiers going towards
Westminster, and was told that they were going to admit the secluded
members again. So I to Westminster Hall, and in Chancery Row I saw about
twenty of them who had been at White Hall with General Monk, who came
thither this morning, and made a speech to them, and recommended to them a
Commonwealth, and against Charles Stuart. They came to the House and went
in one after another, and at last the Speaker came. But it is very
strange that this could be carried so private, that the other members of
the House heard nothing of all this, till they found them in the House,
insomuch that the soldiers that stood there to let in the secluded
members, they took for such as they had ordered to stand there to hinder
their coming in. Mr. Prin came with an old basket-hilt sword on, and had
a great many great shouts upon his going into the Hall. They sat till
noon, and at their coming out Mr. Crew saw me, and bid me come to his
house, which I did, and he would have me dine with him, which I did; and
he very joyful told me that the House had made General Monk, General of
all the Forces in England, Scotland, and Ireland; and that upon Monk's
desire, for the service that Lawson had lately done in pulling down the
Committee of Safety, he had the command of the Sea for the time being. He
advised me to send for my Lord forthwith, and told me that there is no
question that, if he will, he may now be employed again; and that the
House do intend to do nothing more than to issue writs, and to settle a
foundation for a free Parliament. After dinner I back to Westminster Hall
with him in his coach. Here I met with Mr. Lock and Pursell, Masters of
Music,--[Henry Purcell, father of the celebrated composer, was gentleman
of the Chapel Royal.]--and with them to the Coffee House, into a room next
the water, by ourselves, where we spent an hour or two till Captain Taylor
came to us, who told us, that the House had voted the gates of the City to
be made up again, and the members of the City that are in prison to be set
at liberty; and that Sir G. Booth's' case be brought into the House
to-morrow. Here we had variety of brave Italian and Spanish songs, and a
canon for eight voices, which Mr. Lock had lately made on these words:
"Domine salvum fac Regem," an admirable thing. Here also Capt. Taylor
began a discourse of something that he had lately writ about Gavelkind in
answer to one that had wrote a piece upon the same subject; and indeed
discovered a great deal of study in antiquity in his discourse. Here out
of the window it was a most pleasant sight to see the City from one end to
the other with a glory about it, so high was the light of the bonfires,
and so thick round the City, and the bells rang everywhere. Hence home
and wrote to my Lord, afterwards came down and found Mr. Hunt (troubled at
this change) and Mr. Spong, who staid late with me singing of a song or
two, and so parted. My wife not very well, went to bed before. This
morning I met in the Hall with Mr. Fuller, of Christ's, and told him of my
design to go to Cambridge, and whither. He told me very freely the temper
of Mr. Widdrington, how he did oppose all the fellows in the College, and
that there was a great distance between him and the rest, at which I was
very sorry, for that he told me he feared it would be little to my
brother's advantage to be his pupil.
22nd. In the morning intended to have gone to Mr. Crew's to borrow some
money, but it raining I forbore, and went to my Lord's lodging and look
that all things were well there. Then home and sang a song to my viall,
so to my office and to Will's, where Mr. Pierce found me out, and told me
that he would go with me to Cambridge, where Colonel Ayre's regiment, to
which he was surgeon, lieth. Walking in the Hall, I saw Major-General
Brown, who had along time been banished by the Rump, but now with his
beard overgrown, he comes abroad and sat in the House. To my father's to
dinner, where nothing but a small dish of powdered beef--[Boiled salt
beef. To powder was to sprinkle with salt, and the powdering tub a vessel
in which meat was salted.]--and dish of carrots; they being all busy to
get things ready for my brother John to go to-morrow. After dinner, my
wife staying there, I went to Mr. Crew's, and got; L5 of Mr. Andrews, and
so to Mrs. Jemimah, who now hath her instrument about her neck, and indeed
is infinitely, altered, and holds her head upright. I paid her, maid 40s.
of the money that I have received of Mr. Andrews. Hence home to my study,
where I only wrote thus much of this day's passages to this * and so out
again. To White Hall, where I met with Will. Simons and Mr. Mabbot at
Marsh's, who told me how the House had this day voted that the gates of
the City should be set up at the cost of the State. And that
Major-General Brown's being proclaimed a traitor be made void, and several
other things of that nature. Home for my lanthorn and so to my father's,
where I directed John what books to put for Cambridge. After that to
supper, where my Uncle Fenner and my Aunt, The. Turner, and Joyce, at a
brave leg of veal roasted, and were very merry against John's going to
Cambridge. I observed this day how abominably Barebone's windows are
broke again last night. At past 9 o'clock my wife and I went home.