Book: Diary of Samuel Pepys, January/February 1662/63
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Samuel Pepys >> Diary of Samuel Pepys, January/February 1662/63
13th. So my poor wife rose by five o'clock in the morning, before day,
and went to market and bought fowls and many other things for dinner, with
which I was highly pleased, and the chine of beef was down also before six
o'clock, and my own jack, of which I was doubtfull, do carry it very well.
Things being put in order, and the cook come, I went to the office, where
we sat till noon and then broke up, and I home, whither by and by comes
Dr. Clerke and his lady, his sister, and a she-cozen, and Mr. Pierce and
his wife, which was all my guests. I had for them, after oysters, at
first course, a hash of rabbits, a lamb, and a rare chine of beef. Next a
great dish of roasted fowl, cost me about 30s., and a tart, and then fruit
and cheese. My dinner was noble and enough. I had my house mighty clean
and neat; my room below with a good fire in it; my dining-room above, and
my chamber being made a withdrawing-chamber; and my wife's a good fire
also. I find my new table very proper, and will hold nine or ten people
well, but eight with great room. After dinner the women to cards in my
wife's chamber, and the Dr. and Mr. Pierce in mine, because the
dining-room smokes unless I keep a good charcoal fire, which I was not
then provided with. At night to supper, had a good sack posset and cold
meat, and sent my guests away about ten o'clock at night, both them and
myself highly pleased with our management of this day; and indeed their
company was very fine, and Mrs. Clerke a very witty, fine lady, though a
little conceited and proud. So weary, so to bed. I believe this day's
feast will cost me near L5.
14th. Lay very long in bed, till with shame forced to rise, being called
up by Mr. Bland about business. He being gone I went and staid upon
business at the office and then home to dinner, and after dinner staid a
little talking pleasant with my wife, who tells me of another woman
offered by her brother that is pretty and can sing, to which I do listen
but will not appear over forward, but I see I must keep somebody for
company sake to my wife, for I am ashamed she should live as she do. So to
the office till 10 at night upon business, and numbering and examining
part of my sea-manuscript with great pleasure, my wife sitting working by
me. So home to supper and to bed.
15th. Up and to my office preparing things, by and by we met and sat Mr.
Coventry and I till noon, and then I took him to dine with me, I having a
wild goose roasted, and a cold chine of beef and a barrel of oysters. We
dined alone in my chamber, and then he and I to fit ourselves for
horseback, he having brought me a horse; and so to Deptford, the ways
being very dirty. There we walked up and down the Yard and Wett Dock, and
did our main business, which was to examine the proof of our new way of
the call-books, which we think will be of great use. And so to horse
again, and I home with his horse, leaving him to go over the fields to
Lambeth, his boy at my house taking home his horse. I vexed, having left
my keys in my other pocket in my chamber, and my door is shut, so that I
was forced to set my boy in at the window, which done I shifted myself,
and so to my office till late, and then home to supper, my mind being
troubled about Field's business and my uncle's, which the term coming on I
must think to follow again. So to prayers and to bed, and much troubled
in mind this night in my dreams about my uncle Thomas and his son going to
law with us.
16th. Lay long talking in bed with my wife. Up, and Mr. Battersby, the
apothecary, coming to see me, I called for the cold chine of beef and made
him eat, and drink wine, and talked, there being with us Captain Brewer,
the paynter, who tells me how highly the Presbyters do talk in the
coffeehouses still, which I wonder at. They being gone I walked two or
three hours with my brother Tom, telling him my mind how it is troubled
about my father's concernments, and how things would be with them all if
it should please God that I should die, and therefore desire him to be a
good husband and follow his business, which I hope he do. At noon to
dinner, and after dinner my wife began to talk of a woman again, which I
have a mind to have, and would be glad Pall might please us, but she is
quite against having her, nor have I any great mind to it, but only for
her good and to save money flung away upon a stranger. So to my office
till 9 o'clock about my navy manuscripts, and there troubled in my mind
more and more about my uncle's business from a letter come this day from
my father that tells me that all his tenants are sued by my uncle, which
will cost me some new trouble, I went home to supper and so to bed.
17th. Waked early with my mind troubled about our law matters, but it
came into my mind that [sayings] of Epictetus, which did put me to a great
deal of ease, it being a saying of great reason. Up to the office, and
there sat Mr. Coventry, Mr. Pett, new come to town, and I. I was sorry
for signing a bill and guiding Mr. Coventry to sign a bill to Mr. Creed
for his pay as Deputy Treasurer to this day, though the service ended 5 or
6 months ago, which he perceiving did blot out his name afterwards, but I
will clear myself to him from design in it. Sat till two o'clock and then
home to dinner, and Creed with me, and after dinner, to put off my mind's
trouble, I took Creed by coach and to the Duke's playhouse, where we did
see "The Five Hours" entertainment again, which indeed is a very fine
play, though, through my being out of order, it did not seem so good as at
first; but I could discern it was not any fault in the play. Thence with
him to the China alehouse, and there drank a bottle or two, and so home,
where I found my wife and her brother discoursing about Mr. Ashwell's
daughter, whom we are like to have for my wife's woman, and I hope it may
do very well, seeing there is a necessity of having one. So to the office
to write letters, and then home to supper and to bed.
18th (Lord's day). Up, and after the barber had done, and I had spoke
with Mr. Smith (whom I sent for on purpose to speak of Field's business,
who stands upon L250 before he will release us, which do trouble me
highly), and also Major Allen of the Victualling Office about his ship to
be hired for Tangier, I went to church, and thence home to dinner alone
with my wife, very pleasant, and after dinner to church again, and heard a
dull, drowsy sermon, and so home and to my office, perfecting my vows
again for the next year, which I have now done, and sworn to in the
presence of Almighty God to observe upon the respective penalties thereto
annexed, and then to Sir W. Pen's (though much against my will, for I
cannot bear him, but only to keep him from complaint to others that I do
not see him) to see how he do, and find him pretty well, and ready to go
abroad again.
19th. Up and to White Hall, and while the Duke is dressing himself I went
to wait on my Lord Sandwich, whom I found not very well, and Dr. Clerke
with him. He is feverish, and hath sent for Mr. Pierce to let him blood,
but not being in the way he puts it off till night, but he stirs not
abroad to-day. Then to the Duke, and in his closett discoursed as we use
to do, and then broke up. That done, I singled out Mr. Coventry into the
Matted Gallery, and there I told him the complaints I meet every day about
our Treasurer's or his people's paying no money, but at the goldsmith's
shops, where they are forced to pay fifteen or twenty sometimes per cent.
for their money, which is a most horrid shame, and that which must not be
suffered. Nor is it likely that the Treasurer (at least his people) will
suffer Maynell the Goldsmith to go away with L10,000 per annum, as he do
now get, by making people pay after this manner for their money. We were
interrupted by the Duke, who called Mr. Coventry aside for half an hour,
walking with him in the gallery, and then in the garden, and then going
away I ended my discourse with Mr. Coventry. But by the way Mr. Coventry
was saying that there remained nothing now in our office to be amended but
what would do of itself every day better and better, for as much as he
that was slowest, Sir W. Batten, do now begin to look about him and to
mind business. At which, God forgive me! I was a little moved with envy,
but yet I am glad, and ought to be, though it do lessen a little my care
to see that the King's service is like to be better attended than it was
heretofore. Thence by coach to Mr. Povy's, being invited thither by [him]
came a messenger this morning from him, where really he made a most
excellent and large dinner, of their variety, even to admiration, he
bidding us, in a frolique, to call for what we had a mind, and he would
undertake to give it us: and we did for prawns, swan, venison, after I had
thought the dinner was quite done, and he did immediately produce it,
which I thought great plenty, and he seems to set off his rest in this
plenty and the neatness of his house, which he after dinner showed me,
from room to room, so beset with delicate pictures, and above all, a piece
of perspective in his closett in the low parler; his stable, where was
some most delicate horses, and the very-racks painted, and mangers, with a
neat leaden painted cistern, and the walls done with Dutch tiles, like my
chimnies. But still, above all things, he bid me go down into his
wine-cellar, where upon several shelves there stood bottles of all sorts
of wine, new and old, with labells pasted upon each bottle, and in the
order and plenty as I never saw books in a bookseller's shop; and herein,
I observe, he puts his highest content, and will accordingly commend all
that he hath, but still they deserve to be so. Here dined with me Dr.
Whore and Mr. Scawen. Therewith him and Mr. Bland, whom we met by the way,
to my Lord Chancellor's, where the King was to meet my Lord Treasurer,
&c., many great men, to settle the revenue of Tangier. I staid talking
awhile there, but the King not coming I walked to my brother's, where I
met my cozen Scotts (Tom not being at home) and sent for a glass of wine
for them, and having drunk we parted, and I to the Wardrobe talking with
Mr. Moore about my law businesses, which I doubt will go ill for want of
time for me to attend them. So home, where I found Mrs. Lodum speaking
with my wife about her kinswoman which is offered my wife to come as a
woman to her. So to the office and put things in order, and then home and
to bed, it being my great comfort that every day I understand more and
more the pleasure of following of business and the credit that a man gets
by it, which I hope at last too will end in profit. This day, by Dr.
Clerke, I was told the occasion of my Lord Chesterfield's going and taking
his lady (my Lord Ormond's daughter) from Court. It seems he not only
hath been long jealous of the Duke of York, but did find them two talking
together, though there were others in the room, and the lady by all
opinions a most good, virtuous woman. He, the next day (of which the Duke
was warned by somebody that saw the passion my Lord Chesterfield was in
the night before), went and told the Duke how much he did apprehend
himself wronged, in his picking out his lady of the whole Court to be the
subject of his dishonour; which the Duke did answer with great calmness,
not seeming to understand the reason of complaint, and that was all that
passed but my Lord did presently pack his lady into the country in
Derbyshire, near the Peake; which is become a proverb at Court, to send a
man's wife to the Devil's arse a' Peake, when she vexes him. This noon I
did find out Mr. Dixon at Whitehall, and discoursed with him about Mrs.
Wheatly's daughter for a wife for my brother Tom, and have committed it to
him to enquire the pleasure of her father and mother concerning it. I
demanded L300.
20th. Up betimes and to the office, where all the morning. Dined at
home, and Mr. Deane of Woolwich with me, talking about the abuses of the
yard. Then to the office about business all the afternoon with great
pleasure, seeing myself observed by every body to be the only man of
business of us all, but Mr. Coventry. So till late at night, and then
home to supper and bed.
21st. Up early leaving my wife very ill in bed . . . and to my office
till eight o'clock, there coming Ch. Pepys
[Charles Pepys was second son of Thomas Pepys, elder brother of
Samuel's father. Samuel paid part of the legacy to Charles and his
elder brother Thomas on May 25th, 1664.]
to demand his legacy of me, which I denied him upon good reason of his
father and brother's suing us, and so he went away. Then came
Commissioner Pett, and he and I by agreement went to Deptford, and after a
turn or two in the yard, to Greenwich, and thence walked to Woolwich. Here
we did business, and I on board the Tangier-merchant, a ship freighted by
us, that has long lain on hand in her despatch to Tangier, but is now
ready for sailing. Back, and dined at Mr. Ackworth's, where a pretty
dinner, and she a pretty, modest woman; but above all things we saw her
Rocke, which is one of the finest things done by a woman that ever I saw.
I must have my wife to see it. After dinner on board the Elias, and found
the timber brought by her from the forest of Deane to be exceeding good.
The Captain gave each of us two barrels of pickled oysters put up for the
Queen mother. So to the Dock again, and took in Mrs. Ackworth and another
gentlewoman, and carried them to London, and at the Globe tavern, in
Eastcheap, did give them a glass of wine, and so parted. I home, where I
found my wife ill in bed all day, and her face swelled with pain. My Will
has received my last two quarters salary, of which I am glad. So to my
office till late and then home, and after the barber had done, to bed.
22nd. To the office, where Sir W. Batten and Sir J. Minnes are come from
Portsmouth. We sat till dinner time. Then home, and Mr. Dixon by
agreement came to dine, to give me an account of his success with Mr.
Wheatly for his daughter for my brother; and in short it is, that his
daughter cannot fancy my brother because of his imperfection in his
speech, which I am sorry for, but there the business must die, and we must
look out for another. There came in also Mrs. Lodum, with an answer from
her brother Ashwell's daughter, who is likely to come to me, and with her
my wife's brother, and I carried Commissioner Pett in with me, so I feared
want of victuals, but I had a good dinner, and mirth, and so rose and
broke up, and with the rest of the officers to Mr. Russell's buriall,
where we had wine and rings, and a great and good company of aldermen and
the livery of the Skinners' Company. We went to St. Dunstan's in the East
church, where a sermon, but I staid not, but went home, and, after writing
letters, I took coach to Mr. Povy's, but he not within I left a letter
there of Tangier business, and so to my Lord's, and there find him not
sick, but expecting his fit to-night of an ague. Here was Sir W. Compton,
Mr. Povy, Mr. Bland, Mr. Gawden and myself; we were very busy about
getting provisions sent forthwith to Tangier, fearing that by Mr. Gawden's
neglect they might want bread. So among other ways thought of to supply
them I was empowered by the Commissioners of Tangier that were present to
write to Plymouth and direct Mr. Lanyon to take up vessels great or small
to the quantity of 150 tons, and fill them with bread of Mr. Gawden's
lying ready there for Tangier, which they undertake to bear me out in, and
to see the freight paid. This I did. About 10 o'clock we broke up, and my
Lord's fit was coming upon him, and so we parted, and I with Mr. Creed,
Mr. Pierce, Win. Howe and Captn. Ferrers, who was got almost drunk this
afternoon, and was mighty capricious and ready to fall out with any body,
supped together in the little chamber that was mine heretofore upon some
fowls sent by Mr. Shepley, so we were very merry till 12 at night, and so
away, and I lay with Mr. Creed at his lodgings, and slept well.
23rd. Up and hastened him in despatching some business relating to
Tangier, and I away homewards, hearing that my Lord had a bad fit
to-night, called at my brother's, and found him sick in bed, of a pain in
the sole of one of his feet, without swelling, knowing not how it came,
but it will not suffer him to stand these two days. So to Mr. Moore, and
Mr. Lovell, our proctor, being there, discoursed of my law business.
Thence to Mr. Grant, to bid him come for money for Mr. Barlow, and he and
I to a coffee-house, where Sir J. Cutler was;
[Citizen and grocer of London; most severely handled by Pope. Two
statues were erected to his memory--one in the College of
Physicians, and the other in the Grocers' Hall. They were erected
and one removed (that in the College of Physicians) before Pope
stigmatized "sage Cutler." Pope says that Sir John Cutler had an
only daughter; in fact, he had two: one married to Lord Radnor; the
other, mentioned afterwards by Pepys, the wife of Sir William
Portman.--B.]
and in discourse, among other things, he did fully make it out that the
trade of England is as great as ever it was, only in more hands; and that
of all trades there is a greater number than ever there was, by reason of
men taking more 'prentices, because of their having more money than
heretofore. His discourse was well worth hearing. Coming by Temple Bar I
bought "Audley's Way to be Rich," a serious pamphlett and some good things
worth my minding. Thence homewards, and meeting Sir W. Batten, turned back
again to a coffee-house, and there drunk more till I was almost sick, and
here much discourse, but little to be learned, but of a design in the
north of a rising, which is discovered, among some men of condition, and
they sent for up. Thence to the 'Change, and so home with him by coach,
and I to see how my wife do, who is pretty well again, and so to dinner to
Sir W. Batten's to a cod's head, and so to my office, and after stopping
to see Sir W. Pen, where was Sir J. Lawson and his lady and daughter,
which is pretty enough, I came back to my office, and there set to
business pretty late, finishing the margenting my Navy-Manuscript. So
home and to bed.
24th. Lay pretty long, and by lying with my sheet upon my lip, as I have
of old observed it, my upper lip was blistered in the morning. To the
office all the morning, sat till noon, then to the Exchange to look out
for a ship for Tangier, and delivered my manuscript to be bound at the
stationer's. So to dinner at home, and then down to Redriffe, to see a
ship hired for Tangier, what readiness she was in, and found her ready to
sail. Then home, and so by coach to Mr. Povy's, where Sir W. Compton, Mr.
Bland, Gawden, Sir J. Lawson and myself met to settle the victualling of
Tangier for the time past, which with much ado we did, and for a six
months' supply more. So home in Mr. Gawden's coach, and to my office till
late about business, and find that it is business that must and do every
day bring me to something.--[In earlier days Pepys noted for us each few
pounds or shillings of graft which he annexed at each transaction in his
office.]--So home to supper and to bed.
25th (Lord's day). Lay till 9 a-bed, then up, and being trimmed by the
barber, I walked towards White Hall, calling upon Mr. Moore, whom I found
still very ill of his ague. I discoursed with him about my Lord's estate
against I speak with my Lord this day. Thence to the King's Head ordinary
at Charing Cross, and sent for Mr. Creed, where we dined very finely and
good company, good discourse. I understand the King of France is upon
consulting his divines upon the old question, what the power of the Pope
is? and do intend to make war against him, unless he do right him for the
wrong his Embassador received;
[On the 20th of August, the Duc de Crequi, then French ambassador at
Rome, was insulted by the Corsican armed police, a force whose
ignoble duty it was to assist the Sbirri; and the pope, Alexander
VII., at first refused reparation for the affront offered to the
French. Louis, as in the case of D'Estrades, took prompt measures.
He ordered the papal nuncio forthwith to quit France; he seized upon
Avignon, and his army prepared to enter Italy. Alexander found it
necessary to submit. In fulfilment of a treaty signed at Pisa in
1664, Cardinal Chigi, the pope's nephew, came to Paris, to tender
the pope's apology to Louis. The guilty individuals were punished;
the Corsicans banished for ever from the Roman States; and in front
of the guard-house which they had occupied a pyramid was erected,
bearing an inscription which embodied the pope's apology. This
pyramid Louis permitted Clement IX. to destroy on his accession.-B.]
and banish the Cardinall Imperiall,
[Lorenzo Imperiali, of Genoa. He had been appointed Governor of
Rome by Innocent X., and he had acted in that capacity at
the time of the tumult.--B.]
which I understand this day is not meant the Cardinall belonging or chosen
by the Emperor, but the name of his family is Imperiali. Thence to walk
in the Park, which we did two hours, it being a pleasant sunshine day
though cold. Our discourse upon the rise of most men that we know, and
observing them to be the results of chance, not policy, in any of them,
particularly Sir J. Lawson's, from his declaring against Charles Stuart in
the river of Thames, and for the Rump. Thence to my Lord, who had his
ague fit last night, but is now pretty well, and I staid talking with him
an hour alone in his chamber, about sundry publique and private matters.
Among others, he wonders what the project should be of the Duke's going
down to Portsmouth just now with his Lady, at this time of the year: it
being no way, we think, to increase his popularity, which is not great;
nor yet safe to do it, for that reason, if it would have any such effect.
By and by comes in my Lady Wright, and so I went away, end after talking
with Captn. Ferrers, who tells me of my Lady Castlemaine's and Sir Charles
Barkeley being the great favourites at Court, and growing every day more
and more; and that upon a late dispute between my Lord Chesterfield, that
is the Queen's Lord Chamberlain, and Mr. Edward Montagu, her Master of the
Horse, who should have the precedence in taking the Queen's upperhand
abroad out of the house, which Mr. Montagu challenges, it was given to my
Lord Chesterfield. So that I perceive he goes down the wind in honour as
well as every thing else, every day. So walk to my brother's and talked
with him, who tells me that this day a messenger is come, that tells us
how Collonel Honiwood, who was well yesterday at Canterbury, was flung by
his horse in getting up, and broke his scull, and so is dead. So home and
to the office, despatching some business, and so home to supper, and then
to prayers and to bed.
26th. Up and by water with Sir W. Batten to White Hall, drinking a glass
of wormewood wine at the Stillyard, and so up to the Duke, and with the
rest of the officers did our common service; thence to my Lord Sandwich's,
but he was in bed, and had a bad fit last night, and so I went to,
Westminster Hall, it being Term time, it troubling me to think that I
should have any business there to trouble myself and thoughts with. Here
I met with Monsieur Raby, who is lately come from France. [He] tells me
that my Lord Hinchingbroke and his brother do little improve there, and
are much neglected in their habits and other things; but I do believe he
hath a mind to go over as their tutour, and so I am not apt to believe
what he says therein. But I had a great deal of very good discourse with
him, concerning the difference between the French and the Pope, and the
occasion, which he told me very particularly, and to my great content; and
of most of the chief affairs of France, which I did enquire: and that the
King is a most excellent Prince, doing all business himself; and that it
is true he hath a mistress, Mademoiselle La Valiere, one of the Princess
Henriette's women, that he courts for his pleasure every other day, but
not so as to make him neglect his publique affairs. He tells me how the
King do carry himself nobly to the relations of the dead
Cardinall,--[Cardinal Mazarin died March 9th, 1661.]--and will not suffer
one pasquill to come forth against him; and that he acts by what
directions he received from him before his death. Having discoursed long
with him, I took him by coach and set him down at my Lord Crew's, and
myself went and dined at Mr. Povy's, where Orlando Massam, Mr. Wilks, a
Wardrobe man, myself and Mr. Gawden, and had just such another dinner as I
had the other day there. But above all things I do the most admire his
piece of perspective especially, he opening me the closett door, and there
I saw that there is nothing but only a plain picture hung upon the wall.
After dinner Mr. Gauden and I to settle the business of the Tangier
victualling, which I perceive none of them yet have hitherto understood
but myself. Thence by coach to White Hall, and met upon the Tangier
Commission, our greatest business the discoursing of getting things ready
for my Lord Rutherford to go about the middle of March next, and a
proposal of Sir J. Lawson's and Mr. Cholmely's concerning undertaking the
Mole, which is referred to another time. So by coach home, being
melancholy, overcharged with business, and methinks I fear that I have
some ill offices done to Mr. Coventry, or else he observes that of late I
have not despatched business so as I did use to do, which I confess I do
acknowledge. But it may be it is but my fear only, he is not so fond as
he used to be of me. But I do believe that Sir W. Batten has made him
believe that I do too much crow upon having his kindness, and so he may on
purpose to countenance him seem a little more strange to me, but I will
study hard to bring him back again to the same degree of kindness. So
home, and after a little talk with my wife, to the office, and did a great
deal of business there till very late, and then home to supper and to bed.