Book: Diary of Samuel Pepys, January/February 1662/63
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Samuel Pepys >> Diary of Samuel Pepys, January/February 1662/63
27th. Up and to the office, where sat till two o'clock, and then home to
dinner, whither by and by comes Mr. Creed, and he and I talked of our
Tangier business, and do find that there is nothing in the world done with
true integrity, but there is design along with it, as in my Lord
Rutherford, who designs to have the profit of victualling of the garrison
himself, and others to have the benefit of making the Mole, so that I am
almost discouraged from coming any more to the Committee, were it not that
it will possibly hereafter bring me to some acquaintance of great men.
Then to the office again, where very busy till past ten at night, and so
home to supper and to bed. I have news this day from Cambridge that my
brother hath had his bachelor's cap put on; but that which troubles me is,
that he hath the pain of the stone, and makes bloody water with great
pain, it beginning just as mine did. I pray God help him.
28th. Up and all the morning at my office doing business, and at home
seeing my painters' work measured. So to dinner and abroad with my wife,
carrying her to Unthank's, where she alights, and I to my Lord Sandwich's,
whom I find missing his ague fit to-day, and is pretty well, playing at
dice (and by this I see how time and example may alter a man; he being now
acquainted with all sorts of pleasures and vanities, which heretofore he
never thought of nor loved, nor, it may be, hath allowed) with Ned
Pickering and his page Laud. Thence to the Temple to my cozen Roger
Pepys, and thence to Serjt. Bernard to advise with him and retain him
against my uncle, my heart and head being very heavy with the business.
Thence to Wotton's, the shoemaker, and there bought another pair of new
boots, for the other I bought my last would not fit me, and here I drank
with him and his wife, a pretty woman, they broaching a vessel of syder
a-purpose for me. So home, and there found my wife come home, and seeming
to cry; for bringing home in a coach her new ferrandin
[Ferrandin, which was sometimes spelt farendon, was a stuff made of
silk mixed with some other material, like what is now called poplin.
Both mohair and farendon are generally cheap materials; for in the
case of Manby v. Scott, decided in the Exchequer Chamber in 1663,
and reported in the first volume of "Modern Reports," the question
being as to the liability of a husband to pay for goods supplied
against his consent to his wife, who had separated from him, Mr.
Justice Hyde (whose judgment is most amusing) observes, in putting
various supposed cases, that "The wife will have a velvet gown and a
satin petticoat, and the husband thinks a mohair or farendon for a
gown, and watered tabby for a petticoat, is as fashionable, and
fitter for her quality."--B.]
waistecoate, in Cheapside, a man asked her whether that was the way to the
Tower; and while she was answering him, another, on the other side,
snatched away her bundle out of her lap, and could not be recovered, but
ran away with it, which vexes me cruelly, but it cannot be helped. So to
my office, and there till almost 12 at night with Mr. Lewes, learning to
understand the manner of a purser's account, which is very hard and little
understood by my fellow officers, and yet mighty necessary. So at last
with great content broke up and home to supper and bed.
29th. Lay chiding, and then pleased with my wife in bed, and did consent
to her having a new waistcoate made her for that which she lost yesterday.
So to the office, and sat all the morning. At noon dined with Mr.
Coventry at Sir J. Minnes his lodgings, the first time that ever I did
yet, and am sorry for doing it now, because of obliging me to do the like
to him again. Here dined old Captn. Marsh of the Tower with us. So to
visit Sir W. Pen, and then to the office, and there late upon business by
myself, my wife being sick to-day. So home and to supper and to bed.
30th. A solemn fast for the King's murther, and we were forced to keep it
more than we would have done, having forgot to take any victuals into the
house. I to church in the forenoon, and Mr. Mills made a good sermon upon
David's heart smiting him for cutting off the garment of Saul.
[Samuel, chap. xxiv. v. 5, "And it came to pass afterward, that
David's heart smote him, because he bad cut off Saul's skirt."]
Home, and whiled away some of the afternoon at home talking with my wife.
So to my office, and all alone making up my month's accounts, which to my
great trouble I find that I am got no further than L640. But I have had
great expenses this month. I pray God the next may be a little better, as
I hope it will. In the evening my manuscript is brought home handsomely
bound, to my full content; and now I think I have a better collection in
reference to the Navy, and shall have by the time I have filled it, than
any of my predecessors. So home and eat something such as we have, bread
and butter and milk, and so to bed.
31st. Up and to my office, and there we sat till noon. I home to dinner,
and there found my plate of the Soverayne with the table to it come from
Mr. Christopher Pett, of which I am very glad. So to dinner late, and not
very good, only a rabbit not half roasted, which made me angry with my
wife. So to the office, and there till late, busy all the while. In the
evening examining my wife's letter intended to my Lady, and another to
Mademoiselle; they were so false spelt that I was ashamed of them, and
took occasion to fall out about them with my wife, and so she wrote none,
at which, however, I was, sorry, because it was in answer to a letter of
Madam about business. Late home to supper and to bed.
DIARY OF SAMUEL PEPYS.
FEBRUARY
1662-1663
February 1st (Lord's day). Up and to church, where Mr. Mills, a good
sermon, and so home and had a good dinner with my wife, with which I was
pleased to see it neatly done, and this troubled me to think of parting
with Jane, that is come to be a very good cook. After dinner walked to my
Lord Sandwich, and staid with him in the chamber talking almost all the
afternoon, he being not yet got abroad since his sickness. Many
discourses we had; but, among others, how Sir R. Bernard is turned out of
his Recordership of Huntingdon by the Commissioners for Regulation, &c.,
at which I am troubled, because he, thinking it is done by my Lord
Sandwich, will act some of his revenge, it is likely, upon me in my
business, so that I must cast about me to get some other counsel to rely
upon. In the evening came Mr. Povey and others to see my Lord, and they
gone, my Lord and I and Povey fell to the business of Tangier, as to the
victualling, and so broke up, and I, it being a fine frost, my boy
lighting me I walked home, and after supper up to prayers, and then alone
with my wife and Jane did fall to tell her what I did expect would become
of her since, after so long being my servant, she had carried herself so
as to make us be willing to put her away, and desired God to bless [her],
but bid her never to let me hear what became of her, for that I could
never pardon ingratitude. So I to bed, my mind much troubled for the poor
girl that she leaves us, and yet she not submitting herself, for some
words she spoke boldly and yet I believe innocently and out of familiarity
to her mistress about us weeks ago, I could not recall my words that she
should stay with me. This day Creed and I walking in White Hall garden
did see the King coming privately from my Lady Castlemaine's; which is a
poor thing for a Prince to do; and I expressed my sense of it to Creed in
terms which I should not have done, but that I believe he is trusty in
that point.
2nd. Up, and after paying Jane her wages, I went away, because I could
hardly forbear weeping, and she cried, saying it was not her fault that
she went away, and indeed it is hard to say what it is, but only her not
desiring to stay that she do now go. By coach with Sir J. Minnes and Sir
W. Batten to the Duke; and after discourse as usual with him in his
closett, I went to my Lord's: the King and Duke being gone to chappell, it
being collar-day, it being Candlemas-day; where I staid with him a while
until towards noon, there being Jonas Moore talking about some
mathematical businesses, and thence I walked at noon to Mr. Povey's, where
Mr. Gawden met me, and after a neat and plenteous dinner as is usual, we
fell to our victualling business, till Mr. Gawden and I did almost fall
out, he defending himself in the readiness of his provision, when I know
that the ships everywhere stay for them. Thence Mr. Povey and I walked to
White Hall, it being a great frost still, and after a turn in the Park
seeing them slide, we met at the Committee for Tangier, a good full
Committee, and agreed how to proceed in the dispatching of my Lord
Rutherford, and treating about this business of Mr. Cholmely and Sir J.
Lawson's proposal for the Mole. Thence with Mr. Coventry down to his
chamber, where among other discourse he did tell me how he did make it not
only his desire, but as his greatest pleasure, to make himself an interest
by doing business truly and justly, though he thwarts others greater than
himself, not striving to make himself friends by addresses; and by this he
thinks and observes he do live as contentedly (now he finds himself
secured from fear of want), and, take one time with another, as void of
fear or cares, or more, than they that (as his own termes were) have
quicker pleasures and sharper agonies than he. Thence walking with Mr.
Creed homewards we turned into a house and drank a cup of Cock ale and so
parted, and I to the Temple, where at my cozen Roger's chamber I met Madam
Turner, and after a little stay led her home and there left her, she and
her daughter having been at the play to-day at the Temple, it being a
revelling time with them.
[The revels were held in the Inner Temple Hall. The last revel in
any of the Inns of Court was held in the Inner Temple in 1733.]
Thence called at my brother's, who is at church, at the buriall of young
Cumberland, a lusty young man. So home and there found Jane gone, for
which my wife and I are very much troubled, and myself could hardly
forbear shedding tears for fear the poor wench should come to any ill
condition after her being so long with me. So to my office and setting
papers to rights, and then home to supper and to bed. This day at my
Lord's I sent for Mr. Ashwell, and his wife came to me, and by discourse I
perceive their daughter is very fit for my turn if my family may be as
much for hers, but I doubt it will be to her loss to come to me for so
small wages, but that will be considered of.
3rd. To the office all the morning, at noon to dinner, where Mr. Creed
dined with me, and Mr. Ashwell, with whom after dinner I discoursed
concerning his daughter coming to live with us. I find that his daughter
will be very fit, I think, as any for our turn, but the conditions I know
not what they will be, he leaving it wholly to her, which will be agreed
on a while hence when my wife sees her. After an hour's discourse after
dinner with them, I to my office again, and there about business of the
office till late, and then home to supper and to bed.
4th. Up early and to Mr. Moore, and thence to Mr. Lovell about my law
business, and from him to Paul's School, it being Apposition-day there. I
heard some of their speeches, and they were just as schoolboys' used to
be, of the seven liberal sciences; but I think not so good as ours were in
our time. Away thence and to Bow Church, to the Court of Arches, where a
judge sits, and his proctors about him in their habits, and their
pleadings all in Latin. Here I was sworn to give a true answer to my
uncle's libells, and so paid my fee for swearing, and back again to Paul's
School, and went up to see the head forms posed in Latin, Greek, and
Hebrew, but I think they did not answer in any so well as we did, only in
geography they did pretty well: Dr. Wilkins and Outram were examiners. So
down to the school, where Dr. Crumlum did me much honour by telling many
what a present I had made to the school, shewing my Stephanus, in four
volumes, cost me L4 10s. He also shewed us, upon my desire, an old
edition of the grammar of Colett's, where his epistle to the children is
very pretty; and in rehearsing the creed it is said "borne of the cleane
Virgin Mary." Thence with Mr. Elborough (he being all of my old
acquaintance that I could meet with here) to a cook's shop to dinner, but
I found him a fool, as he ever was, or worse. Thence to my cozen Roger
Pepys and Mr. Phillips about my law businesses, which stand very bad, and
so home to the office, where after doing some business I went home, where
I found our new mayde Mary, that is come in Jane's place.
5th. Up and to the office, where we sat all the morning, and then home to
dinner, and found it so well done, above what I did expect from my mayde
Susan, now Jane is gone, that I did call her in and give her sixpence.
Thence walked to the Temple, and there at my cozen Roger Pepys's chamber
met by appointment with my uncle Thomas and his son Thomas, and there I
shewing them a true state of my uncle's estate as he has left it with the
debts, &c., lying upon it, we did come to some quiett talk and fair offers
against an agreement on both sides, though I do offer quite to the losing
of the profit of the whole estate for 8 or 10 years together, yet if we
can gain peace, and set my mind at a little liberty, I shall be glad of
it. I did give them a copy of this state, and we are to meet tomorrow
with their answer. So walked home, it being a very great frost still, and
to my office, there late writing letters of office business, and so home
to supper and to bed.
6th. Up and to my office about business, examining people what they could
swear against Field, and the whole is, that he has called us cheating
rogues and cheating knaves, for which we hope to be even with him. Thence
to Lincoln's Inn Fields; and it being too soon to go to dinner, I walked
up and down, and looked upon the outside of the new theatre, now
a-building in Covent Garden, which will be very fine. And so to a
bookseller's in the Strand, and there bought Hudibras again, it being
certainly some ill humour to be so against that which all the world cries
up to be the example of wit; for which I am resolved once again to read
him, and see whether I can find it or no. So to Mr. Povy's, and there
found them at dinner, and dined there, there being, among others, Mr.
Williamson, Latin Secretary, who, I perceive, is a pretty knowing man and
a scholler, but, it may be, thinks himself to be too much so. Thence,
after dinner, to the Temple, to my cozen Roger Pepys, where met us my
uncle Thomas and his son; and, after many high demands, we at last came to
a kind of agreement upon very hard terms, which are to be prepared in
writing against Tuesday next. But by the way promising them to pay my
cozen Mary's' legacys at the time of her marriage, they afterwards told me
that she was already married, and married very well, so that I must be
forced to pay it in some time. My cozen Roger was so sensible of our
coming to agreement that he could not forbear weeping, and, indeed, though
it is very hard, yet I am glad to my heart that we are like to end our
trouble. So we parted for to-night, and I to my Lord Sandwich and there
staid, there being a Committee to sit upon the contract for the Mole,
which I dare say none of us that were there understood, but yet they
agreed of things as Mr. Cholmely and Sir J. Lawson demanded, who are the
undertakers, and so I left them to go on to agree, for I understood it
not. So home, and being called by a coachman who had a fare in him, he
carried me beyond the Old Exchange, and there set down his fare, who would
not pay him what was his due, because he carried a stranger with him, and
so after wrangling he was fain to be content with 6d., and being vexed the
coachman would not carry me home a great while, but set me down there for
the other 6d., but with fair words he was willing to it, and so I came
home and to my office, setting business in order, and so to supper and to
bed, my mind being in disorder as to the greatness of this day's business
that I have done, but yet glad that my trouble therein is like to be over.
7th. Up and to my office, whither by agreement Mr. Coventry came before
the time of sitting to confer about preparing an account of the
extraordinary charge of the Navy since the King's coming, more than is
properly to be applied and called the Navy charge. So by and by we sat,
and so till noon. Then home to dinner, and in the afternoon some of us
met again upon something relating to the victualling, and thence to my
writing of letters late, and making my Alphabet to my new Navy book very
pretty. And so after writing to my father by the post about the endeavour
to come to a composition with my uncle, though a very bad one, desiring
him to be contented therewith, I went home to supper and to bed.
8th (Lord's day). Up, and it being a very great frost, I walked to White
Hall, and to my Lord Sandwich's by the fireside till chapel time, and so
to chappell, where there preached little Dr. Duport, of Cambridge, upon
Josiah's words,--"But I and my house, we will serve the Lord." But though
a great scholler, he made the most flat dead sermon, both for matter and
manner of delivery, that ever I heard, and very long beyond his hour,
which made it worse. Thence with Mr. Creed to the King's Head ordinary,
where we dined well, and after dinner Sir Thomas Willis and another
stranger, and Creed and I, fell a-talking; they of the errours and
corruption of the Navy, and great expence thereof, not knowing who I was,
which at last I did undertake to confute, and disabuse them: and they took
it very well, and I hope it was to good purpose, they being
Parliament-men. By and by to my Lord's, and with him a good while talking
upon his want of money, and ways of his borrowing some, &c., and then by
other visitants, I withdrew and away, Creed and I and Captn. Ferrers to
the Park, and there walked finely, seeing people slide, we talking all the
while; and Captn. Ferrers telling me, among other Court passages, how
about a month ago, at a ball at Court, a child was dropped by one of the
ladies in dancing, but nobody knew who, it being taken up by somebody in
their handkercher. The next morning all the Ladies of Honour appeared
early at Court for their vindication, so that nobody could tell whose this
mischance should be. But it seems Mrs. Wells
[Winifred Wells, maid of honour to the Queen, who figures in the
"Grammont Memoirs." The king is supposed to have been father of the
child. A similar adventure is told of Mary Kirke (afterwards
married to Sir Thomas Vernon), who figures in the "Grammont Memoirs"
as Miss Warmestre.]
fell sick that afternoon, and hath disappeared ever since, so that it is
concluded that it was her. Another story was how my Lady Castlemaine, a
few days since, had Mrs. Stuart to an entertainment, and at night began a
frolique that they two must be married, and married they were, with ring
and all other ceremonies of church service, and ribbands and a sack posset
in bed, and flinging the stocking; but in the close, it is said that my
Lady Castlemaine, who was the bridegroom, rose, and the King came and took
her place with pretty Mrs. Stuart. This is said to be very true. Another
story was how Captain Ferrers and W. Howe both have often, through my Lady
Castlemaine's window, seen her go to bed and Sir Charles Barkeley in the
chamber all the while with her. But the other day Captn. Ferrers going to
Sir Charles to excuse his not being so timely at his arms the other day,
Sir Charles swearing and cursing told him before a great many other
gentlemen that he would not suffer any man of the King's Guards to be
absent from his lodging a night without leave. Not but that, says he,
once a week or so I know a gentleman must go . . ., and I am not for
denying it to any man, but however he shall be bound to ask leave to lie
abroad, and to give account of his absence, that we may know what guard
the King has to depend upon. The little Duke of Monmouth, it seems, is
ordered to take place of all Dukes, and so to follow Prince Rupert now,
before the Duke of Buckingham, or any else. Whether the wind and the cold
did cause it or no I know not, but having been this day or two mightily
troubled with an itching all over my body' which I took to be a louse or
two that might bite me, I found this afternoon that all my body is
inflamed, and my face in a sad redness and swelling and pimpled, so that I
was before we had done walking not only sick but ashamed of myself to see
myself so changed in my countenance, so that after we had thus talked we
parted and I walked home with much ado (Captn. Ferrers with me as far as
Ludgate Hill towards Mr. Moore at the Wardrobe), the ways being so full of
ice and water by peoples' trampling. At last got home and to bed
presently, and had a very bad night of it, in great pain in my stomach,
and in great fever.
9th. Could not rise and go to the Duke, as I should have done with the
rest, but keep my bed and by the Apothecary's advice, Mr. Battersby, I am
to sweat soundly, and that will carry all this matter away which nature
would of itself eject, but they will assist nature, it being some disorder
given the blood, but by what I know not, unless it be by my late quantitys
of Dantzic-girkins that I have eaten. In the evening came Sir J. Minnes
and Sir W. Batten to see me, and Sir J. Minnes advises me to the same
thing, but would not have me take anything from the apothecary, but from
him, his Venice treacle being better than the others, which I did consent
to and did anon take and fell into a great sweat, and about 10 or 11
o'clock came out of it and shifted myself, and slept pretty well alone, my
wife lying in the red chamber above.
10th. In the morning most of my disease, that is, itching and pimples,
were gone. In the morning visited by Mr. Coventry and others, and very
glad I am to see that I am so much inquired after and my sickness taken
notice of as I did. I keep my bed all day and sweat again at night, by
which I expect to be very well to-morrow. This evening Sir W. Warren came
himself to the door and left a letter and box for me, and went his way.
His letter mentions his giving me and my wife a pair of gloves; but,
opening the box, we found a pair of plain white gloves for my hand, and a
fair state dish of silver, and cup, with my arms, ready cut upon them,
worth, I believe, about L18, which is a very noble present, and the best I
ever had yet. So after some contentful talk with my wife, she to bed and
I to rest.
11th. Took a clyster in the morning and rose in the afternoon. My wife
and I dined on a pullet and I eat heartily, having eat nothing since
Sunday but water gruel and posset drink, but must needs say that our new
maid Mary has played her part very well in her readiness and discretion in
attending me, of which I am very glad. In the afternoon several people
came to see me, my uncle Thomas, Mr. Creed, Sir J. Minnes (who has been,
God knows to what end, mighty kind to me and careful of me in my
sickness). At night my wife read Sir H. Vane's tryall to me, which she
began last night, and I find it a very excellent thing, worth reading, and
him to have been a very wise man. So to supper and to bed.
12th. Up and find myself pretty well, and so to the office, and there all
the morning. Rose at noon and home to dinner in my green chamber, having
a good fire. Thither there came my wife's brother and brought Mary
Ashwell with him, whom we find a very likely person to please us, both for
person, discourse, and other qualitys. She dined with us, and after
dinner went away again, being agreed to come to us about three weeks or a
month hence. My wife and I well pleased with our choice, only I pray God
I may be able to maintain it. Then came an old man from Mr. Povy, to give
me some advice about his experience in the stone, which I [am] beholden to
him for, and was well pleased with it, his chief remedy being Castle soap
in a posset. Then in the evening to the office, late writing letters and
my Journall since Saturday, and so home to supper and to bed.
13th. Lay very long with my wife in bed talking with great pleasure, and
then rose. This morning Mr. Cole, our timber merchant, sent me five
couple of ducks. Our maid Susan is very ill, and so the whole trouble of
the house lies upon our maid Mary, who do it very contentedly and mighty
well, but I am sorry she is forced to it. Dined upon one couple of ducks
to-day, and after dinner my wife and I by coach to Tom's, and I to the
Temple to discourse with my cozen Roger Pepys about my law business, and
so back again, it being a monstrous thaw after the long great frost, so
that there is no passing but by coach in the streets, and hardly that.
Took my wife home, and I to my office. Find myself pretty well but
fearful of cold, and so to my office, where late upon business; Mr. Bland
sitting with me, talking of my Lord Windsor's being come home from
Jamaica, unlooked-for; which makes us think that these young Lords are not
fit to do any service abroad, though it is said that he could not have his
health there, but hath razed a fort of the King of Spain upon Cuba, which
is considerable, or said to be so, for his honour. So home to supper and
to bed. This day I bought the second part of Dr. Bates's Elenchus, which
reaches to the fall of Richard, and no further, for which I am sorry.
This evening my wife had a great mind to choose Valentines against
to-morrow, I Mrs. Clerke, or Pierce, she Mr. Hunt or Captain Ferrers, but
I would not because of getting charge both to me for mine and to them for
her, which did not please her.