Book: Diary of Samuel Pepys, May 1660
S >>
Samuel Pepys >> Diary of Samuel Pepys, May 1660
[Timothy Clarke, M. D., one of the original Fellows of the Royal
Society. He was appointed one of the physicians in ordinary to
Charles II. on the death of Dr. Quartermaine in 1667.]
whom I found to be a very pretty man and very knowing. He is now going in
this ship to the King. There dined here my Lord Crafford and my Lord
Cavendish, and other Scotchmen whom I afterwards ordered to be received on
board the Plymouth, and to go along with us. After dinner we set sail
from the Downs, I leaving my boy to go to Deal for my linen. In the
afternoon overtook us three or four gentlemen; two of the Berties, and one
Mr. Dormerhoy, a Scotch gentleman, whom I afterwards found to be a very
fine man, who, telling my Lord that they heard the Commissioners were come
out of London to-day, my Lord dropt anchor over against Dover Castle
(which give us about thirty guns in passing), and upon a high debate with
the Vice and Rear Admiral whether it were safe to go and not stay for the
Commissioners, he did resolve to send Sir R. Stayner to Dover, to enquire
of my Lord Winchelsea, whether or no they are come out of London, and then
to resolve to-morrow morning of going or not; which was done. It blew
very hard all this night that I was afeard of my boy. About 11 at night
came the boats from Deal, with great store of provisions, by the same
token John Goods told me that above 20 of the fowls are smothered, but my
boy was put on board the Northwich. To bed.
12th. This morning I inquired for my boy, whether he was come well or no,
and it was told me that he was well in bed. My Lord called me to his
chamber, he being in bed, and gave me many orders to make for direction
for the ships that are left in the Downs, giving them the greatest charge
in the world to bring no passengers with them, when they come after us to
Scheveling Bay, excepting Mr. Edward Montagu, Mr. Thomas Crew, and Sir H.
Wright. Sir R. Stayner hath been here early in the morning and told my
Lord, that my Lord Winchelsea understands by letters, that the
Commissioners are only to come to Dover to attend the coming over of the
King. So my Lord did give order for weighing anchor, which we did, and
sailed all day. In our way in the morning, coming in the midway between
Dover and Calais, we could see both places very easily, and very pleasant
it was to me that the further we went the more we lost sight of both
lands. In the afternoon at cards with Mr. North and the
Doctor.--[Clarke]--There by us, in the Lark frigate, Sir R. Freeman and
some others, going from the King to England, come to see my Lord and so
onward on their voyage. In the afternoon upon the quarterdeck the Doctor
told Mr. North and me an admirable story called "The Fruitless
Precaution," an exceeding pretty story and worthy my getting without book
when I can get the book.[??] This evening came Mr. Sheply on board, whom
we had left at Deal and Dover getting of provision and borrowing of money.
In the evening late, after discoursing with the Doctor, &c., to bed.
13th (Lord's day). Trimmed in the morning, after that to the cook's room
with Mr. Sheply, the first time that I was there this voyage. Then to the
quarter-deck, upon which the tailors and painters were at work, cutting
out some pieces of yellow cloth into the fashion of a crown and C. R. and
put it upon a fine sheet, and that into the flag instead of the State's
arms, which after dinner was finished and set up after it had been shewn
to my Lord, who took physic to-day and was in his chamber, and liked it so
well as to bid me give the tailors 20s. among them for doing of it. This
morn Sir J. Boys and Capt. Isham met us in the Nonsuch, the first of whom,
after a word or two with my Lord, went forward, the other staid. I heard
by them how Mr. Downing had never made any address to the King, and for
that was hated exceedingly by the Court, and that he was in a Dutch ship
which sailed by us, then going to England with disgrace. Also how Mr.
Morland was knighted by the King this week, and that the King did give the
reason of it openly, that it was for his giving him intelligence all the
time he was clerk to Secretary Thurloe. In the afternoon a council of
war, only to acquaint them that the Harp must be taken out of all their
flags,
[In May, 1658, the old Union Jack (being the crosses of St. George
and St. Andrew combined) was revived, with the Irish harp over the
centre of the flag. This harp was taken off at the Restoration.
(See "The National Flags of the Commonwealth," by H. W. Henfrey,"
Journ. Brit. Arch. Assoc.," vol. xxxi, p. 54.) The sign of the
"Commonwealth Arms" was an uncommon one, but a token of one exists--
"Francis Wood at ye Commonwealth arms in Mary Maudlens" [St. Mary
Magdalen, Old Fish Street].]
it being very offensive to the King. Mr. Cook, who came after us in the
Yarmouth, bringing me a letter from my wife and a Latin letter from my
brother John, with both of which I was exceedingly pleased. No sermon all
day, we being under sail, only at night prayers, wherein Mr. Ibbott prayed
for all that were related to us in a spiritual and fleshly way. We came
within sight of Middle's shore. Late at night we writ letters to the King
of the news of our coming, and Mr. Edward Picketing carried them. Capt.
Isham went on shore, nobody showing of him any respect; so the old man
very fairly took leave of my Lord, and my Lord very coldly bid him "God be
with you," which was very strange, but that I hear that he keeps a great
deal of prating and talking on shore, on board, at the King's Courts, what
command he had with my Lord, &c. After letters were gone then to bed.
14th. In the morning when I woke and rose, I saw myself out of the
scuttle close by the shore, which afterwards I was told to be the Dutch
shore; the Hague was clearly to be seen by us. My Lord went up in his
nightgown into the cuddy,
["A sort of cabin or cook-room, generally in the fore-part, but
sometimes near the stern of lighters and barges of burden."--Smyth's
Sailor's Word-Book.]
to see how to dispose thereof for himself and us that belong to him, to
give order for our removal to-day. Some nasty Dutchmen came on board to
proffer their boats to carry things from us on shore, &c., to get money by
us. Before noon some gentlemen came on board from the shore to kiss my
Lord's hands. And by and by Mr. North and Dr. Clerke went to kiss the
Queen of Bohemia's' hands, from my Lord, with twelve attendants from on
board to wait on them, among which I sent my boy, who, like myself, is
with child to see any strange thing. After noon they came back again
after having kissed the Queen of Bohemia's hand, and were sent again by my
Lord to do the same to the Prince of Orange.
[Son of the Prince of Orange and Mary, eldest daughter of Charles I.
--afterwards William III. He was then in his tenth year, having
been born in 1650.]
So I got the Captain to ask leave for me to go, which my Lord did give,
and I taking my boy and judge Advocate with me, went in company with them.
The weather bad; we were sadly washed when we came near the shore, it
being very hard to land there. The shore is, as all the country between
that and the Hague, all sand. The rest of the company got a coach by
themselves; Mr. Creed and I went in the fore part of a coach wherein were
two very pretty ladies, very fashionable and with black patches, who very
merrily sang all the way and that very well, and were very free to kiss
the two blades that were with them. I took out my flageolette and piped,
but in piping I dropped my rapier-stick, but when I came to the Hague, I
sent my boy back again for it and he found it, for which I did give him
6d., but some horses had gone over it and broke the scabbard. The Hague
is a most neat place in all respects. The houses so neat in all places
and things as is possible. Here we walked up and down a great while, the
town being now very full of Englishmen, for that the Londoners were come
on shore today. But going to see the Prince,--[Prince of Orange,
afterwards William III.]--he was gone forth with his governor, and so we
walked up and down the town and court to see the place; and by the help of
a stranger, an Englishman, we saw a great many places, and were made to
understand many things, as the intention of may-poles, which we saw there
standing at every great man's door, of different greatness according to
the quality of the person. About 10 at night the Prince comes home, and
we found an easy admission. His attendance very inconsiderable as for a
prince; but yet handsome, and his tutor a fine man, and himself a very
pretty boy. It was bright moonshine to-night. This done we went to a
place we had taken to sup in, where a sallet and two or three bones of
mutton were provided for a matter of ten of us which was very strange.
After supper the Judge and I to another house, leaving them there, and he
and I lay in one press bed, there being two more in the same room, but all
very neat and handsome, my boy sleeping upon a bench by me.
15th. We lay till past three o'clock, then up and down the town, to see
it by daylight, where we saw the soldiers of the Prince's guard, all very
fine, and the burghers of the town with their arms and muskets as bright
as silver. And meeting this morning a schoolmaster that spoke good
English and French, he went along with us and shewed us the whole town,
and indeed I cannot speak enough of the gallantry of the town. Every body
of fashion speaks French or Latin, or both. The women many of them very
pretty and in good habits, fashionable and black spots. He went with me
to buy a couple of baskets, one of them for Mrs. Pierce, the other for my
wife. After he was gone, we having first drank with him at our lodging,
the judge and I to the Grande Salle where we were shewed the place where
the States General sit in council. The hall is a great place, where the
flags that they take from their enemies are all hung up; and things to be
sold, as in Westminster Hall, and not much unlike it, but that not so big,
but much neater. After that to a bookseller's and bought for the love of
the binding three books: the French Psalms in four parts, Bacon's Organon,
and Farnab. Rhetor.
["Index Rhetoricus" of Thomas Farnaby was a book which went through
several editions. The first was published at London by R. Allot in
1633.]
After that the judge, I and my boy by coach to Scheveling again, where we
went into a house of entertainment and drank there, the wind being very
high, and we saw two boats overset and the gallants forced to be pulled on
shore by the heels, while their trunks, portmanteaus, hats, and feathers,
were swimming in the sea. Among others I saw the ministers that come
along with the Commissioners (Mr. Case among the rest) sadly dipped.
[Thomas Case, born 1598, was a famous preacher and a zealous
advocate for the Solemn League and Covenant, a member of the
assembly of divines, and rector of St. Giles's-in-the-Fields. He
was one of the deputation to Charles II. at Breda, and appointed a
royal chaplain. He was ejected by the Act of Uniformity, but
remained in London after his ejection. Died May 30th, 1682.]
So they came in where we were, and I being in haste left my Copenhagen
knife, and so lost it. Having staid here a great while a gentleman that
was going to kiss my Lord's hand, from the Queen of Bohemia, and I hired a
Dutch boat for four rixdollars to carry us on board. We were fain to wait
a great while before we could get off from the shore, the sea being very
rough. The Dutchman would fain have made all pay that came into our boat
besides us two and our company, there being many of our ship's company got
in who were on shore, but some of them had no money, having spent all on
shore. Coming on board we found all the Commissioners of the House of
Lords at dinner with my Lord, who after dinner went away for shore. Mr.
Morland, now Sir Samuel, was here on board, but I do not find that my Lord
or any body did give him any respect, he being looked upon by him and all
men as a knave. Among others he betrayed Sir Rich. Willis
[This is somewhat different to the usual account of Morland's
connection with Sir Richard Willis. In the beginning of 1659
Cromwell, Thurloe, and Willis formed a plot to inveigle Charles II.
into England and into the hands of his enemies. The plot was
discussed in Thurloe's office, and Morland, who pretended to be
asleep, heard it and discovered it. Willis sent for Morland, and
received him in a cellar. He said that one of them must have
discovered the plot. He laid his hand upon the Bible and swore that
he had not been the discoverer, calling upon Morland to do the same.
Morland, with presence of mind, said he was ready to do so if Willis
would give him a reason why he should suspect him. By this ready
answer he is said to have escaped the ordeal (see Birch's "Life of
Thurloe").]
that married Dr. F. Jones's daughter, that he had paid him L1000 at one
time by the Protector's and Secretary Thurloe's order, for intelligence
that he sent concerning the King. In the afternoon my Lord called me on
purpose to show me his fine cloathes which are now come hither, and indeed
are very rich as gold and silver can make them, only his sword he and I do
not like. In the afternoon my Lord and I walked together in the coach two
hours, talking together upon all sorts of discourse: as religion, wherein
he is, I perceive, wholly sceptical, as well as I, saying, that indeed the
Protestants as to the Church of Rome are wholly fanatiques: he likes
uniformity and form of prayer; about State-business, among other things he
told me that his conversion to the King's cause (for so I was saying that
I wondered from what time the King could look upon him to become his
friend), commenced from his being in the Sound, when he found what usage
he was likely to have from a Commonwealth. My Lord, the Captain, and I
supped in my Lord's chamber, where I did perceive that he did begin to
show me much more respect than ever he did yet. After supper, my Lord
sent for me, intending to have me play at cards with him, but I not
knowing cribbage, we fell into discourse of many things, till it was so
rough sea and the ship rolled so much that I was not able to stand, and so
he bid me go to bed.
16th. Soon as I was up I went down to be trimmed below in the great
cabin, but then come in some with visits, among the rest one from Admiral
Opdam,
[The admiral celebrated in Lord Dorset's ballad, "To all you ladies
now at land."
"Should foggy Opdam chance to know
Our sad and dismal story;
The Dutch would scorn so weak a foe,
And quit their fort at Goree
For what resistance can they find
From men who've left their hearts behind?"--B.]
who spoke Latin well, but not French nor English, to whom my Lord made me
to give his answer and to entertain; he brought my Lord a tierce of wine
and a barrel of butter, as a present from the Admiral. After that to
finish my trimming, and while I was doing of it in comes Mr. North very
sea-sick from shore, and to bed he goes. After that to dinner, where
Commissioner Pett was come to take care to get all things ready for the
King on board. My Lord in his best suit, this the first day, in
expectation to wait upon the King. But Mr. Edw. Pickering coming from the
King brought word that the King would not put my Lord to the trouble of
coming to him; but that he would come to the shore to look upon the fleet
to-day, which we expected, and had our guns ready to fire, and our scarlet
waistcloathes out and silk pendants, but he did not come. My Lord and we
at ninepins this afternoon upon the Quarterdeck, which was very pretty
sport. This evening came Mr. John Pickering on board, like an ass, with
his feathers and new suit that he had made at the Hague. My Lord very
angry for his staying on shore, bidding me a little before to send to him,
telling me that he was afraid that for his father's sake he might have
some mischief done him, unless he used the General's name. To supper, and
after supper to cards. I stood by and looked on till 11 at night and so
to bed. This afternoon Mr. Edwd. Pickering told me in what a sad, poor
condition for clothes and money the King was, and all his attendants, when
he came to him first from my Lord, their clothes not being worth forty
shillings the best of them.
[Andrew Marvell alludes to the poor condition, for clothes and
money, in which the King was at this time, in "A Historical Poem":--
"At length, by wonderful impulse of fate,
The people call him back to help the State;
And what is more, they send him money, too,
And clothe him all from head to foot anew."]
And how overjoyed the King was when Sir J. Greenville brought him some
money; so joyful, that he called the Princess Royal and Duke of York to
look upon it as it lay in the portmanteau before it was taken out. My
Lord told me, too, that the Duke of York is made High Admiral of England.
17th. Up early to write down my last two days' observations. Dr. Clerke
came to me to tell me that he heard this morning, by some Dutch that are
come on board already to see the ship, that there was a Portuguese taken
yesterday at the Hague, that had a design to kill the King. But this I
heard afterwards was only the mistake upon one being observed to walk with
his sword naked, he having lost his scabbard. Before dinner Mr. Edw.
Pickering and I, W. Howe, Pim, and my boy,--[Edward Montagu, afterwards
Lord Hinchinbroke.]--to Scheveling, where we took coach, and so to the
Hague, where walking, intending to find one that might show us the King
incognito, I met with Captain Whittington (that had formerly brought a
letter to my Lord from the Mayor of London) and he did promise me to do
it, but first we went and dined at a French house, but paid 16s. for our
part of the club. At dinner in came Dr. Cade, a merry mad parson of the
King's. And they two after dinner got the child and me (the others not
being able to crowd in) to see the King, who kissed the child very
affectionately. Then we kissed his, and the Duke of York's, and the
Princess Royal's hands. The King seems to be a very sober man; and a very
splendid Court he hath in the number of persons of quality that are about
him, English very rich in habit. From the King to the Lord Chancellor,
[On January 29th, 1658, Charles II. entrusted the Great Seal to Sir
Edward Hyde, with the title of Lord Chancellor, and in that
character Sir Edward accompanied the King to England.]
who did lie bed-rid of the gout: he spoke very merrily to the child and
me. After that, going to see the Queen of Bohemia, I met with Dr. Fullers
whom I sent to a tavern with Mr. Edw. Pickering, while I and the rest went
to see the Queen,--[Henrietta Maria.]--who used us very respectfully; her
hand we all kissed. She seems a very debonaire, but plain lady. After
that to the Dr.'s, where we drank a while or so. In a coach of a friend's
of Dr. Cade we went to see a house of the Princess Dowager's in a park
about half-a-mile or a mile from the Hague, where there is one, the most
beautiful room for pictures in the whole world. She had here one picture
upon the top, with these words, dedicating it to the memory of her
husband:--"Incomparabili marito, inconsolabilis vidua."
[Mary, Princess Royal, eldest daughter of Charles I., and widow of
William of Nassau, Prince of Orange. She was not supposed to be
inconsolable, and scandal followed her at the court of Charles II.,
where she died of small-pox, December 24th, 1660.]
Here I met with Mr. Woodcock of Cambridge, Mr. Hardy and another, and Mr.
Woodcock beginning we had two or three fine songs, he and I, and W. Howe
to the Echo, which was very pleasant, and the more because in a heaven of
pleasure and in a strange country, that I never was taken up more with a
sense of pleasure in my life. After that we parted and back to the Hague
and took a tour or two about the Forehault,--[The Voorhout is the
principal street of the Hague, and it is lined with handsome
trees.]--where the ladies in the evening do as our ladies do in Hide Park.
But for my life I could not find one handsome, but their coaches very rich
and themselves so too. From thence, taking leave of the Doctor, we took
wagon to Scheveling, where we had a fray with the Boatswain of the
Richmond, who would not freely carry us on board, but at last he was
willing to it, but then it was so late we durst not go. So we returned
between 10 and 11 at night in the dark with a wagon with one horse to the
Hague, where being come we went to bed as well as we could be
accommodated, and so to sleep.
18th. Very early up, and, hearing that the Duke of York, our Lord High
Admiral, would go on board to-day, Mr. Pickering and I took waggon for
Scheveling, leaving the child in Mr. Pierces hands, with directions to
keep him within doors all day till he heard from me. But the wind being
very high that no boats could get off from shore, we returned to the Hague
(having breakfasted with a gentleman of the Duke's, and Commissioner Pett,
sent on purpose to give notice to my Lord of his coming), where I hear
that the child is gone to Delfe to see the town. So we all and Mr. Ibbott,
the Minister, took a schuit--[The trekschuit (drag-boat) along the canal
is still described as an agreeable conveyance from Leyden to Delft.]--and
very much pleased with the manner and conversation of the passengers,
where most speak French; went after them, but met them by the way. But
however we went forward making no stop. Where when we were come we got a
smith's boy of the town to go along with us, but could speak nothing but
Dutch, and he showed us the church where Van Trump lies entombed with a
very fine monument. His epitaph concluded thus:--"Tandem Bello Anglico
tantum non victor, certe invictus, vivere et vincere desiit." There is a
sea-fight cut in marble, with the smoke, the best expressed that ever I
saw in my life. From thence to the great church, that stands in a fine
great market-place, over against the Stadt-house, and there I saw a
stately tomb of the old Prince of Orange, of marble and brass; wherein
among other rarities there are the angels with their trumpets expressed as
it were crying. Here were very fine organs in both the churches. It is a
most sweet town, with bridges, and a river in every street. Observing
that in every house of entertainment there hangs in every room a
poor-man's box, and desiring to know the reason thereof, it was told me
that it is their custom to confirm all bargains by putting something into
the poor people's box, and that binds as fast as any thing. We also saw
the Guesthouse, where it was very pleasant to see what neat preparation
there is for the poor. We saw one poor man a-dying there. After we had
seen all, we light by chance of an English house to drink in, where we
were very merry, discoursing of the town and the thing that hangs up in
the Stadthouse like a bushel, which I was told is a sort of punishment for
some sort of offenders to carry through the streets of the town over his
head, which is a great weight. Back by water, where a pretty sober Dutch
lass sat reading all the way, and I could not fasten any discourse upon
her. At our landing we met with Commissioner Pett going down to the
water-side with Major Harly, who is going upon a dispatch into England.
They having a coach I left the Parson and my boy and went along with
Commissioner Pett, Mr. Ackworth and Mr. Dawes his friends, to the Princess
Dowager's house again. Thither also my Lord Fairfax and some other English
Lords did come to see it, and my pleasure was increased by seeing of it
again. Besides we went into the garden, wherein are gallant nuts better
than ever I saw, and a fine Echo under the house in a vault made on
purpose with pillars, where I played on my flageolette to great advantage.
Back to the Hague, where not finding Mr. Edward, I was much troubled, but
went with the Parson to supper to Commissioner Pett, where we sat late.
And among other mirth Mr. Ackworth vyed wives, each endeavouring to set
his own wife out to the best advantage, he having as they said an
extraordinary handsome wife. But Mr. Dawes could not be got to say
anything of his. After that to our lodging where W. Howe and I exceeding
troubled not to know what is become of our young gentleman. So to bed.
19th. Up early, hearing nothing of the child, and went to Scheveling,
where I found no getting on board, though the Duke of York sent every day
to see whether he could do it or no. Here I met with Mr. Pinkney and his
sons, and with them went back to the Hague, in our way lighting and going
to see a woman that makes pretty rock-work in shells, &c., which could I
have carried safe I would have bought some of. At the Hague we went to
buy some pictures, where I saw a sort of painting done upon woollen cloth,
drawn as if there was a curtain over it, which was very pleasant, but
dear. Another pretty piece of painting I saw, on which there was a great
wager laid by young Pinkney and me whether it was a principal or a copy.
But not knowing how to decide, it was broken off, and I got the old man to
lay out as much as my piece of gold come to, and so saved my money, which
had been 24s. lost, I fear. While we were here buying of pictures, we saw
Mr. Edward and his company land. Who told me that they had been at Leyden
all night, at which I was very angry with Mr. Pierce, and shall not be
friends I believe a good while. To our lodging to dinner. After that out
to buy some linen to wear against to-morrow, and so to the barber's.
After that by waggon to Lausdune, where the 365 children were born. We
saw the hill where they say the house stood and sunk wherein the children
were born. The basins wherein the male and female children were baptized
do stand over a large table that hangs upon a wall, with the whole story
of the thing in Dutch and Latin, beginning, "Margarita Herman Comitissa,"
&c. The thing was done about 200 years ago.