Book: Diary of Samuel Pepys, October/November/December 1660
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Samuel Pepys >> Diary of Samuel Pepys, October/November/December 1660
["A Proclamation to restrain the abuses of Hackney Coaches in the
Cities of London and Westminster and the Suburbs thereof." This is
printed in "Notes and Queries," First Series, vol. viii. p. 122.
"In April, 1663, the poor widows of hackney-coachmen petitioned for
some relief, as the parliament had reduced the number of coaches to
400; there were before, in and about London, more than 2,000."
--Rugge's Diurnal.]
8th. This morning Sir Wm. and the Treasurer and I went by barge with Sir
Wm. Doyley and Mr. Prin to Deptford, to pay off the Henrietta, and had a
good dinner. I went to Mr. Davys's and saw his house (where I was once
before a great while ago) and I found him a very pretty man. In the
afternoon Commissioner Pett and I went on board the yacht, which indeed is
one of the finest things that ever I saw for neatness and room in so small
a vessel. Mr. Pett is to make one to outdo this for the honour of his
country, which I fear he will scarce better. From thence with him as far
as Ratcliffe, where I left him going by water to London, and I (unwilling
to leave the rest of the officers) went back again to Deptford, and being
very much troubled with a sudden looseness, I went into a little alehouse
at the end of Ratcliffe, and did give a groat for a pot of ale, and there
I did . . . So went forward in my walk with some men that were going
that way a great pace, and in our way we met with many merry seamen that
had got their money paid them to-day. We sat very late doing the work
and waiting for the tide, it being moonshine we got to London before two
in the morning. So home, where I found my wife up, she shewed me her head
which was very well dressed to-day, she having been to see her father and
mother. So to bed.
9th. Lay long in bed this morning though an office day, because of our
going to bed late last night. Before I went to my office Mr. Creed came
to me about business, and also Mr. Carter, my old Cambridge friend, came
to give me a visit, and I did give them a morning draught in my study. So
to the office, and from thence to dinner with Mr. Wivell at the Hoop
Tavern, where we had Mr. Shepley, Talbot, Adams, Mr. Chaplin and Osborne,
and our dinner given us by Mr. Ady and another, Mr. Wine, the King's
fishmonger. Good sport with Mr. Talbot, who eats no sort of fish, and
there was nothing else till we sent for a neat's tongue. From thence to
Whitehall where I found my Lord, who had an organ set up to-day in his
dining-room, but it seems an ugly one in the form of Bridewell. Thence I
went to Sir Harry Wright's, where my Lord was busy at cards, and so I
staid below with Mrs. Carter and Evans (who did give me a lesson upon the
lute), till he came down, and having talked with him at the door about his
late business of money, I went to my father's and staid late talking with
my father about my sister Pall's coming to live with me if she would come
and be as a servant (which my wife did seem to be pretty willing to do
to-day), and he seems to take it very well, and intends to consider of it.
Home and to bed.
10th. Up early. Sir Wm. Batten and I to make up an account of the wages
of the officers and mariners at sea, ready to present to the Committee of
Parliament this afternoon. Afterwards came the Treasurer and Comptroller,
and sat all the morning with us till the business was done. So we broke
up, leaving the thing to be wrote over fair and carried to Trinity House
for Sir Wm. Batten's hand. When staying very long I found (as appointed)
the Treasurer and Comptroller at Whitehall, and so we went with a foul
copy to the Parliament house, where we met with Sir Thos. Clarges and Mr.
Spry, and after we had given them good satisfaction we parted. The
Comptroller and I to the coffee-house, where he shewed me the state of his
case; how the King did owe him about L6000. But I do not see great
likelihood for them to be paid, since they begin already in Parliament to
dispute the paying of the just sea-debts, which were already promised to
be paid, and will be the undoing of thousands if they be not paid. So to
Whitehall to look but could not find Mr. Fox, and then to Mr. Moore at Mr.
Crew's, but missed of him also. So to Paul's Churchyard, and there bought
Montelion, which this year do not prove so good as the last was; so after
reading it I burnt it. After reading of that and the comedy of the Rump,
which is also very silly, I went to bed. This night going home, Will and I
bought a goose.
11th (Lord's day). This morning I went to Sir W. Batten's about going to
Deptford to-morrow, and so eating some hog's pudding of my Lady's making,
of the hog that I saw a fattening the other day at her house, he and I
went to Church into our new gallery, the first time it was used, and it
not being yet quite finished, there came after us Sir W. Pen, Mr. Davis,
and his eldest son. There being no woman this day, we sat in the foremost
pew, and behind us our servants, and I hope it will not always be so, it
not being handsome for our servants to sit so equal with us. This day also
did Mr. Mills begin to read all the Common Prayer, which I was glad of.
Home to dinner, and then walked to Whitehall, it being very cold and foul
and rainy weather. I found my Lord at home, and after giving him an
account of some business, I returned and went to my father's where I found
my wife, and there we supped, and Dr. Thomas Pepys, who my wife told me
after I was come home, that he had told my brother Thomas that he loved my
wife so well that if she had a child he would never marry, but leave all
that he had to my child, and after supper we walked home, my little boy
carrying a link, and Will leading my wife. So home and to prayers and to
bed. I should have said that before I got to my Lord's this day I went to
Mr. Fox's at Whitehall, when I first saw his lady, formerly Mrs. Elizabeth
Whittle, whom I had formerly a great opinion of, and did make an anagram
or two upon her name when I was a boy. She proves a very fine lady, and
mother to fine children. To-day I agreed with Mr. Fox about my taking of
the; L4000 of him that the King had given my Lord.
12th. Lay long in bed to-day. Sir Wm. Batten went this morning to
Deptford to pay off the Wolf. Mr. Comptroller and I sat a while at the
office to do business, and thence I went with him to his house in Lime
Street, a fine house, and where I never was before, and from thence by
coach (setting down his sister at the new Exchange) to Westminster Hall,
where first I met with Jack Spicer and agreed with him to help me to tell
money this afternoon. Hence to De Cretz, where I saw my Lord's picture
finished, which do please me very well. So back to the Hall, where by
appointment I met the Comptroller, and with him and three or four
Parliament men I dined at Heaven, and after dinner called at Will's on
Jack Spicer, and took him to Mr. Fox's, who saved me the labour of telling
me the money by giving me; L3000 by consent (the other L1000 I am to have
on Thursday next), which I carried by coach to the Exchequer, and put it
up in a chest in Spicer's office. From thence walked to my father's,
where I found my wife, who had been with my father to-day, buying of a
tablecloth and a dozen of napkins of diaper the first that
ever I bought in my life. My father and I took occasion to go forth, and
went and drank at Mr. Standing's, and there discoursed seriously about my
sister's coming to live with me, which I have much mind for her good to
have, and yet I am much afeard of her ill-nature. Coming home again, he
and I, and my wife, my mother and Pall, went all together into the little
room, and there I told her plainly what my mind was, to have her come not
as a sister in any respect, but as a servant, which she promised me that
she would, and with many thanks did weep for joy, which did give me and my
wife some content and satisfaction. So by coach home and to bed. The
last night I should have mentioned how my wife and I were troubled all
night with the sound of drums in our ears, which in the morning we found
to be Mr. Davys's jack,
[The date of the origin of smoke jacks does not appear to be known,
but the first patent taken out for an improved smoke-jack by Peter
Clare is dated December 24th, 1770. The smoke jack consists of a
wind-wheel fixed in the chimney, which communicates motion by means
of an endless band to a pulley, whence the motion is transmitted to
the spit by gearing. In the valuable introduction to the volume of
"Abridgments of Specifications relating to Cooking, 1634-1866"
(Patent Office), mention is made of an Italian work by Bartolomeo
Scappi, published first at Rome in 1572, and afterwards reprinted at
Venice in 1622, which gives a complete account of the kitchens of
the time and the utensils used in them. In the plates several
roasting-jacks are represented, one worked by smoke or hot air and
one by a spring.]
but not knowing the cause of its going all night, I understand to-day that
they have had a great feast to-day.
13th. Early going to my Lord's I met with Mr. Moore, who was going to my
house, and indeed I found him to be a most careful, painful,--[Painful,
i.e. painstaking or laborious. Latimer speaks of the "painful
magistrates."]--and able man in business, and took him by water to the
Wardrobe, and shewed him all the house; and indeed there is a great deal
of room in it, but very ugly till my Lord hath bestowed great cost upon
it. So to the Exchequer, and there took Spicer and his fellow clerks to
the Dog tavern, and did give them a peck of oysters, and so home to
dinner, where I found my wife making of pies and tarts to try, her oven
with, which she has never yet done, but not knowing the nature of it, did
heat it too hot, and so a little overbake her things, but knows how to do
better another time. At home all the afternoon. At night made up my
accounts of my sea expenses in order to my clearing off my imprest bill of
L30 which I had in my hands at the beginning of my voyage; which I intend
to shew to my Lord to-morrow. To bed.
14th (Office day). But this day was the first that we do begin to sit in
the afternoon, and not in the forenoon, and therefore I went into
Cheapside to Mr. Beauchamp's, the goldsmith, to look out a piece of plate
to give Mr. Fox from my Lord, for his favour about the L4,000, and did
choose a gilt tankard. So to Paul's Churchyard and bought "Cornelianum.
dolium:"
["Cornelianum dolium" is a Latin comedy, by T. R., published at
London in 1638. Douce attributed it to Thomas Randolph (d. 1635).
The book has a frontispiece representing the sweating tub which,
from the name of the patient, was styled Cornelius's tub. There is
a description of the play in the "European Magazine," vol. xxxvii.
(1805), p. 343]
So home to dinner, and after that to the office till late at night, and so
Sir W. Pen, the Comptroller, and I to the Dolphin, where we found Sir W.
Batten, who is seldom a night from hence, and there we did drink a great
quantity of sack and did tell many merry stories, and in good humours we
were all. So home and to bed.
15th. To Westminster, and it being very cold upon the water I went all
alone to the Sun and drank a draft of mulled white wine, and so to Mr. de
Cretz, whither I sent for J. Spicer (to appoint him to expect me this
afternoon at the office, with the other L1000 from Whitehall), and here we
staid and did see him give some finishing touches to my Lord's picture, so
at last it is complete to my mind, and I leave mine with him to copy out
another for himself, and took the original by a porter with me to my
Lord's, where I found my Lord within, and staid hearing him and Mr. Child
playing upon my Lord's new organ, the first time I ever heard it. My Lord
did this day show me the King's picture, which was done in Flanders, that
the King did promise my Lord before he ever saw him, and that we did
expect to have had at sea before the King came to us; but it came but
to-day, and indeed it is the most pleasant and the most like him that ever
I saw picture in my life. As dinner was coming on table, my wife came to
my Lord's, and I got her carried in to my Lady, who took physic to-day,
and was just now hiring of a French maid that was with her, and they could
not understand one another till my wife came to interpret. Here I did
leave my wife to dine with my Lord, the first time he ever did take notice
of her as my wife, and did seem to have a just esteem for her. And did
myself walk homewards (hearing that Sir W. Pen was gone before in a coach)
to overtake him and with much ado at last did in Fleet Street, and there I
went in to him, and there was Sir Arnold Brames, and we all three to Sir
W. Batten's to dinner, he having a couple of Servants married to-day; and
so there was a great number of merchants, and others of good quality on
purpose after dinner to make an offering, which, when dinner was done, we
did, and I did give ten shillings and no more, though I believe most of
the rest did give more, and did believe that I did so too. From thence to
Whitehall again by water to Mr. Fox and by two porters carried away the
other L1000. He was not within himself, but I had it of his kinsman, and
did give him L4. and other servants something; but whereas I did intend to
have given Mr. Fox himself a piece of plate of L50 I was demanded L100,
for the fee of the office at 6d. a pound, at which I was surprised, but,
however, I did leave it there till I speak with my Lord. So I carried it
to the Exchequer, where at Will's I found Mr. Spicer, and so lodged it at
his office with the rest. From thence after a pot of ale at Will's I took
boat in the dark and went for all that to the old Swan, and so to Sir Wm.
Batten's, and leaving some of the gallants at cards I went home, where I
found my wife much satisfied with my Lord's discourse and respect to her,
and so after prayers to bed.
16th. Up early to my father's, where by appointment Mr. Moore came to me,
and he and I to the Temple, and thence to Westminster Hall to speak with
Mr. Wm. Montagu about his looking upon the title of those lands which I do
take as security for L3000 of my Lord's money. That being done Mr. Moore
and I parted, and in the Hall I met with Mr. Fontleroy (my old
acquaintance, whom I had not seen a long time), and he and I to the Swan,
and in discourse he seems to be wise and say little, though I know things
are changed against his mind. Thence home by water, where my father, Mr.
Snow, and Mr. Moore did dine with me. After dinner Mr. Snow and I went up
together to discourse about the putting out of L80 to a man who lacks the
money and would give me L15 per annum for 8 years for it, which I did not
think profit enough, and so he seemed to be disappointed by my refusal of
it, but I would not now part with my money easily. He seems to do it as a
great favour to me to offer to come in upon a way of getting of money,
which they call Bottomry,
["The contract of bottomry is a negotiable instrument, which may be
put in suit by the person to whom it is transferred; it is in use in
all countries of maritime commerce and interests. A contract in the
nature of a mortgage of a ship, when the owner of it borrows money
to enable him to carry on the voyage, and pledges the keel or bottom
of the ship as a security for the repayment. If the ship be lost
the lender loses his whole money; but if it returns in safety, then
he shall receive back his principal, and also the premium stipulated
to be paid, however it may exceed the usual or legal rate of
interest."--Smyth's Sailor's WordBook.]
which I do not yet understand, but do believe there may be something in it
of great profit. After we were parted I went to the office, and there we
sat all the afternoon, and at night we went to a barrel of oysters at Sir
W. Batten's, and so home, and I to the setting of my papers in order,
which did keep me up late. So to bed.
17th. In the morning to Whitehall, where I inquired at the Privy Seal
Office for a form for a nobleman to make one his Chaplain. But I
understanding that there is not any, I did draw up one, and so to my
Lord's, and there I did give him it to sign for Mr. Turner to be his first
Chaplain. I did likewise get my Lord to sign my last sea accounts, so
that I am even to this day when I have received the balance of Mr. Creed.
I dined with my Lady and my Lady Pickering, where her son John dined with
us, who do continue a fool as he ever was since I knew him. His mother
would fain marry him to get a portion for his sister Betty but he will not
hear of it. Hither came Major Hart this noon, who tells me that the
Regiment is now disbanded, and that there is some money coming to me for
it. I took him to my Lord to Mr. Crew's, and from thence with Mr. Shepley
and Mr. Moore to the Devil Tavern, and there we drank. So home and wrote
letters by the post. Then to my lyra viall,
[The lyre viol is a viol with extra open bass strings, holding the
same relation to the viol as the theorbo does to the lute. A volume
entitled "Musick's Recreation on the Lyra Viol," was printed by John
Playford in 1650.]
and to bed.
18th (Lord's day). In the morning to our own church, Where Mr. Powel (a
crook legged man that went formerly with me to Paul's School), preached a
good sermon. In the afternoon to our own church and my wife with me (the
first time that she and my Lady Batten came to sit in our new pew), and
after sermon my Lady took us home and there we supped with her and Sir W.
Batten, and Pen, and were much made of. The first time that ever my wife
was there. So home and to bed.
19th (Office day). After we had done a little at the office this morning,
I went with the Treasurer in his coach to White Hall, and in our way, in
discourse, do find him a very good-natured man; and, talking of those men
who now stand condemned for murdering the King, he says that he believes
that, if the law would give leave, the King is a man of so great
compassion that he would wholly acquit them. Going to my Lord's I met
with Mr. Shepley, and so he and I to the Sun, and I did give him a morning
draft of Muscadine.
[Muscadine or muscadel, a rich sort of wine. 'Vinum muscatum quod
moschi odorem referat.'
"Quaffed off the muscadel, and threw the sops
All in the sexton's face."
Shakespeare, Taming of the Shrew, act iii. SC. 2.--M. B.]
And so to see my Lord's picture at De Cretz, and he says it is very like
him, and I say so too. After that to Westminster Hall, and there hearing
that Sir W. Batten was at the Leg in the Palace, I went thither, and there
dined with him and some of the Trinity House men who had obtained
something to-day at the House of Lords concerning the Ballast Office.
After dinner I went by water to London to the Globe in Cornhill, and there
did choose two pictures to hang up in my house, which my wife did not like
when I came home, and so I sent the picture of Paris back again. To the
office, where we sat all the afternoon till night. So home, and there
came Mr. Beauchamp to me with the gilt tankard, and I did pay him for it
L20. So to my musique and sat up late at it, and so to bed, leaving my
wife to sit up till 2 o'clock that she may call the wench up to wash.
20th. About two o'clock my wife wakes me, and comes to bed, and so both
to sleep and the wench to wash. I rose and with Will to my Lord's by
land, it being a very hard frost, the first we have had this year. There
I staid with my Lord and Mr. Shepley, looking over my Lord's accounts and
to set matters straight between him and Shepley, and he did commit the
viewing of these accounts to me, which was a great joy to me to see that
my Lord do look upon me as one to put trust in. Hence to the organ, where
Mr. Child and one Mr Mackworth (who plays finely upon the violin) were
playing, and so we played till dinner and then dined, where my Lord in a
very good humour and kind to me. After dinner to the Temple, where I met
Mr. Moore and discoursed with him about the business of putting out my
Lord's L3000, and that done, Mr. Shepley and I to the new Play-house near
Lincoln's-Inn-Fields (which was formerly Gibbon's tennis-court), where the
play of "Beggar's Bush" was newly begun; and so we went in and saw it, it
was well acted: and here I saw the first time one Moone,
[Michael Mohun, or Moone, the celebrated actor, who had borne a
major's commission in the King's army. The period of his death is
uncertain, but he is known to have been dead in 1691. Downes
relates that an eminent poet [Lee] seeing him act Mithridates
"vented suddenly this saying: 'Oh, Mohun, Mohun, thou little man of
mettle, if I should write a 100, I'd write a part for thy mouth.'"
--Roscius Anglicanus, p. 17.]
who is said to be the best actor in the world, lately come over with the
King, and indeed it is the finest play-house, I believe, that ever was in
England. From thence, after a pot of ale with Mr. Shepley at a house hard
by, I went by link home, calling a little by the way at my father's and my
uncle Fenner's, where all pretty well, and so home, where I found the
house in a washing pickle, and my wife in a very joyful condition when I
told her that she is to see the Queen next Thursday, which puts me in mind
to say that this morning I found my Lord in bed late, he having been with
the King, Queen, and Princess, at the Cockpit
[The Cockpit at Whitehall. The plays at the Cockpit in Drury Lane
were acted in the afternoon.]
all night, where. General Monk treated them; and after supper a play,
where the King did put a great affront upon Singleton's' musique, he
bidding them stop and bade the French musique play, which, my Lord says,
do much outdo all ours. But while my Lord was rising, I went to Mr.
Fox's, and there did leave the gilt tankard for Mrs. Fox, and then to the
counting-house to him, who hath invited me and my wife to dine with him on
Thursday next, and so to see the Queen and Princesses.
21st. Lay long in bed. This morning my cozen Thomas Pepys, the turner,
sent me a cupp of lignum vitae
[A hard, compact, black-green wood, obtained from 'Guaiacum
offcinale', from which pestles, ship-blocks, rollers, castors, &c.,
are turned.]
for a token. This morning my wife and I went to Paternoster Row, and
there we bought some green watered moyre for a morning wastecoate. And
after that we went to Mr. Cade's' to choose some pictures for our house.
After that my wife went home, and I to Pope's Head, and bought me an
aggate hafted knife, which cost me 5s. So home to dinner, and so to the
office all the afternoon, and at night to my viallin (the first time that
I have played on it since I came to this house) in my dining room, and
afterwards to my lute there, and I took much pleasure to have the
neighbours come forth into the yard to hear me. So down to supper, and
sent for the barber, who staid so long with me that he was locked into the
house, and we were fain to call up Griffith, to let him out. So up to
bed, leaving my wife to wash herself, and to do other things against
to-morrow to go to court.
22d. This morning came the carpenters to make me a door at the other side
of my house, going into the entry, which I was much pleased with. At noon
my wife and I walked to the Old Exchange, and there she bought her a white
whisk
[A gorget or neckerchief worn by women at this time. "A woman's
neck whisk is used both plain and laced, and is called of most a
gorget or falling whisk, because it falleth about the shoulders."
--Randle Hohnt (quoted by Planche).]
and put it on, and I a pair of gloves, and so we took coach for Whitehall
to Mr. Fox's, where we found Mrs. Fox within, and an alderman of London
paying L1000 or L1500 in gold upon the table for the King, which was the
most gold that ever I saw together in my life. Mr. Fox came in presently
and did receive us with a great deal of respect; and then did take my wife
and I to the Queen's presence-chamber; where he got my wife placed behind
the Queen's chair, and I got into the crowd, and by and by the Queen and
the two Princesses came to dinner. The Queen a very little plain old
woman, and nothing more in her presence in any respect nor garb than any
ordinary woman. The Princess of Orange I had often seen before. The
Princess Henrietta is very pretty, but much below my expectation; and her
dressing of herself with her hair frized short up to her ears, did make
her seem so much the less to me. But my wife standing near her with two
or three black patches on, and well dressed, did seem to me much handsomer
than she. Dinner being done, we went to Mr. Fox's again, where many
gentlemen dined with us, and most princely dinner, all provided for me and
my friends, but I bringing none but myself and wife, he did call the
company to help to eat up so much good victuals. At the end of dinner, my
Lord Sandwich's health was drunk in the gilt tankard that I did give to
Mrs. Fox the other day. After dinner I had notice given me by Will my man
that my Lord did inquire for me, so I went to find him, and met him and
the Duke of York in a coach going towards Charing Cross. I endeavoured to
follow them but could not, so I returned to Mr. Fox, and after much
kindness and good discourse we parted from thence. I took coach for my
wife and me homewards, and I light at the Maypole in the Strand, and sent
my wife home. I to the new playhouse and saw part of the "Traitor," a
very good Tragedy; Mr. Moon did act the Traitor very well. So to my
Lord's, and sat there with my Lady a great while talking. Among other
things, she took occasion to inquire (by Madame Dury's late discourse with
her) how I did treat my wife's father and mother. At which I did give her
a good account, and she seemed to be very well opinioned of my wife. From
thence to White Hall at about 9 at night, and there, with Laud the page
that went with me, we could not get out of Henry the Eighth's gallery into
the further part of the boarded gallery, where my Lord was walking with my
Lord Ormond; and we had a key of Sir S. Morland's, but all would not do;
till at last, by knocking, Mr. Harrison the door-keeper did open us the
door, and, after some talk with my Lord about getting a catch to carry my
Lord St. Albans a goods to France, I parted and went home on foot, it
being very late and dirty, and so weary to bed.