v * vw: i % -^ # % %*<\F o*<»*^\ ^ v * o , ^ \> *" °' % *■ RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS i SAMUEL PEPYS.. After the portrait in the National Portrait Gallery, painted by John Hailes in 1666. RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS EDITED BY EDWARD FRANK ALLEN WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY HENRY B. WHEATLEY NEW YORK STURGIS AND WALTON COMPANY 1910 Copyrighted 1910 By STURGIS & WALTON COMPANY Set up and electrotyped Published, November, 1910 P3CQ*V<5*d from HAY 13 1911 PREFACE Pepys's Diary is long, and life is short; yet those who have failed to meet the Diarist have missed a rare pleasure. Hence this volume of selected passages — red-letter days from our standpoint, if not always from his — which will serve, it is hoped, as a good intro- duction to such as do not know Mr. Pepys, and wish to make the acquaintance of that most original and entertaining gentleman. These selections will also serve to make him more easily accessible to the host of those who are already on good terms with him. The editor has aimed, in assembling the passages that follow, to present a sketch that is characteristic of Mr. Pepys's many-sided personality — a sketch full of vitality that will catch in its comparatively few lines the distinctive traits of its original; and he has also endeavoured to prepare a volume pleasant to have at one's elbow, and most welcome when heavier read- ing palls, and there is a desire to beguile the time with something at once curious and enlivening. PREFACE Only such notes are included as are necessary to the enjoyment and understanding of the text. For most of these the editor's thanks are due to Lord Bray- brooke's edition of the Diary. Notes provided by the editor are signed with his initials. EDWARD FRANK ALLEN. CONTENTS PAGE INTRODUCTION . . . . . . X J MR. PEPYS BEGINS HIS DIARY .... I MR. AND MRS. PEPYS . . . . . 3 MR. PEPYS'S AMUSEMENTS ..... 20 MR. PEPYS ON ART . . . . . .31 MR. PEPYS ON BOOKS AND READING .... 33 MR. PEPYS AS A MAN OF AFFAIRS . . . .41 MR. PEPYS'S DEVOTIONS ..... 56 MR. PEPYS IN HIS CUPS . . . . 70 THE PEPYSES WOO TERPSICHORE ' ' • 73 MR. PEPYS HAS PERILOUS EXPERIENCES . . -75 MR. PEPYS WITH HIGH AND LOW .... 82 MR. PEPYS IS DIPLOMATIC . . . . .85 MR. PEPYS AS CONVIVIALIST .... 87 MR. PEPYS'S WORLDLY ESTATE . . . . -91 MR. PEPYS THE GOSSIP . . . . .101 MR. PEPYS IS GREGARIOUS ..... I08 THE HABILIMENTS OF MR. PEPYS . . . .110 MR. PEPYS AS A HOST . . . . . .113 vii CONTENTS PAGE MR. PEPYS AND HIS PATRON, LORD SANDWICH . . 120 MR. PEPYS'S LOVE FOR MUSIC .... 127 MR. PEPYS THE OBSERVER . . . . -135 THE PERQUISITES OF MR. PEPYS'S OFFICE . . 1 54 MR. PEPYS'S PERSONAL APPEARANCE .... 158 MR. PEPYS AT THE PLAY ..... l6l MR. PEPYS'S RELATIVES ...... 185 MR. PEPYS ON RELIGION ..... I97 MR. PEPYS AND ROYALTY . . . . 202 MR. PEPYS COMMENTS ON SCIENTIFIC MATTERS . 214 MR. PEPYS AND HIS SERVANTS ..... 220 MR. PEPYS VIEWS THE CORONATION OF CHARLES II. . 226 MR. PEPYS'S RECORD OF THE PLAGUE .... 233 MR. PEPYS'S ACCOUNT OF THE GREAT FIRE . . . 243 MR. PEPYS IS SUPERSTITIOUS ..... 200 MR. PEPYS'S VALENTINES ..... 265 MR. PEPYS AND THE FAIR SEX ..... 267 MR. PEPYS MARVELS AT WONDERFUL THINGS . . 280 MR. PEPYS'S EYESIGHT ... ... 295 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS samuel pepys ..... Frontispiece ELIZABETH PEPYS FACING PAGE 68 EDWARD, FIRST EARL OF SANDWICH . . 120 NELL GWYN ...... 170 CHARLES II. ...... 230 INTRODUCTION I have been asked to write a few notes on Samuel Pepys, the inimitable Diarist, as a preface to this book of classified extracts from the great work which has given him lasting fame, and I do so w T ith great pleasure, in the hope that the remnant of the lovers of good things who have not read and re-read the entire Diary may be brought to see the error of their ways, and thus join the widespread band of devoted Pepysians. Surely no power on earth can prevent any one who has read some of the Diary from reading the w T hole at the earliest opportunity. The Diary should please every one, for it appeals both to the serious student and to the miscellaneous readers of pleasant chat. Sir Walter Scott was one of the first to review it on its first appearance, Samuel Taylor Coleridge w 7 as delighted with it, and Macaulay's admiration of it was unbounded. Sir George Trevelyan, in his admirable life of his uncle, relates a remarkable dream the historian had not long before his death, which proves how highly he esteemed Pepys and his w T ork. Macaulay wrote to Mr. Ellis that the dream was " so vivid that I must tell it. She [his younger niece] came to me with a penitential face, and told me that she had a great sin to confess; that Pepys's Diary was all a forgery, and that she had forged it. I was in the greatest dismay. 'What! I have been quoting in reviews, and in my history, a RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS forgery of yours as a book of the highest authority. How shall I ever hold up my head again ? ' I awoke with a fright, poor Alice's supplicating voice still in my ears." It is a grievous disappointment that Charles Lamb, who must have revelled in the book, has not left us his impressions in immortal Elia Essays. Louis Stevenson fortunately has given us his views on the author. The Diary has established itself in the hearts of the general public, but new generations are growing up who have still to learn the value and charm of the book. Nothing in literature is like it, for it is absolutely honest in its revelations, and there is none of the postur- ing so common in ordinary confessions. It is amazing to find a man who can lay bare his heart so thoroughly even to himself, for there can be no question that he never intended the Diary to be seen by other eyes than his own. It is these confessions which give the book its chief charm to the general reader, and he is to a great extent right in his appreciation. We have the vivid picture of the inner life of a man, who grew almost daily, displayed in all completeness before our eyes. But the very fulness of detail in the picture staggers us so that in the end we cannot thoroughly fathom the character of the man, and are forced in trying to understand it to catalogue his characteristics instead of painting his character. Many of these characteristics appear to be antagonistic, and we must leave them at that. The one point that is written all over the Diary is that through life Pepys was in deadly earnest. Everything he did was done thoroughly, whether in work or play, and Pepys possessed the power INTRODUCTION of putting his energetic nature into everything he did, setting aside for the moment that which immediately preceded his present object. He is generally set down as a common-place man, and to a certain extent he was so, but he was a man of great imagination — not of the higher order, for he was, as Coleridge said, " a pollard man — " but he saw into the very heart of the things around him, and he lived with keen enjoyment of the life that was before him. Of no man could it be said with more truth that nothing human was alien to him. In this characteristic is constrained his power of drawing us by his words, how T ever much we may disapprove of some of his actions. The superficial reader, being thus shown the inner recesses of the writer's soul, is apt to take up a superior position and to treat the Diarist with a contemptuous judgment as inferior to himself, but this is not just. The considerate reader, on the other hand, will feel a kind of awe in observing the workings of a naked soul, and make allowances, for there is a certain greatness in the transparent truthfulness of the man. Really the worst point in the confessions is that in most cases he has no word of regret for his sins. Having said so much of the man as he appears in the Diary, we must bear in mind that these confessions form but a portion of the book, and that in the historical portion we have vivid pictures of the many incidents in which he took a promi- nent part that are of the greatest value, such as the Coronation of Charles II., the Dutch wars, and the sad condition of the Navy, which he did his utmost to reform, the devastating progress of the Plague, during which he RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS kept to his work while others fled from London, as well as the destruction of the city by the Fire, to suppress which he did much. He was always learning, and he obtained a great mass of important information by reason of his remarkable power of Socratic questioning. By the side of such in- stances of a noble nature the foibles of vanity, such as pride in his personal appearance and his fine clothes, sink into insignificance. We must also remember that after all the particulars in the Diary extend over only ten years of his ever active life. There is no doubt that these have given him his great fame, but those who admire the man for the great work he did wish it to be known that while they will give place to none in appreciation of the value and charm of the Diary, they will not rest until they have made the general public thoroughly understand that this man, who has often been treated with scant respect on account of our knowing certain discreditable facts of his life, through his own confessions only, was a really great man, and a patriot who should be held in honour by all Englishmen for what he did of permanent importance. If we set down a few of the facts in Pepys's life we shall be able to appreciate the man as he was known to those around him in the world he lived in. He went into the Navy Office with no knowledge of ships individually or of the Navy as a whole, and in a few years he had become " the right hand of the Navy " (as Monck, Duke of Albemarle, called him), who not only knew more of administration than all the other officers put together (some of these being brilliantly sue- INTRODUCTION cessful admirals of distinction), but knew how to carry- on his business in the best possible manner and with no small success. Pepys was really an historical character of the first rank, for he figured in all the most important scenes that occurred during his official life, first as Clerk of the Acts, and afterwards in the more responsible post of Secretary to the Admiralty. He was at work in that dark hour when the Dutch were in the Medway, and he was among the few who did well in that time of national humiliation. He suffered during the " terror " of the Popish Plot, being sent to the Tower, but he collected such overwhelming evidence of his innocence that he covered his influential enemies with confusion, and his defence was so complete that he was ordered to be set free without a trial. His last great work was to reform the Navy, which owing to his absence from the Admiralty had been brought into a dangerous condition by an incompetent Commission. All these labours won for Pepys the esteem and respect of those who knew him and were competent to judge. When, however, the Revolution took place he was suspected as a Jacobite, and was sent to the Gatehouse at Westminster, but he was bailed out of prison by friends of importance, never to be troubled again. When the Diary was first published in 1825 (after hav- ing remained in MS. shorthand nearly one hundred and fifty years), the fame of Pepys's patriotic work of a life- time had rather faded out of general knowledge, and few particulars of his life were available. Now much has been recovered by various enthusiastic workers, and we RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS can construct a fairly complete account of the particulars of his life. Besides all his work at the Admiralty, Pepys found time to attend the meetings of the Royal Society (of which great Society he became the President) and to collect many objects of interest, which with his fine library are preserved at Magdalene College, Cambridge. He was a great man who did good work for his country in difficult times, and has laid us all under great obliga- tions by what he has left us. H. B. Wheatley. Red-Letter Days of Samuel Pepys MR. PEPYS BEGINS HIS DIARY January, 1659-60. Blessed be God, at the end of the last year, I was in very good health, without any sense of my old pain, but upon taking of cold. 1 I lived in Axe Yard, having my wife, and servant Jane, and no other in family than us three. The condition of the State was thus: viz., the Rump, after being disturbed by my Lord Lambert, was lately returned to sit again. The officers of the Army all forced to yield. Lawson lies still in the river, and Monk is with his army in Scotland. Only my Lord Lambert is not yet come into the Parliament, nor is it expected that he will, without being forced to it. The new Common Council of the City do speak very high ; and had sent to Monk, their sword-bearer, to acquaint him 1 On March 26, 1658, Pepys had been successfully cut for the stone ; malady which seems to have affected several other members of his family. B I RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS with their desires for a free and full Parliament, which is at present the desires, and the hopes, and the expectations of all : twenty-two of the old secluded members having been at the House-door the last week to demand entrance, but it was denied them ; and it is believed that neither they nor the people will be satisfied till the House be filled. My own private condition very handsome, and esteemed rich, but indeed very poor ; besides my goods of my house, and my office, which at present is somewhat certain. Mr. Downing master of my office. MR. AND MRS. PEPYS MR. AND MRS. PEPYS August 1 8, 1660. Towards Westminster by water. I landed my wife at Whitefriars, with ^5 to buy her a petticoat, and my father persuaded her to buy a most fine cloth, of 26s. a yard, and a rich lace, that the petticoat will come to £5 ; but * she doing it very innocently, I could not be angry. November 4, 1660. My wife seemed very pretty to-day, it being the first time I had given her leave to weare a black patch. November 15, 1 660. 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 come to us ; but it come 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 was just now hiring of a French maid that was with her, and 3 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS [they] could not understand one another till my wife come to interpret. Here I did leave my wife to dine with my Lord, the first time he did ever take notice of her as my wife, and did seem to have a just esteem for her. December 2, 1600. (Lord's day.) To church, and Mr. Mills made a good sermon : so home to dinner. My wife and I all alone to a leg of mutton, the sawce of which being made sweet, I was angry at it, and eat none, but only dined upon the marrow-bone that we had beside. March ii, 1 66 1. After dinner I went to the Theatre, and there saw " Love's Mistress " done by them, which I do not like in some things as well as their acting in Salisbury Court. My wife come home, and she had got her teeth new done by La Roche, and are indeed now pretty handsome, and I was much pleased with it. May 5, 1661. To supper in the banquet-house, and there my wife and I did talk high, she against and I for Mrs. Pierce (that she was a beauty), till we were both angry. Then to walk in the fields, and so to our quarters, and to bed. June 9, 1 66 1. (Lord's day.) This day my wife put on her black silk gown, which , is now laced all over with black gimp 4 MR. AND MRS. PEPYS lace, as the fashion is, in which she is very pretty. She and I walked to my Lady's at the Wardrobe, and there dined, and was exceeding much made of. September 18, 1661. Up early, and begun our march ; the way about Puckridge very bad, and my wife, in the very last dirty place of all, got a fall, but no hurt, though some dirt. At last, she begun, poor wretch, to be tired, and I to be angry at it, but I was to blame ; for she is a very good companion as long as she is well. In the afternoon, we got to Cambridge, where I left my wife at my cozen Angier's, while I went to Christ's College, and there found my brother in his chamber, and talked with him, and so to the barber's and then to my wife again, and remounted for Impington, where my uncle received me and my wife very kindly. January 1 1661-62. Waking this morning out of my sleep on a sudden, I did with my elbow hit my wife a great blow over her face and neck, which waked her with pain, at which I was sorry, and to sleep again. March 2, 1662. (Lord's day.) Talking long in bed with my wife, about our frugall life for the time to come, proposing to Iher what I could and would do, if I were worth ^2000, / jthat is, be a knight, and keep my coach, which pleased her. *^To church in the morning: none in the pew but myself. 5 V 1/ J RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS March 24, 1662. Comes La Belle Pierce to see my wife, and to bring her a pair of peruques of hair as the fashion now is for ladies to wear ; which are pretty, and are of my wife's own hair, or else I should not endure them. December 19, 1662. Home, a little displeased with my wife, who, poor wretch, is troubled with her lonely life, which I know not how, without great charge, to help as yet, but I will study how to do it. January 6, 1662-63. Home, and found all well, only myself somewhat vexed at my wife's neglect in leaving of her scarfe, waistcoate, and night-dressings in the coach, to-day, that brought us from Westminster ; though, I confess, she did give them to me to look after. It might be as good as 25s. loss. January 28, 1662-63. My wife come home, and seeming to cry ; for, bringing home in a coach her new ferrandin 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. MR. AND MRS. PEPYS June 25, 1663. This noon I received a letter from the country from my wife, wherein she seems much pleased with the country : God continue, that she may have pleasure while she is there. She by my Lady's advice desires a new petticoat of the new silk striped stuff — very pretty. So I went to Pater Noster Row presently, and bought her a very fine rich one — the best I did see there, and much better than she desires or expects. January 15, 1663-64. My wife tells me that my uncle Wight hath been with her, and played at cards with her, and is mightily inquisitive to know whether she is with child or no, which makes me wonder what his meaning is, and after all my thoughts, I cannot think, unless it be in order to the making his will ; and I would to God my wife had told him that she was ! February 2, 1663-64. To the 'Change, and thence off to the Sun Taverne with Sir W. Warren. He did give me a pair of gloves for my wife wrapt up in a paper, which I would not open, feeling it hard ; but did tell him that my wife should thank him, and so went on in discourse. When I come home, Lord ! in what pain I was to get my wife out of the room without bidding her go, that I might see what these gloves were ; and, by and by, she being gone, it proves a pair of white gloves for her, and forty pieces in good gold, which did so cheer my heart, that 7 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS I could eat no victuals almost for dinner. I was at a great loss what to do, whether to tell my wife of it or no, for fear of making her think me to be in a better condition, or in a better way of getting money, than yet I am. February 6, 1663-64. Home, whither come one Father Fogourdy, an Irish priest, of my wife's and her mother's acquaintance in France — a sober and discreet person, but one that I would not have converse with my wife for fear of meddling with her religion. He confirms to me the news that for certain there is peace made between the Pope and King of France. March 28, 1664. Home, and there find, by my wife, that Father Fogourdy hath been with her to-day, and she is mightily for our going to hear a famous Roule preach at the French Ambassador's house : I pray God he do not tempt her in any matters of religion, which troubles me. And also, she had messages from her mother to- day, who sent for her old morning-gown, which was almost past wearing ; and I used to call it her kingdom, from the ease and content she used to have in the wearing of it. I am glad I do not hear of her begging any thing of more value. August 23, 1664. ugust 23, 1004. Talking with my wife, and angry about her desiring 8 MR. AND MRS. PEPYS to have a French maid all of a sudden, which I took to arise from yesterday's being with her mother. But that went over, and so she be well qualitied, I care not much whether she be French or no, so a Protestant. September 3, 1664. I have had a bad night's rest to-night, not sleeping well, as my wife observed ; and I thought myself to be mightily bit with fleas, and in the morning she chid her maids for not looking the fleas a' days. But, when I rose, I found that it is only the change of the weather from hot to cold, which, as I was two winters ago, do stop my pores, and so my blood tingles and itches all day, all over my body. February 2 1, 1664-65. My wife busy in going with her woman to the hot- house to bathe herself, after her long being within doors in the dirt, so that she now pretends to a resolution of being hereafter very clean. How long it will hold I can guess. August 7, 1665. Talking with Mrs. Pegg Penn, and looking over her pictures, and commended them ; but, Lord ! so far short of my wife's as no comparison. May 4, 1666. To Mr. Hales, to see what he had done to Mrs. Pierce's picture, and whatever he pretends, I do not think 9 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS it will ever be so good a picture as my wife's. Thence home to dinner, and had a great fray with my wife about Browne's coming to teach her to paint, and sitting with me at table, which I will not yield to. I do thoroughly believe she means no hurt in it ; but very angry we were, and I resolved all into my having my will done, without disputing, be the reason what it will ; and so I will have it. This evening, being weary of my late idle courses, I bound myself to very strict rules till Whitsunday next. May 9, 1666. To White Hall, and heard the Duke commend Deane's ship, " The Rupert," before " The Defyance," built by Castle, in hearing of Sir W. Batten, which pleased me mightily. To Pierce's, where I find Knipp. Thence with them to Cornhill, to call and choose a chimneypiece for Pierce's closet. My wife mightily vexed at my being abroad with these women ; and, when they were gone, called them I know not what, which vexed me, having been so innocent with them. August 12, 1666. (Lord's day.) I and my wife up to her closet, to examine her kitchen accounts, and there I took occasion to fall out with her, for her buying a laced handkercher and pinner without my leave. From this we began both to be angry, and so continued till bed. 10 MR. AND MRS. PEPYS February 25, 1666-67. Lay long in bed, talking with pleasure with my poor wife, how she used to make coal fires, and wash my foul clothes with her own hand for me, poor wretch ! in our little room at my Lord Sandwich's ; for which I ought for ever to love and admire her, and do ; and persuade myself she would do the same thing again, if God should reduce us to it. March 22, 1667. My wife having dressed herself in a silly dress of a blue petticoat uppermost, and a white satin waistcoat and white hood, though I think she did it because her gown is gone to the tailor's, did, together with my being hungry, which always makes me peevish, make me angry. May 11, 1667. My wife being dressed this day in fair hair did make me so mad, that I spoke not one word to her, though I was ready to burst with anger. After that, Creed and I into the Park, and walked, a most pleasant evening, and so took coach, and took up my wife, and in my way home discovered my trouble to my wife for her white locks, swearing several times, which I pray God forgive me for, and bending my fist, that I would not endure it. She, poor wretch, was surprized with it, and made me no answer all the way home ; but there we parted, and I to the office late, and then home, and without supper to bed, vexed. 11 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS May 12, 1667. (Lord's day.) Up, and to my chamber, to settle some accounts there, and by and by down comes my wife to me in her night-gown, and we begun calmly, that, upon having money to lace her gown for second mourning, she would promise to wear white locks no more in my sight, which I, like a severe fool, thinking not enough, begun to except against, and made her fly out to very high terms and cry, and in her heat, told me of keeping company with Mrs. Knipp, saying, that if I would promise never to see her more — of whom she hath more reason to suspect than I had heretofore of Pembleton — she would never wear white locks more. This vexed me, but I restrained myself from saying any thing, but do think never to see this woman — at least, to have her here more ; and so all very good friends as ever. My wife and I bethought ourselves to go to a French house to dinner, and so enquired out Monsieur Robins, my perriwigg-maker, who keeps an ordinary, and in an ugly street in Covent Garden, did find him at the door, and so we in ; and in a moment almost had the table covered, and clean glasses, and all in the French manner, and a mess of potage first, and then a piece of bceuf-a-la-mode, all exceeding well seasoned, and to our great liking ; at least it would have been anywhere else but in this bad street, and in a perriwigg-maker's house ; but to see the pleasant and ready attendance that we had, and all things so desirous to please, and ingenious in the people, did take me mightily. Our dinner cost us 6s. Walked over the fields to Kingsland, and back again ; a walk, I think, 12 MR. AND MRS. PEPYS I have not taken these twenty years ; but puts me in mind of my boy's time, when I boarded at Kingsland, and used to shoot with my bow and arrows in these fields. A very pretty place it is ; and little did any of my friends think I should come to walk in these fields in this condition and state that I am. Then took coach again, and home through Shoreditch; and at home my wife finds Barker to have been abroad, and telling her so many lies about it, that she struck her, and the wench said she would not stay with her : so I examined the wench, and found her in so many lies myself, that I was glad to be rid of her, and so resolved having her go away to-morrow. May 29, 1667. My wife comes home from Woolwich, but did not dine with me, going to dress herself against night, to go to Mrs. Pierce's to be merry, where we are to have Knipp and Harris and other good people. I at my accounts. Anon comes down my wife, dressed in her second mourning, with her black moyre waistcoat, and short petticoat, laced with silver lace so basely that I could not endure to see her, and with laced lining, which is too soon, so that I was horrid angry, and would not go to our intended meeting, which vexed me to the blood, and my wife sent twice or thrice to me, to direct her any way to dress her, but to put on her cloth gown, which she would not venture, which made me mad : and so in the evening to my chamber, vexed, and to my accounts, which I ended to my great content, and did l 3 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS make amends for the loss of our mirth this night, by getting this done. December 30, 1667. To the King's playhouse, there to see "Love's Cruelty," an old play, but which I have not seen before ; and in the first act Orange Moll come to me, with one of our porters by my house, to tell me Mrs. Pierce and Knipp did dine at my house to-day, and that I was desired to come home. So I went out presently, and by coach home, and they were gone away : so, after a very little stay with my wife, I took coach again, and to the King's playhouse again, and come in the fourth act ; and it proves to me a very silly play, and to everybody else, as far as I could judge. But the jest is, that here telling Moll how I had lost my journey, she told me that Mrs. Knipp was in the house, and so shows me to her, and I went to her, and sat out the play, and then with her to Mrs. Manuel's, where Mrs. Pierce was, and her boy and girl ; and here I did hear Mrs. Manuel and one of the Italians, her gallant, sing well. But yet I confess I am not delighted so much with it, as to admire it : for, not understanding the words, I lose the benefit of the vocalitys of the musick, and it proves only instru- mental ; and therefore was more pleased to hear Knipp sing two or three little English things that I understood, though the composition of the other, and performance, was very fine. Thence to my bookseller's, and paid for the books I had bought, and away home, where I told my wife where I had been. But she was as mad as a devil, and 14 MR. AND MRS. PEPYS nothing but ill words between us all the evening while we sat at cards — W. Hewer and the girl by — even to gross ill words, which I was troubled for. But I do see that I must use policy to keep her spirit down, and to give her no offence by my being with Knipp and Pierce, of which, though she will not own it, yet she is heartily jealous. ^January 2, 1667-68. This day my wife shews me a locket of dyamonds worth about ^40, which W. Hewer do press her to accept, and hath done for a good while, out of gratitude for my kindness and her's to him. But I do not like that she should receive it, it not being honourable for me to do it ; and so do desire her to force him to take it back again, he leaving it against her will yesterday with her. And she did this evening force him to take it back, at which she says he is troubled : but, however, it becomes me more to refuse it, than to let her accept of it. February 18, 1667-68. / Up to my wife, not owning my being at a play, and -S, there she shows me her ring of a Turky-stone [turquoise], set with little sparks of dyamonds, which I am to give her, as my Valentine, and I am not much troubled at it. It will cost me near £5 — she costing me but little com- pared with other wives, and I have not many occasions to spend money on her. 15 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS February 23, 1667-68. This evening, my wife did with great pleasure show me her stock of Jewells, encreased by the ring she hath made lately as my Valentine's gift this year, a Turky stone set with diamonds : and, with this and what she had, she reckons that she hath above £150 worth of Jewells, of one kind or other ; and I am glad of it, for it is fit the wretch should have something to content l^ herself with. January 3, 1668-69. Home ; and to supper and read ; and there my wife and I treating about coming to an allowance to her for clothes ; and there I, out of my natural backwardness, did hang off, which vexed her, and did occasion some discontented talk in bed, when we went to bed ; and also in the morning, but I did recover all. January 4, 1668-69. Talking with my wife, and did of my own accord come to an allowance of her of ^30 a-year for all expences, clothes and everything, which she was mightily pleased with, it being more than ever she asked or ex- pected, and so rose, with much content. January 10, 1668-69. (Lord's day.) Accidentally talking of our maids before we rose, I said a little word that did give occasion to my wife to fall out ; and she did most excessively, almost all the morning, but ended most perfect good friends ; but 16 MR. AND MRS. PEPYS the thoughts of the unquiet which her ripping up of old faults will give me, did make me melancholy all day long. January 12, 1668-69. This evening I observed my wife mighty dull, and I myself was not mighty fond, because of some hard words she did give me at noon, out of a jealousy at my being abroad this morning, which, God knows, it was upon the business of the Office unexpectedly : but I to bed, not thinking but she would come after me. But waking by and by, out of a slumber, which I usually fall into presently after my coming into the bed, I found she did not prepare to come to bed, but got fresh candles, and more wood for her fire, it being mighty cold, too. At this being troubled, I after a while prayed her to come to bed ; so, after an hour or two, she silent, and I now and then praying her to come to bed, she fell out into a fury, that I was a rogue, and false to her. I did, as I might truly, deny it, and was mightily troubled, but all would not serve. At last, about one o'clock, she come to my side of the bed, and drew my curtaine open, and with the tongs red hot at the ends, made as if she did design to pinch me with them, at which, in dismay, I rose up, and with a few words she laid them down ; and did by little and little, very sillily, let all the discourse fall ; and about two, but with much seeming difficulty, come to bed, and there lay well all night, and long in bed talking together, with much pleasure, it being, I know, nothing but her doubt £ 17 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS of my going out yesterday, without telling her of my going, which did vex her, poor wretch ! last night, and 1 cannot blame her jealousy, though it do vex me to the heart. February 2, 1668—69. My wife in mighty ill humour all night, and in the morning I found it to be from her observing Knipp to wink and smile on me, and she says I smiled on her ; and, poor wretch ! I did perceive that she did, and do on all such occasions, mind my eyes. I did, with much difficulty, pacify her, and we were friends, she desiring that hereafter, at that house, we might always sit either above in a box, or, if there be no room, close up to the lower box. February 7, 1668-69. (Lord's day.) I up, and to church, and so home to dinner, where my wife in a jealous fit, which lasted all the afternoon, and shut herself up in her closet, and I mightily grieved and vexed, and could not get her to tell me what ailed her, or to let me into her closet, but at last she did, where I found her crying on the ground, and could not please her ; but at last find that she did plainly expound it to me. It was, that she did believe me false to her with Jane, and did rip up three or four silly circumstances of her not rising till I come out of my chamber, and her letting me thereby see her dressing herself ; and that I must needs go into her chamber ; which was so silly, and so far from truth, that I could 18 MR. AND MRS. PEPYS not be troubled at it, though I could not wonder at her being troubled, if she had these thoughts. At last, I did give her such satisfaction, that we were mighty good friends. May 1 8, 1669. Dined in my wife's chamber, she being much troubled with the tooth-ake, and I staid till a surgeon of hers come, one Leeson, who had formerly drawn her mouth, and he advised her to draw it : so I to the Office, and by and by word is come that she hath drawn it, which pleased me, it being well done. So I home, to comfort her. x 9 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS MR. PEPYS'S AMUSEMENTS April 9, 1 66 1. The sale 1 being done, the ladies and I, and Captain Pitt, and Mr. Castle took barge, and down we went to see the Sovereigne, which we did, taking great pleasure therein, singing all the way, and among other pleasures, I put my Lady, Mrs. Turner, Mrs. Hempson, and the two Mrs. Aliens, into the lanthorn, and I went in and kissed them, demanding it as a fee due to a principall officer, with all which we were exceeding merry, and drunk some bottles of wine, and neat's tongue, &c. Then back again home, and so supped, and after much mirth, to bed. April io, 1 66 1. To the Salutacione tavern, where Mr. Alcock and many of the towne come and entertained us with wine and oysters and other things, and hither come Sir John Minnes to us, who is come to-day from London to see u the Henery," in which he intends to ride as Vice- Admiral in the narrow seas all this summer. Here much mirth, but I was a little troubled to stay too long, 1 Mr. Pepys had been attending an auction. — E. F. A. 20 MR. PEPYS'S AMUSEMENTS because of going to Hempson's, which afterwards we did, and found it in all things a most pretty house, and rarely furnished, only it had a most ill accesse on all sides to it, which is a greatest fault that, I think, can be in a house. Here we had, for my sake, two fiddles, the one a base viall, on which he that played, played well some lyra lessons, but both together made the worst musique that ever I heard. We had a fine collacion, but I took little pleasure in that, for the illness of the musique, and for the intentnesse of my mind upon Mrs. Rebecca Allen. After we had done eating, the ladies went to dance, and among the men we had, I was forced to dance, too ; and did make an ugly shift. Mrs. R. Allen danced very well, and seems the best humoured woman that ever I saw. About nine o'clock Sir William and my Lady went home, and we continued dancing an houre or two, and so broke up very pleasant and merry, and so walked home, I leading Mrs. Rebecca, who seemed, I know not why, in that and other things, to be desirous of my favours, and would in all things show me respects. Going home, she would needs have me sing, and I did pretty well, and was highly esteemed by them. So to Captain Allen's (where we was last night, and heard him play on the harpischon, and I find him to be a perfect good musician), and there, having no mind to leave Mrs. Rebecca, I did what with talk and singing (her father and I), Mrs. Turner and I staid there till two o'clock in the morning, and was most exceeding merry, and I had the opportunity of kissing Mrs. Rebecca very often. 21 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS April II, 1 66 1. At two o'clock, with very great mirth, we went to our lodging and to bed, and lay till seven, and then called up by Sir W. Batten ; so I rose, and we did some business, and then come Captain Allen, and he and I withdrew, and sang a song or two, and among others, took great pleasure in " Goe and bee hanged, that's twice good bye." The young ladies come too, and so I did again please myself with Mrs. Rebecca ; and about nine o'clock, after we had breakfasted, we sett forth for London, and indeed I was a little troubled to part with Mrs. Rebecca, for which God forgive me. Thus we went away through Rochester. We baited at Dartford, and thence to London, but of all the journeys that ever I made, this was the merriest, and I was in a strange moode for mirth. Among other things, I got my Lady to let her mayd, Mrs. Anne, to ride all the way on horseback, and she rides exceeding well ; and so I called [her] my clerk, that she went to wait upon me. I met two little schoolboys going with pichers of ale to their schoolmaster to break up against Easter, and I did drink of some of one of them, and give him two-pence. By and by, we come to two little girls keeping cowes, and I saw one of them very pretty, so I had a mind to make her aske my blessing, and telling her that I was her godfather, she asked me inno- cently whether I was not Ned Warding, and I said that I was, so she kneeled down, and very simply called, " Pray, godfather, pray to God to bless me," which made us very merry, and I gave her two-pence. In several places, 22 MR. PEPYS'S AMUSEMENTS I asked women whether they would sell me their children, but they denied me all, but said they would give me one to keep for them, if I would. Mrs. Anne and I rode under the man that hangs upon Shooter's Hill, and a filthy sight it was to see how his flesh is shrunk to his bones. So home, and I found all well, and a good deal of work done since I went. So to bed very sleepy for last night's work, concluding that it is the pleasantest journey in all respects that ever I had in my life. February 17, 1 661-62. This morning, both Sir Williams, myself, and Captain Cocke, and Captain Tinker of the Convertine, which we are going to look upon, (being intended [to go] with these ships fitting for the East Indys) down to Deptford; and thence, after being on ship-board, to Woolwich, and there eat something. The Sir Williams being unwilling to eat flesh, Captain Cock and I had a breast of veale roasted. Going and coming, we played at gleeke, and I won 9s. 6d. clear, the most that ever I won in my life. I pray God it may not tempt me to play again. June 1, 1663. The Duke having been a-hunting to-day, and so lately come home and gone to bed, we could not see him, and we walked away. And I with Sir J. Minnes to the Strand May-pole ; and there light out of his coach, and walked to the New Theatre, which, since the King's players are gone to the Royal one, is this day begun to 23 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS be employed by the fencers to play prizes at. And here I come and saw the first prize I ever saw in my life : and it was between one Mathews, who did beat at all weapons, and one Westwicke, who was soundly cut several times both in the head and legs, that he was all over blood : and other deadly blows they did give and take in very good earnest, till Westwicke was in a sad pickle. They fought at eight weapons, three boutes at each weapon. This being upon a private quarrel, they did it in good earnest; and I felt one of their swords, and found it to be very little, if at all, blunter on the edge than the common swords are. Strange to see what a deal of money is flung to them both upon the stage between every boute. So, well pleased for once with this sight, I walked home. December 21, 1663. To Shoe Lane, to see a cocke-fighting at a new pit there, a spot I was never at in my life : but Lord ! to see the strange variety of people, from Parliament man, by name Wildes, that was Deputy Governor of the Tower when Robinson was Lord Mayor, to the poorest 'pren- tices, bakers, brewers, butchers, draymen, and what not ; and all these fellows one with another cursing and betting. I soon had enough of it. It is strange to see how people of this poor rank, that look as if they had not bread to put in their mouths, shall bet three or four pounds at a time, and lose it, and yet bet as much the next battle; so that one of them will lose 10 or ^20 at a meeting. 24 MR. PEPYS'S AMUSEMENTS September 2, 1664. To Bartholomew fayre, and our boy with us, and there showed them and myself the dancing on the ropes, and several other the best shows ; but pretty it is to see how our boy carries himself so innocently clownish as would make one laugh. Then up and down, to buy combes for my wife to give her maids. April 13, 1665. To Sheriff Waterman's, to dinner, all of us men of the office in town, and our wives, my Lady Carteret and daughters, and Ladies Batten, Pen, and my wife, &c. Very good cheer we had, and merry musique at and after dinner, and a fellow danced a jigg ; but, when the com- pany begun to dance, I come away, lest I should be taken out ; and God knows how my wife carried herself, but I left her to try her fortune. August 14, 1666. After dinner, with my wife and Mercer to the Beare Garden ; where I have not been, I think, of many years, and saw some good sport of the bull's tossing the dogs — one into the very boxes. But it is a very rude and nasty pleasure. We had a great many hectors in the same box with us, and one very fine went into the pit, and played his dog for a wager ; which was a strange sport for a gentleman ; where they drank wine, and drank Mercer's health first ; which I pledged with my hat off". We supped at home, and very merry. And then about nine to Mrs. Mercer's gate, where the fire and boys expected 25 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS us, and her son had provided abundance of serpents and rockets; and there mighty merry, my Lady Pen and Pegg going thither with us, and Nan Wright, till about twelve at night, flinging our fireworks, and burning one another, and the people over the way. And, at last, our business being most spent, we went into Mrs. Mercer's, and there mighty merry, smutting one another with candle grease and soot, till most of us were like devils. And that being done, then we broke up, and to my house ; and there I made them drink, and upstairs we went, and then fell into dancing, W. Batelier dancing well ; and dressing, him and I, and one Mr. Banister, who, with my wife, come over also with us, like women ; and Mercer put on a suit of Tom's, like a boy, and mighty mirth we had, and Mercer danced a jigg ; and Nan Wright and my wife and Pegg Pen put on perriwigs. Thus we spent till three or four in the morning, mighty merry ; and then parted, and to bed. November 9, 1666. To Mrs. Pierce's, by appointment, where we find good company : a fair lady, my Lady Prettyman, Mrs. Corbet, Knipp * ; and for men, Captain Downing, Mr. Lloyd, Sir W. Coventry's clerk, and one Mr. Tripp, who dances well. After our first bout of dancing, Knipp and I to sing, and Mercer and Captain Downing, who loves and understands musick, would by all means have my song of " Beauty, retire " : which Knipp had spread 1 Mrs, Knipp was a popular actress in whom Mr. Pepys showed a good deal of interest. — E. F. A. 26 MR. PEPYS'S AMUSEMENTS abroad, and he extols it above any thing he ever heard. Going to dance again, and then comes news that White Hall was on fire ; and presently more particulars, that the Horse-guard was on fire ; and so we run up to the garret, and find it so ; a horrid great fire ; and by and by we saw and heard part of it blown up with powder. The ladies begun presently to be afraid : one fell into fits. The whole town in an alarm. Drums beat and trumpets, and the Horse-guards every where spread, running up and down in the street. And I begun to have mighty appre- hensions how things might be, for we are in expectation from common fame, this night, or to-morrow, to have a massacre, by the having so many fires one after another, as that in the City, and at same time begun in West- minster, by the Palace, but put out ; and since in South- warke, to the burning down some houses ; and now this do make all people conclude there is something extra- ordinary in it ; but nobody knows what. By and by comes news that the fire is slackened ; so then we were a little cheered up again, and to supper, and pretty merry. But, above all, there comes in the dumb boy that I knew in Oliver's time, who is mightily acquainted here, and with Downing ; and he made strange signs of the fire, and how the King was abroad, and many things they understood, but I could not, which I wondered at, and discoursing with Downing about it, " Why," says he, " it is only a little use, and you will understand him, and make him understand you with as much ease as may be." So I prayed him to tell him that I was afraid that my coach would be gone, and that he should go down and 27 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS steal one of the seats out of the coach and keep it, and that would make the coachman to stay. He did this, so that the dumb boy did go down, and, like a cunning rogue, went into the coach, pretending to sleep ; and, by and by, fell to his work, but finds the seats nailed to the coach. So he could not do it ; however, stayed there, and stayed the coach till the coachman's patience was quite spent, and beat the dumb boy by force, and so went away. So the dumb boy came up, and told him all the story, which they below did see all that passed, and knew it to be true. After supper, another dance or two, and then news that the fire is as great as ever, which puts us all to our wits'- end ; and I mightily anxious to go home, but the coach being gone, and it being about ten at night, and rainy dirty weather, I knew not what to do ; but to walk out with Mr. Batelier, myself resolving to go home on foot, and leave the women there. And so did ; but at the Savoy got a coach, and come back and took up the women ; and so, having, by people come from the fire, understood that the fire was overcome and all well, we merrily parted, and home. Stopped by several guards and constables quite through the town, round the wall, as we went all being in arms. Being come home, we to cards, till two in the morning, and drinking lamb's- wool. 1 So to bed. May 27, 1667. Abroad, and stopped at Bear-garden stairs, there to see 1 Lamb's- wool is a vulgar beverage made of ale, mixed with sugar, nutmeg and the pulp of roasted apples, 28 MR. PEPYS'S AMUSEMENTS a prize fought. But the house so full there was no get- ting in there, so forced to go through an ale-house into the pit, where the bears are baited ; and upon a stool did see them fight, which they did very furiously, a butcher and a waterman. The former had the better all along, till by and by the latter dropped his sword out of his hand, and the butcher, whether not seeing his sword dropped I know not, but did give him a cut over the wrist, so as he was disabled to fight any longer. But, Lord ! to see how in a minute the whole stage was full of watermen to revenge the foul play, and the butchers to defend their fellow, though most blamed him ; and there they all fell to it to knocking down and cutting many on each side. It was pleasant to see, but that I stood in the pit, and feared that in the tumult I might get some hurt. At last the battle broke up, and so I away. July 21, 1667. (Lord's day.) I and my wife and Mercer up by water to Barne Elmes, where we walked by moonshine, and called at Lambeth, and drank and had cold meat in the boat, and did eat and sang, and down home, by almost twelve at night, very fine and pleasant, only could not sing ordinary songs with the freedom that otherwise I would. Here Mercer tells me that the pretty maid of the Ship tavern is married there, which I am glad of. So having spent this night, with much serious pleasure to consider that I am in condition to fling away an angell in such a refreshment to myself and family, we home and to bed, leaving Mercer, by the way, at her own door. 29 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS September 9, 1667. To the Bear-Garden, where now the yard was full of people, and those most of them seamen, striving by force to get in, that I was afraid to be seen among them, but got into the ale-house, and so by a back way was put into the bull-house, where I stood a good while all alone among the bulls, and was afraid I was among the bears, too ; but by and by the door opened. I got into the common pit ; and there, with my cloak about my face, I stood and saw the prize fought, till one of them, a shoe- maker, was so cut in both his wrists that he could not fight any longer, and then they broke off: his enemy was a butcher. The sport very good, and various humours to be seen among the rabble that is there. 3° MR. PEPYS ON ART MR. PEPYS ON ART October 9, 1 660. This morning Sir W. Batten with Colonel Birch to Deptford to pay off two ships. Sir W. Pen and I staid to do business, and afterwards together to White Hall, where I went to my Lord, and saw in his chamber his picture, very well done ; and am with child till I get it copied out, which I hope to do when he is gone to sea. October 22, 1660. All preparing for my Lord's going to sea to fetch the Queen to-morrow. At night my Lord come home, with whom I staid long, and talked of many things. I got leave to have his picture, that was done by Lilly, copied. He told me there hath been a meeting before the King and my Lord Chancellor, of some Episcopalian and Presbyterian Divines ; but what had passed he could not tell me. November 7, 1666. Called at Faythorn's, to buy some prints for my wife 3 1 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS to draw by this winter, and here did see my Lady Castlemaine's picture, done by him from Lilly's, in red chalke and other colours, by which he hath cut it in copper to be printed. The picture in chalke is the finest thing I ever saw in my life, I think ; and I did desire to buy it ; but he says he must keep it awhile to correct his copper-plate by, and, when that is done, he will sell it me. April 26, 1667. While I was waiting in the matted Gallery, a young man was working in Indian inke the great picture of the King and Queen sitting, by Van Dyke ; and did it very finely. February 10, 1668-69. To White Hall, where the Duke of York was gone a-hunting ; and so to the plaisterer's at Charing Cross, that casts heads and bodies in plaister : and there I had my whole face done ; but I was vexed first to be forced to daub all my face over with pomatum : but it was pretty to feel how soft and easily it is done on the face, and by and by, by degrees, how hard it becomes, that you cannot break it, and sits so close, that you cannot pull it off, and yet so easy, that it is as soft as a pillow, so safe is everything where many parts of the body do bear alike. Thus was the mould made ; but when it came off there was little pleasure in it, as it looks in the mould, nor any resemblance whatever there will be in the figure, when I come to see it cast off. 3 2 MR. PEPYS ON BOOKS AND READING MR. PEPYS ON BOOKS AND READING August 1 8, 1 66 1. At night fell to read in " Hooker's Ecclesiastical Polity," which Mr. Moore did give me last Wednesday very handsomely bound ; and which I shall read with great pains and love for his sake. June 13, 1662. Up by 4 o'clock in the morning, and read Cicero's Second Oration against Catiline, which pleased me exceedingly ; and more I discern therein than ever I thought was to be found in him ; but I perceive it was my ignorance, and that he is as good a writer as ever I read in my life. December 22, 1662. Home, and presently shifted myself, and so had the barber come ; and my wife and I to read " Ovid's Meta- morphoses," which I brought her home from Paul's Churchyard to-night. December 26, 1662. To the Wardrobe. Hither come Mr. Battersby ; and we falling into discourse of a new book of drollery in 33 d RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS use, called Hud&bras, I would needs go find it out, and met with it at the Temple : cost me 2s. 6d. But when I come to read it, it is so silly an abuse of the Presbyter Knight going to the wars, that I am ashamed of it ; and by and by meeting at Mr. Townsend's at dinner, I sold it to him for i8d. February 6, 1662-63. 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 more to read him, and see whether I can find it or no. December 10, 1 663. To St. Paul's Church Yard, to my bookseller's, and, having gained this day in the office by my stationer's bill to the King about 40s. or ^3, calling for twenty books to lay this money out upon, and found myself at a great loss where to choose, and do see how my nature would gladly return to the laying out of money in this trade. Could not tell whether to lay out my money for books of pleasure, as plays, which my nature was most earnest in ; but at last, after seeing Chaucer, Dugdale's History of Paul's, Stow's London, Gesner, History of Trent, besides Shakespeare, Jonson, and Beaumont's plays, I at last choose Dr. Fuller's Worthys, the Cabbala, or Collections of Letters of State, and a little book, " Delices de Hollande," with another little book or two, all of good use or serious pleasure ; and Hudibras, both 34 MR. PEPYS ON BOOKS AND READING parts, the book now in greatest fashion for drollery, though I cannot, I confess, see enough where the wit lies. My mind being thus settled, I went by link home, and so to my office, and to read in Rushworth ; and so home to supper and to bed. Calling at Wotton's, my shoemaker's, to-day, he tells me that Sir H. Wright is dying ; and that Harris is come to the Duke's house again ; and of a rare play to be acted this week of Sir William Davenant's : the story of Henry the Eighth, with all his wives. January 27, 1663-64. At the Coffee-house, where I sat with Sir G. Ascue and William Petty, who in discourse is, methinks, one of the most rational men that ever I heard speak with a tongue, having all his notions the most distinct and clear, and did, among other things (saying, that in all his life these three books were the most esteemed and generally cried up for wit in the world — " Religio Medici," Osborne's "Advice to a Son," and "Hudibras"), say that in these — the two first principally — the wit lies, and confirming some pretty sayings, which are generally like paradoxes, by some argument smartly and pleasantly urged, which takes with people who do not trouble themselves to examine the force of an argument, which pleases them in the delivery, upon a subject which they like ; whereas, as by many particular instances of mine, and others, out of Osborne, he did really find fault and weaken the strength of many of Osborne's arguments, so as that in downright disputation they would not bear 35 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS weight — at least, so far but that they might be weakened, and better found in their rooms to confirm what is there said. He shewed finely whence it happens that good writers are not admired by the present age ; because there are but few in any age that do mind any thing that is abstruse and curious ; and so longer before any body do put the true praise, and set it on foot in the world, the generality of mankind pleasing themselves in the easy delights of the world, as eating, drinking, dancing, hunting, fencing, which we see the meanest men do the best — those that profess it. A gentleman never dances so well as the dancing-master ; and an ordinary fiddler makes better musick for a shilling than a gentleman will do after spending forty. And so in all the delights of the world almost. January 30, 1663-64. This evening I tore some old papers ; among others, a romance which, under the title of " Love a Cheate," I begun ten years ago at Cambridge : and, reading it over to-night, I liked it very well, and wondered a little at myself, at my vein at that time when I wrote it, doubting that I cannot do so well now if I would try. September 25, 1664. (Lord's day.) My throat being yet very sore, and my head out of order, went not to church, but spent all the morning reading of "The Madd Lovers," a very good play. Read another play, " The Custome of the Country," which is a very poor one, methinks. 36 MR. PEPYS ON BOOKS AND READING January 18, 1664-65. To my bookseller's, and there did give thorough direction for the new binding of a great many of my old books, to make my whole study of the same binding, within very few. May 14, 1665. I all the afternoon in the coach, reading the treasonous book of the Court of King James, printed a great while ago, and worth reading, though ill intended. January 27, 1666-67. (Lord's day). To Sir Philip Warwick, by appoint- ment, to meet Lord Bellassis, and up to his chamber, but find him unwilling to discourse of business on Sundays : so did not enlarge. Went down and sat in a low room, reading " Erasmus de Scribendis Epistolis," a very good book, especially one letter of advice to a courtier most true and good, which made me once resolve to tear out the two leaves that it was writ in, but I forbore it. February 2, 1666-67. This night comes home my new silver snuffe- dish, which I do give myself for my closet. I am very well pleased this night with reading a poem I brought home with me last night from Westminster Hall, of Dryden's, upon the present war ; a very good poem. 37 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS April 8, 1667. Away to the Temple, to my new bookseller's ; and there I did agree for Rycaut's late History of the Turkish Policy, which cost me 55s. ; whereas it was sold plain before the late fire for 8s., and bound and coloured as this is, for 20s.; for I have bought it finely bound and truly coloured, all the figures, of which there was but six books done so, whereof the King and Duke of York, and Duke of Monmouth, and Lord Arlington, had four. The fifth was sold, and I have bought the sixth. April 15, 1667. To my new bookseller's, and there bought " Hooker's Polity," the new edition, and " Dugdale's History of the Inns of Court," of which there was but a few saved out of the fire, and Playford's new Catch-book, that hath a great many new fooleries in it. May 26, 1667. I away to my boat, and up with it as far as Barne Elmes, reading of Mr. Evelyn's late new book against Solitude, 1 in which I do not find much excess of good matter, though it be pretty for a bye discourse. July 24, 1667. About five o'clock down to Gravesend, all the way with extraordinary content reading of Boyle's Hydro- 1 "15th February, 1666-7. My little book in answer to Sir George Mackenzie was now published, entitled * Public Employment and an active life, with its Appenages, preferred to Solitude.'" — Evelyn's Diary. 38 MR. PEPYS ON BOOKS AND READING statickes, which the more I read and understand, the more I admire, as a most excellent piece of philosophy. January 10, 1667-680 To my new bookseller's, Martin's ; and there did meet with Fournier, the Frenchman, that hath wrote of the Sea Navigation, and I could not but buy him, and also bespoke an excellent book, which I met with there, of China. The truth is, I have bought a great many books lately to a great value ; but I think to buy no more till Christmas next, and those that I have will so fill my two presses, that I must be forced to give away some, or make room for them, it being my design to have no more at any time for my proper library than to fill them. February 2, 1667-68. (Lord's day.) All the morning setting my books in order in my presses, for the following year, their number being much increased since the last, so as I am fain to lay by several books to make room for better, being resolved to keep no more than just my presses will contain. February 8, 1667-68. To the Strand, to my bookseller's, and there bought an idle, rogueish French book, which I have bought in plain binding, avoiding the buying of it better bound, because I resolve, as soon as I have read it, to burn it, that it may not stand in the list of books, nor among them, to disgrace them if it should be found. 39 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS February 15, 1667-68. Till midnight almost, and till I had tired my own backe, and my wife's, and Deb's, in titleing of my books for the present year, and in setting them in order, which is now done, to my very good satisfaction, though not altogether so completely as I think they were the last year. February 18, 1667-68. I well remember what, in mirth, he [Sir William Coven- try] said to me this morning, when upon this discourse he said, if ever there was another Dutch war, they should not find a Secretary ; " Nor," said I, " a Clerk of the Acts, for I see the reward of it ; and, thank God ! I have enough of my own to buy me a good book and a good fiddle, and I have a good wife;" — "Why," says he, "I have enough to buy me a good book, and shall not need a fiddle, because I have never a one of your good wives." March 18, 1668. Home, and there, in favour to my eyes, staid at home, reading the ridiculous History of my Lord Newcastle, wrote by his wife, which shows her to be a mad, conceited, ridiculous woman, and he an asse to suffer her to write what she writes to him, and of him. So to bed, my eyes being very bad ; and I know not how in the world to abstain from reading. October 12, 1668. Read a ridiculous nonsensical book set out by Will. Pen for the Quakers ; but so full of nothing but nonsense, that I was ashamed to read in it. 40 MR. PEPYS AS A MAN OF AFFAIRS MR. PEPYS AS A MAN OF AFFAIRS May 19, 1663. With Sir John Minnes to the Tower ; and by Mr. Slingsby, and Mr. Howard, Comptroller of the Mint, we were shown the method of making this new money. That being done, the Comptroller would have us dine with him and his company, the King giving them a dinner every day. And very merry and good discourse upon the business we have been upon, and after dinner went to the Assay Office, and there saw the manner of assaying of gold and silver, and how silver melted down with gold do part, [upon] just being put into aqua-fortis, the silver turning into water, and the gold lying whole, in the very form it was put in, mixed of gold and silver, which is a miracle ; and to see no silver at all, but turned into water which they can bring again into itself out of the water : and at table they told us of two cheats, the best I ever heard. One of a labourer dis- covered to convey away bits of silver cut out for pence by swallowing them, and so they could not find him out, though, of course, they searched all the labourers : but, having reason to doubt him, they did, by threats and promises, get him to confess, and did find £y of it 4 1 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS in his house at one time. The other of one that got a way of coyning as good and passable, and large as the true money is, and yet saved fifty per cent, to himself, which was by getting moulds made to stamp groats like old groats, which is done so well, and I did beg two of them, which I keep for rarities, that there is not better in the world, and is as good and better than those that commonly go, which was the only thing that they could find out to doubt them by, besides the number that the party do go to put off, and then, coming to the Controller of the Mint, he could not, I say, find out any other thing to raise any doubt upon, but only their being so truly round or near it. He was neither hanged nor burned ; the cheat was thought so ingenious, and being the first time they could ever trap him in it, and so little hurt to any man in it, the money being as good as commonly goes. They now coyne between 16 and 24,000 pounds in a week. September 10, 1663. All the morning making a great contract with Sir W. Warren, for ^3,000 worth of masts, but, good God ! to see what a man might do, were I a knave. Mr. Moore tells me of the good peace that is made at Tangier with the Moores, but to continue but from six months to six months. September 24, 1666. To Sir G. Carteret, to speak a little about the altera- tion ; and there, looking over the book Sir G. Carteret 42 MR. PEPYS AS A MAN OF AFFAIRS intends to deliver to the Parliament of his payments since September 1st, 1664, I find my name the very second for flags, which I had bought for the Navy, ot calico, once, about 500 and odd pounds, which vexed me mightily. At last, I concluded of scraping out my name, and putting in Mr. Tooker's, which eased me ; though the price was such as I should have had glory by. Here I saw my Lady Carteret lately come to town, who, good lady ! is mighty kind, and I must make much of her. November 17, 1666.. In the afternoon shut myself up in my chamber, and there till twelve at night finishing my great letter to the Duke of York, which do lay the ill condition of the Navy so open to him, that it is impossible if the King and he minds anything of their business, but it will operate upon them to set all matters right, and get money to carry on the war, before it be too late, or else lay out for a peace upon any termes* It was a great convenience to-night that what I had writ foule in short- hand, I could read it to W. Hewer, and he take it fair in short-hand, so as I can read it to-morrow to Sir W. Coventry, and then come home, and Hewer read it to me while I take it in long-hand to present, which saves me much time. March 1, 1668. (Lord's day.) Up very betimes, and by coach to Sir W. Coventry's ; and there, largely carrying with me all my notes and papers, did run over our whole defence 43 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS in the business of tickets, in order to the answering the House on Thursday next ; and I do think, unless they be set without reason to ruin us, we shall make a good defence. I find him in great anxiety, though he will not discover it, in the business of the proceedings of Parliament ; and would as little as is possible have his name mentioned in our discourse to them ; and particularly the business of selling places is now upon his hand to defend himself in ; wherein I did help him in his defence about the flag-maker's place, which is named in the House. We did here do the like about the complaint of want of victuals in the fleete in the year 1666, which will lie upon me to defend also. In lieu of a coach this year, I have got my wife to be contented with her closet being made up this summer, and going into the country this summer for a month or two, to my father's, and there Mercer and Deb and Jane shall go with her, which I the rather do for the entertaining my wife, and preventing of fallings out between her and my father or Deb. To Mrs. Martin's, and here I was mightily taken with a starling which she hath, that was the King's, which he kept in his bed- chamber ; and do whistle and talk the most and best that ever I heard anything in my life. Spent the evening talking with W. Hewer about business of the House, and declaring my expectation of all our being turned out. March 2, 1668. Mr. Moore was with me, and do tell me, and so W. Hewer tells me, he hears this morning that all the town 44 MR. PEPYS AS A MAN OF AFFAIRS is full of the discourse that the Officers of the Navy shall be all turned out, but honest Sir John Minnes, who, God knows, is fitter to have been turned out himself than any of us, doing the King more hurt by his dotage and folly than all the rest can do by their knavery, if they had a mind to it. March 3, 1668. Up betimes to work again, and then met at the Office, where to our great business of this answer to the Parliament ; where to my great vexation I find my Lord Brouncker prepared only to excuse himself, while I, that have least reason to trouble myself, am preparing with great pains to defend them all : and more, I perceive, he would lodge the beginning of discharging ships by ticket upon me : but I care not, for I believe I shall get more honour by it when the Parliament, against my will, shall see how the whole business of the Office was done by me. 1 with my clerks to dinner, and thence presently down with Lord Brouncker, W. Pen, T. Harvy, T. Middleton, and Mr. Tippets, who first took his place this day at the table, as a Com- missioner, in the room of Commissioner Pett. Down by water to Deptford, where the King, Queen, and Court are to see launched the new ship built by Mr. Shish, called " The Charles." God send her better luck than the former ! Here some of our brethren, who went in a boat a little before my boat, did by appoint- ment take opportunity of asking the King's leave that we might make full use of the want of money, in our 45 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS excuse to the Parliament for the business of tickets, and other things they will lay to our charge, all which arise from nothing else : and this the King did readily agree to, and did give us leave to make our full use of it. The ship being well launched, I back again by boat. March 4, 1668. Vexed and sickish to bed, and there slept about three hours, but then waked, and never in so much trouble in all my life of mind, thinking of the task I have upon me, and upon what dissatisfactory grounds, and what the issue of it may be to me. March 5, 1668. With these thoughts I lay troubling myself till six o'clock, restless, and at last getting my wife to talk to me to comfort me, which she at last did, and made me resolve to quit my hands of this Office, and endure the trouble no longer than till I can clear myself of it. So with great trouble, but yet with some ease, from this discourse with my wife, I up, and at my Office, whither come my clerks, and so I did huddle the best I could some more notes for my discourse to-day, and by nine o'clock was ready, and did go down to the Old Swan, and there by boat, with T. Harvey and W. Hewer with me, to Westminster, where I found myself come time enough, and my brethren all ready. But I full of thoughts and trouble touching the issue of this day ; and, to comfort myself, did go to the Dog and drink half a pint of mulled sack, and in the Hall [Westminster] 46 MR. PEPYS AS A MAN OF AFFAIRS did drink a dram of brandy at Mrs. Hewlett's ; and with the warmth of this did find myself in better order as to courage, truly. So we all up to the lobby ; and, between eleven or twelve o'clock, were called in, with the mace before us, into the House, where a mighty full House : and we stood at the bar, namely, Brouncker, Sir J. Minnes, Sir T. Harvey, and myself, W. Pen being in the House, as a Member. I perceive the whole House was full of expectation of our defence what it would be, and with great prejudice. After the Speaker had told us the dissatisfaction of the House, and read the Report of the Committee, I began our defence most acceptably and smoothly, and continued at it without any hesitation or losse, but with full scope, and all my reason free about me, as if it had been at my own table, from that time till passed three in the afternoon ; and so ended, without any interruption from the Speaker ; but we withdrew. And there all my Fellow-Officers, and all the world that was within hearing, did congratulate me, and cry up my speech as the best thing they ever heard ; and my Fellow-Officers were overjoyed in it ; and we were called in again by and by to answer only one question, touching our paying tickets to ticket-mongers ; and so out ; and we were in hopes to have had a vote this day in our favour, and so the generality of the House was ; but my speech, being so long, many had gone out to dinner and come in again half-drunk ; and then there are two or three that are professed enemies to us and every body else ; among others, Sir T. Littleton, Sir Thomas Lee, Mr. Wiles, the coxcomb whom I 47 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS saw heretofore at the cock-fighting, and a few others ; I say, these did rise up and speak against the coming to a vote now, the House not being full, by reason of several being at dinner, but most because that the House was to attend the King this afternoon, about the business of religion, wherein they pray him to put in force all the laws against Nonconformists and Papists ; and this pre- vented it, so that they put it off to to-morrow come se'nnight. However, it is plain we have got great ground, and every body says I have got the most honour that any could have had opportunity of getting; and so our hearts mightily overjoyed at this success. We all to dinner to my Lord Brouncker's — that is to say, myself, T. Harvey, and W. Pen, and there dined ; and thence with Sir Anthony Morgan, who is an acquaint- ance of Brouncker's, a very wise man, we after dinner to the King's house, and there saw part of " The Discontented Colonel." To my wife, whom W. Hewer had told of my success, and she overjoyed ; and, after talking awhile, I betimes to bed, having had no quiet rest a good while. March 6, 1668. Up betimes, and with Sir D. Gauden to Sir W. Coventry's chamber : where the first word he said to me was, " Good-morrow, Mr. Pepys, that must be Speaker of the Parliament-house : " and did protest I had got honour for ever in Parliament. He said that his brother, that sat by him, admires me ; and another gentleman said that I could not get less than ^1,000 48 MR. PEPYS AS A MAN OF AFFAIRS a-year, if I would put on a gown and plead at the Chancery-bar ; but, what pleases me most, he tells me that the Solicitor-General did protest that he thought I spoke the best of any man in England. After several talks with him alone touching his own businesses, he carried me to White Hall, and there parted ; and I to the Duke of York's lodgings, and find him going to the Park, it being a very fine morning, and I after him ; and, as soon as he saw me, he told me, with great satisfaction, that I had converted a great many yesterday, and did, with great praise of me, go on with the discourse with me. And, by and by, overtaking the King, the King and Duke of York came to me both ; and he [the King] said, " Mr. Pepys, I am very glad of your success yester- day ; " and fell to talk of my well speaking ; and many of the Lords there. My Lord Barkeley did cry me up for what they had heard of it ; and others, Parliament- men there, about the King, did say that they never heard such a speech in their lives delivered in that manner. Progers, of the Bedchamber, swore to me afterwards before Brouncker, in the afternoon, that he did tell the King that he thought I might match the Solicitor-General. Every body that saw me almost came to me, as Joseph Williamson and others, with such eulogys as cannot be expressed. From thence I went to Westminster Hall, where I met Mr. G. Montagu, who came to me and kissed me, and told me that he had often heretofore kissed my hands, but now he would kiss my lips : protesting that I was another Cicero, and said, all the world said the same of me. Mr. Ashburnham, 49 E RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS and every creature I met there of the Parliament, or that knew an}' thing of the Parliament's actings, did salute me with this honour : — Mr. Godolphin ; — Mr. Sands, who swore he would go twenty miles, at any time, to hear the like again, and that he never saw so many sit four hours together to hear any man in his life as there did to hear me. Mr. Chichly, — Sir John Duncomb, — and every body do say that the kingdom will ring of my abilities, and that I have done myself right for my whole life : and so Captain Cocke, and others of my friends, say that no man had ever such an opportunity of making his abilities known ; and, that I may cite all at once, Mr. Lieutenant of the Tower did tell me that Mr. Vaughan did protest to him, and that, in his hearing, he said so to the Duke of Albemarle, and afterwards to Sir W. Coventry, that he had sat twenty- six years in Parliament, and never heard such a speech there before : for which the Lord God make me thankful ! and that I may make use of it, not to pride and vain-glory, but that, now I have this esteem, I may do nothing that may lessen it ! I spent the morning thus walking in the Hall, being complimented by every- body with admiration : and at noon stepped into the Legg with Sir William Warren, who was in the Hall, and there talked about a little of his business, and thence into the Hall a little more, and so with him by coach as far as the Temple almost, and there 'light, to follow my Lord Brouncker's coach, which I spied, and so to Madam Williams's, where I overtook him, and agreed upon meeting this afternoon. To White Hall, to wait on 50 MR. PEPYS AS A MAN OF AFFAIRS the Duke of York, where he again, and all the company magnified me, and several in the Gallery : among others, my Lord Gerard, who never knew me before, nor spoke to me, desires his being better acquainted with me ; and [said] that, at table where he was, he never heard so much said of any man as of me, in his whole life. So waited on the Duke of York, and thence into the Gallery, where the House of Lords waited the King's coming out of the Park, which he did by and by ; and there, in the Vane-Roome, my Lord Keeper delivered a Message to the King, the Lords being about him, wherein the Barons of England, from many good arguments very well expressed in the part he read out of, do demand precedence in England of all noblemen of either of the King's other two Kingdoms, be their title what it will ; and did show that they were in England reputed but as Commoners, and sat in the House of Commons and at conferences with the Lords did stand bare. It was mighty worth my hearing : but the King did say only that he would consider of it, and so dismissed them. 1 Thence, with the Lieutenant of the Tower, in his coach home ; and there, with great pleasure, with my wife, talking and playing at cards a little — she, and I, and W. Hewer, and Deb. March 8, 1668. (Lord's day.) To White Hall, where met with very 1 The point of precedence was settled by the Act of Union. They have rank next after the peers of the like degree in England at the time of the Union. RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS many people still that did congratulate my speech the other day in the House of Commons, and I find all the world almost rings of it. With Sir W. Coventry, who I find full of care in his own business, how to defend himself against those that have a mind to choke him ; and though, I believe, not for honour and for the keeping his employment, but, for safety and reputation's sake, is desirous to preserve himself free from blame. He desires me to get information against Captain Tatnell, thereby to diminish his testimony, who, it seems, hath a mind to do W. Coventry hurt : and I will do it with all my heart ; for Tatnell is a very rogue. He would be glad, too, that I could find anything proper for his taking notice against Sir F. Hollis. To dinner with Sir G. Carteret to Lincoln's Inn Fields, where I find mighty deal of company — a solemn day for some of his and her friends, and dine in the great dining-room above stairs, where Sir G. Carteret himself, and I, and his son, at a little table, the great table being full of strangers. Here my Lady Jem. do promise to come, and bring my Lord Hinchingbroke and his lady some day this week, to dinner to me, which I am glad of. After dinner, I up with her husband, Sir Philip Carteret, to his closet, where, beyond expectation, I do find many pretty things, wherein he appears to be ingenious, such as in painting, and drawing, and making of watches, and such kind of things above my expectation ; though, when all is done, he is a sneake, who owns his owing me ^10 for his lady two or three years ago, and yet cannot provide to pay me. 5 2 MR. PEPYS AS A MAN OF AFFAIRS March 9, 1668. By coach to White Hall, and there met Lord Brouncker : and he and I to the Commissioners of the Treasury, where I find them mighty kind to me, more, I think, than was wont. And here I also met Colvill, the goldsmith ; who tells me, with great joy, how the world upon the 'Change talks of me ; and how several Parliament-men, viz., Boscawen and Major [Lionel] Walden, of Huntingdon, who, it seems, do deal with him, do say how bravely I did speak, and that the House was ready to have given me thanks for it : but that, I think, is a vanity. March 10, 1668. Met Sir R. Brookes, who do mightily cry up my speech the other day, saying my Fellow-Officers are obliged to me, as indeed they are. With Sir D. Gauden homewards, calling at Lincolne's Inn Fields ; but my Lady Jemimah was not within : and so to Newgate, where he stopped to give directions to the jaylor about a Knight, one Sir Thomas Halford, brought in yesterday for killing one Colonel Temple, falling out at a taverne. Home ; and there comes Mr. Moore to me, who tells me that he fears my Lord Sandwich will meet with very great difficulties to go through about the prizes, it being found that he did give orders for more than the King's letter do justify ; and then for the Act of Resumption, which he fears will go on, and is designed only to do him hurt, which troubles me much. He tells me he believes the Parliament will not be brought to do 53 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS any thing in matters of religion, but will adhere to the Bishops. To supper, where I find W. Joyce and Harman come to see us, and there was also Mrs. Mercer and her two daughters, and here we were as merry as that fellow Joyce could make us with his mad talking, after the old wont, which tired me. But I was mightily pleased with his singing ; for the rogue hath a very good eare and a good voice. Here he stayed till he was almost drunk, and then away at about ten at night, and then all broke up. March II, 1668. Meeting Mr. Colvill, I walked with him to his building, where he is building a fine house, where he formerly lived, in Lumbard Street : and it will be a very fine street. So to Westminster ; and there walked, till by and by comes Sir W. Coventry, and with him Mr. Chichly and Mr. Andrew Newport. I to dinner with them to Mr. Chichly's, in Queene-street, in Covent Garden. A very fine house, and a man that lives in mighty great fashion, with all things in a most extra- ordinary manner noble and rich about him, and eats in the French fashion all ; and mighty nobly served with his servants, and very civilly ; that I was mightily pleased with it : and good discourse. He is a great defender of the Church of England, and against the Act for Comprehension, which is the work of this day, about which the House is like to sit till night. After dinner with them to Westminster. About four o'clock, the House rises, and hath put off the debate to this day 54 MR. PEPYS AS A MAN OF AFFAIRS month. In the mean time, the King hath put out his proclamations this day, as the House desired, for the putting in execution the Act against nonconformists and papists. Here I met with Roger Pepys, who is come to town, and hath been told of my performance before the House the other day, and is mighty proud of it. Captain Cocke met me here, and told me that the Speaker says he never heard such a defence made, in all his life, in the House, and that the Solicitor-General do commend me even to envy. I carried cozen Roger as far as the Strand, where, spying out of the coach Colonel Charles George Cocke, formerly a very great man, and my father's customer, whom I have carried clothes to, but now walks like a poor sorry sneake, he stopped, and 'light to him. This man knew me, which I would have willingly avoided, so much pride I had, he being a man of mighty heighth and authority in his time, but now signifies nothing. March 12, 1668. To Gresham College, there to show myself ; and was there greeted by Dr. Wilkins, Whistler, and others, as the patron of the Navy Office, and one that got great fame by my late speech to the Parliament. Then home to supper, and to talk with Mr. Pelling, who tells me what a fame I have in the City by my late performance ; and upon the whole I bless God for it. I think I have, if I can keep it, done myself a great deal of repute. So by and by to bed. 55 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS MR. PEPYS'S DEVOTIONS July 8, 1660. (Lord's day.) To White Hall chapel, where I got in with ease by going before the Lord Chancellor with Mr. Kipps. Here I heard very good musique, the first time that ever I remember to have heard the organs and singing-men in surplices in my life. The Bishop of Chichester preached before the King, and made a great flattering sermon, which I did not like that the Clergy should meddle with matters of State. Dined with Mr. Luellin and Salisbury at a cook's shop. September 23, 1660. (Lord's day.) Come one from my father's with a black cloth coat, made of my short cloak, to walk up and down in. To the Abbey, where I expected to hear Mr. Baxter or Mr. Rowe preach their farewell sermon, and in Mr. Symons's pew I heard Mr. Rowe. Before sermon I laughed at the reader, who in his prayer desires of God that He would imprint His word on the thumbs of our right hands, and on the right great toes of our right feet. In the midst of the sermon, some plaster fell from the top 56 MR. PEPYS'S DEVOTIONS of the Abbey, that made me and all the rest in our pew- afraid, and I wished myself out. October 14, 1660. (Lord's day.) To White Hall chapel, where one Dr. Crofts made an indifferent sermon, and after it an anthem, ill-sung, which made the King laugh. Here I first did see the Princess Royal since she came into England. Here I also observed, how the Duke of York and Mrs. Palmer did talk to one another very wantonly through the hangings that parts the King's closet where the ladies sit. January 30, 1 660-61. (Fast day.) The first time that this day hath been yet observed : and Mr. Mills made a most excellent sermon upon " Lord forgive us our former iniquities ; " speaking excellently of the justice of God in punishing men for the sins of their ancestors. February 17, 1660—61. (Lord's day.) A most tedious, unreasonable, and im- pertinent sermon, by an Irish doctor. His text was, " Scatter them, O Lord, that delight in warr." Sir W. Batten and I very much angry with the parson. March 31, 1661. (Sunday.) At church, where a stranger preached like a fool. Dined with my wife, staying at home, she being unwilling to dress herself, the house being all dirty. 57 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS May 12, 1661. (Lord's day.) At the Savoy heard Dr. Fuller preach upon David's words, " I will wait with patience all the days of my appointed time until my change comes ; " but methought it was a poor, dry sermon. And I am afraid my former high esteem of his preaching was more out of opinion than judgment. August 4, 1 66 1. To church, and had a good plain sermon. At our coming in, the country-people all rose with so much reverence; and when the parson begins, he begins "Right Worshipfull and dearly beloved " to us. To church again, and, after supper, to talk about publique matters, wherein Roger Pepys told me how basely things have been carried in Parliament by the young men, that did labour to oppose all things that were moved by serious men. That they are the most prophane swearing fellows that ever he heard in his life, which makes him think that they will spoil all, and bring things into a warr again, if they can. November 17, 1661. (Lord's day.) To our own church, and at noon, by invitation, Sir W. Pen dined with me, and I took Mrs. Hester, my Lady Batten's kinswoman, to dinner from church with me, and we were very merry. To church ; and heard a simple fellow upon the praise of church musique, and exclaiming against men's wearing their hats on in the church. To church [again], but slept part of the sermon. 58 MR. PEPYS'S DEVOTIONS January 5, 1661—62. To church, and before sermon, there was a long psalm, and half another sung out, while the Sexton gathered what the church would give him for this last half year, I gave him 3s., and have the last week given the Clerke 2s., which I set down, that I may know what to do the next year, if it please the Lord that I live so long ; but the jest was, the Clerk begins the 25th psalm, which hath a proper tune to it, and then the Ii6th, which cannot be sung with that tune, which seemed very ridiculous. March 7, 1662. Early to White Hall, to the chapel, where by Mr. Blagrave's means I got into his pew, and heard Dr. Creeton, the great Scotchman, and chaplain in ordinary to the King, preach before the King, and Duke and Duchess, upon the words of Micah : — " Roule yourself in dust." He made a most learned sermon upon the words : but, in his application, the most comical man that ever I heard in my life. Just such a man as Hugh Peters ; saying that it had been better for the poor Cavalier never to have come with the King into England again ; for he that hath the impudence to deny obedience to the lawful magistrate, and to swear to the oath of allegiance, &c, was better treated now- a-days in Newgate, than a poor Royalist, that hath suffered all his life for the King, is at Whitehall among his friends. 59 J RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS March 30, 1662. (Easter-day.) Having my old black suit new fur- bished, I was pretty neat in clothes to-day ; and my boy his old suit new trimmed, very handsome. To church in the morning, and so home, leaving the two Sir Williams to take the Sacrament, which I blame myself that I have hitherto neglected all my life, but once or twice at Cambridge. My wife and I to church in the afternoon, and seated ourselves, she below me, and by that means the precedence of the pew, which my Lady Batten and her daughter takes, is confounded ; and after sermon she and I did stay behind them in the pew, and went out by ourselves, a good while after them, which we judge a very fine project hereafter to avoyd contention. August 17, 1662. (Lord's day.) This being the last Sunday that the Presbyterians are to preach, unless they read the new Common Prayer, and renounce the Covenant, I had a mind to hear Dr. Bates's farewell sermon ; and walked to St. Dunstan's, where, it not being seven o'clock yet, the doors were not open ; and so I walked an hour in the Temple-garden, reading my vows, which it is a great content to me to see how I am a changed man in all respects for the better, since I took them, which the God of Heaven continue to me, and make me thankful for. At eight o'clock I went, and crowded in at a back door among others, the church being half-full almost before any doors were open publicly, which is the first time that 60 MR. PEPYS'S DEVOTIONS I have done so these many years ; and so got into the gallery, beside the pulpit, and heard very well. His text was, " Now the God of Peace ; " the last Hebrews, and the 20th verse : he making a very good sermon, and very little reflections in it to any thing of the times. I was very well pleased with the sight of a fine lady that I have often seen walk in Gray's Inn Walks. To Madam Turner's, and dined with her. She had heard Parson Herring take his leave ; though he, by reading so much ot the Common Prayer as he did, hath cast himself out of the good opinion of both sides. After dinner, to St. Dunstan's again ; and the church quite crowded before I come, which was just at one o'clock ; but I got into the gallery again, but stood in a crowd. Dr. Bates pursued his text again very well ; and only at the conclusion told us, after this manner : " I do believe that many of you do expect that I should say something to you in reference to the time, this being the last time that possibly I may appear here. You know it is not my manner to speak anything in the pulpit that is extraneous to my text and business ; yet this I shall say, that it is not my opinion, fashion, or humour, that keeps me from complying with what is required of us ; but something, after much prayer, discourse, and study, yet remains unsatisfied, and commands me herein. Where- fore, if it is my unhappinesse not to receive such an illuminacion as should direct me to do otherwise, I know no reason why men should not pardon me in this world, as I am confident that God will pardon me for it in the next." And so he concluded. Parson Herring read 61 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS a psalme and chapters before sermon ; and one was the chapter in the Acts, where the story of Ananias and Sapphira is. And after he had done, says he, " This is just the case of England at present. God he bids us to preach, and men bids us not to preach ; and if we do, we are to be imprisoned and further punished. All that I can say to it is, that I beg your prayers, and the prayers of all good Christians, for us." This was all the exposition he made of the chapter in these very words, and no more. I was much pleased with Bates's manner of bringing in the Lord's Prayer after his owne ; thus, " In whose comprehensive words we sum up all our imperfect desires ; saying, c Our Father,' " &c. I hear most of the Presbyters took their leaves to-day, and that the City is much dissatisfied with it. I pray God keep peace among us, and make the Bishops careful of bringing in men in their rooms, or else all will fly a-pieces ; for bad ones will not go down with the City. December 25, 1662. (Christmas day.) Had a pleasant walk to White Hall, where I intended to have received the Communion with the family, but I come a little too late. So I walked up into the house, and spent my time looking over pictures, particularly the ships in King Henry the VTIIth's voyage to Bullaen ; marking the great difference between those built then and now. By and by down to the chapel again, where Bishop Morley preached upon the song of the Angels, " Glory to God on high, on earth peace, 62 MR. PEPYS'S DEVOTIONS and good will towards men." Methought he made but a poor sermon, but long, and, reprehending the common jollity of the Court for the true joy that shall and ought to be on these days, he particularized concerning their excess in playes and gaming, saying that he whose office it is to keep the gamesters in order and within bounds, serves but for a second rather in a duell, meaning the groome-porter. Upon which it was worth observing how far they are come from taking the reprehensions of a bishop seriously, that they all laugh in the chapel when he reflected on their ill actions and courses. He did much press us to joy in these public days of joy, and to hospitality ; but one that stood by whispered in my eare that the Bishop do not spend one groate to the poor himself. The sermon done, a good anthem followed with vialls, and the King come down to receive the Sacrament. But 1 staid not, but calling my boy from my Lord's lodgings, and giving Sarah some good advice by my Lord's order to be sober, and look after the house, I walked home again with great pleasure, and there dined by my wife's bed-side with great content, having a mess of brave plum-porridge and a roasted pullet for dinner, and I sent for a mince-pie abroad, my wife not being well, to make any herself yet. Aprils 1663. To White Hall and to Chappell, which being most monstrous full, I could not go into my pew, but sat among the quire. Dr. Creeton, the Scotchman, preached a most admirable, good, learned, and most severe sermon, 63 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS yet comicall, upon the words of the woman, " Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps that give thee suck : and he answered, nay : rather is he blessed that heareth the word of God, and keepeth it." He railed bitterly ever and anon against John Calvin, and his brood, the Presbyterians, and against the present terme, now in use, of " tender consciences." He ripped up Hugh Peters, (calling him the execrable skellum x ) his preaching, stirring up the maids of the city to bring in their bodkins and thimbles. August 9, 1663. (Lord's day.) To church, and heard Mr. Mills, who is lately returned out of the country, and it seems was fetched in by many of the parishioners, with great state, preach upon the authority of the ministers, upon these words, " We are therefore embassadors of Christ." Wherein, among many other high expressions, he said, that such a learned man used to say, that if a minister of the word and an angell should meet him together, he would salute the minister first ; which methought was a little too high. October 14, 1663. After dinner my wife and I, by Mr. Rawlinson's conduct, to the Jewish Synagogue: where the men and boys in their vayles, and the women behind a lattice out of sight ; and some things stand up, which I believe is their Law, in a press, to which all coming in do bow ; 1 Villain or scoundrel. — E. F. A. 64 MR. PEPYS'S DEVOTIONS and in the putting on their vayles do say something, to which others that hear the priest do cry, Amen, and the party do kiss his vayle. Their service all in a singing way, and in Hebrew. And anon their Laws that they take out of the press are carried by several men, four or five several burthens in all, and they do relieve one another ; and whether it is that every one desires to have the carrying of it, thus they carried it round about the room while such a service is singing. And in the end they had a prayer for the King, in which they pro- nounced his name in Portugall ; but the prayer, like the rest, in Hebrew. But, Lord ! to see the disorder, laughing, sporting, and no attention, but confusion in all their service, more like brutes than people knowing the true God, would make a man forswear ever seeing them more : and indeed I never did see so much, or could have imagined there had been any religion in the whole world, so absurdly performed as this. April 17, 1664. (Lord's day.) Up, and I put on my best cloth black suit and my velvet cloak, and with my wife in her best laced suit to Church, where we have not been these nine or ten weeks. A young simple fellow did preach : slept soundly all the sermon. Our parson, Mr. Mills, his own mistake in reading of the service, was very remark- able — that instead of saying "We beseech thee to preserve to our use the kindly fruits of the earth," he cries, " Preserve to our use our gracious Queen Katherine ! " 65 f >/ RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS November 5, 1665. (Lord's day.) To the Cocke-pitt, where I heard the Duke of Albemarle's chaplain make a simple sermon : among other things, reproaching the imperfection of humane learning, he cried — " All our physicians cannot tell what an ague is, and all our arithmetique is not able to number the days of a man " — which, God knows, is not the fault of arithmetique, but that our under- standings reach not the thing. May 13, 1666. (Lord's day.) To Westminster, and into St. Margett's Church, where I heard a young man play the fool upon the doctrine of Purgatory. jfu/y 8, 1666. (Lord's day.) To church — wife and Mercer and I, in expectation of hearing some mighty preacher to-day, Mrs. Mary Batelier sending us word to ; but it proved an ordinary silly lecturer, which made me merry, and she laughed upon us to see her mistake. . . . To church, after dinner, again — a thing I have not done a good while before, go twice in one day. August 5, 1666. (Lord's day.) To the Church, where, I believe, Mrs. Horsly goes, by Merchant -tailors' hail, and there I find in the pulpit Elborough, my old schoolfellow and a simple rogue, and yet I find preaching a very good sermon, and in as right a parson-like manner, and in as 66 MR. PEPY'S DEVOTIONS good a manner as I have heard anybody ; and the church very full, which is a surprising consideration. November 20, 1666. To church, it being thanksgiving-day for the cessation of the plague ; but, Lord ! how the town do say that it is hastened before the plague is quite over, there being some people still ill of it, but only to get ground for plays to be publickly acted, which the Bishops would not suffer till the plague was over ; and one would think so, by the suddenness, of the notice given of the day, which was last Sunday, and the little ceremony. The sermon being dull of Mr. Minnes, and people with great indifferency come to hear him. By coach to Barkeshire- house, and there did get a very great meeting ; the Duke of York being there, and much business done, though not in proportion to the greatness of the business, and my Lord Chancellor sleeping and snoring the greater part of the time. January 20, 1666-67. I to church, and there, beyond expectation, find our seat, and all the church crammed, by twice as many people as used to be : and to my great joy find Mr. Frampton in the pulpit ; and I think the best sermon, for goodness and oratory, without affectation or study, that ever I heard in my life. The truth is, he preaches the most like an apostle that ever I heard man ; and it was much the best time that I ever spent in my life at church. His text, Ecclesiastes xi., verse 8th — " But if 67 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS a man live many years, and rejoice in them all, yet let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity." April 21, 1667. To Hackney church, where very full, and found much difficulty to get pews, I offering the sexton money, and he could not help me. So my wife and Mercer ventured into a pew, and I into another. A knight and his lady very civil to me when they came, being Sir George Viner, and his lady — rich in Jewells, but most in beauty — almost the finest woman that ever I saw. That which I went chiefly to see was the young ladies of the schools, whereof there is great store, very pretty ; and also the organ, which is handsome, and tunes the psalms, and plays with the people ; which is mighty pretty, and makes me mighty earnest to have a pair at our church, I having almost a mind to give them a pair, if they would settle a maintenance on them for it. April 28, 1667. (Lord's day.) After dinner, by water — the day being mighty pleasant, and the tide serving finely, reading in Boyle's book of colours, as high as Barne Elmes, and there took one turn alone, and then back to Putney Church, where I saw the girls of the schools, few of which pretty ; and there I come into a pew, and met with little James Pierce, which I was much pleased at, the little rogue being very glad to see me : his master, Reader to the church. Here was a good sermon and 68 ELIZABETH PEPYS. From an engraving after Hailes. , MR. PEPYS'S DEVOTIONS much company, but I sleepy, and a little out of order, at my hat falling down through a hole beneath the pulpit, which, however, after sermon, by a stick, and the help of the clerk, I got up again. And so by water, the tide being with me again. August 23, 1668. (Lord's day.) To church, and heard a good sermon of Mr. Gifford's at our church, upon " Seek ye first the kingdom of Heaven and its righteousness, and all things shall be added to you." A very excellent and persuasive, good and moral sermon. He showed, like a wise man, that righteousness is a surer moral way of being rich, than sin and villainy. 69 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS MR. PEPYS IN HIS CUPS September 28, 1660. All the afternoon among my workmen, and did give them drink, and very merry with them, it being my luck to meet with a sort of drolling workmen on all occasions. December 27, 1660. This afternoon there came in a strange lord to Sir William Batten's by a mistake, and takes discourse with him, so that we could not be rid of him till Sir Arn[old] Breames, and Mr. Bens, and Sir W. Pen, fell a-drinking to him till he was drunk, and so sent him away. About the middle of the night I was very ill — I think with eating and drinking too much — and so I was forced to call the mayde, who pleased my wife and I in her running up and down so innocently in her smock. March 22, 1661. At five o'clock we set out in a coach home, and were very merry all the way. At Deptford we met with Mr. Newborne, and some other friends and their wives in a coach to meet us, and so they went home with us, and 70 MR. PEPYS IN HIS CUPS at Sir W. Batten's we supped and then to bed, my head aching mightily through the wine that I drank to-day. April 3, 1 66 1. Up among my workmen, my head akeing all day from last night's debauch. At noon dined with Sir W. Batten and Pen, who would have me drink two good draughts of sack to-day, to cure me of my last night's disease, which I thought strange, but I think find it true. April 24, 1 66 1. Waked in the morning, with my head in a sad taking through the last night's drink, which I am very sorry for : so rose, and went out with Mr. Creed to drink our morning draught, which he did give me in chocolate to settle my stomach. June 5, 1 661. This morning did give my wife ^4, to lay out upon J lace and other things for herself. Sir W. Pen and I went out with Sir R. Slingsby to bowles in his ally, and there had good sport. I took my flageolette, and played upon the leads in the garden, where Sir W. Pen come out in his shirt into his leads, and there we staid talking and singing and drinking great draughts of claret, and eating botargo, and bread and butter till twelve at night, it being moonshine ; and so to-bed, very near fuddled. 71 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS June 6, 1 66 1. My head hath aked all night, and all this morning, with my last night's debauch. September 29, 1 661. (Lord's day.) What at dinner and supper I drink, I Jcnow not how, of my own accord, so much wine, that I was even almost foxed, and my head aked all night ; so home and to bed, without prayers, which I never did yet, since I come to the house, of a Sunday night : I being now so out of order that I durst not read prayers, for fear of being perceived by my servants in what case I was. 72 THE PEPYSES WOO TERPSICHORE THE PEPYSES WOO TERPSICHORE April 19, 1663. (Easter-day.) Up, and this day put on my close-kneed coloured suit, which, with new stockings of the colour, with belt, and new gilt-handled sword, is very handsome. To church, where the young Scotchman preaching, I slept awhile. After supper, fell in discourse of dancing, and I find that Ashwell hath a very fine carriage, which makes my wife almost ashamed of herself to see herself so outdone, but to-morrow she begins to learn to dance for a month or two. April 25, 1663. In the evening, merrily practising the dance which my wife hath begun to learn this day of Mr. Pembleton, but I fear will hardly do any great good at it, because she is conceited that she do well already, though I think no such thing. May 4, 1663. The dancing-master [Pembleton] come, whom stand- ing by, seeing him instructing my wife, when he had 73 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS done with her, he would needs have me try the steps of a coranto ; and what with his desire and my wife's importunity, I did begin, and then was obliged to give him entry money ios., and am become his scholler. The truth is, I think it is a thing very useful for any gentleman. May 8, 1663. At supper comes Pembleton, and afterwards we all up to dancing till late. They say that I am like to make a dancer. May 12, 1663. A little angry with my wife for minding nothing now but the dancing-master, having him come twice a day, which is folly. 74 MR. PEPYS HAS PERILOUS EXPERIENCES MR. PEPYS HAS PERILOUS EXPERIENCES October 23, 1660. One of Mr. Shepley's pistols, charged with bullets, flew off 7 , and it pleased God that the mouth of the gun being downwards, it did us no hurt ; but I think I never was in more danger in my life. September 19, 1662. To Deptford and Woolwich yard. At night, after I had eaten a cold pullet, I walked by brave moonshine, with three or four armed, to guard me, to Redriffe — it being a joy to my heart to think of the condition that I was now in, that people should of themselves provide this for me, unspoke to. I hear this walk is dangerous to walk by night, and much robbery committed here. May 11, 1663. On foot to Greenwich, where, going, I was set upon by a great dog, who got hold of my garters, and might have done me hurt ; but, Lord ! to see in what a maze I was, that, having a sword about me, I never thought 75 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS 01 it, or had the heart to make use of it, but might, for want of that courage, have been worried. June 30, 1664. By water to Woolwich, and walked back from Wool- wich to Greenwich all alone ; saw a man that had a cudgell in his hand, and, though he told me he laboured in the King's yard, and many other good arguments that he is an honest man, yet, God forgive me ! I did doubt he might knock me on the head behind with his club. But I got safe home. July 11, 1664. About eleven o'clock, knowing what money I have in the house, and hearing a noise, I begun to sweat worse and worse, till I melted almost to water. I rung, and could not in half an hour make either of the wenches hear me ; and this made me fear the more, lest they might be gag'd ; and then I began to think that there was some design in a stone being flung at the window over our stairs this evening, by which the thiefes meant to try what looking there would be after them, and know our company. These thoughts and fears I had, and do hence apprehend the fears of all rich men that are covetous, and have much money by them. At last, Jane rose, and then I understand it was only the dog wants a lodging, and so made a noyse. August 16, 1664. Wakened about two o'clock this morning with a 76 MR. PEPYS HAS PERILOUS EXPERIENCES noise of thunder, which lasted for an hour, with such continued lightnings, not flashes, but flames, that all the sky and ayre was light ; and that for a great while, not a minute's space between new flames all the time : such a thing as I never did see, nor could have believed had even been in nature. And being put into a great sweat with it, could not sleep till all was over. And that accompanied with such a storm of rain as I never heard in my life. I expected to find my house in the morning overflowed ; but I find not one drop of rain in my house, nor any news of hurt done. January 30, 1664-65. This is solemnly kept as a fast all over the City, but I kept my house, putting my closet to rights again. To my office, and, being late at it, comes Mercer to me, to tell me that my wife was in bed, and desired me to come home ; for they hear, and have, night after night, lately heard noises over their head upon the leads. Now, knowing that I have a great sum of money in my house, this puts me into a most mighty affright, that for more than two hours, I could not almost tell what to do or say, but feared this night, and remembered that this morning I saw a woman and two men stand suspiciously in the entry, in the dark ; I calling to them, they made me only this answer, the woman saying that the men come to see her ; but who she was I could not tell. The truth is, my house is mighty dangerous, having so many ways to be come to ; and at my windows, over the stairs, to see who 11 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS goes up and down ; but, if I escape to-night, I will remedy it. God preserve us this night safe ! So, at almost two o'clock, I home to my house, and, in great fear, to bed, thinking every running of a mouse really a thief; and so to sleep, very brokenly, all night long, and found all safe in the morning. July 7, 1666. To bed ; and it proved the hottest night that ever I was in in my life, and thundered and lightened all night long, and rained hard. But, Lord ! to see in what fear I lay a good while, hearing of a little noise of somebody walking in the house : so rung the bell, and it was my maids going to bed about one o'clock in the morning. But the fear of being robbed, having so much money in the house, was very great, and is still so, and do much disquiet me. July 15, 1666. (Lord's day.) To church, where our lecturer made a sorry silly sermon, upon the great point of proving the truth of the Christian religion. Walked to the Park, and there, it being mighty hot and I weary, lay down by the canalle, upon the grass, and slept a while, and was thinking of a lampoon which hath run in my head this week, to make up the late fight at sea, and the miscarriages there ; but other businesses put it out of my head, and so home, and there drank a great deal of small beer ; and so took up my wife and Betty Michell and her husband, and away into the fields, to take the ayre, as far as beyond 78 MR. PEPYS HAS PERILOUS EXPERIENCES Hackney, and so back again, in our way drinking a great deal of milke, which I drank to take away my heartburne. Home, and to bed in some pain, and fear of more. In mighty pain all night long, which I impute to the milk that I drank upon so much beer, and the cold, to my washing my feet the night before. August 23, 1667. Abroad to White Hall in a hackney-coach with Sir W. Pen ; and in our way, in the narrow street near Paul's, going the backway by Tower Street, and the coach being forced to put back, he was turning himself into a cellar, which made people cry out to us, and so we were forced to leap out — he out of one, and I out of the other door, Query, whether a glass-coach would have per- mitted us to have made the escape ? neither of us getting any hurt ; nor could the coach have got much hurt had we been in it ; but, however, there was cause enough for us to do what we could to save ourselves. So, being all dusty, we put into the Castle tavern, by the Savoy, and there brushed ourselves. November 29, 1 667. Waked about seven o'clock this morning with a noise I supposed I heard, near our chamber, of knocking, which, by and by, increased : and I, more awake, could dis- tinguish it better. I then waked my wife, and both of us wondered at it, and lay so great a while, while that in- creased, and at last heard it plainer, knocking, as if it were breaking down a window for people to get out ; and 79 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS then removing of stools and chairs ; and plainly, by and by, going up and down our stairs. We lay, both of us, afraid ; yet I would have rose, but my wife would not let me. Besides, I could not do it without making noise ; and we did both conclude that thieves were in the house, but wondered what our people did, whom we thought either killed, or afraid, as we were. Thus we lay till the clock struck eight, and high day. At last, I removed my gown and slippers safely to the other side of the bed over my wife ; and there safely rose, and put on my gown and breeches, and then, with a firebrand in my hand, safely opened the door, and saw nor heard any thing. Then, with fear, I confess, went to the maid's chamber-door, and all quiet and safe. Called Jane up, and went down safely, and opened my chamber-door, where all well. Then more freely about, and to the kitchen, where the cook-maid up, and all safe. So up again, and when Jane come, and we demanded whether she heard no noise, she said, " yes, but was afraid," but rose with the other maid, and found nothing ; but heard a noise in the great stack of chimnies that goes from Sir J. Minnes through our house ; and so we sent, and their chimnies have been swept this morning, and the noise was that, and nothing else. It is one of the most extra- ordinary accidents in my life, and gives ground to think of Don Quixote's adventures how people may be sur- prised, and the more from an accident last night, that our young gibb-cat did leap down our stairs from top to bottom, at two leaps, and frighted us, that we could not tell well whether it was the cat or a spirit, and do some- 80 MR. PEPYS HAS PERILOUS EXPERIENCES times think this morning that the house might be haunted. December 30, 1668. My wife and I to the 'Change ; but, in going, our neere horse did fling himself, kicking of the coachbox over the pole ; and a great deal of trouble it was to get him right again, and we forced to 'light, and in great fear of spoiling the horse, but there was no hurt. RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS MR. PEPYS WITH HIGH AND LOW May 25, 1660. By the morning we were come close to the land, 1 and every body made ready to get on shore. The King and the two Dukes did eat their breakfast before they went ; and there being set some ship's diet before them, only to show them the manner of the ship's diet, they eat of nothing else but pease and pork, and boiled beef. I had Mr. Darcy in my cabin ; and Dr. Clerke, who eat with me, told me how the King had given ^50 to Mr. Shepley for my Lord's servants, and ^500 among the officers and common men of the ship. I spoke to the Duke of York about business, who called me Pepys by name, and upon my desire did promise me his future favour. Great expectation of the King's making some Knights, but there was none. About noon (though the brigantine that Beale made was there ready to carry him) yet he would go in my Lord's barge with the two Dukes. Our Captain steered, and my Lord went along bare with him. I went, and Mr. Mansell, and one of the King's footmen, and a dog that the King loved, in 1 The occasion was that of the return of the fleet to England from a cruise to Holland. Mr. Pepys had been taken as secretary. 82 MR. PEPYS WITH HIGH AND LOW a boat by ourselves, and so got on shore when the King did, who was received by General Monk with all imaginable love and respect at his entrance upon the land at Dover. Infinite the crowd of people and the gallantry of the horsemen, citizens, and noblemen of all sorts. The Mayor of the town come and give him his white staff, the badge of his place, which the King did give him again. The Mayor also presented him from the town a very rich Bible, which he took, and said it was the thing that he loved above all things in the world. A canopy was provided for him to stand under, which he did, and talked awhile with General Monk and others, and so into a stately coach there set for him, and so away through the town towards Canterbury, without making any stay at Dover. The shouting and joy expressed by all is past imagination. Seeing that my Lord did not stir out of his barge, I got into a boat, and so into his barge, and we back to the ship, seeing a man almost drowned that fell into the sea. My Lord almost transported with joy that he had done all this without any the least blur or obstruction in the world, that could give offence to any, and with the great honour he thought it would be to him. Being overtook by the brigantine, my Lord and we went out of our barge into it, and so went on board with Sir W. Batten and the Vice and Rear-Admirals. At night, I supped with the Captain, who told me what the King had given us. My Lord returned late, and at his coming did give me order to cause the mark to be gilded, and a Crown and C.R. to be made at the head of the coach table, where 83 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS the King to-day with his own hand did mark his height, which accordingly I caused the painter to do, and is now done, as is to be seen. November 12, 1660. My father and I discoursed seriously about my sister's coming to live with me, and yet I am much afraid of her ill nature. I told her plainly my mind was to have her come not as a sister but as a servant, which she promised me that she would, and with many thanks did weep for joy. March 25, 1661. Homewards, and took up a boy that had a lanthorne, that was picking up of rags, and got him to light me home, and had great discourse with him how he could get sometimes three or four bushells of rags in a day, and got 3d. a bushel for them, and many other discourses, what and how many ways there are for poor children to get their livings honestly. April 20, 1 66 1. Comes my boy to tell me that the Duke of York had sent for all the principal officers, &c, to come to him to-day. So I went by water to Mr. Coventry's, and there staied and talked a good while with him till all the rest come. We went up and saw the Duke dress himself, and in his night habitt he is a very plain man. 8+ MR. PEPYS IS DIPLOMATIC MR. PEPYS IS DIPLOMATIC July 5, 1662. At noon, had Sir W. Pen, who I hate with all my heart for his base treacherous tricks, but yet I think it not policy to declare it yet, and his son William, to my house to dinner, where was also Mr. Creed, and my cousin Harry Alcocke. I having some venison given me a day or two ago, and so I had a shoulder roasted, another baked, and the umbles baked in a pie, and all very well done. We were merry as I could be in that company. July 9, 1662. Sir W. Pen come to my office to take his leave of me, and, desiring a turn in the garden, did commit the care of his building to me, and offered all his services to me in all matters of mine. I did, God forgive me ! promise him all my service and love, though the rogue knows he deserves none from me, nor do I intend to show him any ; but as he dissembles with me, so must I with him. Come Mr. Mills, the minister, to see me, which he hath rarely done to me, though every day B5 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS almost to others of us, but he is a cunning fellow, and knows where the good victuals is, and the good drink, at Sir W. Batten's. However, I used him civilly, though I love him as I do the rest of his coat. November 5, 1662. My Lady Batten did send to speak with me, and told me very civilly that she did not desire, nor hoped I did, that anything should pass between us but what was civill, though there was not the neighbourliness between her and my wife that was fit to be, and so complained of my maid's mocking of her. When she called " Nan " to her maid within her own house, my maid Jane in the garden overheard her, and mocked her, and of my wife's speaking unhandsomely of her, to all which I did give her a very respectfull answer, such as did please her, and am sorry indeed that this should be, though I do not desire there should be any acquaintance between my wife and her. But I promised to avoid such words and passages for the future. At night I called up my maids, and schooled Jane, who did answer me so humbly and drolly about it, that, though I seemed angry, I was much pleased with her and [my] wife also. 86 MR. PEPYS AS CONVIVIALIST MR. PEPYS AS CONVIVIALIST August 27, 1660. Come a vessel of Northdown ale from Mr. Pierce, the purser, to me, and a brave Turkey-carpet and a jar of olives from Captain Cuttance, and a pair of fine turtle-doves from John Burr to my wife. Major Hart come to me, whom I did receive with wine and anchovies, which made me so dry, that I was ill with them all night, and was fain to have the girl rise and fetch me some drink. September 23, 1660. To the Hope Tavern, and sent for Mr. Chaplin, who with Nicholas Osborne and one Daniel come to us, and we drank off two or three quarts of wine, which was very good ; the drawing of our wine causing a great quarrel in the house between the two drawers which should draw us the best, which caused a great deal of noise and falling out till the master parted them, and came up to us, and did give a long account of the liberty that he gives his servants, all alike, to draw what wine they will to please his customers ; and [we] eat above 200 walnuts. Nicholas Osborne did give me 87 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS a barrell of samphire, and showed me the keys of Mardyke Fort, which he that was commander of the fort sent him as a token when the fort was demolished, and I will get them of him if I can. January 24, 1660-61. There dined with me Sir William Batten and his lady and daughter, Sir W. Pen, Mr. Fox, (his lady being ill could not come) and Captain Cuttance : the first dinner I have made since I come hither. This cost me above ^5, and merry we were — only my chimney smokes. To bed, being glad that the trouble is over. February 27, 1 660-6 1. I called for a dish of fish, which we had for dinner, this being the first day of Lent ; and I do intend to try whether I can keep it or no. February 28, 1 660-6 1. Notwithstanding my resolution, yet, for want of other victualls, I did eat flesh this Lent, but am resolved to eat as little as I can. March 26, 1661. Very merry at dinner : among other things, because Mrs. Turner and her company eat no flesh this Lent, and I had a great deal of good flesh, which made their mouths water. To Salisbury Court, and I and my wife sat in the pitt, and saw "The Bondman" done to admiration. 88 MR. PEPYS AS CONVIVIALIST November 3, 1661. (Lord's day.) At night, my wife and I had a good supper by ourselves of a pullet hashed, which pleased me much to see my condition come to allow ourselves a dish like that. January 26, 1661-62. (Lord's day.) Thanks be to God, since my leaving drinking of wine, I do find myself much better, and do mind my business better and do spend less money, and less time lost in idle company. April 4, 1663. This being my feast, in lieu of what I should have had a few days ago, for the cutting of the stone, very merry at, before, and after dinner, and the more for that my dinner was great, and most neatly dressed by our own only mayde. We had a fricasee of rabbits, and chickens, a leg of mutton boiled, three carps in a dish, a great dish of a side of lamb, a dish of roasted pigeons, a dish of four lobsters, three tarts, a lamprey pie, a most rare pie, a dish of anchoves, good wine of several sorts, and all things mighty noble, and to my great content. April 22, 1663. To my uncle Wight's, by invitation, where we had but a poor dinner, and not well dressed ; besides, the very sight of my aunt's hands, and greasy manner of carving, did almost turn my stomach. 89 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS August I, 1667. Dined at Sir W. Pen's, only with Mrs. Turner and her husband, on a venison pasty, that stunk like a devil. However, I did not know it till dinner was done. We had nothing but only this, and a leg of mutton, and a pullet or two. 90 MR. PEPYS'S WORLDLY ESTATE MR. PEPYS'S WORLDLY ESTATE August 6, 1660. This night Mr. Man offered me £1,000 for my office of Clerk of the Acts, which made my mouth water ; but yet I dare not take it till I speak with my Lord to have his consent. May 30, 1662. This morning I made up my accounts, and find myself clear worth about £530, and no more, so little have I encreased it since my last reckoning, but I confess I have laid out much money in clothes. August 31, 1662. (Lord's day.) News is brought me that Sir W. Pen is come. Made my monthly accounts, and find myself worth in money about £686 19s. 2|d., for which God be praised. I now saving money, and my expenses being very little. October 31, 1663. To my great sorrow find myself £43 worse than I was the last month, which was then £760, and now 91 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS it is but £717. But it hath chiefly arisen from my layings-out in clothes for myself and wife ; viz., for her about ;£i2, and for myself £$$, or thereabouts ; having made myself a velvet cloak, two new cloth shirts, black, plain both ; a new shag gown, trimmed with gold buttons and twist, with a new hat, and silk tops for my legs, and many other things, being resolved hence- forward to go like myself. And also two perriwiggs, one whereof costs me ^3, and the other 40s. I have worn neither yet, but will begin next week, God willing. I having laid out in clothes for myself, and wife, and for her closet and other things without, these two months this, and the last, besides household expenses of victualls, &c, above jfno. But I hope I shall with more comfort labour to get more, and with better successe than when, for want of clothes, I was forced to sneak like a beggar. December 25, 1663. (Christmas-day.) My wife begun, I know not whether by design or chance, to enquire what she should do, if I should by any accident die, to which I did give her some slight answer, but shall make good use of it to bring myself to some settlement for her sake, by making a will as soon as I can. December 31, 1663. To dinner, my wife, and I, a fine turky and a minced pie, and dined in state, poor wretch, she and I, and have thus kept our Christmas together all alone almost, 92 MR. PEPYS'S WORLDLY ESTATE having not once been out. At the Coffee [house], hearing some simple discourse about Quakers being charmed by a string about their wrists. I bless God I do, after a large expence, even this month, find that I am worth, in money, besides all my household stuff, or anything of Brampton, above ^800, whereof in my Lord Sandwich's hand, ^700, and the rest in my hand. I do live at my lodgings in the Navy Office, my family being, besides my wife and I, Jane Gentleman, Besse, our excellent, good-natured cook-maid, and Susan, a little girl, having neither man nor boy, nor like to have again a good while, living now in most perfect content and quiet, and very frugally also ; my health pretty good. At the office I am -well, though envied to the devil by Sir William Batten, who hates me to death, but cannot hurt me. The rest either love me, or at least do not show otherwise, though I know Sir William Pen to be a false knave touching me, though he seems fair. My father and mother well in the country ; and at this time the young ladies of Hinchingbroke with them — their house having the smallpox in it. The Queen, after a long and sore sickness, is become well again ; and the King minds his mistress a little too much, if it pleased God ! but I hope all things will go well, and in the Navy particularly, wherein I shall do my duty, whatever comes of it. The great talk is the design of the King of France, whether against the Pope or King of Spain nobody knows ; but a great and most promising Prince he is, and all the Princes of Europe have their eye upon him. My wife's brother come to great unhappiness by 93 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS the ill disposition, my wife says, of his wife, and her poverty which she now professes, after all her husband's pretence of a great portion. At present, I am concerned for my cozen Angier, of Cambridge, lately broke in his trade, and this day am sending his son John, a very rogue, to sea. My brother Tom I know not what to think of ; for I cannot hear whether he minds his business or not ; and my brother John at Cambridge, with as little hopes of doing good there ; for when he was here, he did give me great cause of dissatisfaction with his manner of life. Pall with my father ; and God knows what she do there, or what will become of her ; for I have not anything yet to spare her, and she grows now old, and must be disposed of, one way or other. The Duchess of Yorke is growing well again. The Turke very far entered into Germany, and all that part of the world at a loss what to expect from his proceed- ing. Myself, blessed be God ! in a good way, and design and resolution of sticking to my business to get a little money with, doing the best service I can to the King also ; which God continue ! So ends the old year. February 23, 1663-64. (Shrove-Tuesday.) This day, by the blessing of God, I have lived thirty-one years in the world : and, by the grace of God, I find myself not only in good health in every thing, and particularly as to the stone, but only pain upon taking cold, and also in a fair way of coming to a better esteem and estate in the world, than ever I 94 MR. PEPYS'S WORLDLY ESTATE expected. But I pray God give me a heart to fear a fall, and to prepare for it ! December 31, 1664. To my accounts of the whole year till past twelve at night, it being bitter cold, but yet I was well satisfied with my work ; and above all, to find myself, by the great blessing of God, worth £1349, by which, as I have spent very largely, so I have laid up above ^500 this year above what I was worth this day twelve month. The Lord make me for ever thankful to his holy name for it. Soon as ever the clock struck one, I kissed my wife in the kitchen by the fireside, wishing her a merry new year. So ends the old year, I bless God, with great joy to me, not only from my having made so good a year of profit, as having spent ^420 and laid up ^540, and upwards ; but I bless God I never have been in so good plight as to my health in so very cold weather as this is, nor indeed in any hot weather, these ten years, as I am at this day, and have been these four or five months. But I am at a great loss to know whether it be my hare's foote, 1 or taking every morning of a pill of turpentine, or my having left off the wearing of a gowne. My family is my wife, in good health, and happy with her ; her woman Mercer, a pretty, modest, quiet maid ; her chamber-maid Besse, her cook-maid Jane, the little girl Susan, and my boy, which I have had about half a year, Tom Edwards, which I took from the King's Chapel ; and as pretty and loving quiet a family I have 1 As a charm against the colic. 95 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS as any man in England. My credit in the world and my office grows daily, and I am in good esteem with every- body, I think. My troubles of my uncle's estate pretty well over ; but it comes to be of little profit to us, my father being much supported by my purse. But great vexations remain upon my father and me from my brother Tom's death and ill condition, both to our disgrace and discontent, though no great reason for either. Public matters are all in a hurry about a Dutch war. Our preparations great ; our provocations against them great ; and, after all our presumption, we are now afraid as much of them as we lately contemned them. Every thing else in the State quiet, blessed be God ! My Lord Sandwich at sea with the fleete, at Portsmouth ; sending some about to cruise for taking of ships, which we have done to a great number. This Christmas I judged it fit to look over all my papers and books, and to tear all that I found either boyish or not to be worth keeping, or fit to be seen, if it should please God to take me away suddenly. March 26, 1665. (Lord's day and Easter day.) With my wife to church. Home to dinner, my wife and I, Mercer staying the Sacrament, alone. This is the day seven years which, by the blessing of God, I have survived of my being cut of the stone, and am now in very perfect good health, and have long been ; and though the last winter hath been as hard a winter as any have been these many years, yet I never was better in my life, nor 96 MR. PEPYS'S WORLDLY ESTATE have not, these ten years, gone colder in the summer than I have done all this winter, wearing only a doublet, and a waistcoat cut open on the back ; abroad, a cloak, and within doors a coat I slipped on. Now I am at a loss to know whether it be my hare's foot which is my preservation ; for I never had a fit of the collique since I wore it, or whether it be my taking of a pill of turpentine every morning. March 4, 1666. (Lord's day.) All day at my Tangier and private accounts, having neglected them since Christmas, which I hope I shall never do again ; for I find the incon- venience of it, it being ten times the labour to remember and settle things. But I thank God I did it at last, and brought them all fine and right ; and I am, I think, by all appears to me — and I am sure I cannot be £10 wrong — worth about £4,600, for which the Lord be praised, being the biggest sum I ever was worth yet. December 31, 1666. To my accounts, wherein, at last, I find them clear and right ; but, to my great discontent, do find that my gettings this year have been £573 less than my last : it being this year in all but £2,986 ; whereas, the last, I got £3,560. And then again my spendings this year have exceeded my spendings the last by £644 : my whole spendings last year being but £509 ; whereas this year, it appears, I have spent £1,154, which is a 97 H RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS sum not fit to be said that ever I should spend in one year, before I am master of a better estate than I am. Yet, blessed be God ! and I pray God make me thank- ful for it, I do find myself worth in money, all good, above ^6,200 ; which is above .£1,800 more than I was the last year. Thus ends this year of publick wonder and mischief to this nation, and, therefore, generally wished by all people to have an end. Myself and family well, having four maids and one clerk, Tom, in my house, and my brother, now with me, to spend time in order to his preferment. Our health all well, publick matters in a most sad condition ; seamen dis- couraged for want of pay, and are become not to be governed : nor, as matters are now, can any fleete go out next year. Our enemies, French and Dutch, great, and grow more by our poverty. The Parliament back- ward in raising, because jealous of the spending of the money ; the City less and less likely to be built again, every body settling elsewhere, and nobody encouraged to trade. A sad, vicious, negligent Court, and all sober men there fearful of the ruin of the whole kingdom this next year ; from which, good God deliver us ! One thing I reckon remarkable in my own condition is, that I am come to abound in good plate, so as at all enter- tainments to be served wholly with silver plates, having two dozen and a half. April 21, 1667. (Lord's day.) I have a mind to buy enough ground to build a coach-house and stable ; for I have had it 98 MR. PEPYS'S WORLDLY ESTATE much in my thoughts lately that it is not too much for me now, in degree or cost, to keep a coach, but contrarily, that I am almost ashamed to be seen in a hackney. May 8, 1667. To enquire about the ground behind our house, of which I have a mind to buy enough to make a stable and coach-house ; for I do see that my condition do require it, as well that it is more charge to my purse to live as I do than to keep one. June 1, 1667. Up ; and there comes to me Mr. Commander, whom I employ about hiring of some ground behind the office, for the building of me a stable and coach-house : for I do find it necessary for me, both in respect of honour and the profit of it also, my expense in hackney-coaches being now so great, to keep a coach, and therefore will do it. May 10, 1668. (Lord's day.) Mr. Shepley come to see me, and tells me that my Lady x had it in her thoughts, if she had occasion, to borrow ^100 of me, which I did not declare my opposition to, though I doubt it will be so much lost. But, however, I will not deny my Lady, if she ask it, whatever comes of it, though it be lost ; but shall be glad that it is no bigger sum. 1 Lady Sandwich, wife of Pepys's patron. 99 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS December 1 1, 1668. At last, concluded upon giving ^50 for a fine pair of black horses we saw this day se'nnight. December 12, 1668. This day was brought home my pair of black coach- horses, the first I ever was master of, a fine pair ! December 21, 1668. To the Temple, the first time my fine horses ever carried me, and I am mighty proud of these. So home, and there dined with my wife and my people : and then she, and W. Hewer, and I out with our coach, but the old horses, not daring yet to use the others too much, but only to enter them. December 23, 1668. Home to dinner, and then with my wife alone abroad, with our new horses, the beautifullest almost that ever I saw, and the first time they ever carried her and me, but once ; but we are mighty proud of them. 100 MR. PEPYS THE GOSSIP MR. PEPYS THE GOSSIP July 4, 1663. With Creed to the King's Head ordinary ; but, coming late, dined at the second table very well for I2d. ; and a pretty gentleman in our company, who confirms my Lady Castlemaine's being gone from Court, but knows not the reason ; he told us of one wipe the Queen a little while ago did give her, when she come in and found the Queen under the dresser's hands, and had been so long : "I wonder your Majesty," says she, "can have the patience to sit so long a-dressing ? " — " I have so much reason to use patience," says the Queen, " that I can very well bear with it." May 20, 1664. Mr. Edward Montagu is turned out of the Court, not to return again. His fault, I perceive, was his pride, and, most of all, his affecting to be great with the Queen ; and it seems indeed he had more of her ear than every- body else, and would be with her talking alone two or three hours together ; insomuch that the Lords about the King, when he would be jesting with them about their wives, would tell the King that he must have a 101 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS care of his wife too, for she hath now the gallant : and they say the King himself did once ask Montagu how his mistress, meaning the Queen, did. He grew so proud, and despised everybody, besides suffering nobody, he or she, to get to do any thing about the Queen, that they all laboured to do him a good turn. They all say that he did give some affront to the Duke of Monmouth, which the King himself did speak to him of. But strange it is that this man should, from the greatest negligence in the world, come to be the miracle of attendance : so as to take all offices from everybody, either men or women, about the Queen. So he is gone, nobody pitying, but laughing at him ; and he pretends only that he is gone to his father, that is sick in the country. February 21, 1664-65. My Lady Sandwich tells me how my Lord Castle- maine is coming over from France, and it is believed will soon be made friends with his Lady again. What mad freaks the Mayds of Honour at Court have : that Mrs. Jenings, one of the Dutchess's maids, the other day dressed herself like an orange wench, and went up and down and cried oranges ; till, falling down, or by some accident, her fine shoes were discerned, and she put to a great deal of shame ; that such as these tricks, being ordinary, and worse among them, thereby few will venture upon them for wives : my Lady Castlemaine will in merriment say, that her daughter, now above a year old or two, will be the first mayd in the Court that will be married. 102 MR. PEPYS THE GOSSIP July 7 , 1666. Creed tells me, he finds all things mighty dull at J Court ; and that they now begin to lie long in bed ; it being, as we suppose, not seemly for them to be found playing and gaming as they used to be ; nor that their minds are at ease enough to follow those sports, and yet not knowing how to employ themselves, though there be work enough for their thoughts and councils and pains, they keep long in bed. But he thinks with me, that there is nothing in the world can help us but the King's personal looking after his business and his officers, and that, with that, we may yet do well ; but otherwise must be undone ; nobody at this day taking care of any thing, nor hath any body to call him to account for it. July 12, 1666. Away to St. James's, and with Sir W. Coventry into London, to the office. And all the way I observed him mightily to make mirth of the Duke of Albemarle and his people about him, saying, that he was the happiest man in the world for doing of great things by sorry instruments ; and so particularized in Sir W. Clerke, and Riggs, and Halsey, and others ; and then, again, said that the only quality eminent in him was, that he did per- severe ; and indeed he is a very drudge, and stands by the King's business. And this he said, that one thing he was good at, that he never would receive an excuse if the thing was not done ; listening to no reason for it, be it good or bad. And then he begun to say what a great man Warcupp was, and something else, and what was 103 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS that but a great Iyer ; and told me a story, how at table he did, they speaking about antipathys, say, that a rose touching his skin anywhere would make it rise and pimple ; and, by and by the dessert coming, with roses upon it, the Duchess bid him try, and they did ; but they rubbed and rubbed, but nothing would do in the world, by which his lie was found. He spoke con- temptibly of Holmes and his mermidons, that come to take done the ships from hence, and have carried them without any necessaries, or anything almost, that they will certainly be longer getting ready than if they had staid here. In fine, I do observe he hath no esteem nor kind- ness for the Duke's matters, but, contrarily, do slight him and them ; and I pray God the kingdom do not pay too dear by this jarring ; though this blockheaded Duke I did never expect better from. August 21, 1666. Mr. Batelier told me how, being with some others at Bourdeaux, making a bargain with another man at a taverne for some clarets, they did hire a fellow to thunder, which he had the art of doing, upon a deale board, and to rain and hail, that is, make the noise of, so as did give them a pretence of undervaluing their merchants' wines, by saying this thunder would spoil and turn them, which was so reasonable to the merchant, that he did abate two pistolls per ton for the wine, in belief of that. September 19, 1666. To White Hall, with Sir W. Batten and Sir W. 104 MR. PEPYS THE GOSSIP Pen, to Wilkes's : and there did hear many stories of Sir Henry Wood, about Lord Norwich drawing a tooth at a health. Another time, he, and Pinchbacke, and Dr. Goffe, now a religious man, Pinchbacke did begin a frolick to drink out of a glass with a toad in it : he did it without harm. Goffe, who knew sack would kill the toad, called for sack ; and, when he saw it dead, says he, "I will have a quick toad, and will not drink from a dead toad." By that means, no other being to be found, he escaped the health. October 15, 1666. Colvill tells me of the viciousness of the Court : the contempt the King brings himself into thereby ; his minding nothing, but doing all things just as his people about him will have it ! the Duke of York becoming a I slave to this Lady Denham, and wholly minds her. That there really were amours between the Duchess and Sydney ; that Sir W. Coventry is of the caball with the Duke of York, and Brouncker, with this Lady Denham : which is a shame, and I am sorry for it, and that Sir W. Coventry do make her visits ; but yet I hope it is not so. Pierce tells me, that as little agreement as there is between the Prince and Duke of Albemarle, yet they are likely to go to sea again ; for the first will not be trusted alone, and nobody will go with him but this Duke of Albemarle. He tells me much how all the commanders of the fleete and officers that are sober men do cry out upon their bad discipline, and the ruine that must follow it if continued. But that which I wonder most at — it 105 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS seems their secretaries have been the most exorbitant in their fees to all sorts of the people, that it is not to be believed that they durst do it, so as it is believed they have got ^800 a-piece by the very vacancies in the fleete. He tells me that Lady Castlemaine is concluded to be with child again ; and that all the people about the King do make no scruple of saying that the King do intrigue with Mrs. Stewart, who, he says, is a most excellent natured lady. November 29, 1666. To show how mad we are at home, here, and unfit for any troubles : my Lord St. John did, a day or two since, openly pull a gentleman in Westminster Hall by the nose, one Sir Andrew Henly, while the Judges were upon their benches, and the other gentleman did give him a rap over the pate with his cane, of which fray the Judges, they say, will make a great matter : men are only sorry the gentleman did proceed to return a blow ; for, otherwise, my Lord would have been soundly fined for the affront, and may be yet for his affront to the Judges. April 20, 1667. Met Mr. Rolt, who tells me the reason of no play to-day at the King's house. That Lacy had been committed to the porter's lodge for his acting his part in the late new play, and being thence released to come to the King's house, he there met with Ned Howard, the poet of the play, who congratulated his release ; upon which Lacy cursed him as that it was the fault of his 106 MR. PEPYS THE GOSSIP nonsensical play that was the cause of his ill usage. Mr. Howard did give him some reply ; to which Lacy answered him, that he was more a fool than a poet ; upon which Howard did give him a blow on the face with his glove ; on which Lacy, having a cane in his hand, did give him a blow over the pate. Here Rolt and others that discoursed of it in the pit did wonder that Howard did not run him through, he being too mean a fellow to fight with. But Howard did not do any thing but com- plain to the King of it ; so the whole house is silenced, and the gentry seem to rejoice much at it, the house being become too insolent. December 6, 1667. Sir J. Minnes told me a story of my Lord Cottington, who, wanting a son, intended to make his nephew his heir, a country boy ; but did alter his mind upon the boy's being persuaded by another young heir, in roguery, to crow like a cock at my Lord's table, much company being there, and the boy having a great trick at doing that perfectly. My Lord bade them take away that fool from the table, and so gave over the thoughts of making him his heir, from this piece of folly. February 13, 1667-68. Mr. Brisband tells me in discourse that Tom Killigrew hath a fee out of the Wardrobe for cap and bells, under the title of the King's Foole or Jester ; and may revile or jeere any body, the greatest person, without offence, by the privilege of his place. 107 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS MR. PEPYS IS GREGARIOUS August 20, 1662. Meeting Mr. Townsend, he would needs take me to Fleet Street, to one Mr. Barwell, squire sadler to the King, and there we and several other Wardrobe-men dined. We had a venison pasty, and other good, plain, and handsome dishes — the mistress of the house, a pretty well-carriaged woman, and a fine hand she hath; and her maid a pretty brown lass. August 21, 1662. To Mr. Rawlinson's, where my uncle Wight and my aunt, and some neighbour couples, were at a very good venison pasty. Hither come, after we were set down, a most pretty young lady, only her hands were not white nor handsome, which pleased me well, and I found her to be sister to Mrs. Anne Wight. We were good company, and had a very pretty dinner. February 3, 1663-64. To the Mitre taverne, and there met with W. Howe come to buy wine for my Lord against his going down 108 MR. PEPYS IS GREGARIOUS to Hinchingbroke, and I private with him, a great while discoursing of my Lord's strangeness to me ; but he answers that I have no reason to think any such thing, but that my Lord is only in general a more reserved man than he was before. My wife is full of sad stories of her good-natured father, and roguish brother, who is going for Holland, and his wife, to be a soldier. In Covent Garden to-night, going to fetch home my wife, I stopped at the great Coffee-house * there, where I never was before : where Dryden, the poet, I knew at Cambridge, and all the wits of the town, and Harris the player, and Mr. Hoole, of our College. And, had I had time then, or could at other times, it will be good coming thither, for there, I perceive, is very witty and pleasant discourse. But I could not tarry, and, as it was late, they were all ready to go away. 1 This was Wills' Coffee House, where Dryden had a chair reserved for him near the fireplace in winter, and which was carried into the balcony for him in summer. It was on the west side of Bow Street, and at the corner of Russell Street, and took its name from " William Urwin," the landlord. — Handbook of London, p. 554, edit. 1850. IO9 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS THE HABILIMENTS OF MR. PEPYS July I, 1660. (Lord's day.) Infinite of business, my heart and head full. Met with Purser Washington, with whom and a lady, a friend of his, I dined at the Bell Tavern in King Street, but the rogue had no more manners than to invite me and let me pay my club. This morning come home my fine camlet cloak, with gold buttons, and a silk suit, which cost me much money, and I pray God to make me able to pay for it. In the afternoon to the Abbey, where a good sermon by a stranger, but no Common Prayer yet. May 11, 1661. To Graye's Inn, and there to a barber's, where I was trimmed and had my haire cutt, in which I am lately become a little curious, finding that the length of it do become me very much. November 1, 1663. (Lord's day.) This morning my brother's man brought me a new black baize waiste-coate, faced with silk, no THE HABILIMENTS OF MR. PEPYS which I put on, from this day laying by half-shirts for this winter. He brought me also my new gown of purple shagg : also, as a gift from my brother, a velvet hat, very fine to ride in, and the fashion, which pleases me. November 3, 1663. Home, and by and by comes Chapman, the periwigg- maker, and upon my liking it, without more ado I went up, and there he cut off my haire, which went a little to my heart at present to part with it ; but, it being over, and my periwigg on, I paid him ^3 for it ; and away went he, with my own haire, to make up another of ; and I, by and by, went abroad, after I had caused all my maids to look upon it ; and they conclude it do become me ; though Jane was mightily troubled for my parting of my own haire, and so was Besse. November 8, 1 663. (Lord's day.) To church, where I found that my coming in a perriwigg did not prove so strange as I was afraid it would, for I thought that all the church would presently have cast their eyes all upon me, but I found no such thing. November 9, 1663. To the Duke, where, when we come into his closet, he told us that Mr. Pepys was so altered with his new perriwigg that he did not know him. ill RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS November 13, 1663. After dinner, come my perriwigg-maker, and brings me a second periwigg, made of my own hair, which comes to 21s. 6d. more than the worth of my own hair, so that they both come to £4. is. 6d., which he sayth will serve me two years, but I fear it. He being gone, I to my office, and put on my new shagg purple gown, with gold buttons and loop-lace. May 1, 1669. Up betimes. Called by my tailor, and there first put on a summer suit this year ; but it was not my fine one of flowered tabby vest, and coloured camelott tunique, because it was too fine with the gold lace at the bands, that I was afraid to be seen in it ; but put on the stuff suit I made the last year, which is now repaired ; and so did go to the Office in it, and sat all the morning, the day looking as if it would be fowle. At noon home to dinner, and there find my wife extraordinary fine, with her flowered tabby gown that she made two years ago, now laced exceeding pretty ; and, indeed, was fine all over ; and mighty earnest to go, though the day was very lowering ; and she would have me put on my fine suit, which I did. And so anon we went alone through the town with our new liveries of serge, and the horses' manes and tails tied with red ribbons, and the standards gilt with varnish, and all clean, and green reines, that people did mightily look upon us ; and, the truth is, I did not see any coach more pretty, though more gay, than our's, all the day. 112 MR. PEPYS AS A HOST MR. PEPYS AS A HOST December 18, 1662. Mr. Coventry inviting himself to my house to dinner, of which I was proud ; but my dinner being a legg ot mutton and two capons, they were not done enough, which did vex me ; but we made shift to please him, I think ; but I, when he was gone, very angry with my wife and people. January 13, 1662-63. My poor wife rose by five o'clock in the morning, before day, and went to market and bought fowles 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 jacke, of which I was doubtfull, do carry it very well, things being put in order, and the cook come. By and by comes Dr. Clerke and his lady, his sister, and a she-cosen, and Mr. Pierce and his wife, which was all my guests. I had for them, after oysters, at first course, a hash of rabbits and lamb, and a rare chine of beef. Next, a great dish of roasted fowle, cost me about 30s., and a tart, and then fruit and cheese. 113 1 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS 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. At 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. I believe this day's feast will cost me near £$. January 8, 1663-64. By appointment, took Luellin, Mount, and W. Symons, and Mr. Pierce, the surgeon, home to dinner with me, and were merry. We spent all the afternoon together, and then to cards with my wife, who this day put on her Indian blue gown, which is very pretty. We had great pleasure this afternoon, among other things, to talk of our old passages together in Cromwell's time ; and how W. Symons did make me laugh and wonder to-day when he told me how he had made shift to keep in, in good esteem and employment, through eight governments in one year, the year 1659, which were indeed, and he did name them all ; and then failed unhappy in the ninth, viz., that of the King's coming in. He made good to me the story which Luellin did tell me the other day, of his wife upon her death-bed ; how she 114 MR. PEPYS AS A HOST dreamt of her uncle Scobell, and did foretell, from some discourse she had with him, that she should die four days thence, and not sooner, and did all along say so, and did so. September 9, 1664. Up, and put things in order against dinner. I out and bought some things : among others, a dozen of silver salts ; and at noon comes my company, namely, Anthony and Will Joyce and their wives ; my aunt James, newly come out of Wales, and my cozen Sarah Gyles. 1 Her husband did not come ; and by her I did understand, afterwards, that it was because he was not able to pay me the 40s. she had borrowed a year ago of me. I was as merry as I could, giving them a good dinner ; but W. Joyce did so talk, that he made everybody else dumb, but only laugh at him. I forgot there was Mr. Harman and his wife, my aunt, a very good harmless woman. All their talk is of her and my two she-cozen Joyces, and Will's little boy Will, who was also here to-day. They eyed mightily my great cupboard of plate — I this day putting my two flaggons upon my table ; and indeed it is a fine sight, and better than ever I did hope to see of my own. Mercer dined with us at table, this being her first dinner in my house. After dinner, my wife and Mercer, and Tom and I, sat till 1 Pepys would have been more proud of his cousin had he anticipated her husband's becoming a Knight, for she was probably the same person whose burial is recorded in the register of St. Helen's, Bishopsgate, September 4, 1704 : "Dame Sarah Gyles, widow, relict of Sir John Gyles." "5 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS eleven at night, singing and fiddling, and a great joy it is to see me master of so much pleasure in my house. The girle plays pretty well upon the harpsichon, but only ordinary tunes, but hath a good hand : sings a little, but hath a good voyce and eare. My boy, a brave boy, sings finely, and is the most pleasant boy at present, while his ignorant boy's tricks last, that ever I saw. January 24, 1666-67. I home, where most of my company come of this end of the town — Mercer and her sister, Mr. Batelier and Pembleton, my Lady Pen, and Pegg, and Mr. Lowther, but did not stay long and I believe it was by Sir W. Pen's order ; for they had a great mind to have staid, and also Captain Rolt. And anon, at about seven or eight o'clock, comes Mr. Harris, of the Duke's play- house, and brings Mrs. Pierce with him, and also one dressed like a country-maid with a straw hat on ; and, at first, I could not tell who it was, though I expected Knipp : but it was she coming off the stage just as she acted this day in " The Goblins" ; a merry jade. Now my house is full, and four fiddlers that play well. Harris I first took to my closet ; and I find him a very curious and understanding person in all pictures and other things, and a man of fine conversation ; and so is Rolt. So away with all my company down to the office, and there fell to dancing, and continued at it an hour or two, there coming Mrs. Anne Jones, a merchant's daughter hard by, who dances well, and all in mighty good humour, and danced with great pleasure ; and then sung and then 116 MR. PEPYS AS A HOST danced, and then sung many things of three voices — both Harris and Rolt singing their parts excellently. Among other things, Harris sung his Irish song — the strangest in itself, and the prettiest sung by him, that ever I heard. Then to supper in the Office, a cold, good supper, and wondrous merry. Here was Mrs. Turner, also, and Mrs. Markham : after supper to dancing again and sing- ing, and so continued till almost three in the morning, and then, with extraordinary pleasure, broke up — only towards morning, Knipp fell a little ill, and so my wife home with her to put her to bed, and we continued dancing and singing ; and, among other things, our Mercer unexpectedly did happen to sing an Italian song I know not, of which they two sung the other two parts — two that did almost ravish me, and made me in love with her more than ever with her singing. As late as it was, yet Rolt and Harris would go home to-night, and walked it, though I had a bed for them ; and it proved dark, and a misty night, and very windy. The company being all gone to their homes, I up with Mrs. Pierce to Knipp, who was in bed ; and we waked her, and sung a song, and then left my wife to see Mrs. Pierce in bed to her, in our best chamber, and so to bed myself, my mind mightily satisfied ; only the musique did not please me, they not being contented with less than 30s. April 8, 1667. Home, and there find all things in readiness for a good dinner. By and by come my guests, Dr. Clerke and his 117 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS wife, and Mrs. Worshipp, and her daughter ; and then Mr. Pierce and his wife, and boy, and Betty ; and then I sent for Mercer ; so that we had, with my wife and I, twelve at table, and very good and pleasant company, and a most neat and excellent, but dear dinner ; but, Lord ! to see with what way they looked upon all my fine plate was pleasant ; for I made the best show I could, to let them understand me and my condition, to take down the pride of Mrs. Clerke, who thinks herself very great. We sat long ; and, after dinner, went out by coaches, thinking to have seen a play, but come too late to both houses, and then they had thoughts of going abroad somewhere ; but I thought all the charge ought to be mine, and therefore I endeavoured to part the company ; and so ordered it to set them all down at Mrs. Pierce's ; and there my wife and I and Mercer left them in good humour, and we three to the King's house, and saw the latter end of "The Surprisall," wherein was no great matter. Thence away to Polichinello, and there had three times more sport than at the play, and so home. September u, 1667. Come to dine with me Sir W. Batten and his lady, and Mr. Griffith, their ward, and Sir W. Pen and his lady, and Mrs. Lowther, who is grown, either through pride or want of manners, a fool, h-aving not a word to say ; and, as a further mark of a beggarly, proud fool, hath a bracelet of diamonds and rubies about her wrist, and a sixpenny necklace about her neck, and not one 118 MR. PEPYS AS A HOST good rag of clothes upon her back ; and Sir John Chichly in their company, and Mrs. Turner. Here I had an extraordinary good and handsome dinner for them, better than any of them deserve or understand, saving Sir John Chichly and Mrs. Turner, and not much mirth, only what I by discourse made, and that against my genius. 119 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS MR. PEPYS AND HIS PATRON, LORD SANDWICH November 14, 1663. Mr. Moore come to tell me that he had no opportunity of speaking his mind to my Lord yesterday, and so I am resolved to write to him very suddenly. November 15, 1663. (Lord's day.) In the afternoon, drew up a letter to my Lord, stating to him what the world talks concerning him, and leaving it to him and myself to be thought of by him as he pleases, but I have done but my duty in it. I wait Mr. Moore's coming, for his advice about sending it. November 18, 1663. This morning I sent WilKwith my great letter 01 reproof to Lord Sandwich, who did give it into his own hand. I pray God give a blessing to it; but I confess I am afraid what the consequences may be to me of good or bad, which is according to the ingenuity that he do receive it with. However, I am satisfied that it will do him good, and that he needs it. 120 EDWARD, FIRST EARL OF SANDWICH. From an engraving after Sir P. Lely. MR. PEPYS AND HIS PATRON, LORD SANDWICH [Here follows the letter.] My Lord, I do verily hope, that neither the manner nor matter of this advice will be condemned by your Lordship, when, for my defence in the first, I shall alledge my double attempt, since your return from Hinchingbroke, of doing it personally, in both of which your Lordship's occasions, no doubtfulness of mine, prevented me ; and that being now fearful of a sudden summons to Ports- mouth, for the discharge of some ships there, I judge it very unbecoming the duty which every bit of bread I eat tells me I owe to your Lordship to expose the safety ot your honour to the safety of my return. For the matter, my Lord, it is such as, could I in any measure think safe to conceal from, or likely to be discovered to you by any other hand, I should not have dared so far to own what from my heart I believe is false, as to make myself the relater but of others' discourse ; but, sir, your Lordship's honour being such as I ought to value it to be, and finding both in city and court that discourses pass to your prejudice, too generally for mine or any man's controllings but your Lordship's, I shall, my Lord, without the least greatening or lessening the matter, do my duty in laying it shortly before you. People of all conditions, my Lord, raise matter of wonder from your Lordship's so little appearance at Court: some concluding thence their disfavour thereby, to which purpose I have had questions asked me ; and, endeavouring to put off such insinuations by asserting the contrary, they have replied, that your Lordship's 121 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS living so beneath your quality, out of the way, and declining of court attendance, hath been more than once discoursed about the King. Others, my Lord, when the chief Ministers of State, and those most active of the Council have been reckoned up, wherein your Lordship never used to want an eminent place, have said, touching your Lordship, that now your turn was served, and the King had given you a good estate, you left him to stand or fall as he would, and, particularly in that of the Navy, have enlarged upon your letting fall all service there. Another sort, and those the most, insist upon the bad report of the house wherein your Lordship, now observed in perfect health again, continues to sojourne, and by name have charged one of the daughters for a common courtizan, alledging both places and persons where and with whom she hath been too well known, and how much her wantonness occasions, though unjustly, scandal to your Lordship, and that as well to gratifying some enemies, as to the wounding of more friends I am not able to tell. Lastly, my Lord, I find a general coldness in all persons towards your Lordship, such as, from my first dependance on you, I never knew, wherein I shall not offer to interpose any thoughts or advice of mine, well knowing your Lordship needs not any. But with a most faithful assurance, that no person nor papers under Heaven is privy to what I here write, besides myself and this, which I shall be careful to have put into your own hands, I rest confident of your Lordship's just construc- 122 MR. PEPYS AND HIS PATRON, LORD SANDWICH tion of my dutifull intentions herein, and in all humility take my leave. May it please your Lordship, Your Lordship's most obedient Servant, S. P. [The foregoing letter was sealed up and enclosed in the following.] My Lord, If this find your Lordship either not alone, or not at leisure, I beg the suspending your opening the enclosed till you shall have both, the matter very well bearing such a delay, and in all humility remain, &c. November 17th, 1663. S. P. My servant hath my directions to put this into your Lordship's own hand, but not to stay for any answer. November 20, 1663. To my Lord Sandwich's lodgings, but he was gone out before, and so I am defeated of my expectation of being eased one way or other in the business of my Lord. But I up to Mr. Howe, who I saw this day for the first time in a periwigg, which becomes him very well. He tells me that my Lord is of a sudden much changed, and he do believe that he do take my letter well. However, we both bless God that it hath so good an effect upon him. Thence I home again. November 22, 1 663. (Lord's day.) I walked as far as the Temple, and there took coach, and to my Lord's lodgings, whom 123 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS I found ready to go to Chappell ; but I coming, he begun, with a very serious countenance, to tell me that he had received my late letter, wherein first he took notice of my care of him and his honour, and did give me thanks for that part of it where I say that rrom my heart I believe the contrary of what I do there relate to be the discourse of others ; but, since I intended it not a reproach, but matter of information, and for him to make a judgement of it for his practice, it was necessary for me to tell him the persons of whom I have gathered the several particulars which I there insist on. I would have made excuses in it ; but, seeing him so earnest in it, I found myself forced to it, and so did tell him Mr. Pierce, the surgeon, in that of his Lordship's living being dis- coursed of at court. A maid-servant that I kept, that lived at Chelsey school, and also Mr. Pickering, about the report touching the young woman, and also Mr. Hunt, in Axe Yard, near whom she lodged. I told him the whole city do discourse concerning his neglect of business ; and so I many times asserting my dutiful intention in all this, and he owning his accepting or it as such. That that troubled me most in particular is, that he did there assert the civility of the people of the house, and the young gentlewoman, for whose reproach he was sorry. His saying that he was resolved how to live, and that though he was taking a house, meaning to live in another manner, yet it was not to please any people, or stop report, but to please himselt, though this I do believe he might say that he might not seem to me to be so much wrought upon by what I have 124 MR. PEPYS AND HIS PATRON, LORD SANDWICH writ ; and lastly, and most of all, when I spoke or the tenderness that I have used in declaring this to him, there being nobody privy to it, he told me that I must give him leave to except one. I told him, that possibly some- body might know of some thoughts of mine — I having borrowed some intelligence in this matter from them, but nobody could say that they knew of the thing itself what I writ. This, I confess, however, do trouble me, for that he seemed to speak it as a quick retort, and it must sure be Will. Howe, who did not see anything of what I writ, though I told him indeed that I would write ; but in this, methinks, there is no great hurt. I find him, though he cannot but own his opinion of my good intention, and so he did again and again profess it, that he is troubled in his mind at it ; and I confess I think I may have done myself an injury for his good, which, were it to do again, and that I believed he would take it no better, I think I should sit quietly without taking any notice of it ; for I doubt there is no medium between his taking it very well, or very ill. I could not forbear weeping before him at the latter end ; which, since, I am ashamed of, though I cannot see what he can take it to proceed from, but my tenderness and good will to him. After this discourse was ended, he begun to talk very cheerfully of other things, and I walked with him to White Hall, and we discoursed of the pictures in the gallery, which it may be he might do out of policy, that the boy might not see any strangeness in him ; but I rather think that his mind was somewhat eased, and hope that he will be to me as he was before. 125 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS December 30, 1663. Up betimes. My Lord Sandwich did ask me how his cozen, my wife, did, the first time he hath done so since his being offended, and in my conscience he would be glad to be free with me again, but he knows not how to begin. 126 MR. PEPYS'S LOVE FOR MUSIC MR. PEPYS'S LOVE FOR MUSIC November 21, 1660. At night to my viallin (the first time that I have played on it since I come to this house) in my dining- roome, and afterwards to my lute there, and I took much pleasure to have the neighbours come forth into the yard to hear me. March 27, 1 66 1. To the Dolphin to a dinner of Mr. Harris's, where Sir Williams both, and my Lady Batten, and her two daughters, and other company, where a great deal of mirth, and there staid till eleven o'clock at night ; and in our mirth I sang and sometimes fiddled, (there being a noise of fiddlers there) and at last we fell to dancing, the first time that ever I did in my life, which I did wonder to see myself do. July 27, 1 66 1. To Westminster, where, at Mr. Montagu's chamber, I heard a Frenchman play, a friend of Monsieur Eschar's, upon the guitar most extreme well, though at best methinks it is but a bawble. 127 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS February 24, 1661-62. Long with Mr. Berkenshaw in the morning at my musique practice, finishing my song of " Gaze not on swans," in two parts, which pleases me well, and I did give him ^5 for this month or five weeks that he hath taught me, which is a great deal of money, and troubled me to part with it. May 5, 1666. It being a very fine moonshine, my wife and Mercer come into the garden, and, my business being done, we sang till about twelve at night, with mighty pleasure to ourselves and neighbours, by their casements opening. July 28, 1666. Went to my Lord Lauderdale's house to speak with him, and find him and his lady, and some Scotch people, at supper : pretty odd company, though, my Lord Brouncker tells me, my Lord Lauderdale is a man of mighty good reason and judgement. But at supper there played one of their servants upon the viallin some Scotch tunes only ; several, and the best of their country, as they seemed to esteem them, by their praising and admiring them : but, Lord ! the strangest ayre that ever I heard in my life, and all of one cast. But strange to hear my Lord Lauderdale say himself that he had rather hear a cat mew, than the best musique in the world ; and the better the musique, the more sick it makes him ; and that of all instruments, he hates the lute the most, and, next to that, the baggpipe. 128 MR. PEPYS'S LOVE FOR MUSIC October 6, 1666. This morning my wife told me of a fine gentlewoman my Lady Pen tells her of, for £20 per annum, that sings, dances, plays on four or five instruments, and many other fine things, which pleases me mightily : and she sent to have her see her, which she did this afternoon, but sings basely, and is a tawdry wench that would take ^8 — but [neither] my wife nor I think her fit to come. February 12, 1666-67. With my Lord Brouncker by coach to his house, there to hear some Italian musique : and here we met Tom Killigrew, Sir Robert Murray, and the Italian Signor Baptista, * who hath proposed a play in Italian for the Opera, which T. Killigrew do intend to have up ; and here he did sing one of the acts. He himself is the poet as well as the musician ; which is very much, and did sing the whole from the words without any musique prickt, and played all along upon a harpsicon most admirably, and the composition most excellent. The words I did not understand, and so know not how they are fitted, but believe very well, and all in the recitativo very fine. But I perceive there is a proper accent in every country's discourse, and that do reach in their setting of notes to words, which, therefore, cannot be natural to any body else but them ; so that I am not so much smitten with it as, it may be, I should be, if I 1 Giovanni Baptista Draghi, an Italian musician in the service of Queen Catherine, and a composer of merit. — Hawkins's History of Music. 120, K RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS were acquainted with their accent. But the whole composition is certainly most excellent ; and the poetry, T. Killigrew and Sir R. Murray, who under- stood the words, did say most excellent. I confess I was mightily pleased with the musique. He pretends not to voice, though it be good, but not excellent. This done, T. Killigrew and I to talk : and he tells me how the audience at his house is not above half so much as it used to be before the late fire. That Knipp is like to make the best actor that ever come upon the stage, she understanding so well : that they are going to give her ^30 a-year more. That the stage is now by his pains a thousand times better and more glorious than ever here- tofore. Now, wax-candles, and many of them ; then, not above 3IDS. of tallow : now, all things civil, no rudeness anywhere ; then, as in a bear-garden : then, two or three fiddlers ; now, nine or ten of the best : then, nothing but rushes upon the ground, and every thing else mean ; now all otherwise : then, the Queen seldom and the King never would come ; now, not the King only for the state, but all civil people do think they may come as well as any. He tells me that he hath gone several times, eight or ten times, he tells me, hence to Rome, to hear good musique ; so much he loves it, though he never did sing or play a note. That he hath ever endeavoured in the late King's time, and in this, to introduce good musique, but he never could do it, there never having been any musique here better than ballads. And says, " Hermitt poore " and " Chiny Chese " * was 1 Chevy Chase. 130 MR. PEPYS'S LOVE FOR MUSIC all the musique we had ; and yet no ordinary fiddlers get so much money as our's do here, which speaks our rudenesse still. That he hath gathered our Italians from several Courts in Christendome, to come to make a concert for the King, which he do give ^200 a-year a-piece to : but badly paid, and do come in the room of keeping four ridiculous gundilows, 1 he having got the King to put them away, and lay out money this way ; and indeed I do commend him for it, for I think it is a very noble undertaking. He do intend to have some times of the year these operas to be performed at the two present theatres, since he is defeated in what he intended in Moorefields on purpose for it ; and he tells me plainly that the City audience was as good as the Court, but now they are most gone. Baptista tells me that Giacomo Charissimi is still alive at Rome, who was master to Vinnecotio, who is one of the Italians that the King hath here, and the chief composer of them. My great wonder is, how this man do to keep in memory so perfectly the musique of the whole act, both for the voice and the instrument too. I confess I do admire it : but in recitativo the sense much helps him, for there is but one proper way of discoursing and giving the accents. Having done our discourse, we all took coaches, my Lord's and T. Killigrew's, and to Mrs. Knipp's chamber, where this Italian is to teach her to sing her part. And so we all thither, and there she did sing an Italian song or two very fine, while he played the bass upon a harpsicon there ; and exceedingly taken I am with her 1 Gondolas. '3 1 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS singing > and believe that she will do miracles at that and acting. Her little girl is mighty pretty and witty. March 12, 1667. Up and to the Office, where all the morning. At noon home, and there find Mr. Goodgroome, whose teaching of my wife only by singing over and over again to her, and letting her sing with him, not by herself, to correct her faults, I do not like at all, but was angry at it ; but have this content, that I do think she will come to sing pretty well, and to trill in time, which pleases me well. September 8, 1667. I went to the King's Chapel to the closet, and there I heard Cresset sing a tenor part along with the Church musick very handsomely, but so loud that people did laugh at him, as a thing done for ostentation. October 1, 1667. To White Hall ; and there in the Boarded Gallery did hear the musick with which the King is presented this night by Monsieur Grebus, 1 the master of his musick ; both instrumentall — I think twenty four violins — and vocall ; an English song upon Peace. But, God forgive me ! I never was so little pleased with a concert of 1 Louis Grabut or Grabu, a French composer, and Master of the King's band, whom Charles had the bad taste to prefer to Purcell. In 1685, Dryden's opera of Albion and Albanius was set to music by Grabut ; but the piece did not succeed, and the favourers of the English school triumphed in its downfall. — Dryden's Works, vol. vii. p. 212. 132 MR. PEPYS'S LOVE FOR MUSIC musick in my life. The manner of setting of words and repeating them out of order, and that with a number of voices, makes me sick, the whole design of vocall musick being lost by it. Here was a great press of people ; but I did not see many pleased with it, only the instrumental musick he had brought by practice to play very just. yanuary 20, 1667-68. To Drumbleby's, the pipe-maker, there to advise about the making of a flageolet to go low and soft ; and he do show me a way which do do, and also a fashion of having two pipes of the same note fastened together, so as I can play on one, and then echo it upon the other, which is mighty pretty. February 27, 1667—68. With my wife to the King's House, to see " The Virgin Martyr," the first time it hath been acted a great while : and it is mighty pleasant ; not that the play is worth much, but it is finely acted by Beck Marshall. But that which did please me beyond any thing in the whole world was the wind-musick when the angel comes down, which is so sweet that it ravished me, and indeed, in a word, did wrap up my soul so that it made me really sick, just as I have formerly been when in love with my wife ; that neither then, nor all the evening going home, and at home, I was able to think of any thing, but remained all night transported, so as I could not believe that ever any musick hath that real command over the soul of a man as this did upon me : and makes 133 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS me resolve to practice wind-musick, and to make my wife do the like. January u, 1668-69. Home ; and there all the evening ; and made Tom to prick down some little conceits and notions of mine, in musick, which do mightily encourage me to spend some more thoughts about it ; for I fancy, upon good reason, that I am in the right way of unfolding the mystery of this matter, better than ever yet. 134 MR. PEPYS THE OBSERVER MR. PEPYS THE OBSERVER October 13, 1660. I went out to Charing Cross, to see Major-General Harrison x hanged, drawn, and quartered ; which was done there, he looking as cheerful as any man could do in that condition. He was presently cut down, and his head and heart shown to the people, at which there was J great shouts of joy. It is said, that he said that he was sure to come shortly at the right hand of Christ to judge them that now had judged him ; and that his wife do expect his coming again. Thus it was my chance to see the King beheaded at White Hall, and to see the first blood shed in revenge for the King at Charing Cross. June 14, 1662. Up by four o'clock in the morning, and upon business at my office. Then we sat down to business, and about 1 1 o'clock, having a room got ready for us, we all went out to the Tower-hill ; and there, over against the scaf- 1 Thomas Harrison, appointed by Cromwell to convey Charles I. from Windsor to White Hall, in order to his trial, and afterwards sat as one of his judges. !35 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS fold, made on purpose this day, saw Sir Henry Vane brought. A very great press of people. He made a long speech, many times interrupted by the Sheriffe and others there ; and they would have taken his paper out of his hand, but he would not let it go. But they caused all the books of those that writ after him [i.e., the reporters] to be given the Sheriffe ; and the trumpets were brought under the scaffold that he might not be heard. Then he prayed, and so fitted himself, and received the blow ; but the scaffold was so crowded that we could not see it done. But Boreman, who had been upon the scaffold, told us, that first he began to speak of the irregular proceeding against him ; that he was, against Magna Charta, denied to have his exceptions against the indictment allowed ; and that there he was stopped by the Sheriffe. Then he drew out his paper of notes, and begun to tell them first his life ; that he was born a gentleman ; he had been, till he was seventeen years old, a good fellow, but then it pleased God to lay a foundation of grace in his heart, by which he was persuaded, against his worldly interest, to leave all preferment and go abroad, where he might serve God with more freedom. Then he was called home, and made a member of the Long Parliament ; where he never did, to this day, any thing against his conscience, but all for the glory of God. Here he would have given them an account of the proceedings of the Long Parliament, but they so often interrupted him, that at last he was forced to give over : and so fell into prayer for England in generall, then for the churches in England, and then for the City of London : and so fitted himself 136 MR. PEPYS THE OBSERVER for the block, and received the blow. He had a blister, or issue, upon his neck, which he desired them not to hurt : he changed not his colour or speech to the last, but died justifying himself and the cause he had stood for ; and spoke very confidently of his being presently at the right hand of Christ ; and in all things appeared the most resolved man that ever died in that manner, and showed more of heate than cowardice, but yet with all humility and gravity. One asked him why he did not pray for the King. He answered, ft You shall see I can pray for the King : I pray God bless him ! " The King had given his body to his friends ; and, therefore, he told them that he hoped they would be civil to his body when dead ; and desired they would let him die like a gentleman and a Christian, and not crowded and pressed as he was. September 3, 1662. After dinner, we met and sold the Weymouth, Successe, and Fellowship hulkes, where pleasant to see how backward men are at first to bid ; and yet, when the candle is going out, how they bawl, and dispute afterwards who bid the most first. And here I ob- served one man cunninger than the rest, that was sure to bid the last man, and to carry it ; and, inquiring the reason, he told me that, just as the flame goes out, the smoke descends, which is a thing I never observed before, and by that he do know the instant when to bid last. December I, 1 662. To my Lord Sandwich's, to Mr. Moore ; and then J 37 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS over the Parke, where I first in my life, it being a great frost, did see people sliding with their skeates, which is a very pretty art. December 15, 1662. To the Duke, and followed him into the Park, where though the ice was broken and dangerous, yet he would go slide upon his scates, which I did not like, but he slides very well. December 28, 1663. Walking through White Hall, I heard the King was gone to play at Tennis, so I down to the New Tennis Court and saw him and Sir Arthur Slingsby play against my Lord of Suffolke and my Lord Chesterfield. The King beat three, and lost two sets, they all, and he particularly, playing well, I thought. July 20, 1664. To White Hall, to the Committee for Fishing ; but nothing done, it being a great day to-day there upon drawing at the Lottery of Sir Arthur Slingsby. I got in, and stood by the two Queens and the Duchess of York, and just behind my Lady Castlemaine, whom I do heartily admire ; and good sport to see how most that did give their ten pounds did go away with a pair of gloves only for their lot, and one gentlewoman, one Mrs. Fish, with the only blanke. And one I staid to see draw a suit of hangings valued at ^430, and they say are well worth the money, or near it. One 138 MR. PEPYS THE OBSERVER other suit there is better than that ; but very many lots of three and fourscore pounds. I observed the King and Queen did get but as poor lots as any else. But the wisest man I met with was Mr. Cholmley, who insured as many as would, from drawing of the one blank for 1 2d. ; in which case there was the whole number of persons to one, which, I think, was three or four hundred. And so he insured about 200 for 200 shillings, so that he could not have lost if one of them had drawn it ; for there was enough to pay the j£io, but it happened another drew it, and so he got all the money he took. August 7, 1664. I saw several poor creatures carried by, by constables, for being at a conventicle. They go like lambs, without \y any resistance. I would to God they would either con- form, or be more wise, and not be catched ! December 25, 1665. (Christmas day.) To church in the morning, and there saw a wedding in the church, which I have not seen many a day ; and the young people so merry one with another ! and strange to see what delight we married people have to see these poor fools decoyed into our con- dition, every man and woman gazing and smiling at them. June 25, 1666. Mrs. Pen carried us to two gardens at Hackny, which I every day grow more and more in love with, Mr. Drake's, one, where the garden is good, and house and *39 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS the prospect admirable ; the other my Lord Brooke's, where the gardens are much better, but the house not so good, nor the prospect good at all. But the gardens are excellent ; and here I first saw oranges grow : some green, some half, some a quarter, and some full ripe, on the same tree ; and one fruit of the same tree do come a year or two after the other. I pulled off a little one by stealth, the man being mightily curious of them, and eat it, and it was just as other little green small oranges are ; as big as half the end of my little finger. Here were also great variety of other exotique plants, and several labyrinths, and a pretty aviary. This being the first day of my putting on my black stuff bombazin suit. January 23, 1666-67. To St. James's, to see the organ Mrs. Turner told me of the other night, of my late Lord Aubigney's ; and I took my Lord Brouncker with me, he being acquainted with my present Lord Almoner, Mr. Howard, brother to the Duke of Norfolke ; so he and I did see the organ, but I do not like it, it being but a bauble, with a virginal joining to it : so I shall not meddle with it. The Almoner seems a good-natured gentleman : here I observed the deske which he hath, [made] to remove, and is fastened to one of the armes of his chayre. I do also observe the counterfeit windows there was, in the form of doors with looking-glasses instead or windows, which makes the room seem both bigger and lighter, I think ; and I have some thoughts to have the like in one of my rooms. He discoursed much of the 140 MR. PEPYS THE OBSERVER goodness of the musique in Rome, but could not tell me how long musique had been in any perfection in that church, which I would be glad to know. He speaks much of the great buildings that this Pope [Alex- ander VII.], whom, in mirth to us, he calls Antichrist, hath done in his time. Away, and my Lord and I walking into the Park, I did observe the new buildings : and my Lord, seeing I had a desire to see them, they being the place for the priests and fryers, he took me back to my Lord Almoner ; and he took us quite through the whole house and chapel, and the new monastery, showing me most excellent pieces in wax- worke : a crucifix given by a Pope to Mary Queen of Scotts, where a piece of the Cross is ; J two bits set in the manner of a cross in the foot of the crucifix : several 1 Pieces of " the Cross " were formerly held in such veneration, and were so common, that it has been often said enough existed to build a ship. Most readers will remember the distinction which Sir W. Scott represents Louis XI. (with great appreciation of that monarch's character) as drawing between an oath taken on a false piece and one taken on a piece of the true Cross. Sir Thomas More, a very devout believer in relics, says {Workt, p. 119) that, "Luther wished in a sermon of his, that he had in his hand all the pieces of the Holy Cross ; and said that if he so had, he would throw them there as never sun should shine on them ; — and for what worshipful reason would the wretch do such villany to the cross of Christ ? Because, as he saith, that there is so much gold now bestowed about the garnishing of the pieces of the Cross, that there is none left for poore folke. Is not this a high reason ? As though all the gold that is now bestowed about the pieces of the Holy Cross would not have failed to have been given to poor men, if they had not been bestowed about the garnishing of the Cross ! and as though there were nothing lost, but what is bestowed about Christ's Cross ! " Wolsey, says Cavendish, on his fall, gave to Norris, who brought him a ring of gold as a token of good will from Henry, " a little chaine of gold, made like a bottle chain, with a cross of gold, wherein was 141 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS fine pictures, but especially very good prints of holy pictures. I saw the dortoire x and the cells ot the priests, and we went into one ; a very pretty little room, very clean, hung with pictures, set with books. The Priest was in his cell, with his hair clothes to his skin, bare- legged, with a sandall only on, and his little bed without sheets, and no feather-bed ; but yet, I thought, soft enough. His cord about his middle ; but in so good company, living with ease, I thought it a very good life. A pretty library they have. And I was in the refectoire, where every man his napkin, knife, cup of earth, and basin of the same ; and a place for one to sit and read while the rest are at meals. And into the kitchen I went, where a good neck of mutton at the fire, and other victuals boiling. I do not think they fared very hard. Their windows all looking into a fine garden and the Park ; and mighty pretty rooms all. I wished my- self one of the Capuchins. So away with the Almoner in his coach, talking merrily about the difference in our religions, to White Hall, and there we left him. January 27, 1666-67. Walked to White Hall, and there I showed my cozen a piece of the Holy Cross, which he continually wore about his neck, next his body ; and said, furthermore, 'Master Norris, I assure you, when I was in prosperity, although it seem but small in value, yet I would not gladly have departed with the same for a thousand pounds.'" — Life, ed. 1852, p. 167. Evelyn mentions, Diary, 17th Nov., 1664, that he saw in one of the chapels in St. Peter's a crucifix with a piece of the true cross in it. Among the jewels of Mary Queen of Scots was a cross of gold, which had been pledged to Hume of Blackadder for £1,000. — Chalmer's Life, vol. i. p. 31. 1 Dormitory. 142 MR. PEPYS THE OBSERVER Roger the Duchess of York sitting in state, while her own mother stands by her ; and my Lady Castle- maine, whom he approves to be very handsome, and wonders that she cannot be as good within as she is fair without. Her little black boy come by him ; and, a dog being in his way, the little boy swore at the dog : " How," says he, blessing himself, " would I whip this child till the blood come, if it were my child ! " and I believe he would. February 17, 1666-67. This evening, going to the Queen's side to see the ladies, I did find the Queen, the Duchess of York, and another or two, at cards, with the room full of great ladies and men ; which I was amazed at to see on a Sunday, having not believed it ; but, contrarily, flatly denied the same a little while since to my cozen Roger Pepys. May 10, 1667. At noon to Kent's, at the Three Tuns' Tavern : and there the constable of the parish did show us the pick- locks and dice that were found in the dead man's pocket, and but i8d. in money ; and a table-book, wherein were entered the names of several places where he was to go ; and among others Kent's house, where he was to dine, and did dine yesterday ; and after dinner went into the church, and there saw his corpse with the wound in his left breast ; a sad spectacle, and a broad wound, which makes my hand now shake to write of it. His brother H3 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS intending, it seems, to kill the coachman, who did not please him, this fellow stepped in, and took away his sword ; who thereupon took out his knife, which was of the fashion, with a falchion blade, and a little cross at the hilt like a dagger; and with that stabbed him. Drove hard towards Clerkenwell, thinking to have over- taken my Lady Newcastle, whom I saw before us in her coach, with ioo boys and girls running looking upon her : but I could not : and so she got home before I could come up to her. But I will get a time to see her. May 28, 1667. I by water to Fox-hall, and there walked in Spring Garden. A great deal of company, and the weather and garden pleasant : and it is very pleasant and cheap going thither, for a man may go to spend what he will, or nothing, all is one. But to hear the nightingale and other birds, and hear fiddles, and there a harp, and here a Jew's trump, and here laughing, and there fine people walking, is mighty divertising. Among others, there were two pretty women alone, that walked a great while, which being discovered by some idle gentlemen, they would needs take them up : but to see the poor ladies how they were put to it to run from them, and they after them, and sometimes the ladies put themselves along with other company, then the other drew back ; at last, the last did get off out of the house, and took boat and away. I was troubled to see them abused so ; and could have found in my heart, as little desire of fighting as I have, to have protected the ladies. 144 MR. PEPYS THE OBSERVER July 14, 1667. (Lord's day.) Up, and my wife, a little before four, and to make us ready ; and by and by Mrs. Turner come to us, by agreement, and she and I staid talking below, while my wife dressed herself, which vexed me that she was so long about it, keeping us till past five o'clock before she was ready. She ready ; and, taking some bottles of wine, and beer, and some cold fowle with us into the coach, we took coach and four horses, which I had provided last night, and so away. A very fine day, and so towards Epsom, talking all the way pleasantly, and particularly of the pride and ignorance of Mrs. Lowther, in having of her train carried up. The country very fine, only the way very dusty. To Epsom, by eight o'clock, to the well ; where much company, and I drank the water : they did not, but I did drink four pints. And to the towne, to the King's Head ; and hear that my Lord Buckhurst and Nelly are lodged at the next house, and Sir Charles Sedley with them : and keep a merry house. Poor girl ! I pity her ; but more the loss of her at the King's house. W. Hewer rode with us, and I left him and the women, and myself walked to church, where few people to what I expected, and none I knew, but all the Houblons, brothers, and them after sermon I did salute, and walk with towards my inne. James did tell me that I was the only happy man of the Navy, of whom, he says, during all this freedom the people have taken to speaking treason, he hath not heard one bad word of me, which is a great joy to me ; for I hear the same of others, but do know that I have deserved as well as most. 145 L RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS We parted to meet anon, and I to my women into a better room, which the people of the house borrowed for us, and there to a good dinner, and were merry, and Pembleton come to us, who happened to be in the house, and there talked and were merry. After dinner, he gone, we all lay down, the day being wonderful hot, to sleep, and each of us took a good nap, and then rose ; and here Tom Wilson come to see me, and sat and talked an hour ; and I perceive he hath been much acquainted with Dr. Fuller, (Tom) and Dr. Pierson, and several of the great cavalier parsons during the late troubles ; and I was glad to hear him talk of them, which he did very ingenuously, and very much of Dr. Fuller's art of memory, which he did tell me several instances of. By and by he parted, and we took coach and to take the ayre, there being a fine breeze abroad ; and I carried them to the well, and there filled some bottles of water to carry home with me ; and there I talked with the two women that farm the well, at £12 per annum, of the lord of the manor. Mr. Evelyn with his lady, and also my Lord George Barkeley's lady, and their fine daughter, that the King of France liked so well, and did dance so rich in Jewells before the King at the ball I was at, at our Court, last winter, and also their son, a Knight of the Bath, were at church this morning. Here W. Hewer's horse broke loose, and we had the sport to see him taken again. Then I carried them to see my cozen Pepys's house, and 'light, and walked round about it, and they like it, as indeed it deserves, very well, and is a pretty place ; and then I walked them 146 MR. PEPYS THE OBSERVER to the wood hard by, and there got them in the thickets till they had lost themselves, and I could not find the way into any of the walks in the wood, which indeed are very pleasant, if I could have found them. At last got out of the wood again ; and I, by leaping down the little bank, coming out of the wood, did sprain my right foot, which brought me great present pain, but presently, with walking, it went away for the present, and so the women and W. Hewer and I walked upon the Downes, where a flock of sheep was ; and the most pleasant and innocent sight that ever I saw in my life. We found a shepherd and his little boy reading, far from any houses or sight of people, the Bible to him ; so I made the boy read to me, which he did, with the forced tone that children do usually read, that was mighty pretty, and then I did give him something, and went to the father, and talked with him ; and I find he had been a servant in my cozen Pepys's house, and told me what was become of their old servants. He did content himself mightily in my liking his boy's reading, and did bless God for him, the most like one of the old patriarchs that ever I saw in my life, and it brought those thoughts of the old age of the world in my mind for two or three days after. We took notice of his woolen knit stockings of two colours mixed, and of his shoes shod with iron, both at the toe and heels, and with great nails in the soles of his feet, which was mighty pretty : and, taking notice of them, why, says the poor man, the downes, you see, are full of stones, and we are faine to shoe ourselves thus ; and these, says he, will make the stones fly till they ring H7 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS before me. I did give the poor man something, for which he was mighty thankful, and I tried to cast stones with his home crooke. He values his dog mightily, that would turn a sheep any way which he would have him, when he goes to fold them : told me there was about eighteen score sheep in his flock, and that he hath four shillings a week the year round for keeping of them : and Mrs. Turner, in the common fields here, did gather one of the prettiest nosegays that ever I saw in my life. So to our coach, and through Mr. Minnes's wood, and looked upon Mr. Evelyn's house ; and so over the common, and through Epsom towne to our inne, in the way stopping a poor woman with her milk-pail, and in one of my gilt tumblers, did drink our bellyfulls of milk, better than any creame ; and so to our inne, and there had a dish of creame, but it was sour, and so had no pleasure in it ; and so paid our reckoning, and took coach, it being about seven at night, and passed and saw the people walking with their wives and children to take the ayre, and we set out for home, the sun by and by going down, and we in the cool of the evening all the way with much pleasure home, talking and pleasing our- selves with the pleasures of this day's work. Mrs. Turner mightily pleased with my resolution, which, I tell her, is never to keep a country-house, but to keep a coach, and with my wife on the Saturday to go some- times for a day to this place, and then quit to another place ; and there is more variety and as little charge, and no trouble, as there is in a country-house. Anon it grew dark, and we had the pleasure to see several glow- 148 MR. PEPYS THE OBSERVER wormes, which was mighty pretty, but my foot begins more and more to pain me, which Mrs. Turner by keeping her warm hand upon it, did much ease ; but so that when we come home, which was just at eleven at night, I was not able to walk from the lane's end to my house without being helped. So to bed, and there had a cere-cloth laid to my foot, but in great pain all night long. July 29, 1667. This day a man, a Quaker, came naked through the Hall [Westminster], only very civilly tied about the loins to avoid scandal, and with a chafing-dish of fire and brimstone burning upon his head, did pass through the Hall, crying, " Repent ! repent ! " September 2, 1667. I dined with Sir G. Carteret, with whom dined Mr. Jack Ashburnham and Dr. Creeton, who I observe to be a most good man and scholar. In discourse at dinner concerning the change of men's humours and fashions touching meats, Mr. Ashburnham told us, that he remembers since the only fruit in request, and eaten by the King and Queen at table as the best fruit, was the Catharine payre, though they knew at the time other fruits of France and our own country. After dinner comes in Mr. Townsend ; and there I was witness of a horrid rateing, which Mr. Ashburnham, as one of the Grooms of the King's Bedchamber, did give him for want of linen for the King's person ; which he 149 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS swore was not to be endured, and that the King would not endure it, and that the King, his father, would have hanged his Wardrobe-man should he have been served so ; the King having at this day no hanker- chers, and but three bands to his neck, he swore. Mr. Townsend pleaded want of money and the owing of the linen-draper ^5,000 ; and that he hath of late got many rich things made — beds, and sheets, and saddles, without money, and that he can go no further : but still this old man, indeed, like an old loving servant, did cry out for the King's person to be neglected. But, when he was gone, Townsend told me that it is the grooms taking away the King's linen at the quarter's end, as their fee, which makes this great want : for, whether the King can get it or no, they will run away at the quarter's end with what he hath had, let the King get more as he can. September 6, 1667. To Bartholomew fair, and there, it being very dirty, and now night, we saw a poor fellow, whose legs were tied behind his back, dance upon his hands with his breech above his head, and also dance upon his crutches, without any legs upon the ground to help him, which he did with that pain that I was sorry to see it, and did pity him and give him money after he had done. Then we to see a piece of clocke-work made by an Englishman — indeed, very good, wherein all the several states of man's age, to 100 years old, is shewn very pretty and solemne ; and several other things more cheerful, and so we ended, 150 MR. PEPYS THE OBSERVER and took a link, the women resolving to be dirty, and walked up and down to get a coach ; and my wife, being a little before me, had like to be taken up by one, whom we saw to be Sam Hartlib. My wife had her vizard on : yet we cannot say that he meant any hurt ; for it was just as she was by a coach-side, which he had, or had a mind to take up ; and he asked her, " Madam, do you go in this coach ? " but, as soon as he saw a man come to her, I know not whether he knows me, he departed away apace. By and by did get a coach, and so away home, and there to supper, and to bed. January I, 1667-68. I met with Mr. Brisband ; and having it in my mind this Christmas to do what I never can remember that I did, go to see the gaming at the Groome-Porter's, I having in my coming from the playhouse stepped into the two Temple-halls, and there saw the dirty 'prentices and idle people playing ; wherein I was mistaken, in thinking to have seen gentlemen of quality playing there, as I think it was when I was a little child, that one of my father's servants, John Bassum, I think, carried me in his arms thither. I did tell Brisband of it, and he did lead me thither, where, after staying an hour, they begun to play at about eight at night, where to see how differently one man took his losing from another, one cursing and swearing, and another only muttering and grumbling to himself, a third without any apparent discontent at all : to see how the dice will run good luck in one hand, for half an hour together, 151 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS and another have no good luck at all : to see how easily here, where they play nothing but guinnys, a ^ioo is won or lost : to see two or three gentlemen come in there drunk, and putting their stock of gold together, one 22 pieces, the second 4, and the third 5 pieces ; and these two play one with another, and forget how much each of them brought, but he that brought the 22 thinks that he brought no more than the rest : to see the different humours of gamesters to change their luck, when it is bad, how ceremonious they are to call for new dice, to shift their places, to alter their manner of throwing, and that with great industry, as if there was anything in it : to see how some old gamesters, that have no money now to spend as formerly, do come and sit and look on, and among others, Sir Lewes Dives, who was here, and hath been a great gamester in his time : to hear their cursing and damning to no purpose, as one man being to throw a seven if he could, and, failing to do it after a great many throws, cried he would be damned if ever he flung seven more while he lived, his despair of throwing it being so great, while others did it as their luck served almost every throw : to see how persons of the best quality do here sit down, and play with people of any, though meaner ; and to see how people in ordi- nary clothes shall come hither, and play away 100, or 2 or 300 guinnys, without any kind of difficulty : and lastly, to see the formality of the groome-porter, who is their judge of all disputes in play and all quarrels that may arise therein, and how his under-officers are there to 152 MR. PEPYS THE OBSERVER observe true play at each table, and to give new dice, is a consideration I never could have thought had been in the world, had I not now seen it. And mighty glad I am that I did see it, and it may be will find another evening, before Christmas be over, to see it again, when I may stay later, for their heat of play begins not till about eleven or twelve o'clock ; which did give me another pretty observation of a man, that did win mighty fast when I was there. I think he won ^ioo at single pieces in a little time. While all the rest envied him his good fortune, he cursed it, saying, "it come so early upon me, for this fortune two hours hence would be worth something to me, but then I shall have no such luck." This kind of prophane, mad entertainment they give themselves. And so I, having enough for once, refusing to venture, though Brisband pressed me hard, and tempted me with saying that no man was ever known to lose the first time, the devil being too cunning to discourage a gamester ; and he offered me also to lend me ten pieces to venture ; but I did refuse, and so went away. August 22, 1668. Going through Leaden-Hall, it being market-day, I did see a woman catched, that had stole a shoulder of mutton off of a butcher's stall, and carrying it wrapt up in a cloth, in a basket. The jade was surprised, and did not deny it, and the woman so silly as to let her go that took it, only taking the meat. 153 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS THE PERQUISITES OF MR. PEPYS'S OFFICE March 25, 1663. This evening come Captain [Edward] Grove about hiring ships for Tangier. I did hint to him my desire that I could make some lawfull profit thereof, which he promises. April 3, 1663. I met Captain Grove, who did give me a letter directed to myself from himself. I discerned money to be in it, and took it, knowing as I found it to be, the proceed of the place I have got him to be, the taking up of vessels for Tangier. But I did not open it till I come home — not looking into it till all the money was out, that I might say I saw no money in the paper, if ever I should be questioned about it. There was a piece in gold, and ^4 in silver. November 21, 1663. At noon, I receive a letter from Mr. Creed, with a token, viz., a very noble parti-coloured Indian gowne for 154 THE PERQUISITES OF MR. PEPYS'S OFFICE my wife. The letter is oddly writ, overprizing his present, and little owning any past services of mine. I confess I had expectations of a better account from him of my services about his accounts, and so give his boy 1 2d., and sent it back again. And this afternoon I went to Ludgate, and, by pricing several there, I guess this gowne may be worth about ^i 2 or ^15. But, however, I expect at least £50 of him. My mind being pretty well at ease for my receipt this afternoon of ^17 at the Treasury, paid a year since to the carver for his work at my house, which I did intend to have paid myself, but, finding others to do it, I thought it not amisse to get it too. February 11, 1663-64. Mr. Falconer come and visited my wife, and brought her a present — a silver state-cup and cover, value about three or ^4, for the courtesy I did him the other day. I am almost sorry for this present, because I would have reserved him for a place to go in summer a-visiting at Woolwich with my wife. May 2, 1664. To my office, v/hither comes Mr. Bland, and paid me the debt he acknowledged he owed me for my service in his business of the Tangier merchant — twenty pieces of new gold, a pleasant sight. It cheered my heart ; and, he being gone, I home to supper, and shewed them my wife ; and she, poor wretch, would fain have kept them to look on, without any other design but a simple love to RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS them ; but I thought it not convenient, and so took them into my own hand. September 16, 1664. Mr. Gauden coming to me, I had a good opportunity to speak to him about his present, which hitherto hath been a burden to me, because I was doubtfull that he meant it as a temptation to me, to stand by him in the business of Tangier victualling ; but he clears me it was not, and that what he did was for my old kindnesses to him, and dispatching of his business. Met Sir W. Warren, and afterwards to the Sun taverne, where he brought to me, being all alone, a ^iooina bag, which I offered him to give him my receipt for, but he told me no, it was my owne, which he had a little while since promised me ; and so most kindly he did give it me, and I as joyfully, even out of myself, carried it home in a coach — he himself expressly taking care that nobody might see this business done, though I was willing enough to have carried a servant with me to have received it, but he advised me to do it myself. April 17, 1665. This day was left at my house a very neat silver watch by one Briggs, a scrivener and solicitor, which I was angry with my wife for receiving, or, at least, for opening the box wherein it was, and so far witnessing our receipt of it, as to give the messenger 5s. for bringing it ; but it can't be helped, and I will endeavour to do the man a kindness, he being a friend of my uncle Wight's. 156 ' THE PERQUISITES OF MR. PEPYS'S OFFICE August 7, 1665. Comes Rayner, the boat-maker, about some business, and brings a piece of plate with him, which I refused. He gone, then comes Luellin, about Mr. Deering's business of planke, to have the contract perfected, and offers me twenty pieces in gold, but I refused it. November 26, 1 667. After dinner come to me Mr. Warren, and there did tell me that he come to pay his debt to me for the kind- ness I did him in getting his last ship out, which I must also remember was a service to the King, though I did not tell him so. He would present me with sixty pieces in gold. I told him I would demand nothing of his promises, though they were much greater, nor would have thus much, but if he could afford to give me but fifty pieces, it should suffice me. So now he brought something in a paper, which since proves to be fifty pieces. February 21, 1667-68. Comes to me young Captain Beckford, the slopseller, and there presents me a little purse with gold in it, it being, as he told me, for his present to me, at the end of the last year. I told him I had not done him any service I knew of. He persisted, and I refused ; and telling him that it was not an age to make presents in, he told me he had reason to present me with something, and desired me to accept of it, which, at his so urging me, I did. 157 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS MR. PEPYS'S PERSONAL APPEARANCE May 25, 1662. (Lord's day.) To trimming myself, which I have this week done every morning, with a pumice stone, which I learnt of Mr. March, when I was last at Portsmouth ; and I find it very easy, speedy, and cleanly, and shall continue the practice of it. May 31, 1662. Had Sarah to comb my head clean, which I found so foul with powdering and other troubles, that I am resolved to try how I can keep my head dry without powder; and I did also in a sudden fit cut off all my beard, which I had been a great while bringing up, only that I may with my pumice stone do my whole face as I now do my chin, and so save time, which I find a very easy way, and gentile. She also washed my feet in a bath of herbes, and so to bed. May 9, 1663. At Mr. Jervas's, my old barber, I did try two or three borders and perriwiggs, meaning to wear one ; and yet I 158 MR. PEPYS'S PERSONAL APPEARANCE have no stomach [for it], but that the pains of keeping my hair clean is so great. He trimmed me, and at last I parted, but my mind was almost altered from my first purpose, from the trouble that I foresee will be in wearing them also. November 13, 1 663. After dinner, come my perriwigg-malcer, and brings me a second perriwigg, made of my own hair, which comes to 21s. 6d. more than the worth of my own hair, so that they both come to ^4 is. 6d., which he sayth will serve me two years, but I fear it. He being gone, I to my office, and put on my new shagg purple gown, with gold buttons and loop-lace. January 6, 1663-64. (Twelfth day.) This morning I began a practice, which I find, by the ease I do it with, that I shall continue, it saving me money and time; that is, to trimme myself with a razer : which pleases me mightily. April 29, 1666. Weary to bed, after having my hair of my head cut shorter, even close to my skull, for coolness, it being mighty hot weather. September 17, 1666. Up betimes, and shaved myself after a week's growth : but, Lord ! how ugly I was yesterday, and how fine to-day ! 159 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS November 12, 1666. Going to Sir R. Viner's, I did get such a splash and spots of dirt upon my new vest, that I was out of countenance to be seen in the street. 160 MR. PEPYS AT THE PLAY MR. PEPYS AT THE PLAY October II, 1660. In the Park, we met with Mr. Salisbury, who took Mr. Creed and me to the Cockpit to see " The Moor of Venice," which was well done. Burt acted the Moor ; by the same token, a very pretty lady that sat by me called out, to see Desdemona smothered. With Mr. Creed to Hercules Pillars, where we drank. January 28, 1 660-6 1. I went to Mr. Crewe's, and thence to the Theatre, where I saw again "The Lost Lady," which do now please me better than before ; and here I sitting behind in a dark place, a lady spit backward upon me by a mistake, not seeing me; but after seeing her to be a very pretty lady, I was not troubled at it at all. March 2, 1661. After dinner I went to the theatre, where I found so few people (which is strange, and the reason I do not know) that I went out again, and so to Salisbury Court, where the house as full as could be ; and it seems it was a new play, "The Queen's Maske," wherein there are l6l M RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS some good humours; among others, a good jeer to the old story of the Siege of Troy, making it to be a common country tale. But above all it was strange to see so little a boy as that was to act Cupid, which is one of the greatest parts in it. March 23, 1 66 1. To the Red Bull 1 (where I had not been since plays come up again) up to the tireing-room, where strange the confusion and disorder there is among them in fitting themselves, especially here, where the clothes are very poore, and the actors but common fellows. At last into the pitt, where I think there was not above ten more than myself, and not one hundred in the whole house. And the play, which is called " All's Lost but Lust," poorly done; and with so much disorder, among others, in the musique-room, the boy that was to sing a song, not singing it right, his master fell about his eares and beat him so, that it put the whole house into an uprore. July 2, 1 66 1. Went to Sir William Davenant's Opera, this being the fourth day that it hath begun, and the first that I have seen it. To-day was acted the second part of " The Siege of Rhodes." We staid a very great while for the King and Queen of Bohemia ; and by the 1 The Red Bull was in St. John Street, Clerkenwell ; but of an inferior rank to the Globe and Blackfriars Theatres, and is described as "that degenerate stage, Where none of the unturn'd kennel can rehearse A line of serious sense." l62 MR. PEPYS AT THE PLAY breaking of a board over our heads, we had a great deal of dust fell into the ladies' necks and the men's haire, which made good sport. The King being come, the scene opened ; which indeed is very fine and magnificent, and well acted, all but the Eunuche, who was so much out that he was hissed off the stage. August 15, 1 66 1. To the Opera, which begins again to-day with " The Witts," never acted yet with scenes ; and the King and Duke and Duchess were there, who dined to-day with Sir H. Finch, reader at the Temple, in great state ; and indeed it is a most excellent play, and admirable scenes. August 17, 1 66 1. I to the Opera, and saw " The Witts " again, which I like exceedingly. The Queen of Bohemia was here, brought by my Lord Craven. Troubled in mind that I cannot bring myself to mind my business, but to be so much in love of plays. October 28, 1 66 1. To the Theatre, and there saw "Argalus and Par- thenia," where a woman acted Parthenia, and come afterwards on the stage in men's clothes, and had the best legs that ever I saw, and I was very well pleased with it. September 29, 1662. (Michaelmas day.) This day my oaths for drinking of wine and going to plays are out ; and so I do resolve 163 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS to take a liberty to-day, and then to fall to them again. To Mr. Coventry's, and so with him and Sir W. Pen up to the Duke, where the King come also, and staid till the Duke was ready. It being Collar-day, we had no time to talk with him about any business. To the King's Theatre, where we saw " Midsummer Night's Dream," which I had never seen before, nor shall ever again, for it is the most insipid, ridiculous play that ever I saw in my life. September 30, 1662. To the Duke's play-house, where we saw "The Duchess of Malfy " * well performed, but Betterton and Ianthe (Mrs. Betterton) to admiration. Strange to see how easily my mind do revert to its former practice of loving plays and wine ; but this night I have again bound myself to Christmas next. October 2, 1662. At night, hearing that there was a play at the Cockpit, and my Lord Sandwich, who come to town last night, at it, I do go thither, and by very great fortune did follow four or five gentlemen who were carried to a little private door in a wall, and so crept through a narrow place, and come into one of the boxes next the King's, but so as I could not see the King or Queen, but many of the fine ladies, who yet are not really so handsome generally as I used to take them to be, but that they are finely dressed. Then we saw " The Cardinall," a 1 A tragedy by John Webster. 164 MR. PEPYS AT THE PLAY tragedy I had never seen before, nor is there any great matter in it. The company that come in with me into the box were all Frenchmen, that could speak no English ; but, Lord ! what sport they made to ask a pretty lady that they got among them, that understood both French and English, to make her tell them what the actors said. January i, 1662-63. After dinner, to the Duke's house, where we saw " The Villaine " againe ; and the more I see it, the more I am offended at my first undervaluing the play, it being very good and pleasant, and yet a true and allowable tragedy. The house was full of citizens, and so the less pleasant, but that I was willing to make an end of my gaddings. Here we saw the old Roxalana in the chief box, in a velvet gown, as the fashion is, and very handsome, at which I was glad. January 6, 1662-63. To the Duke's house, and there saw Twelfth-Night acted well, though it be but a silly play, and not relating at all to the name or day. January 8, 1662-63. Dined at home ; and there being the famous new play acted the first time to-day, which is called " The Adventures of Five Hours," at the Duke's house, being, they say, made or translated by Colonel Tuke, 1 I did 1 Sir George Tuke, of Cressing Temple, in Essex, John Evelyn's cousin. The play was taken from the original of the Spanish poet, Calderon. Evelyn saw it on the same occasion. 165 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS long to see it ; and so we went ; and though early, were forced to sit, almost out of sight, at the end of one of the lower formes, so full was the house. And the play, in one word, is the best, for the variety and the most excellent continuance of the plot to the very end, that ever I saw, or think ever shall, and all possible, not only to be done in the time, but in most other respects very admittable, and without one word of ribaldry ; and the house, by its frequent plaudits, did show their sufficient approbation. So home ; with much ado in an hour getting a coach home, and now resolving to set up my rest as to plays till Easter, if not Whitsuntide next, excepting plays at Court. May 8, 1663. Took my wife and Ash well to the Theatre Royall, being the second day of its being opened. The house is made with extraordinary good convenience, and yet hath some faults, as the narrowness of the passages in and out of the pit, and the distance from the stage to the boxes, which I am confident cannot hear ; but for all other things is well ; only, above all, the musique being below, and most of it sounding under the very stage, there is no hearing of the bases at all, nor very well of the trebles, which sure must be mended. The play was " The Humorous Lieutenant," a play that hath little good in it, nor much in the very part which, by the King's command, Lacy now acts, instead of Clun. In the dance, the tall devil's actions was very pretty. The play being done, we home by water, having been a little 166 MR. PEPYS AT THE PLAY shamed that my wife and woman were in such a pickle, all the ladies being finer and better dressed in the pit than they used, I think, to be. To my office, to set down this day's passage, and, though my oath against going to plays do not oblige me against this house, because it was not then in being, yet, believing that at the time my meaning was against all public houses, I am resolved to deny myself the liberty of two plays at Court, which are in arreare to me for the months of March and April. June 12, 1663. To the Royal Theatre ; and there saw " The Com- mittee" a merry but indifferent play, only Lacy's part, an Irish footman, is beyond imagination. Here I saw my Lord Falconbridge, and his lady, my Lady Mary Cromwell, who looks as well as I have known her, and well clad : but when the house began to fill, she put on her vizard, 1 and so kept it on all the play ; which of late is become a great fashion among the 1 Vizard Masques probably came into fashion about this time. On the 1st of June, 1704, a song was sung at the theatre in Lincoln's Inn Fields called "The Misses' Lamentation for want of their Vizard Masques at the Theatre." Notwithstanding the gross licentiousness of the drama, after the Restoration, numbers of females of all denominations frequented the theatres, though many of them wore masks to disguise their features, and this bad habit had a still worse effect, by the facilities it afforded to intrigue and assignation. The custom is pointedly referred to in Pope's well-known lines : — " The fair sat painting at a courtier's play, And not a Mask went improved away 5 The modest fan was lifted up no more, And virgins smiled at what they blushed before." 167 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS ladies, which hides their whole face. So to the Ex- change, to buy things with my wife ; among others, a vizard for herself. January I, 1663-64. Went to the Duke's house, the first play I have been at these six months, according to my last vowe, and here saw the so much cried-up play of " Henry the Eighth," which, though I went with resolution to like it, is so simple a thing, made up of a great many patches, that, besides the shows and processions in it, there is nothing in the world good or well done. February 1, 1663-64. To the King's Theatre, and there saw " The Indian Queene " acted ; which indeed is a most pleasant show, and beyond my expectation ; the play good, but spoiled with the ryme, which breaks the sense. But above my expectation most, the eldest Marshall did do her part most excellently well as I ever heard woman in my life ; but her voice is not so sweet as Ianthe's : but, however, we come home mightily contented. June I, 1664. To the King's house, and saw "The Silent Woman ;" but methought not so well done or so good a play as I formerly thought it to be. Before the play was done, it fell such a storm of hayle, that we in the middle of the pit were fain to rise ; and all the house in a disorder. 1 1 The Blackfriars Theatre was entirely roofed over, and had a pit, instead of a mere enclosed yard ; whilst the stage portion alone of the public play- houses was protected from the weather. The house was lighted by a cupola. 168 MR. PEPYS AT THE PLAY August 2, 1664. To the King's playhouse, and there saw " Bartholo- mew Fayre," which do still please me ; and is, as it is acted, the best comedy in the world, I believe. I chanced to sit by Tom Killigrew, who tells me that he is setting up a Nursery [for actors] ; that is, is going to build a house in Moorefields, wherein he will have common plays acted. But four operas it shall have in the year, to act six weeks at a time : where we shall have the best scenes and machines, the best musique and every thing as magnificent as is in Christendome ; and to that end, hath sent for voices and painters and other persons from Italy. Thence homeward called upon my Lord Marlborough. August 4, 1664. To a play at the King's house, " The Rivall Ladys," * a very innocent and most pretty witty play. I was much pleased with it, and, it being given me, 2 I look upon it as no breach of my oath. Here we hear that Clun, one of their best actors, was, the last night, going out of towne, after he had acted the Alchymist, wherein was one of his best parts that he acts, to his country-house, set upon and murdered ; one of the rogues taken, an Irish fellow. It seems most cruelly butchered and bound. The house will have a great miss of him. March 19, 1666. After dinner, we walked to the King's playhouse, all in 1 A tragedy by Dryden. 2 His companion paid for him. 169 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS dirt, they being altering of the stage to make it wider. But God knows when they will begin to act again ; but my business here was to see the inside of the stage and all the tiring-rooms and machines ; and, indeed, it was a sight worthy seeing. But to see their clothes, and the various sorts, and what a mixture of things there was ; here a wooden leg, there a ruff, here a hobby-horse, there a crown, would make a man split himself to see with laughing ; and particularly Lacy's wardrobe, and ShotrelPs. But then again to think how fine they show on the stage by candle-light, and how poor things they are to look at too near hand, is not pleasant at all. The machines are fine, and the paintings very pretty. January 7, 1666-67. To the Duke's house, and saw " Macbeth," which though I saw it lately, yet appears a most excellent play in all respects, but especially in divertisement, though it be a deep tragedy ; which is a strange perfection in a tragedy, it being most proper here, and suitable. January 23, 1666-67. To take up my wife and Mercer, and to Temple Bar to the Ordinary, and had a dish of meat for them, they having not dined, and thence to the King's house, and there saw " The Humerous Lieutenant : " a silly play, I think ; only the Spirit in it that grows very tall, and then sinks again to nothing, having two heads breeding upon one, and then Knipp's singing, did please us. Here, in a box above, we spied Mrs. Pierce ; and, going out, 170 Emery Walker. NELL GWYN. From an engraving after Sir P. Lely. MR. PEPYS AT THE PLAY they called us, and so we staid for them ; and Knipp took us all in, and brought to us Nelly, 1 a most pretty woman, who acted the great part of Ccelia to-day very fine, and did it pretty well : I kissed her, and so did my wife ; and a mighty pretty soul she is. We also saw Mrs. Hall, which is my little Roman-nose black girl, that is mighty pretty : she is usually called Betty. Knipp made us stay in a box and see the dancing prepara- tory to to-morrow for "The Goblins," a play of Suck- ling's, not acted these twenty-five years ; which was pretty ; and so away thence, pleased with this sight also, and specially kissing of Nell. February 4, 1 666-67. Soon as dined, my wife and I out to the Duke's play- house, and there saw " Heraclius," an excellent play, to my extraordinary content ; and the more from the house being very full, and great company ; among others, Mrs. Stewart, very fine, with her locks done up with pufTes, as my wife calls them : and several other great ladies had their hair so, though I do not like it ; but my wife do mightily — but it is only because she sees it is the fashion. Here I saw my Lord Rochester and his lady, Mrs. Mallet, who hath after all this ado married him ; and, as I hear some say in the pit, it is a great act of charity, for he hath no estate. But it was pleasant to see how every- body rose up when my Lord John Butler, the Duke of Ormond's son, came into the pit towards the end of the 1 Nell Gwynne. Mr. Pepys does not use her surname in speaking of her.— E. F. A. 171 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS play, who was a servant to Mrs. Mallet, and now smiled upon her, and she on him. I had sitting next to me a woman, the likest my Lady Castlemaine that ever I saw anybody like another ; but she is acquainted with every fine fellow, and called them by their name, Jacke, and Tom, and before the end of the play frisked to another place. March 2, 1667. After dinner, with my wife, to the King's house to see "The Maiden Queene," a new play of Dryden's, mightily commended for the regularity of it, and the strain and wit ; and the truth is, there is a comical part done by Nell, which is Florimell, that I never can hope ever to see the like done again, by man or woman. The King and Duke of York were at the play. But so great performance of a comical part was never, I believe, in the world before as Nell do this, both as a mad girle, then most and best of all when she comes in like a young gallant ; and hath the motions and carriage of a spark the most that ever I saw any man have. It makes me, I confess, admire her. April 9, 1667. To the King's house, and there saw " The Tameing of a Shrew," which hath some very good pieces in it, but generally is but a mean play ; and the best part, " Sawny," 1 1 In 1698, was printed a drama called " Sawney the Scot, or the Taming of a Shrew," which was a clumsy alteration of Shakespeare's play, the work of Lacy, for the purpose of affording him an opportunity of dis- 172 MR. PEPYS AT THE PLAY done by Lacy ; and hath not half its life, by reason of the words, I suppose, not being understood, at least by me. April 19, 1667. To the play-house, where saw "Macbeth," which, though I have seen it often, yet is it one of the best plays for a stage, and variety of dancing and musick, that ever I saw. My wife tells me that she finds by W. Hewer that my people do observe my minding my pleasure more than usual, which I confess, and am ashamed of, and so from this day take upon me to leave it till Whit-Sunday. May 1, 1667. Away to the King's play-house, and saw " Love in a Maze :" but a sorry play : only Lacy's clowne's part, which he did most admirably indeed ; and I am glad to find the rogue at liberty again. Here was but little, and that ordinary, company. We sat at the upper bench next the boxes ; and I find it do pretty well, and have the advantage of seeing and hearing the great people, which may be pleasant when there is good store. Now was only Prince Rupert and my Lord Lauderdale, and tinguishing himself as an actor. This is the piece which Pepys saw ; as, in the old anonymous copy of " The Taming of a Shrew,'' which was the foun- dation of Shakespeare's drama, Saivney had been called Sander ,• and no doubt the notion of representing Grumio as a Scotchman arose out of the circumstance of his having been called Sander before Shakespeare availed himself of the story, The old " Taming of a Shrew " was reprinted in 1844, from the unique copy of 1594, in the library of the Duke of Devonshire, for the Shakespeare Society, and edited by the late Thomas Amyot Esq., F.A.S. *73 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS my Lord , z the naming of whom puts me in mind of my seeing, at Sir Robert Viner's, two or three great silver flagons, made with inscriptions as gifts of the King to such and such persons of quality as did stay in town the late great plague, for the keeping things in order in the town. But here was neither Hart, Nell, nor Knipp ; therefore, the play was not likely to please me. May 22, 1667. To the King's house, where I did give i8d., and saw the last two acts of "The Goblins," a play I could not make anything of by these two acts, but here Knipp spied me out of the tiring-room, and come to the pit door, and I out to her, and kissed her, she only coming to see me, being in a country-dress, she and others having, it seems, had a country-dance in the play, but she no other part ; so we parted, and I into the pit again till it was done. The house full, but I had no mind to be seen. August 15, 1667. Sir W. Pen and I to the Duke's house ; where a new play. The King and Court there : the house full, and an act begun. And so we went to the King's, and there saw " The Merry Wives of Windsor ; " which did not please me at all, in no part of it. August 16, 1667. My wife and I to the Duke's playhouse, where we 1 Probably Craven. 174 MR. PEPYS AT THE PLAY saw the play acted yesterday, " The Feign Innocence, or Sir Martin Marall ; " a play made by my Lord Duke of Newcastle, but, as everybody says, corrected by Dryden. 1 It is the most entire piece of mirth, a com- plete farce, from one end to the other, that certainly was ever writ. I never laughed so in all my life, and at very good wit therein, not fooling. The House full, and in all things of mighty content to me. August 17, 1667. To the King's playhouse, where the house extra- ordinary full ; and there the King and Duke of York to see the new play, " Queen Elizabeth's Troubles, and the History of Eighty Eight." I confess I have sucked in so much of the sad story of Queen Elizabeth from my cradle, that I was ready to weep for her some- times ; but the play is the most ridiculous that sure ever came upon the stage, and, indeed, is merely a show, only shows the true garbe of the Queen in those days, just as we see Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth painted : but the play is merely a puppet play, acted by living puppets. Neither the design nor language better ; and one stands by and tells us the meaning of things : only I was pleased to see Knipp dance among the milk- maids, and to hear her sing a song to Queen Elizabeth ; and to see her come out in her night-gowne with no lockes on, but her bare face and hair only tied up in a 1 Downes says that the Duke gave this comedy to Dryden, who adapted it to the stage ; but it is entered on the books of the Stationers' Company as the production of his Grace. 175 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS knot behind ; which is the comeliest dress that ever I saw her in to her advantage. August 24, 1667. After dinner to a play, and there saw " The Cardinall " at the King's house, wherewith I am mightily pleased : but, above all, with Becke Marshall. But it is pretty to see how I look up and down for, and did spy Knipp ; but durst not own it to my wife, for fear of angering her, and so I was forced not to take notice of her and so homeward : and my belly now full with plays, that I do intend to bind myself to see no more till Michaelmas. September 4, 1667. To the Duke of York's playhouse, and there saw " Mustapha ; " which, the more I see, the more I like ; and is a most admirable poem, and bravely acted ; only both Betterton and Harris could not contain from laugh- ing in the midst of a most serious part, from the ridiculous mistake of one of the men upon the stage ; which I did not like. September 5, 1667. To the Duke of York's house, and there saw " Heraclius," which is a good play ; but they did so spoil it with their laughing, and being all of them out, and with the noise they made within the theatre, that I was ashamed of it, and resolved not to come thither again a good while, believing that this negligence, which I 176 ! MR. PEPYS AT THE PLAY never observed before, proceeds only from their want of company in the pit, that they have no care how they act. September 16, 1667. My wife and Mercer and I away to the King's playhouse, to see " The Scornfull Lady ; " but it being now three o'clock there was not one soul in the pit ; whereupon, for shame, we could not go in, but, against our wills, went all to see " Tu Quoque " again, where there was pretty store of company. Here we saw Madam Morland, who is grown mighty fat, but is very comely. But one of the best parts of our sport was a mighty pretty lady that sat behind us, that did laugh so heartily and constantly, that it did me good to hear her. Thence to the King's house, upon a wager of mine with my wife, that there would be no acting there to-day, there being no company : so I went in and found a pretty good company there, and saw their dance at the end of the play. October 5, 1667. To the King's house : and there, going in, met with Knipp, and she took us up into the tireing-rooms : and to the women's shift, where Nell was dressing herself, and was all unready, and is very pretty, prettier than I thought. And into the scene-room, and there sat down, and she gave us fruit : and here I read the questions to Knipp, while she answered me, through all her part of " Flora Figarys," which was acted to day. But, Lord ! to see how they were both painted would make a man 177 N RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS mad, and did make me loath them ; and what base com- pany of men comes among them, and how lewdly they talk ! and how poor the men are in clothes, and yet what a show they make on the stage by candle-light, is very observable. But to see how Nell cursed, for having so few people in the pit, was pretty ; the other house carrying away all the people at the new play, and is said, now-a-days, to have generally most company, as being better players. By and by into the pit, and there saw the play, which is pretty good. October 15, 1667. My wife, and I, and Willett to the Duke of York's house, where, after long stay, the King and Duke of York come, and there saw " The Coffee-house, ,, the most ridiculous, insipid play that ever I saw in my life, and glad we were that Betterton had no part in it. But here, before the play begun, my wife begun to complain to me of Willett's confidence in sitting cheek by jowl by us, which was a poor thing ; but I perceive she is already jealous of my kindness to her, so that I begin to fear this girl is not likely to stay long with us. October 19, 1667. Full of my desire of seeing my Lord Orrery's new play this afternoon at the King's house, " The Black Prince/' the first time it is acted ; where, though we came by two o'clock, yet there was no room in the pit, but were forced to go into one of the upper boxes, at 4s. a piece, which is the first time I ever sat in a box in my life. 178 MR. PEPYS AT THE PLAY And in the same box came, by and by, behind me, my Lord Barkeley [of Stratton] and his lady, but I did not turn my face to them to be known, so that I was excused from giving them my seat ; and this pleasure I had, that from this place the scenes do appear very fine indeed, and much better than in the pit. The house infinite full, and the King and Duke of York there. By and by the play begun, and in it nothing particular but a very fine dance for variety of figures, but a little too long. But, as to the contrivance, and all that was witty, which, indeed, was much, and very witty, was almost the same that had been in his two former plays of " Henry the 5th " and "Mustapha," and the same points and turns of wit in both, and in this very same play often repeated, but in excellent language, and were so excellent that the whole house was mightily pleased all along till the reading of a letter, which was so long and so unnecessary that they frequently began to laugh, and to hiss twenty times, that, had it not been for the King's being there, they had certainly hissed it off the stage. But I must confess that, as my Lord Barkeley says behind me, the having of that long letter was a thing so absurd, that he could not imagine how a man of his parts could possibly fall into it ; or, if he did, if he had but let any friend read it, the friend would have told him of it ; and, I must confess, it is one of the most remarkable instances of a wise man's not being wise at all times. After the play done, and nothing pleasing them from the time of the letter to the end of the play, people being put into a bad humour of disliking, which is another thing worth *79 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS the noting, I home by coach, and could not forbear laughing almost all the way, and all the evening to my going to bed, at the ridiculousness of the letter, and the more because my wife was angry with me, and the world, for laughing, because the King was there. October 23, 1667. To the King's playhouse, and saw "The Black Prince : " which is now mightily bettered by that long letter being printed, and so delivered to everybody at their going in, and some short reference made to it in the play ; but, when all is done, I think it the worst play of my Lord Orrery's. But here, to my great satis- faction, I did see my Lord Hinchingbroke and his mistress, with her father and mother ; and I am mightily pleased with the young lady, being handsome enough — and, indeed, to my great liking, as I would have her. November I, 1 667. To the King's playhouse, and there saw a silly play and an old one, " The Taming of a Shrew." November 2, 1667. To the King's playhouse, and there saw " Henry the Fourth : " and contrary to expectation, was pleased in nothing more than in Cartwright's speaking of Falstaffe's speech about " What is Honour ? " The house full of Parliament-men, it being holyday with them : and it was observable how a gentleman of good habit, sitting just before us, eating of some fruit in the midst of the play, 180 MR. PEPYS AT THE PLAY did drop down as dead, being choked ; but with much ado Orange Moll did thrust her finger down his throat, and brought him to life again. November 7, 1667. At noon resolved with Sir W. Pen to go to see " The Tempest," an old play of Shakespeare's, acted, I hear, the first day ; and so my wife, and girl, and W. Hewer by themselves, and Sir W. Pen and I after- wards by ourselves : and forced to sit in the side balcone over against the musique-room at the Duke's house, close by my Lady Dorset and a great many great ones. The house mighty full ; the King and Court there : and the most innocent play that ever I saw ; and a curious piece of musick x in an echo of half sentences, the echo repeating the former half, while the man goes on to the latter ; which is mighty pretty. The play has no great wit, but yet good, above ordinary plays. November 13, 1667. To the Duke of York's house, and there saw the Tempest again, which is very pleasant, and full of so good variety, that I cannot be more pleased almost in a comedy, only the seaman's part a little too tedious. To my chamber, and do begin anew to bind myself to keep my old vows, and among the rest not to see a 1 Evidently the song sung by Ferdinand, wherein Ariel echoes, " Go thy way," from Davenant's and Dryden's adaptation. The music was by Banister. l8l RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS play till Christmas but once in every other week, and have laid aside £io y which is to be lost to the poor, if I do. December 28, 1667. To the King's house, and there saw "The Mad Couple ; " which is but an ordinary play ; but only Nell's and Hart's mad parts are most excellent done, but especially her's : which makes it a miracle to me to think how ill she do any serious part, as, the other day, just like a fool or changeling ; and, in a mad part, do beyond imitation almost. It pleased us mightily to see the natural affection of a poor woman, the mother of one of the children brought on the stage : the child crying, she by force got upon the stage, and took up her child and carried it away off of the stage from Hart. March 26, 1668. To the Duke of York's house, to see the new play, called " The Man is the Master," where the house was, it being not one o'clock, very full. But my wife and Deb. being there before, with Mrs. Pierce and Corbet and Betty Turner, whom my wife carried with her, they made me room ; and there I sat, it costing me 8s. upon them in oranges, at 6d. a-piece. By and by the King came ; and we sat just under him, so that I durst not turn my back all the play. The play is a translation out of French, and the plot Spanish, but not anything extraordinary at all in it, though translated by Sir W. Davenant, and so I found the King and his company did think meanly of it, though there was here and there 182 MR. PEPYS AT THE PLAY something pretty : but the most of the mirth was sorry, poor stuffe, of eating of sack posset and slabbering them- selves, and mirth fit for clownes; the prologue but poor, and the epilogue little in it but the extraordinariness of it, it being sung by Harris and another in the form of a ballad. Thence, by agreement, we all of us to the Blue Balls, hard by, whither Mr. Pierce also goes with us, who met us at the play, and anon comes Manuel, and his wife, and Knipp, and Harris, who brings with him Mr. Banister, the great master of musick ; and after much difficulty in getting of musick, we to danc- ing, and then to a supper of French dishes, which yet did not please me, and then to dance and sing ; and mighty merry we were till about eleven or twelve at night, with mighty great content in all my company, and I did, as I love to do, enjoy myself. May 7, 1668. To the Duke of York's house, and there saw "The Man's the Master," which proves, upon my seeing it again, a very good play. To the King's house, where, going in for Knipp, the play being done, I did see Beck Marshall come dressed, off of the stage, and look mighty fine, and pretty, and noble : and also Nell, in her boy's clothes, mighty pretty. But, Lord ! their confidence ! and how many men do hover about them as soon as they come off the stage, and how confident they are in their talk ! Here I did kiss the pretty woman newly come, called Pegg, that was Sir Charles Sedley's mistress, a mighty pretty woman, and seems, but is not, modest. 183 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS Here took up Knipp into our coach, and all of us with her to her lodgings, and thither comes Bannister with a song of her's, that he hath set in Sir Charles Sedley's play for her, which is, I think, but very meanly set ; but this he did, before us, teach her, and it being but a slight, silly, short ayre, she learnt it presently. But I did get him to prick me down the notes of the Echo, in " The Tempest," which pleases me mightily. Here was also Haynes, the incomparable dancer of the King's house. Then we abroad to Marrowbone, and there walked in the garden, the first time I ever was there ; and a pretty place it is. July II, 1668. To the King's playhouse, to see an old play of Shirly's, called " Hide Parke ; " the first day acted ; where horses are brought upon the stage : but it is but a very moderate play, only an excellent epilogue spoke by Beck Marshall. 184 MR. PEPYS'S RELATIVES MR. PEPYS'S RELATIVES July 6, 1 66 1. Waked this morning with news, brought me bv a messenger on purpose, that my uncle Robert is dead ; so I rose sorry in some respect, glad in my expectations in another respect : so I bought me a pair of boots in St. Martin's, and got myself ready, and then to the Post-house, and set out about eleven and twelve o'clock, taking the messenger with me that come to me, and so we rode, and got well by nine o'clock to Brampton, where I found my father well. My uncle's corps in a coffin standing upon joynt-stooles in the chimney in the hall ; but it begun to smell, and so I caused it to be set forth in the yard all night, and watched by my aunt. My father and I lay together to-night, I greedy to see the will, but did not aske to see it till to-morrow. July 7, 1661. (Lord's day.) In the morning, my father and I read the will ; where, though he gives me nothing at present till my father's death, or at least very little, yet I am glad to see that he hath done so well for us all, and well to the rest of his kindred. After that done, we went 185 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS about getting things, as ribbands and gloves, ready for the burial, which in the afternoon was done ; where, it being Sunday, all people far and near come in ; and, in the greatest disorder that ever I saw, we made shift to serve them with what we had of wine and other things ; and then to carry him to the church, where Mr. Taylor buried him, and Mr. Turner preached a funeral sermon, where he spoke not particularly of him anything, but that he was one so well known for his honesty, that it spoke for itself above all that he could say for it. And so made a very good sermon. July 8, 9, 10, ii, 12, and 13, 1661. I fell to work, and my father to look over my uncle's papers and clothes, and continued all this week upon that business, much troubled with my aunt's base, ugly humours. We had news of Tom Trice putting in a caveat against us, in behalf of his mother, to whom my uncle had not given anything, and for good reason therein expressed, which troubled us also. But above all, our trouble is to find that his estate appears nothing as we expected, and all the world believes ; nor his papers so well sorted as I would have had them, but all in confusion, that breaks my brains to understand them. We missed also the surrenders of his copyhold land, without which the land would not come to us, but to the heire at lawe, so that what with this, and the bad- ness of the drink, and the ill opinion I have of the meat, and the biting of the gnats by night, and my disappoint- ment in getting home this week, and the trouble of 186 MR. PEPYS'S RELATIVES sorting all the papers, I am almost out of my wits with trouble, only I appear the more contented, because I would not have my father troubled. January 23, 1661-62. By invitacon to my uncle Fenner's, where I found his new wife, a pitiful, old, ugly, ill-bred woman, in a hatt, a mid-wife. Here were many of his, and as many of her relations, sorry, mean people ; and after choosing our gloves, we all went over to the Three Crane taverne, and, though the best room of the house, in such a narrow dogg-hole we were crammed, and I believe we were near forty, that it made me loath my company and victuals ; and a sorry, poor dinner it was too. After dinner, I took aside the two Joyces, to thank them for their kind thoughts for a wife for Tom ; but that, considering the possibility there is of my having no child, and what then I shall be able to leave him, I do think he may expect in that respect a wife with more money, and so desired them to think no more of it. October II, 1662. Up betimes, and after a little breakfast, and a very poor one, like our supper, and such as I cannot feed on, because of my she-cozen Claxton's gouty hands ; and after Roger had carried me up and down his house and orchards, to show me them, I mounted, and rode to Huntingdon, and so to Brampton, where I found my father and two brothers, my mother and sister. I 187 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS walked up and down the house and garden, and find my father's alteracions very handsome. January 4, 1662-63. (Lord's day.) Up and to church, where a lazy sermon. My wife did propound my having of my sister Pall again to be her woman, since one we must have, it being a very great trouble to me that I should have a sister of so ill a nature, that I must be forced to spend money upon a stranger, when it might better be upon her, if she were good for anything. May 1, 1663. After dinner, I got my father, brother Tom, and myself together, and I advised my father to good husbandry, and to be living within the compass of ^50 a year, and all in such kind words, as not only made both them but myself to weep. September 14, 1663. By coach to Bishop's Gate Street, it being a very promising fair day. There at the Dolphin we met my uncle Thomas, and his son-in-law, which seems a very sober man, and Mr. Moore : so Mr. Moore and my wife set out before, and my uncle and I staid for his son Thomas, who, by a sudden resolution, is pre- paring to go with us, which makes me fear something of mischief which they design to do us. He staying a great while, the old man and I before, and about eight miles off, his son comes after us, and about six miles 188 MR. PEPYS'S RELATIVES further, we overtake Mr. Moore and my wife, which makes me mightily consider what a great deal of ground is lost in a little time, when it is to be got up again by another, who is to go his own ground and the others too, and so, after a little bayte, I paying all the reckon- ings the whole journey, at Ware, to Buntingford, where my wife, by drinking some cold beer, being hot herself, presently after 'lighting, begins to be sick, and become so pale, and I alone with her in a great chamber there, that I thought she would have died, and so in great horror, and having a great trial of my true love and passion for her, called the maids and mistress of the house, and so with some strong water, she come to be pretty well again ; and so to bed, and I having put her to bed with great content, I called in my company, and supped in the chamber by her, and being very merry in talk, supped and then parted. This day my cozen Thomas dropped his hanger, and it was lost. September 17, 1663. I was forced to come to a new consideration, whether it was fit to let my uncle and his son go to Wisbeach about my uncle Day's estate alone or no, and concluded it unfit ; and so, leaving my wife, I begun a journey with them, and with much ado through the fenns, along dikes, where sometimes we were ready to have our horses sink to the belly, we got by night, with a great deal of stir, and hard riding, to Parson's Drove, a heathen place, where I found my uncle and aunt 189 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS Perkins, and their daughters, poor wretches ! in a sad, poor thatched cottage, like a poor barne, or stable, peeling of hemp, in which I did give myself good content to see their manner of preparing of hemp ; and in a poor condition of habitt took them to our miserable inne, and there, after long stay, and hearing of Frank, their son, the miller, play upon his treble, as he calls it, with which he earnes part of his living, and singing of a country song, we set down to supper ; the whole crew, and Spankes's wife and child, a sad company, of which I was ashamed, supped with us. By and by, newes is brought to us, that one of our horses is stole out of the stable, which proves my uncle's, at which I am inwardly glad — I mean, that it was not mine ; and at this we were at a great loss ; and they doubting a person that lay at next door, a Londoner, some lawyer's clerk, we caused him to be secured in his bed, and other care to be taken to seize the house ; and so, about twelve at night or more, to bed, in a sad, cold, stony chamber; and a little after I was asleep, they waked me, to tell me that the horse was found, which was good news, and so to sleep, but was bit cruelly, and nobody else of our company, which I wonder at, by the gnatts. September 1 8, 1663. Up, and got our people together ; and after eating a dishe of cold creame, which was my supper last night too, we took leave of our beggarly company, though they seem good people, too ; and over most sad fenns, 190 MR. PEPYS'S RELATIVES all the way observing the sad life which the people of the place — which, if they be born there, they do call the Breedlings of the place — do live, sometimes rowing from one spot to another, and then wadeing. To Wisbeach, a pretty town, and a fine church and library, where sundry very old abbey manuscripts ; and a fine house, built on the church ground, by Secretary Thur- low, and a fine gallery built for him in the church, but now all in the Bishop of Ely's hands. After visiting the church, &c, we out of the town, by the help of a stranger, to find out one Blinlcehorne, a miller, of whom we might inquire something of old Day's disposal of his estate, and in whose hands it now is ; and by great chance we met him, and brought him to our inne to dinner ; and instead of being informed in his estate by this fellow, we find that he is the next heire to the estate, which was matter of great sport to my cozen Thomas and me, to see such a fellow prevent us in our hopes — he being Day's brother's daughter's son, whereas we are but his sister's sons and grandsons : so that, after all, we were fain to propose our matter to him, and to get him to give us leave to look after the business, and so he to have one-third part, and we two to have the other two-third parts, of what should be recovered of the estate, which he consented to ; and, after paying the reckoning, we mounted again, and rode, being very merry at our defeate, to Chatteris — my uncle very weary, and after supper, and my telling of three stories to their good liking of spirits, we all three in a chamber went to bed. 191 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS September 19, 1663. Up pretty betimes ; and I to Brampton, where I find my father ill in bed still, and Madam Norbery, whom and her fair daughter and sister I was ashamed to kiss, but did — my lip being sore with riding in the winde, and bit with the gnats ; and they being gone, I told my father my successe. My wife and I took horse, and rode with marvellous, and the first and only hour of, pleasure that ever I had in this estate, since I had to do with it, to Brampton woods ; and through the wood rode, and gathered nuts in my way, and then at Graffan, to an old woman's house, to drink, where my wife used to go ; and being in all circumstances highly pleased, and in my wife's riding and good company at this time, I rode, and she showed me the river behind my father's house, which is very pleasant ; and so saw her home, and I straight to Huntingdon ; and there a barber come and trimmed me, and thence walked to Hinchingbroke, where my Lord and ladies all are just alighted. March 18, 1664. To church, 1 and, with the gravemaker, chose a place for my brother to lie in, just under my mother's pew. But to see how a man's tombes are at the mercy of such a fellow, that for sixpence he would, as his own words were, "I will justle them together but I will make room for him ; " speaking of the fulness of the middle aisle, where he was to lie ; and that he would, for my father's sake, do my brother, that is dead, all the 1 Pepys's brother Thomas had died three days before. — E. F. A. I92 MR. PEPYS'S RELATIVES civility he can ; which was to disturb other corps that are not quite rotten, to make room for him ; and me- thought his manner of speaking it was very remarkable ; as of a thing that now was in his power to do a man a courtesy or not. I dressed myself, and so did my servant Besse ; and so to my brother's again : whither, though invited, as the custom is, at one or two o'clock, they come not till four or five. But, at last, one after another, they come, many more than I bid : and my reckoning that I bid was one hundred and twenty ; but I believe there was nearer one hundred and fifty. Their service was six biscuits a-piece, and what they pleased of burnt claret. My cozen Joyce Norton kept the wine and cakes above ; and did give out to them that served, who had white gloves given them. But, above all, I am beholden to Mrs. Holden, who was most kind, and did take mighty pains not only in getting the house and every thing else ready, but this day in going up and down to see the house filled and served, in order to mine and their great content, I think : the men sitting by them- selves in some rooms, and the women by themselves in others, very close, but yet room enough. Anon to church, walking out into the street to the conduit, and so across the street ; and had a very good company along with the corps. And, being come to the grave as above, Dr. Pierson, the minister of the parish, did read the service for buriall : and so I saw my poor brother laid into the grave : and so all broke up ; and I and my wife, and Madam Turner and her family, to her brother's, and by and by fell to a barrell of oysters, 193 o RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS cake, and cheese, of Mr. Honiwood's, with him, in his chamber and below, being too merry for so late a sad work. But, Lord ! to see how the world makes nothing of the memory of a man, an hour after he is dead ! And, indeed, I must blame myself ; for, though at the sight of him dead and dying, I had real grief for a while, while he was in my sight, yet presently after, and ever since, I have had very little grief indeed for him. June 13, 1666. With Baity to Hales's 1 by coach. Here I find my father's picture begun, and so much to my content, that it joys my very heart to think that I should have his picture so well done ; who, besides that he is my father, and a man that loves me, and hath ever done so, is also, at this day, one of the most careful and innocent men in the world. October 17, 1666. To dinner alone with my brother, with whom I had now the first private talk I have had, and find he hath preached but twice in his life. I did give him some advice to study pronunciation, but I do fear he will never make a good speaker, nor, I fear, any general good scholar ; for I do not see that he minds optickes or mathematiques of any sort, nor anything else that I can find. I know not what he may be at divinity and ordinary school-learning. However, he seems sober, and that pleases me. 1 A prominent portrait-painter of that time. — E. F. A. I94 MR. PEPYS'S RELATIVES March 27, 1667. Received from my brother the news of my mother's dying on Monday, about five or six o'clock in the after- noon, and that the last time she spoke of her children was on Friday last, and her last words were, " God bless my poor Sam ! " The reading hereof did set me a-weeping heartily. Found it necessary to go abroad with my wife to look after the providing mourning to send into the country — some to-morrow, and more against Sunday, for my family, being resolved to put myself and wife, and Barker and Jane, W. Hewer and Tom, in mourning, and my two under-maids, to give them hoods and scarfs and gloves. So to my tailor's, and up and down, and then home, and to bed, my heart sad, though my judgment at ease. April 13, 1667. Wrote to my father, who, I am glad to hear, is at some ease again, and I long to have him in town, that I may see what can be done for him here ; for I would fain do all I can, that I may have him live, and take pleasure in my doing well in the world. October 10, 1667. Up, to walk up and down in the garden with my father, to talk of all our concernments : about a husband for my sister, whereof there is at present no appearance ; but we must endeavour to find her one now, for she grows old and ugly : then for my brother ; and resolve he shall stay here this winter, and then I will either send 195 / RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS him to Cambridge for a year, till I get him some church promotion, or send him to sea as a chaplain, where he may study, and earn his living. December 5, 1667. This day, not for want, but for good husbandry, I sent my father, by his desire, six pair of my old shoes, which fit him, and are good ; yet, methought, it was a thing against my mind to have him wear my old things. March 2, 1668. This day I have the news that my sister was married on Thursday last to Mr. Jackson ; so that work is, I hope, well over. 196 MR. PEPYS ON RELIGION MR. PEPYS ON RELIGION November 9, 1663. Mr.. Blackburne l and I fell to talk of many things, wherein he was very open to me : first, in that of religion, he makes it greater matter of prudence for the King and Council to suffer liberty of conscience ; and imputes the loss of Hungary to the Turke from the Emperor's deny- ing them this liberty of their religion. He says that many pious ministers of the word of God, some thousands of them, do now beg their bread ; and told me how highly the present clergy carry themselves everywhere, so as that they are hated and laughed at by everybody ; among other things, for their excommunications, which they send upon the least occasions almost that can be. And I am convinced in my judgment, not only from his discourse, but my thoughts in general, that the present clergy will never heartily go down with the generality of the commons of England ; they have been so used to liberty and freedom, and they are so acquainted with the pride and debauchery of the present clergy. He did give me many stories of the affronts which the clergy receive 1 A stanch Puritan. 197 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS in all places of England from the gentry and ordinary- persons of the parish. He do tell me what the City- thinks of General Monk, as of a most perfidious man that hath betrayed every body, and the King also ; who, as he thinks, and his party, and so I have heard other good friends of the King say, it might have been better for the King to have had his hands a little bound for the present, than be forced to bring such a crew of poor people about him, and be liable to satisfy the demands of every one of them. He told me that, to his knowledge, being present at every meeting at the Treaty at the Isle of Wight, that the old King did confess himself overruled and convinced in his judgement against the Bishopps, and would have suffered and did agree to exclude the service out of the churches, nay, his own chapell ; and that he did always say, that this he did not by force, for that he would never abate one inch of any violence ; but what he did was out of his reason and judgement. He tells me that the King by name, with all his dignities, is prayed for by them that they call Fanatiques, as heartily and powerfully as in any of the other churches that are thought better : and that, let the King think what he will, it is them that must help him in the day of warr. For so generally they are the most substantiall sort of people, and the soberest ; and did desire me to observe it to my Lord Sandwich, among other things, that of all the old army now you cannot see a man begging about the streets ; but what ? You shall have this captain turned a shoemaker ; the lieutenant, a baker ; this a brewer ; that a haberdasher ; this common soldier, a 198 MR. PEPYS ON RELIGION porter ; and every man in his apron and frock, &c, as if they never had done anything else : whereas, the others go with their belts and swords, swearing, and cursing, and stealing ; running into people's houses, by force oftentimes, to carry away something ; and this is the difference between the temper of one and the other ; and concludes, and I think with some reason, that the spirits of the old parliament soldiers are so quiet and con- tented with God's providences, that the King is safer from any evil meant him by them one thousand times more than from his own discontented Cavalier. And then to the publick management of business : it is done, as he observes, so loosely and so carelessly, that the king- dom can never be happy with it, every man looking after himself, and his own lust and luxury ; and that half of what money the Parliament gives the King is not so much as gathered. And to the purpose, he told me how the Bellamys, who had some of the Northern counties assigned them for their debt for the petty warrant victualling, have often complained to him that they cannot get it collected, for that nobody minds, or, if they do, they won't pay it in. Whereas, which is a very remarkable thing, he hath been told by some of the Treasurers at Warr here of late, to whom the most of the ^120,000 monthly was paid, that for most months the payments were gathered so duly, that they seldom had so much or more than 40s., or the like, short in the whole collection ; whereas, now the very Commissioners for Assessments and other publick payments are such persons, and those that they choose in the country so 199 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS like themselves, that from top to bottom there is not a man carefull of any thing, or, if he be, is not solvent ; that what between the beggar and the knave, the King is abused the best part of all his revenue. We then talked of the Navy, and of Sir W. Pen's rise to be a general. He told me he was always a conceited man, and one that would put the best side outward, but that it was his pretence of sanctity that brought him into play. Lawson, and Portman, and the fifth-monarchy men, among whom he was a great brother, importuned that he might be General ; and it was pleasant to see how, Blackburne himself did act it ; how, when the Commis- sioners of the Admiralty would enquire of the captains and admirals of such and such men, how they would, with a sigh and casting up the eyes, say, " such a man fears the Lord," or, " I hope such a man hath the Spirit of God." But he tells me, that there was a cruel article against Pen, after one fight, for cowardice, in putting himself within a coyle of cables, of which he had much ado to acquit himself: and by great friends did it, not without remains of guilt, but that his brethren had a mind to pass it by, and Sir H. Vane did advise him to search his heart, and see whether this fault or a greater sin was not the occasion of this so great tryall. And he tells me, that what Pen gives out about Cromwell's send- ing and entreating him to go to Jamaica is very false ; he knows the contrary ; besides, the Protector never was a man that needed to send for any man, especially such a one as he, twice. He tells me that the business of Jamaica did miscarry absolutely by his pride, and that, 200 MR. PEPYS ON RELIGION when he was in the Tower, he would cry like a child. And that just upon the turne, when Monk was come from the North to the City, and did begin to think of bringing in the King, Pen was then turned Quaker. That Lawson was never counted any thing but only a seaman, and a stout man, but a false man, and that now he appears the greatest hypocrite in the world. And Pen the same. He tells me, that it is much talked of, that the King intends to legitimate the Duke of Mon- mouth ; and that neither he, nor his friends of his per- suasion, have any hopes of getting their consciences at liberty but by God Almighty's turning of the King's heart, which they expect, and are resolved to live and die in quiet hopes of it ; but never to repine, or act any thing more than by prayers towards it. And that not only himself, but all of them have, and are willing, at any time, to take the oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy. Mr. Blackburne observed further to me, some certain notice that he had of the present plot so much talked of; that he was told by Mr. Rushworth how one Captain Oates, a great Discoverer, did employ several to bring and seduce others into a plot, and that one of his agents met with one that would not listen to him, nor conceal what he had offered him, but so detected the trepan. He did also much insist upon the cowardice and corrup- tion of the King's guards and militia. 201 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS MR. PEPYS AND ROYALTY November 22, 1660. My wife and I walked to the Old Exchange, and there she bought her a white whisk, 1 and put it on, and I a pair of gloves. To Mr. Fox's, where we found Mrs. Fox within, and an alderman of London paying £1,000 or £1,400 in gold upon the table for the King. Mr. Fox come 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 chaire, and the two Princesses come to dinner. The Queen, a very little, plain old woman, and nothing more in her presence in any respect nor garbe 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 haire frized short up to her eares 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. 1 A sort of tippet formerly worn by women. 202 MR. PEPYS AND ROYALTY November 27, 1662. At my waking, I found the tops of the houses covered with snow, which is a rare sight, which I have not seen these three years. To the office, where we sat till noon ; when we all went to the next house upon Tower Hill to see the coming by of the Russia Embassador ; for whose reception all the City trained bands do attend in the streets, and the King's life-guards, and most of the wealthy citizens in their black velvet coats, and gold chains, which remain of their gallantry at the King's coming in, but they staid so long that we went down again to dinner. And after I had dined, I walked to the Conduit in the Quarrefowr, at the end of Gracious Street and Cornhill; and there, the spouts thereof running very near me upon all the people that were under it, I saw them pretty well go by. I could not see the Embassador in his coach ; but his attendants in their habits and fur caps very handsome, comely men, and most of them with hawkes upon their fists to present to the King. But, Lord ! to see the absurd nature of Englishmen, that cannot forbear laughing and jeering at every thing that looks strange. July 13, 1663. I met the Queen Mother walking in the Pell Mell, led by my Lord St. Albans. And finding many coaches at the Gate, I found upon enquiry that the Duchess is brought to bed of a boy ; and hearing that the King and Queen are rode abroad with the Ladies of Honour to the Park ; and, seeing a great crowd of gallants staying 203 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS here to see their return, I also staid walking up and down. By and by the King and Queen, who looked in this dress, a white laced waistcoate and a crimson short pettycoate, and her hair dressed a la negligence, mighty pretty : and the King rode hand in hand with her. Here was also my Lady Castlemaine, who rode among the rest of the ladies ; but the King took, methought, no notice of her ; nor when she 'light, did any body press, as she seemed to expect, and staid for it, to take her down, but was taken down by her own gentleman. She looked mighty out of humour, and had a yellow plume in her hat, which all took notice of, and yet is very handsome, but very melancholy ; nor did any body speak to her, or she so much as smile or speak to any body. I followed them up into Whitehall, and into the Queen's presence, where all the ladies walked, talking and fiddling with their hats and feathers, and changing and trying one another's by one another's heads, and laughing. But it was the finest sight to me, considering their great beautys and dress, that ever I did see in all my life. But, above all, Mrs. Stewart in this dresse, with her hat cocked and a red plume, with her sweet eye, little Roman nose, and excellent taille, is now the greatest beauty I ever saw, I think, in my life ; and, if ever woman can, do exceed my Lady Castlemaine, at least in this dress : nor do I wonder if the King changes, which I verily believe is the reason of his coldness to my Lady Castlemaine. October 19, 1663. Coming to St. James's, I hear that the Queen did sleep 204 MR. PEPYS AND ROYALTY five hours pretty well to-night, and that she waked and gargled her mouth, and to sleep again ; but that her pulse beats fast, beating twenty to the King's or my Lady Suffolk's eleven ; but not so strong as it was. It seems she was so ill as to be shaved, and pidgeons put to her feet, and to have the extreme unction given her by the priests, who were so long about it that the doctors were angry. The King, they all say, is most fondly dis- consolate for her, and weeps by her, which makes her weep; which one this day told me he reckons is a good sign, for that it carries away some rheume from the head. October 20, 1663. This evening, at my Lord's lodgings, Mrs. Sarah talk- ing with my wife and I how the Queen do, and how the King tends her, being so ill. She tells us that the Queen's sickness is the spotted fever ; that she was as full of the spots as a leopard : which is very strange that it should be no more known ; but perhaps it is not so. And that the King do seem to take it much to heart, for that he hath wept before her ; but, for all that, that he hath not missed one night, since she was sick, of supping with my Lady Castlemaine ; which I believe is true, for she says that her husband hath dressed the suppers every night ; and I confess I saw him myself coming through the street dressing up a great supper to-night, which Sarah says is also for the King and her : which is a very strange thing. 205 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS October 22, 1663. This morning, hearing that the Queen grows worse again, I sent to stop the making of my velvet cloak, till I see whether she lives or dies. October 27, 1663. Mr. Coventry tells me to-day that the Queen had a very good night last night ; but yet it is strange that still she raves and talks of little more than of her having of children, and fancys now that she hath three children, and that the girle is very like the King. And this morn- ing, about five o'clock, the physician, feeling her pulse, thinking to be better able to judge, she being still and asleep, waked her, and the first word she said was, " How do the children ? " November 2, 1663. Up, and by coach to White Hall, and there in the long Matted Gallery I find Sir G. Carteret, Sir J. Minnes, and Sir W. Batten ; and by and by comes the King, to walk there with three or four with him ; and, soon as he saw us, says he, "Here is the Navy Office," and there walked twenty turns the length of the gallery, talking, methought, but ordinary talk. By and by come the Duke, and he walked, and at last they went into the Duke's lodgings. The King staid so long, that we could not discourse with the Duke, and so we parted. I heard the Duke say that he was going to wear a perriwigg ; and they say the King also will. I never till this day observed that the King is mighty gray. 206 MR. PEPYS AND ROYALTY November 28, 1663. To-day, for certain, I am told how in Holland pub- lickly they have pictured our King with reproach : one way, is with his pockets turned the wrong side outward, hanging out empty ; another, with two courtiers, picking of his pockets ; and a third, leading of two ladies, while others abuse him ; which amounts to great contempt. ^January 4, 1663-64. To the Tennis Court, and there saw the King play at tennis and others : but to see how the King's play was extolled, without any cause at all, was a loathsome sight, though sometimes, indeed, he did play very well, and deserved to be commended ; but such open flattery is beastly. April 17, 1665. Thence to White Hall ; where the King, seeing me, did come to me, and, calling me by name, did discourse with me about the ships in the River : and this is the first time that ever I knew the King did know me per- sonally ; so that hereafter I must not go thither, but with expectation to be questioned, and to be ready to give good answers. ^January 28, 1665-66. (Lord's day.) Took coach, and to Hampton Court, where we find the King, and Duke, and Lords, all in council ; so we walked up and down : there being none of the ladies come, and so much the more business I hope 207 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS will be done. The Council being up, out comes the King, and I kissed his hand, and he grasped me very- kindly by the hand. The Duke also, I kissed his, and he mighty kind, and Sir W. Coventry. I found my Lord Sandwich there, poor man ! I see with a melan- choly face, and suffers his beard to grow on his upper lip more than usual. I took him a little aside, to know when I should wait on him, and where : he told me, that it would be best to meet at his lodgings, without being seen to walk together, which I liked very well ; and, Lord ! to see in what difficulty I stand, that I dare not walk with Sir W. Coventry, for fear my Lord or Sir G. Carteret should see me ; nor with either of them, for fear Sir W. Coventry should. I went down into one of the Courts, and there met the King and Duke ; and the Duke called me to him. And the King come to me of himself, and told me, " Mr. Pepys," says he, " I do give you thanks for your good service all this year, and I assure you I am very sensible of it." And the Duke of York did tell me with pleasure, that he had read over my discourse about pursers, and would have it ordered in my way, and so fell from one discourse to another. April 15, 1666. (Lord's day.) Walked into the Park to the Queen's chapel, and there heard a good deal of their mass, and some of their musique, which is not so con- temptible, I think, as our people would make it, it pleasing me very well ; and, indeed, better than the anthem I heard afterwards at White Hall, at my coming 208 MR. PEPYS AND ROYALTY back. I staid till the King went down to receive the Sacrament, and stood in his closet with a great many others, and there saw him receive it, which I never did see the manner of before. But I do see very little differ- ence between the degree of the ceremonies used by our people in the administration thereof, and that in the Roman church, saving that, methought, our Chapel was not so fine, nor the manner of doing it so glorious, as it was in the Queen's chapel. July 25, 1666. At White Hall ; we find the Court gone to Chapel, it being St. James's-day. And, by the by, while they are at chapel, and we waiting chapel being done, come people out of the Park, telling us that the guns are heard plainly. And so every body to the Park, and by and by the chapel done ; and the King and Duke into the bowling-green, and upon the leads, whither I went, and there the guns were plain to be heard ; though it was pretty to hear how confident some would be in the loudnesse of the guns, which it was as much as ever I could do to hear them. By and by the King to dinner, and I waited there his dining ; but, Lord ! how little I should be pleased, I think, to have so many people crowding about me ; and, among other things, it astonished me to see my Lord Barkeshire waiting at table, and serving the King drink, in that dirty pickle as I never saw man in my life. Here I met Mr. Wil- liams, who would have me to dine where he was invited to dine, at the Backestayres. So, after the King's meat 209 p RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS was taken away, we thither ; but he could not stay, but left me there among two or three of the King's servants, where we dined with the meat that come from his table ; which was most excellent, with most brave drink cooled in ice, which, at this hot time, was wel- come ; and I, drinking no wine, had metheglin for the King's own drinking, which did please me mightily, October 8, 1666. The King hath yesterday, in Council, declared his resolution of setting a fashion for clothes, which he will never alter. It will be a vest, I know not well how ; but it is to teach the nobility thrift, and will do good October 13, 1666. To White Hall, and there the Duke of York, who is gone over to all his pleasures again, and leaves off care of business, what with his woman, my Lady Den- ham, and his hunting three times a week, was just come in from hunting. So I stood and saw him dress himself, and try on his vest, which is the King's new fashion, and he will be in it for good and all on Monday next, and the whole Court : it is a fashion, the King says, he will never change. October 15, 1666. This day the King begins to put on his vest, and I did see several persons of the House of Lords and Commons too, great courtiers, who are in it ; being a long cassocke close to the body, of black cloth, and 210 MR. PEPYS AND ROYALTY pinked with white silk under it, and a coat over it, and the legs ruffled with black riband like a pigeon's leg : and, upon the whole, I wish the King may keep it, for it is a very fine and handsome garment. 1 November 22, 1666. Mr. Batelier tells me the news how the King of France hath, in defiance to the King of England, caused all his footmen to be put into vests, and that the noblemen of France will do the like ; which, if true, is the greatest indignity ever done by one Prince to another, and would excite a stone to be revenged ; and I hope our King will, if it be so, as he tells me it is : 2 being told by one that come over from Paris with my Lady 1 Rugge, in his Diurnal, thus describes the new court costume : — " 1666, Oct. 11. In this month His Majestie and the whole court changed the fashion of their clothes — viz., a close coat of cloth pinkt, with a white taffety under the cutts. This in length reached the calf of the leg, and upon that a sercoat cutt at the breast, which hung loose and shorter than the vest six inches. The breeches the Spanish cut, and buskins some of cloth, some of leather, but of the same colour, as the vest or garment ; of never the like fashion since William the Conqueror." Evelyn says, "It was a comely and manly habit, too good to hold, it being impossible for us, in good ernest, to leave the Monsieur's vanities long." See also his Diary, Oct. 18, 1666. Charles resolved never to alter it, and "to leave the French mode, which had hitherto obtained, to our great expence and reproach." But his consistency was so well known, that " divers gentlemen and courtiers gave him gold, by way of wagers, that he would not persist in his resolu- tion." — %uar. Review, vol. xix. p. 41. It is represented in a portrait of Lord Arlington, by Sir P. Lely, formerly belonging to Lord de Clifford, and engraved in Lodge's lllus. Persons. Louis XIV. ordered his servants to wear the dress. 2 Perhaps this influenced Charles II. in abandoning his new costume, which, at all events, was shortly discontinued, notwithstanding his having betted that it should never be changed. 211 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS Fanshaw, who is come over with the dead body of her husband, and that saw it before he come away. This makes me mighty merry, it being an ingenious kind of affront ; but yet makes me angry, to see that the King of England is become so little as to have the affront offered him. September 2, 1667. I went to see a great match at tennis between Prince Rupert and one Captain Cooke against Bab. May and the elder Chichly ; where the King was, and Court ; and it seems they are the best players at tennis in the nation. But this puts me in mind of what I observed in the morning, that the King, playing at tennis, had a steele-yard carried to him ; and I was told it was to weigh him after he had done playing ; and at noon Mr. Ashburnham told me that it is only the King's curiosity, which he usually hath of weighing himself before and after his play, to see how much he loses in weight by playing : and this day he lost 4J lbs. September 8, 1667. To White Hall, and saw the King and Queen at dinner ; and observed, which I never did before, the formality, but it is but a formality, of putting a bit of bread wiped upon each dish into the mouth of every man that brings a dish ; but it should be in the sauce. Here were some Russes come to see the King at dinner ; among others, the interpreter, a comely Englishman, in the Envoy's own clothes ; which the Envoy, it 212 MR. PEPYS AND ROYALTY seems, in vanity did send to show his fine clothes upon this man's back, he being one, it seems, of a comelier presence than himself: and yet it is said that none of their clothes are their own, but taken out of the King's own Wardrobe ; and which they dare not bring back dirty or spotted, but clean, or are in danger of being beaten, as they say : insomuch that, Sir Charles Cotterell says, when they are to have an audience they never venture to put on their clothes till he appears to come to fetch them ; and, as soon as ever they come home, put them off again. May 24, 1669. To White Hall, where I attended the Duke of York, and was by him led to the King, who expressed great sense of my misfortune in my eyes, and concernment for their recovery ; and accordingly signified, not only his assent to my desire therein, but commanded me to give them rest this summer, according to my late petition to the Duke of York. 213 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS MR. PEPYS'S COMMENTS ON SCIENTIFIC MATTERS July 3, 1662. Dined with the officers of the Ordnance ; where Sir W. Compton, Mr. O'Neal, and other great persons were. After dinner, was brought to Sir W. Compton a gun to discharge seven times ; the best of all devices that ever I saw, and very serviceable, and not a bawble ; for it is much approved of, and many thereof made. November 11, 1663. At noon to the Coffee-house, where, with Dr. Allen, some good discourse about physick and chymistry. And among other things, I telling him what Dribble, the German Doctor, do offer of an instrument to sink ships ; he tells me that which is more strange, that something made of gold, which they call in chymistry Aurum Fulminans^ a grain, I think he said, of it, put into a silver spoon and fired, will give a blow like a musquett, and strike a hole through the silver spoon downward, without the least force upward ; and this he can make a cheaper experiment of, he says, with iron prepared. 214 MR. PEPYS ON SCIENTIFIC MATTERS May 1 6, 1664. With Mr. Pierce, the surgeon, to see an experiment of killing a dog, by letting opium into his hind-leg. He and Dr. Clerke did fail mightily in hitting the vein, and in effect did not do the business after many trials ; but, with the little they got in the dog did presently fall asleep, and so lay till we cut him up, and a little dog also, which they put it down his throat — he also stag- gered first, and then fell asleep, and so continued. Whether he recovered or no, after I was gone, I know not. April 19, 1665. To Gresham College, where we saw some experi- ments upon a hen, a dog, and a cat, of the Florence poyson. The first it made for a time drunk, but it come to itself again quickly ; the second it made vomit mightily, but no other hurt. The third I did not stay to see the effect of it. May 19, 1666. Mr. Deane and I did discourse about his ship Rupert, built by him, which succeeds so well as he hath got great honour by it, and I some, by recommending him ; the King, Duke, and every body, saying it is the best ship that was ever built. And then he fell to explain to me his manner of casting the draught of water which a ship will draw beforehand : which is a secret the King and all admire in him ; and he is the first that hath come to any certainty beforehand, of foretelling the draught of water of a ship before she be launched. 215 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS July 28, 1666. To the Pope's Head, where my Lord Brouncker and his mistress dined, and Commissioner Pett, Dr. Charleton, and myself, were entertained with a venison pasty by Sir W. Warren. Here very pretty discourse of Dr. Charle- ton's, concerning Nature's fashioning every creature's teeth according to the food she intends them ; and that men's, it is plain, was not for flesh, but fruit, and that he can at any time tell the food of a beast unknown by the teeth ; and that all children love fruit, and none brought to flesh, but against their wills, at first. August 8, 1666. Discoursed with Mr. Hooke about the nature of sounds, and he did make me understand the nature of musicall sounds made by strings, mighty prettily ; and told me that having come to a certain number of vibra- tions proper to make any tone, he is able to tell how many strokes a fly makes with her wings, those flies that hum in their flying, by the note that it answers to in musique, during their flying. That, I suppose, is a little too much refined ; but his discourse in general of sound was mighty fine. November 14, 1666. To the Pope's Head, where all the Houblons were, and Dr. Croone. Dr. Croone told me, that, at the meeting at Gresham College to-night, which, it seems, they now have every Wednesday again, there was a pretty experiment of the blood of one dog let out, till he died, 216 MR. PEPYS ON SCIENTIFIC MATTERS into the body of another on one side, while all his own run out on the other side. The first died upon the place, and the other very well, and likely to do well. This did give occasion to many pretty wishes, as of the blood of a Quaker to be let into an Archbishop, and such like; but, as Dr. Croone says, may, if it takes, be of mighty use to man's health, for the mending of bad blood by borrowing from a better body. November 1 6, 1666. This noon I met with Mr. Hooke, and he tells me the dog which was filled with another dog's blood, at the College the other day, is very well, and like to be so as ever, and doubts not its being found of great use to men ; and so do Dr. Whistler, who dined with us at the tavern. February 3, 1666-67. (Lord's day.) To White Hall, and there to Sir W. Coventry's chamber, and there staid till he was ready, talking, and among other things of the Prince's being trepanned, which was in doing just as we passed through the Stone Gallery, we asking at the door of his lodgings, and were told so. We are full of wishes for the good success ; though I dare say but few do really concern ourselves for him in our hearts. With others into the House, and there hear that the work is done to the Prince in a few minutes without any pain at all to him, he not knowing when it was done. It was performed by Moulins. Having cut the outward table, as they call it, 217 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS they find the inner all corrupted, so as it come out with- out any force ; and their fear is, that the whole inside of his head is corrupted like that, which do yet make them afraid of him ; but no ill accident appeared in the doing of the thing, but all with all imaginable success, as Sir Alexander Frazier did tell me himself, I asking him, who is very kind to me. November 21, 1667. With Creed to a tavern, where Dean Wilkins and others : and good discourse ; among the rest, of a man that is a little frantic, that hath been a kind of minister, Dr. Wilkins saying that he hath read for him in his church, that is poor and a debauched man, that the College have hired for 20s. to have some of the blood of a sheep let into his body ; and it is to be done on Saturday next. They purpose to let in about twelve ounces ; which, they compute, is what will be let in in a minute's time by a watch. On this occasion, Dr. Whistler told a pretty story related by Muffet, a good author, of Dr. Caius, that built Caius College ; that, being very old, and living only at that time upon woman's milk, he, while he fed upon the milk of an angry, fretful woman, was so himself; and then, being advised to take it of a good-natured, patient woman, he did become so, beyond the common temper of his age. Their discourse was very fine ; and if I should be put out of my office, I do take great content in the liberty I shall be at, of frequenting these gentlemen's company. 218 MR. PEPYS ON SCIENTIFIC MATTERS October 27, 1668. This evening Mr. Spong come, and sat late with me, and first told me of the instrument called a parallelogram, 1 which I must have one of, shewing me his practice thereon, by a map of England. 1 Now generally called pentagrapk. It is a very useful instrument, by means of which persons having no skill in drawing may copy designs, prints, &c, in any proportion. 219 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS MR. PEPYS AND HIS SERVANTS March 24, 1660. At work hard all the day writing letters to the Council, &c. Mr. Creed came on board, and dined very boldly with my Lord. The boy Eliezer flung down a can of beer upon my papers, which made me give him a box of the ear, it having cost me a great deal of work. December 1, 1660. This morning, observing some things to be laid up not as they should be by my girl, I took a broom and basted her till she cried extremely, which made me vexed ; but before I went out, I left her appeased. October 20, 1661. (Lord's day.) Much offended in mind at a proud trick my man Will hath got, to keep his hat on in the house, but I will not speak of it to him to-day, but I fear I shall be troubled with his pride and lazinesse, though in other things he is good enough. 220 3t MR. PEPYS AND HIS SERVANTS October 25, 1 66 1. I did give my man Will a sound lesson about his forbearing to give us the respect due to a master and mistress. February 24, 1661-62. Called Will up, and chid him before my wife, for refusing to go to church with the maids yesterday, and telling his mistress that he would not be made a slave of. February 28, 1 66 1-62. The boy failing to call us up as I commanded, I was angry, and resolved to whip him for that, and many other faults, to-day. Early with Sir W. Pen by coach to White Hall, to the Duke of Yorke's chamber, and there I presented him from my Lord a fine map of Tangier, done by one Captain Beckman, a Swede, that is with my Lord. We staid looking it over a great while with the Duke after he was ready. I bad Will get me a rod, and he and I called the boy up to one of the upper rooms of the Comptroller's house towards the garden, and there I reckoned all his faults, and whipped him soundly, but the rods was so small that I fear they did not much hurt to him, but only to my arm, which I am already, within a quarter of an houre, not able to stir almost. June 8, 1662. Home, and observe my man Will to walk with his cloak flung over his shoulder, which, whether it was that he might not be seen to walk along with the footboy I 221 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS know not, but I was vexed at it ; and coming home, and after prayers, I did ask him where he learned that immodest garb ; and he answered me, that it was not immodest, or some such slight answer, at which I did give him two boxes on the eares, which I never did before. "January 12, 1662-63. To the King's Head ordinary, but people being set down, we went to two or three places ; at last found some meat at a Welch cook's at Charing Crosse, and here dined and our boys. Mine had struck down Creed's boy in the dirt, with his new suit on, and the boy taken by a gentlewoman into a house to make clean, but the poor boy was in a pitiful taking and pickle, but I basted my rogue soundly. February 19, 1664-65. (Lord's day.) Hearing by accident of my maid's letting in a roguing Scotch woman that haunts the office, to help them to wash and scour in our house, and that very lately, I fell mightily out, and made my wife, to the disturbance of the house and neighbours, to beat our little girle, and then we shut her down into the cellar, and there she lay all night. March 2, 1665. Begun this day to rise betimes before six o'clock, and, going down to call my people, found Besse and the girle with their clothes on, lying within their bedding upon the ground close by the fireside, and a candle burning all 222 MR. PEPYS AND HIS SERVANTS night, pretending they would rise to scoure. But Besse, is going, and so she will not trouble me long. March 6, 1665. I saw Besse go away ; she having, of all wenches that ever lived with us, received the greatest love and kind- ness, and good clothes besides wages, and gone away with the greatest ingratitude. January 20, 1665-66. I sent my boy home for some papers, where, he stay- ing longer than I would have him, I become angry, and boxed my boy when he come, that I do hurt my thum so much, that I was not able to stir all the day after, and in great pain. June 30, 1666. Late to bed ; and, while I was undressing myself, our new ugly maid Luce had like to have broke her neck in the dark, going down our upper stairs ; but, which I was glad of, the poor girle did only bruise her head, but at first did lie on the ground groaning, and drawing her breath, like one a-dying. July 30, 1666. Home ; and to sing with my wife and Mercer in the garden ; and coming in, I find my wife plainly dissatisfied with me, that I can spend so much time with Mercer, teaching her to sing, and could never take the pains with her, which I acknowledge ; but it is because that the girl do take musick mighty readily, and she do not, and musick 223 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS is the thing of the world that I love most, and all the pleasure almost that I can now take. So to bed, in some little discontent, but no words from me. October 12, 1666. My wife come home, and hath brought her new girle I have helped her to, of Mr. Falconbridge's. She is wretched poor, and but ordinary favoured, and we fain to lay out seven or eight pounds worth of clothes upon her back, which, methinks, do go against my heart ; and do not think I can ever esteem her as I could have done another, that had come fine and handsome ; and, which is more, her voice, for want of use, is so furred, that it do not at present please me ; but her manner of singing is such, that I shall, I think, take great pleasure in it. Well, she is come, and I wish us good fortune in her. April 12, 1667. Coming home, saw my door and hatch open, left so by Luce, our cookmaid, which so vexed me, that I did give her a kick in our entry, and offered a blow at her, and was seen doing so by Sir W. Pen's footboy, which did vex me to the heart, because I know he will be telling their family of it. September 24, 1667. My wife tells me that W. Batelier hath been here to-day, and brought with him the pretty girl he speaks of, to come to serve my wife as a woman, out of the school at Bow. My wife says she is extraordinary hand- 224 MR. PEPYS AND HIS SERVANTS some, and inclines to have her, and I am glad of it — at least, that if we must have one, she should be handsome. But I shall leave it wholly to my wife, to do what she will therein. September 27, 1667. While I was busy at the Office, my wife sends for me to come home, and what was it but to see the pretty girl which she is talcing to wait upon her : and though she seems not altogether so great a beauty as she had before told me, yet indeed she is mighty pretty ; and so pretty, that I find I shall be too much pleased with it, and there- fore could be contented as to my judgment, though not to my passion, that she might not come, lest I may be found too much minding her, to the discontent of my wife. She is to come next week. She seems, by her discourse, to be grave beyond her bigness and age, and exceeding well bred as to her deportment, having been a scholar in a school at Bow these seven or eight years. March 29, 1669. This day my new chamber-maid, that comes in the room of Jane, is come, Jane and Tom lying at their own lodging this night : the new maid's name is Matt, a proper and very comely maid. This day also our cook- maid Bridget went away, which I was sorry for ; but, just at her going, she was found to be a thief, and so I was the less troubled for it ; but now our whole house will, in a manner, be new, which, since Jane is gone, I am not at all sorry for. 225 Q RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS MR. PEPYS VIEWS THE CORONATION OF CHARLES II. April 22, 1 66 1. The King's going from the Tower to White Hall. Up early, and made myself as fine as I could, and put on my velvet coat, the first day that I put it on, though made half a year ago. And being ready, Sir W. Batten, my Lady, and his two daughters, and his son and wife, and Sir W. Pen and his son and I, went to Mr. Young's, the flag-maker, in Corne-hill ; and there we had a good room to ourselves, with wine and good cake, and saw the show very well. In which it is impossible to relate the glory of this day, expressed in the clothes 01 them that rid, and their horses and horse-clothes. Among others, my Lord Sandwich's embroidery and diamonds were not ordinary among them. The Knights of the Bath was a brave sight of itself; and their Esquires, among which Mr. Armiger was an Esquire to one of the Knights. Remarquable were the two men that repre- sent the two Dukes of Normandy and Aquitane. The Bishops come next after Barons, which is the higher 226 MR. PEPYS VIEWS THE CORONATION place ; which makes me think that the next Parliament they will be called to the House of Lords. My Lord Monk rode bare after the King, and led in his hand a spare horse, as being Master of the Horse. The King, in a most rich embroidered suit and cloak, looked most noble. Wadlow, the vintner, at the Devil, in Fleet Street, did lead a fine company of soldiers, all young, comely men, in white doublets. There followed the Vice-Chamberlain, Sir G. Carteret, a company of men all like Turkes ; but I know not yet what they are for. The streets all gravelled, and the houses hung with carpets before them, made brave show, and the ladies out of the windows. So glorious was the show with gold and silver, that we were not able to look at it, our eyes at last being so much overcome. Both the King and the Duke of York took notice of us, as they saw us at the window. In the evening, by water to White Hall to my Lord's, and there I spoke with my Lord. He talked with me about his suit, which was made in France, and cost him ^200, and very rich it is with embroidery. The show being ended, Mr. Young did give us a dinner, at which we very merry, and pleased above imagination at what we had seen. Sir W. Batten going home, he and I called, and drunk some wine, and laid our wager about my Lady Faulconbridge's name, which he says not to be Mary and so I won above 20s. So home, where Will and the boy staid, and saw the show upon Towre-hill, and Jane at T. Pepys's the Turner, and my wife at Charles Glasse- cocke's in Fleet Street. 227 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS April 23, 1 66 1. About four I rose and got to the Abbey, where I followed Sir J. Denham, the surveyor, with some company he was leading in. And with much ado, by the favour of Mr. Cooper, his man, did get up into a great scaffold across the North end of the Abbey, where with a great deal of patience I sat from past four till eleven before the King come in. And a great pleasure it was to see the Abbey raised in the middle, all covered with red, and a throne (that is, a chaire) and footstoole on the top of it ; and all the officers of all kinds, so much as the very fiddlers, in red vests. At last comes in the Dean and Prebendaries of Westminster, with the Bishops, (many of them in cloth of gold copes,) and after them the Nobility, all in their Parliament robes, which was a most magnificent sight. Then the Duke, and the King with a sceptre r (carried by my Lord Sandwich) and sword and wand before him, and the crowne too. The King in his robes, bare-headed, which was very fine. And after all had placed themselves, there was a sermon and the service ; and then in the Quire at the high altar, the King passed through all the ceremonies of the Coronacon, which to my great grief I and most in the Abbey could not see. The crowne being put upon his head, a great shout begun, and he come forth to the throne, and there passed through more ceremonies ; as taking the oath, and having things read to him by the Bishopp ; and his lords (who put on their caps as soon as the King put on his crowne) and 1 It was St. Edward's staff. 228 MR. PEPYS VIEWS THE CORONATION bishops come, and kneeled before him. And three times the King at Armes went to the three open places on the scaffold, and proclaimed, that if any one could show any reason why Charles Stewart should not be King of England, that now he should come and speak. And a Generall Pardon also was read by the Lord Chancellor, and meddalls flung up and down by my Lord Cornwallis, of silver, but I could not come by any. But so great a noise that I could make but little of the musique ; and indeed, it was lost to every body. I went out a little while before the King had done all his ceremonies, and went round the Abbey to Westminster Hall, all the way within rayles, and 10,000 people with the ground covered with blue cloth ; and scaffolds all the way. Into the Hall I got, where it was very fine with hangings and scaffolds one upon another full of brave ladies ; and my wife in one little one, on the right hand. Here I staid walking up and down, and at last upon one of the side stalls I stood and saw the King come in with all the persons (but the soldiers) that were yesterday in the cavalcade ; and a most pleasant sight it was to see them in their several robes. And the King come in with his crowne on, and his sceptre in his hand, under a canopy borne up by six silver staves, carried by Barons of the Cinque Ports, and little bells at every end. And after a long time, he got up to the farther end, and all set themselves down at their several tables ; and that was also a brave sight : and the King's first course carried up by the Knights of the Bath. And many fine ceremonies there was of the Heralds 229 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS leading up people before him, and bowing ; and my Lord of Albemarle's going to the kitchen and eating a bit of the first dish that was to go to the King's table. But, above all, was these three Lords, Northumberland, and Suffolke, and the Duke of Ormond, coming before the courses on horseback, and staying so all dinner- time, and at last bringing up [Dymock,] the King's Champion, all in armour on horseback, with his speare and targett carried before him. And a Herald proclaims " That if any dare deny Charles Stuart to be lawful King of England, here was a Champion that would fight with him ; " and with these words, the Champion flings down his gauntlet, and all this he do three times in his going up towards the King's table. To which, when he is come, the King drinks to him, and then sends him the cup, which is of gold, and he drinks it off, and then rides back again with the cup in his hand. I went from table to table to see the Bishops and all others at their dinner, and was infinitely pleased with it. And at the Lords' table, I met with William Howe, and he spoke to my Lord for me, and he did give him four rabbits and a pullet, and so Mr. Creed and I got Mr. Minshell to give us some bread, and so we at a stall eat it, as every body else did what they could get. I took a great deal of pleasure to go up and down, and look upon the ladies, and to hear the musique of all sorts, but above all, the 24 violins. About six at night they had dined, and I went up to my wife. And strange it is to think, that these two days have held up fair till now that all is done, and the King gone out of 230 CHARLES II. From an engraving after Kneller. MR. PEPYS VIEWS THE CORONATION the Hall ; and then it fell a-raining and thundering and lightening as I have not seen it do for some years : which people did take great notice of; God's blessing of the work of these two days, which is a foolery to take too much notice of such things. I observed little dis- order in all this, only the King's footmen had got hold of the canopy, and would keep it from the Barons of the Cinque Ports, which they endeavoured to force from them again, but could not do it till my Lord Duke of Albemarle caused it to be put into Sir R. Pye's hand till to-morrow to be decided. At Mr. Bowyer's ; a great deal of company, some I knew, others I did not. Here we staid upon the leads and below till it was late, expecting to see the fire-works, but they were not per- formed to-night : only the City had a light like a glory round about it, with bonfires. At last, I went to King Streete, and there sent Crockford to my father's and my house, to tell them I could not come home to-night, because of the dirt, and a coach could not be had. And so I took my wife and Mrs. Frankleyn (who I profered the civility of lying with my wife at Mrs. Hunt's to- night) to Axeyard, in which, at the further end, there were three great bonfires, and a great many gallants, men and women ; and they laid hold ot us, and would have us drink the King's health upon our knees, kneel- ing upon a faggot, which we all did, they drinking to us one after another, which we thought a strange frolique ; but these gallants continued there a great while, and I wondered to see how the ladies did tipple. At last, I sent my wife and her bedfellow to bed, and Mr. Hunt 231 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS and I went in with Mr. Thornbury (who did give the company all their wine, he being yeoman of the wine- cellar to the King) ; and there, with his wife and two of his sisters, and some gallant sparks that were there, we drank the King's health, and nothing else, till one of the gentlemen fell down stark drunk, and there lay ; and I went to my Lord's pretty well. But no sooner a-bed with Mr. Shepley but my head began to turn, and I to vomitt, and if ever I was foxed, it was now, which I cannot say yet, because I fell asleep, and slept till morning. Thus did the day end with joy every where ; and blessed be God, I have not heard of any mischance to any body through it all, but only to Serjeant Glynne, whose horse fell upon him yesterday, and is like to kill him, which people do please them- selves to see how just God is to punish the rogue at such a time as this ; he being now one of the King's Serjeants, and rode in the cavalcade with Maynard, to whom people wish the same fortune. There was also this night, in King Streete, a woman had her eye put out by a boy's flinging a firebrand into the coach. Now, after all this, I can say, that, besides the pleasure of the sight of these glorious things, I may now shut my eyes against any other objects, nor for the future trouble myself to see things of state and showe, as being sure never to see the like again in this world. 232 MR. PEPYS'S RECORD OF THE PLAGUE MR. PEPYS'S RECORD OF THE PLAGUE April 30, 1665. Great fears of the sicknesse here in the City, it being said that two or three houses are already shut up. God preserve us all ! June 7, 1665. This day, much against my will, I did in Drury Lane see two or three houses marked with a red cross upon the doors, and " Lord have mercy upon us ! " writ there ; which was a sad sight to me, being the first of the kind that, to my remembrance, I ever saw. It put me into an ill conception of myself and my smell, so that I was forced to buy some roll-tobacco to smell to and chaw, which took away the apprehension. June 20, 1665. This day I informed myself that there died four of five at Westminster of the plague, in several houses, upon Sunday last, in Bell Alley, over against the Palace- gate : yet people do think that the number will be fewer in the town than it was the last week. 233 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS June 22, 1665. In great pain whether to send my mother into the country to-day or no ; I hearing, by my people, that the poor wretch hath a mind to stay a little longer, and I cannot blame her. At last, I resolved to put it to her, and she agreed to go, because of the sickness in town, and my intentions of removing my wife. She was to the last unwilling to go, but would not say so, but put it off till she lost her place in the coach, and was fain to ride in the waggon part. June 26, 1665. The plague encreases mightily, I this day seeing a house, at a bitt-maker's, over against St. Clement's Church, in the open street, shut up : which is a sad sight. July 5, 1665. By water to Woolwich, where I found my wife come, and her two maids, and very prettily accommodated they will be ; and I left them going to supper, grieved in my heart to part with my wife, being worse by much without her, though some trouble there is in having the care of a family at home this plague time. July 22, 1665. To Fox-hall, where to the Spring garden ; but I do not see one guest there, the town being so empty of any body to come thither. Only, while I was there, a poor woman come to scold with the master of the house that 234 MR. PEPYS'S RECORD OF THE PLAGUE a kinswoman, I think, of her's, that was nearly dead of the plague, might be buried in the church-yard ; for, for her part, she should not be buried in the commons, as they said she should. I by coach home, not meeting with but two coaches and but two carts from White Hall to my own house, that I could observe, and the streets mighty thin of people. I met this noon with Dr. Burnett, who told me, and I find in the news-book this week that he posted upon the 'Change, that whoever did spread the report that, instead of dying of the plague, his servant was by him killed, it was forgery, and shewed me the acknowledgment of the Master of the pest-house, that his servant died of a bubo on his right groine, and two spots on his right thigh, which is the plague. July 29, 1665. At noon to dinner, where I hear that my Will is come in thither, and laid down upon my bed, ill of the headache, which put me into extraordinary fear ; and I studied all I could to get him out of the house, and set my people to work to do it without discouraging him, and myself went forth to the Old Exchange to pay my fair Batelier for some linnen, and took leave of her, they breaking up shop for a while : and so by coach to Kate Joyce's, and there used all the vehemence and rhetorique I could to get her husband to let her go down to Brampton, but I could not prevail with him ; he urging some simple reasons, but most that of profit, minding the house, and the distance, if either of them should be ill. However, I did my best, 235 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS and more than I had a mind to do, but that I saw him so resolved against it, while she was mightily troubled at it. At last, he yielded she should go to Windsor, to some friends there : so I took my leave of them, believing it is great odds that we ever all see one another again ; for I dare not go any more to that end of the town. Will is gone to his lodging, and is likely to do well, it being only the headache. July 30, 1665. (Lord's day.) Up, and in my night-gown, cap, and neckcloth, undressed, all day long — lost not a minute, but in my chamber, setting my Tangier accounts to rights. Will is very well again. It was a sad noise to hear our bell to toll and ring so often to-day, either for deaths or burials ; I think, five or six times. August 3, 1665. Up, and betimes to Deptford to Sir G. Carteret's, where, not knowing the horse which had been hired by Mr. Unthwayt for me, I did desire Sir G. Carteret to let me ride his new ^40 horse ; and so to the ferry, where I was forced to stay a great while before I could get my horse brought over, and then mounted, and rode very finely to Dagenhams ; all the way, people, citizens, walk- ing to and fro, enquire how the plague is in the City this week by the Bill ; which, by chance, at Greenwich, I had heard was 2,020 of the plague, and 3,000 and odd, of all diseases ,• but methought it was a sad question to be so often asked me. 236 MR. PEPYS'S RECORD OF THE PLAGUE August 3, 1665. [I am told] how a maid servant of Mr. John Wright's, who lives thereabouts, falling sick of the plague, she was removed to an outhouse, and a nurse appointed to look to her ; who, being once absent, the maid got out of the house at the window, and run away. The nurse coming and knocking, and, having no answer, believed she was dead, and went and told Mr. Wright so ; who and his lady were in great straight what to do to get her buried. At last, resolved to go to Burntwood, hard by, being in the parish, and there get people to do it. But they would not : so he went home full of trouble, and in the way met the wench walking over the com- mon, which frightened him worse than before ; and was forced to send people to take her, which he did ; and they got one of the pest-coaches, and put her into it, to carry her to a pest-house. And, passing in a narrow lane, Sir Anthony Browne, with his brother and some friends in the coach, met this coach with the curtains drawn close. The brother, being a young man, and believing there might be some lady in it that would not be seen, and the way being narrow, he thrust his head out of his own into her coach, and to look, and there saw somebody looking very ill, and in a silk dress, and stunk mightily ; which the coachman also cried out upon. And presently they come up to some people that stood looking after it, and told our gallants that it was a maid of Mr. Wright's carried away sick of the plague ; which put the young gentleman into a fright had almost cost him his life, but he is now well again. 237 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS August 10, 1665. By and by to the office, where we sat all the morning ; in great trouble to see the Bill this week rise so high, to above 4,000 in all, and of them above 3,000 of the plague. Home, to draw over anew my will, which I had bound myself by oath to dispatch by to-morrow night ; the town growing so unhealthy, that a man cannot depend upon living two days. August 15, 1665. It was dark before I could get home, and so land at Church-yard stairs, where, to my great trouble, I met a dead corps of the plague, in the narrow alley, just bring- ing down a little pair of stairs. But I thank God I was not much disturbed at it. However, I shall beware of being late abroad again. August 16, 1665. To the Exchange, where I have not been a great while. But, Lord ! how sad a sight it is to see the streets empty of people, and very few upon the 'Change ! Jealous of every door that one sees shut up, lest it should be the plague ; and about us two shops in three, if not more, generally shut up. This day, I had the ill news from Dagenhams, that my poor Lord of Hinchingbroke his indisposition is turned to the small-pox. Poor gentle- man ! that he should be come from France so soon to fall sick, and of that disease too, when he should be gone to see a fine lady, his mistress ! I am most heartily sorry for it. 238 MR. PEPYS'S RECORD OF THE PLAGUE August 20, 1665. After church, to my inn, and eat and drank, and so about seven o'clock by water, and got, between nine and ten, to Queenhive, very dark ; and I could not get my waterman to go elsewhere, for fear of the plague. Thence with a lanthorn, in great fear of meeting of dead corpses, carrying to be buried ; but, blessed be God ! met none, but did see now and then a link, which is the mark of them, at a distance. AugUSt 22, 1665. Walked to Greenwich, in my way seeing a coffin with a dead body therein, dead of the plague, lying in an open close belonging to Coome farme, which was carried out last night, and the parish have not appointed any body to bury it ; but only set a watch there all day and night, that nobody should go thither or come thence : this disease making us more cruel to one another than we are to dogs. Walked to Redriffe, troubled to go through the little lane where the plague is, but did, and took water and home, where all well. August 25, 1665. This day I am told that Dr. Burnett, my physician, is this morning dead of the plague ; which is strange, his man dying so long ago, and his house this month open again. Now himself dead. Poor unfortunate man ! August 31, 1665. Up : and, after putting several things in order to my removal, to Woolwich ; the plague having a great encrease 239 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS this week, beyond all expectation, of almost 2,000, making the general Bill 7,000, odd 100 ; and the plague above 6,000. Thus this month ends with great sadness upon the publick, through the greatness of the plague everywhere through the kingdom almost. Every day sadder and sadder news of its encrease. In the City died this week 7,496, and of them 6,102 of the plague. But it is feared that the true number of the dead this week is near 1 0,000 ; partly from the poor that cannot be taken notice of, through the greatness of the number, and partly from the Quakers and others that will not have any bell ring for them. August 31, 1665. As to myself, I am very well, only in fear of the plague, and as much of an ague, by being forced to go early and late to Woolwich, and my family to lie there continually. September 3, 1665. (Lord's day.) Up, and put on my coloured silk suit very fine, and my new periwigg, bought a good while since, but durst not wear, because the plague was in Westminster when I bought it ; and it is a wonder what will be the fashion after the plague is done, as to peri- wiggs, for nobody will dare to buy any haire, for fear of the infection, that it had been cut off the heads of people dead of the plague. September 20, 1665. Lord ! what a sad time it is to see no boats upon the river ; and grass grows all up and down White Hall 240 MR. PEPYS'S RECORD OF THE PLAGUE court, and nobody but poor wretches in the streets ! And, which is worst of all, the Duke showed us the number of the plague this week, brought in the last night from the Lord Mayor ; that it is encreased about 600 more than the last, which is quite contrary to our hopes and expectations, from the coldness of the late season. For the whole general number is 8,297, anc ^ °f them the plague 7,165 ; which is more in the whole, by above 50, than the biggest Bill yet : which is very grievous to us all. I find Sir W. Batten and his lady gone home to Walthamstow, with some necessity, hearing that a maid- servant of their's is taken ill. October 4, 1665. This night comes Sir George Smith to see me at the office, and tells me how the plague is decreased this week 740, for which God be praised ! but that it encreases at our end of the town still. November 15, 1665. The plague, blessed be God ! is decreased 400 ; making the whole this week about 1,300 and odd : for which the Lord be praised. January 22, 1665-66. The first meeting of Gresham College since the plague. Dr. Goddard did fill us with talk, in defence of his and his fellow physicians going out of town in the plague-time ; saying, that their particular patients were most gone out of town, and they left at liberty ; and a great deal more. 24I R RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS February 12, 1665—66. Comes Mr. Caesar, my boy's lute-master, whom I have not seen since the plague before, but he hath been in Westminster all this while, very well ; and tells me, in the height of it, how bold people there were, to go in sport to one another's burials ; and in spite, too, ill people would breathe in the faces, out of their windows, of well people going by. 242 MR. PEPYS'S ACCOUNT OF THE GREAT FIRE MR. PEPYS'S ACCOUNT OF THE GREAT FIRE OF LONDON September 2, 1666. (Lord's day.) Some of our maids sitting up late last night to get things ready against our feast to-day, Jane called us up about three in the morning, to tell us of a great fire they saw in the City. So I rose, and slipped on my night-gown, and went to her window ; and thought it to be on the back-side of Marke-lane at the farthest; but, being unused to such fires as followed, I thought it far enough off; and so went to bed again, and to sleep. About seven rose again to dress myself, and there looked out at the window, and saw the fire not so much as it was, and further off. So to my closet to set things to rights, after yesterday's cleaning. By and by Jane comes and tells me that she hears that above 300 houses have been burned down to-night by the fire we saw, and that it is now burning down all Fish Street, by London Bridge. So I made myself ready presently, and walked to the Tower ; and there got up upon one of the high places, Sir J. Robinson's little son going up with me ; and there I did see the houses at that end of 2 43 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS the bridge all on fire, and an infinite great fire on this and the other side the end of the bridge ; which, among other people, did trouble me for poor little Michell and our Sarah on the bridge. So down, with my heart full of trouble, to the Lieutenant of the Tower, who tells me that it begun this morning in the King's baker's house in Pudding-lane, and that it hath burned down St. Magnus's Church and most part of Fish Street already. So I down to the water-side, and there got a boat, and through bridge, and there saw a lamentable fire. Poor Michell's house, as far as the Old Swan, already burned that way, and the fire running further, that, in a very little time, it got as far as the Steele-yard, while I was there. Every body endeavouring to remove their goods, and flinging into the river, or bringing them into lighters that lay off ; poor people staying in their houses as long as till the very fire touched them, and then running into boats, or clambering from one pair of stairs, by the water- side, to another. And, among other things, the poor pigeons, I perceive, were loth to leave their houses, but hovered about the windows and balconys, till they burned their wings and fell down. Having staid, and in an hour's time seen the fire rage every way ; and nobody, to my sight, endeavouring to quench it, but to remove their goods, and leave all to the fire ; and, having seen it get as far as the Steele-yard, and the wind mighty high, and driving it into the City ; and everything, after so long a drought, proving combustible, even the very stones of churches ; and, among other things, the poor steeple by which pretty Mrs. lives, and whereof my old 244 MR. PEPYS'S ACCOUNT OF THE GREAT FIRE schoolfellow Elborough is parson, taken fire in the very- top, and there burned till it fell down ; I to White Hall, with a gentleman with me, who desired to go off from the Tower, to see the fire, in my boat ; and there up to the King's closet in the Chapel, where people come about me, and I did give them an account dismayed them all, and word was carried in to the King. So I was called for, and did tell the King and Duke of York what I saw ; and that, unless his Majesty did command houses to be pulled down, nothing could stop the fire. They seemed much troubled, and the King commanded me to go to my Lord Mayor from him, and command him to spare no houses, but to pull down before the fire every way. The Duke of York bid me tell him, that if he would have any more soldiers, he shall ; and so did my Lord Arlington afterwards, as a great secret. Here meeting with Captain Cocke, I in his coach, which he lent me, and Creed with me to Paul's ; and there walked along Watling Street, as well as I could, every creature coming away loaden with goods to save, and, here and there, sick people carried away in beds. Extraordinary- good goods carried in carts and on backs. At last met my Lord Mayor in Canning Street, like a man spent, with a handkercher about his neck. To the King's message, he cried, like a fainting woman, " Lord ! what can I do ? I am spent : people will not obey me. I have been pulling down houses ; but the fire overtakes us faster than we can do it." That he needed no more soldiers ; and that, for himself, he must go and refresh himself, having been up all night. So he left me, and I 245 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS him, and walked home ; seeing people all almost dis- tracted, and no manner or means used to quench the fire. The houses, too, so very thick thereabouts, and full of matter for burning, as pitch and tar, in Thames Street ; and warehouses of oyle, and wines, and brandy, and other things. Here I saw Mr. Isaac Houblon, the handsome man, prettily dressed and dirty at his door at Dowgate, receiving some of his brother's things, whose houses were on fire ; and, as he says, have been removed twice already ; and he doubts, as it soon proved, that they must be, in a little time, removed from his house also, which was a sad consideration. And to see the churches all filling with goods by people who themselves should have been quietly there at this time. By this time, it was about twelve o'clock ; and so home, and there find my guests, who were Mr. Wood and his wife Barbary Shelden, and also Mr. Moone : she mighty fine, and her husband, for aught I see, a likely man. But Mr. Moone's design and mine, which was to look over my closet, and please him with the sight thereof, which he hath long desired, was wholly disappointed ; for we were in great trouble and disturbance at this fire, not knowing what to think of it. However, we had an extraordinary good dinner, and as merry as at this time we could be. While at dinner, Mrs. Batelier come to enquire after Mr. Woolfe and Stanes, who, it seems, are related to them, whose houses in Fish Street are all burned, and they in a sad condition. She would not stay in the fright. Soon as dined, I and Moone away, and walked through the City, the streets full of nothing but people ; and horses and carts loaden 246 MR. PEPYS'S ACCOUNT OF THE GREAT FIRE with goods, ready to run over one another, and removing goods from one burned house to another. They now removing out of Canning Street, which received goods in the morning, into Lumbard Street, and further : and, among others, I now saw my little goldsmith Stokes, receiving some friend's goods, whose house itself was burned the day after. We parted at Paul's ; he home, and I to Paul's Wharf, where I had appointed a boat to attend me, and took in Mr. Carcasse and his brother, whom I met in the street, and carried them below and above bridge too. And again to see the fire, which was now got further, both below and above, and no likelihood of stopping it. Met with the King and Duke of York in their barge, and with them to Queenhithe, and there called Sir Richard Browne to them. Their order was only to pull down houses apace, and so below bridge at the water-side ; but this little was or could be done, the fire coming upon them so fast. Good hopes there was of stopping it at the Three Cranes above, and at Buttulph's Wharf below bridge, if care be used; but the wind carries it into the City, so as we know not, by the water-side, what it do there. River full of lighters and boats taking in goods, and good goods swimming in the water ; and only I observed that hardly one lighter or boat in three that had the goods or a house in, but there was a pair of Virginalls x in it. Having seen as much as I could now, I away to White Hall by appointment, and there walked to St. James's Park ; and there met my wife, and Creed, and Wood, and his wife, and walked to my boat ; and 1 A sort of spinet, so called from young women playing upon it. 247 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS there upon the water again, and to the fire up and down, it still encreasing, and the wind great. So near the fire as we could for smoke ; and all over the Thames, with one's faces in the wind, you were almost burned with a shower of fire-drops. This is very true : so as houses were burned by these drops and flakes of fire, three or four, nay, five or six houses, one from another. When we could endure no more upon the water, we to a little alehouse on the Bankside, over against the Three Cranes, and there staid till it was dark almost, and saw the fire grow ; and, as it grew darker, appeared more and more ; and in corners and upon steeples, and between churches and houses, as far as we could see up the hill of the City, in a most horrid, malicious, bloody flame, not like the fine flame of an ordinary fire. Barbary and her husband away before us. We staid till, it being darkish, we saw the fire as only one entire arch of fire from this to the other side the bridge, and in a bow up the hill for an arch of above a mile long : it made me weep to see it. The churches, houses, and all on fire, and flaming at once ; and a horrid noise the flames made, and the cracking of houses at their ruine. So home with a sad heart, and there find every body discoursing and lamenting the fire ; and poor Tom Hater come with some few of his goods saved out of his house, which was burned upon Fish Street Hill. I invited him to lie at my house, and did receive his goods ; but was deceived in his lying there, the news coming every moment of the growth of the fire; so as we were forced to begin to pack up our own goods, and prepare for their removal ; and did by moonshine, it 248 MR. PEPYS'S ACCOUNT OF THE GREAT FIRE being brave, dry, and moonshine and warm weather, cany much of my goods into the garden ; and Mr. Hater and I did remove my money and iron chests into my cellar, as thinking that the safest place. And got my bags of gold into my office, ready to carry away, and my chief papers of accounts also there, and my tallies into a box by themselves. So great was our fear, as Sir W. Batten hath carts come out of the country to fetch away his goods this night. We did put Mr. Hater, poor man ! to bed a little ; but he got but very little rest, so much noise being in my house, taking down of goods. September 3, 1666. About four o'clock in the morning, my Lady Batten sent me a cart to carry away all my money, and plate, and best things, to Sir W. Rider's at Bednall Greene, which I did, riding myself in my night-gown, in the cart ; and, Lord ! to see how the streets and the high- ways are crowded with people, running and riding, and getting of carts at any rate to fetch away things. I find Sir W. Rider tired with being called up all night, and receiving things from several friends. His house full of goods, and much of Sir W. Batten's and Sir W. Pen's. I am eased at my heart to have my treasure so well secured. Then home, and with much ado to find a way, nor any sleep all this night to me nor my poor wife. But then all this day she and I and all my people labouring to get away the rest of our things, and did get Mr. Tooker to get me a lighter to take them in, and we did 249 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS carry them, myself some, over Tower Hill, which was by this time full of people's goods, bringing their goods thither ; and down to the lighter, which lay at the next quay, above the Tower Dock. And here was my neighbour's wife, Mrs. , with her pretty child, and some few of her things, which I did willingly give way to be saved with mine ; but there was no passing with any thing through the postern, the crowd was so great. The Duke of York come this day by the office, and spoke to us, and did ride with his guard up and down the City to keep all quiet, he being now General, and having the care of all. This day, Mercer being not at home, but against her mistress's order gone to her mother's, and my wife going thither to speak with W. Hewer, beat her there, and was angry ; and her mother saying that she was not a 'prentice girl, to ask leave every time she goes abroad, my wife with good reason was angry ; and, when she come home, did bid her be gone again. And so she went away, which troubled me, but yet less than it would, because of the condition we are in, in fear of coming in a little time to being less able to keep one in her quality. At night, lay down a little upon a quilt of W. Hewer's in the office, all my own things being packed up or gone ; and, after me, my poor wife did the like, we having fed upon the remains of yesterday's dinner, having no fire nor dishes, nor any opportunity of dressing any thing. 250 MR. PEPYS'S ACCOUNT OF THE GREAT FIRE September 4, 1666. Up by break of day, to get away the remainder of my things ; which I did by a lighter at the Iron gate : and my hands so full, that it was the afternoon before we could get them all away. Sir W. Pen and I to the Tower Street, and there met the fire burning, three or four doors beyond Mr. Howell's, whose goods, poor man, his trayes, and dishes, shovells, &c, were flung all along Tower Street in the kennels, and people working therewith from one end to the other ; the fire coming on in that narrow street, on both sides, with infinite fury. Sir W. Batten not knowing how to remove his wine, did dig a pit in the garden, and laid it in there ; and I took the opportunity of laying all the papers of my office that I could not otherwise dispose of. And in the evening Sir W. Pen and I did dig another, and put our wine in it ; and I my parmazan cheese, as well as my wine and some other things. The Duke of York was at the office this day, at Sir W. Pen's ; but I happened not to be within. This afternoon, sitting melancholy with Sir W. Pen in our garden, and thinking of the certain burning of this office, without extraordinary means, I did propose for the sending up of all our work- men from the Woolwich and Deptford yards, none whereof yet appeared, and to write to Sir W. Coventry to have the Duke of York's permission to pull down houses, rather than lose this office, which would much hinder the King's business. So Sir W. Pen went down this night, in order to the sending them up to-morrow morning ; and I wrote to Sir W. Coventry about the 251 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS business, 1 but received no answer. This night, Mrs. Turner, who, poor woman, was removing her goods all this day, good goods, into the garden, and knows not how to dispose of them, and her husband supped with my wife and me at night, in the office, upon a shoulder of mutton from the cook's without any napkin, or any thing, in a sad manner, but were merry. Only now and then, walking into the garden, saw how horribly the sky looks, all on a fire in the night, was enough to put us out of our wits ; and, indeed, it was extremely dreadful, for it looks just as if it was at us, and the whole heaven on fire. I after supper walked in the dark down to Tower Street, and there saw it all on fire, at the Trinity House on that side, and the Dolphin Tavern on this side, which was very near us ; and the fire with extraordinary vehemence. Now begins the practice of blowing up of houses in Tower Street, those next the 1 The letter, among the Pepys MSS., was as follows : — Sir, — The fire is now very neere us, as well on Tower Streete as Fan- church Street side, and we little hope of our escape but by that remedy, to y e want whereof we doe certainly owe y e loss of y e City, namely, y e pulling down of houses in y e way of y e fire. This way Sir W. Pen and myself have so far concluded upon y e practising, that he is gone to Woolwich and Deptford to supply himself with men and necessaries in order to the doeing thereof ; in case, at his returne, our condition be not bettered, and that he meets with his R. H s approbation, which I have thus undertaken to learn of you. Pray please to let me have this night, at whatever hour it is, what his R. H s directions are in this parti- cular. Sir J. Minnes and Sir W. Batten having left us, we cannot add, though we are well assured of their, as well as all y e neighbourhood's concurrence. Y' obedient Serv nt . Sir W. Coventry, S. P. Sepf. 4, 1666. 252 MR. PEPYS'S ACCOUNT OF THE GREAT FIRE Tower, which at first did frighten people more than any thing ; but it stopped the fire where it was done, it bringing down the houses to the ground in the same places they stood, and then it was easy to quench what little fire was in it, though it kindled nothing almost. W. Hewer this day went to see how his mother did, and comes late home, telling us how he hath been forced to remove her to Islington, her house in Pye Corner being burned ; so that the fire is got so far that way, and to the Old Bayly, and was running down to Fleet Street ; and Paul's is burned, and all Cheapside. I wrote to my father this night, but the post-house being burned, the letter could not go. September 5, 1666. I lay down in the office again upon W. Hewer's quilt, being mighty weary, and sore in my feet with going till I was hardly able to stand. About two in the morning my wife calls me up, and tells me of new cryes of fire, it being come to Barking Church, which is the bottom of our lane. 1 I up ; and finding it so, resolved presently to take her away, and did, and took my gold, which was about ^2,350, W. Hewer and Jane down by Proundy's boat to Woolwich ; but, Lord ! what a sad sight it was by moone-light, to see the whole City almost on fire, that you might see it as plain at Woolwich, as if you were by it. There, when I come, I find the gates shut, but no guard kept at all ; which troubled me, because of discourses now begun, that there is a plot in it, and that 1 Seething Lane. 253 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS the French had done it. I got the gates open, and to Mr. Shelden's, where I locked up my gold, and charged my wife and W. Hewer never to leave the room without one of them in it, night or day. So back again, by the way seeing my goods well in the lighters at Deptford, and watched well by people. Home, and whereas I expected to have seen our house on fire, it being now about seven o'clock, it was not. But to the fire, and there find greater hopes than I expected ; for my con- fidence of finding our office on fire was such, that I durst not ask any body how it was with us, till I come and saw it was not burned. But, going to the fire, I find, by the blowing up of houses, and the great help given by the workmen out of the King's yards, sent up by Sir W. Pen, there is a good stop given to it, as well at Marke Lane End as ours ; it having only burned the dyall of Barking Church, and part of the porch, and was there quenched. I up to the top of Barking steeple, and there saw the saddest sight of desolation that I ever saw ; every where great fires, oyle-cellars, and brimstone, and other things burning. I became afraid to stay there long, and therefore down again as fast as I could, the fire being spread as far as I could see it ; and to Sir W. Pen's, and there eat a piece of cold meat, having eaten 1 nothing since Sunday, but the remains of Sunday's dinner. Here I met with Mr. Young and Whistler ; and, having removed all my things, and received good hopes that the fire at our end is stopped, they and I walked into the town, and find Fenchurch Street, Gracious Street, 1 He forgot the shoulder of mutton from the cook's the day before. 254 MR. PEPYS'S ACCOUNT OF THE GREAT FIRE and Lumbard Street all in dust. The Exchange a sad sight, nothing standing there, of all the statues or pillars, but Sir Thomas Gresham's picture in the corner. Into Moore-fields, our feet ready to burn, walking through the town among the hot coles, and find that full of people, and poor wretches carrying their goods there, and every body keeping his goods together by themselves ; and a great blessing it is to them that it is fair weather for them to keep abroad night and day ; drunk there, and paid twopence for a plain penny loaf. Thence homeward, having passed through Cheapside, and Newgate market, all burned ; and seen Anthony Joyce's house in fire ; and took up, which I keep by me, a piece of glass of the Mercer's chapel in the street, where much more was, so melted and buckled with the heat of the fire like parchment. I also did see a poor cat taken out of a hole in a chimney, joyning to the wall of the Exchange, with the hair all burnt off the body, and yet alive. So home at night, and find there good hopes of saving our office ; but great endeavours of watching all night, and having men ready ; and so we lodged them in the office, and had drink and bread and cheese for them. And I lay down and slept a good night about midnight : though, when I rose, I heard that there had been a great alarme of French and Dutch being risen, which proved nothing. But it is a strange thing to see how long this time did look since Sunday, having been always full of variety of actions, and little sleep, that it looked like a week or more, and I had forgot almost the day of the week. 255 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS September 6, 1666. Up about five o'clock, and met Mr. Gauden at the gate of the office, I intending to go out, as I used, every now and then, to-day, to see how the fire is, to call our men to Bishop's-gate, where no fire had yet been near, and there is now one broke out : which did give great grounds to people, and to me too, to think that there is some kind of plot in this, on which many by this time have been taken, and it hath been dangerous for any stranger to walk in the streets, but I went with the men, and we did put it out in a little time ; so that that was well again. It was pretty to see how hard the women did work in the cannells, sweeping of water ; but then they would scold for drink, and be as drunk as devils. I saw good butts of sugar broke open in the street, and people give and take handfuls out, and put into beer, and drink it. And now all being pretty well, I took boat, and over to Southwarke, and took boat on the other side the bridge, and so to Westminster, thinking to shift myself, being all in dirt from top to bottom; but could not there find any place to buy a shirt or a pair of gloves, Westminster Hall being full of people's goods, those in Westminster having removed all their goods, and the Exchequer money put into vessels to carry to Nonsuch ; but to the Swan, and there was trimmed : and then to White Hall, but saw nobody ; and so home. A sad sight to see how the river looks : no houses nor church near it, to the Temple, where it stopped. At home, did go with Sir W. Batten, and our neighbour, Knightly, who, with one more, was the only man of any 256 MR. PEPYS'S ACCOUNT OF THE GREAT FIRE fashion left in all the neighbourhood thereabouts, they all removing their goods, and leaving their houses to the mercy of the fire ; to Sir R. Ford's, and there dined in an earthen platter — a fried breast of mutton ; a great many of us, but very merry, and indeed as good a meal, though as ugly a one, as ever I had in my life. Thence down to Deptford, and there with great satisfaction landed all my goods at Sir G. Carteret's safe, and nothing missed I could see or hear. This being done to my great content, I home, and to Sir W. Batten's, and there, with Sir R. Ford, Mr. Knightly, and one Withers, a professed lying rogue, supped well, and mighty merry, and our fears over. From them to the office, and there slept with the office full of labourers, who talked, and slept, and walked all night long there. But strange it is to see Clothworkers' Hall on fire these three days and nights in one body of flame, it being the cellar full of oyle. September 7, 1666. Up by five o'clock ; and, blessed be God ! find all well ; and by water to Pane's Wharfe. Walked thence, and saw all the towne burned, and a miserable sight of Paul's church, with all the roofs fallen, and the body of the quire fallen into St. Fayth's ; Paul's school also, Ludgate, and Fleet Street. My father's house, and the church, and a good part of the Temple the like. So to Creed's lodging, near the New Exchange, and there find him laid down upon a bed ; the house all unfurnished, there being fears of the fire's coming to them. There borrowed a shirt of him, and washed. To Sir W. Coventry at St. 257 s RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS James's, who lay without curtains, having removed all his goods ; as the King at White Hall, and every body had done, and was doing. He hopes we shall have no public distractions upon this fire, which is what every body fears, because of the talk of the French having a hand in it. September 8, 1 666. I met with many people undone, and more that have extraordinary great losses. People speaking their thoughts variously about the beginning of the fire, and the rebuild- ing of the City. Then to Sir W. Batten's, and took my brother with me, and there dined with a great company of neighbours, and much good discourse ; among others, of the low spirits of some rich men in the City, in sparing any encouragement to the poor people that wrought for the saving their houses. Among others, Alderman Starling, a very rich man, without children, the fire at next door to him in our lane, after our men had saved his house, did give 2S. 6d. among thirty of them, and did quarrel with some that would remove the rubbish out of the way of the fire, saying that they come to steal. Sir W. Coventry told me of another this morning in Holborne, which he showed the King : that when it was offered to stop the fire near his house for such a reward that come but to 2s. 6d. a man, among the neighbours, he would give but i8d. September 10, 1666. All the morning clearing our cellars, and breaking in pieces all my old lumber, to make room, and to prevent 258 MR. PEPYS'S ACCOUNT OF THE GREAT FIRE fire. And then to Sir W. Batten's, and dined ; and there hear that Sir W. Rider says that the town is full of the report of the wealth that is in his house, and he would be glad that his friends would provide for the safety of their goods there. This made me get a cart ; and thither, and there brought my money all away. 259 ED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS MR. PEPYS IS SUPERSTITIOUS April 8, 1 66 1. We supped very merry, and late to bed ; Sir William telling me that old Edgeborrow, his predecessor, did die and walk in my chamber, did make me somewhat afraid, but not so much as, for mirth sake, I did seem. So to bed, in the Treasurer's chamber. April 9, 1 66 1. Lay and slept well till three in the morning, and then waking, and by the light of the moon I saw my pillow (which overnight I flung from me) stand upright, but, not bethinking myself what it might be, I was a little afraid, but sleep overcome all, and so lay till nigh morning, at which time I had a candle brought me, and a good fire made, and in general it was a great pleasure all the time I staid here to see how I am respected and honoured by all people ; and I find that I begin to know now how to receive so much reverence, which, at the beginning, I could not tell how to do. 260 MR. PEPYS IS SUPERSTITIOUS June 15, 1663. Both at and after dinner, we had great discourses of the nature and power of spirits, and whether they can animate dead bodies ; in all which, as of the general appearance of spirits, my Lord Sandwich is very scepti- call. He says the greatest warrants that ever he had to believe any, is the present appearing of the Devil in Wiltshire, much of late talked of, who beats a drum up and down. There are books of it, and, they say, very true ; but my Lord observes, though he do answer any tune that you will play to him upon another drum, yet one time he tried to play and could not ; which makes him suspect the whole ; and I think it is a good argument. October 19, 1663. Waked with a very high wind, and said to my wife, "I pray God I hear not of the death of any great person, this wind is so high ! " fearing that the Queen might be dead. 1 'January 20, 1664—65. To my bookseller's, and there took home Hook's book of Microscopy, a most excellent piece, and of which I am very proud. Homeward, in my way buying a hare, and taking it home, which arose upon my dis- course to-day with Mr. Batten, in Westminster Hall, who showed me my mistake that my hare's foot hath not the joynt to it ; and assures me he never had his 1 The Queen was seriously ill at this time. — E. F. A. 26l RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS cholique since he carried it about him : and it is a strange thing how fancy works, for I no sooner handled his foot, but I become very well, and so continue. January 21, 1664-65. Now mighty well, and truly I can but impute it to my fresh hare's foote. July 31, 1665. This evening with Mr. Brisband, speaking of en- chantments and spells, I telling him some of my charmes ; he told me this, of his own knowledge, at Bourdeaux, in France. The words were these : — Voyci un Corps mort, Royde come un Baston, Froid comme Marbre, Leger come un Esprit, Levons le au nom de Jesus Christ. He saw four little girls, very young ones — all kneel- ing, each of them, upon one knee ; and one begun the first line, whispering in the eare of the next, and the second to the third, and the third to the fourth, and she to the first. Then the first begun the second line, and so round quite through ; and, putting each one finger only to a boy that lay flat upon his back on the ground, as if he was dead ; at the end of the words, they did with their four fingers raise this boy as high as they could reach ; and Mr. Brisband, being there, and wondering at it, as also being afraid to see it, for they would have had him to have bore a part in 262 MR. PEPYS IS SUPERSTITIOUS saying the words, in the room of one of the little girls that was so young that they could hardly make her learn to repeat the words, did, for fear there might be some slight used in it by the boy, or that the boy might be light, call the cook of the house, a very lusty fellow, as Sir G. Carteret's cook, who is very big : and they did raise him just in the same manner. 1 This is one of the strangest things I ever heard, but he tells it me of his own knowledge, and I do heartily believe it to be true. I enquired of him whether they were Pro- testant or Catholique girls ; and he told me they were Protestant, which made it the more strange to me. 1 The secret is now well known, and is described by Sir David Brewster, in his Natural Magic, p. 256 : — "One of the most remarkable and inex- plicable experiments relative to the strength of the human frame, is that in which a heavy man is raised up the instant that his own lungs and those of the persons who raise him are inflated with air. This experiment was, I believe, first shown in England a few years ago by Major H., who saw it performed in a large party at Venice, under the direction of an officer of the American navy. As Major H. performed it more than once in my presence, I shall describe as nearly as possible the method which he pre- scribed. The heaviest person in the party lies down upon two chairs, his legs being supported by the one, and his back by the other. Four persons, one at each leg, and one at each shoulder, then try to raise him, and they find his dead weight to be very great, from the difficulty they experience in supporting him. When he is replaced in the chair, each of the four persons takes hold of the body, as before, and the person to be lifted gives two signals, by clapping his hands. At the first signal, he himself and the four lifters begin to draw a long and full breath j and when the inhalation is completed, or the lungs filled, the second signal is given for raising the person from the chair. To his own surprise and that of his bearers, he rises with the greatest facility, as if he were no heavier than a feather. On several occasions, I have observed, that when one of the bearers performs his part ill, by making the inhalation out of time, the part of the body which he tries to raise is left as it were behind. As you have repeatedly seen 263 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS March 23, 1669. After supper, we fell to talk of spirits and apparitions, whereupon many pretty, particular stories were told, so as to make me almost afraid to be alone, but for shame I could not help it : and so to bed ; and being sleepy, fell soon to rest, and so rested well. this experiment, and have performed the part both of the load and of the bearer, you can testify how remarkable the effects appear to all parties, and how complete is the conviction, either that the load has been lightened, or the bearer strengthened, by the prescribed process. At Venice, the experi- ment was performed in a much more imposing manner. The heaviest man in the party was raised and sustained upon the points of the forefingers of six persons. Major H. declared that the experiment would not succeed, if the person lifted were placed upon a board, and the strength of the individuals applied to the board. He conceived it necessary that the bearers should communicate directly with the body to be raised. I have not had an oppor- tunity of making any experiments relative to these curious facts : but, whether the general effect is an illusion, or the result of known or new principles, the subject merits a careful investigation." I learn, on the authority of Dr. Maitland, that a similar experiment was once tried in Gloucestershire, upon a very stout gentleman ; and that the lifters were so astonished at their success, that they permitted him to fall to the ground, to his sore discomfiture. Ex. infor. W. J. Thorns. It would be very serious, if these experiments were frequent, to find oneself the heaviest person in a party. 264 MR. PEPYS'S VALENTINES MR. PEPYS'S VALENTINES February 14, 1 661-62. (Valentine's day.) I did this day purposely shun to be seen at Sir W. Batten's, because I would not have his daughter to be my Valentine, as she was the last year, there being no great friendship between us now, as formerly. This morning in comes W. Bowyer, who was my wife's Valentine, she having, at which I made good sport to myself, held her hands all the morning, that she might not see the paynters that were at work in gilding my chimney-piece and pictures in my dining- room. February 14, 1666-67. This morning come up to my wife's bedside, I being up dressing myself, little Will Mercer to be her Valen- tine ; and brought her name writ upon blue paper in gold letters, done by himself very pretty ; and we were both well pleased with it. But I am also this year my wife's Valentine, and it will cost me £5 ; but that I must have laid out if we had not been Valentines. 265 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS February 14, 1667-68. (Valentine's day.) Up, being called up by Mercer, who come to be my Valentine, and I did give her a guinny in gold for her Valentine's gift. There comes Roger Pepys betimes, and comes to my wife, for her to be his Valentine, whose Valentine I was also, by agree- ment to be so to her every year ; and this year I find it is likely to cost £4. or ^5 in a ring for her, which she desires. February 14, 1668-69. To my cozen Turner's, where, having the last night been told by her that she had drawn me for her Valen- tine, I did this day call at the New Exchange, and bought her a pair of green silk stockings and garters and shoe-strings, and two pair of jessimy gloves, all coming to about 28s., and did give them to her this noon. 266 MR. PEPYS AND THE FAIR SEX MR. PEPYS AND THE FAIR SEX August 3, 1660. By coach with my wife to Dr. Clerke's to dinner. I was very much taken with his lady, a comely, proper woman, though not handsome, but a woman of the best language I ever heard. August 6, 1 66 1. Home to my father, who could discerne that I had been drinking, which he did never see or hear of before : so I eat a bit of dinner, and then took horse for London, and with much ado, the ways being very bad, got to Baldwick. There lay, and had a good supper by myself. The landlady being a pretty woman, but I durst not take notice of her, her husband being there. August 10, 1 66 1. This morning come the mayde that my wife hath lately hired for a chamber-mayde. She is very ugly, so that I cannot care for her, but otherwise she seems very good. 267 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS August 31, 1661. To Bartholomew faire, and there met with my Ladies Jemimah and Paulina, with Mr. Pickering and Madamoiselle, 1 at seeing the monkeys dance, which was much to see, when they could be brought to do, but it troubled me to sit among such nasty company. After that, with them into Christ's Hospitall, and there Mr. Pickering bought them some fairings, and I did give every one of them a bauble, which was the little globes of glass with things hanging in them, which pleased the ladies very well. After that, home with them in their coach and there was called up to my Lady, and she would have me stay to talk with her, which I did I think a full houre. And the poor lady did with so much innocency tell me how Mrs. Crispe had told her that she did intend, by means of a lady that lies at her house, to get the King to be god-father to the young lady that she is in child-bed now of; but to see in what manner my Lady told it me, protesting that she sweat in the very telling of it, was the greatest pleasure to me in the world to see the simplicity and harmlessnesse of a lady. May 2, 1662. To Dr. Clerke's lady, and give her her letter and token. She is a very fine woman ; and what with her person, and the number of fine ladies that were with her, I was much out of countenance, and could hardly carry myself like a man among them ; but, however, I staid till my courage was up again, and talked to them, 1 The young ladies' governess. 268 MR. PEPYS AND THE FAIR SEX and viewed his house, which is most pleasant, and so drank and good night. June 19, 1662. With the last chest of crusados to Alderman Back- well's, by the same token his lady going to take coach stood in the shop, and having a gilded glass-full of perfumed comfits given her by Don Duarte de Silon, the Portugall merchant that is come over with the Queen, I did offer at a taste, and so she poured some out into my hand, and though good, yet pleased me the better coming from a pretty lady. June 30, 1662. To my office, where I fell upon boring holes for me to see from my closet into the great office, with- out going forth, wherein I please myself much. Told my Lady [Carteret] how my Lady Fanshaw is fallen out with her only for speaking in behalf of the French, which my Lady wonders at, they having been formerly like sisters. Thence to my house, where I took great pride to lead her through the Court by the hand, she being very fine, and her page carrying up her train, she staying a little at my house, and then walked through the garden, and took water, and went first on board the King's pleasure-boat, which pleased her much. Then to Greenwiche Parke ; and with much ado she was able to walk up to the top of the hill, and so down again, and took boat, and so through bridge to Black- fryers, and home, she being much pleased with the 269 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS ramble in every particular of it. So we supped with her, and then walked home, and to bed. yune 15, 1663. Talked of handsome women ; and Sir J. Minnes saying that there was no beauty like what he sees in the country markets, and specially at Bury, in which I will agree with him. My Lord replied thus : Sir John, what do you think of your neighbour's wife ? looking upon me. Do you not think that he hath a great beauty to his wife ? Upon my word he hath. Which I was not a little proud of. June 14, 1664. By coach to Kensington. In the way overtaking Mr. Laxton, the apothecary, with his wife and daughters — very fine young lasses — in a coach ; and so both of us to my Lady Sandwich, who hath lain this fortnight here, at Deane Hodges's. Much company come hither to-day — my Lady Carteret, &c, Sir William Wheeler and his lady, and, above all, Mr. Becke, of Chelsey, and wife and daughter, my Lord's mistress, and one that hath not one good feature in her face, and yet is a fine lady, of a fine taille, and very well carriaged, and mighty discreet. I took all the occasion I could to discourse with the young ladies in her company to give occasion to her to talk, which now and then she did, and that mighty finely, and is, I perceive, a woman of such an ayre, as I wonder the less at my Lord's favour to her, and I dare warrant him she hath brains enough to entangle him. Two or three 270 MR. PEPYS AND THE FAIR SEX hours we were in her company, going into Sir H. Finche's garden, and seeing the fountayne, and singing there with the ladies, and a mighty fine cool place it is, with a great laver of water in the middle, and the bravest place for musick I ever heard. After much mirth, dis- coursing to the ladies in defence of the city against the country or court, and giving them occasion to invite themselves to-morrow to me to dinner to my venison pasty, I got their mother's leave, and so good night, very well pleased with my day's work, and, above all, that I have seen my Lord's mistress. September 6, 1 664. Called upon Doll, our pretty 'Change woman, for a pair of gloves trimmed with yellow ribbon, to [match] the petticoat my wife bought yesterday, which cost me 20s. ; but she is so pretty, that, God forgive me ! I could not think it too much, which is a strange slavery that I stand in to beauty, that I value nothing near it. February 3, 1664-65. To my uncle Wight's, where the Wights all dined ; and, among the others, pretty Mrs. Margaret, who indeed is a very pretty lady ; and, though by my vow it costs me I2d. a kiss after the first, yet I did adventure upon a couple. March 10, 1666. I find at home Mrs. Pierce aud Knipp come to dine with me. We were mighty merry ; and, after dinner, I 271 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS carried them and my wife out by coach to the New Ex- change, and there I did give my Valentine, Mrs. Pierce, a dozen pair of gloves, and a pair of silk stockings, and Knipp for company, though my wife had, by my consent, laid out 20s. on her the other day, six pair of gloves. The truth is, I do indulge myself a little the more in pleasure, knowing that this is the proper age of my life to do it ; and, out of my observation that most men that do thrive in the world do forget to take pleasure during the time that they are getting their estate, but reserve that till they have got one, and then it is too late for them to enjoy it. May 29, 1666. My wife comes to me, to tell me, that if I would see the handsomest woman in England, I shall come home presently ; and who should it be but the pretty lady of our parish, that did heretofore sit on the other side of our church, over against our gallery, that is since married — she with Mrs. Anne Jones, one of this parish, that dances finely. And so I home ; and indeed she is a pretty black woman — her name Mrs. Horsely. But, Lord ! to see how my nature could not refrain from the tempta- tion ; but I must invite them to go to Foxhall, to Spring Gardens, though I had freshly received minutes of a great deal of extraordinary business. However, I sent them before with Creed, and I did some of my business ; and so after them, and find them there, in an arbour, and had met with Mrs. Pierce, and some company with her. So here I spent 20s. upon them, and were pretty merry. 272 MR. PEPYS AND THE FAIR SEX Among other things, had a fellow that imitated all manner of birds, and dogs, and hogs, with his voice, which was mighty pleasant. Staid here till night : then set Mrs. Pierce in at the New Exchange ; and ourselves took coach, and so set Mrs. Horsly home, and then home ourselves, but with great trouble in the streets, by bonfires, it being the King's birthday and day of Restoration ; but, Lord ! to see the difference how many there were on the other side, and so few on ours, the City side of the Temple, would make one wonder the difference between the temper of one sort of people and the other : and the differ- ence among all between what they do now, and what it was the night when Monk come into the City. Such a night as that I never think to see again, nor think it can be. August 6, 1666. After dinner, in comes Mrs. Knipp, and I sat and talked with her, it being the first time of her being here since her being brought to bed. I very pleasant to her, but perceive my wife hath no great pleasure in her being here. However, we talked and sang, and were very pleasant. By and by comes Mr. Pierce and his wife, the first time she also hath been here since her lying-in, both having been brought to bed of boys, and both of them dead. Knipp and I sang, and then I offered to carry them home, and to take my wife with me, but she would not go : so I with them, leaving my wife in a very ill humour. However, I would not be removed from my civility to them, but sent for a coach, and went with them ; and in our way, Knipp saying that she 273 T RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS come out of doors without a dinner to us, I took them to Old Fish-street, to the very house and woman where I kept my wedding dinner, 1 where I never was since, and there I did give them a jole of salmon, and what else was to be had. And here we talked of the ill-humour of my wife, which I did excuse as much as I could, and they seemed to admit of it, but did both confess they wondered at it : but from thence to other discourse, of my Lord Brouncker. They told me how poorly my Lord carried himself the other day to his kinswoman, Mrs. Howard, and was displeased because she called him uncle to a little gentlewoman that is there with him, which he will not admit of; for no relation is to be challenged from others to a lord, and did treat her thereupon very rudely and ungenteely. Knipp tells me, also, that my Lord keeps another woman besides Mrs. Williams ; and that, when I was there the other day, there was a great hubbub in the house, Mrs. Williams being fallen sick, because my Lord was gone to his other mistress, making her wait for him till his return from the other mistress ; and a great deal of do there was about it ; and Mrs. Williams swounded at it, at the very time when I wondered at the reason of my being received so negligently. I set them both at home — Knipp at her house, her husband being at the doore ; and glad she was to be found to have staid out so long with me and Mrs. Pierce, and none else. 1 The tavern was evidently selected to mark Pepys's disgust at his wife's ill-humour ; but he probably did not venture to mention the circumstance, on his return home. 274 MR. PEPYS AND THE FAIR SEX Home, and there find my wife mightily out of order, and reproaching of Mrs. Pierce and Knipp as wenches, and I know not what. But I did give her no words to offend her, and quietly let all pass. August 24, 1666. This afternoon comes Mrs. Barbary Sheldon, now Mrs. Wood, to see my wife : I was so busy, I would not see her. But she come, it seems, mighty rich in rings and fine clothes, and like a lady, and says she is matched mighty well, at which I am very glad, but wonder at her good fortune, and the folly of her husband. April 16, 1667. Home to dinner, and in haste to carry my wife to see the new play I saw yesterday, she not knowing it. But there, contrary to expectation, find " The Silent Woman." However, in ; and there Knipp come into the pit. I took her by me, and here we met with Mrs. Horsly, the pretty woman — an acquaintance of Mercer's, whose house is burnt. Knipp tells me the King was so angry at the liberty taken by Lacy's part to abuse him to his face, that he commanded they should act no more, till Moone went and got leave for them to act again, but not this play. The King mighty angry ; and it was bitter indeed, but very fine and witty. I never was more taken with a play than I am with this " Silent Woman," as old as it is, and as often as I have seen it. There is more wit in it than goes to ten new plays. Thence took them all to the Cake-house, in Southampton Market-place. 275 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS Pierce told us the story how, in good earnest, the King is offended with the Duke of Richmond's marrying, and Mrs. Stewart's sending the King his jewels again. Ashe tells it, it is the noblest romance, and example of a brave lady that ever I read in my life. Pretty to hear them talk of yesterday's play, and I durst not own to my wife that I had seen it. May I, 1667. To Westminster ; in the way meeting many milk- maids with their garlands upon their pails, dancing with a fiddler before them ; and saw pretty Nelly l standing at her lodgings' door in Drury-lane in her smock sleeves and bodice, looking upon one ; she seemed a mighty pretty creature. May 26, 1667. (Lord's day.) My wife and I to church, where several strangers of good condition come to our pew. After dinner I by water alone to Westminster to the parish church, and there did entertain myself with my per- spective glass up and down the church, by which I had the great pleasure of seeing and gazing at a great many very fine women ; and what with that, and sleeping, I passed away the time till sermon was done. August 18, 1667. I walked towards White Hall, but, being wearied, turned into St. Dunstan's Church, w4iere I heard an able 1 Nell Gwynne. 276 MR. PEPYS AND THE FAIR SEX sermon of the minister of the place ; and stood by a pretty, modest maid, whom I did labour to take by the hand ; but she would not, but got further and further from me ; and, at last, I could perceive her to take pins out of her pocket to prick me if I should touch her again — which, seeing, I did forbear, and was glad I did spy her design. And then I fell to gaze upon another pretty maid, in a pew close to me, and she on me ; and I did go about to take her by the hand, which she suffered a little, and then withdrew. So the sermon ended, and the church broke up, and my amours ended also. August 25, 1667. (Lord's day.) Up and to church, and thence home; and Pelling comes by invitation to dine with me, and much pleasant discourse with him. After dinner, away by water to White Hall, where I landed Pelling, who is going to his wife, where she is in the country, at Parson's Greene ; and myself to Westminster, and to the parish church, thinking to see Betty Michell ; and did stay an hour in the crowd, thinking, by the end of a nose that I saw, that it had been her ; but at last the head turned towards me, and it was her mother, which vexed me. August 28, 1667. In the afternoon with my Lady Batten, Pen, and her daughter, and my wife, to Mrs. Poole's, where I mighty merry among the women, and christened the child, a girl, Elizabeth, which, though a girl, yet my Lady Batten would have me to give the name. After 277 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS christening comes Sir W. Batten, W. Pen, and Mr. Lowther, and mighty merry there, and I forfeited for not kissing the two godmothers presently after the christening, before I kissed the mother, which made good mirth. July 20, 1668. To the old Exchange, to see a very noble fine lady I spied as I went through, in coming ; and there took occasion to buy some gloves, and admire her, and a mighty fine fair lady indeed she was. Thence idling all the afternoon. September I, 1 668. To Bartholomew Fair, and there saw several sights ; among others, the mare that tells money, and many thii lo 5, to admiration ; and, among others, come to me, when she was bid to go to him of the company, that most loved a pretty wench in a corner. And this did cost me 1 2d. to the horse, which I had flung him before, and did give me occasion to kiss a mighty belle fille that was exceeding plain, but fort belle. September 28, 1 668. Knipp's maid comes to me, to tell me that the women's day at the playhouse is to-day, and that there- fore I must be there, to encrease their profit. I did give the pretty maid Betty that comes to me, half-a-crown for coming, and had a kiss or two — elle being mighty jolie. 278 MR. PEPYS AND THE FAIR SEX February 17, 1668-69. Comes Castle to me, to desire me to go to Mr. Pedly this night, he being to go out of town to-morrow morning, which I, therefore, did, by hackney-coach, first going to White Hall to meet with Sir W. Coventry, but missed him. But here I had a pleasant rencontre of a lady in mourning, that, by the little light I had, seemed hand- some. I passing by her, did observe she looked back again and again upon me, I suffering her to go before, and it being now duske. She went into the little passage towards the Privy Water-Gate, and I followed, but missed her ; but coming back again, I observed she returned, and went to go out of the Court. I followed her, and took occasion, in the new passage now built, where the walk is to be, to take her by the hand, to lead her through, which she willingly accepted, and I led her to the Great Gate, and there left her, she telling ^i, of her own accord, that she was going as far as Charing Cross ; but my boy was at the Gate, and so I durst not go out with her. 279 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS MR. PEPYS MARVELS AT WONDERFUL THINGS February 4, 1 66 1-62. To Westminster Hall, where it was full terme. Here all the morning, and at noon to my Lord Crewe's, where one Mr. Templer, an ingenious man and a person of honour he seems to be, dined ; and, discoursing of the nature of serpents, he told us some in the waste places of Lancashire do grow to a great bigness, and do feed upon larkes, which they take thus : — They observe, when the lark is soared to the highest, and do crawl till they come to be just underneath them ; and there they place them- selves with their mouth uppermost, and there, as is con- ceived, they do eject poyson upon the bird : for the bird do suddenly come down again in its course of a circle, and falls directly into the mouth of the serpent ; which is very strange. He is a great traveller ; and, speaking of the tarantula, he says that all the harvest long, about which times they are most busy, there are fiddlers go up and down the fields every where, in expectation of being hired by those that are stung. 280 MR. PEPYS MARVELS AT WONDERFUL THINGS November 25, 1662. Great talk among people how some of the Fanatiques do say that the end of the world is at hand, and that next Tuesday is to be the day. Against which, whenever it shall be, good God fit us all. May 6, 1663. To the Trinity House, and there dined, where, among other discourse worth hearing among the old seamen, they tell us that they have catched often, in Greenland, whales with the iron grapnells that had formerly been struck into their bodies covered over with fat ; that they have had eleven hogsheads of oyle out of the tongue of a whale. June 26, 1663. At table discoursing of thunder and lightning, Sir W. Rider did tell a story of his own knowledge, that a Genoese gaily in Leghorne Roads was struck by thunder, so as the mast was broke a-pieces, and the shackle upon one of the slaves was melted clear off his leg without hurting his leg. Sir William went on board the vessel, and would have contributed toward the release of the slave whom Heaven had thus set free ; but he could not compass it, and so he was brought to his fetters again. November 6, 1663. To the Coffee-house, and among other things heard Sir John Cutler say, that of his own experience in time of thunder so many barrels of beer as have a piece of iron laid upon them, will not be soured, and the others will. 281 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS December I J, 1663. At my bookseller's, and I bought at a shop Cardinall Mazarin's Will in French. At the Coffee-house I went and sat by Mr. Harrington, and some East country merchants, and, talking of the country above Quins- borough, 1 and thereabouts, he told us himself that for fish, none there, the poorest body, will buy a dead fish, but must be alive, unless it be in the winter : and then they told us the manner of putting their nets into the water. Through holes made in the thick ice, they will spread a net of half a mile long ; and he hath known a hundred and thirty and a hundred and seventy barrels of fish taken at one draught. And then the people come with sledges upon the ice, with snow at the bottom, and lay the fish in and cover them with snow, and so carry them to market. And he hath seen when the said fish have been frozen in the sledge ; so he hath taken a fish and broke a-pieces, so hard it hath been ; and yet the same fishes taken out of the snow, and brought into a hot room, will be alive and leap up and down. Swallows are often 1 Quinsborough is Konigsberg. It is most probable that Mr. Har- rington had been reading The Travels of Master George Barkley, Mer- chant of London, as given by Purchas, ii. 625, 627. Kbnigsberg is there spelled Kinninsburge, easily corrupted by Pepys into Quinsborough. The swallow story is found at p. 626 : " One here in his net drew up a company or heape of swallows, as big as a bushell, fastened by the leg and bills in one, which being carried to their stoves, quickened, and flew, and coming again suddenly into the cold air, dyed." It appears to have been generally believed. In the Advice to a Painter (1667) attributed to Sir John Denham, we find the following lines : — " So swallows, buried in the sea at Spring, Return to land with Summer in their [on the] wing." 282 MR. PEPYS MARVELS AT WONDERFUL THINGS brought up in their nets out of the mudd from under water, hanging together to some twigg or other, dead in ropes, and brought to the fire will come to life. Fowl killed in December, Alderman Barker said, he did buy, and putting into the box under his sledge, did forget to take them out to eate till Aprill next, and they then were found there, and were through the frost as sweet and fresh, and eat as well as at first killed. Young beares appear there ; their flesh sold in market, as ordinarily as beef here, and is excellent sweet meat. They tell us that beares there do never hurt anybody, but fly away from you, unless you pursue and set upon them ; but wolves do much mischief. Mr. Harrington told us how they do to get so much honey as they send abroad. They make hollow a great fir-tree, leaving only a small slit down straight in one place ; and this they close up again, only leave a little hole, and there the bees go in and fill the bodys of those trees as full of wax and honey as they can hold ; and the inhabitants at times go and open the slit, and take what they please without killing the bees, and so let them live there still and make more. Fir-trees are always planted close together, because of keeping one another from the violence of the windes ; and when a fell is made, they leave here and there a grown tree to preserve the young ones coming up. The great entertainment and sport of the Duke of Cor- land, and the princes thereabouts, is hunting ; which is not with dogs as we, but he appoints such a day, and summonses all the country-people as to a campagnia ; and by several companies gives every one their circuit, 283 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS and they agree upon a place where the toyle is to be set ; and so making fires every company as they go, they drive all the wild beasts, whether bears, wolves, foxes, swine, and stags, and roes, into the toyle ; and there the great men have their stands in such and such places, and shoot at what they have a mind to, and that is their hunting. They are not very populous there, by reason that people marry, women, seldom till they are towards or above thirty ; and, men, thirty or forty years old, or more oftentimes. Against a public hunting the Duke sends that no wolves be killed by the people ; and, whatever harm they do, the Duke makes it good to the person who suffers it : as Mr. Harrington instanced in a house where he lodged, where a wolfe broke into a hog-stye, and bit three or four great pieces off of the back of the hog, before the house could come to help it ; and the man of the house told him that there were three or four wolves thereabouts that did them great hurt ; but it was no matter, for the Duke was to make it good to him, otherwise he would kill them. March 14, 1664. To White Hall ; and in the Duke's chamber, while he was dressing, two persons of quality that were there did tell his Royal Highness, how, the other night, in Holborne, about midnight, being at cards, a link-boy come by and run into the house, and told the people the house was a-falling. Upon this the whole family was frighted, concluding that the boy had said that the house was a-fire : so they left their cards above 284 MR. PEPYS MARVELS AT WONDERFUL THINGS and one would have got out of the balcony, but it was not open ; the other went up to fetch down his children, that were in bed : so all got clear out of the house. And no sooner so, but the house fell down indeed, from top to bottom. It seems my Lord Southampton's canal did come too near their foundation and so weakened the house, and down it come : which, in every respect, is a most extraordinary passage. April 25, 1664. The Duke, which gives me great good hopes, do talk of setting up a good discipline in the Fleet. In the Duke's chamber there is a bird, given him by Mr. Pierce, the surgeon, come from the East Indys — black the greatest part, with the finest collar of white about the neck ; but talks many things, and neyes like the horse and other things, the best almost that ever I heard bird in my life. August 15, 1664. With Sir J. Minnes ; he talking of his cures abroad, while he was with the King as a doctor. And among others, Sir J. Denham, he told me, he had cured to a miracle. At Charing Cross, and there saw the great Dutchman that is come over, under whose arm I went with my hat on, and could not reach higher than his eye-browes with the tip of my fingers. He is a comely and well made man, and his wife a very little but pretty comely Dutch woman. It is true, he wears pretty high- heeled shoes, but not very high, and do generally wear a 285 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS turbant, which makes him show yet taller than really he is. September 1 1, 1664. (Lord's day.) This afternoon, it seems, Sir J. Minnes fell sick at church, and, going down the gallery stairs, fell down dead, but come to himself again, and is pretty well. September 16, 1664. Met Mr. Pargiter, and he would needs have me drink a cup of horse-radish ale, which he and a friend of his, troubled with the stone, have been drinking of, which we did, and then walked into the fields as far almost as Sir G. Whitmore's, all the way talking of Russia, which, he says, is a sad place j and though Moscow is a very great city, yet it is from the distance between house and house, and few people compared with this, and poor, sorry houses, the Emperor himself living in a wooden house ; his exercise only flying a hawke at pigeons, and carrying pigeons ten or twelve miles off, and then laying wagers which pigeon shall come soonest home to her house. All the winter within doors, some few play- ing at chesse, but most drinking their time away. Women live very slavishly there, and, it seems, in the Emperor's court, no room hath above two or three windows, and those the greatest not a yard wide or high, for warmth in winter time, and that the general cure for all diseases there is their sweating-houses ; or, people that are poor, they get into their ovens, being heated, and there lie. 286 MR. PEPYS MARVELS AT WONDERFUL THINGS Little learning among them of any sort. Not a man that speaks Latin, unless the Secretary of State by chance. November n, 1664. A gentleman told us he saw, the other day, and did bring the draught of it to Sir Francis Pridgeon, a monster born of an hostler's wife at Salisbury, two women children perfectly made, joyned at the lower part of their bellies, and every part as perfect as two bodies, and only one payre of legs coming forth on one side from the middle where they were joined. It was alive twenty-four hours and cried, and did as all hopefull children do ; but, being showed too much to people, was killed. December 17, 1664. Mighty talk there is of this Comet that is seen a'nights : and the King and Queen did sit up last night to see it, and did, it seems. And to-night I thought to have done so too : but it is cloudy, and so no stars appear. But I will endeavour it. December 21, 1664. My Lord Sandwich this day writes me word that he hath seen, at Portsmouth, the Comet, and says it is the most extraordinary thing he ever saw. December 24, 1664. Having sat up all night to past two o'clock this morning, our porter, being appointed, comes and tells us that the bellman tells him that the Star is seen - 287 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS upon Tower Hill ; so I, that had been all night setting in order all my old papers in my chamber, did leave off all, and my boy and I to Tower Hill, it being a most fine, bright, moonshine night, and a great frost, but no Comet to be seen. December 24, 1664. I saw the Comet, 1 which now, whether worn away or no I know not, appears not with a tail, but only is larger and duller than any other star, and is come to rise betimes, and to make a great arch, and is gone quite to a new place in the heavens than it was before : but I hope, in a clearer night, something more will be seen. September 22, 1665. At Blackwall. Here is observable what Johnson tells us, that, in digging the late Docke, they did, 12 feet under ground, find perfect trees over-covered with earth. Nut-trees, with the branches and the very nuts upon them ; some of whose nuts he showed us. Their shells black with age ; and their kernell, upon opening, de- cayed, but their shell perfectly hard as ever. And a yew-tree, upon which the very ivy was taken up whole about it, which, upon cutting with an addes [adze], we found it to be rather harder than the living tree usually is. The armes, they say, were taken up at first whole, about the body, which is very strange. 1 It is one of the twenty-four comets of which the observations have been collected in Halley's Astronomia Cometiae Synopsis. 288 MR. PEPYS MARVELS AT WONDERFUL THINGS August 17, 1666. With Captain Erwin, discoursing about the East Indys, where he hath often been. And, among other things, he tells me how the King of Syam seldom goes out without thirty or forty thousand people with him, and not a word spoke, nor a hum or cough in the whole company to be heard. He tells me, the punish- ment frequently there for malefactors, is cutting off the crowne of their head, which they do very dexterously, leaving their brains bare, which kills them presently. He told me what I remember he hath once done hereto- fore ; that every body is to lie flat down at the coming by of the King, and nobody to look upon him upon pain of death. And that he and his fellows, being strangers, were invited to see the sport of taking a wild elephant ; and they did only kneel, and look towards the King. Their druggerman [dragoman] did desire them to fall down, for otherwise he should suffer for their contempt of the King. The sport being ended, a messenger comes from the King, which the druggerman thought had been to have taken away his life ; but it was to enquire how the strangers liked the sport. The drugger- man answered, that they did cry it up to be the best that ever they saw, and that they never heard of any Prince so great in every thing as this King. The messenger being gone back, Erwin and his company asked their druggerman what he had said, which he told them. " But why," they say, "would you say that without our leave, it being not true ? " — " It makes no matter for that," says he ; "I must have said it, or have 289 u RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS been hanged ; for our King do not live by meat, nor drink, but by having great lyes told him." March 18, 1667. This day Mr. Caesar told me a pretty experiment 01 his, of angling with a minnikin, a gut-string varnished over, which keeps it from swelling, and is beyond any hair for strength and smallness. The secret I like mightily. August 18, 1667. Took coach and home, and there took up my wife and to Islington. Between that and Kingsland, there happened an odd adventure : one of our coach-horses fell sick of the staggers, so as he was ready to fall down. The coachman was fain to 'light, and hold him up, and cut his tongue to make him bleed, and his tail : then he blew some tobacco in his nose, upon which the horse sneezed, and, by and by, grew well, and drew us all the rest of our way, as well as ever he did. September 27, 1667. Creed and Sheres come and dined with me ; and we had a great deal of pretty discourse of the ceremonious- ness of the Spaniards, whose ceremonies are so many and so known, that, Sheres tells me, upon all occasions of joy or sorrow in a Grandee's family, my Lord Embassador is fain to send one with an en hora buena, if it be upon a marriage, or birth of a child, or a pesa me^ if it be upon the death of a child, or so. And these ceremonies are 290 MR. PEPYS MARVELS AT WONDERFUL THINGS so set, and the words of the compliment, that he hath been sent from my Lord, when he hath done no more than send in word to the Grandee that one was there from the Embassador ; and he knowing what was his errand, that hath been enough, and he never spoke with him : nay, several Grandees having been to marry a daughter, have wrote letters to my Lord to give him notice, and out of the greatness of his wisdom to desire his advice, though people he never saw ; and then my Lord he answers by commending the greatness of his discretion in making so good an alliance, etc., and so ends. He says that it is so far from dishonour to a man to give private revenge for an affront, that the con- trary is a disgrace ; they holding that he that receives an affront is not fit to appear in the sight of the world till he hath revenged himself; and therefore, that a gentleman there that receives an affront oftentimes never appears again in the world till he hath, by some private way or other, revenged himself: and that, on this account, several have followed their enemies privately to the Indys, thence to Italy, thence to France and back again, waiting for an opportunity to be revenged. He says my Lord was fain to keep a letter from the Duke of York to the Queen of Spain a great while in his hands, before he could think fit to deliver it, till he had learnt whether the Queen could receive it, it being directed to his cozen. He says that many ladies in Spain, after they are found to be with child, do never stir out of their beds or chambers till they are brought to bed : so ceremonious they are in that point also. He tell me of their wooing 291 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS by serenades at the window, and that their friends do always make the match ; but yet they have opportunities to meet at masse at church, and there they make love ; that the Court there hath no dancing, nor visits at night to see the King or Queen, but is always just like a cloyster, nobody stirring in it : that my Lord Sandwich wears a beard now, turned up in the Spanish manner. February 24, 1667-68. I was prettily served this day at the playhouse door, where, giving six shillings into the fellow's hand for three of us, the fellow by legerdemain did convey one away, and with so much grace faced me down that I did give him but five, that, though I knew the con- trary, yet I was overpowered by his so grave and serious demanding the other shilling, that I could not deny him, but was forced by myself to give it him. May 21, 1668. All the town is full of the talk of a meteor, or some fire, that did on Saturday last fly over the city at night, which do put me in mind that, being then walking in the dark an hour or more myself in the garden, after I had done writing, I did see a light before me come from behind me, which made me turn back my head ; and I did see a sudden fire or light running in the sky, as it were towards Cheapside ward, and it vanished very quick, which did make me bethink myself what holyday it was, and took it for 292 MR. PEPYS MARVELS AT WONDERFUL THINGS some rocket, though it was much brighter : and the world do make much discourse ot it, their apprehen- sions being mighty full of the rest of the City to be burned, and the Papists to cut our throats. December 21, 1668. Went into Holborne, and there saw the woman that is to be seen with a beard. She is a little plain woman, a Dane : her name Ursula Dyan ; about forty years old ; her voice like a little girl's ; with a beard as much as any man I ever saw, black almost, and grizly; it began to grow at about seven years old, and was shaved not above seven months ago, and is now so big as any man's almost that ever I saw ; I say, bushy and thick. It was a strange sight to me, I confess, and what pleased me mightily. April 8, 1669. Going through Smithfield, I did see a coach run over a coachman's neck, and stand upon it, and yet the man rose up, and was well after it, which I thought a wonder. April 20, 1669. In the afternoon we walked to the Old Artillery- Ground near the Spitalfields, where I never was before, but now, by Captain Deane's invitation, did go to see his new gun tryed, this being the place where the Officers of the Ordnance do try all their great guns ; and when we came, did find that the trial had been 293 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS made j and they going away with extraordinary report of the proof of his gun, which, from the shortness and bigness, they do call Punchinello. But I desired Colonel Legg to stay and give us a sight of her performance, which he did, and there, in short, against a gun more than as long and as heavy again, and charged with as much powder again, she carried the same bullet as strong to the mark, and nearer and above the mark at a point blank than their's, and is more easily managed, and recoiles no more than that, which is a thing so extraordinary as to be admired for the happiness of his invention, and to the great regret of the old Gunners and Officers of the Ordnance that were there, only Colonel Legg did do her much right in his report of her. 294 MR. PEPYS'S EYESIGHT MR. PEPYS'S EYESIGHT ^January 19, 1663-64. My eyes began to fail me, and to be in pain, which I never felt to now-a-days. May 5, 1664. My eyes beginning every day to grow less and less able to bear with long reading or writing, though it be by daylight ; which I never observed till now. November 4, 1667. To Turlington, the great spectacle-maker, for advice, who dissuades me from using old spectacles, but rather young ones, and do tell me that nothing can wrong my eyes more than for me to use reading-glasses, which do magnify much. June 23, 1668. To Dr. Turberville about my eyes, whom I met with : and he did discourse, I thought, learnedly about them ; and takes time before he did prescribe me any thing, to think of it. 295 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS June 29, 1668. To Dr. Turberville's, and there did receive a direction for some physic, and also a glass of something to drop into my eyes : he gives me hopes that I may do well. June 30, 1668. To bed, my eyes bad, but not worse, only weary with working. But, however, very melancholy under the fear of my eyes being spoiled, and not to be recovered ; for I am come that I am not able to read out a small letter, and yet my sight good for the little while I can read, as ever it was, I think. July 3, 1 668. To an alehouse : met Mr. Pierce, the surgeon, and Dr. Clerke, Waldron, Turberville, my physician for the eyes, and Lowre, to dissect several eyes of sheep and oxen, with great pleasure, and to my great information. But strange that this Turberville should be so great a man, and yet, to this day, had seen no eyes dissected, or but once, but desired this Dr. Lowre to give him the opportunity to see him dissect some. July 5, 1668. (Lord's day.) About four in the morning took four pills of Dr. Turberville's prescribing, for my eyes, and I did get my wife to spend the morning reading of Wilkins's Reall Character. 296 MR. PEPYS'S EYESIGHT July 13, 1668. This morning I was let blood, and did bleed about fourteen ounces, towards curing my eyes. July 31, 1668. The month ends mighty sadly with me, my eyes being now past all use almost ; and I am mighty hot upon trying the late printed experiment of paper tubes. August 2, 1668. Walked to Barne Elmes, and there, and going and coming, did make the boy read to me several things, being now-a-days unable to read myself anything, for above two lines together, but my eyes grow weary. August 23, 1668. After dinner to the Office, Mr. Gibson and I, to examine my letter to the Duke of York, which, to my great joy, I did very well by my paper tube, without pain to my eyes. March 28, 1669. (Lord's day.) To the Office with Tom, who looks mighty snug upon his marriage, as Jane also do, both of whom I did give joy, and so Tom and I to work at the Office all the morning, till dinner, and then dined, W. Batelier with us ; and so after dinner to work again, and sent for Gibson, and kept him also till eight at night, doing much business. And so, that being done, and my Journal writ, my eyes being very bad, and every day 297 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS worse and worse, I fear : but I find it most certain that stronge drinks do make my eyes sore, as they have done heretofore always ; for, when I was in the country, when my eyes were at the best, their stronge beere would make my eyes sore ; so home to supper, and by and by to bed. April 2, 1669. This night I did bring home from the King's potte- cary's, in White Hall, by Mr. Cooling's direction, a water that he says is mighty good for his eyes. I pray God it may do me good ; but, by his description, his disease was the same as mine, and this do encourage me to use it. April 11, 1669. Home, and so set down my Journal, with the help of my left eye through my tube, for fourteen days past ; which is so much as, I hope, I shall not run in arrear again, but the badness of my eyes do force me to it. April 2 5, 1669. (Lord's day.) Up, and to my Office awhile, and thither comes Lead with my vizard, with a tube fastened within both eyes ; which, with the help which he prompts me to, of a glass in the tube, do content me mightily. To church, where a stranger made a dull sermon, but I mightily pleased to look upon Mr. Buckworth's little pretty daughters. W. Howe came and dined with us ; and then I to my Office, he being gone, to write down my Journal for the last twelve days : and did it with the 298 MR. PEPYS'S EYESIGHT help of my vizard and tube fixed to it, and do find it mighty manageable, but how helpful to my eyes this trial will show me. April 30, 1669. I to my coach, which is silvered over, but no varnish yet laid on, so I put it in a way of doing ; and myself about other business, and particularly to see Sir W. Coventry, with whom I talked a good while to my great content ; and so to other places — among others, to my tailor's : and then to the beltmaker's, where my belt cost me 55s. of the colour of my new suit ; and here, under- standing that the mistress of the house, an oldish woman in a hat, hath some water good for the eyes, she did dress me, making my eyes smart most horribly, and did give me a little glass of it, which I will use, and hope it will do me good. May 31, 1669. Up very betimes, and continued all the morning with W. Hewer, upon examining and stating my accounts, in order to the fitting myself to go abroad beyond sea, which the ill condition of my eyes, and my neglect for a year or two hath kept me behind-hand in, and so as to render it very difficult now, and troublesome to my mind to do it ; but I this day made a satisfactory entrance therein. Had another meeting with the Duke of York, at White Hall, on yesterday's work, and made a good advance : and so, being called by my wife, we to the Park, Mary Batelier, and a Dutch gentleman, a friend of 299 RED-LETTER DAYS OF SAMUEL PEPYS hers, being with us. Thence to " The World's End," a drinking-house by the Park ; and there merry, and so home late. And thus ends all that I doubt I shall ever be able to do with my own eyes in the keeping of my Journal, I being not able to do it any longer, having done now so long as to undo my eyes almost every time that I take a pen in my hand ; and, therefore, whatever comes of it, I must forbear : and, therefore, resolve, from this time forward, to have it kept by my people in long-hand, and must be contented to set down no more than is fit for them and all the world to know ; or, if there be any thing, I must endeavour to keep a margin in my book open, to add, here and there, a note in short-hand with my own hand. And so I betake myself to that course, which is almost as much as to see myself go into my grave : for which, and all the discomforts that will accompany my being blind, the good God prepare me ! S. P. THE END. UNWIN BROTHERS, LIMITED, THE GRESHAM PRESS. WOKING AND LONDON. - rt 1«£1 VV A* fr? ^ ,$ •%,. W <>!? «S» "* ^ . "^ A S* <3* ^ .