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Title: Diary of Samuel Pepys, July 1666
Author: Samuel Pepys, Translator: Mynors Bright, Editor: Wheatley
Release Date: June, 2003 [Etext #4166]
[Yes, we are about one year ahead of schedule]
[The actual date this file first posted = 11/23/01]
Edition: 10
Language: English
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THE DIARY OF SAMUEL PEPYS M.A. F.R.S.
CLERK OF THE ACTS AND SECRETARY TO THE ADMIRALTY
TRANSCRIBED FROM THE SHORTHAND MANUSCRIPT IN THE PEPYSIAN LIBRARY
MAGDALENE COLLEGE CAMBRIDGE BY THE REV. MYNORS BRIGHT M.A. LATE FELLOW
AND PRESIDENT OF THE COLLEGE
(Unabridged)
WITH LORD BRAYBROOKE'S NOTES
EDITED WITH ADDITIONS BY
HENRY B. WHEATLEY F.S.A.
DIARY OF SAMUEL PEPYS.
JULY
1666
July 1st (Sunday). Up betimes, and to the office receiving letters, two
or three one after another from Sir W. Coventry, and sent as many to him,
being full of variety of business and hurry, but among the chiefest is
the getting of these pressed men out of the City down the river to the
fleete. While I was hard at it comes Sir W. Pen to towne, which I little
expected, having invited my Lady and her daughter Pegg to dine with me
to-day; which at noon they did, and Sir W. Pen with them: and pretty
merry we were. And though I do not love him, yet I find it necessary to
keep in with him; his good service at Shearnesse in getting out the
fleete being much taken notice of, and reported to the King and Duke [of
York], even from the Prince and Duke of Albemarle themselves, and made
the most of to me and them by Sir W. Coventry: therefore I think it
discretion, great and necessary discretion, to keep in with him. After
dinner to the office again, where busy, and then down to Deptford to the
yard, thinking to have seen Bagwell's wife, whose husband is gone
yesterday back to the fleete, but I did not see her, so missed what I
went for, and so back to the Tower several times, about the business of
the pressed men, and late at it till twelve at night, shipping of them.
But, Lord! how some poor women did cry; and in my life I never did see
such natural expression of passion as I did here in some women's
bewailing themselves, and running to every parcel of men that were
brought, one after another, to look for their husbands, and wept over
every vessel that went off, thinking they might be there, and looking
after the ship as far as ever they could by moone-light, that it grieved
me to the heart to hear them. Besides, to see poor patient labouring men
and housekeepers, leaving poor wives and families, taking up on a sudden
by strangers, was very hard, and that without press-money, but forced
against all law to be gone. It is a great tyranny. Having done this I
to the Lieutenant of the Tower and bade him good night, and so away home
and to bed.
2nd. Up betimes, and forced to go to my Lord Mayor's, about the business
of the pressed men; and indeed I find him a mean man of understanding and
dispatch of any publique business. Thence out of curiosity to Bridewell
to see the pressed men, where there are about 300; but so unruly that I
durst not go among them: and they have reason to be so, having been kept
these three days prisoners, with little or no victuals, and pressed out,
and, contrary to all course of law, without press-money, and men that are
not liable to it. Here I met with prating Colonel Cox, one of the City
collonells heretofore a great presbyter: but to hear how the fellow did
commend himself, and the service he do the King; and, like an asse, at
Paul's did take me out of my way on purpose to show me the gate (the
little north gate) where he had two men shot close by him on each hand,
and his own hair burnt by a bullet-shot in the insurrection of Venner,
and himself escaped. Thence home and to the Tower to see the men from
Bridewell shipped. Being rid of him I home to dinner, and thence to the
Excise office by appointment to meet my Lord Bellasses and the
Commissioners, which we did and soon dispatched, and so I home, and there
was called by Pegg Pen to her house, where her father and mother, and
Mrs. Norton, the second Roxalana, a fine woman, indifferent handsome,
good body and hand, and good mine, and pretends to sing, but do it not
excellently. However I took pleasure there, and my wife was sent for,
and Creed come in to us, and so there we spent the most of the afternoon.
Thence weary of losing so much time I to the office, and thence presently
down to Deptford; but to see what a consternation there is upon the water
by reason of this great press, that nothing is able to get a waterman to
appear almost. Here I meant to have spoke with Bagwell's mother, but her
face was sore, and so I did not, but returned and upon the water found
one of the vessels loaden with the Bridewell birds in a great mutiny, and
they would not sail, not they; but with good words, and cajoling the
ringleader into the Tower (where, when he was come, he was clapped up in
the hole), they were got very quietly; but I think it is much if they do
not run the vessel on ground. But away they went, and I to the
Lieutenant of the Tower, and having talked with him a little, then home
to supper very late and to bed weary.
3rd. Being very weary, lay long in bed, then to the office and there sat
all the day. At noon dined at home, Balty's wife with us, and in very
good humour I was and merry at dinner, and after dinner a song or two,
and so I abroad to my Lord Treasurer's (sending my sister home by the
coach), while I staid there by appointment to have met my Lord Bellasses
and Commissioners of Excise, but they did not meet me, he being abroad.
However Mr. Finch, one of the Commissioners, I met there, and he and I
walked two houres together in the garden, talking of many things;
sometimes of Mr. Povy, whose vanity, prodigality, neglect of his
business, and committing it to unfit hands hath undone him and outed him
of all his publique employments, and the thing set on foot by an
accidental revivall of a business, wherein he had three or fours years
ago, by surprize, got the Duke of Yorke to sign to the having a sum of
money paid out of the Excise, before some that was due to him, and now
the money is fallen short, and the Duke never likely to be paid. This
being revived hath undone Povy. Then we fell to discourse of the
Parliament, and the great men there: and among others, Mr. Vaughan,
whom he reports as a man of excellent judgement and learning, but most
passionate and 'opiniastre'. He had done himself the most wrong (though
he values it not), that is, the displeasure of the King in his standing
so long against the breaking of the Act for a trienniall parliament; but
yet do believe him to be a most loyall gentleman. He told me Mr. Prin's
character; that he is a man of mighty labour and reading and memory, but
the worst judge of matters, or layer together of what he hath read, in
the world; which I do not, however, believe him in; that he believes him
very true to the King in his heart, but can never be reconciled to
episcopacy; that the House do not lay much weight upon him, or any thing
he says. He told me many fine things, and so we parted, and I home and
hard to work a while at the office and then home and till midnight about
settling my last month's accounts wherein I have been interrupted by
public business, that I did not state them two or three days ago, but I
do now to my great joy find myself worth above L5600, for which the
Lord's name be praised! So with my heart full of content to bed. Newes
come yesterday from Harwich, that the Dutch had appeared upon our coast
with their fleete, and we believe did go to the Gun-fleete, and they are
supposed to be there now; but I have heard nothing of them to-day.
Yesterday Dr. Whistler, at Sir W. Pen's, told me that Alexander Broome,
a the great song-maker, is lately dead.
4th. Up, and visited very betimes by Mr. Sheply, who is come to town
upon business from Hinchingbrooke, where he left all well. I out and
walked along with him as far as Fleet Streete, it being a fast day, the
usual fast day for the plague, and few coaches to be had. Thanks be to
God, the plague is, as I hear, encreased but two this week; but in the
country in several places it rages mightily, and particularly in
Colchester, where it hath long been, and is believed will quite
depopulate the place. To St. James's, and there did our usual business
with the Duke, all of us, among other things, discoursing about the
places where to build ten great ships; the King and Council have resolved
on none to be under third-rates; but it is impossible to do it, unless we
have more money towards the doing it than yet we have in any view. But,
however, the shew must be made to the world. Thence to my Lord Bellasses
to take my leave of him, he being going down to the North to look after
the Militia there, for fear of an invasion. Thence home and dined, and
then to the office, where busy all day, and in the evening Sir W. Pen
come to me, and we walked together, and talked of the late fight. I find
him very plain, that the whole conduct of the late fight was ill, and
that that of truth's all, and he tells me that it is not he, but two-
thirds of the commanders of the whole fleete have told him so: they all
saying, that they durst not oppose it at the Council of War, for fear of
being called cowards, though it was wholly against their judgement to
fight that day with the disproportion of force, and then we not being
able to use one gun of our lower tier, which was a greater disproportion
than the other. Besides, we might very well have staid in the Downs
without fighting, or any where else, till the Prince could have come up
to them; or at least till the weather was fair, that we might have the
benefit of our whole force in the ships that we had. He says three
things must [be] remedied, or else we shall be undone by this fleete.
1. That we must fight in a line, whereas we fight promiscuously, to our
utter and demonstrable ruine; the Dutch fighting otherwise; and we,
whenever we beat them. 2. We must not desert ships of our own in
distress, as we did, for that makes a captain desperate, and he will
fling away his ship, when there is no hopes left him of succour.
3. That ships, when they are a little shattered, must not take the
liberty to come in of themselves, but refit themselves the best they can,
and stay out--many of our ships coming in with very small disablenesses.
He told me that our very commanders, nay, our very flag-officers, do
stand in need of exercising among themselves, and discoursing the
business of commanding a fleete; he telling me that even one of our flag-
men in the fleete did not know which tacke lost the wind, or which kept
it, in the last engagement. He says it was pure dismaying and fear that
made them all run upon the Galloper, not having their wits about them;
and that it was a miracle they were not all lost. He much inveighs upon
my discoursing of Sir John Lawson's saying heretofore, that sixty sail
would do as much as one hundred; and says that he was a man of no counsel
at all, but had got the confidence to say as the gallants did, and did
propose to himself to make himself great by them, and saying as they did;
but was no man of judgement in his business, but hath been out in the
greatest points that have come before them. And then in the business of
fore-castles, which he did oppose, all the world sees now the use of them
for shelter of men. He did talk very rationally to me, insomuch that I
took more pleasure this night in hearing him discourse, than I ever did
in my life in any thing that he said. He gone I to the office again, and
so after some business home to supper and to bed.
5th. Up and to the office, where we sat all the morning busy, then at
noon dined and Mr. Sheply with me, who come to towne the other day. I
lent him 630 in silver upon 30 pieces in gold. But to see how apt every
body is to neglect old kindnesses! I must charge myself with the
ingratitude of being unwilling to lend him so much money without some
pawne, if he should have asked it, but he did not aske it, poor man, and
so no harm done. After dinner, he gone, I to my office and Lumbard
Streete about money, and then to my office again, very busy, and so till
late, and then a song with my wife and Mercer in the garden, and so with
great content to bed.
6th. Up, and after doing some business at my office abroad to Lumbard
Street, about the getting of a good sum of money, thence home, in
preparation for my having some good sum in my hands, for fear of a
trouble in the State, that I may not have all I have in the world out of
my hands and so be left a beggar. Having put that in a way, I home to
the office, and so to the Tower; about shipping of some more pressed men,
and that done, away to Broad Streete, to Sir G. Carteret, who is at a pay
of tickets all alone, and I believe not less than one thousand people in
the streets. But it is a pretty thing to observe that both there and
every where else, a man shall see many women now-a-days of mean sort in
the streets, but no men; men being so afeard of the press. I dined with
Sir G. Carteret, and after dinner had much discourse about our publique
business; and he do seem to fear every day more and more what I do; which
is, a general confusion in the State; plainly answering me to the
question, who is it that the weight of the warr depends [upon]? that it
is only Sir W. Coventry. He tells me, too, the Duke of Albemarle is
dissatisfied, and that the Duchesse do curse Coventry as the man that
betrayed her husband to the sea: though I believe that it is not so.
Thence to Lumbard Streete, and received L2000, and carried it home:
whereof L1000 in gold. The greatest quantity not only that I ever had of
gold, but that ever I saw together, and is not much above half a 100 lb.
bag full, but is much weightier. This I do for security sake, and
convenience of carriage; though it costs me above L70 the change of it,
at 18 1/2d. per piece. Being at home, I there met with a letter from Bab
Allen,--[Mrs. Knipp]--to invite me to be god-father to her boy, with Mrs.
Williams, which I consented to, but know not the time when it is to be.
Thence down to the Old Swan, calling at Michell's, he not being within,
and there I did steal a kiss or two of her, and staying a little longer,
he come in, and her father, whom I carried to Westminster, my business
being thither, and so back again home, and very busy all the evening. At
night a song in the garden and to bed.
7th. At the office all the morning, at noon dined at home and Creed with
me, and after dinner he and I two or three hours in my chamber
discoursing of the fittest way for a man to do that hath money, and find
all he offers of turning some into gold and leaving some in a friend's
hand is nothing more than what I thought of myself, but is doubtful,
as well as I, what is best to be done of all these or other ways to be
thought on. He tells me he finds all things mighty dull at 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 helpe 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. Thence left him and to my office all the afternoon busy, and in some
pain in my back by some bruise or other I have given myself in my right
testicle this morning, and the pain lies there and hath done, and in my
back thereupon all this day. At night into the garden to my wife and
Lady Pen and Pegg, and Creed, who staid with them till to at night. My
Lady Pen did give us a tarte and other things, and so broke up late and I
to bed. 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 fears I lay a good while, hearing of a little noise of
somebody walking in the house: so rung the bell, and it was my mayds
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.
8th (Lord's day). Up, and pretty well of my pain, so that it did not
trouble me at all, and I do clearly find that my pain in my back was
nothing but only accompanied my bruise in my stones. To church, wife and
Mercer and I, in expectation of hearing some mighty preacher to-day, Mrs.
Mary Batelier sending us word so; but it proved our ordinary silly
lecturer, which made me merry, and she laughed upon us to see her
mistake. At noon W. Hewer dined with us, and a good dinner, and I
expected to have had newes sent me of Knipp's christening to-day; but,
hearing nothing of it, I did not go, though I fear it is but their
forgetfulness and so I may disappoint them. To church, after dinner,
again, a thing I have not done a good while before, go twice in one day.
After church with my wife and Mercer and Tom by water through bridge to
the Spring Garden at Fox Hall, and thence down to Deptford and there did
a little business, and so back home and to bed.
9th. Up betimes, and with Sir W. Pen in his coach to Westminster to Sir
G. Downing's, but missed of him, and so we parted, I by water home, where
busy all the morning, at noon dined at home, and after dinner to my
office, where busy till come to by Lovett and his wife, who have.
brought me some sheets of paper varnished on one side, which lies very
white and smooth and, I think, will do our business most exactly, and
will come up to the use that I intended them for, and I am apt to believe
will be an invention that will take in the world. I have made up a
little book of it to give Sir W. Coventry to-morrow, and am very well
pleased with it. Home with them, and there find my aunt Wight with my
wife come to take her leave of her, being going for the summer into the
country; and there was also Mrs. Mary Batelier and her sister, newly come
out of France, a black, very black woman, but mighty good-natured people
both, as ever I saw. Here I made the black one sing a French song, which
she did mighty innocently; and then Mrs. Lovett play on the lute, which
she do very well; and then Mercer and I sang; and so, with great
pleasure, I left them, having shewed them my chamber, and L1000 in gold,
which they wondered at, and given them sweetmeats, and shewn my aunt
Wight my father's picture, which she admires. So I left them and to the
office, where Mr. Moore come to me and talking of my Lord's family
business tells me that Mr. Sheply is ignorantly, we all believe, mistaken
in his accounts above L700 more than he can discharge himself of, which
is a mighty misfortune, poor man, and may undo him, and yet every body
believes that he do it most honestly. I am troubled for him very much.
He gone, I hard at the office till night, then home to supper and to bed.
10th. Up, and to the office, where busy all the morning, sitting, and
there presented Sir W. Coventry with my little book made up of Lovett's
varnished paper, which he and the whole board liked very well. At noon
home to dinner and then to the office; the yarde being very full of women
(I believe above three hundred) coming to get money for their husbands
and friends that are prisoners in Holland; and they lay clamouring and
swearing and cursing us, that my wife and I were afeard to send a
venison-pasty that we have for supper to-night to the cook's to be baked,
for fear of their offering violence to it: but it went, and no hurt done.
Then I took an opportunity, when they were all gone into the foreyarde,
and slipt into the office and there busy all the afternoon, but by and by
the women got into the garden, and come all to my closett window, and
there tormented me, and I confess their cries were so sad for money, and
laying down the condition of their families and their husbands, and what
they have done and suffered for the King, and how ill they are used by
us, and how well the Dutch are used here by the allowance of their
masters, and what their husbands are offered to serve the Dutch abroad,
that I do most heartily pity them, and was ready to cry to hear them, but
cannot helpe them. However, when the rest were gone, I did call one to
me that I heard complaine only and pity her husband and did give her some
money, and she blessed me and went away. Anon my business at the office
being done I to the Tower to speak with Sir John Robinson about business,
principally the bad condition of the pressed men for want of clothes, so
it is represented from the fleete, and so to provide them shirts and
stockings and drawers. Having done with him about that, I home and there
find my wife and the two Mrs. Bateliers walking in the garden. I with
them till almost 9 at night, and then they and we and Mrs. Mercer, the
mother, and her daughter Anne, and our Mercer, to supper to a good
venison-pasty and other good things, and had a good supper, and very
merry, Mistresses Bateliers being both very good-humoured. We sang and
talked, and then led them home, and there they made us drink; and, among
other things, did show us, in cages, some birds brought from about
Bourdeaux, that are all fat, and, examining one of them, they are so,
almost all fat. Their name is [Ortolans], which are brought over to the
King for him to eat, and indeed are excellent things. We parted from
them and so home to bed, it being very late, and to bed.
11th. Up, and by water to Sir G. Downing's, there to discourse with him
about the reliefe of the prisoners in Holland; which I did, and we do
resolve of the manner of sending them some. So I away by coach to St.
James's, and there hear that the Duchesse is lately brought to bed of a
boy. By and by called to wait on the Duke, the King being present; and
there agreed, among other things, of the places to build the ten new
great ships ordered to be built, and as to the relief of prisoners in
Holland. And then about several stories of the basenesse of the King of
Spayne's being served with officers: they in Flanders having as good
common men as any Prince in the world, but the veriest cowards for the
officers, nay for the generall officers, as the Generall and Lieutenant-
generall, in the whole world. But, above all things, the King did speake
most in contempt of the ceremoniousnesse of the King of Spayne, that he
do nothing but under some ridiculous form or other, and will not piss but
another must hold the chamber-pot. Thence to Westminster Hall and there
staid a while, and then to the Swan and kissed Sarah, and so home to
dinner, and after dinner out again to Sir Robert Viner, and there did
agree with him to accommodate some business of tallys so as I shall get
in near L2000 into my own hands, which is in the King's, upon tallys;
which will be a pleasure to me, and satisfaction to have a good sum in my
own hands, whatever evil disturbances should be in the State; though it
troubles me to lose so great a profit as the King's interest of ten per
cent. for that money. Thence to Westminster, doing several things by the
way, and there failed of meeting Mrs. Lane, and so by coach took up my
wife at her sister's, and so away to Islington, she and I alone, and so
through Hackney, and home late, our discourse being about laying up of
some money safe in prevention to the troubles I am afeard we may have in
the state, and so sleepy (for want of sleep the last night, going to bed
late and rising betimes in the morning) home, but when I come to the
office, I there met with a command from my Lord Arlington, to go down to
a galliott at Greenwich, by the King's particular command, that is going
to carry the Savoy Envoye over, and we fear there may be many Frenchmen
there on board; and so I have a power and command to search for and seize
all that have not passes from one of the Secretarys of State, and to
bring them and their papers and everything else in custody some whither.
So I to the Tower, and got a couple of musquetiers with me, and Griffen
and my boy Tom and so down; and, being come, found none on board but two
or three servants, looking to horses and doggs, there on board, and,
seeing no more, I staid not long there, but away and on shore at
Greenwich, the night being late and the tide against us; so, having sent
before, to Mrs. Clerke's and there I had a good bed, and well received,
the whole people rising to see me, and among the rest young Mrs. Daniel,
whom I kissed again and again alone, and so by and by to bed and slept
pretty well,
12th. But was up again by five o'clock, and was forced to rise, having
much business, and so up and dressed myself (enquiring, was told that
Mrs. Tooker was gone hence to live at London) and away with Poundy to the
Tower, and thence, having shifted myself, but being mighty drowsy for
want of sleep, I by coach to St. James's, to Goring House, there to wait
on my Lord Arlington to give him an account of my night's worke, but he
was not up, being not long since married: so, after walking up and down
the house below,--being the house I was once at Hartlib's sister's
wedding, and is a very fine house and finely furnished,--and then
thinking it too much for me to lose time to wait my Lord's rising, I away
to St. James's, and there to Sir W. Coventry, and wrote a letter to my
Lord Arlington giving him an account of what I have done, and so 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 persevere; 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 reasoning for it, be it good or bad. But
then I told him, what he confessed, that he would however give the man,
that he employs, orders for removing of any obstruction that he thinks he
shall meet with in the world, and instanced in several warrants that he
issued for breaking open of houses and other outrages about the business
of prizes, which people bore with either for affection or fear, which he
believes would not have been borne with from the King, nor Duke, nor any
man else in England, and I thinke he is in the right, but it is not from
their love of him, but from something else I cannot presently say. Sir
W. Coventry did further say concerning Warcupp, his kinsman, that had the
simplicity to tell Sir W. Coventry, that the Duke did intend to go to sea
and to leave him his agent on shore for all things that related to the
sea. But, says Sir W. Coventry, I did believe but the Duke of Yorke
would expect to be his agent on shore for all sea matters. And then he
begun to say what a great man Warcupp was, and something else, and what
was that but a great lyer; and told me a story, how at table he did, they
speaking about antipathys, say, that a rose touching his skin any where,
would make it rise and pimple; and, by and by, the dessert coming, with
roses upon it, the Duchesse bid him try, and they did; but they rubbed
and rubbed, but nothing would do in the world, by which his lie was found
at then. He spoke contemptibly of Holmes and his mermidons, that come to
take down the ships from hence, and have carried them without any
necessaries, or any thing 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 kindnesse 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. At the office all the morning, at noon home and thought to have
slept, my head all day being full of business and yet sleepy and out of
order, and so I lay down on my bed in my gowne to sleep, but I could not,
therefore about three o'clock up and to dinner and thence to the office,
where. Mrs. Burroughs, my pretty widow, was and so I did her business
and sent her away by agreement, and presently I by coach after and took
her up in Fenchurch Streete and away through the City, hiding my face as
much as I could, but she being mighty pretty and well enough clad, I was
not afeard, but only lest somebody should see me and think me idle. I
quite through with her, and so into the fields Uxbridge way, a mile or
two beyond Tyburne, and then back and then to Paddington, and then back
to Lyssen green, a place the coachman led me to (I never knew in my life)
and there we eat and drank and so back to Chasing Crosse, and there I set
her down. All the way most excellent pretty company. I had her lips as
much as I would, and a mighty pretty woman she is and very modest and yet
kinde in all fair ways. All this time I passed with mighty pleasure, it
being what I have for a long time wished for, and did pay this day 5s.
forfeite for her company. She being gone, I to White Hall and there to
Lord Arlington's, and met Mr. Williamson, and find there is no more need
of my trouble about the Galliott, so with content departed, and went
straight home, where at the office did the most at the office in that
wearied and sleepy state I could, and so home to supper, and after supper
falling to singing with Mercer did however sit up with her, she pleasing
me with her singing of "Helpe, helpe," 'till past midnight and I not a
whit drowsy, and so to bed.
13th. Lay sleepy in bed till 8 in the morning, then up and to the
office, where till about noon, then out to the 'Change and several
places, and so home to dinner. Then out again to Sir R. Vines, and there
to my content settled the business of two tallys, so as I shall have
L2000 almost more of my owne money in my hand, which pleases me mightily,
and so home and there to the office, where mighty busy, and then home to
supper and to even my Journall and to bed. Our fleete being now in all
points ready to sayle, but for the carrying of the two or three new
ships, which will keepe them a day or two or three more. It is said
the Dutch is gone off our coast, but I have no good reason to believe it,
Sir W. Coventry not thinking any such thing.
14th. Up betimes to the office, to write fair a laborious letter I wrote
as from the Board to the Duke of Yorke, laying out our want of money
again; and particularly the business of Captain Cocke's tenders of hemp,
which my Lord Bruncker brought in under an unknown hand without name.
Wherein his Lordship will have no great successe, I doubt. That being
done, I down to Thames-streete, and there agreed for four or five tons of
corke, to send this day to the fleete, being a new device to make
barricados with, instead of junke. By this means I come to see and kiss
Mr. Hill's young wife, and a blithe young woman she is. So to the office
and at noon home to dinner, and then sent for young Michell and employed
him all the afternoon about weighing and shipping off of the corke,
having by this means an opportunity of getting him 30 or 40s. Having set
him a doing, I home and to the office very late, very busy, and did
indeed dispatch much business, and so to supper and to bed. After a song
in the garden, which, and after dinner, is now the greatest pleasure I
take, and indeed do please me mightily, to bed, after washing my legs and
feet with warm water in my kitchen. This evening I had Davila
[Enrico Caterino Davila (1576-1631) was one of the chief historical
writers of Italy, and his "Storia delle guerre civili di Francia"
covers a period of forty years, from the death of Henri II. to the
Peace of Vervins in 1598.]
brought home to me, and find it a most excellent history as ever I read.
15th (Lord's day). Up, and to church, where our lecturer made a sorry
silly sermon, upon the great point of proving the truth of the Christian
religion. Home and had a good dinner, expecting Mr. Hunt, but there
comes only young Michell and his wife, whom my wife concurs with me to be
a pretty woman, and with her husband is a pretty innocent couple.
Mightily pleasant we were, and I mightily pleased in her company and to
find my wife so well pleased with them also. After dinner he and I
walked to White Hall, not being able to get a coach. He to the Abbey,
and I to White Hall, but met with nobody to discourse with, having no
great mind to be found idling there, and be asked questions of the
fleete, so walked only through to the Parke, and there, it being mighty
hot and I weary, lay down by the canaille, upon the grasse, and slept
awhile, and was thinking of a lampoone which hath run in my head this
weeke, to make upon the late fight at sea, and the miscarriages there;
but other businesses put it out of my head. Having lain there a while,
I then to the Abbey and there called Michell, and so walked in great
pain, having new shoes on, as far as Fleete Streete and there got a
coach, and so in some little ease home and there drank a great deale 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 Hackny, and so
back again, in our way drinking a great deale of milke, which I drank to
take away, my heartburne, wherewith I have of late been mightily
troubled, but all the way home I did break abundance of wind behind,
which did presage no good but a great deal of cold gotten. So home and
supped and away went Michell and his wife, of whom I stole two or three
salutes, and so to bed in some pain and in fear of more, which
accordingly I met with, for I was in mighty pain all night long of the
winde griping of my belly and making of me shit often and vomit too,
which is a thing not usual with me, but this I impute to the milke that I
drank after so much beer, but the cold, to my washing my feet the night
before.
16th. Lay in great pain in bed all the morning and most of the
afternoon, being in much pain, making little or no water, and indeed
having little within to make any with. And had great twinges with the
wind all the day in my belly with wind. And a looseness with it, which
however made it not so great as I have heretofore had it. A wonderful
dark sky, and shower of rain this morning, which at Harwich proved so too
with a shower of hail as big as walnuts. I had some broth made me to
drink, which I love, only to fill up room. Up in the afternoon, and
passed the day with Balty, who is come from sea for a day or two before
the fight, and I perceive could be willing fairly to be out of the next
fight, and I cannot much blame him, he having no reason by his place to
be there; however, would not have him to be absent, manifestly to avoid
being there. At night grew a little better and took a glyster of sacke,
but taking it by halves it did me not much good, I taking but a little of
it. However, to bed, and had a pretty good night of it,
17th. So as to be able to rise to go to the office and there sat, but
now and then in pain, and without making much water, or freely. However,
it grew better and better, so as after dinner believing the jogging in a
coach would do me good, I did take my wife out to the New Exchange to buy
things. She there while I with Balty went and bought a common riding-
cloake for myself, to save my best. It cost me but 30s., and will do my
turne mighty well. Thence home and walked in the garden with Sir W. Pen
a while, and saying how the riding in the coach do me good (though I do
not yet much find it), he ordered his to be got ready while I did some
little business at the office, and so abroad he and I after 8 o'clock at
night, as far almost as Bow, and so back again, and so home to supper and
to bed. This day I did bid Balty to agree with the Dutch paynter, which
he once led me to, to see landskipps, for a winter piece of snow, which
indeed is a good piece, and costs me but 40s., which I would not take the
money again for, it being, I think, very good. After a little supper to
bed, being in less pain still, and had very good rest.
18th. Up in good case, and so by coach to St. James's after my fellows,
and there did our business, which is mostly every day to complain of want
of money, and that only will undo us in a little time. Here, among other
things, before us all, the Duke of Yorke did say, that now at length he
is come to a sure knowledge that the Dutch did lose in the late
engagements twenty-nine captains and thirteen ships. Upon which Sir W.
Coventry did publickly move, that if his Royal Highness had this of a
certainty, it would be of use to send this down to the fleete, and to
cause it to be spread about the fleete, for the recovering of the spirits
of the officers and seamen; who are under great dejectedness for want of
knowing that they did do any thing against the enemy, notwithstanding all
that they did to us. Which, though it be true, yet methought was one of
the most dishonourable motions to our countrymen that ever was made; and
is worth remembering. Thence with Sir W. Pen home, calling at Lilly's,
to have a time appointed when to be drawn among the other Commanders of
Flags the last year's fight. And so full of work Lilly is, that he was
faro to take his table-book out to see how his time is appointed, and
appointed six days hence for him to come between seven and eight in the
morning. Thence with him home; and there by appointment I find Dr.
Fuller, now Bishop of Limericke, in Ireland; whom I knew in his low
condition at Twittenham. I had also by his desire Sir W. Pen, and with
him his lady and daughter, and had a good dinner, and find the Bishop the
same good man as ever; and in a word, kind to us, and, methinks, one of
the comeliest and most becoming prelates in all respects that ever I saw
in my life. During dinner comes an acquaintance of his, Sir Thomas
Littleton; whom I knew not while he was in my house, but liked his
discourse; and afterwards, by Sir W. Pen, do come to know that he is one
of the greatest speakers in the House of Commons, and the usual second to
the great Vaughan. So was sorry I did observe him no more, and gain more
of his acquaintance. After dinner, they being gone, and I mightily
pleased with my guests, I down the river to Greenwich, about business,
and thence walked to Woolwich, reading "The Rivall Ladys" all the way,
and find it a most pleasant and fine writ play. At Woolwich saw Mr.
Shelden, it being late, and there eat and drank, being kindly used by him
and Bab, and so by water to Deptford, it being 10 o'clock before I got to
Deptford, and dark, and there to Bagwell's, and, having staid there a
while, away home, and after supper to bed. The Duke of Yorke said this
day that by the letters from the Generals they would sail with the Fleete
this day or to-morrow.
19th. Up in very good health in every respect, only my late fever got by
my pain do break out about my mouth. So to the office, where all the
morning sitting. Full of wants of money, and much stores to buy, for to
replenish the stores, and no money to do it with, nor anybody to trust us
without it. So at noon home to dinner, Balty and his wife with us. By
and by Balty takes his leave of us, he going away just now towards the
fleete, where he will pass through one great engagement more before he be
two days older, I believe. I to the office, where busy all the
afternoon, late, and then home, and, after some pleasant discourse to my
wife, to bed. After I was in bed I had a letter from Sir W. Coventry
that tells me that the fleete is sailed this morning; God send us good
newes of them!
20th. Up, and finding by a letter late last night that the fleete is
gone, and that Sir W. Pen is ordered to go down to Sheernesse, and
finding him ready to go to St. James's this morning, I was willing to go
with him to see how things go,
[Sir William Penn's instructions from the Duke of York directing him
to embark on his Majesty's yacht "Henrietta," and to see to the
manning of such ships has had been left behind by the fleet, dated
on this day, 20th July, is printed in Penn's "Memorials of Sir W.
Penn," vol. ii., p. 406.]
and so with him thither (but no discourse with the Duke), but to White
Hall, and there the Duke of York did bid Sir W. Pen to stay to discourse
with him and the King about business of the fleete, which troubled me a
little, but it was only out of envy, for which I blame myself, having no
reason to expect to be called to advise in a matter I understand not. So
I away to Lovett's, there to see how my picture goes on to be varnished
(a fine Crucifix),
[This picture occasioned Pepys trouble long afterwards, having been
brought as evidence that he was a Papist (see "Life," vol. i., p.
xxxiii).]
which will be very fine; and here I saw some fine prints, brought from
France by Sir Thomas Crew, who is lately returned. So home, calling at
the stationer's for some paper fit to varnish, and in my way home met
with Lovett, to whom I gave it, and he did present me with a varnished
staffe, very fine and light to walk with. So home and to dinner, there
coming young Mrs. Daniel and her sister Sarah, and dined with us; and old
Mr. Hawly, whose condition pities me, he being forced to turne under
parish-clerke at St. Gyles's, I think at the other end of the towne.
Thence I to the office, where busy all the afternoon, and in the evening
with Sir W. Pen, walking with whom in the garden I am of late mighty
great, and it is wisdom to continue myself so, for he is of all the men
of the office at present most manifestly usefull and best thought of.
He and I supped together upon the seat in the garden, and thence,
he gone, my wife and Mercer come and walked and sang late, and then
home to bed.
21st. Up and to the office, where all the morning sitting. At noon
walked in the garden with Commissioner Pett (newly come to towne), who
tells me how infinite the disorders are among the commanders and all
officers of the fleete. No discipline: nothing but swearing and cursing,
and every body doing what they please; and the Generalls, understanding
no better, suffer it, to the reproaching of this Board, or whoever it
will be. He himself hath been challenged twice to the field, or
something as good, by Sir Edward Spragge and Captain Seymour. He tells
me that captains carry, for all the late orders, what men they please;
demand and consume what provisions they please. So that he fears, and I
do no less, that God Almighty cannot bless us while we keep in this
disorder that we are in: he observing to me too, that there is no man of
counsel or advice in the fleete; and the truth is, the gentlemen captains
will undo us, for they are not to be kept in order, their friends about
the King and Duke, and their own house, is so free, that it is not for
any person but the Duke himself to have any command over them. He gone I
to dinner, and then to the office, where busy all the afternoon. At
night walked in the garden with my wife, and so I home to supper and to
bed. Sir W. Pen is gone down to Sheernesse to-day to see things made
ready against the fleete shall come in again, which makes Pett mad, and
calls him dissembling knave, and that himself takes all the pains and is
blamed, while he do nothing but hinder business and takes all the honour
of it to himself, and tells me plainly he will fling, up his commission
rather than bear it.
22nd (Lord's day). Up, and to my chamber, and there till noon mighty
busy, setting money matters and other things of mighty moment to rights
to the great content of my mind, I finding that accounts but a little let
go can never be put in order by strangers, for I cannot without much
difficulty do it myself. After dinner to them again till about four
o'clock and then walked to White Hall, where saw nobody almost but walked
up and down with Hugh May, who is a very ingenious man. Among other
things, discoursing of the present fashion of gardens to make them plain,
that we have the best walks of gravell in the world, France having no
nor Italy; and our green of our bowling allies is better than any they
have. So our business here being ayre, this is the best way, only with a
little mixture of statues, or pots, which may be handsome, and so filled
with another pot of such and such a flower or greene as the season of the
year will bear. And then for flowers, they are best seen in a little
plat by themselves; besides, their borders spoil the walks of another
garden: and then for fruit, the best way is to have walls built
circularly one within another, to the South, on purpose for fruit, and
leave the walking garden only for that use. Thence walked through the
House, where most people mighty hush and, methinks, melancholy. I see
not a smiling face through the whole Court; and, in my conscience, they
are doubtfull of the conduct again of the Generalls, and I pray God they
may not make their fears reasonable. Sir Richard Fanshaw is lately dead
at Madrid. Guyland is lately overthrowne wholly in Barbary by the King
of Tafiletta. The fleete cannot yet get clear of the River, but expect
the first wind to be out, and then to be sure they fight. The Queene and
Maids of Honour are at Tunbridge.
23rd. Up, and to my chamber doing several things there of moment, and
then comes Sympson, the Joyner; and he and I with great pains contriving
presses to put my books up in: they now growing numerous, and lying one
upon another on my chairs, I lose the use to avoyde the trouble of
removing them, when I would open a book. Thence out to the Excise office
about business, and then homewards met Colvill, who tells me he hath
L1000 ready for me upon a tally; which pleases me, and yet I know not now
what to do with it, having already as much money as is fit for me to have
in the house, but I will have it. I did also meet Alderman Backewell,
who tells me of the hard usage he now finds from Mr. Fen, in not getting
him a bill or two paid, now that he can be no more usefull to him;
telling me that what by his being abroad and Shaw's death he hath lost
the ball, but that he doubts not to come to give a kicke at it still, and
then he shall be wiser and keepe it while he hath it. But he says he
hath a good master, the King, who will not suffer him to be undone, as
otherwise he must have been, and I believe him. So home and to dinner,
where I confess, reflecting upon the ease and plenty that I live in, of
money, goods, servants, honour, every thing, I could not but with hearty
thanks to Almighty God ejaculate my thanks to Him while I was at dinner,
to myself. After dinner to the office and there till five or six
o'clock, and then by coach to St. James's and there with Sir W. Coventry
and Sir G. Downing to take the gyre in the Parke. All full of
expectation of the fleete's engagement, but it is not yet. Sir
W. Coventry says they are eighty-nine men-of-warr, but one fifth-rate,
and that, the Sweepstakes, which carries forty guns. They are most
infinitely manned. He tells me the Loyall London, Sir J. Smith (which,
by the way, he commends to be the-best ship in the world, large and
small), hath above eight hundred men; and moreover takes notice, which is
worth notice, that the fleete hath lane now near fourteen days without
any demand for a farthingworth of any thing of any kind, but only to get
men. He also observes, that with this excesse of men, nevertheless, they
have thought fit to leave behind them sixteen ships, which they have
robbed of their men, which certainly might have been manned, and they
been serviceable in the fight, and yet the fleete well-manned, according
to the excesse of supernumeraries, which we hear they have. At least two
or three of them might have been left manned, and sent away with the
Gottenburgh ships. They conclude this to be much the best fleete, for
force of guns, greatnesse and number of ships and men, that ever England
did see; being, as Sir W. Coventry reckons, besides those left behind,
eighty-nine men of warr and twenty fire-ships, though we cannot hear that
they have with them above eighteen. The French are not yet joined with
the Dutch, which do dissatisfy the Hollanders, and if they should have a
defeat, will undo De Witt; the people generally of Holland do hate this
league with France. We cannot think of any business, but lie big with
expectation of the issue of this fight, but do conclude that, this fight
being over, we shall be able to see the whole issue of the warr, good or
bad. So homeward, and walked over the Parke (St. James's) with Sir G.
Downing, and at White Hall took a coach; and there to supper with much
pleasure and to bed.
24th. Up, and to the office, where little business done, our heads being
full of expectation of the fleete's being engaged, but no certain notice
of it, only Sheppeard in the Duke's yacht left them yesterday morning
within a league of the Dutch fleete, and making after them, they standing
into the sea. At noon to dinner, and after dinner with Mercer (as of
late my practice is) a song and so to the office, there to set up again
my frames about my Platts, which I have got to be all gilded, and look
very fine, and then to my business, and busy very late, till midnight,
drawing up a representation of the state of my victualling business to
the Duke, I having never appeared to him doing anything yet and therefore
I now do it in writing, I now having the advantage of having had two
fleetes dispatched in better condition than ever any fleetes were yet, I
believe; at least, with least complaint, and by this means I shall with
the better confidence get my bills out for my salary. So home to bed.
25th. Up betimes to write fair my last night's paper for the Duke, and
so along with Sir W. Batten by hackney coach to St. James's, where the
Duke is gone abroad with the King to the Parke, but anon come back to
White Hall, and we, after an houre's waiting, walked thither (I having
desired Sir W. Coventry in his chamber to read over my paper about the
victualling, which he approves of, and I am glad I showed it him first,
it makes it the less necessary to show it the Duke at all, if I find it
best to let it alone). At White Hall we find [the Court] gone to
Chappell, it being St. James's-day. And by and by, while they are at
chappell, and we waiting chappell being done, come people out of the
Parke, telling us that the guns are heard plain. And so every body to
the Parke, and by and by the chappell 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.
Williams, who in serious discourse told me he did hope well of this fight
because of the equality of force or rather our having the advantage in
number, and also because we did not go about it with the presumption that
we did heretofore, when, he told me, he did before the last fight look
upon us by our pride fated to be overcome. He would have me to dine
where he was invited to dine, at the Backe-stayres. So after the King's
meat 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 welcome), and I drinking no
wine, had metheglin for the King's owne drinking, which did please me
mightily. Thence, having dined mighty nobly, I away to Mrs. Martin's new
lodgings, where I find her, and was with her close, but, Lord! how big
she is already. She is, at least seems, in mighty trouble for her
husband at sea, when I am sure she cares not for him, and I would not
undeceive her, though I know his ship is one of those that is not gone,
but left behind without men. Thence to White Hall again to hear news,
but found none; so back toward Westminster, and there met Mrs. Burroughs,
whom I had a mind to meet, but being undressed did appear a mighty
ordinary woman. Thence by water home, and out again by coach to Lovett's
to see my Crucifix, which is not done. So to White Hall again to have
met Sir G. Carteret, but he is gone, abroad, so back homewards, and
seeing Mr. Spong took him up, and he and I to Reeves, the glass maker's,
and did set several glasses and had pretty discourse with him, and so
away, and set down Mr. Spong in London, and so home and with my wife,
late, twatling at my Lady Pen's, and so home to supper and to bed. I did
this afternoon call at my woman that ruled my paper to bespeak a musique
card, and there did kiss Nan. No news to-night from the fleete how
matters go yet.
26th. Up, and to the office, where all the morning. At noon dined at
home: Mr. Hunt and his wife, who is very gallant, and newly come from
Cambridge, because of the sicknesse, with us. Very merry at table, and
the people I do love mightily, but being in haste to go to White Hall I
rose, and Mr. Hunt with me, and by coach thither, where I left him in the
boarded gallery, and I by appointment to attend the Duke of Yorke at his
closett, but being not come, Sir G. Carteret and I did talke together,
and [he] advises me, that, if I could, I would get the papers of
examination touching the business of the last year's prizes, which
concern my Lord Sandwich, out of Warcupp's hands, who being now under
disgrace and poor, he believes may be brought easily to part with them.
My Lord Crew, it seems, is fearfull yet that maters may be enquired into.
This I will endeavour to do, though I do not thinke it signifies much.
By and by the Duke of Yorke comes and we had a meeting and, among other
things, I did read my declaration of the proceedings of the Victualling
hired this yeare, and desired his Royall Highnesse to give me the
satisfaction of knowing whether his Royall Highnesse were pleased
therewith. He told me he was, and that it was a good account, and that
the business of the Victualling was much in a better condition than it
was the last yeare; which did much joy me, being said in the company of
my fellows, by which I shall be able with confidence to demand my salary
and the rest of the subsurveyors. Thence away mightily satisfied to Mrs.
Pierces, there to find my wife. Mrs. Pierce hath lain in of a boy about
a month. The boy is dead this day. She lies in good state, and very
pretty she is, but methinks do every day grow more and more great, and a
little too much, unless they get more money than I fear they do. Thence
with my wife and Mercer to my Lord Chancellor's new house, and there
carried them up to the leads, where I find my Lord Chamberlain,
Lauderdale, Sir Robert Murray, and others, and do find it the most
delightfull place for prospect that ever was in the world, and even
ravishing me, and that is all, in short, I can say of it. Thence to
Islington to our old house and eat and drank, and so round by Kingsland
home, and there to the office a little and Sir W. Batten's, but no newes
at all from the fleete, and so home to bed.
27th. Up and to the office, where all the morning busy. At noon dined
at home and then to the office again, and there walking in the garden
with Captain Cocke till 5 o'clock. No newes yet of the fleete. His
great bargaine of Hempe with us by his unknown proposition is disliked by
the King, and so is quite off; of which he is glad, by this means being
rid of his obligation to my Lord Bruncker, which he was tired with, and
especially his mistresse, Mrs. Williams, and so will fall into another
way about it, wherein he will advise only with myself, which do not
displease me, and will be better for him and the King too. Much common
talke of publique business, the want of money, the uneasinesse that
Parliament will find in raising any, and the ill condition we shall be
in if they do not, and his confidence that the Swede is true to us,
but poor, but would be glad to do us all manner of service in the world.
He gone, I away by water from the Old Swan to White Hall. The waterman
tells me that newes is come that our ship Resolution is burnt, and that
we had sunke four or five of the enemy's ships. When I come to White
Hall I met with Creed, and he tells me the same news, and walking with
him to the Park I to Sir W. Coventry's lodging, and there he showed me
Captain Talbot's letter, wherein he says that the fight begun on the
25th; that our White squadron begun with one of the Dutch squadrons, and
then the Red with another so hot that we put them both to giving way, and
so they continued in pursuit all the day, and as long as he stayed with
them: that the Blue fell to the Zealand squadron; and after a long
dispute, he against two or three great ships, he received eight or nine
dangerous shots, and so come away; and says, he saw the Resolution burned
by one of their fire-ships, and four or five of the enemy's. But says
that two or three of our great ships were in danger of being fired by our
owne fire-ships, which Sir W. Coventry, nor I, cannot understand. But
upon the whole, he and I walked two or three turns in the Parke under the
great trees, and do doubt that this gallant is come away a little too
soon, having lost never a mast nor sayle. And then we did begin to
discourse of the young gentlemen captains, which he was very free with me
in speaking his mind of the unruliness of them; and what a losse the King
hath of his old men, and now of this Hannam, of the Resolution, if he be
dead, and that there is but few old sober men in the fleete, and if these
few of the Flags that are so should die, he fears some other gentlemen
captains will get in, and then what a council we shall have, God knows.
He told me how he is disturbed to hear the commanders at sea called
cowards here on shore, and that he was yesterday concerned publiquely at
a dinner to defend them, against somebody that said that not above twenty
of them fought as they should do, and indeed it is derived from the Duke
of Albemarle himself, who wrote so to the King and Duke, and that he told
them how they fought four days, two of them with great disadvantage. The
Count de Guiche, who was on board De Ruyter, writing his narrative home
in French of the fight, do lay all the honour that may be upon the
English courage above the Dutch, and that he himself [Sir W. Coventry]
was sent down from the King and Duke of Yorke after the fight, to pray
them to spare none that they thought had not done their parts, and that
they had removed but four, whereof Du Tell is one, of whom he would say
nothing; but, it seems, the Duke of Yorke hath been much displeased at
his removal, and hath now taken him into his service, which is a plain
affront to the Duke of Albemarle; and two of the others, Sir W. Coventry
did speake very slenderly of their faults. Only the last, which was old
Teddiman, he says, is in fault, and hath little to excuse himself with;
and that, therefore, we should not be forward in condemning men of want
of courage, when the Generalls, who are both men of metal, and hate
cowards, and had the sense of our ill successe upon them (and by the way
must either let the world thinke it was the miscarriage of the Captains
or their owne conduct), have thought fit to remove no more of them, when
desired by the King and Duke of Yorke to do it, without respect to any
favour any of them can pretend to in either of them. At last we
concluded that we never can hope to beat the Dutch with such advantage as
now in number and force and a fleete in want of nothing, and he hath
often repeated now and at other times industriously that many of the
Captains have: declared that they want nothing, and again, that they did
lie ten days together at the Nore without demanding of any thing in the
world but men, and of them they afterward, when they went away, the
generalls themselves acknowledge that they have permitted several ships
to carry supernumeraries, but that if we do not speede well, we must then
play small games and spoile their trade in small parties. And so we
parted, and I, meeting Creed in the Parke again, did take him by coach
and to Islington, thinking to have met my Lady Pen and wife, but they
were gone, so we eat and drank and away back, setting him down in
Cheapside and I home, and there after a little while making of my tune to
"It is decreed," to bed.
28th. Up, and to the office, where no more newes of the fleete than was
yesterday. Here we sat and at noon to dinner to the Pope's Head, where
my Lord Bruncker and his mistresse dined and Commissioner Pett, Dr.
Charleton, and myself, entertained with a venison pasty by Sir W. Warren.
Here very pretty discourse of Dr. Charleton'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 for fruit, and that
he can at any time tell the food of a beast unknown by the teeth. My
Lord Bruncker made one or two objections to it that creatures find their
food proper for their teeth rather than that the teeth were fitted for
the food, but the Doctor, I think, did well observe that creatures do
naturally and from the first, before they have had experience to try, do
love such a food rather than another, and that all children love fruit,
and none brought to flesh, but against their wills at first. Thence with
my Lord Bruncker to White Hall, where no news. So to St. James's to Sir
W. Coventry, and there hear only of the Bredah's being come in and gives
the same small account that the other did yesterday, so that we know not
what is done by the body of the fleete at all, but conceive great reason
to hope well. Thence with my Lord to his coach-house, and there put in
his six horses into his coach, and he and I alone to Highgate. All the
way going and coming I learning of him the principles of Optickes, and
what it is that makes an object seem less or bigger and how much distance
do lessen an object, and that it is not the eye at all, or any rule in
optiques, that can tell distance, but it is only an act of reason
comparing of one mark with another, which did both please and inform me
mightily. Being come thither we went to my Lord Lauderdale's house to
speake with him, about getting a man at Leith to joyne with one we employ
to buy some prize goods for the King; we find [him] and his lady and some
Scotch people at supper. Pretty odd company; though my Lord Bruncker
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 sicke it makes him; and that of all instruments, he
hates the lute most, and next to that, the baggpipe. Thence back with my
Lord to his house, all the way good discourse, informing of myself about
optiques still, and there left him and by a hackney home, and after
writing three or four letters, home to supper and to bed.
29th (Lord's day). Up and all the morning in my chamber making up my
accounts in my book with my father and brother and stating them. Towards
noon before sermon was done at church comes newes by a letter to Sir W.
Batten, to my hand, of the late fight, which I sent to his house, he at
church. But, Lord! with what impatience I staid till sermon was done,
to know the issue of the fight, with a thousand hopes and fears and
thoughts about the consequences of either. At last sermon is done and he
come home, and the bells immediately rung soon as the church was done.
But coming; to Sir W. Batten to know the newes, his letter said nothing
of it; but all the towne is full of a victory. By and by a letter from
Sir W. Coventry tells me that we have the victory. Beat them into the
Weelings;
[In a letter from Richard Browne to Williamson, dated Yarmouth, July
30th, we read, "The Zealanders were engaged with the Blue squadron
Wednesday and most of Thursday, but at length the Zealanders ran;
the Dutch fleet escaped to the Weelings and Goree" ("Calendar of
State Papers," 1665-66, p 591).]
had taken two of their great ships; but by the orders of the Generalls
they are burned. This being, methought, but a poor result after the
fighting of two so great fleetes, and four days having no tidings of
them, I was still impatient; but could know no more. So away home to
dinner, where Mr. Spong and Reeves dined with me by invitation. And
after dinner to our business of my microscope to be shown some of the
observables of that, and then down to my office to looke in a darke room
with my glasses and tube, and most excellently things appeared indeed
beyond imagination. This was our worke all the afternoon trying the
several glasses and several objects, among others, one of my plates,
where the lines appeared so very plain that it is not possible to thinke
how plain it was done. Thence satisfied exceedingly with all this we
home and to discourse many pretty things, and so staid out the afternoon
till it began to be dark, and then they away and I to Sir W. Batten,
where the Lieutenant of the Tower was, and Sir John Minnes, and the newes
I find is no more or less than what I had heard before; only that our
Blue squadron, it seems, was pursued the most of the time, having more
ships, a great many, than its number allotted to her share. Young
Seamour is killed, the only captain slain. The Resolution burned; but,
as they say, most of her [crew] and commander saved. This is all, only
we keep the sea, which denotes a victory, or at least that we are not
beaten; but no great matters to brag of, God knows. So home to supper
and to bed.
30th. Up, and did some business in my chamber, then by and by comes my
boy's Lute-Master, and I did direct him hereafter to begin to teach him
to play his part on the Theorbo, which he will do, and that in a little
time I believe. So to the office, and there with Sir W. Warren, with
whom I have spent no time a good while. We set right our business of the
Lighters, wherein I thinke I shall get L100. At noon home to dinner and
there did practise with Mercer one of my new tunes that I have got Dr.
Childe to set me a base to and it goes prettily. Thence abroad to pay
several debts at the end of the month, and so to Sir W. Coventry, at St.
James's, where I find him in his new closett, which is very fine, and
well supplied with handsome books. I find him speak very slightly of the
late victory: dislikes their staying with the fleete up their coast,
believing that the Dutch will come out in fourteen days, and then we with
our unready fleete, by reason of some of the ships being maymed, shall be
in bad condition to fight them upon their owne coast: is much
dissatisfied with the great number of men, and their fresh demands of
twenty-four victualling ships, they going out but the other day as full
as they could stow. I asked him whether he did never desire an account
of the number of supernumeraries, as I have done several ways, without
which we shall be in great errour about the victuals; he says he has done
it again and again, and if any mistake should happen they must thanke
themselves. He spoke slightly of the Duke of Albemarle, saying, when
De Ruyter come to give him a broadside--"Now," says he, chewing of
tobacco the while, "will this fellow come and give, me two broadsides,
and then he will run;" but it seems he held him to it two hours, till the
Duke himself was forced to retreat to refit, and was towed off, and De
Ruyter staid for him till he come back again to fight. One in the ship
saying to the Duke, "Sir, methinks De Ruyter hath given us more: than two
broadsides;"--"Well," says the Duke, "but you shall find him run by and
by," and so he did, says Sir W. Coventry; but after the Duke himself had
been first made to fall off. The Resolution had all brass guns, being
the same that Sir J. Lawson had in her in the Straights. It is observed
that the two fleetes were even in number to one ship. Thence 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 musique
mighty readily, and she do not, and musique 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.
31st. Good friends in the morning and up to the office, where sitting
all the morning, and while at table we were mightily joyed with newes
brought by Sir J. Minnes and Sir W. Batten of the death of De Ruyter, but
when Sir W. Coventry come, he told us there was no such thing, which
quite dashed me again, though, God forgive me! I was a little sorry in
my heart before lest it might give occasion of too much glory to the Duke
of Albemarle. Great bandying this day between Sir W. Coventry and my
Lord Bruncker about Captain Cocke, which I am well pleased with, while I
keepe from any open relyance on either side, but rather on Sir W.
Coventry's. At noon had a haunch of venison boiled and a very good
dinner besides, there dining with me on a sudden invitation the two
mayden sisters, Bateliers, and their elder brother, a pretty man,
understanding and well discoursed, much pleased with his company. Having
dined myself I rose to go to a Committee of Tangier, and did come thither
time enough to meet Povy and Creed and none else. The Court being empty,
the King being gone to Tunbridge, and the Duke of Yorke a-hunting. I had
some discourse with Povy, who is mightily discontented, I find, about his
disappointments at Court; and says, of all places, if there be hell, it
is here. No faith, no truth, no love, nor any agreement between man and
wife, nor friends. He would have spoke broader, but I put it off to
another time; and so parted. Then with Creed and read over with him the
narrative of the late [fight], which he makes a very poor thing of, as it
is indeed, and speaks most slightingly of the whole matter. Povy
discoursed with me about my Lord Peterborough's L50 which his man did
give me from him, the last year's salary I paid him, which he would have
Povy pay him again; but I have not taken it to myself yet, and therefore
will most heartily return him, and mark him out for a coxcomb. Povy went
down to Mr. Williamson's, and brought me up this extract out of the
Flanders' letters to-day come: That Admiral Everson, and the Admiral and
Vice-Admiral of Freezeland, with many captains and men, are slain; that
De Ruyter is safe, but lost 250 men out of his own ship; but that he is
in great disgrace, and Trump in better favour; that Bankert's ship is
burned, himself hardly escaping with a few men on board De Haes; that
fifteen captains are to be tried the seventh of August; and that the
hangman was sent from Flushing to assist the Council of Warr. How much
of this is true, time will shew. Thence to Westminster Hall and walked
an hour with Creed talking of the late fight, and observing the
ridiculous management thereof and success of the Duke of Albemarle.
Thence parted and to Mrs. Martin's lodgings, and sat with her a while,
and then by water home, all the way reading the Narrative of the late
fight in order, it may be, to the making some marginal notes upon it.
At the Old Swan found my Betty Michell at the doore, where I staid
talking with her a pretty while, it being dusky, and kissed her and so
away home and writ my letters, and then home to supper, where the,
brother and Mary Batelier are still and Mercer's two sisters. They have
spent the time dancing this afternoon, and we were very merry, and then
after supper into the garden and there walked, and then home with them
and then back again, my wife and I and the girle, and sang in the garden
and then to bed. Colville was with me this morning, and to my great joy
I could now have all my money in, that I have in the world. But the
times being open again, I thinke it is best to keepe some of it abroad.
Mighty well, and end this month in content of mind and body. The
publique matters looking more safe for the present than they did, and we
having a victory over the Dutch just such as I could have wished, and as
the kingdom was fit to bear, enough to give us the name of conquerors,
and leave us masters of the sea, but without any such great matters done
as should give the Duke of Albemarle any honour at all, or give him cause
to rise to his former insolence.
ETEXT EDITOR'S BOOKMARKS:
Better the musique, the more sicke it makes him
Contempt of the ceremoniousnesse of the King of Spayne
Listening to no reasoning for it, be it good or bad
Many women now-a-days of mean sort in the streets, but no men
Milke, which I drank to take away, my heartburne
No money to do it with, nor anybody to trust us without it
Rather hear a cat mew, than the best musique in the world
Says, of all places, if there be hell, it is here
So to bed in some little discontent, but no words from me
The gentlemen captains will undo us
To bed, after washing my legs and feet with warm water
Venison-pasty that we have for supper to-night to the cook's
With a shower of hail as big as walnuts
World sees now the use of them for shelter of men (fore-castles)
End of this Project Gutenberg Etext of The Diary of Samuel Pepys, v50
by Samuel Pepys, Unabridged, transcribed by Bright, edited by Wheatley