Books: The Diary of Samuel Pepys

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20th. I up and to walk forth to see the place; and I find it to
be a very noble seat in a noble forest, with the noblest prospect
towards Windsor, and round about over many countys, that can be
desired; but otherwise a very melancholy place, and little
variety save only trees. To Brainford; and there at the inn that
goes down to the waterside, I light and paid off my post-horses,
and so slipped on my shoes, and laid my things by, the tide not
serving, and to church, where a dull sermon, and many Londoners.
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,
[Queenhythe.] 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 linke
(which is the mark of them) at a distance.

22nd. I went away and 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.

23th. 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!

28th. I think to take adieu to-day of the London streets. In
much the best posture I ever was in in my life, both as to the
quantity and the certainty I have of the money I am worth; having
most of it in my hand. But then this is a trouble to me what to
do with it, being myself this day going to be wholly at Woolwich;
but for the present I am resolved to venture it in an iron chest,
at least for a while.

30th, Abroad, and met with Hadley, our clerke, who, upon my
asking how the plague goes, told me it encreases much, and much
in our parish; for, says he, there died nine this week, though I
have returned but six: which is a very ill practice, and makes
me think it is so in other places; and therefore the plague much
greater than people take it to be. I went forth and walked
towards Moorefields to see (God forgive my presumption!) whether
I could see any dead corpse going to the grave; but, as God would
have it, did not. But, Lord! how every body looks, and
discourse in the street is of death, and nothing else, and few
people going up and down, that the town is like a place
distressed and forsaken.

31st. Up; and after putting several things in order to my
removal to Woolwich; the plague having a great encrease this week
beyond all expectation of almost 2000, making the general Bill
7000, odd 100; and the plague above 6000. Thus this month ends
with great sadness upon the publick, through the greatness of the
plague every where through the kingdom almost. Every day sadder
and sadder news of its encrease. In the City died this week
7496, and of them 6102 of the plague. But it is feared that the
true number of the dead this week is near 10,000; 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. Our fleet gone out to find the Dutch, we
having about 100 sail in our fleet, and in them the Soveraigne
one; so that it is a better fleet than the former with which the
Duke was. All our fear is that the Dutch should be got in before
them; which would be a very great sorrow to the publick, and to
me particularly, for my Lord Sandwich's sake. A great deal of
money being spent, and the kingdom not in a condition to spare,
nor a parliament without much difficulty to meet to give more,
And to that; to have it said, what hath been done by our late
fleets? 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 their continually. My late
gettings have been very great to my great content, and am likely
to have yet a few more profitable jobbs in a little while; for
which Tangier and Sir W. Warren I am wholly obliged to.

Sept. 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 periwiggs, 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. My Lord Brouncker, Sir J.
Minnes, and I up to the Vestry at the desire of the Justices of
the Peace, in order to the doing something for the keeping of the
plague from growing; but Lord! to consider the madness of people
of the town, who will (because they are forbid) come in crowds
along with the dead corpses to see them buried; but we agreed on
some orders for the prevention thereof. Among other stories, one
was very passionate, methought, of a complaint brought against a
man in the town for taking a child from London from an infected
house. Alderman Hooker told us it was the child of a very able
citizen in Gracious Street, a saddler, who had buried all the
rest of his children of the plague, and himself and wife now
being shut up and in despair of escaping, did desire only to save
the life of this little child; and so prevailed to have it
received stark-naked into the arms of a friend, who brought it
(having put it into new fresh clothes) to Greenwich; where upon
hearing the story, we did agree it should be permitted to be
received and kept in the town.

4th. Walked home, my Lord Brouncker giving me a very neat cane
to walk with; but it troubled me to pass by Coome farme where
about twenty-one people have died of the plague.

5th. After dinner comes Colonel Blunt in his new chariot made
with springs; as that was of wicker, wherein a while since we
rode at his house. And he hath rode, he says, now his journey,
many miles in it with one horse, and out-drives any coach, and
out-goes any horse, and so easy, he says. So for curiosity I
went into it to try it, and up the hill to the heath, and over
the cart-ruts and found it pretty well, but not so easy as he
pretends.

6th. To London, to pack up more things; and there I saw fires
burning in the streets, as it is through the whole City, by the
Lord Mayor's order. Thence by water to the Duke of Albemarle's:
all the way fires on each side of the Thames, and strange to see
in broad daylight two or three burials upon the Bankeside, one at
the very heels of another: doubtless all of the plague; and yet
at least forty or fifty people going; along with every one of
them. The Duke mighty pleasant with me; telling me that he is
certainly informed, that the Dutch were not come home upon the
1st instant, and so he hopes our fleet may meet with them.

7th. To the Tower, and there sent for the Weekly Bill, and find
8252 dead in all, and of them 6978 of the plague; which is a most
dreadful number, and shows reason to fear that the plague hath
got that hold that it will yet continue amongst us. To Swakely
[Swakeley House, in the parish of Ickenham, Middlesex, was built
in 1638 by Sir Edmund Wright, whose daughter marrying Sir James
Harrington, one of Charles I.'s judges, he became possessed of
it, JURE UXORIS. Sir Robert Vyner Bart., to whom the property
was sold in 1665, entertained Charles II. at Guildhall, when
Lord Mayor. The house is now the residence of Thomas Clarke,
Esq., whose father in 1750 bought the estate of Mr. Lethieullier,
to whom it had been alienated by the Vyner family.--LYSONS'S
ENVIRONS.] to Sir R. Viner's. A very pleasant place, bought by
him of Sir James Harrington's lady. He took us up and down with
great respect, and showed us all his house and grounds; and it is
a place not very moderne in the garden nor house, but the most
uniforme in all that ever I saw; and some things to excess.
Pretty to see over the screene of the hall (put up by Sir J.
Harrington, a Long Parliament man) the King's head, and my Lord
of Essex [The Parliament General.] on one side, and Fairfax on
the other; and upon the other side of the screene, the parson of
the parish, and the lord of the manor and his sisters. The
window-cases, door-cases, and chimnys of all the house are
marble. He showed me a black boy that he had, that died of a
consumption, and being dead, he caused him to be dried in an
oven, and lies there entire in a box. By and by to dinner, where
his lady I find yet handsome, but hath been a very handsome
woman: now is old. Hath brought him near 100,000l. and now
lives, no man in England in greater plenty, and commands both
King and Council with his credit he gives them. After dinner Sir
Robert led us up to his long gallery, very fine, above stairs,
(and better, or such furniture I never did see.) A most pleasant
journey we had back. Povy tells me by a letter he showed me,
that the King is not, nor hath been of late, very well, but quite
out of humour; and, as some think, in a consumption, and weary of
every thing. He showed me my Lord Arlington's house that he was
born in, in a towne, called Harlington: and so carried me
through a most pleasant country to Brainford, and there put me
into my boat, and good night. So I wrapped myself warm, and by
water got to Woolwich about one in the morning.

9th. I was forced to get a bed at Captain Cocke's, where I find
Sir W. Doyly, [Sir William Doyly, of Shottisham, Norfolk,
knighted 1642, created Baronet 1663, M.P. for Yarmouth. Ob.
1677. He and Mr. Evelyn were at this time appointed
Commissioners for the care of the sick and wounded seamen and
prisoners of war.] and he and Evelyn at supper; and I with them
full of discourse of the neglect of our masters, the great
officers of State, about all business, and especially that of
money: having now some thousands prisoners kept to no purpose at
a great charge, and no money provided almost for the doing of it.
We fell to talk largely of the want of some persons understanding
to look after businesses, but all goes to rack. "For," says
Captain Cocke, "my Lord Treasurer, he minds his ease, and lets
things go how they will: If he can have his 8000l. per annum,
and a game at l'ombre, he is well. My Lord Chancellor he minds
getting of money and nothing else; and my Lord Ashly will rob the
Devil and the Alter, but he will get money if it be to be got."
But that which put us into this great melancholy, was news
brought to-day, which Captain Cocke reports as a certain truth,
that all the Dutch fleet, men-of-war and merchant East India
ships, are got every one in from Bergen the 3rd of this month,
Sunday last; which will make us all ridiculous.

10th (Lord's day). Walked home; being forced thereto by one of
my watermen falling sick yesterday, and it was God's great mercy
I did not go by water with them yesterday, for he fell sick on
Saturday night, and it is to be feared of the plague. So I sent
him away to London with his family; but another boat come to me
this morning. My wife before I come out telling me the ill news
that she hears that her father is very ill, and then I told her I
feared of the plague, for that the house is shut up. And so she
much troubled, and did desire me to send them something and I
said I would, and will do so. But before I come out there
happened news to come to me by an expresse from Mr. Coventry,
telling the most happy news of my Lord Sandwich's meeting with
part of the Dutch; his taking two of their East India ships, and
six or seven others, and very good prizes: and that he is in
search of the rest of the fleet, which he hopes to find upon the
Well-bancke, with the loss only of the Hector, poor Captn.
Cuttle. To Greenwich, and there sending away Mr. Andrews, I to
Captn. Cocke's, where I find my Lord Brouncker and his mistress,
[Mrs. Williams.] and Sir J. Minnes. Where we supped; (there was
also Sir W. Doyly and Mr. Evelyn,) but the receipt of this news
did put us all into such an extasy of joy, that it inspired into
Sir J. Minnes and Mr. Evelyn such a spirit of mirth, that in all
my life I never met with so merry a two hours as our company this
night was. Among other humours, Mr. Evelyn's repeating of some
verses made up of nothing but the various acceptations of MAY and
CAN, and doing it so aptly upon occasion of something of that
nature, and so fast, did make us all die almost with laughing,
and did so stop the mouth of Sir J. Minnes in the middle of all
his mirth, (and in a thing agreeing with his own manner of
genius) that I never saw any man so out-done in all my life; and
Sir J. Minnes's mirth too to see himself out-done, was the crown
of all our mirth. In this humour we sat till about ten at night,
and so my Lord and his mistress home, and we to bed.

13th. My Lord Brouncker, Sir J. Minnes, and I took boat, and in
my Lord's coach to Sir W. Hickes's, [Sir William Hickes, created
a baronet 1619. Ob. 1680, aged 84. His country-seat was called
Ruckholts, or Rookwood, at Layton, in Essex, where he entertained
King Charles II. after hunting.] whither by and by my Lady
Batten and Sir William comes. It is a good seat, with a fair
grove of trees by it, and the remains of a good garden; but so
let to run to ruine, both house and every thing in and about it,
so ill furnished and miserably looked after, I never did see in
all my life. Not so much as a latch to his dining-room door;
which saved him nothing, for the wind blowing into the room for
want thereof, flung down a great bow pott, that stood upon the
side-table, and that fell upon some Venice glasses, and did him a
crown's worth of hurt. He did give us the meanest dinner, (of
beef shoulder and umbles of venison which he takes away from the
keeper of the Forest, [Of which he was Ranger.] and a few
pigeons, and all in the meanest manner,) that ever I did see, to
the basest degree. I was only pleased at a very fine picture of
the Queene-Mother, when she was young, by Vandike; a very good
picture, and a lovely face.

14th. To the Duke of Albemarle, where I find a letter of the
12th. from Solebay, from my Lord Sandwich, of the fleet's meeting
with about eighteen more of the Dutch fleet, and his taking of
most of them; and the messenger says, they had taken three after
the letter was wrote and sealed; which being twenty-one, and the
fourteen took the other day, is forty-five sail; some of which
are good, and others rich ships. And having taken a copy of my
Lord's letter, I away toward the 'Change, the plague being all
thereabouts. Here my news was highly welcome, and I did wonder
to see the 'Change so full, I believe 200 people; but not a man
or merchant of any fashion, but plain men all. And Lord! to see
how I did endeavour all I could to talk with as few as I could,
there being now no observation of shutting up of houses infected,
that to be sure we do converse and meet with people that have the
plague upon them. I spent some thoughts upon the occurrences of
this day, giving matter for as much content on one hand and
melancholy on another, as any day in all my life. For the first;
the finding of my money and plate, and all safe at London, and
speeding in my business of money this day. The hearing of this
good news to such excess, after so great a despair of my Lord's
doing any thing this year; adding to that, the decrease of 500
and more, which is the first decrease we have yet had in the
sickness since it begun: and great hopes that the next week it
will be greater. Then, on the other side, my finding that though
the Bill in general is abated, yet the City within the walls is
encreased, and likely to continue so, and is close to our house
there. My meeting dead corpses of the plague, carried to be
buried close to me at noon-day through the City in Fanchurch-
street. To see a person sick of the sores, carried close by me
by Gracechurch in a hackney-coach. My finding the Angel tavern,
at the lower end of Tower-bill, shut up, and more than that, the
alehouse at the Tower-stairs, and more than that, that the person
was then dying of the plague when I was last there, a little
while ago, at night. To hear that poor Payne, my waiter, had
buried a child, and is dying himself. To hear that a labourer I
sent but the other day to Dagenhams, to know how they did there,
is dead of the plague; and that one of my own watermen, that
carried me daily, fell sick as soon as he had landed me on Friday
morning last, when I had been all night upon the water, (and I
believe he did get his infection that day at Brainford) and is
now dead of the plague. To hear that Captain Lambert and Cuttle
are killed in the taking these ships; and that Mr. Sidney
Montague is sick of a desperate fever at my Lady Carteret's, at
Scott's-hall. To hear that Mr. Lewes hath another daughter sick.
And, lastly, that both my servants, W. Hewer, and Tom Edwards,
have lost their fathers, both in St. Sepulchre's parish of the
plague this week, do put me into great apprehension of
melancholy, and with good reason.

17th. To Gravesend in the Bezan Yacht, and there come to anchor
for all night.

18th. By break of day we come to within sight of the fleet,
which was a very fine thing to behold, being above 100 ships,
great and small; with the flag ships of each squadron,
distinguished by their several flags on their main, fore, or
mizen masts. Among others, the Soveraigne, Charles, and Prince;
in the last of which my Lord Sandwich was. And so we come on
board, and we and my Lord Sandwich newly up in his night-gown
very well. He received us kindly; telling us the state of the
fleet, lacking provisions, having no beer at all, nor have had
most of them these three weeks or month, and but few days' dry
provisions. and indeed he tells us that he believes no fleet was
ever set to sea in so ill condition of provision, as this was
when it went out last. He did inform us in the business of
Bergen, so as to let us see how the judgment of the world is not
to be depended on in things they know not; it being a place just
wide enough, and not so much hardly, for ships to go through to
it, the yard-armes sticking in the very rocks. He do not, upon
his best enquiry, find reason to except against any part of the
management of the business by Teddiman; he having staid treating
no longer than during the night, whiles he was fitting himself to
fight, bringing his ship a-breast, and not a quarter of an hour
longer, (as it is said); nor could more ships have been brought
to play, as is thought. Nor could men be landed, there being
10,000 men effectively always in armes of the Danes; nor, says
he, could we expect more from the Dane than he did, it being
impossible to set fire on the ships but it must burn the towne.
But that wherein the Dane did amisse, is that he did assist them,
the Dutch, all the time, while he was treating with us, when he
should have been newtrall to us both. But, however, he did
demand but the treaty of us; which is, that we should not come
with more than five ships. A flag of truce is said, and
confessed by my Lord, that he believes it was hung out; but while
they did hang it out, they did shoot at us; so that it was not
seen, or perhaps they would not cease upon sight of it, while
they continued actually in action against us. But the main thing
my Lord wonders at, and condemns the Dane for, is, that the
blockhead, who is so much in debt to the Hollander, having now a
treasure more by much than all his Crowne was worth, and that
which would for ever have beggared the Hollander, should not take
this time to break with the Hollander, and thereby pay his debt
which must have been forgiven him, and have got the greatest
treasure into his hands that ever was together in the world. By
and by my Lord took me aside to discourse of his private matters,
who was very free with me touching the ill condition of the fleet
that it hath been in, and the good fortune that he hath had, and
nothing else that these prizes are to be imputed to. He also
talked with me about Mr. Coventry's dealing with him in sending
Sir W. Pen away before him, which was not fair nor kind; but that
he hath mastered and cajoled Sir W. Pen, that he hath been able
to do nothing in the fleet, but been obedient to him; but withal
tells me he is a man that is but of very mean parts, and a fellow
not to be lived with, so false and base he is; which I know well
enough to be true, and did, as I had formerly done, give my Lord
my knowledge of him. By and by was called a Council of Warr on
board, when comes Sir W. Pen there, and Sir Christopher Mings,
[The son of a shoemaker, bred to the sea service, and rose to the
rank of an Admiral. He was killed in the naval action with the
Dutch, June 1666.] Sir Edward Spragg, Sir Jos. Jordan,
[Distinguished himself as an admiral in the battle of Soleby, and
on other Occasions.] Sir Thomas Teddiman, and Sir Roger
Cuttance. So to our Yacht again, having seen many of my friends
there, and continued till we come into Chatham river.

20th. To Lambeth. But, Lord! what a sad time it is to see no
boats upon the River; and grass grows all up and down White Hall
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 8297, and of them the
plague 7165; which is more in the whole by above 50, than the
biggest Bill yet: which is very grievous to us all.

21st. To Nonsuch, to the Exchequer, by appointment and walked up
and down the house and park; and a fine place it hath heretofore
been, and a fine prospect about the house. A great; walk of an
elme and a walnutt set one after another in order. And all the
house on the outside filled with figures of stories, and good
painting of Rubens' or Holben's doing. And one great thing is,
that most of the house is covered, I mean the post, and quarters
in the walls, with lead, and gilded. I walked also into the
ruined garden.

22nd. At Blackwell. 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, decayed, 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 we found to be rather harder
than the living tree usually is. Among other discourse
concerning long life, Sir J. Minnes saying that his great-grand-
father was alive in Edward the Vth.'s time; my Lord Sandwich did
tell us how few there have been of his family since King Harry
the VIIIth. that is to say, the then Chiefe Justice, [Sir
Edward Montagu, ob. 1556.] and his son and the Lord Montagu, who
was father [I think this should be brother, as Edward first Lord
Montagu and Sir Sidney Montagu were both sons of the second Sir
Edward Montagu.] to Sir Sidney, [Master of the Requests to
Charles 1st.] who was his father. And yet, what is more
wonderfull, he did assure us from the mouth of my Lord Montagu
himself, that in King James's time, (when he had a mind to get
the King to cut off the entayle of some land which was given in
Harry the VIIIth.'s time to the family, with the remainder in the
Crowne;) he did answer the King in showing how unlikely it was
that ever it could revert to the Crown, but that it would be a
present convenience to him; and did show that at that time there
were 4000 persons derived from the very body of the Chiefe
Justice. It seems the number of daughters in the family had been
very great, and they too had most of them many children, and
grandchildren, and great-grand-children. This he tells as a most
known and certain truth.

25th. Found ourselves come to the fleet, and so aboard the
Prince, and there, after a good while in discourse, we did agree
a bargain of 5000l. for my Lord Sandwich for silk, cinnamon,
nutmegs, and indigo. And I was near signing to an undertaking
for the payment of the whole sum: but I did by chance escape it,
having since, upon second thoughts, great cause to be glad of it,
reflecting upon the craft and not good condition, it may be of,
Captain Cocke.

27th. To Captain Cocke's, and (he not yet come from town) to Mr.
Evelyn, where much company; and thence in his coach with him to
the Duke of Albemarle by Lambeth, who was in a mighty pleasant
humour; and tells us that the Dutch do stay abroad, and our fleet
must go out again, or be ready to do so. Here we got several
things ordered as we desired for the relief of the prisoners, and
sick and wounded men. Here I saw this week's Bill of Mortality,
wherein, blessed be God! there is above 1800 decrease, being the
first considerable decrease we have had. Most excellent
discourse with Mr. Evelyn touching all manner of learning;
wherein I find him a very fine gentleman, and particularly of
paynting, in which he tells me the beautifull Mrs. Middleton is
rare, and his own wife do brave things.