Books: The Diary of Samuel Pepys

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22nd. I to my Lord Brouncker's, and there spent the evening by
my desire in seeing his Lordship open to pieces and make up again
his watch, thereby being taught what I never knew before; and it
is a thing very well worth my having seen, and am mightily
pleased and satisfied with it.

25th (Christmas day). To church in the morning, and there saw a
wedding in the church, which I have not seen many a day; and the
young people so merry one with another, and strange to see what
delight we married people have to see these poor fools decoyed
into our condition, every man and woman gazing and smiling at
them.

26th. Saw some fine writing work and flourishing of Mr. Hore,
with one that I knew long ago, an acquaintance of Mr. Tomson's,
at Westminster, that is this man's clerk. It is the story of the
several Archbishops of Canterbury, engrossed in vellum, to hang
up in Canterbury Cathedrall in tables, in lieu of the old ones,
which are almost worn out.

30th. All the afternoon to my accounts; and there find myself,
to my great joy, a great deal worth above 4000l. for which the
Lord be praised! and is principally occasioned by my getting
500l. of Cocke, for my profit in his bargains of prize goods, and
from Mr. Gauden's making me a present of 500l. more, when I paid
him 800l. for Tangier.

31st. Thus ends this year, to my great joy, in this manner. I
have raised my estate from 1300l. in this year to 4400l. I have
got myself greater interest I think by my diligence, and my
imployments encreased by that of Treasurer for Tangier, and
Surveyor of the Victualls. It is true we have gone through great
melancholy because of the great plague, and I put to great
charges by it, by keeping my family long at Woolwich, and myself
and another part of my family, my clerks, at my charge at
Greenwich, and a maid at London; but I hope the King will give us
some satisfaction for that. But now the plague is abated almost
to nothing, and I intending to get to London as fast as I can.
The Dutch war goes on very ill, by reason of lack of money;
having none to hope for, all being put into disorder by a new Act
that is made as an experiment to bring credit to the Exchequer,
for goods and money to be advanced upon the credit of that Act.
The great evil of this year, and the only one indeed, is the fall
of my Lord of Sandwich, whose mistake about the prizes hath
undone him, I believe, as to interest at Court; though sent (for
a little palliating it) Embassador into Spayne, which he is now
fitting himself for. But the Duke of Albemarle goes with the
Prince to sea this next year, and my Lord is very meanly spoken
of; and, indeed, his miscarriage about the prize goods is not to
be excused, to suffer a company of rogues to go away with ten
times as much as himself, and the blame of all to be deservedly
laid upon him. My whole family hath been well all the while, and
all my friends I know of, saving my aunt Bell, who is dead, and
some children of my cosen Sarah's, of the plague. But many of
such as I know very well, dead; yet, to our great joy, the town
fills apace, and shops begin to be open again. Pray God continue
the plague's decrease! for that keeps the Court away from the
place of business, and so all goes to rack as to publick matters,
they at this distance not thinking of it.

1665-6. JANUARY 3. I to the Duke of Albemarle and back again:
and at the Duke's with great joy I received the good news of the
decrease of the plague this week to 70, and but 253 in all; which
is the least Bill hath been known these twenty years in the City.
Through the want of people in London, is it that must make it so
low below the ordinary number for Bills.

5th. I with my Lord Brouncker and Mrs. Williams by coach with
four horses to London, to my Lord's house in Covent-Garden. But,
Lord! what staring to see a nobleman's coach come to town. And
porters every where bow to us; and such begging of beggars! And
delightful it is to see the town full of people again; and shops
begin to open, though in many places seven or eight together, and
more, all shut; but yet the town is full, compared with what it
used to be. I mean the City end: for Covent-Garden and
Westminster are yet very empty of people, no Court nor gentry
being there. Reading a discourse about the River of Thames, the
reason of its being choked up in several places with shelfes:
which is plain is by the encroachments made upon the River, and
running out of causeways into the River at every wood-wharfe;
which was not heretofore when Westminster Hall and White Hall
were built, and Redriffe Church, which now are sometimes
overflown with water.

7th. The town talks of my Lord Craven being to come into Sir G.
Carteret's place; but sure it cannot be true. But I do fear
those two families, his and my Lord Sandwich's, are quite broken.
And I must now stand upon my own legs.

9th. Pierce tells me how great a difference hath been between
the Duke and Duchesse, he suspecting her to be naught with Mr.
Sidney. But some way or other the matter is made up; but he was
banished the Court, and the Duke for many days did not speak to
the Duchesse at all. He tells me that my Lord Sandwich is lost
there at Court, though the King is particularly his friend. But
people do speak every where slightly of him; which is a sad story
to me, but I hope it may be better again. And that Sir G.
Carteret is neglected, and hath great enemies at work against
him. That matters must needs go bad, while all the town, and
every boy in the street, openly cries, "The King cannot go away
till my Lady Castlemaine be ready to come along with him;" she
being lately put to bed. But that he visits her and Mrs. Stewart
every morning before he eats his breakfast.

10th. The plague is encreased this week from seventy to eighty-
nine. We have also great fear of our Hambrough fleet, of their
meeting with the Dutch; as also have certain news, that by storms
Sir Jer. Smith's fleet is scattered, and three of them come
without masts back to Plymouth.

13th. Home with his Lordship to Mrs. Williams's, in Covent-
Garden, to dinner, (the first time I ever was there,) and there
met Captain Cocke; and pretty merry, though not perfectly so,
because of the fear that; there is of a great encrease again of
the plague this week. And again my Lord Brouncker do tell us,
that he hath it from Sir John Baber, [Physician in Ordinary to
the King.] who is related to my Lord Craven, that my Lord Craven
do look after Sir G. Carteret's place, and do reckon himself sure
of it.

16th. Mightily troubled at the news of the plague's being
encreased, and was much the saddest news that the plague hath
brought me from the beginning of it; because of the lateness of
the year, and the fear, we may with reason have, of its
continuing with us the next summer. The total being now 375, and
the plague 158.

17th. I rode to Dagenhams in the dark. It was my Lord Crewe's
desire that I should come, and chiefly to discourse with me of my
Lord Sandwich's matters; and therein to persuade, what I had done
already, that my Lord should sue out a pardon for his business of
the prizes, as also for Bergen, and all he hath done this year
past, before he begins his Embassy to Spain. For it is to be
feared that the Parliament will fly out against him and
particular men, the next Session. He is glad also that my Lord
is clear of his sea-imployment, though sorry as I am, only in the
manner of its bringing about.

18th. My wife and I anon and Mercer, by coach, to Pierce; where
mighty merry, and sing and dance with great pleasure; and I
danced, who never did in company in my life.

19th. It is a remarkable thing how infinitely naked all that end
of the town, Covent-Garden, is at this day of people; while the
City is almost as full again of people as ever it was.

22nd. At noon my Lord Brouncker did come, but left the keys of
the chests we should open, at Sir G. Carteret's lodgings, of my
Lord Sandwich's, wherein How's supposed jewells are; so we could
not, according to my Lord Arlington's order, see them to-day; but
we parted, resolving to meet here at night: my Lord Brouncker
being going with Dr. Wilkins, Mr. Hooke, [Dr. Robert Hooke,
before mentioned, Professor of Geometry at Gresham College, and
Curator of the Experiments to the Royal Society, of which he was
one of the earliest and most distinguished members. Ob. 1678.]
and others, to Colonel Blunt's, to consider again of the business
of chariots, and to try their new invention. Which I saw here my
Lord Brouncker ride in; where the coachman sits astride upon a
pole over the horse, but do not touch the horse, which is a
pretty odde thing; but it seems it is most easy for the horse,
and, as they say, for the man also. The first meeting of Gresham
College, since the plague. Dr. Goddard did fill us with talk, in
defence of his and his fellow physicians going out of town in the
plague-time; saying that their particular patients were most gone
out of town, and they left at liberty; and a great deal more, &c.
But what, among other fine discourse pleased me most, was Sir G.
Ent [Sir George Ent, F.R.S., President of the College of
Physicians.] about Respiration; that it is not to this day
known, or concluded on among physicians, nor to be done either,
how the action is managed by nature, or for what use it is.

23rd. Good news beyond all expectation of the decrease of the
plague, being now but 79, and the whole but 272. So home with
comfort to bed. A most furious storme all night and morning.

24th. My Lord and I, the weather being a little fairer, by water
to Deptford to Sir G. Carteret's house, where W. How met us, and
there we opened the chests, and saw the poor sorry rubys which
have caused all this ado to the undoing of W. How; though I am
not much sorry for it, because of his pride and ill nature.
About 200 of these very small stones, and a cod of muske (which
it is strange I was not able to smell) is all we could find; so
locked them up again, and my Lord and I, the wind being again
very furious, so as we durst not go by water, walked to London
quite round the bridge, no boat being able to stirre; and, Lord!
what a dirty walk we had, and so strong the wind, that in the
fields we many times could not carry our bodies against it, but
were driven backwards. We went through Horslydowne, where I
never was since a boy, that I went to enquire after my father,
whom we did give over for lost coming from Holland. It was
dangerous to walk the streets, the bricks and tiles falling from
the houses that the whole streets were covered with them; and
whole chimneys, nay, whole houses in two or three places, blowed
down. But, above all, the pales of London-bridge on both sides
were blown away, so that we were fain to stoop very low for fear
of blowing off of the bridge. We could see no boats in the
Thames afloat, but what were broke loose, and carried through the
bridge, it being ebbing water. And the greatest sight of all
was, among other parcels of ships driven here and there in
clusters together, one was quite overset and lay with her masts
all along in the water, and keel above water.

25th. It is now certain that the King of France hath publickly
declared war against us, and God knows how little fit we are for
it.

28th. Took coach, and to Hampton Court, where we find the King,
and Duke, and Lords, all in council; so we walked up and down:
there being none of the ladies come, and so much the more
business I hope will be done. The Council being up, out comes
the King, and I kissed his hand, and he grasped me very kindly by
the hand. The Duke also, I kissed his, and he mighty kind, and
Sir W. Coventry. I found my Lord Sandwich there, poor man! I
see with it melancholy face, and suffers his beard to grow on his
upper lip more than usual. I took him a little aside to know
when I should wait on him, and where: he told me, and that it
would be best to meet at his lodgings, without being seen to walk
together. Which I liked very well; and, Lord! to see in what
difficulty I stand, that I dare not walk with Sir W. Coventry,
for fear my Lord or Sir G. Carteret should see me: nor with
either of them, for fear Sir W. Coventry should. I went down
into one of the Courts, and there met the King and Duke; and the
Duke called me to him, And the King come to me of himself, and
told me, "Mr. Pepys," says he, "I do give you thanks for your
good service all this year, and I assure you I am very sensible
of it."

29th. Mr. Evelyn and I into my Lord Brouncker's coach, and rode
together with excellent discourse till we come to Clapham.
Talking of the vanity and vices of the Court, which makes it a
most contemptible thing; and indeed in all his discourse I find
him a most worthy person. Particularly he entertained me with
discourse of an Infirmary, which he hath projected for the sick
and wounded seamen against the next year; which I mightily
approve of; and will endeavour to promote it, being a worthy
thing, and of use, and will save money.

30th. This is the first time I have been in the church [Probably
St. Olave's, Hart Street.] since I left London for the plague,
and it frighted me indeed to go through the church more than I
thought it could have done, to see so many graves lie so high
upon the churchyards where people have been buried of the plague.
I was much troubled at it, and do not think to go through it
again a good while.

31st. I find many about the City that live near the churchyards
solicitous to have the churchyards covered with lime, and I think
it is needfull, and ours I hope will be done. To my Lord
Chancellor's new house which he is building, only to view it,
hearing so much from Mr. Evelyn of it; and, indeed, it is the
finest pile I ever did see in my life, and will be a glorious
house. To White Hall, and to my great joy people begin to bustle
up and down there, the King holding his resolution to be in town
to-morrow, and hath good encouragement, blessed be God! to do
so, the plague being decreased this week to 36, and the total to
227.

FEBRUARY 2, 1665-6. My Lord Sandwich is come to town with the
King and Duke.

4th. (Lord's day;) and my wife and I the first time together at
church since the plague, and now only because of Mr. Mills his
coming home to preach his first sermon; expecting a great excuse
for his leaving the parish before any body went, and now staying
till all are come home; but he made but a very poor and short
excuse, and a bad sermon. It was a frost, and had snowed last
night, which covered the graves in the churchyard, so as I was
the less afraid for going through.

8th. Lord Brouncker with the King and Duke upon the water to-
day, to see Greenwich house, and the yacht Castle is building of.

9th. Thence to Westminster, to the Exchequer, about my Tangier
business, and so to Westminster Hall, where the first day of the
Terme and the hall very full of people, and much more than was
expected, considering the plague that hath been.

11th (Lord's day). Up; and put on a new black cloth suit to an
old coat that I make to be in mourning at Court, where they are
all, for the King of Spain. I to the Park, and walked two or
three times of the Pell Mell with the company about the King and
Duke: the Duke speaking to me a good deal. There met Lord
Brouncker and Mr. Coventry, and discoursed about the Navy
business; and all of us much at a loss that we yet can hear
nothing of Sir Jeremy Smith's fleet, that went away to the
Straights the middle of December, through all the storms that we
have had since that have driven back three or four of them with
their masts by the board. Yesterday come out the King's
Declaration of War against the French, but with such mild
invitations of both them and the Dutch to come over here with
promise of their protection, that every body wonders at it.

12th. Comes Mr. Caesar, my boy's lute-master, whom I have not
seen since the plague before, but he hath been in Westminster
Hall all this while very well; and tells me in the height of it,
how bold people there were, to go in sport to one another's
burials: and in spite too, ill people would breathe in the faces
(out of their windows) of well people going by.

13th. Ill news this night that the plague is encreased this
week, and in many places else about the town, and at Chatham and
elsewhere.

14th. I took Mr. Hill to my Lord Chancellor's new house that is
building, and went with trouble up to the top of it, and there is
the noblest prospect that ever I saw in my life, Greenwich being
nothing to it; and in everything is a beautiful house, and most,
strongly built in every respect; and as if, as it hath, it had
the Chancellor for its master. I staid a meeting of the Duke of
York's, and the officers of the Navy and Ordnance. My Lord
Treasurer lying in bed of the gowte.

15th. Mr. Hales [John Hayls, or Hales, a portrait-painter
remarkable for copying Vandyke well, and being a rival of Lely.]
began my wife's portrait in the posture we saw one of my Lady
Peters, like a St. Katharine. While he painted, Knipp, [Of Mrs.
Knipp's history, nothing seems known; except that she was a
married actress belonging to the King's house, and as late as
1677, her name occurs among the performers in the "Wily False
One."] and Mercer, and I, sang. We hear this night of Sir
Jeremy Smith, that he and his fleet have been seen at Malaga;
which is good news.

16th. To the Coffee-House, the first time I have been there,
where very full, and company it seems hath been there all the
plague time. The Queene comes to Hampton Court to-night.

18th. It being a brave day, I walked to White Hall, where the
Queene and ladies are all come: I saw some few of them, but not
the Queene, nor any of the great beauties.

19th. I am told for certain, what I have heard once or twice
already, of a Jew in town, that in the name of the rest do offer
to give any man 10l. to be paid 100l., if a certain person now at
Smyrna be within these two years owned by all the Princes of the
East, and particularly the grand Segnor as the King of the world,
in the same manner we do the King of England here, and, that this
man is the true Messiah. One named a friend of his that had
received ten pieces in gold upon this score, and says that the
Jew hath disposed of 1100l. in this manner, which is very
strange; and certainly this year of 1666 will be a year of great
action; but what the consequences of it will be, God knows! To
White Hall, and there saw the Queene at cards with many ladies,
but none of our beauties were there. But glad I was to see the
Queene so well, who looks prettily; and methinks hath more life
than before, since it is confessed of all that she miscarried
lately; Dr. Clerke telling me yesterday of it at White Hall.
[The details in the original leave no doubt of the fact,--and
exculpate the Chancellor from the charge of having selected the
Queen as incapable of bearing children.]

20th. Up, and to the office; where, among other businesses, Mr.
Evelyn's proposition about publick Infirmarys was read and agreed
on, he being there: and at noon I took him home to dinner, being
desirous of keeping my acquaintance with him; and a most
excellent humoured man I still find him, and mighty knowing.

21st. The Duke did bring out a book of great antiquity of some
of the customs of the Navy, about 100 years since, which he did
lend us to read and deliver him back again. To Trinity-house,
being invited to an Elder Brother's feast; and there met and sat
by Mr. Prin, and had good discourse about the privileges of
Parliament, which, he says, are few to the Commons' House, and
those not examinable by them, but only by the House of Lords.
Thence with my Lord Brouncker to Gresham College, the first time
after the sickness that I was there, and the second time any met.
And here a good lecture of Mr. Hooke's about the trade of felt-
making, very pretty. And anon alone with me about the art of
drawing pictures by Prince Rupert's rule and machine, and another
of Dr. Wren's; [Sir Christopher Wren.] but he says nothing do
like squares, or, which is the best in the world, like a darke
roome.

22nd. We are much troubled that the sickness in general (the
town being so full of people) should be but three, and yet of the
particular disease of the plague there should be ten encrease.

23rd. To my Lord Sandwich's, who did lie the last night at his
house in Lincoln's Inne Fields. It being fine walking in the
morning, and the streets full of people again. There I staid,
and the house full of people come to take leave of my Lord, who
this day goes out of towne upon his embassy towards Spayne. And
I was glad to find Sir W. Coventry to come, though I know it is
only a piece of courtshipp. Comes Mrs. Knipp to see my wife, and
I spent all the night talking with this baggage, and teaching her
my song of "Beauty retire," which she sings and makes go most
rarely, and a very fine song it seems to be. She also
entertained me with repeating many of her own and others' parts
of the play-house, which she do most excellently; and tells me
the whole practices of the play-house and players, and is in
every respect most excellent company.

25th. With our coach of four horses to Windsor, and so to
Cranborne, about eleven o'clock, and found my Lord [Sandwich.]
and the ladies at a sermon in the house; which being ended we to
them, and all the company glad to see us, and mighty merry to
dinner. Here was my Lord, and Lord Hinchingbroke, and Mr.
Sidney, [Sidney Montagu, Lord Sandwich's second son.] Sir
Charles Herbert, and Mr. Carteret, my Lady Carteret, my Lady
Jemimah, and Lady Slaning. [Sir G. Carteret's daughter
Caroline.] After dinner to walk in the Park, my Lord and I
alone; and he tells me my Lord of Suffolk, Lord Arlington,
Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Treasurer, Mr. Atturny Montagu,
Sir Thomas Clifford in the House of Commons, Sir G. Carteret, and
some others I cannot presently remember, are friends that I may
rely on for him. He dreads the issue of this year, and fears
there will be some very great revolutions before his coming back
again. He doubts it is needful for him to have a pardon for his
last year's actions, all which he did without commission, and at
most but the King's private single single word for that of
Bergen; but he dares not ask it at this time, lest it should make
them think that there is something more in it than yet they know;
and if it should be denied, it would be of very ill consequence.
He says also, if it should in Parliament be enquired into the
selling of Dunkirke, (though the Chancellor was the man that
would have sold it to France, saying the King of Spain had no
money to give for it;) yet he will be found to have been the
greatest adviser of it; which he is a little apprehensive may be
called upon by this Parliament. Then I with the young ladies and
gentlemen, who played on the guittar, and mighty merry, and anon
to supper; and then my Lord going away to write, the young
gentlemen to flinging of cushions, and other mad sports till
towards twelve at night, and then being sleepy, I and my wife in
a passage-room to bed, and slept not very well because of noise.

26th. Called up about five in the morning, and my Lord up, and
took leave, a little after six, very kindly of me and the whole
company. So took coach and to Windsor, to the Garter, and
thither sent for Dr. Childe: [William Child, Doctor of Music,
Organist of St. George's Chapel, at Windsor. Ob. 1696, aged 91.]
who come to us, and carried us to St. George's Chapel, and there
placed us among the Knights' stalls; (and pretty the
observation, that no man, but a woman may sit in a Knight's
place, where any brass-plates are set,) and hither come!
cushions to us, and a young singing-boy to bring us a copy of the
anthem to be sung. And here, for our sakes, had this anthem and
the great service sung extraordinary, only to entertain us. It
is a noble place indeed, and a good Quire of voices. Great
bowing by all the people, the poor Knights in particularly, to
the Alter. After prayers, we to see the plate of the chapel, and
the robes of Knights, and a man to show us the banners of the
several Knights in being, which hang up over the stalls. And so
to other discourse very pretty, about the Order. Was shown where
the late King is buried, and King Henry the Eighth, and my Lady
Seymour. This being done, to the King's house, and to observe
the neatness and contrivance of the house and gates: it is the
most romantique castle that is in the world. But, Lord! the
prospect that is in the balcone in the Queene's lodgings, and the
terrace and walk, are strange things to consider, being the best
in the world, sure; and so giving a great deal of money to this
and that man and woman, we to our tavern, and there dined, the
Doctor with us; and so took coach and away to Eton, the Doctor
with me. At Eton I left my wife in the coach, and he and I to
the College, and there find all mighty fine. The school good,
and the custom pretty of boys cutting their names in the shuts of
the windows when they go to Cambridge, by which many a one hath
lived to see himself a Provost and Fellow, that hath his name in
the window standing. To the Hall, and there find the boys'
verses, "De Peste;" it being their custom to make verses at
Shrove-tide. I read several, and very good they were; better, I
think, than ever I made when I was a boy, and in rolls as long
and longer than the whole Hall, by much. Here is a picture of
Venice hung up, and a monument made of Sir H. Wotton's giving it
to the College. Thence to the porter's, in the absence of the
butler, and did drink of the College beer, which is very good;
and went into the back fields to see the scholars play. And so
to the chapel, and there saw, among other things, Sir H. Wotton's
stone with this Epitaph: