Books: The Diary of Samuel Pepys

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16th. This day Sir W. Batten did show us at the table a letter
from Sir T. Allen, which says, that we have taken ten or twelve
ships, (since the late great expedition of burning their ships
and town) laden with hemp, flax, tar, deals, &c. This was good
news; but by and by comes in Sir G. Carteret, and he asked us
with full mouth what we would give for good news. Says Sir W.
Batten "I have better than you for a wager." They laid sixpence,
and we that were by were to give sixpence to him that told the
best news. So Sir W. Batten told his of the ten or twelve ships.
Sir G. Carteret did then tell us that upon the news of the
burning of the ships and town, the common people of Amsterdam did
besiege De Witt's house, and he was forced to flee to the Prince
of Orange, who is gone to Cleve, to the marriage of his sister.
This we concluded all the best news, and my Lord Brouncker and
myself did give Sir G. Carteret our sixpence a-piece, which he
did give Mr. Smith to give the poor. Thus we made ourselves
mighty merry.

17th. With Captain Erwin, discoursing about the East Indys,
where he hath often been. And among other things, he tells me
how the King of Syam seldom goes out without thirty or forty
thousand people with him, and not a word spoke, nor a hum or
cough in the whole company to be heard. He tells me the
punishment frequently there for malefactors, is cutting off the
crowns of their head; which they do very dexterously, leaving
their brains bare, which kills them presently. He told me what I
remember he hath once done heretofore; that every body is to lie
flat down at the coming by of the King and nobody to look upon
him upon pain of death. And that he and his fellows being
strangers, were invited to see the sport of taking of a wild
elephant; and they did only kneel, and look towards the King.
Their druggerman [Dragoman.] did desire them to fall down, for
otherwise he should suffer for their contempt of the King. The
sport being ended, a messenger comes from the King, which the
druggerman thought had been to have taken away his life. But it
was to enquire how the strangers liked the sport. The druggerman
answered, that they did cry it up to be the best that ever they
saw, and that they never heard of any Prince so great in every
thing as this King. The messenger being gone back, Erwin and his
company asked their druggerman what he had said, which he told
them. "But why," say they, "would you say that without our
leave, it being not true?"--"It makes no matter for that," says
he, "I must have said it, or have been hanged, for our King do
not live by meat, nor drink, but by having great lyes told him."
In our way back we come by a little vessel that come into the
river this morning, and says she left the fleet in Sole Bay, and
that she hath not heard (she belonging to Sir W. Jenings in the
fleet) of any such prizes taken as the ten or twelve I enquired
about, and said by Sir W. Batten yesterday to be taken, so I fear
it is not true. I had the good fortune to see Mrs. Stewart, who
is grown a little too tall, but is a woman of most excellent
features. Sir Richard Ford did, very understandingly methought,
give us an account of the originall of the Hollands Bank, and the
nature of it, and how they do never give any interest at all to
the person that brings in their money, though what is brought in
upon the public faith interest is given by the State for. The
unsafe condition of a Bank under a Monarch, and the little safety
to a Monarch to have any; or Corporation alone (as London in
answer to Amsterdam,) to have so great a wealth or credit, it is
that makes it hard to have a Bank here. And as to the former, he
did tell us how it sticks in the memory of most merchants how the
late King (when by the war between Holland and France and Spain
all the bullion of Spain was brought hither, one third of it to
be coyned; and indeed it was found advantageous to the merchant
to coyne most of it,) was persuaded in a strait by my Lord
Cottington [Francis, created Lord Cottington, Baron of Hanworth,
by Charles I. Died at Valladolid 1653, S.P.] to seize upon the
money in the Tower: which, though in a few days the merchants
concerned did prevail to get it released, yet the thing will
never be forgot.

20th. To Deptford by water, reading Othello, Moore of Venice,
which I ever heretofore esteemed a mighty good play, but having
so lately read The Adventures of Five Houres, it seems a mean
thing. All the afternoon upon my Tangier accounts, getting Tom
Wilson to help me in writing as I read; and I find myself right
to a farthing in an account of 127,000l.

21st. Mr. Batelier told me how, being with some others at
Bourdeaux, making a bargain with another man at a taverne for
some clarets, they did hire a fellow to thunder (which he had the
art of doing upon a deale board) and to rain and hail, that is,
make the noise of, so as did give them a pretence of undervaluing
their merchants' wines, by saying this thunder would spoil and
turn them which was so reasonable to the merchant, that he did
abate two pistolls per ton for the wine in belief of that.

22nd. I to St. James's, and there with the Duke of York. I had
opportunity of much talk with Sir W. Pen to-day (he being newly
come from the fleet); and he do much undervalue the honour that
is given to the conduct of the late business of Holmes in burning
the ships and town, saying it was a great thing indeed, and of
great profit to us in being of great loss to the enemy, but that
it was wholly a business of chance. Mrs. Knipp tells me my song
of "Beauty Retire" is mightily cried up, which I am not a little
proud of; and do think I have done "It is Decreed" better, but I
have not finished it.

23rd. Sir W. Coventry sent me word that the Dutch fleet is
certainly abroad; and so we are to hasten all we have to send to
our fleet with all speed. But, Lord! to see how my Lord
Brouncker undertakes the despatch of the fire-ships, when he is
no more fit for it than a porter; and all the while Sir W. Pen,
who is the most fit, is unwilling to displease him, and do not
look after it; and so the King's work is like to be well done.

26th. I was a little disturbed with news my Lord Brouncker
brought me, that we are to attend the King at White Hall this
afternoon, and that it is about a complaint from the Generalls
against us. Sir W. Pen and I by coach to White Hall, and there
staid till the King and Cabinet met in the Green Chamber, and
then we were called in; and there the King begun with me, to hear
how the victualls of the fleet stood. I did in a long discourse
tell him and the rest (the Duke of York, Lord Chancellor, Lord
Treasurer, both the Secretarys, Sir G. Carteret, and Sir W.
Coventry,) how it stood, wherein they seemed satisfied, but press
mightily for more supplies: and the letter of the Generalls,
which was read, did lay their not going or too soon returning
from the Dutch coast, this next bout, to the want of victuals.
They then proceeded to the enquiry after the fire-ships; and did
all very superficially, and without any severity at all. But,
however, I was in pain, after we come out, to know how I had
done; and here, well enough. But, however, it shall be a caution
to me to prepare myself against a day of inquisition. Being come
out, I met with Mr. Moore, and he and I an hour together in the
Gallery, telling me how far they are gone in getting my Lord
Sandwich's pardon, so as the Chancellor is prepared in it; and
Sir H. Bennet; do promote it, and the warrant for the King's
signing is drawn. The business between my Lord Hinchingbroke and
Mrs. Mallet is quite broke off; he attended her at Tunbridge, and
she declaring her affections to be settled; and he not being
fully pleased with the vanity and liberty of her carriage.
Thence to discourse of the times; and he tells me he believes
both my Lord Arlington and Sir W. Coventry, as well as my Lord
Sandwich and Sir G. Carteret, have reason to fear, and are
afraid, of this Parliament now coming on. He tells me that
Bristoll's faction is getting ground space against my Lord
Chancellor. He told me that my old Lord Coventry [The Lord
Keeper, Ob. 1639-40.] was a cunning, crafty man, and did make as
many bad decrees in Chancery as any man; and that in one case,
that occasioned many years' dispute, at last when the King come
in, it was hoped by the party grieved, to get my Lord Chancellor
to reverse a decree of his. Sir W. Coventry took the opportunity
of the business between the Duke of York and the Duchess, and
said to my Lord Chancellor, that he had rather be drawn up
Holborne to be hanged, than live to see any decree of his
father's reversed. And so the Chancellor did not think fit to do
it, but it still stands, to the undoing of one Norton, a printer,
about his right to the printing of the Bible, and Grammar, &c.
Sir J. Minnes bad a very bad fit this day.

27th. Sir G. Carteret tells me what is done about my Lord's
pardon, and is not for letting the Duke of York know any thing of
it beforehand, but to carry it as speedily and quietly as we can.
He seems to be very apprehensive that the Parliament will be
troublesome and inquisitive into faults; but seems not to value
them as to himself.

28th. To the wedding of Mr. Longracke, our purveyor, a civil
man, and hath married a sober, serious mayde; but the whole
company was very simple and innocent. Sir W. Coventry did read
me a letter from the Generalls to the King, a most scurvy letter,
reflecting most upon him, and then upon me for my accounts, (not
that they are not true, but that we do not consider the expence
of the fleet,) and then upon the whole office, in neglecting them
and the King's service, and this in very plain and sharp and
menacing terms. But a great supply must be made, and shall be,
in grace of God!

29th. To St. James's, and there Sir W. Coventry took Sir W. Pen
and me apart, and read to us his answer to the Generalls' letter
to the King, that he read last night; wherein he is very plain,
and states the matter in full defence of himself, and of me with
him, which he could not avoid; which is a good comfort to me,
that I happened to be involved with him in the same cause. And
then speaking of the supplies which have been made to this fleet,
more than ever in all kinds to any, even that wherein the Duke of
York himself was, "Well," says he, "if this will not do, I will
say, as Sir J. Falstaffe did to the Prince, 'Tell your father,
that if he do not like this, let him kill the next Piercy
himself.'"

September 1, 1666. My wife and I to Polichinelly, [Polichinello
in Moorfields.] but were there horribly frighted to see Young
Killigrew come in with a great many more young sparks; but we hid
ourselves, so as we think they did not see us.

2nd (Lord's day). Some of our maids sitting up late last night
to get things ready against our feast to-day, Jane called us up
about three in the morning, to tell us of a great fire they saw
in the City. So I rose, and slipped on my night-gown, and went
to her window; and thought it to be on the back-side of Marke-
lane at the farthest, but being unused to such fires as followed,
I thought it far enough off; and so went to bed again, and to
sleep. About seven rose again to dress myself, and there looked
out at the window, and saw the fire not so much as it was, and
further off. So to my closet to set things to rights, after
yesterday's cleaning. By and by Jane comes and tells me that she
hears that above 300 houses have been burned down to-night by the
fire we saw, and that it is now burning down all Fish-street, by
London Bridge. So I made myself ready presently, and walked to
the Tower, and there got up upon one of the high places, Sir J.
Robinson's little son going up with me; and there I did see the
houses at that end of the bridge all on fire, and an infinite
great fire on this and the other side the end of the bridge;
which, among other people, did trouble me for poor little Michell
and our Sarah on the bridge. So down with my heart full of
trouble to the Lieutenant of the Tower, who tells me that it
begun this morning in the King's baker's [His name was Faryner.]
house in Pudding-lane, and that it hath burned down St. Magnes
Church and most part of Fish-street already. So I down to the
water-side, and there got a boat, and through bridge, and there
saw a lamentable fire. Poor Michell's house, as far as the Old
Swan, already burned that way, and the fire running further, that
in a very little time it got as far as the Steele-yard, while I
was there. Every body endeavouring to remove their goods, and
flinging into the river, or bringing them into lighters that lay
off; poor people staying in their houses as long as till the very
fire touched them, and then running into boats, or clambering
from one pair of stairs by the water-side to another. And among
other things, the poor pigeons, I perceive, were loth to leave
their houses, but hovered about the windows and balconys, till
they burned their wings, and fell down. Having staid, and in an
hour's time seen the fire rage every way, and nobody, to my
sight, endeavouring to quench it, but to remove their goods, and
leave all to the fire, and having seen it get as far as the
Steele-yard, and the wind mighty high, and driving it into the
City: and every thing after so long a drought proving
combustible, even the very stones of churches, and among other
things, the poor steeple [St, Lawrence Poultney, of which Thomas
Elborough was Curate.] by which pretty Mrs. -- lives, and
whereof my old schoolfellow Elborough is parson, taken fire in
the very top, and there burned till it fell down; I to White Hall
(with a gentleman with me, who desired to go off from the Tower,
to see the fire, in my boat): and there up to the King's closet
in the Chapel, where people come about me, and I did give them an
account dismayed them all, and word was carried in to the King.
So I was called for, and did tell the King and Duke of York what
I saw, and that unless his Majesty did command houses to be
pulled down, nothing could stop the fire, They seemed much
troubled, and the King commanded me to go to my Lord Mayor [Sir
Thomas Bludworth.] from him, and command him to spare no houses,
but to pull down before the fire every way. The Duke of York bid
me tell him, that if he would have any more soldiers, he shall:
and so did my Lord Arlington afterwards, as a great secret. Here
meeting with Captain Cocke, I in his coach, which he lent me, and
Creed with me to Paul's, and there walked along Watling-street,
as well as I could, every creature coming away loaded with goods
to save, and here and there sick people carried away in beds.
Extraordinary good goods carried in carts-and on backs. At last
met my Lord Mayor in Canning-street, like a man spent, with a
handkercher about his neck. To the King's message, he cried,
like a fainting woman, "Lord! what can I do? I am spent:
people will not obey me. I have been pulling down houses; but
the fire overtakes us faster than we can do it." That he needed
no more soldiers; and that, for himself, he must go and refresh
himself, having been up all night. So he left me, and I him, and
walked home; seeing people all almost distracted, and no manner
of means used to quench the fire. The houses too so very thick
thereabouts, and full of matter for burning, as pitch and tar, in
Thames-street; and warehouses of oyle, and wines, and brandy, and
other things. Here I saw Mr. Isaac Houblon, the handsome man,
prettily dressed and dirty at his door at Dowgate, receiving some
of his brother's things, whose houses were on fire; and, as he
says, have been removed twice already; and he doubts (as it soon
proved) that they must be in a little time removed from his house
also, which was a sad consideration. And to see the churches all
filling with goods by people, who themselves should have been
quietly there at this time. By this time it was about twelve
o'clock; and so home, and there find my guests, who were Mr. Wood
and his wife Barbary Shelden, and also Mr. Moone; she mighty
fine, and her husband, for aught I see, a likely man. But Mr.
Moone's design and mine, which was to look over my closet, and
please him with the sight thereof, which he hath long desired,
was wholly disappointed; for we were in great trouble and
disturbance at this fire, not knowing what to think of it.
However, we had an extraordinary good dinner, and as merry as at
this time we could be. While at dinner Mrs. Batelier come to
enquire after Mr. Woolfe and Stanes, (who it seems are related to
them,) whose houses in Fish-street are all burned, and they in a
sad condition. She would not stay in the fright. Soon as dined,
I and Moone away, and walked through the City, the streets full
of nothing but people, and horses and carts loaden with goods,
ready to run over one another, and removing goods from one burned
house to another. They now removing out of Canning-street (which
received goods in the morning) into Lumbard-street, and further:
and among others I now saw my little goldsmith Stokes receiving
some friend's goods, whose house itself was burned the day after.
We parted at Paul's; he home, and I to Paul's Wharf, where I had
appointed a boat to attend me, and took in Mr. Carcasse and his
brother, whom I met in the street, and carried them below and
above bridge too. And again to see the fire, which was now got
further, both below and above, and no likelihood of stopping it.
Met with the King and Duke of York in their barge, and with them
to Queenhith, and there called Sir Richard Browne to them. Their
order was only to pull down houses apace, and so below bridge at
the water-side; but little was or could be done, the fire coming
upon them so fast. Good hopes there was of stopping it at the
Three Cranes above, and at Buttolph's Wharf below bridge, if care
be used; but the wind carries it into the City, so as we know not
by the water-side what it do there. River full of lighters and
boats taking in goods, and good goods swimming in the water, and
only I observed that hardly one lighter or boat in three that had
the goods of a house in, but there was a pair of Virginalls [A
sort of spinett, so called (according to Johnson) from young
women playing upon it.] in it. Having seen as much as I could
now, I away to White Hall by appointment, and there walked to St.
James's Park, and there met my wife and Creed and Wood and his
wife, and walked to my boat; and there upon the water again, and
to the fire up and down, it still encreasing, and the wind great.
So near the fire as we could for smoke; and all over the Thames,
with one's faces in the wind, you were almost burned with a
shower of fire-drops. This is very true: so as houses were
burned by these drops and flakes of fire, three or four, nay,
five or six houses, one from another. When we could endure no
more upon the water, we to a little ale-house on the Bankside,
over against the Three Cranes, and there staid till it was dark
almost, and saw the fire grow, and as it grew darker, appeared
more and more, and in corners and upon steeples, and between
churches and houses, as far as we could see up the hill of the
City, in a most horrid malicious bloody flame, not like the fine
flame of an ordinary fire. Barbary and her husband away before
us. We staid till, it being darkish, we saw the fire as only one
entire arch of fire from this to the other side the bridge, and
in a bow up the hill for an arch of above a mile long: it made
me weep to see it. The churches, houses, and all on fire, and
flaming at once; and a horrid noise the flames made, and the
cracking houses at their ruine. So home with a sad heart, and
there find every body discoursing and lamenting the fire; and
poor Tom Hater come with some few of his goods saved out of his
house, which was burned upon Fish-street Hill. I invited him to
lie at my house, and did receive his goods, but was deceived in
his lying there, the news coming every moment of the growth of
the fire; so as we were forced to begin to pack up our own goods,
and prepare for their removal; and did by moonshine (it being
brave dry and moonshine and warm weather) carry much of my goods
into the garden, and Mr. Hater and I did remove my money and iron
chests into my cellar, as thinking that the safest place. And
got my bags of gold into my office, ready to carry away, and my
chief papers of accounts also there, and my tallies into a box by
themselves. So great was our fear, as Sir W. Batten hath carts
come out of the country to fetch away his goods this night. We
did put Mr. Hater, poor man, to bed a little; but he got but very
little rest, so much noise being in my house, taking down of
goods.

3rd. About four o'clock in the morning, my Lady Batten sent me a
cart to carry away all my money, and plate, and best things, to
Sir W. Rider's at Bednall-greene. Which I did, riding myself in
my night gown, in the cart; and, Lord! to see how the streets
and the highways are crowded with people running and riding, and
getting of carts at any rate to fetch away things. I find Sir W.
Rider tired with being called up all night, and receiving things
from several friends. His house full of goods, and much of Sir
W. Batten's and Sir W. Pen's, I am eased at my heart to have my
treasure so well secured. Then home, and with much ado to find a
way, nor any sleep all this night to me nor my poor wife. Then
all this day she and I, and all my people labouring to get away
the rest of our things, and did get Mr. Tooker to get me a
lighter to take them in, and we did carry them (myself some) over
Tower Hill, which was by this time full of people's goods,
bringing their goods thither; and down to the lighter, which lay
at the next quay, above the Tower Dock. And here was my
neighbour's wife, Mrs. --, with her pretty child, and some few of
her things, which I did willingly give way to be saved with mine;
but there was no passing with any thing through the postern the
crowd was so great. The Duke of York come this day by the
office, and spoke to us, and did ride with his guard up and down
the City to keep all quiet, (he being now General, and having the
care of all). This day, Mercer being not at home, but against
her mistress's order gone to her mother's, and my wife going
thither to speak with W. Hewer, beat her there, and was angry;
and her mother saying that she was not a 'prentice girl, to ask
leave every time she goes abroad, my wife with good reason was
angry, and when she come home bid her be gone again. And so she
went away, which troubled me, but yet less than it would, because
of the condition we are in, in fear of coming in a little time to
being less able to keep one in her quality. At night lay down a
little upon a quilt of W. Hewer's, in the office, all my own
things being packed up or gone; and after me my poor wife did the
like, we having fed upon the remains of yesterday's dinner,
having no fire nor dishes, nor any opportunity of dressing any
thing.
>>
4th. Up by break of day, to get away the remainder of my things;
which I did by a lighter at the Iron gate: and my hands so full,
that it was the afternoon before we could get them all away. Sir
W. Pen and I to the Tower-street, and there met the fire burning
three or four doors beyond Mr. Howell's, whose goods, poor man,
his trayes, and dishes, shovells, &c., were flung all along
Tower-street in the kennels, and people working therewith from
one end to the other; the fire coming on in that narrow street,
on both sides, with infinite fury. Sir W. Batten not knowing how
to remove his wine, did dig a pit in the garden, and laid it in
there; and I took the opportunity of laying all the papers of my
office that I could not otherwise dispose of and in the evening
Sir W. Pen and I did dig another, and put our wine in it; and I
my parmazan cheese, as well as my wine and some other things.
The Duke of York was at the office this day, at Sir W. Pen's; but
I happened not to be within. This afternoon, sitting melancholy
with Sir W. Pen in our garden, and thinking of the certain
burning of this office, without extraordinary means, I did
propose for the sending up of all our workmen from the Woolwich
and Deptford yards, (none whereof yet appeared,) and to write to
Sir W. Coventry to have the Duke of York's permission to pull
down houses, rather than lose this office, which would much
hinder the King's business. So Sir W. Pen went down this night,
in order to the sending them up to-morrow morning; and I wrote to
Sir W. Coventry about the business, but received no answer. [A
copy of this letter, preserved among the Pepys MSS. in the
author's own hand-writing, is subjoined:--
Sir,--The fire is now very neere us as well on Tower Streete as
Fanchurch Street side, and we little hope of our escape but by
that remedy, to ye want whereof we doe certainly owe ye loss of
ye City, namely, ye pulling down of houses, in ye way of ye
fire. This way Sir W. Pen and myself have so far concluded upon
ye practising, that he is gone to Woolwich and Deptford to
supply himself with men and necessarys in order to the doeing
thereof, in case at his returne our condition be not bettered
and that he meets with his R.Hs. approbation, which I have thus
undertaken to learn of you, Pray please to let me have this
night (at whatever hour it is) what his R. Hs. directions are in
this particular, Sir J. Minnes and Sir W. Batten having left,
us, we cannot add, though we are well assured of their, as well
as all ye neighbourhood's concurrence.
Sir W.Coventry, Yr obedient Servnt,
Septr. 4, 1666. S.P.]
This night Mrs. Turner (who, poor woman, was removing her goods
all this day, good goods into the garden, and knows not how to
dispose of them) and her husband supped with my wife and me at
night, in the office, upon a shoulder of mutton from the cook's,
without any napkin, or any thing, in a sad manner, but were
merry. Only now and then, walking into the garden, saw how
horribly the sky looks, all on a fire in the night, was enough to
put us out of our wits; and, indeed, it was extremely dreadfull,
for it looks just as if it was at us, and the whole heaven on
fire. I after supper walked in the dark down to Tower-street,
and there saw it all on fire, at the Trinity House on that side,
and the Dolphin Tavern on this side, which was very near us; and
the fire with extraordinary vehemence. Now begins the practice
of blowing up of houses in Tower-street, those next the Tower,
which at first did frighten people more than any thing; but it
stopped the fire where it was done, it bringing down the houses
to the ground in the same places they stood, and then it was easy
to quench what little fire was in it, though it kindled nothing
almost. W.Hewer this day went to see how his mother did, and
comes late home, telling us how he hath been forced to remove her
to Islington, her house in Pye-corner being burned; so that the
fire is got so far that way, and to the Old Bayly, and was
running down to Fleet-street; and Paul's is burned, and all
Cheepside. I wrote to my father this night, but the post-house
being burned, the letter could not go.