Books: The Diary of Samuel Pepys

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26th. Into the House of Parliament, where at a great committee I
did hear as long as I would the great case against my Lord
Mordaunt, for some arbitrary proceedings of his against one
Taylor whom he imprisoned and did all the violence to imaginable,
only to get him to give way to his abusing his daughter. [John
Mordaunt, younger son to the first, and brother to the second
Earl of Peterborough, having incurred considerable personal risk
in endeavouring to promote the King's Restoration, was in 1659,
created Baron Mordaunt of Reigate, and Viscount Mordaunt of
Avalon. He was soon afterwards made K.G. and constituted Lord
Lieutenant of Surrey, and Constable of Windsor Castle; which
offices he held till his death, in 1675. In January 1666-7, Lord
Mordaunt was impeached by the House of Commons for forcibly
ejecting William Tayleur and his family from the apartments which
they occupied in Windsor Castle, where Tayleur held some
appointment, and imprisoning him because he had presumed to offer
himself as a candidate for the borough of Windsor. Lord M. was
also accused of improper conduct towards Tayleur's daughter. He,
however, denied all these charges in his place in the House of
Lords, and put in an answer to the articles of impeachment, for
hearing which a day was absolutely fixed; but the Parliament
being shortly afterwards prorogued, the enquiry seems to have
been entirely abandoned, notwithstanding the vehemence with which
the House of Commons had taken the matter up. Perhaps the King
interfered in Lord Mordaunt's behalf, because Andrew Marvel in
his "Instructions to a Painter," after saying, in allusion to
this business,

"Now Mordaunt may within his castle tower
Imprison parents and the child deflower,"

proceeds to observe,

"Each does the other blame, and all distrust,
But Mordaunt NEW OBLIGED would sure be just."]

Here was Mr. Sawyer, [Afterwards Sir Robert Sawyer, Attorney
General from 1681 to 1687. Ob. 1692.] my old chamber-fellow,
[At Magdalene College, where he was admitted a Pensioner, June
1648.] a counsel against my Lord; and I was glad to see him in
so good play. No news from the North at all to-day; and the
news-book; makes the business nothing, but that they are all
dispersed.

27th. To my Lord Crewe, and had some good discourse with him, he
doubting that all will break in pieces in the Kingdom; and that
the taxes now coming out, which will tax the same man in three or
four several capacities as for land, office, profession, and
money at interest, will be the hardest that ever came out; and do
think that we owe it, and the lateness of its being given, wholly
to the unpreparedness of the King's own party, to make their
demand and choice; for they have obstructed the giving it by
land-tax, which had been done long since.

28th. To White Hall; where, though it blows hard and rains hard,
yet the Duke of York is gone a-hunting. We therefore lost our
labour, and so to get things ready against dinner at home, and at
noon comes my Lord Hinchingbroke, Sir Thomas Crewe, Mr. John
Crewe, Mr. Carteret, and Brisband. I had six noble dishes for
them, dressed by a man-cook, and commended, as indeed they
deserved, for exceeding well done. We eat with great pleasure,
and I enjoyed myself in it; eating in silver plates, and all
things mighty rich and handsome about me. Till dark at dinner,
and then broke up with great pleasure, especially to myself; and
they away, only Mr. Carteret and I to Gresham College. Here was
Mr. Henry Howard, that will hereafter be Duke of Norfolke, who is
admitted this day into the Society, and being a very proud man,
and one that values himself upon his family, writes his name, as
he do every where, Henry Howard of Norfolke. [Henry Howard,
second son of Henry Earl of Arundel, became, on the death of his
brother Thomas in 1677, sixth Duke of Norfolk, having been
previously created Baron Howard of Castle Rising, in 1669, and
advanced to the Earldom of Norwich, 1672; He was a great
benefactor to the Royal Society, and presented the Arundel
Marbles to the University of Oxford. Ob. 1683-4.]

29th. I late at the office, and all the news I hear I put into a
letter this night to my Lord Brouncker at Chatham, thus: "I
doubt not of your Lordship's hearing of Sir Thomas Clifford's
succeeding Sir H. Pollard [M.P. for Devonshire. Ob. Nov. 27,
1666.] in the Controllership of the King's house; but perhaps
our ill (but confirmed) tidings from the Barbadoes may not have
reached you yet, it coming but yesterday; viz. that about eleven
ships (whereof two of the King's, the Hope and Coventry) going
thence with men to attack St. Christopher were seized by a
violent hurricana, and all sunk. Two only of thirteen escaping,
and those with loss of masts, &c. My Lord Willoughby himself is
involved in the disaster, [Francis fifth Lord Willoughby of
Parnham, drowned at Barbadoes, 1666.] and I think two ships
thrown upon an island of the French, and so all the men (to 500)
become their prisoners. 'Tis said too, that eighteen Dutch men-
of-war are passed the Channell, in order to meet with our Smyrna
ships; and some I hear do fright us with the King of Sweden's
seizing our mast-ships at Gottenburgh. But we have too much ill
news true, to afflict ourselves with what is uncertain. That
which I hear from Scotland is, the Duke of York's saying
yesterday, that he is confident the Lieutenant Generall there
hath driven them into a pound somewhere towards the mountains."

To show how mad we are at home here, and unfit for any troubles:
My Lord St. John did a day or two since openly pull a gentleman
in Westminster Hall by the nose, (one Sir Andrew Henly,) while
the Judges were upon their benches, and the other gentleman did
give him a rap over the pate with his cane. Of which fray the
Judges, they say, will make a great matter: men are only sorry
the gentleman did proceed to return a blow; for otherwise my Lord
would have been soundly fined for the affront, and may be yet for
his affront to the Judges.

30th. To White Hall; and pretty to see (it being St. Andrew's
day,) how some few did wear St. Andrew's crosse; but most did
make a mockery at it, and the House of Parliament, contrary to
practice, did sit also: people having no mind to observe the
Scotch saint's days till they hear better news from Scotland.

DECEMBER 1, 1666. Walking to the Old Swan I did see a cellar in
Tower-streete in a very fresh fire, the late great winds having
blown it up. It seemed to be only of log-wood that hath kept the
fire all this while in it. Going further I met my late Lord
Mayor Bludworth, under whom the City was burned; but a very weak
man he seems to be. By coach home in the evening, calling at
Faythorne's buying three of my Lady Castlemaine's heads, printed
this day, which indeed is, as to the head, I think a very fine
picture, and like her. I did this afternoon get Mrs. Michell to
let me only have a sight of a pamphlet lately printed, but
suppressed and much called after, called "The Catholique's
Apology;" lamenting the severity of the Parliament against them,
and comparing it with the lenity of other princes to Protestants.
Giving old and late instances of their loyalty to their princes,
whatever is objected against them; and excusing their disquiets
in Queene Elizabeth's time, for that it was impossible for them
to think her a lawfull Queene, if Queene Mary, who had been owned
as such, were so; one being the daughter of the true, and the
other of a false wife: and that of the Gunpowder Treason, by
saying that it was only the practice of some of us, if not the
King, to trepan some of their religion into it, it never being
defended by the generality of their Church, nor indeed known by
them; and ends with a large Catalogue, in red letters, of the
Catholiques which have lost their lives in the quarrel of the
late King and this. The thing is very well writ indeed.

2nd. Took coach, and no sooner in the coach but something broke,
that we were fain there to stay till a smith could be fetched,
which was above an hour, and then it costing me 6s. to mend.
Away round by the wall and Cow-lane, for fear it should break
again, and in pain about the coach all the way. I went to Sir W.
Batten's, and there I hear more ill news still: that all our
New-England fleet, which went out lately, are put back a third
time by foul weather, and dispersed, some to one port and some to
another; and their convoys also to Plymouth; and whether any of
them be lost or no, we do not know. This, added to all the rest,
do lay us flat in our hopes and courages, every body prophesying
destruction to the nation.

3rd. More cheerful than I have been a good while, to hear that
for certain the Scott rebels are all routed; they having been so
bold as to come within three miles of Edinburgh, and there given
two or three repulses to the King's forces, but at last were
mastered. Three or four hundred killed or taken, among which
their leader, Wallis, and seven ministers they having all taken
the Covenant a few days before, and sworn to live and die in it,
as they did; and so all is likely to be there quiet again. There
is also the very good news come of four New-England ships come
home safe to Falmouth with masts for the King; which is a
blessing mighty unexpected, and without which (if for nothing
else) we must; have failed the next year. But God be praised for
thus much good fortune, and send us the continuance of his favour
in other things!

6th. After dinner my wife and brother [John Pepys, who, being in
holy orders, had lately assumed the canonical habit. He died in
1677, at which period he held some office in the Trinity-house.
PEPYS'S MS. LETTERS.] (in another habit) go out to see a play;
but I am not to take notice that I know of my brother's going.
This day, in the Gazette, is the whole story of defeating of
Scotch rebells, and of the creation of the Duke of Cambridge,
Knight of the Garter.

7th. To the King's playhouse, where two acts were almost done
when I come in; and there I sat with my cloak about my face, and
saw the remainder of "The Mayd's Tragedy;" [By Beaumont and
Fletcher.] a good play, and well acted, especially by the
younger Marshall, who is become a pretty good actor; and is the
first play I have seen in either of the houses, since before the
great plague, they having acted now about fourteen days
publickly. But I was in mighty pain, lest I should be seen by
any body to be at a play.

8th. The great Proviso passed the House of Parliament yesterday:
which makes the King and Court mad, the King having given order
to my Lord Chamberlain to send to the playhouses and brothels, to
bid all the Parliament-men that were there to go to the
Parliament presently. This is true, it seems; but it was carried
against the Court by thirty or forty voices. It is a Proviso to
the Poll Bill, that there shall be a Committee of nine persons
that shall have the inspection upon oath, and power of giving
others, of all the accounts of the money given and spent for this
warr. This hath a most sad face, and will breed very ill blood.
He tells me, brought in by Sir Robert Howard, [A younger son of
Thomas Earl of Berkshire; educated at Magdalene College,
Cambridge; knighted at the Restoration, and chosen M.P. for
Stockbridge, and afterwards for Castle Rising. He was Auditor of
the Exchequer, and a creature of Charles II., who employed him in
cajoling the Parliament for money. He published some poems,
plays, and political tracts. Ob. 1698.] who is one of the
King's servants, at least hath a great office, and hath got, they
say, 20,000l. since the King come in. Mr. Pierce did also tell
me as a great truth, as being told it by Mr. Cowly, [Abraham
Cowley, the poet.] who was by and heard it, that Tom Killigrew
should publickly tell the King that his matters were coming into
a very ill state; but that yet there was a way to help all. Says
he; "There is a good, honest, able man that I could name, that if
your Majesty would employ, and command to see all things well
executed, all things would soon be mended; and this is one
Charles Stuart, who now spends his time in employing his lips
about the Court, and hath no other employment; but if you would
give him this employment, he were the fittest man in the world to
perform it." This, he says, is most true; but the King do not
profit by any of this, but lays all aside, and remembers nothing,
but to his pleasures again: which is a sorowful consideration.
To the King's play-house, and there did see a good part of "The
English Monsieur," [A comedy, by James Howard.] which is a
mighty pretty play, very witty and pleasant. And the women do
very well; but above all, little Nelly. I hear that this Proviso
in Parliament is mightily ill taken by all the Court party as a
mortal blow, and that that strikes deep into the King's
prerogative; which troubles me mightily. In much fear of ill
news of our colliers. A fleet of 200 sail, and 14 Dutch men-of-
war between them and us: and they coming home with small convoy;
and the City in great want, coals being at 3l. 3s. per chaldron,
as I am told. I saw smoke in the ruines this very day.

10th. Captain Cocke, with whom I walked in the garden, tells me
how angry the Court is at the late Proviso brought in by the
House. How still my Lord Chancellor is, not daring to do or say
any thing to displease the Parliament; that the Parliament is in
a very ill humour, and grows every day more and more so; and that
the unskilfulness of the Court, and their difference among one
another, is the occasion of all not agreeing in what they would
have, and so they give leisure and occasion to the other part to
run away with what the Court would not have.

11th. This day the Poll Bill was to be passed, and great
endeavours used to take away the Proviso.

12th. Sir H. Cholmly did with grief tell me how the Parliament
hath been told plainly that the King hath been heard to say, that
he would dissolve them rather than pass this Bill with the
Proviso. But tells me, that the Proviso is removed, and now
carried that it shall be done by a Bill by itself. He tells me
how the King hath lately paid above 30,000l. to clear the debts
of my Lady Castlemaine's; and that she and her husband are parted
for ever, upon good terms, never to trouble one another more. He
says that he hears that above 400,000l. hath gone into the Privy-
purse since this warr; and that that hath consumed so much of our
money, and makes the King and Court so mad to be brought to
discover it. The very good newes is just come of our four ships
from Smyrna, come safe without convoy even into the Downes,
without seeing any enemy; which is the best, and indeed only
considerable good news to our Exchange, since the burning of the
City; and it is strange to see how it do cheer up men's hearts.
Here I saw shops now come to be in this Exchange; and met little
Batelier who sits here but at 3l. per annum, whereas he sat at
the other at 100l.; which he says he believes will prove as good
account to him now as the other did at that rent. They talk for
certain, that now the King do follow Mrs. Stewart wholly, and my
Lady Castlemaine not above once a-week; that the Duke of York do
not haunt my Lady Denham so much; that she troubles him with
matters of State, being of my Lord Bristoll's faction, and that
he avoids; that she is ill still. News this day from Brampton,
of Mr. Ensum, my sister's sweetheart, being dead: a clowne.

13th. W. Hewer dined with me, and showed me a Gazette, in April
last, (which I wonder should never be remembered by any body,)
which tells how several persons were then tried for their lives,
and were found guilty of a design of killing the King, and
destroying the Government; and as a means to it, to burn the
City; and that the day intended for the plot was the 3rd of last
September. And the fire did indeed break out on the 2nd of
September: which is very strange, methinks. [This circumstance
was so remarkable that it has been thought worth while extracting
the whole passage from the Gazette of April 23-26, 1666:--

"At the Sessions in the Old Bailey, John Rathbone, an old Army
Colonel, William Saunders, Henry Tucker, Thomas Flint, Thomas
Evans, John Myles, Will. Westcot, and John Cole, officers or
soldiers in the late Rebellion, were indicted for conspiring the
death of his Majesty, and the overthrow of the Government.
Having laid their plot and contrivance for the surprisal of the
Tower, the killing his Grace the Lord General, Sir John Robinson,
Lieutenant of the Tower, and Sir Richard Brown; and then to have
declared for an equal division of lands, &c. THE BETTER TO
EFFECT THIS HELLISH DESIGN, THE CITY WAS TO HAVE BEEN FIRED, and
the portcullis let down to keep out all assistance; and the Horse
Guards to have been suprised in the Inns where they were
quartered, several ostlers having been gained for that purpose.
The Tower was accordingly viewed, and its suprise ordered by
boats over the moat, and from thence to scale the wall. One
Alexander, not yet taken, had likewise distributed money to these
conspirators, and for the carrying on the design most
effectually, they were told of a Council of the great ones that
sat frequently in London, from whom issued all orders; which
Council received their directions from another in Holland, who
sat with the States; and that the THIRD OF SEPTEMBER was pitched
on for the attempt, as being found by Lilly's Almanack, and a
scheme erected for that purpose, to be a lucky day, a planet then
ruling which prognosticated the downfall of Monarchy. The
evidence against these persons was very full and clear, and they
were accordingly found guilty of High Treason."]

14th. Met my good friend Mr. Evelyn, and walked with him a good
while, lamenting our condition for want of good council, and the
King's minding of his business and servants. The House sat till
three o'clock, and then up: and I home with Sir Stephen Fox to
his house to dinner; and the Cofferer [William Ashburnham, an
officer of distinction in the King's Army during the Civil War,
and after the Restoration made Cofferer to Charles II. Ob. s.p.
1671.] with us. There I found his Lady, a fine woman, and seven
the prettiest children of theirs that ever I knew almost. A very
genteel dinner, and in great state and fashion, and excellent
discourse: and nothing like an old experienced man and a
courtier, and such is the Cofferer Ashburnham. The House have
been mighty hot to-day against the Paper Bill, showing all manner
of averseness to give the King money; which these courtiers do
take mighty notice of, and look upon the others as bad rebells as
ever the last were. But the courtiers did carry it against those
men upon a division of the House, a great many, that it should be
committed; and so it was: which they reckon good news.

15th. To the office, where my Lord Brouncker (newly come to town
from his being at Chatham and Harwich to spy enormities): and at
noon I with him and his lady, Williams, to Captain Cocke's; where
a good dinner, and very merry. Good news to-day upon the
Exchange, that our Hamburgh fleet is got in; and good hopes that
we will soon have the like of our Gottenburgh, and then we shall
be well for this winter. And by and by comes in Matt Wren
[Matthew Wren, eldest son of the Bishop of Ely of both his names,
M.P. for St. Michael's 1661, and made Secretary to Lord
Clarendon; after whose fall he filled the same office under the
Duke of York till his death in 1672. He was one of the earliest
Members of the Royal Society, and published two tracts in answer
to Harrington's Oceana.] from the Parliament-House; and tells us
that he and all his party of the House, which is the Court party,
are fools, and have been made so this day by the wise men of the
other side; for after the Court party had carried it yesterday so
powerfully for the Paper Bill, yet now it is laid aside wholly,
and to be supplied by a land-tax; which it is true will do well
and will be the sooner finished, which was the great argument for
the doing of it. But then it shows them fools, that they would
not permit this to have been done six weeks ago, which they might
have had. And next they have parted with the Paper Bill, which
when once begun might have proved a very good flower in the
Crowne, as any there. So they are truly outwitted by the other
side.

16th. To White Hall, and there walked up and down to the
Queene's side, and there saw my dear Lady Castlemaine, who
continues admirable, methinks, and I do not hear that but the
King is the same to her still as ever. Anon to chapel by the
King's closet, and heard a very good anthem. Then with Lord
Brouncker to Sir W. Coventry's chamber; and there we sat with him
and talked. He is weary of any thing to do, he says, in the
Navy. He tells us this Committee of Accounts will enquire
sharply into our office. To Sir P. Neale's chamber; Sir Edward
Walker being there;, and telling us how he hath lost many fine
rowles of antiquity in heraldry by the late fire, but hath saved
the most of his papers. Here was also Dr. Wallis, [John Wallis,
S.T.P. F.R.S. Savilian Professor of Geometry. Ob. 1703, aged
87.] the famous scholar and mathematician; but he promises
little. The Duke of Monmonth, Lord Brouncker says, spends his
time the most viciously and idle of any man, nor will be fit for
any thing; yet he speaks as if it were not impossible but the
King would own him for his son, and that there was marriage
between his mother and him.

17th. My wife well home in the evening from the play; which I
was glad of, it being cold and dark, and she having her necklace
of pearl on, and none but Mercer with her.

19th. Talked of the King's family with Mr. Hingston, the
organist. He says many of the musique are ready to starve, they
being five years behind hand for their wages: nay, Evens, the
famous man upon the Harp, having not his equal in the world, did
the other day die for mere want, and was fain to be buried at the
almes of the parish, and carried to his grave in the dark at
night without one linke, but that Mr. Hingston met it by chance,
and did give 12d. to buy two or three links. Thence I up to the
Lords' House to enquire for my Lord Bellasses; and there hear how
at a conference this morning between the two Houses about the
business of the Canary Company, my Lord Buckingham leaning rudely
over my Lord Marquis Dorchester, [Henry second Earl of Kingston,
created Marquis of Dorchester 1645. Ob. 1680. See an account of
this quarrel in Lord Clarendon's Life.] my Lord Dorchester
removed his elbow. Duke of Buckingham asked whether he was
uneasy; Dorchester replied, yes, and that he durst not do this
were he any where else: Buckingham replied, yes he would, and
that he was a better man than himself; Dorchester said that he
lyed. With this Buckingham struck off his hat, and took him by
his periwigg, and pulled it aside, and held him. My Lord
Chamberlain and others interposed, and upon coming into the House
the Lords did order them both to the Tower, whither they are to
go this afternoon. I down into the Hall, and there the
Lieutenant of the Tower took me with him, and would have me to
the Tower to dinner; where I dined at the head of his table next
his lady, who is comely and seeming sober and stately, but very
proud and very cunning or I am mistaken, and wanton too. This
day's work will bring the Lieutenant of the Tower 350l. Thence
home, and upon Tower Hill saw about 3 or 400 seamen get together;
and one standing upon a pile of bricks made his sign with his
handkercher upon his stick, and called all the rest to him, and
several shouts they gave. This made me afraid; so I got home as
fast as I could. But by and by Sir W. Batten and Sir R. Ford do
tell me that the seamen have been at some prisons to release some
seamen, and the Duke of Albemarle is in armes and all the Guards
at the other end of the town; and the Duke of Albemarle is gone
with some forces to Wapping to quell the seamen; which is a thing
of infinite disgrace to us. I sat long talking with them. And,
among other things, Sir R. Ford did make me understand how the
House of Commons is a beast not to be understood, it being
impossible to know beforehand the success almost of any small
plain thing, there being so many to think and speak to any
business, and they of so uncertain minds and interests and
passions. He did tell me, and so did Sir W. Batten, how Sir
Allen Brodericke [Son of Sir Thomas Broderick of Richmond,
Yorkshire, and Wandsworth, Surrey; knighted by Charles II., and
Surveyor-General in Ireland to his Majesty.] and Sir Allen Apsly
did come drunk the other day into the House, and did both speak
for half an hour, together, and could not be either laughed, or
pulled, or bid to sit down and hold their peace, to the great
contempt of the King's servants and cause; which I am grieved at
with all my heart.