Books: The Diary of Samuel Pepys

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27th. To the Castle Taverne by Exeter House; and there Sir Ellis
Layton, whom I find a wonderful witty, ready man for sudden
answers and little tales, and sayings very extraordinary witty.
He did give me a full account, upon my demand, of this Judge of
the Admiralty, Judge Jenkins; who, he says, is a man never
practised in this Court but taken merely for his merit and
ability's sake from Trinity Hall where he had always lived; only
by accident the business of the want of a Judge: being proposed,
the present Archbishop of Canterbury sent for him up: and here
he is against the gre and content of the old Doctors made Judge,
but is a very excellent man both for judgment and temper (yet
majesty enough), and by all men's report not to be corrupted.
After dinner to the Court, where Sir Ellis Layton did make a very
silly motion in our behalf, but did neither hurt nor good after
him Walker and Wiseman. And then the Judge did pronounce his
sentence; for some a part of the goods and ship, and the freight
of the whole to be free and returned and paid by us, and the
remaining (which was the greater part) to be ours. The loss of
so much troubles us; but we have got a pretty good part, thanks
be to God! Received from my brother the news of my mother's
dying on Monday about five or six o'clock in the afternoon, and
that the last time she spoke of her children was on Friday last,
and her last words were, "God bless my poor Sam!" The reading;
hereof did set me a-weeping heartily.

29th. The great streets in the City are marked out with piles
drove into the ground; and if ever it be built in that form with
so fair streets, it will be a noble sight. To a periwigg-maker's
and there bought two periwiggs, mighty fine indeed; too fine, I
thought, for me; but he persuaded me, and I did buy them for 4l.
10s. the two. To the Bull-Head Taverne, whither was brought my
French gun; and one Truelocke, the famous gunsmith, that is a
mighty ingenious man, did take my gun in pieces, and made me
understand the secrets thereof: and upon the whole I do find it
a very good piece of work, and truly wrought; but for certain not
a thing to be used much with safety: and he do find that this
very gun was never yet shot off.

30th. To see the silly play of my Lady Newcastle's, [Margaret,
daughter of Thomas Lucas of Colchester, and sister to John Lord
Lucas, married William Marquis of Newcastle, created a Duke
1664.] called "The Humourous Lovers;" the most silly thing that
ever came upon a stage. I was sick to see it, but yet would not
but have seen it, that I might the better understand her.

31st. To church; and with my mourning, very handsome, and new
periwigg, make a great show. Walked to my Lord Treasurer's,
where the King, Duke of York, and the Caball, and much company
without; and a fine day. Anon come out from the Caball my Lord
Hollis and Mr. H. Coventry, [Third son of Thomas first Lord
Coventry; after the Restoration made a Groom of the Bedchamber,
and elected M.P. for Droitwich. In 1664 he was sent Envoy
Extraordinary to Sweden, where he remained two years, and was
again employed on an Embassy to the same Court in 1671. He also
succeeded in negotiating the peace at Breda here alluded to, and
in 1672 became Secretary of State; which office he resigned in
1679, on account of ill health. He died unmarried, Dec. 7,
1686.] who, it is conceived, have received their instructions
from the King this day; they being to begin their journey towards
their treaty at Bredagh speedily, their passes being come. Here
I saw the Lady Northumberland [Lady Elizabeth Howard, daughter of
Theophilus Earl of Suffolk, wife of Algernon tenth Earl of
Northumberland.] and her daughter-in-law (my Lord Treasurer's
daughter) my Lady Piercy, a beautiful lady indeed. [Lady
Elizabeth Wriothesly, daughter to the Earl of Southampton,
married Joscelin Lord Percy.] The month shuts up only with great
desires of peace in all of us, and a belief that we shall have a
peace, in most people if it can be had on any terms, for there is
a necessity of it; for we cannot go on with the war, and our
masters are afraid to come to depend upon the good will of the
Parliament any more, as I do hear.

APRIL 1st. 1667. To White Hall, and there had the good fortune
to walk with Sir W. Coventry into the garden, and there read our
melancholy letter to the Duke of York, which he likes. And so to
talk: and he flatly owns that we must have a peace, for we
cannot set out a fleet; and (to use his own words) he fears that
we shall soon have enough of fighting in this new way that we
have thought on for this year. He bemoans the want of money, and
discovers himself jealous that Sir G. Carteret do not look after
or concern himself for getting money; and did further say, that
he and my Lord Chancellor do at this very day labour all they can
to vilify this new way of raising money, and making it payable as
it now is into the Exchequer; and that in pursuance hereof my
Lord Chancellor hath prevailed with the King in the close of his
speech to the House to say, that he did hope to see them come to
give money as it used to be given, without so many provisos,
meaning this new method of the Act. Mrs. Rebecca Allen, poor
heart! come to desire favour for her husband, who is clapt up,
being a Lieutenant, for sending a challenge to his Captain in the
most saucy, base language that could be writ. I perceive Sir W.
Coventry is wholly resolved to bring him to punishment; for "bear
with this," says he, "and no discipline shall ever be expected."
Sir J. Minnes did tell of the discovery of his own great-
grandfather's murder, fifteen years after he was murdered.

3rd. To the Duke of York, where Sir G. Carteret did say that he
had no funds to raise money on; and being asked by Sir W.
Coventry whether the eleven months' tax was not a fund, he
answered "No," that the banquers would not lend money upon it.
Then Sir W. Coventry burst out and said he did supplicate His
Royal Highness, and would do the same to the King, that he would
remember who they were that did persuade the King from parting
with the Chimney-money to the Parliament, and taking that in lieu
which they would certainly have given, and which would have
raised infallibly ready-money; meaning the bankers and the
farmers of the Chimney-money, (whereof Sir G. Carteret, I think,
is one;) saying plainly, that whoever did advise the King to
that, did as much as in them lay cut the King's throat, and did
wholly betray him. To which the Duke of York did assent; and
remembered that the King did say again and again at the time,
that he was assured, and did fully believe, the money would be
raised presently upon a land-tax, This put us all into a stound.
And Sir W. Coventry went on to declare that he was glad he was
come to have so lately concern in the Navy as he hath, for he
cannot now give any good account of the Navy business; and that
all his work now was to be able to provide such orders as would
justify His Royal Highness in business when it shall be called to
account; and that he do do, not concerning himself whether they
are or can be performed, or no: and that when it comes to be
examined and falls on my Lord Treasurer, he cannot help it,
whatever the issue of it shall be. One thing more Sir W.
Coventry did say to the Duke of York, when I moved again, that of
about 9000l. debt to Lanyon at Plymouth, he might pay 3700l.
worth of prize-goods that he bought lately at the candle out of
this debt due to him from the King; and the Duke of York, and Sir
G. Carteret, and Lord Barkeley, saying all of them that my Lord
Ashly would not be got to yield it, who is Treasurer of the
Prizes: Sir W. Coventry did plainly desire that it might be
declared whether the proceeds of the prizes were to go to the
helping on of the war, or no; and if it were, how then this could
be denied. Which put them all into another stound; and it is
true, God forgive us! Thence to the chapel, and there by chance
hear that Dr. Crewe is to preach; and so into the organ loft,
where I met Mr. Carteret, and my Lady Jemimah, and Sir Thomas
Crewe's two daughters, and Dr. Childe playing: and Dr. Crewe did
make a very pretty, neat, sober, honest sermon; and delivered it
very readily, decently, and gravely, beyond his years: so as I
was exceedingly taken with it, and I believe the whole chapel, he
being but young; but his manner of his delivery I do like
exceedingly. His text was, "But first seek the kingdom of God,
and all things shall be added unto you." The Dutch letters are
come, and say that the Dutch have ordered a passe to be sent for
our Commissioners, and that it is now upon the way coming with a
trumpeter blinded, as is usual. But I perceive every body begins
to doubt the success of the treaty, all their hopes being only
that if it can be had on any terms, the Chancellor will have it;
for he dare not come before a Parliament, nor a great many more
of the courtiers, and the King himself do declare he do not
desire it, nor intend but on a strait; which God defend him from!
Here I hear how the King is not so well pleased of this marriage
between the Duke of Richmond and Mrs. Stewart, as is talked; and
that he by a wile did fetch her to the Beare, at the Bridge-foot,
where a coach was ready, and they are stole away into Kent
without the King's leave; and that the King hath said he will
never see her more: but people do think that it is only a trick.
This day I saw Prince Rupert abroad in the vane-room, pretty well
as he used to be, and looks as well, only something appears to be
under his periwigg on the crown of his head.

4th. I find the Duke of Albemarle at dinner with sorry company,
some of his officers of the Army: dirty dishes and a nasty wife
at table, and had meat, of which I made but an ill dinner.
Pretty to hear how she talked against Captain Du Tel, the
Frenchman, that the Prince and her husband put out the last year;
and how, says she, the Duke of York hath made him for his good
services his capbearer, yet he fired more shot into the Prince's
ship, and others of the King's ships, than of the enemy. And the
Duke of Albemarle did confirm it, and that somebody in the fight
did cry out that a little Dutchman by his ship did plague him
more than any other; upon which they were going to order him to
be sunk, when they looked and found it was Du Tell, who, as the
Duke of Albemarle says, had killed several men in several of our
ships. He said, but for his interest, which he knew he had at
Court, he had hanged him at the yard's-arm without staying for a
Court-martiall. One Colonell Howard, at the table, magnified the
Duke of Albemarle's fight in June last, as being a greater action
than ever was done by Caesar. The Duke of Albemarle did say it
had been no great action, had all his number fought, as they
should have done, to have beat; the Dutch: but of his 55 ships,
not above 25 fought. He did give an account that it was a fight
he was forced to: the Dutch being come in his way, and he being
ordered to the buoy of the Nore, he could not pass by them
without fighting, nor avoid them without great disadvantage and
dishonour, (and this Sir G. Carteret, I afterwards giving him an
account of what he said, says that it is true that he was ordered
up to the Nore.) But I remember he said, had all his captains
fought, he would no more have doubted to have beat the Dutch with
all their number, than to eat the apple that lay on his trencher.
My Lady Duchesse, among other things, discoursed of the wisdom of
dividing the fleet; which the Generall said nothing to, though he
knew well that it come from themselves in the fleet, and was
brought up hither by Sir Edward Spragge. Colonell Howard, asking
how the Prince did, the Duke of Albemarle answering "Pretty
well," the other replied, "But not so well as to go to sea
again."--" How!" says the Duchesse, "what should he go for, if he
were well, for there are no ships for him to command? And so you
have brought your hogs to a fair market," said she. It was
pretty to hear the Duke of Albemarle himself to wish that they
would come on our ground (meaning the French), for that he!
would pay them so as to make them glad to go back to France
again; which was like a general, but not like an admiral. One at
the table told an odd passage in this late plague: that at
Petersfield (I think he said) one side of the street had every
house almost infected through the town, and the other, not one
shut up. I made Sir G. Carteret merry with telling him how many
land-admirals we are to have this year: Allen at Plymouth,
Holmes at Portsmouth, Spragge for Medway, Teddiman at Dover,
Smith to the Northward, and Harman to the Southward. With Sir
Stephen Fox talking of the sad condition of the King's purse, and
affairs thereby; and how sad the King's life must be, to pass by
his officers every hour, that are four years behind hand unpaid.
Sir W. Coventry tells me plainly, that to all future complaints
of lack of money he will answer but with the shrug of the
shoulder; which methought did come to my heart, to see him to
begin to abandon the King's affairs, and let them sink or swim.
My wife had been to day at White Hall to the Maunday, it being
Maunday Thursday; but the King did not wash the poor people's
feet himself, but the Bishop of London did it for him.

5th. Mr. Young was talking about the building of the City again:
and he told me that those few churches that are to be new built
are plainly not chosen with regard to the convenience of the
City; they stand a great many in a cluster about Cornhill: but
that all of them are either in the gift of the Lord Archbishop,
or Bishop of London, or Lord Chancellor, or gift of the City.
Thus all things, even to the building of churches, are done in
this world! This morning come to me the collectors for my Poll-
money; for which I paid for my title as Esquire and place of
Clerk of Acts, and my head and wife's servants', and their wages,
40l. 17s. And though this be a great deal, yet it is a shame I
should pay no more: that is, that I should not be assessed for
my pay, as in the victualling business and Tangier; and for my
money, which of my own accord I had determined to charge myself
with 1000l. money, till coming to the Vestry, and seeing nobody
of our ablest merchants, as Sir Andrew Rickard, [A leading man in
the East India Company, who was committed in 1668 by the House of
Lords, during their proceedings on the petition of Skinner, VIDE
JOURNALS, He purchased the advowson of his parish, St. Olave,
Hart Street, and left it to trustees IN PERPETUUM, who still
present the Rector. He was knighted by Charles II,. July 10th,
1662.] to do it, I thought it not decent for me to do it.

7th. To White Hall, and there saw the King come out of chapel
after prayers in the afternoon, which he is never at but after
having received the Sacrament: and the Court, I perceive, is
quite out of mourning; and some very fine; among others, my Lord
Gerard, in a very rich vest and coate. Here I met with my Lord
Bellasses: and it is pretty to see what a formal story he tells
me of his leaving his place upon the death of my Lord Cleveland,
[Thomas Wentworth Earl of Cleveland.] by which he is become
Captain of the Pensioners; and that the King did leave it to him
to keep the other or take this; whereas I know the contrary, that
they had a mind to have him away from Tangier. Into Moor-fields,
and did find houses built two stories high, and like to stand;
and must become a place of great trade till the City be built;
and the street is already paved as London streets used to be.

8th. Away to the Temple, to my new bookseller's; and there I did
agree for Rycaut's [This book is in the Pepysian Library.] late
History of the Turkish Policy, which cost me 55s.: whereas it
was sold plain before the late fire for 8s., and bound and
coloured as this is for 20s.; for I have bought it finely bound
and truly coloured all the figures, of which there was but six
books done so, whereof the King and Duke of York and Duke of
Monmouth, and Lord Arlington, had four. The fifth was sold, and
I have bought the sixth.

9th. Towards noon I to the Exchange, and there do hear mighty
cries for peace, and that otherwise we shall be undone; and yet
do suspect the badness of the peace we shall make. Several do
complain of abundance of land flung up by tenants out of their
hands for want of ability to pay their rents; and by name, that
the Duke of Buckingham hath 6000l. so flung up. And my father
writes that Jasper Trice, upon this pretence of his tenants'
dealing with him, is broke up house-keeping, and gone to board
with his brother, Naylor, at Offord; which is very sad. To the
King's house, and there saw "The Tameing of a Shrew," which hath
some very good pieces in it, but generally is but a mean play;
and the best part "Sawny," done by Lucy; and hath not half its
life, by reason of the words, I suppose, not being understood, at
least by me.

10th. I began to discourse with Sir W. Coventry the business of
Tangier, which by the removal of my Lord Bellasses is now to have
a new Governor; and did move him, that at this season all the
business of reforming the garrison might be considered, while
nobody was to be offended. And I told him it is plain that we do
overspend our revenue: that it is of no more profit to the King
than it was the first day, nor in itself of better credit; no
more people of condition willing to live there, nor any thing
like a place likely to turn his Majesty to account: that it hath
been hitherto, and for aught I see likely only to be used as a
jobb to do a kindness to some lord, or he that can get to be
Governor. Sir W. Coventry agreed with me so as to say, that
unless the King hath the wealth of the Mogull, he would be a
beggar to have his businesses ordered in the manner they now are:
that his garrison must be made places only of convenience to
particular persons: that he hath moved the Duke of York in it:
and that it was resolved to send no Governor thither till there
had been Commissioners sent to put the garrison in order, so as
that he that goes may go with limitations and rules to follow,
and not to do as he please, as the rest have hitherto done. That
he is not afraid to speak his mind, though to the displeasure of
any man; and that I know well enough. But that when it is come
(as it is now), that to speak the truth in behalf of the King
plainly do no good but all things bore down by other measures
than by what is best for the King, he hath no temptation to be
perpetually fighting of battles, it being more easy to him on
those terms to suffer things to go on without giving any man
offence, than to have the same thing done, and he contract the
displeasure of all the world, as he must do, that will be for the
King. To the King's little chapel; and afterwards to see the
King heal the King's Evil (wherein no pleasure, I having seen it
before): and then to see him and the Queene and Duke of York and
his wife, at dinner in the Queene's lodgings. And so with Sir G.
Carteret to his lodgings to dinner; where very good company. And
after dinner he and I to talk alone how things are managed, and
to what ruin we must come if we have not a peace. He did tell me
one occasion, how Sir Thomas Allen (whom I took for a man of
known courage and service on the King's side) was tried for his
life in Prince Rupert's fleet, in the late times for cowardice,
and condemned to be hanged, and fled to Jerzy; where Sir G.
Carteret received him, not knowing the reason of his coming
thither; and that thereupon Prince Rupert wrote to the Queene-
Mother his dislike of Sir G. Carteret's receiving a person that
stood condemned; and so Sir C. Carteret was forced to bid him
betake himself to some other place. This was strange to me. Our
Commissioners are preparing to go to Bredah to the treaty, and do
design to be going the next week.

11th. To White Hall, thinking there to have seen the Duchesse of
Newcastle's coming this night to Court to make a visit to the
Queene, the King having been with her yesterday to make her a
visit since her coming to town. The whole story of this lady is
a romance, and all she does is romantic. Her footmen in velvet
coats, and herself in an antique dress, as they say; and was the
other day at her own play, "The Humourous Lovers;" the most
ridiculous thing that ever was wrote, but yet she and her Lord
mightily pleased with it; and she at the end made her respects to
the players from her box, and did give them thanks. There is as
much expectation of her coming to Court, that so people may come
to see her, as if it were the Queene of Sweden; but I lost my
labour, for she did not come this night. There have been two
fires in the City within this week.

12th. By water to White Hall, and there did our usual business
before the Duke of York: but it fell out that, discoursing of
matters of money, it rose to a mighty heat, very high words
arising between Sir G. Carteret and Sir W. Coventry, the former
in his passion saying that the other should have helped things if
they were so bad; and the other answered, so he would, and things
should have been better had he been Treasurer of the Navy. I was
mightily troubled at this heat, and it will breed ill blood
between them, I fear; but things are in that bad condition, that
I do daily expect we shall all fly in one another's faces, when
we shall be reduced every one to answer for himself. We broke
up; and I soon after to Sir G. Carteret's chamber, where I find
the poor man telling his lady privately, and she weeping. I went
in to them, and did seem, as indeed I was, troubled for this; and
did give the best advice I could, which I think did please them:
and they do apprehend me their friend, as indeed I am, for I do
take the Vice-chamberlain for a most honest man. He did assure
me that he was not, all expences and things paid, clear in estate
15,000l. better than he was when the King come in; and that the
King and Lord Chancellor did know that he was worth, with the
debt the King owed him, 50,000l. (I think he said) when the King
come into England.

15th. Called up by Sir H. Cholmly, who tells me that my Lord
Middleton [John first Earl of Middleton in Scotland.] is for
certain chosen Governor of Tangier; a man of moderate
understanding, not covetous, but a soldier of fortune, and poor.
To the King's house by chance, where a new play: so full as I
never saw it; I forced to stand all the while close to the very
door till I took cold, and many people went away for want of
room. The King and Queene and Duke of York and Duchesse there,
and all the Court, and Sir W. Coventry. The play called, "The
Change of Crownes:" a play of Ned Howard's, [A younger son of the
Earl of Berkshire, and brother to Sir Robert Howard.] the best
that I ever saw at that house, being a great play and serious;
only Lacy did act the country-gentleman come up to Court, who do
abuse the Court with all the imaginable wit and plainness about
selling of places, and doing every thing for money. The play
took very much. Thence I to my new bookseller's, and there
bought "Hooker's Polity," the new edition, and "Dugdale's History
of the Inns of Court," of which there was but a few saved out of
the fire. Carried my wife to see the new play I saw yesterday:
but there, contrary to expectation, I find "The Silent Woman."

16th. Knipp tells me the King was so angry at the liberty taken
by Lacy's part to abuse him to his face, that he commanded they
should act no more, till Moone [Michael Mohun, a celebrated actor
belonging to the King's Company; he had served as a Major in the
Royal Army.] went and got leave for them to act again, but not
this play. The King mighty angry; and it was bitter indeed, but
very fine and witty I never was more taken with a play than I am
with this "Silent Woman," as old as it is, and as often as I have
seen it. There is more wit in it than goes to ten new plays.
Pierce told us the story how in good earnest the King is offended
with the Duke of Richmond's marrying and Mrs. Stewart's sending
the King his jewels again. As she tells it, it is the noblest
romance: and example of a brave lady that ever I read in my
life.

17th. In our way in Tower-street we saw Desbrough [Major-general
John Desborough, Cromwell's brother-in-law, and one of his
CounciI of State; afterwards promoted to the (Chancellorship of
Ireland by his nephew Richard.] walking on foot; who is now no
more a prisoner, and looks well, and just as he used to do
heretofore.

19th. Some talk about Sir W. Pen's being to buy Wanstead-House
of Sir Robert Brookes.

20th. Met Mr. Rolt, who tells me the reason of no play today at
the King's house. That Lacy had been committed to the porter's
lodge for his acting his part in the late new play, and being
thence released to come to the King's house, he there met with
Ned Howard, the poet of the play, who congratulated his release;
upon which Lacy cursed him as that it was the fault of his
nonsensical play that was the cause of his ill usage. Mr. Howard
did give him some reply: to which Lacy answered him, that he was
more a fool than a poet; upon which Howard did give him a blow on
the face with his glove; on which Lacy, having a cane in his
hand, did give him a blow over the pate. Here Rolt and others
that discoursed of it, in the pit this afternoon, did wonder that
Howard did not run him through, he being too mean a fellow to
fight with. But Howard did not do any thing but complain to the
King of it; so the whole house is silenced: and the gentry seem
to rejoice much at it, the house being become too insolent. I
have a mind to buy enough ground to build a coach-house and
stable; for I have had it much in my thoughts lately that it is
not too much for me now in degree or cost to keep a coach, but
contrarily, that I am almost ashamed to be seen in a hackney. To
Hackney church. A knight and his lady very civil to me when they
came, being Sir George Viner, and his lady in rich jewells, but
most in beauty: almost the finest woman that ever I saw. That
which I went chiefly to see was the young ladies of the schools,
whereof there is great store, very pretty; and also the organ,
which is handsome, and tunes the psalm and plays with the people;
which is mighty pretty, and makes me mighty earnest to have a
pair at our church: I having almost a mind to give them a pair
if they would settle a maintenance on them for it.