Dana Gatlin - "Missy"

Flavius Josephus - "The Life of Flavius Josephus"

Henry Seton Merriman - "In Kedar's Tents"

James Elroy Flecker - "Hassan: The Story of Hassan of Baghdad and How He Came to"

New Philadelphia Book Publisher Highlights Local Talent
Book and Publishing News from Publishers Newswire(tm)

Looking for Child to be on Cover of a New Book, 'The Model Child'
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. -- The Philadelphia literary world will celebrate the launch of two new players today, April 10th: Kay Square Press, a new publishing company focused on Philadelphia-area artists, their stories, and their art; and Kay Square's first release, 'With the Rich and Mighty: Emlen Etting of Philadelphia' (ISBN: 978-0-9815129-0-7), a critical biography by Kenneth C. Kaleta.

FlatSigned Press Alleges Don Imus Remarks Damage Legacy of President Gerald R. Ford
NEW YORK, N.Y. -- Nathan Yungerberg, an accomplished model scout and professional child photographer is launching a nation-wide casting call to find the cover model for his highly anticipated book release, 'The Model Child: A Parents Guide to the Child Modeling Industry' (ISBN: 978-0-9817018-0-6).

Books: The Diary of Samuel Pepys

S >> Samuel Pepys >> The Diary of Samuel Pepys




3rd. Attended the Duke of York about the list of ships that we
propose to sell: and here there attended Mr. Wren the first
time, who hath not yet, I think, received the Duke of York's seal
and papers. At our coming hither we found the Duke and Duchesse
all alone at dinner, methought melancholy: or else I thought so,
from the late occasion of the Chancellor's fall, who, they say,
however, takes it very contentedly.

4th. By coach to White Hall to the Council-chamber; and there
met with Sir W. Coventry going in, who took me aside, and told me
that he was just come from delivering up his seal and papers to
Mr. Wren; and told me he must now take his leave of me as a naval
man, but that he shall always bear respect to his friends there,
[The officers of the Navy.] and particularly to myself with great
kindness; which I returned to him with thanks, and so with much
kindness parted; and he into the Council. Staid and heard
Alderman Barker's case of his being abused by the Council of
Ireland, touching his lands there. All I observed there is the
silliness of the King, playing with his dog all the while, and
not minding the business; and what he said was mighty weak: but
my Lord Keeper I observed to be a mighty able man. To the Duke
of York's playhouse, and there saw "Mustapha;" which the more I
see the more I like; and is a most admirable poem, and bravely
acted; only both Betterton and Harris could not contain from
laughing in the midst of a most serious part, from the ridiculous
mistake of one of the men upon the stage; which I did not like.
This morning was told by Sir W. Batten that he do hear from Mr.
Grey, who hath good intelligence, that our Queene is to go into a
nunnery there to spend her days; and that my Lady Castlemaine is
going to France, and is to have a pension of 4000l. a-year. This
latter I do more believe than the other, it being very wise in
her to do it and save all she hath, besides easing the King and
kingdom of a burden and reproach.

8th. Lord Brouncker says he do believe that my Lady Castlemaine
is compounding with the King for a pension, and to leave the
Court; but that her demands are mighty high: but he believes the
King is resolved, and so do everybody else I speak with, to do
all possible to please the Parliament; and he do declare that he
will deliver every body up to give an account of their actions:
and that last Friday, it seems, there was an Act of Council
passed, to put out all Papists in office, and to keep out any
from coming in. Sir G. Downing told he had been seven years
finding out a man that could dress English sheep-akin as it
should be; and indeed it is now as good in all respects as kidd;
and, he says, will save 100,000l. a-year that goes out to France
for kidds'-skins. He tells me that at this day the King in
familiar talk do call the Chancellor "the insolent man," and says
that he would not let him speak himself in Council: which is
very high, and do show that the Chancellor is like to be in a bad
state, unless he can defend himself better than people think.
And yet Creed tells me that he do hear that my Lord Cornbury
[Henry, afterwards second Earl of Clarendon.] do say that his
father do long for the coming of the Parliament, in order to his
own vindication, more than any one of his enemies. And here it
comes into my head to set down what Mr. Rawlinson (whom I met in
Fenchurch-street on Friday last looking over his ruines there)
told me that he was told by one of my Lord Chancellor's gentlemen
lately, that a grant coming to him to be sealed, wherein the King
hath given my Lady Castlemaine, or somebody by her means, a place
which he did not like well of, he did stop the grant; saying,
that he thought this woman would sell every thing shortly: which
she hearing of, she sent to let him know that she had disposed of
this place, and did not doubt in a little time to dispose of his.
To White Hall, and saw the King and Queene at dinner; and
observed (which I never did before) the formality, but it is but
a formality, of putting a bit of bread wiped upon each dish into
the mouth of every man that brings a dish; but it should be in
the sauce. Here were some Russes come to see the King at dinner;
among others the interpreter, a comely Englishman, in the Envoy's
own clothes; which the Envoy, it seems, in vanity did send to
show his fine clothes upon this man's back, he being one, it
seems, of a comelier presence than himself: and yet it is said
that none of their clothes are their own, but taken out of the
King's own Wardrobe; and which they dare not bring back dirty or
spotted, but clean, or are in danger of being beaten, as they
say: inasmuch that, Sir Charles Cotterell [Knight, and Master of
the Ceremonies from 1641 to 1686, when he resigned in favour of
his son.] says, when they are to have an audience they never
venture to put on their clothes till he appears to come and fetch
them; and as soon as ever they come home, put them off again. I
to Sir G. Carteret's to dinner; where Mr. Cofferer Ashburnham;
who told a good story of a prisoner's being condemned at
Salisbury for a small matter. While he was on the bench with his
father-in-law Judge Richardson, [Sir Thomas Richardson, Knight;
appointed Chief Justice of the Common Pleas 1626.] and while
they were considering to transport him to save his life, the
fellow flung a great stone at the Judge, that missed him, but
broke through the wainscoat. Upon this he had his hand cut off,
and was hanged presently. [This anecdote is thus confirmed in
Chief Justice Treby's NOTES TO DYER'S REPORTS, FOLIO EDITION,
p.188. b. "Richardson, Ch. Just. de C. Banc. al Assises at
Salisbury, in summer 1631, fuit assault per prisoner la condemne
pur felony; que puis son condemnation ject un brick-bat a le dit
Justice, qui narrowly mist; et pur ceo immediately fuit indictment
drawn, per Noy, [The Attorney-General.] eavers le prisoner, et
son dexter manus ampute, and fix at gibbet, sur que luy meme
immediatement hange in presence de Court."]

9th. To White Hall; and here do hear, by Tom Killigrew and Mr.
Progers, that for certain news is come of Harman's having spoiled
nineteen of twenty-two French ships, somewhere about the
Barbadoes, I think they said; but wherever it is, it is a good
service and very welcome. To the Bear-garden, where now the yard
was full of people, and those most of them seamen, striving by
force to get in. I got into the common pit; and there, with my
cloak about my face, I stood and saw the prize fought, till one
of them, a shoemaker, was so cut in both his wrists that he could
not fight any longer, and then they broke off: his enemy was a
butcher. The sport very good, and various humours to be seen
among the rabble that is there.

10th. To St. James's, where we all met and did our usual weekly
business with the Duke of York. But, Lord! methinks both he and
we are mighty flat and dull to what we used to be when Sir W.
Coventry was among us. Met Mr. Povy; and he and I to walk an
hour or more in the Pell Mell, talking of the times. He tells me
among other things, that this business of the Chancellor do breed
a kind of inward distance between the King and the Duke of York,
and that it cannot be avoided; for though the latter did at first
move it through his folly, yet he is made to see that he is
wounded by it, and is become much a less man than be was, and so
will be: but he tells me that they are, and have always been,
great dissemblers one towards another; and that their parting
heretofore in France is never to be thoroughly reconciled between
them. He tells me that he believes there is no such thing likely
to be as a composition with my Lady Castlemaine, and that she
shall be got out of the way before the Parliament comes; for he
says she is high as ever she was, though he believes the King is
as weary of her as is possible; and would give any thing to
remove her, but he is so weak in his passion that he dare not do
it: that he do believe that my Lord Chancellor will be doing
some acts in the Parliament which shall render him popular; and
that there are many people now do speak kindly of him that did
not before; but that if he do do this, it must provoke the King
and that party that removed him. He seems to doubt what the King
of France will do, in case an accommodation shall be made between
Spain and him for Flanders, for then he will have nothing more
easy to do with his army than to subdue us.

11th. Come to dine with me Sir W. Batten and his lady, and Mr.
Griffith their Ward, and Sir W. Pen and his lady, and Mrs.
Lowther, (who is grown either through pride or want of manners a
fool, having not a word to say; and, as a further mark of a
beggarly proud fool, hath a bracelet of diamonds and rubies about
her wrist, and a sixpenny necklace about her neck, and not one
good rag of clothes upon her back;) and Sir John Chichly in their
company, and Mr. Turner. Here I had an extraordinary good and
handsome dinner for them, better than any of them deserve or
understand (saving Sir John Chichly and Mrs. Turner.) To the Duke
of York's playhouse, and there saw part of the "Ungrateful
Lovers;" and sat by Beck Marshall, whose hand is very handsome.
Here came Mr. Moore, and sat and discoursed with me of public
matters: the sum of which is, that he do doubt that there is
more at the bottom than the removal of the Chancellor; that is,
he do verily believe that the King do resolve to declare the Duke
of Monmouth legitimate, and that we shall soon see if. This I do
not think the Duke of York will endure without blows; but his
poverty, and being lessened by having the Chancellor fallen and
Sir W. Coventry gone from him, will disable him from being able
to do any thing almost, he being himself almost lost in the
esteem of people; and will be more and more, unless my Lord
Chancellor (who is already begun to be pitied by some people, and
to be better thought of than was expected) do recover himself in
Parliament. He do say that that is very true, that my Lord
Chancellor did lately make some stop of some grants of 2000l.
a-year to my Lord Grandison, [George Villiers, fourth Viscount
Grandison, and younger brother of Lady Castlemaine's father, who
had died without male issue.] which was only in his name, for
the use of my Lady Castlemaine's children; and that this did
incense her, and she did speak very scornful words and sent a
scornful message to him about it.

14th. The King and Duke of York and the whole Court is mighty
joyful at the Duchesse of York's being brought to bed this day,
or yesterday, of a son; which will settle men's minds mightily.
And Pierce tells me that he do think that what the King do, of
giving the Duke of Monmouth the command of his Guards, and giving
my Lord Gerard 12,000l. for it, is merely to find an employment
for him upon which he may live, and not out of any design to
bring him into any title to the Crowne; which Mr. Moore did the
other day put me into great fear of. To the King's playhouse to
see "The Northerne Castle," which I think I never did see,
before. Knipp acted is it, and did her part very extraordinary
well; but the play is but a mean, sorry play. Sir H. Cholmly was
with me a good while; who tells me that the Duke of York's child
is christened, the Duke of Albemarle and the Marquis of Worcester
[Edward, second Marquis of Worcester, author of "The Century of
Inventions."] godfathers, and my Lady Suffolke godmother; and
they have named it Edgar, which is a brave name. But it seems
they are more joyful in the Chancellor's family, at the birth of
this Prince, than in wisdom they should, for fear it should give
the King cause of jealousy. Sir H. Cholmly thinks there may
possibly be some persons that would be glad to have the Queene
removed to some monastery, or somewhere or other, to make room
for a new wife; for they will all be unsafe under the Duke of
York. He says the King and Parliament will agree; that is, that
the King will do any thing that they will have him. I met with
"a fourth Advice to the Painter upon the coming in of the Dutch
to the River and end of the war," [In the Collection of Poems on
Affairs of State, there are four pieces called "DIRECTIONS TO A
PAINTER;" the first of them "CONCERNING THE DUTCH WAR, 1667, BY
SIR JOHN DENHAM." The same book also contains "THE LAST
INSTRUCTIONS TO A PAINTER ABOUT THE DUTCH WARS, BY ANDREW MARVEL,
ESQ.," which from its severity I suppose to be the work here
alluded to.] that made my heart ake to read, it being too sharp
and so true. Here I also saw a printed account of the
examinations taken touching the burning of the City of London,
showing the plot of the Papists therein; which, it seems, hath
been ordered to be burnt by the hands of the common hangman, in
Westminster Palace. My wife and Mercer and I away to the King's
playhouse, to see "The Scornfull Lady;" but it being now three
o'clock there was not one soul in the pit; whereupon, for shame
we could not go in, but, against our wills, went all to see "Tu
quoque" again, where there was pretty store of company. Here we
saw Madam Morland, [Sir Samuel Morland's first wife.] who is
grown mighty fat, but is very comely. Thence to the King's
house, upon a wager of mine with my wife that there would be no
acting there to-day there being no company: so I went in and
found a pretty good company there, and saw their dance at the end
of the play.

18th. I walked in the Exchange; which is now made mighty pretty,
by having windows and doors before all their shops, to keep out
the cold.

20th. By coach to the King's playhouse, and there saw, "The Mad
Couple," [Probably "A Mad Couple well Matched" a comedy by
Richard Brome, printed in 1653.] my wife having been at the same
play with Jane in the 18d. seat.

21st. The King, Duke of York, and the men of the Court have been
these four or five days a-hunting at Bagshot.

22nd. At noon comes Mr. Sheres, whom I find a good, ingenious
man, but do talk a little too much of his travels. He left my
Lord Sandwich well, but in pain to be at home for want of money,
which comes very hardly. I have indulged myself more in pleasure
for these last two months than ever I did in my life before,
since I came to be a person concerned in business; and I doubt,
when I come to make up my accounts, I shall find it so by the
expence.

23rd. At my Lord Ashly's by invitation to dine there. At table
it is worth remembering that my Lord tells us that the House of
Lords is the last appeal that a man can make upon a point of
interpretation of the law, and that therein they are above the
Judges; and that he did assert this in the Lords' House upon the
late occasion of the quarrel between my Lord Bristoll and the
Chancellor, when the former did accuse the latter of treason, and
the Judges did bring it in not to be treason: my Lord Ashly did
declare that the judgement of the Judges was nothing in the
presence of their Lordships, but only as far as they were the
properest men to bring precedents; but not to interpret the law
to their Lordships, but only the inducements of their
persuasions: and this the Lords did concur in. Another pretty
thing was my Lady Ashly's speaking of the bad Qualities of glass-
coaches; among others, the flying open of the doors upon any
great shake: but another was, that my Lady Peterborough being in
her glass-coach with the glass up, and seeing a lady pass by in a
coach whom she would salute, the glass was so clear that she
thought it had been open, and so ran her head through the glass!
We were put into my Lord's room before he could come to us, and
there had opportunity to look over his state of his accounts of
the prizes; and there saw how bountiful the King hath been to
several people: and hardly any man almost, commander of the Navy
of any note, but hath had some reward or other out of them; and
many sums to the Privy-purse, but not so many, I see, as I
thought there had been: but we could not look quite through it,
But several Bed-chambermen and people about the Court had good
sums; and, among others, Sir John Minnes and Lord Brouncker have
200l. a-piece for looking to the East India prizes, while I did
their work for them. By and by my Lord came, and we did look
over Yeabsly's business a little; and I find how prettily this
cunning lord can be partial and dissemble it in this case, being
privy to the bribe he is to receive. With Sir H. Cholmly to
Westminster; who by the way told me how merry the King and Duke
of York and Court were the other day, when they were abroad a-
hunting. They came to Sir G. Carteret's house at Cranbourne, and
there were entertained, and all made drunk; and being all drunk,
Armerer did come to the King, and swore to him by God, "Sir,"
says he, "you are not so kind to the Duke of York of late as you
used to be."--"Not I?" says the King. "Why so?" "Why," says
he, "if you are, let us drink his health." "Why let us," says
the King. Then he fell on his knees and drank it; and having
done, the King began to drink it. "Nay, Sir," says Armerer, by
God you must do it on your knees!" So he did, and then all the
company: and having done it, all fell a-crying for joy, being
all maudlin and kissing one another, the King the Duke of York,
and the Duke of York the King; and in such a maudlin pickle as
never people were: and so passed the day. But Sir H. Cholmly
tells me, that the King hath this good luck: that the next day
he hates to have any body mention what he had done the day
before, nor will suffer any body to gain upon him that way; which
is a good quality. By and by comes Captain Cocke about business;
who tells me that Mr. Brouncker is lost for ever, notwithstanding
that my Lord Brouncker hath advised with him (Cocke) how he might
make a peace with the Duke of York and Chancellor, upon promise
of serving him in the Parliament: but Cocke says that is base to
offer, and will have no success there. He says that Mr. Wren
hath refused a present of Tom Wilson's for his place of Store-
keeper at Chatham, and is resolved never to take any thing:
which is both wise in him, and good to the King's service.

25th. With Sir H. Cholmly (who came to me about his business) to
White Hall: and thither came also my Lord Brouncker. And we by
and by called in, and our paper read; and much discourse thereon
by Sir G. Carteret, my Lord Anglesy, Sir W. Coventry, and my Lord
Ashly, and myself: but I could easily discern that they none of
them understood the business; and the King at last ended it with
saying lazily, "Why," says he, "after all this discourse I now
come to understand it; and that is, that there can nothing be
done in this more than is possible," (which was so silly as I
never heard): "and therefore," says he, "I would have these
gentlemen do as much as possible to hasten the Treasurer's
accounts; and that is all." And so we broke up: and I confess
I went away ashamed, to see how slightly things are advised upon
there. Here I saw the Duke of Buckingham sit in Council again,
where he was re-admitted, it seems, the last Council-day: and it
is wonderful to see how this man is come again to his places, all
of them, after the reproach and disgrace done him; so that things
are done in a most foolish manner quite through. The Duke of
Buckingham did second Sir W. Coventry in the advising the King
that he would not concern himself in the evening or not evening
any man's accounts, or any thing else, wherein he had not the
same satisfaction that would satisfy the Parliament; saying, that
nothing would displease the Parliament; more than to find him
defending any thing that is not right nor justifiable to the
utmost degree: but methought he spoke it but very poorly. After
this I walked up and down the Gallery till noon: and here I met
with Bishop Fuller, who, to my great joy, is made (which I did
not hear before) Bishop of Lincolne. At noon I took coach, and
to Sir G. Carteret's in Lincoln's-inn-fields, to the house that
is my Lord's, which my Lord lets him have: and this is the first
day of dining there. And there dined with him and his lady my
Lord Privy-seale, [John Lord Roberts, afterwards Earl of Radnor,
filled this office from 1661 to 1669.] who is indeed a very
sober man: who, among other talk, did mightily wonder at the
reason of the growth of the credit of bankers, (since it is so
ordinary a thing for citizens to break out of knavery.) Upon
this we had much discourse; and I observed therein, to the
honour of this City, that I have not heard of one citizen of
London broke in all this war, this plague, or this fire, and
this coming up of the enemy among us; which he owned to be very
considerable. I to the King's playhouse, my eyes being so bad
since last night's straining of them that I am hardly able to
see, besides the pain which I have in them. The play was a new
play: and infinitely full; the King and all the Court almost
there. It is "The Storme," a play of Fletcher's; which is but
so-so, methinks; only there is a most admirable dance at the
end, of the ladies, in a military manner, which indeed did
please me mightily.

27th. Creed and Sheres come and dined with me; and we had a
great deal of pretty discourse of the ceremoniousness of the
Spaniards, whose ceremonies are so many and so known, that, he
tells me, upon all occasions of joy or sorrow in a Grandee's
family, my Lord Embassador is fain to send one with EN HORA BUENA
(if it be upon a marriage or birth of a child), or a PESA ME, if
it be upon the death of a child, or so. And these ceremonies are
so set, and the words of the compliment, that he hath been sent
from my Lord when he hath done no more than send in word to the
Grandee that one was there from the Embassador; and he knowing
what was his errand, that hath been enough, and he never spoken
with him; nay, several Grandees having been to marry a daughter,
have wrote letters to my Lord to give him notice, and out of the
greatness of his wisdom to desire his advice, though people he
never saw; and then my Lord he answers by commending the
greatness of his discretion in making so good an alliance, &c.
and so ends. He says that it is so far from dishonour to a man
to give private revenge for an affront, that the contrary is a
disgrace; they holding that he that receives an affront is not
fit to appear in the sight of the world till he hath revenged
himself; and therefore, that a gentleman there that receives an
affront oftentimes never appears again in the world till he hath,
by some private way or other, revenged himself: and that, on
this account, several have followed their enemies privately to
the Indys, thence to Italy, thence to France and back again,
waiting for an opportunity to be revenged. He says my Lord was
fain to keep a letter from the Duke of York to the Queene of
Spain a great while in his hands, before he could think fit to
deliver it, till he had learnt whether the Queene could receive
it, it being directed to his cosen. He says that many ladies in
Spain, after they are found to be with child, do never stir out
of their beds or chambers till they are brought to bed: so
ceremonious they are in that point also. He tells me of their
wooing by serenades at the window, and that their friends do
always make the match; but yet they have opportunities to meet at
masse at church, and there they make love: that the Court there
hath no dancing nor visits at night to see the King or Queene,
but is always just like a cloyster, nobody stirring in it; that
my Lord Sandwich wears a beard now, turned up in the Spanish
manner. But that which pleases me most indeed is, that the peace
which he hath made with Spain is now printed here, and is
acknowledged by all the merchants to be the best peace that ever
England had with them; and it appears that the King thinks it so,
for this is printed before the ratification is gone over:
whereas what with France and Holland was not in a good while
after, till copys came over of it in English out of Holland and
France, that it was a reproach not to have it printed here. This
I am mighty glad of; and is the first and only piece of good
news, or thing fit to be owned, that this nation hath done
several years.

28th. All the morning at the office busy upon an Order of
Council, wherein they are mightily at a loss what to advise about
our discharging of seamen by ticket, there being no money to pay
their wages before January. After dinner comes Sir Fr. Hollis to
me about business; and I with him by coach to the Temple, and
there I light; all the way he telling me romantic lies of himself
and his family, how they have been Parliament-men for Grimsby, he
and his forefathers, this 140 years; and his father is now: and
himself, at this day, stands for to be with his father, [Jervas
Hollis and Sir Frecheville Hollis represented Grimsby in 1669.
--CHAMBERLAYNES'S ANTIQUAE NOTITIA.] by the death of his fellow
burgess; and that he believes it will cost him as much as it did
his predecessor, which was 300l. in ale, and 52l. in buttered
ale; which I believe is one of his devilish lies.