Books: The Diary of Samuel Pepys

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12th. My bookseller did give me a list of the twenty who were
mentioned for the Commission in Parliament for the Accounts: and
it is strange that of the twenty the Parliament could not think
fit to choose their nine, but were fain to add three that were
not in the list of the twenty, they being many of them factious
people and ringleaders in the late troubles; so that Sir John
Talbot did fly out and was very hot in the business of Wildman's
being named, and took notice how he was entertained in the bosom
of the Duke of Buckingham, a Privy-counsellor; and that it was
fit to be observed by the House, and punished. The men that I
know of the nine I like very well; that is, Mr. Pierrepoint, Lord
Brereton, [William, third Lord Brereton, of Leaghlin in Ireland,
M.P. for Cheshire, where he possessed an estate which he disposed
of on account of the exigences of the times, and his father's
losses in the cause of Charles I. He was educated at Breda, and
was an accomplished and amiable nobleman, and one of the Founders
of the Royal Society, Ob. 1679.] and Sir William Turner; and I
do think the rest are so too, but such as will not be able to do
this business as it ought to be to do any good with. Here I did
also see their votes against my Lord Chief Justice Keeling, that
his proceedings were illegal, and that he was a contemner of
Magna Charta, the great preserver of our lives, freedoms and
properties, and an introduction to arbitrary government; which is
very high language, and of the same sound with that in the year
1640. This day my Lord Chancellor's letter was burned at the
'Change.

13th. To Westminster, to the Parliament-door, to speak with
Roger: and here I saw my Lord Keeling go into the House to the
bar, to have his business heard by the whole House to-day; and a
great crowd of people to stare upon him. Here I hear that the
Lord's Bill for banishing and disabling my Lord Clarendon from
bearing any office, or being in the King's dominions, and it
being made felony for any to correspond with him but his own
children, is brought to the Commons; but they will not agree to
it, being not satisfied with that as sufficient, but will have a
Bill of Attainder brought in against him: but they make use of
this against the Lords, that they that would not think there was
cause enough to commit him without hearing, will have him
banished without hearing. By and by comes out my cosen Roger to
me, he being not willing to be in the House at the business of my
Lord Keeling, lest he should be called upon to complain against
him for his abusing him at Cambridge. Among other news it is now
fresh that the King of Portugall is deposed, and his brother made
King; and that my Lord Sandwich is gone from Madrid with great
honour to Lisbon, to make up at this juncture a peace to the
advantage, as the Spaniard would have it, of Spain. I wish it
may be for my Lord's honour, if it be so; but it seems my Lord is
in mighty estimation in Spain. With my cosen Roger to
Westminster Hall; and there we met the House rising: and they
have voted my Lord Chief Justice Keeling's proceedings illegal;
but that out of particular respect to him and the mediation of a
great many, they have resolved to proceed no further against him.

16th. To Westminster, where I find the House mighty busy upon a
petition against my Lord Gerard, which lays heavy things to his
charge, of his abusing the King in his Guards; and very hot the
House is upon it.

17th. This day I do hear at White Hall that the Duke of Monmouth
is sick, and in danger of the small-pox.

19th. To the office, where Commissioner Middleton first took his
place at the Board as Surveyor of the Navy; and indeed I think
will be an excellent officer, I am sure much beyond what his
predecessor was. This evening the King by message (which he
never did before) hath passed several Bills, among others that
for the Accounts and for banishing my Lord Chancellor, and hath
adjourned the House to February; at which I am glad, hoping in
this time to get leisure to state my Tangier Accounts, and to
prepare better for the Parliament's enquiries. Here I hear how
the House of Lords with great severity, if not tyranny, have
proceeded against poor Carr, who only erred in the manner of the
presenting his petition against my Lord Gerard, it being first
printed before it was presented: which was, it seems, by
Colonell Sands's going into the country, into whose hands he had
put it: the poor man is ordered to stand in the pillory two or
three times, and to have his eares cut, and be imprisoned I know
not how long. But it is believed that the Commons, when they
meet, will not be well pleased with it; and they have no reason,
I think.

21st. The Nonconformists are mighty high, and their meetings
frequented and connived at; and they do expect to have their day
now soon; for my Lord of Buckingham is a declared friend to them,
and even to the Quakers, who had very good words the other day
from the King himself: and, what is more, the Archbishop of
Canterbury [Gilbert Sheldon.] is called no more to the Caball,
nor, by the way, Sir W. Coventry: which I am sorry for, the
Caball at present being, as he says, the King, and Duke of
Buckingham, and Lord Keeper, the Duke of Albemarle, and Privy
Seale. The Bishops differing from the King in the late business
in the House of Lords, have caused this and what is like to
follow, for every body is encouraged now-a-days to speak, and
even to preach (as I have heard one of them), as bad things
against them as ever in the year 1640; which is a strange change.

23rd. I to the Exchange; and there I saw Carr stand in the
pillory for the business of my Lord Gerard; and there hear by
Creed that the Bishops of Winchester [George Morley.] and of
Rochester, [John Dolben.] and the Dean of the Chapel, and some
other great prelates, are suspended: and a cloud upon the
Archbishop ever since the late business in the House of Lords;
and I believe it will be a heavy blow to the Clergy.

24th. By coach to St. James's, it being about six at night; my
design being to see the ceremonys, this night being the eve of
Christmas, at the Queene's chapel. I got in almost up to the
rail, and with a good deal of patience staid from nine at night
to two in the morning in a very great crowd: and there expected
but found nothing extraordinary, there being nothing but a high
masse. The Queene was there, and some high-ladies. All being
done, I was sorry for my coming, and missing of what I expected;
which was, to have had a child born and dressed there, and a
great deal of do; but we broke up, and nothing like it done. And
there I left people receiving the Sacrament: and the Queene
gone, and ladies; only my Lady Castlemaine, who looked prettily
in her night-clothes. And so took my coach, which waited; and
drank some burnt wine at the Rose Tavern door while the
constables came, and two or three bellmen went by, it being a
fine light moonshine morning: and so home round the City.

26th. With my wife to the King's playhouse, and there saw "The
Surprizall;" [A comedy, by Sir Robert Howard.] which did not
please me to-day, the actors not pleasing me; and especially
Nell's acting of a serious part, which she spoils. I hear this
day that Mrs. Stewart do at this day keep a great court at
Somerset House with her husband the Duke of Richmond, she being
visited for her beauty's sake by people as the Queene is at
nights; and they say also that she is likely to go to Court;
again, and there put my Lady Castlemaine's nose out of joynt.

27th. A Committee of Tangier met; the Duke of York there. And
there I did discourse over to them their condition as to money;
which they were all mightily as I could desire satisfied with,
but the Duke of Albemarle, who takes the part of the Guards
against us in our supplies of money; which is an odd
consideration for a dull, heavy blockhead as he is, understanding
no more of either than a goose: but the ability and integrity of
Sir W. Coventry, in all the King's concernments, I do and must
admire. After the Committee, Sir W. Coventry tells me that the
businesse of getting the Duchesse of Richmond to Court is broke
off, the Duke not suffering it; and thereby great trouble is
brought among the people that endeavoured it, and thought they
had compassed it. But Lord! to think that at this time the King
should mind no other cares but these! We tells me that my Lord
of Canterbury is a mighty stout man, and a man of a brave, high
spirit, and cares not for this disfavour that he is under at
Court, knowing that the King cannot take away his profits during
his life, and therefore do not value it.

28th. To the King's house, and there saw "The Mad Couple;" which
is but an ordinary play; but only Nell's and Hart's mad parts are
most excellent done, but especially her's: which makes it a
miracle to me to think how ill she do any serious part, as the
other day, just like a fool or changeling; and, in a mad part, do
beyond all imitation almost. It pleased us mightily to see the
natural affection of a poor woman, the mother of one of the
children brought on the stage: the child crying she by force got
upon the stage, and took up her child and carried it away off of
the stage from Hart. Many fine faces here to-day. I am told to-
day, which troubles me, that great complaint is made upon the
'Change, among our merchants, that the very Ostend little
pickaroon men-of-war do offer violence to our merchant-men and
search them, beat our masters, and plunder them, upon pretence of
carrying Frenchmen's goods.

29th. At night comes Mrs. Turner to see us; and there, among
other talk, she tells me that Mr. William Pen, who is lately come
over from Ireland, is a Quaker again, or some very melancholy
thing; that he cares for no company, nor comes into any which is
a pleasant thing, after his being abroad so long, and his father
such a hypocritical rogue, and at this time an atheist.

30th. Sir G. Carteret and I alone did talk of the ruinous
condition we are in, the King being going to put out of the
Council so many able men; such as my Lord Anglesy, Ashly, Hollis,
Secretary Morrice (to bring in Mr. Trevor, [John Trevor, knighted
by Charles II. who made him Secretary of State, 1668, which
office he held till his death in 1672.]) and the Archbishop of
Canterbury and my Lord Bridgewater. He tells me that this is
true, only the Duke of York do endeavour to hinder it, and the
Duke of York himself did tell him so; that the King and the Duke
of York do not in company disagree, but are friendly; but that
there is a core in their hearts, he doubts, which is not to be
easily removed; for these men so suffer only for their constancy
to the Chancellor, or at least from the King's ill-will against
him. He do suggest that something is intended for the Duke of
Monmouth, and, it may be, against the Queene also: that we are
in no manner sure against an invasion the next year: that the
Duke of Buckingham do rule all now, and the Duke of York comes
indeed to the Caball, but signifies little there. That this new
faction do not endure, nor the King; Sir W. Coventry; but yet
that he is so usefull that they cannot be without him; but that
he is not now called to the Caball. That my Lord of Buckingham,
Bristoll, and Arlington do seem to agree in these things; but
that they do not in their hearts trust one another, but do drive
several ways all of them. In short, he do bless himself that he
is no more concerned in matters now; and the hopes he hath of
being at liberty, when his accounts are over, to retire into the
country. That he do give over the kingdom for wholly lost. This
day I got a little rent in my new fine camlett cloak with the
latch of Sir G. Carteret's door; but it is darned up at my
tailor's, that it will be no great blemish to it; but it troubled
me. I could not but observe that Sir Philip Carteret [Sir G.
Carteret's eldest son, mentioned before, who had been knighted.]
would fain have given me my going into a play; but yet when he
came to the door he had no money to pay for himself I having
refused to accept of it for myself, but was fain; and I perceive
he is known there, and do run upon the score for plays, which is
a shame; but I perceive always he is in want of money. In the
pit I met with Sir Ch. North (formerly Mr. North, who was with my
Lord at sea); and he, of his own accord, was so silly as to tell
me he is married; and for her quality, being a Lord's daughter,
[Catherine, daughter to William Lord Grey of Warke, and widow of
Sir Edward Moseley.] (my Lord Grey) and person and beauty, and
years and estate and disposition, he is the happiest man in the
world. I am sure he is an ugly fellow; but a good scholar and
sober gentleman; and heir to his father, now Lord North, the old
Lord being dead.

31st. Thus ends the year, with great happiness to myself and
family as to health and good condition in the world, blessed be
God for it! only with great trouble to my mind in reference to
the publick, there being little hopes left but that the whole
nation must in a very little time be lost, either by troubles at
home, the Parliament being dissatisfied, and the King led into
unsettled councils by some about him, himself considering little,
and divisions growing between the King and Duke of York; or else
by foreign invasion, to which we must submit if any at this bad
point of time should come upon us, which the King of France is
well able to do. These thoughts, and some cares upon me,
concerning my standing in this office when the Committee of
Parliament shall come to examine our Navy matters, which they
will now shortly do. I pray God they may do the kingdom service
therein, as they will have sufficient opportunity of doing it!

JANUARY 1, 1667-8. Dined with my Lord Crewe, with whom was Mr.
Browne, Clerk of the House of Lords, and Mr. John Crewe. Here
was mighty good discourse, as there is always: and among other
things my Lord Crewe did turn to a place in the Life of Sir
Philip Sidney, wrote by Sir Fulke Greville, which do foretell the
present condition of this nation, in relation to the Dutch, to
the very degree of a prophecy, and is so remarkable that I am
resolved to buy one of them, it being quite through a good
discourse. Here they did talk much of the present cheapness of
corne, even to a miracle; so as their farmers can pay no rent,
but do fling up their lands; and would pay in corne: but (which
I did observe to my Lord, and he liked well of it) our gentry are
grown so ignorant in every thing of good husbandry that they know
not how to bestow this corne; which, did they understand but a
little trade, they would be able to joyne together and know what
markets there are abroad, and send it thither, and thereby ease
their tenants and be able to pay themselves. They did talk much
of the disgrace the Archbishop is fallen under with the King, and
the rest of the Bishops also. Thence I after dinner to the Duke
of York's playhouse, and there saw "Sir Martin Mar-all;" which I
have seen so often, and yet am mightily pleased with it, and
think it mighty witty, and the fullest of proper matter for mirth
that; ever was writ; and I do clearly see that they do improve in
their acting of it. Here a mighty company of citizens,
prentices, and others; and it makes me observe, that when I began
first to be able to bestow a play on myself, I do not remember
that I saw so many by half of the ordinary prentices and mean
people in the pit at 2s. 6d. a-piece as now; I going for several
years no higher than the 12d. and then the 18d. places, though I
strained hard to go in then when I did: so much the vanity and
prodigality of the age is to be observed in this particular.
Thence I to White Hall, and there walked up and down the house a
while, and do hear nothing of any thing done further in this
business of the change of Privy-counsellors: only I hear that
Sir G. Savile, [Of Rufford, co. Notts, Bart.; created Lord Savile
of Eland, and Viscount Halifax, 1668, Earl of Halifax, 1679, and
Marquis of Halifax, 1682. Ob. 1695.] one of the Parliament
Committee of nine for examining the Accounts, is by the King made
a Lord, the Lord Halifax; which, I believe, will displease the
Parliament. By and by I met with Mr. Brisband; and having it in
my mind this Christmas to do (what I never can remember that I
did) go to see the gaming at the groome-porters (I having in my
coming from the playhouse stepped into the two Temple-halls, and
there saw the dirty prentices and idle people playing; wherein I
was mistaken, in thinking to have seen gentlemen of quality
playing there), he did lead me thither; where, after staying an
hour, they began to play, at about eight at night. And to see
the formality of the groome-porter, who is their judge of all
disputes in play and all quarrels that may arise therein, and how
his under-officers are there to observe true play at each table,
and to give new dice, is a consideration I never could have
thought had been in the world, had I not now seen it. And so I
having enough for once, refusing to venture, though Brisband
pressed me hard, went away.

2nd. Attended the King and the Duke of York in the Duke of
York's lodgings, with the rest of the officers and many of the
commanders of the fleet, and some of our master shipwrights, to
discourse the business of having the topmasts of ships made to
lower abaft of the mainmast; a business I understand not, and so
can give no good account; but I do see that by how much greater
the Council and the number of counsellors is, the more confused
the issue is of their councils; so that little was said to the
purpose regularly, and but little use was made of it, they coming
to a very broken conclusion upon it to make trial in a ship or
two. From this they fell to other talk about the fleet's
fighting this late war, and how the King's ships have been
shattered; though the King said that the world would not have it
that above ten or twenty ships in any fight did do any service,
and that this hath been told so to him himself by ignorant
people. The Prince, who was there, was mightily surprised at it,
and seemed troubled; but the King told him that it was only
discourse of the world. But Mr. Wren whispered me in the eare,
and said that the Duke of Albemarle had put it into his Narrative
for the House, that not above twenty-five ships fought in the
engagement wherein he was, but that he was advised to leave it
out; but this he did write from sea, I am sure, or words to that
effect: and did displease many commanders, among others Captain
Batts, who the Duke of York said was a very stout man, all the
world knew; and that another was brought into his ship that; had
been turned out of his place when he was a boatswain, not long
before, for being a drunkard. This the Prince [Rupert.] took
notice of, and would have been angry, I think, but they let their
discourse fall: but the Duke of York was earnest in it. And the
Prince said to me, standing by me, "If they will turn out every
man that will be drunk, they must turn out all the commanders in
the fleet. What is the matter if he be drunk, so when he comes
to fight he do his work? At least, let him be punished for his
drunkenness, and not put out of his command presently." This he
spoke very much concerned for this idle fellow, one Greene.
After this the King began to tell stories of the cowardice of the
Spaniards in Flanders, when he was there, at the siege of Mardike
and Dunkirke; which was very pretty, though he tells them but
meanly. To Westminster Hall, and there staid a little: and then
home, and by the way did find with difficulty the Life of Sir
Philip Sidney. And the bookseller told me that he had sold four
within this week or two, which is more than ever he sold in all
his life of them; and he could not imagine what should be the
reason of it: but I suppose it is from the same reason of
people's observing of this part therein, touching his prophecying
our present condition here in England in relation to the Dutch,
which is very remarkable. It is generally believed that France
is endeavouring a firmer league with us than the former, in order
to his going on with his business against Spain the next year;
which I am, and so every body else is, I think, very glad of, for
all our fear is of his invading us. This day at White Hall I
overheard Sir W. Coventry propose to the King his ordering of
some particular thing in the Wardrobe, which was of no great
value; but yet, as much as it was, it was of profit to the King
and saving to his purse. The King answered to it with great
indifferency, as a thing that it was no great matter whether it
was done or no. Sir W. Coventry answered; "I see your Majesty do
not remember the old English proverb, 'He that will not stoop for
a pin, will never be worth a pound.'" And so they parted, the
King bidding him do as he would; which, methought, was an answer
not like a King that did intend ever to do well.

4th. It seems worth remembering that this day I did hear my Lord
Anglesy at the table, speaking touching this new Act for
Accounts, say that the House of Lords did pass it because it was
a senseless, impracticable, ineffectual, and foolish Act; and
that my Lord Ashly having shown that it was so to the House of
Lords, the Duke of Buckingham did stand up and told the Lords
that they were beholden to my Lord Ashly, that having first
commended them for a most grave and honourable assembly, he
thought it fit for the House to pass this Act for Accounts
because it was a foolish and simple Act; and it seems it was
passed with but a few in the House, when it was intended to have
met in a grand Committee upon it. And it seems that in itself it
is not to be practised till after this session of Parliament, by
the very words of the Act, which nobody regarded, and therefore
cannot come in force yet, unless the next meeting they do make a
new Act for the bringing it into force sooner; which is a strange
omission. But I perceive my Lord Anglesy do make a mere
laughing-stock of this act, as a thing that can do nothing
considerable, for all its great noise.

5th. The business of putting out of some of the Privy-council is
over, the King being at last advised to forbear it; for whereas
he did design it to make room for some of the House of Commons
that are against him, thereby to gratify them, it is believed
that it will but so much the more fret the rest that are not
provided for, and raise a new stock of enemies by them that are
displeased; and it goes for a pretty saying of my Lord Anglesy's
up and down the Court, that he should lately say to one of the
great promoters of this putting him and others out of the
Council, "Well, and what are we to look for when we are outed?
Will all things be set right in the nation?" The other said that
he did believe that many things would be mended: "But," says my
Lord, "will you and the rest of you be contented to be hanged if
you do not redeem all our misfortunes and set all right, if the
power be put into your hands?" The other answered, No, he would
not undertake that. "Why then," says my Lord, "I and the rest of
us that you are labouring to put out will be contented to be
hanged if we do not recover all that is past, if the King will
put the power into our hands and adhere wholly to our advice."

7th. To the Nursery; but the house did not act to-day; and so I
to the other two playhouses into the pit to gaze up and down, and
there did by this means for nothing see an act in "The Schoole of
Compliments" at the Duke of York's house, and "Henry the Fourth"
at the King's house; but not liking either of the plays, I took
my coach again, and home.

8th. To White Hall, and by coach home, taking up Mr. Prin at the
Court gate (it raining), and setting him down at the Temple: and
by the way did ask him about the manner of holding of
Parliaments, and whether the number of Knights and Burgesses were
always the same? And, he says that the latter were not; but
that, for aught he can find, they were sent up at the discretion
at first of the Sheriffes, to whom the writs are sent to send up
generally the Burgesses and citizens of their county; and he do
find that heretofore the Parliament-men being paid by the
country, several burroughs have complained of the Sheriffes
putting them to the charge of sending up Burgesses; which is a
very extraordinary thing to me, that knew not this, but thought
that the number had been known, and always the same.

10th. To White Hall; and there to wait on the Duke of York with
the rest of my brethren, which we did a little in the King's
green-room while the King was in Council: and in this room we
found my Lord Bristoll walking alone; which wondering at while
the Council was sitting, I was answered that as being a
Catholique he could not be of the Council; which I did not
consider before. This day I received a letter from my father,
and another from my cosen Roger Pepys, who have had a view of
Jackson's evidences of his estate, and do mightily like of the
man and his condition and estate, and do advise me to accept of
the match for my sister, and to finish it soon as I can; and he
do it so as I confess I am contented to have it done, and so give
her her portion.