[In this part of the “Diary”
no entry occurs for thirteen days, though there
are several pages left blank. During the interval
Pepys went into the country, as he subsequently
mentions his having been at Saxham, in Suffolk,
during the king’s visit to Lord Crofts, which
took place at this time (see October 23rd, host).
He might also probably have gone to Impington
to fetch his wife. The pages left blank
were never filled up. B.]
October 11th (Lord’s day’).
Up and to church, where I find Parson Mills come to
town and preached, and the church full, most people
being now come home to town, though the season of
year is as good as summer in all respects. At
noon dined at home with my wife, all alone, and busy
all the afternoon in my closet, making up some papers
with W. Hewer and at night comes Mr. Turner and his
wife, and there they tell me that Mr. Harper is dead
at Deptford, and so now all his and my care is, how
to secure his being Storekeeper in his stead; and here
they and their daughter, and a kinswoman that come
along with them, did sup with me, and pretty merry,
and then, they gone, and my wife to read to me, and
to bed.
12th. Up, and with Mr. Turner
by water to White Hall, there to think to enquire
when the Duke of York will be in town, in order to
Mr. Turner’s going down to Audley Ends about
his place; and here I met in St. James’s Park
with one that told us that the Duke of York would be
in town to-morrow, and so Turner parted and went home,
and I also did stop my intentions of going to the
Court, also this day, about securing Mr. Turner’s
place of Petty-purveyor to Mr. Hater. So I to
my Lord Brouncker’s, thinking to have gone and
spoke to him about it, but he is gone out to town
till night, and so, meeting a gentleman of my Lord
Middleton’s looking for me about the payment
of the L1000 lately ordered to his Lord, in advance
of his pay, which shall arise upon his going Governor
to Tangier, I did go to his Lord’s lodgings,
and there spoke the first time with him, and find
him a shrewd man, but a drinking man, I think, as
the world says; but a man that hath seen much of the
world, and is a Scot. I offered him my service,
though I can do him little; but he sends his man home
with me, where I made him stay, till I had gone to
Sir W. Pen, to bespeak him about Mr. Hater, who, contrary
to my fears, did appear very friendly, to my great
content; for I was afraid of his appearing for his
man Burroughs. But he did not; but did declare
to me afterwards his intentions to desire an excuse
in his own business, to be eased of the business of
the Comptroller, his health not giving him power to
stay always in town, but he must go into the country.
I did say little to him but compliment, having no
leisure to think of his business, or any man’s
but my own, and so away and home, where I find Sir
H. Cholmly come to town; and is come hither to see
me: and he is a man that I love mightily, as
being, of a gentleman, the most industrious that ever
I saw. He staid with me awhile talking, and telling
me his obligations to my Lord Sandwich, which I was
glad of; and that the Duke of Buckingham is now chief
of all men in this kingdom, which I knew before; and
that he do think the Parliament will hardly ever meet
again; which is a great many men’s thoughts,
and I shall not be sorry for it. He being gone,
I with my Lord Middleton’s servant to Mr. Colvill’s,
but he was not in town, and so he parted, and I home,
and there to dinner, and Mr. Pelling with us; and
thence my wife and Mercer, and W. Hewer and Deb.,
to the King’s playhouse, and I afterwards by
water with them, and there we did hear the Eunuch
(who, it seems, is a Frenchman, but long bred in Italy)
sing, which I seemed to take as new to me, though I
saw him on Saturday last, but said nothing of it; but
such action and singing I could never have imagined
to have heard, and do make good whatever Tom Hill
used to tell me. Here we met with Mr. Batelier
and his sister, and so they home with us in two coaches,
and there at my house staid and supped, and this night
my bookseller Shrewsbury comes, and brings my books
of Martyrs, and I did pay him for them, and did this
night make the young women before supper to open all
the volumes for me. So to supper, and after supper
to read a ridiculous nonsensical book set out by Will.
Pen, for the Quakers; but so full of nothing but nonsense,
that I was ashamed to read in it. So they gone,
we to bed.
[Penn’s first work, entitled,
“Truth exalted, in a short but sure testimony
against all those religions, faiths, and worships,
that have been formed and followed, in the darkness
of apostacy; and for that glorious light which
is now risen, and shines forth, in the life and
doctrine of the despised Quakers.... by W. Penn,
whom divine love constrains, in holy contempt,
to trample on Egypt’s glory, not fearing
the King’s wrath, having beheld the Majesty of
Him who is invisible:” London, 1668. B.]
13th. Up, and to the office,
and before the office did speak with my Lord Brouncker,
and there did get his ready assent to T. Hater’s
having of Mr. Turner’s place, and so Sir J.
Minnes’s also: but when we come to sit
down at the Board, comes to us Mr. Wren this day to
town, and tells me that James Southern do petition
the Duke of York for the Storekeeper’s place
of Deptford, which did trouble me much, and also the
Board, though, upon discourse, after he was gone, we
did resolve to move hard for our Clerks, and that
places of preferment may go according to seniority
and merit. So, the Board up, I home with my people
to dinner, and so to the office again, and there,
after doing some business, I with Mr. Turner to the
Duke of Albemarle’s at night; and there did speak
to him about his appearing to Mr. Wren a friend to
Mr. Turner, which he did take kindly from me; and
so away thence, well pleased with what we had now
done, and so I with him home, stopping at my Lord Brouncker’s,
and getting his hand to a letter I wrote to the Duke
of York for T. Hater, and also at my Lord Middleton’s,
to give him an account of what I had done this day,
with his man, at Alderman Backewell’s, about
the getting of his L1000 paid;
[It was probably for
this payment that the tally was obtained, the
loss of which caused
Pepys so much anxiety. See November 26th,
1668]
and here he did take occasion to discourse
about the business of the Dutch war, which, he says,
he was always an enemy to; and did discourse very
well of it, I saying little, but pleased to hear him
talk; and to see how some men may by age come to know
much, and yet by their drinking and other pleasures
render themselves not very considerable. I did
this day find by discourse with somebody, that this
nobleman was the great Major-General Middleton; that
was of the Scots army, in the beginning of the late
war against the King. Thence home and to the office
to finish my letters, and so home and did get my wife
to read to me, and then Deb to comb my head. ...
14th. Up, and by water, stopping
at Michell’s, and there saw Betty, but could
have no discourse with her, but there drank. To
White Hall, and there walked to St. James’s,
where I find the Court mighty full, it being the Duke
or York’s birthday; and he mighty fine, and all
the musick, one after another, to my great content.
Here I met with Sir H. Cholmly; and he and I to walk,
and to my Lord Barkeley’s new house; there to
see a new experiment of a cart, which; by having two
little wheeles fastened to the axle-tree, is said
to make it go with half the ease and more, than another
cart but we did not see the trial made. Thence
I home, and after dinner to St. James’s, and
there met my brethren; but the Duke of York being
gone out, and to-night being a play there; and a great
festival, we would not stay, but went all of us to
the King’s playhouse, and there saw “The
Faythful Shepherdess” again, that we might hear
the French Eunuch sing, which we did, to our great
content; though I do admire his action as much as his
singing, being both beyond all I ever saw or heard.
Thence with W. Pen home, and there to get my people
to read, and to supper, and so to bed.
15th. Up, and all the morning
at the office, and at home at dinner, where, after
dinner, my wife and I and Deb. out by coach to the
upholsters in Long Lane, Alderman Reeve’s, and
then to Alderman Crow’s, to see variety of hangings,
and were mightily pleased therewith, and spent the
whole afternoon thereupon; and at last I think we shall
pitch upon the best suit of Apostles, where three
pieces for my room will come to almost L80: so
home, and to my office, and then home to supper and
to bed. This day at the Board comes unexpected
the warrants from the Duke of York for Mr. Turner
and Hater, for the places they desire, which contents
me mightily.
16th. Up, and busy all the morning
at the office, and before noon I took my wife by coach,
and Deb., and shewed her Mr. Wren’s hangings
and bed, at St. James’s, and Sir W. Coventry’s
in the Pell Mell, for our satisfaction in what we
are going to buy; and so by Mr. Crow’s, home,
about his hangings, and do pitch upon buying his second
suit of Apostles-the whole suit, which comes to L83;
and this we think the best for us, having now the
whole suit, to answer any other rooms or service.
So home to dinner, and with Mr. Hater by water to St.
James’s: there Mr. Hater, to give Mr. Wren
thanks for his kindness about his place that he hath
lately granted him, of Petty Purveyor of petty emptions,
upon the removal of Mr. Turner to be Storekeeper at
Deptford, on the death of Harper. And then we
all up to the Duke of York, and there did our usual
business, and so I with J. Minnes home, and there finding
my wife gone to my aunt Wight’s, to see her
the first time after her coming to town, and indeed
the first time, I think, these two years (we having
been great strangers one to the other for a great
while), I to them; and there mighty kindly used, and
had a barrel of oysters, and so to look up and down
their house, they having hung a room since I was there,
but with hangings not fit to be seen with mine, which
I find all come home to-night, and here staying an
hour or two we home, and there to supper and to bed.
17th. Up, and to the office,
where all the morning sitting, and at noon home to
dinner, and to the office all the afternoon, and then
late home, and there with much pleasure getting Mr.
Gibbs, that writes well, to write the name upon my
new draught of “The Resolution;” and so
set it up, and altered the situation of some of my
pictures in my closet, to my extraordinary content,
and at it with much pleasure till almost 12 at night.
Mr. Moore and Seymour were with me this afternoon,
who tell me that my Lord Sandwich was received mighty
kindly by the King, and is in exceeding great esteem
with him, and the rest about him; but I doubt it will
be hard for him to please both the King and the Duke
of York, which I shall be sorry for. Mr. Moore
tells me the sad condition my Lord is in, in his estate
and debts; and the way he now lives in, so high, and
so many vain servants about him, that he must be ruined,
if he do not take up, which, by the grace of God,
I will put him upon, when I come to see him.
18th (Lord’s day). Up,
and with my boy Tom all the morning altering the places
of my pictures with great pleasure, and at noon to
dinner, and then comes Mr. Shales to see me, and I
with him to recommend him to my Lord Brouncker’s
service, which I did at Madam Williams’s, and
my Lord receives him. Thence with Brouncker to
Lincolne’s Inn, and Mr. Ball, to visit Dr. Wilkins,
now newly Bishop of Chester: and he received us
mighty kindly; and had most excellent discourse from
him about his Book of Reall Character: and
so I with Lord Brouncker to White Hall, and there
saw the Queen and some ladies, and with Lord Brouncker
back, it again being a rainy evening, and so my Lord
forced to lend me his coach till I got a hackney,
which I did, and so home and to supper, and got my
wife to read to me, and so to bed.
19th. Up, and to my office to
set down my Journall for some days past, and so to
other business. At the office all the morning
upon some business of Sir W. Warren’s, and at
noon home to dinner, and thence out by coach with
my wife and Deb. and Mr. Harman, the upholster, and
carried them to take measure of Mr. Wren’s bed
at St. James’s, I being resolved to have just
such another made me, and thence set him down in the
Strand, and my wife and I to the Duke of York’s
playhouse; and there saw, the first time acted, “The
Queene of Arragon,” an old Blackfriars play,
but an admirable one, so good that I am astonished
at it, and wonder where it hath lain asleep all this
while, that I have never heard of it before.
Here met W. Batelier and Mrs. Hunt, Deb.’s aunt;
and saw her home a very witty woman, and
one that knows this play, and understands a play mighty
well. Left her at home in Jewen Street, and we
home, and to supper, and my wife to read to me, and
so to bed.
20th. Up, and to the office all
the morning, and then home to dinner, having this
day a new girl come to us in the room of Nell, who
is lately, about four days since, gone away, being
grown lazy and proud. This girl to stay only
till we have a boy, which I intend to keep when I
have a coach, which I am now about. At this time
my wife and I mighty busy laying out money in dressing
up our best chamber, and thinking of a coach and coachman
and horses, &c.; and the more because of Creed’s
being now married to Mrs. Pickering; a thing I could
never have expected, but it is done about seven or
ten days since, as I hear out of the country.
At noon home to dinner, and my wife and Harman and
girl abroad to buy things, and I walked out to several
places to pay debts, and among other things to look
out for a coach, and saw many; and did light on one
for which I bid L50, which do please me mightily, and
I believe I shall have it. So to my tailor’s,
and the New Exchange, and so by coach home, and there,
having this day bought “The Queene of Arragon”
play, I did get my wife and W. Batelier to read it
over this night by 11 o’clock, and so to bed.
21st. Lay pretty long talking
with content with my wife about our coach and things,
and so to the office, where Sir D. Gawden was to do
something in his accounts. At noon to dinner to
Mr. Batelier’s, his mother coming this day a-housewarming
to him, and several friends of his, to which he invited
us. Here mighty merry, and his mother the same;
I heretofore took her for a gentlewoman, and understanding.
I rose from table before the rest, because under an
obligation to go to my Lord Brouncker’s, where
to meet several gentlemen of the Royal Society, to
go and make a visit to the French Embassador Colbert,
at Leicester House, he having endeavoured to make
one or two to my Lord Brouncker, as our President,
but he was not within, but I come too late, they being
gone before: but I followed to Leicester House;
but they are gore in and up before me; and so I away
to the New Exchange, and there staid for my wife,
and she come, we to Cow Lane, and there I shewed her
the coach which I pitch on, and she is out of herself
for joy almost. But the man not within, so did
nothing more towards an agreement, but to Mr. Crow’s
about a bed, to have his advice, and so home, and there
had my wife to read to me, and so to supper and to
bed. Memorandum: that from Crow’s,
we went back to Charing Cross, and there left my people
at their tailor’s, while I to my Lord Sandwich’s
lodgings, who come to town the last night, and is
come thither to lye: and met with him within:
and among others my new cozen Creed, who looks mighty
soberly; and he and I saluted one another with mighty
gravity, till we come to a little more freedom of
talk about it. But here I hear that Sir Gilbert
Pickering is lately dead, about three days since,
which makes some sorrow there, though not much, because
of his being long expected to die, having been in
a lethargy long. So waited on my Lord to Court,
and there staid and saw the ladies awhile: and
thence to my wife, and took them up; and so home,
and to supper and bed.
22nd. Up, and W. Batelier’s
Frenchman, a perriwigg maker, comes and brings me
a new one, which I liked and paid him for: a mighty
genteel fellow. So to the office, where sat all
the morning, and at noon home to dinner, and thence
with wife and Deb. to Crow’s, and there did see
some more beds; and we shall, I think, pitch upon
a camlott one, when all is done. Thence sent
them home, and I to Arundell House, where the first
time we have met since the vacation, and not much company:
but here much good discourse, and afterwards my Lord
and others and I to the Devil tavern, and there eat
and drank, and so late, with Mr. Colwell, home by
coach; and at home took him with me, and there found
my uncle Wight and aunt, and Woolly and his wife,
and there supped, and mighty merry. And anon
they gone, and Mrs. Turner staid, who was there also
to talk of her husband’s business; and the truth
is, I was the less pleased to talk with her, for that
she hath not yet owned, in any fit manner of thanks,
my late and principal service to her husband about
his place, which I alone ought to have the thanks
for, if they know as much as I do; but let it go:
if they do not own it, I shall have it in my hand to
teach them to do it. So to bed. This day
word come for all the Principal Officers to bring
them [the Commissioners of Accounts] their patents,
which I did in the afternoon, by leaving it at their
office, but am troubled at what should be their design
therein.
23rd. Up, and plasterers at work
and painters about my house. Commissioner Middleton
and I to St. James’s, where with the rest of
our company we attended on our usual business the
Duke of York. Thence I to White Hall, to my Lord
Sandwich’s, where I find my Lord within, but
busy, private; and so I staid a little talking with
the young gentlemen: and so away with Mr. Pierce,
the surgeon, towards Tyburne, to see the people executed;
but come too late, it being done; two men and a woman
hanged, and so back again and to my coachmaker’s,
and there did come a little nearer agreement for the
coach, and so to Duck Lane, and there my bookseller’s,
and saw his moher, but elle is so big-bellied that
elle is not worth seeing. So home, and there
all alone to dinner, my wife and W. Hewer being gone
to Deptford to see her mother, and so I to the office
all the afternoon. In the afternoon comes my cozen,
Sidney Pickering, to bring my wife and me his sister’s
Favour for her wedding, which is kindly done, and
he gone, I to business again, and in the evening home,
made my wife read till supper time, and so to bed.
This day Pierce do tell me, among other news, the
late frolick and debauchery of Sir Charles Sidly and
Buckhurst, running up and down all the night with
their arses bare, through the streets; and at last
fighting, and being beat by the watch and clapped
up all night; and how the King takes their parts;
and my Lord Chief Justice Keeling hath laid the constable
by the heels to answer it next Sessions: which
is a horrid shame. How the King and these gentlemen
did make the fiddlers of Thetford, this last progress,
to sing them all the bawdy songs they could think of.
How Sir W. Coventry was brought the other day to the
Duchesse of York by the Duke, to kiss her hand;
who did acknowledge his unhappiness to occasion her
so much sorrow, declaring his intentions in it, and
praying her pardon; which she did give him upon his
promise to make good his pretences of innocence to
her family, by his faithfulness to his master, the
Duke of York. That the Duke of Buckingham is now
all in all, and will ruin Coventry, if he can:
and that W. Coventry do now rest wholly upon the Duke
of York for his standing, which is a great turn.
He tells me that my Lady Castlemayne, however, is
a mortal enemy to the Duke of Buckingham, which I
understand not; but, it seems, she is disgusted with
his greatness, and his ill usage of her. That
the King was drunk at Saxam with Sidly, Buckhurst,
&c., the night that my Lord Arlington come thither,
and would not give him audience, or could not which
is true, for it was the night that I was there, and
saw the King go up to his chamber, and was told that
the King had been drinking. He tells me, too,
that the Duke of York did the next day chide Bab.
May for his occasioning the King’s giving himself
up to these gentlemen, to the neglecting of my Lord
Arlington: to which he answered merrily, that,
by God, there was no man in England that had heads
to lose, durst do what they do, every day, with the
King, and asked the Duke of York’s pardon:
which is a sign of a mad world. God bless us out
of it!
24th. This morning comes to me
the coachmaker, and agreed with me for L53, and stand
to the courtesy of what more I should give him upon
the finishing of the coach: he is likely also
to fit me with a coachman. There comes also to
me Mr. Shotgrave, the operator of our Royal Society,
to show me his method of making the Tubes for the eyes,
which are clouterly done, so that mine are better,
but I have well informed myself in several things
from him, and so am glad of speaking with him.
So to the office, where all the morning, and then
to dinner, and so all the afternoon late at the office,
and so home; and my wife to read to me, and then with
much content to bed. This day Lord Brouncker tells
me that the making Sir J. Minnes a bare Commissioner
is now in doing, which I am glad of; but he speaks
of two new Commissioners, which I do not believe.
25th (Lord’s day). Up,
and discoursing with my wife about our house and many
new things we are doing of, and so to church I, and
there find Jack Fenn come, and his wife, a pretty
black woman: I never saw her before, nor took
notice of her now. So home and to dinner, and
after dinner all the afternoon got my wife and boy
to read to me, and at night W. Batelier comes and
sups with us; and, after supper, to have my head combed
by Deb., which occasioned the greatest sorrow to me
that ever I knew in this world, for my wife, coming
up suddenly, did find me embracing the girl....
I was at a wonderful loss upon it, and the girle also,
and I endeavoured to put it off, but my wife was struck
mute and grew angry, and so her voice come to her,
grew quite out of order, and I to say little, but
to bed, and my wife said little also, but could not
sleep all night, but about two in the morning waked
me and cried, and fell to tell me as a great secret
that she was a Roman Catholique and had
received the Holy Sacrament, which troubled me, but
I took no notice of it, but she went on from one thing
to another till at last it appeared plainly her trouble
was at what she saw, but yet I did not know how much
she saw, and therefore said nothing to her. But
after her much crying and reproaching me with inconstancy
and preferring a sorry girl before her, I did give
her no provocation, but did promise all fair usage
to her and love, and foreswore any hurt that I did
with her, till at last she seemed to be at ease again,
and so toward morning a little sleep, and so I with
some little repose and rest
26th. Rose, and up and by water
to White Hall, but with my mind mightily troubled
for the poor girle, whom I fear I have undone by this,
my [wife] telling me that she would turn her out of
doors. However, I was obliged to attend the Duke
of York, thinking to have had a meeting of Tangier
to-day, but had not; but he did take me and Mr. Wren
into his closet, and there did press me to prepare
what I had to say upon the answers of my fellow-officers
to his great letter, which I promised to do against
his coming to town again, the next week; and so to
other discourse, finding plainly that he is in trouble,
and apprehensions of the Reformers, and would be found
to do what he can towards reforming, himself.
And so thence to my Lord Sandwich’s, where, after
long stay, he being in talk with others privately,
I to him; and there he, taking physic and keeping
his chamber, I had an hour’s talk with him about
the ill posture of things at this time, while the
King gives countenance to Sir Charles Sidly and Lord
Buckhurst, telling him their late story of running
up and down the streets a little while since all night,
and their being beaten and clapped up all night by
the constable, who is since chid and imprisoned for
his pains. He tells me that he thinks his matters
do stand well with the King, and hopes to have dispatch
to his mind; but I doubt it, and do see that he do
fear it, too. He told me my Lady Carteret’s
trouble about my writing of that letter of the Duke
of York’s lately to the Office, which I did
not own, but declared to be of no injury to G. Carteret,
and that I would write a letter to him to satisfy
him therein. But this I am in pain how to do,
without doing myself wrong, and the end I had, of
preparing a justification to myself hereafter, when
the faults of the Navy come to be found out however,
I will do it in the best manner I can. Thence
by coach home and to dinner, finding my wife mightily
discontented, and the girle sad, and no words from
my wife to her. So after dinner they out with
me about two or three things, and so home again, I
all the evening busy, and my wife full of trouble
in her looks, and anon to bed, where about midnight
she wakes me, and there falls foul of me again, affirming
that she saw me hug and kiss the girle; the latter
I denied, and truly, the other I confessed and no
more, and upon her pressing me did offer to give her
under my hand that I would never see Mrs. Pierce more
nor Knepp, but did promise her particular demonstrations
of my true love to her, owning some indiscretions
in what I did, but that there was no harm in it.
She at last upon these promises was quiet, and very
kind we were, and so to sleep, and
27th. In the morning up, but
my mind troubled for the poor girle, with whom I could
not get opportunity to speak, but to the office, my
mind mighty full of sorrow for her, to the office,
where all the morning, and to dinner with my people,
and to the office all the afternoon, and so at night
home, and there busy to get some things ready against
to-morrow’s meeting of Tangier, and that being
done, and my clerks gone, my wife did towards bedtime
begin to be in a mighty rage from some new matter that
she had got in her head, and did most part of the night
in bed rant at me in most high terms of threats of
publishing my shame, and when I offered to rise would
have rose too, and caused a candle to be light to
burn by her all night in the chimney while she ranted,
while the knowing myself to have given some grounds
for it, did make it my business to appease her all
I could possibly, and by good words and fair promises
did make her very quiet, and so rested all night, and
rose with perfect good peace, being heartily afflicted
for this folly of mine that did occasion it, but was
forced to be silent about the girle, which I have
no mind to part with, but much less that the poor girle
should be undone by my folly. So up with mighty
kindness from my wife and a thorough peace, and being
up did by a note advise the girle what I had done and
owned, which note I was in pain for till she told me
she had burned it. This evening Mr. Spong come,
and sat late with me, and first told me of the instrument
called parallelogram,
[This useful instrument,
used for copying maps, plans, drawings, &c.
either of the same size,
or larger or smaller than the originals, is
now named a pantograph.]
which I must have one of, shewing
me his practice thereon, by a map of England.
28th. So by coach with Mr. Gibson
to Chancery Lane, and there made oath before a Master
of Chancery to the Tangier account of fees, and so
to White Hall, where, by and by, a Committee met,
my Lord Sandwich there, but his report was not received,
it being late; but only a little business done, about
the supplying the place with victuals. But I
did get, to my great content, my account allowed of
fees, with great applause by my Lord Ashly and Sir
W. Pen. Thence home, calling at one or two places;
and there about our workmen, who are at work upon my
wife’s closet, and other parts of my house,
that we are all in dirt. So after dinner with
Mr. Gibson all the afternoon in my closet, and at night
to supper and to bed, my wife and I at good peace,
but yet with some little grudgings of trouble in her
and more in me about the poor girle.
29th. At the office all the morning,
where Mr. Wren first tells us of the order from the
King, came last night to the Duke of York, for signifying
his pleasure to the Sollicitor-General for drawing
up a Commission for suspending of my Lord Anglesey,
and putting in Sir Thomas. Littleton and Sir
Thomas Osborne, the former a creature of Arlington’s,
and the latter of the Duke of Buckingham’s, during
the suspension. The Duke of York was forced to
obey, and did grant it, he being to go to Newmarket
this day with the King, and so the King pressed for
it. But Mr. Wren do own that the Duke of York
is the most wounded in this, in the world, for it
is done and concluded without his privity, after his
appearing for Lord Anglesey, and that it is plain that
they do ayme to bring the Admiralty into Commission
too, and lessen the Duke of York. This do put
strange apprehensions into all our Board; only I think
I am the least troubled at it, for I care not at all
for it: but my Lord Brouncker and Pen do seem
to think much of it. So home to dinner, full
of this news, and after dinner to the office, and so
home all the afternoon to do business towards my drawing
up an account for the Duke of York of the answers
of this office to his late great letter, and late
at it, and so to bed, with great peace from my wife
and quiet, I bless God.
30th. Up betimes; and Mr. Povy
comes to even accounts with me, which we did, and
then fell to other talk. He tells, in short, how
the King is made a child of, by Buckingham and Arlington,
to the lessening of the Duke of York, whom they cannot
suffer to be great, for fear of my Lord Chancellor’s
return, which, therefore, they make the King violent
against. That he believes it is impossible these
two great men can hold together long: or, at
least, that the ambition of the former is so great,
that he will endeavour to master all, and bring into
play as many as he can. That Anglesey will not
lose his place easily, but will contend in law with
whoever comes to execute it. That the Duke of
York, in all things but in his cod-piece, is led by
the nose by his wife. That W. Coventry is now,
by the Duke of York, made friends with the Duchess;
and that he is often there, and waits on her.
That he do believe that these present great men will
break in time, and that W. Coventry will be a great
man again; for he do labour to have nothing to do in
matters of the State, and is so usefull to the side
that he is on, that he will stand, though at present
he is quite out of play. That my Lady Castlemayne
hates the Duke of Buckingham. That the Duke of
York hath expressed himself very kind to my Lord Sandwich,
which I am mighty glad of. That we are to expect
more changes if these men stand. This done, he
and I to talk of my coach, and I got him to go see
it, where he finds most infinite fault with it, both
as to being out of fashion and heavy, with so good
reason that I am mightily glad of his having corrected
me in it; and so I do resolve to have one of his build,
and with his advice, both in coach and horses, he
being the fittest man in the world for it, and so
he carried me home, and said the same to my wife.
So I to the office and he away, and at noon I home
to dinner, and all the afternoon late with Gibson
at my chamber about my present great business, only
a little in the afternoon at the office about Sir D.
Gawden’s accounts, and so to bed and slept heartily,
my wife and I at good peace, but my heart troubled
and her mind not at ease, I perceive, she against
and I for the girle, to whom I have not said anything
these three days, but resolve to be mighty strange
in appearance to her. This night W. Batelier
come and took his leave of us, he setting out for
France to-morrow.
31st. Up, and at the office all
the morning. At noon home to dinner with my people,
and afternoon to the office again, and then to my chamber
with Gibson to do more about my great answer for the
Duke of York, and so at night after supper to bed
well pleased with my advance thereon. This day
my Lord Anglesey was at the Office, and do seem to
make nothing of this business of his suspension, resolving
to bring it into the Council, where he seems not to
doubt to have right, he standing upon his defence
and patent, and hath put in his caveats to the several
Offices: so, as soon as the King comes back again,
which will be on Tuesday next, he will bring it into
the Council. So ends this month with some quiet
to my mind, though not perfect, after the greatest
falling out with my poor wife, and through my folly
with the girl, that ever I had, and I have reason
to be sorry and ashamed of it, and more to be troubled
for the poor girl’s sake, whom I fear I shall
by this means prove the ruin of, though I shall think
myself concerned both to love and be a friend to her.
This day Roger Pepys and his son Talbot, newly come
to town, come and dined with me, and mighty glad I
am to see them.