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Title: Diary of Samuel Pepys, June 1667
Author: Samuel Pepys
Release Date: June, 2003 [Etext #4177]
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THE DIARY OF SAMUEL PEPYS M.A. F.R.S.
CLERK OF THE ACTS AND SECRETARY TO THE ADMIRALTY
TRANSCRIBED FROM THE SHORTHAND MANUSCRIPT IN THE PEPYSIAN LIBRARY
MAGDALENE COLLEGE CAMBRIDGE BY THE REV. MYNORS BRIGHT M.A. LATE FELLOW
AND PRESIDENT OF THE COLLEGE
(Unabridged)
WITH LORD BRAYBROOKE'S NOTES
EDITED WITH ADDITIONS BY
HENRY B. WHEATLEY F.S.A.
DIARY OF SAMUEL PEPYS.
JUNE
1667
June 1st. Up; and there comes to me Mr. Commander, whom I employ about
hiring of some ground behind the office, for the building of me a stable
and coach-house: for I do find it necessary for me, both in respect to
honour and the profit of it also, my expense in hackney-coaches being now
so great, to keep a coach, and therefore will do it. Having given him
some instructions about it, I to the office, where we sat all the
morning; where we have news that our peace with Spayne, as to trade, is
wholly concluded, and we are to furnish him with some men for Flanders
against the French. How that will agree with the French, I know not; but
they say that he also hath liberty, to get what men he pleases out of
England. But for the Spaniard, I hear that my Lord Castlehaven is
raising a regiment of 4000 men, which he is to command there; and several
young gentlemen are going over in commands with him: and they say the
Duke of Monmouth is going over only as a traveller, not to engage on
either side, but only to see the campagne, which will be becoming him
much more than to live whoreing and rogueing, as he now do. After dinner
to the office, where, after a little nap, I fell to business, and did
very much with infinite joy to myself, as it always is to me when I have
dispatched much business, and therefore it troubles me to see how hard it
is for me to settle to it sometimes when my mind is upon pleasure. So
home late to supper and to bed.
2nd (Lord's day). Up betimes, and down to my chamber without trimming
myself, or putting on clean linen, thinking only to keep to my chamber
and do business to-day, but when I come there I find that without being
shaved I am not fully awake, nor ready to settle to business, and so was
fain to go up again and dress myself, which I did, and so down to my
chamber, and fell roundly to business, and did to my satisfaction by
dinner go far in the drawing up a state of my accounts of Tangier for the
new Lords Commissioners. So to dinner, and then to my business again all
the afternoon close, when Creed come to visit me, but I did put him off,
and to my business, till anon I did make an end, and wrote it fair with a
letter to the Lords to accompany my accounts, which I think will be so
much satisfaction and so soon done (their order for my doing it being
dated but May 30) as they will not find from any hand else. Being weary
and almost blind with writing and reading so much to-day, I took boat at
the Old Swan, and there up the river all alone as high as Putney almost,
and then back again, all the way reading, and finishing Mr. Boyle's book
of Colours, which is so chymical, that I can understand but little of it,
but understand enough to see that he is a most excellent man. So back
and home, and there to supper, and so to bed.
3rd. Up, and by coach to St. James's, and with Sir W. Coventry a great
while talking about several businesses, but especially about accounts,
and how backward our Treasurer is in giving them satisfaction, and the
truth is I do doubt he cannot do better, but it is strange to say that
being conscious of our doing little at this day, nor for some time past
in our office for want of money, I do hang my head to him, and cannot be
so free with him as I used to be, nor can be free with him, though of all
men, I think, I have the least cause to be so, having taken so much more
pains, while I could do anything, than the rest of my fellows. Parted
with him, and so going through the Park met Mr. Mills, our parson, whom I
went back with to bring him to [Sir] W. Coventry, to give him the form of
a qualification for the Duke of York to sign to, to enable him to have
two livings: which was a service I did, but much against my will, for a
lazy, fat priest. Thence to Westminster Hall, and there walked a turn or
two with Sir William Doyly, who did lay a wager with me, the
Treasurership would be in one hand, notwithstanding this present
Commission, before Christmas: on which we did lay a poll of ling, a brace
of carps, and a pottle of wine; and Sir W. Pen and Mr. Scowen to be at
the eating of them. Thence down by water to Deptford, it being Trinity
Monday, when the Master is chosen, and there, finding them all at church,
and thinking they dined, as usual, at Stepny, I turned back, having a
good book in my hand, the Life of Cardinal Wolsey, wrote by his own
servant, and to Ratcliffe; and so walked to Stepny, and spent, my time in
the churchyard, looking over the gravestones, expecting when the company
would come by. Finding no company stirring, I sent to the house to see;
and, it seems, they dine not there, but at Deptford: so I back again to
Deptford, and there find them just sat down. And so I down with them;
and we had a good dinner of plain meat, and good company at our table:
among others, my good Mr. Evelyn, with whom, after dinner, I stepped
aside, and talked upon the present posture of our affairs; which is, that
the Dutch are known to be abroad with eighty sail of ships of war, and
twenty fire-ships; and the French come into the Channell with twenty sail
of men-of-war, and five fireships, while we have not a ship at sea to do
them any hurt with; but are calling in all we can, while our Embassadors
are treating at Bredah; and the Dutch look upon them as come to beg
peace, and use them accordingly; and all this through the negligence of
our Prince, who hath power, if he would, to master all these with the
money and men that he hath had the command of, and may now have, if he
would mind his business. But, for aught we see, the Kingdom is likely to
be lost, as well as the reputation of it is, for ever; notwithstanding so
much reputation got and preserved by a rebel that went before him. This
discourse of ours ended with sorrowful reflections upon our condition,
and so broke up, and Creed and I got out of the room, and away by water
to White Hall, and there he and I waited in the Treasury-chamber an hour
or two, where we saw the Country Receivers and Accountants for money come
to attend; and one of them, a brisk young fellow, with his hat cocked
like a fool behind, as the present fashion among the blades is, committed
to the Serjeant. By and by, I, upon desire, was called in, and delivered
in my report of my Accounts. Present, Lord Ashly, Clifford, and Duncomb,
who, being busy, did not read it; but committed it to Sir George Downing,
and so I was dismissed; but, Lord! to see how Duncomb do take upon him
is an eyesore, though I think he deserves great honour, but only the
suddenness of his rise, and his pride. But I do like the way of these
lords, that they admit nobody to use many words, nor do they spend many
words themselves, but in great state do hear what they see necessary, and
say little themselves, but bid withdraw. Thence Creed and I by water up
to Fox Hall, and over against it stopped, thinking to see some Cock-
fighting; but it was just being done, and, therefore, back again to the
other side, and to Spring Garden, and there eat and drank a little, and
then to walk up and down the garden, reflecting upon the bad management
of things now, compared with what it was in the late rebellious times,
when men, some for fear, and some for religion, minded their business,
which none now do, by being void of both. Much talk of this and, other
kinds, very pleasant, and so when it was almost night we home, setting
him in at White Hall, and I to the Old Swan, and thence home, where to
supper, and then to read a little, and so to bed.
4th. Up, and to the office, and there busy all the morning putting in
order the answering the great letter sent to the office by the new
Commissioners of the Treasury, who demand an account from the King's
coming in to this day, which we shall do in the best manner we can. At
noon home to dinner, and after dinner comes Mr. Commander to me and tells
me, after all, that I cannot have a lease of the ground for my coach-
house and stable, till a suit in law be ended, about the end of the old
stable now standing, which they and I would have pulled down to make a
better way for a coach. I am a little sorry that I cannot presently have
it, because I am pretty full in my mind of keeping a coach; but yet, when
I think on it again, the Dutch and French both at sea, and we poor, and
still out of order, I know not yet what turns there may be, and besides,
I am in danger of parting with one of my places, which relates to the
Victualling, that brings me by accident in L800 a year, that is, L300
from the King and L500 from D. Gawden. I ought to be well contented to
forbear awhile, and therefore I am contented. To the office all the
afternoon, where I dispatched much business to my great content, and then
home in the evening, and there to sing and pipe with my wife, and that
being done, she fell all of a sudden to discourse about her clothes and
my humours in not suffering her to wear them as she pleases, and grew to
high words between us, but I fell to read a book (Boyle's Hydrostatiques)
["Hydrostatical Paradoxes made out by New Experiments" was
published by the Hon. Robert Boyle in 1666 (Oxford).]
aloud in my chamber and let her talk, till she was tired and vexed that I
would not hear her, and so become friends, and to bed together the first
night after 4 or 5 that she hath lain from me by reason of a great cold
she had got.
5th. Up, and with Mr. Kenasteri by coach to White Hall to the
Commissioners of the Treasury about getting money for Tangier, and did
come to, after long waiting, speak with them, and there I find them all
sat; and, among the rest, Duncomb lolling, with his heels upon another
chair, by that, that he sat upon, and had an answer good enough, and then
away home, and (it being a most windy day, and hath been so all night,
South West, and we have great hopes that it may have done the Dutch or
French fleets some hurt) having got some papers in order, I back to St.
James's, where we all met at Sir W. Coventry's chamber, and dined and
talked of our business, he being a most excellent man, and indeed, with
all his business, hath more of his employed upon the good of the service
of the Navy, than all of us, that makes me ashamed of it. This noon
Captain Perriman brings us word how the Happy Returne's' [crew] below in
the Hope, ordered to carry the Portugal Embassador to Holland (and the
Embassador, I think, on board), refuse to go till paid; and by their
example two or three more ships are in a mutiny: which is a sad
consideration, while so many of the enemy's ships are at this day
triumphing in the sea. Here a very good and neat dinner, after the
French manner, and good discourse, and then up after dinner to the Duke
of York and did our usual business, and are put in hopes by Sir W.
Coventry that we shall have money, and so away, Sir G. Carteret and I to
my Lord Crew to advise about Sir G. Carteret's carrying his accounts to-
morrow to the Commissioners appointed to examine them and all other
accounts since the war, who at last by the King's calling them to him
yesterday and chiding them will sit, but Littleton and Garraway much
against their wills. The truth of it is, it is a ridiculous thing, for
it will come to nothing, nor do the King nor kingdom good in any manner,
I think. Here they talked of my Lord Hinchingbroke's match with Lord
Burlington's daughter, which is now gone a pretty way forward, and to
great content, which I am infinitely glad of. So from hence to White
Hall, and in the streete Sir G. Carteret showed me a gentleman coming by
in his coach, who hath been sent for up out of Lincolneshire, I think he
says he is a justice of peace there, that the Council have laid by the
heels here, and here lies in a messenger's hands, for saying that a man
and his wife are but one person, and so ought to pay but 12d. for both to
the Poll Bill; by which others were led to do the like: and so here he
lies prisoner. To White Hall, and there I attended to speak with Sir W.
Coventry about Lanyon's business, to get him some money out of the Prize
Office from my Lord Ashly, and so home, and there to the office a little,
and thence to my chamber to read, and supper, and to bed. My father,
blessed be God! finds great ease by his new steel trusse, which he put on
yesterday. So to bed. The Duke of Cambridge past hopes of living still.
6th. Up, and to the office all the morning, where (which he hath not
done a great while) Sir G. Carteret come to advise with us for the
disposing of L10,000, which is the first sum the new Lords Treasurers
have provided us; but, unless we have more, this will not enable us to
cut off any of the growing charge which they seem to give it us for, and
expect we should discharge several ships quite off with it. So home and
with my father and wife to Sir W. Pen's to dinner, which they invited us
to out of their respect to my father, as a stranger; though I know them
as false as the devil himself, and that it is only that they think it fit
to oblige me; wherein I am a happy man, that all my fellow-officers are
desirous of my friendship. Here as merry as in so false a place, and
where I must dissemble my hatred, I could be, and after dinner my father
and wife to a play, and I to my office, and there busy all the afternoon
till late at night, and then my wife and I sang a song or two in the
garden, and so home to supper and to bed. This afternoon comes Mr.
Pierce to me about some business, and tells me that the Duke of Cambridge
is yet living, but every minute expected to die, and is given over by all
people, which indeed is a sad loss.
7th. Up, and after with my flageolet and Mr. Townsend, whom I sent for
to come to me to discourse about my Lord Sandwich's business; for whom I
am in some pain, lest the Accounts of the Wardrobe may not be in so good
order as may please the new Lords Treasurers, who are quick-sighted, and
under obligations of recommending themselves to the King and the world,
by their finding and mending of faults, and are, most of them, not the
best friends to my Lord, and to the office, and there all the morning.
At noon home to dinner, my father, wife, and I, and a good dinner, and
then to the office again, where busy all the afternoon, also I have a
desire to dispatch all business that hath lain long on my hands, and so
to it till the evening, and then home to sing and pipe with my wife, and
then to supper and to bed, my head full of thoughts how to keep if I can
some part of my wages as Surveyor of the Victualling, which I see must
now come to be taken away among the other places that have been
occasioned by this war, and the rather because I have of late an
inclination to keep a coach. Ever since my drinking, two days ago, some
very Goole drink at Sir W. Coventry's table I have been full of wind and
with some pain, and I was afraid last night that it would amount to much,
but, blessed be God! I find that the worst is past, so that I do clearly
see that all the indisposition I am liable to-day as to sickness is only
the Colique. This day I read (shown me by Mr. Gibson) a discourse newly
come forth of the King of France, his pretence to Flanders, which is a
very fine discourse, and the truth is, hath so much of the Civil Law in
it, that I am not a fit judge of it, but, as it appears to me, he hath a
good pretence to it by right of his Queene. So to bed.
8th. Up, and to the office, where all the news this morning is, that the
Dutch are come with a fleete of eighty sail to Harwich, and that guns
were heard plain by Sir W. Rider's people at Bednallgreene, all yesterday
even. So to the office, we all sat all the morning, and then home to
dinner, where our dinner a ham of French bacon, boiled with pigeons, an
excellent dish. Here dined with us only W. Hewer and his mother. After
dinner to the office again, where busy till night, and then home and to
read a little and then to bed. The news is confirmed that the Dutch are
off of Harwich, but had done nothing last night. The King hath sent down
my Lord of Oxford to raise the countries there; and all the Westerne
barges are taken up to make a bridge over the River, about the Hope, for
horse to cross the River, if there be occasion.
9th (Lord's day). Up, and by water to White Hall, and so walked to St.
James's, where I hear that the Duke of Cambridge, who was given over long
since by the Doctors, is now likely to recover; for which God be praised!
To Sir W. Coventry, and there talked with him a great while; and mighty
glad I was of my good fortune to visit him, for it keeps in my
acquaintance with him, and the world sees it, and reckons my interest
accordingly. In comes my Lord Barkeley, who is going down to Harwich
also to look after the militia there: and there is also the Duke of
Monmouth, and with him a great many young Hectors, the Lord Chesterfield,
my Lord Mandeville, and others: but to little purpose, I fear, but to
debauch the country women thereabouts. My Lord Barkeley wanting some
maps, and Sir W. Coventry recommending the six maps of England that are
bound up for the pocket, I did offer to present my Lord with them, which
he accepted: and so I will send them him. Thence to White Hall, and
there to the Chapel, where I met Creed, and he and I staid to hear who
preached, which was a man who begun dully, and so we away by water and
landed in Southwarke, and to a church in the street where we take water
beyond the bridge, which was so full and the weather hot that we could
not stand there. So to my house, where we find my father and wife at
dinner, and after dinner Creed and I by water to White Hall, and there we
parted, and I to Sir G. Carteret's, where, he busy, I up into the house,
and there met with a gentleman, Captain Aldrige, that belongs to my Lord
Barkeley, and I did give him the book of maps for my Lord, and so I to
Westminster Church and there staid a good while, and saw Betty Michell
there. So away thence, and after church time to Mrs. Martin's, and then
hazer what I would with her, and then took boat and up, all alone, a most
excellent evening, as high as Barne Elmes, and there took a turn; and
then to my boat again, and home, reading and making an end of the book I
lately bought a merry satyr called "The Visions," translated from Spanish
by L'Estrange, wherein there are many very pretty things; but the
translation is, as to the rendering it into English expression, the best
that ever I saw, it being impossible almost to conceive that it should be
a translation. Being come home I find an order come for the getting some
fire-ships presently to annoy the Dutch, who are in the King's Channel,
and expected up higher. So [Sir] W. Batten and [Sir] W. Pen being come
this evening from their country houses to town we did issue orders about
it, and then home to supper and, to bed,
10th. Up; and news brought us that, the Dutch are come up as high as the
Nore; and more pressing orders for fireships. W. Batten, W. Pen, and I
to St. James's; where the Duke of York gone this morning betimes, to send
away some men down to Chatham. So we three to White Hall, and met Sir W.
Coventry, who presses all that is possible for fire-ships. So we three
to the office presently; and thither comes Sir Fretcheville Hollis, who
is to command them all in some exploits he is to do with them on the
enemy in the River. So we all down to Deptford, and pitched upon ships
and set men at work: but, Lord! to see how backwardly things move at this
pinch, notwithstanding that, by the enemy's being now come up as high as
almost the Hope, Sir J. Minnes, who has gone down to pay some ships
there, hath sent up the money; and so we are possessed of money to do
what we will with. Yet partly ourselves, being used to be idle and in
despair, and partly people that have been used to be deceived by us as to
money, won't believe us; and we know not, though we have it, how almost
to promise it; and our wants such, and men out of the way, that it is an
admirable thing to consider how much the King suffers, and how necessary
it is in a State to keep the King's service always in a good posture and
credit. Here I eat a bit, and then in the afternoon took boat and down
to Greenwich, where I find the stairs full of people, there being a great
riding
[It was an ancient custom in Berkshire, when a man had beaten his
wife, for the neighbours to parade in front of his house, for the
purpose of serenading him with kettles, and horns and hand-bells,
and every species of "rough music," by which name the ceremony was
designated. Perhaps the riding mentioned by Pepys was a punishment
somewhat similar. Malcolm ("Manners of London") quotes from the
"Protestant Mercury," that a porter's lady, who resided near Strand
Lane, beat her husband with so much violence and perseverance, that
the poor man was compelled to leap out of the window to escape her
fury. Exasperated at this virago, the neighbours made a "riding,"
i.e. a pedestrian procession, headed by a drum, and accompanied by a
chemise, displayed for a banner. The manual musician sounded the
tune of "You round-headed cuckolds, come dig, come dig!" and nearly
seventy coalheavers, carmen, and porters, adorned with large horns
fastened to their heads, followed. The public seemed highly pleased
with the nature of the punishment, and gave liberally to the
vindicators of injured manhood.--B.]
there to-day for a man, the constable of the town, whose wife beat him.
Here I was with much ado fain to press two watermen to make me a galley,
and so to Woolwich to give order for the dispatch of a ship I have taken
under my care to see dispatched, and orders being so given, I, under
pretence to fetch up the ship, which lay at Grays (the Golden Hand),
[The "Golden Hand" was to have been used for the conveyance of the
Swedish Ambassadors' horses and goods to Holland. In August, 1667,
Frances, widow of Captain Douglas and daughter of Lord Grey,
petitioned the king "for a gift of the prize ship Golden Hand, now
employed in weighing the ships sunk at Chatham, where her husband
lost his life in defence of the ships against the Dutch" ("Calendar
of State Papers," 1667, p. 430)]
did do that in my way, and went down to Gravesend, where I find the Duke
of Albemarle just come, with a great many idle lords and gentlemen, with
their pistols and fooleries; and the bulwarke not able to have stood half
an hour had they come up; but the Dutch are fallen down from the Hope and
Shell-haven as low as Sheernesse, and we do plainly at this time hear the
guns play. Yet I do not find the Duke of Albemarle intends to go
thither, but stays here to-night, and hath, though the Dutch are gone,
ordered our frigates to be brought to a line between the two blockhouses;
which I took then to be a ridiculous thing. So I away into the town and
took a captain or two of our ships (who did give me an account of the
proceedings of the Dutch fleete in the river) to the taverne, and there
eat and drank, and I find the townsmen had removed most of their goods
out of the town, for fear of the Dutch coming up to them; and from Sir
John Griffen, that last night there was not twelve men to be got in the
town to defend it: which the master of the house tells me is not true,
but that the men of the town did intend to stay, though they did indeed,
and so had he, at the Ship, removed their goods. Thence went off to an
Ostend man-of-war, just now come up, who met the Dutch fleete, who took
three ships that he come convoying hither from him says they are as low
as the Nore, or thereabouts. So I homeward, as long as it was light
reading Mr. Boyle's book of Hydrostatics, which is a most excellent book
as ever I read, and I will take much pains to understand him through if I
can, the doctrine being very useful. When it grew too dark to read I lay
down and took a nap, it being a most excellent fine evening, and about
one o'clock got home, and after having wrote to Sir W. Coventry an
account of what I had done and seen (which is entered in my letter-book),
I to bed.
11th. Up, and more letters still from Sir W. Coventry about more fire-
ships, and so Sir W. Batten and I to the office, where Bruncker come to
us, who is just now going to Chatham upon a desire of Commissioner
Pett's, who is in a very fearful stink for fear of the Dutch, and desires
help for God and the King and kingdom's sake. So Bruncker goes down, and
Sir J. Minnes also, from Gravesend. This morning Pett writes us word
that Sheernesse is lost last night, after two or three hours' dispute.
The enemy hath possessed himself of that place; which is very sad, and
puts us into great fears of Chatham. Sir W. Batten and I down by water
to Deptford, and there Sir W. Pen and we did consider of several matters
relating to the dispatch of the fire-ships, and so [Sir] W. Batten and I
home again, and there to dinner, my wife and father having dined, and
after dinner, by W. Hewer's lucky advice, went to Mr. Fenn, and did get
him to pay me above L400 of my wages, and W. Hewer received it for me,
and brought it home this night. Thence I meeting Mr. Moore went toward
the other end of the town by coach, and spying Mercer in the street,
I took leave of Moore and 'light and followed her, and at Paul's overtook
her and walked with her through the dusty street almost to home, and
there in Lombard Street met The. Turner in coach, who had been at my
house to see us, being to go out of town to-morrow to the Northward,
and so I promised to see her tomorrow, and then home, and there to our
business, hiring some fire-ships, and receiving every hour almost letters
from Sir W. Coventry, calling for more fire-ships; and an order from
Council to enable us to take any man's ships; and Sir W. Coventry, in his
letter to us, says he do not doubt but at this time, under an invasion,
as he owns it to be, the King may, by law, take any man's goods. At this
business late, and then home; where a great deal of serious talk with my
wife about the sad state we are in, and especially from the beating up of
drums this night for the trainbands upon pain of death to appear in arms
to-morrow morning with bullet and powder, and money to supply themselves
with victuals for a fortnight; which, considering the soldiers drawn out
to Chatham and elsewhere, looks as if they had a design to ruin the City
and give it up to be undone; which, I hear, makes the sober citizens to
think very sadly of things. So to bed after supper, ill in my mind.
This afternoon Mrs. Williams sent to me to speak with her, which I did,
only about news. I had not spoke with her many a day before by reason of
Carcasses business.
12th. Up very betimes to our business at the office, there hiring of
more fire-ships; and at it close all the morning. At noon home, and Sir
W. Pen dined with us. By and by, after dinner, my wife out by coach to
see her mother; and I in another, being afraid, at this busy time, to be
seen with a woman in a coach, as if I were idle, towards The. Turner's;
but met Sir W. Coventry's boy; and there in his letter find that the
Dutch had made no motion since their taking Sheernesse; and the Duke of
Albemarle writes that all is safe as to the great ships against any
assault, the boom and chaine being so fortified; which put my heart into
great joy.
[There had been correspondence with Pett respecting this chain in
April and May. On the 10th May Pett wrote to the Navy
Commissioners, "The chain is promised to be dispatched to-morrow,
and all things are ready for fixing it." On the 11th June the Dutch
"got twenty or twenty-two ships over the narrow part of the river at
Chatham, where ships had been sunk; after two and a half hours'
fighting one guard-ship after another was fired and blown up, and
the enemy master of the chain" ("Calendar of State Papers," 1667,
pp. 58, 87, 215).]
When I come to Sir W: Coventry's chamber, I find him abroad; but his
clerk, Powell, do tell me that ill newes is come to Court of the Dutch
breaking the Chaine at Chatham; which struck me to the heart. And to
White Hall to hear the truth of it; and there, going up the back-stairs,
I did hear some lacquies speaking of sad newes come to Court, saying,
that hardly anybody in the Court but do look as if he cried, and would
not go into the house for fear of being seen, but slunk out and got into
a coach, and to The. Turner's to Sir W. Turner's, where I met Roger
Pepys, newly come out of the country. He and I talked aside a little, he
offering a match for Pall, one Barnes, of whom we shall talk more the
next time. His father married a Pepys; in discourse, he told me further
that his grandfather, my great grandfather, had L800 per annum, in Queen
Elizabeth's time, in the very town of Cottenham; and that we did
certainly come out of Scotland with the Abbot of Crowland. More talk I
had, and shall have more with him, but my mind is so sad and head full of
this ill news that I cannot now set it down. A short visit here, my wife
coming to me, and took leave of The., and so home, where all our hearts
do now ake; for the newes is true, that the Dutch have broke the chaine
and burned our ships, and particularly "The Royal Charles,"
[Vandervelde's drawings of the conflagration of the English fleet,
made by him on the spot, are in the British Museum.--B.]
other particulars I know not, but most sad to be sure. And, the truth
is, I do fear so much that the whole kingdom is undone, that I do this
night resolve to study with my father and wife what to do with the little
that I have in money by me, for I give [up] all the rest that I have in
the King's hands, for Tangier, for lost. So God help us! and God knows
what disorders we may fall into, and whether any violence on this office,
or perhaps some severity on our persons, as being reckoned by the silly
people, or perhaps may, by policy of State, be thought fit to be
condemned by the King and Duke of York, and so put to trouble; though,
God knows! I have, in my own person, done my full duty, I am sure. So
having with much ado finished my business at the office, I home to
consider with my father and wife of things, and then to supper and to bed
with a heavy heart. The manner of my advising this night with my father
was, I took him and my wife up to her chamber, and shut the door; and
there told them the sad state of the times how we are like to be all
undone; that I do fear some violence will be offered to this office,
where all I have in the world is; and resolved upon sending it away--
sometimes into the country--sometimes my father to lie in town, and have
the gold with him at Sarah Giles's, and with that resolution went to bed
full of fear and fright, hardly slept all night.
13th. No sooner up but hear the sad newes confirmed of the Royall
Charles being taken by them, and now in fitting by them--which Pett
should have carried up higher by our several orders, and deserves,
therefore, to be hanged for not doing it--and turning several others;
and that another fleete is come up into the Hope. Upon which newes the
King and Duke of York have been below--[Below London Bridge.]--since four
o'clock in the morning, to command the sinking of ships at Barking-
Creeke, and other places, to stop their coming up higher: which put me
into such a fear, that I presently resolved of my father's and wife's
going into the country; and, at two hours' warning, they did go by the
coach this day, with about L1300 in gold in their night-bag. Pray God
give them good passage, and good care to hide it when they come home!
but my heart is full of fear: They gone, I continued in fright and fear
what to do with the rest. W. Hewer hath been at the banker's, and hath
got L500 out of Backewell's hands of his own money; but they are so
called upon that they will be all broke, hundreds coming to them for
money: and their answer is, "It is payable at twenty days--when the days
are out, we will pay you;" and those that are not so, they make tell over
their money, and make their bags false, on purpose to give cause to
retell it, and so spend time. I cannot have my 200 pieces of gold again
for silver, all being bought up last night that were to be had, and sold
for 24 and 25s. a-piece. So I must keep the silver by me, which
sometimes I think to fling into the house of office, and then again know
not how I shall come by it, if we be made to leave the office. Every
minute some one or other calls for this or that order; and so I forced to
be at the office, most of the day, about the fire-ships which are to be
suddenly fitted out: and it's a most strange thing that we hear nothing
from any of my brethren at Chatham; so that we are wholly in the dark,
various being the reports of what is done there; insomuch that I sent Mr.
Clapham express thither to see how matters go: I did, about noon, resolve
to send Mr. Gibson away after my wife with another 1000 pieces, under
colour of an express to Sir Jeremy Smith; who is, as I hear, with some
ships at Newcastle; which I did really send to him, and may, possibly,
prove of good use to the King; for it is possible, in the hurry of
business, they may not think of it at Court, and the charge of an express
is not considerable to the King. So though I intend Gibson no further
than to Huntingdon I direct him to send the packet forward. My business
the most of the afternoon is listening to every body that comes to the
office, what news? which is variously related, some better, some worse,
but nothing certain. The King and Duke of York up and down all the day
here and there: some time on Tower Hill, where the City militia was;
where the King did make a speech to them, that they should venture
themselves no further than he would himself. I also sent, my mind being
in pain, Saunders after my wife and father, to overtake them at their
night's lodgings, to see how matters go with them. In the evening, I
sent for my cousin Sarah [Gyles] and her husband, who come; and I did
deliver them my chest of writings about Brampton, and my brother Tom's
papers, and my journalls, which I value much; and did send my two silver
flaggons to Kate Joyce's: that so, being scattered what I have, something
might be saved. I have also made a girdle, by which, with some trouble,
I do carry about me L300 in gold about my body, that I may not be without
something in case I should be surprised: for I think, in any nation but
our's, people that appear (for we are not indeed so) so faulty as we,
would have their throats cut. In the evening comes Mr. Pelling, and
several others, to the office, and tell me that never were people so
dejected as they are in the City all over at this day; and do talk most
loudly, even treason; as, that we are bought and sold--that we are
betrayed by the Papists, and others, about the King; cry out that the
office of the Ordnance hath been so backward as no powder to have been at
Chatham nor Upnor Castle till such a time, and the carriages all broken;
that Legg is a Papist; that Upnor, the old good castle built by Queen
Elizabeth, should be lately slighted; that the ships at Chatham should
not be carried up higher. They look upon us as lost, and remove their
families and rich goods in the City; and do think verily that the French,
being come down with his army to Dunkirke, it is to invade us, and that
we shall be invaded. Mr. Clerke, the, solicitor, comes to me about
business, and tells me that he hears that the King hath chosen Mr.
Pierpont and Vaughan of the West, Privy-councillors; that my Lord
Chancellor was affronted in the Hall this day, by people telling him of
his Dunkirke house; and that there are regiments ordered to be got
together, whereof to be commanders my Lord Fairfax, Ingoldsby, Bethell,
Norton, and Birch, and other Presbyterians; and that Dr. Bates will have
liberty to preach. Now, whether this be true or not, I know not; but do
think that nothing but this will unite us together. Late at night comes
Mr. Hudson, the cooper, my neighbour, and tells me that he come from
Chatham this evening at five o'clock, and saw this afternoon "The Royal
James," "Oake," and "London," burnt by the enemy with their fire-ships:
that two or three men-of-war come up with them, and made no more of Upnor
Castle's shooting, than of a fly; that those ships lay below Upnor
Castle, but therein, I conceive, he is in an error; that the Dutch are
fitting out "The Royall Charles;" that we shot so far as from the Yard
thither, so that the shot did no good, for the bullets grazed on the
water; that Upnor played hard with their guns at first, but slowly
afterwards, either from the men being beat off, or their powder spent.
But we hear that the fleete in the Hope is not come up any higher the
last flood; and Sir W. Batten tells me that ships are provided to sink in
the River, about Woolwich, that will prevent their coming up higher if
they should attempt it. I made my will also this day, and did give all I
had equally between my father and wife, and left copies of it in each of
Mr. Hater and W. Hewer's hands, who both witnessed the will, and so to
supper and then to bed, and slept pretty well, but yet often waking.
14th. Up, and to the office; where Mr. Fryer comes and tells me that
there are several Frenchmen and Flemish ships in the River, with passes
from the Duke of York for carrying of prisoners, that ought to be parted
from the rest of the ships, and their powder taken, lest they do fire
themselves when the enemy comes, and so spoil us; which is good advice,
and I think I will give notice of it; and did so. But it is pretty odd
to see how every body, even at this high time of danger, puts business
off of their own hands! He says that he told this to the Lieutenant of
the Tower, to whom I, for the same reason, was directing him to go; and
the Lieutenant of the Tower bade him come to us, for he had nothing to do
with it; and yesterday comes Captain Crew, of one of the fireships, and
told me that the officers of the Ordnance would deliver his gunner's
materials, but not compound them,
[Meaning, apparently, that the Ordnance would deliver the charcoal,
sulphur, and saltpetre separately, but not mix them as gunpowder.]
[The want of ammunition when the Dutch burnt the fleet, and the
revenge of the deserter sailors, are well described by Marvell
"Our Seamen, whom no danger's shape could fright,
Unpaid, refuse to mount their ships, for spite
Or to their fellows swim, on board the Dutch,
Who show the tempting metal in their clutch.]
but that we must do it; whereupon I was forced to write to them about it;
and one that like a great many come to me this morning by and by comes--
Mr. Wilson, and by direction of his, a man of Mr. Gawden's; who come from
Chatham last night, and saw the three ships burnt, they lying all dry,
and boats going from the men-of-war and fire them. But that, that he
tells me of worst consequence is, that he himself, I think he said, did
hear many Englishmen on board the Dutch ships speaking to one another in
English; and that they did cry and say, "We did heretofore fight for
tickets; now we fight for dollars!" and did ask how such and such a one
did, and would commend themselves to them: which is a sad consideration.
And Mr. Lewes, who was present at this fellow's discourse to me, did tell
me, that he is told that when they took "The Royall Charles," they said
that they had their tickets signed, and showed some, and that now they
come to have them paid, and would have them paid before they parted. And
several seamen come this morning to me, to tell me that, if I would get
their tickets paid, they would go and do all they could against the
Dutch; but otherwise they would not venture being killed, and lose all
they have already fought for: so that I was forced to try what I could do
to get them paid. This man tells me that the ships burnt last night did
lie above Upnor Castle, over against the Docke; and the boats come from
the ships of war and burnt them all which is very sad. And masters of
ships, that we are now taking up, do keep from their ships all their
stores, or as much as they can, so that we can despatch them, having not
time to appraise them nor secure their payment; only some little money we
have, which we are fain to pay the men we have with, every night, or they
will not work. And indeed the hearts as well as affections of the seamen
are turned away; and in the open streets in Wapping, and up and down, the
wives have cried publickly, "This comes of your not paying our husbands;
and now your work is undone, or done by hands that understand it not."
And Sir W. Batten told me that he was himself affronted with a woman, in
language of this kind, on Tower Hill publickly yesterday; and we are fain
to bear it, and to keep one at the office door to let no idle people in,
for fear of firing of the office and doing us mischief. The City is
troubled at their being put upon duty: summoned one hour, and discharged
two hours after; and then again summoned two hours after that; to their
great charge as well as trouble. And Pelling, the Potticary, tells me
the world says all over, that less charge than what the kingdom is put
to, of one kind or other, by this business, would have set out all our
great ships. It is said they did in open streets yesterday, at
Westminster, cry, "A Parliament! a Parliament!" and I do believe it will
cost blood to answer for these miscarriages. We do not hear that the
Dutch are come to Gravesend; which is a wonder. But a wonderful thing it
is that to this day we have not one word yet from Bruncker, or Peter
Pett, or J. Minnes, of any thing at Chatham. The people that come hither
to hear how things go, make me ashamed to be found unable to answer them:
for I am left alone here at the office; and the truth is, I am glad my
station is to be here, near my own home and out of danger, yet in a place
of doing the King good service. I have this morning good news from
Gibson; three letters from three several stages, that he was safe last
night as far as Royston, at between nine and ten at night. The dismay
that is upon us all, in the business of the kingdom and Navy at this day,
is not to be expressed otherwise than by the condition the citizens were
in when the City was on fire, nobody knowing which way to turn
themselves, while every thing concurred to greaten the fire; as here the
easterly gale and spring-tides for coming up both rivers, and enabling
them to break the chaine. D. Gawden did tell me yesterday, that the day
before at the Council they were ready to fall together by the ears at the
Council-table, arraigning one another of being guilty of the counsel that
brought us into this misery, by laying up all the great ships. Mr. Hater
tells me at noon that some rude people have been, as he hears, at my Lord
Chancellor's, where they have cut down the trees before his house and
broke his windows; and a gibbet either set up before or painted upon his
gate, and these three words writ: "Three sights to be seen; Dunkirke,
Tangier, and a barren Queene."
["Pride, Lust, Ambition, and the People's Hate,
The kingdom's broker, ruin of the State,
Dunkirk's sad loss, divider of the fleet,
Tangier's compounder for a barren sheet
This shrub of gentry, married to the crown,
His daughter to the heir, is tumbled down."
Poems on State Affairs, vol. i., p. 253.--B.]
It gives great matter of talk that it is said there is at this hour, in
the Exchequer, as much money as is ready to break down the floor. This
arises, I believe, from Sir G. Downing's late talk of the greatness of
the sum lying there of people's money, that they would not fetch away,
which he shewed me and a great many others. Most people that I speak
with are in doubt how we shall do to secure our seamen from running over
to the Dutch; which is a sad but very true consideration at this day. At
noon I am told that my Lord Duke of Albemarle is made Lord High
Constable; the meaning whereof at this time I know not, nor whether it,
be true or no. Dined, and Mr. Hater and W. Hewer with me; where they do
speak very sorrowfully of the posture of the times, and how people do cry
out in the streets of their being bought and sold; and both they, and
every body that come to me, do tell me that people make nothing of
talking treason in the streets openly: as, that we are bought and sold,
and governed by Papists, and that we are betrayed by people about the
King, and shall be delivered up to the French, and I know not what. At
dinner we discoursed of Tom of the Wood, a fellow that lives like a
hermit near Woolwich, who, as they say, and Mr. Bodham, they tell me,
affirms that he was by at the justice's when some did accuse him there
for it, did foretell the burning of the City, and now says that a greater
desolation is at hand. Thence we read and laughed at Lilly's prophecies
this month, in his Almanack this year! So to the office after dinner;
and thither comes Mr. Pierce, who tells me his condition, how he cannot
get his money, about L500, which, he says, is a very great part of what
he hath for his family and children, out of Viner's hand: and indeed it
is to be feared that this will wholly undo the bankers. He says he knows
nothing of the late affronts to my Lord Chancellor's house, as is said,
nor hears of the Duke of Albemarle's being made High Constable; but says
that they are in great distraction at White Hall, and that every where
people do speak high against Sir W. Coventry: but he agrees with me, that
he is the best Minister of State the King hath, and so from my heart I
believe. At night come home Sir W. Batten and W. Pen, who only can tell
me that they have placed guns at Woolwich and Deptford, and sunk some
ships below Woolwich and Blackewall, and are in hopes that they will stop
the enemy's coming up. But strange our confusion! that among them that
are sunk they have gone and sunk without consideration "The Franakin,"'
one of the King's ships, with stores to a very considerable value, that
hath been long loaden for supply of the ships; and the new ship at
Bristoll, and much wanted there; and nobody will own that they directed
it, but do lay it on Sir W. Rider. They speak also of another ship,
loaden to the value of L80,000, sunk with the goods in her, or at least
was mightily contended for by him, and a foreign ship, that had the faith
of the nation for her security: this Sir R. Ford tells us: And it is too
plain a truth, that both here and at Chatham the ships that we have sunk
have many, and the first of them, been ships completely fitted for fire-
ships at great charge. But most strange the backwardness and disorder of
all people, especially the King's people in pay, to do any work, Sir W.
Pen tells me, all crying out for money; and it was so at Chatham, that
this night comes an order from Sir W. Coventry to stop the pay of the
wages of that Yard; the Duke of Albemarle having related, that not above
three of 1100 in pay there did attend to do any work there. This evening
having sent a messenger to Chatham on purpose, we have received a dull
letter from my Lord Bruncker and Peter Pett, how matters have gone there
this week; but not so much, or so particularly, as we knew it by common
talk before, and as true. I doubt they will be found to have been but
slow men in this business; and they say the Duke of Albemarle did tell my
Lord Bruncker to his face that his discharging of the great ships there
was the cause of all this; and I am told that it is become common talk
against my Lord Bruncker. But in that he is to be justified, for he did
it by verbal order from Sir W. Coventry, and with good intent; and it was
to good purpose, whatever the success be, for the men would have but
spent the King so much the more in wages, and yet not attended on board
to have done the King any service; and as an evidence of that, just now,
being the 15th day in the morning that I am writing yesterday's passages,
one is with me, Jacob Bryan, Purser of "The Princesse," who confesses to
me that he hath about 180 men borne at this day in victuals and wages on
that ship lying at Chatham, being lately brought in thither; of which 180
there was not above five appeared to do the King any service at this late
business. And this morning also, some of the Cambridge's men come up
from Portsmouth, by order from Sir Fretcheville Hollis, who boasted to us
the other day that he had sent for 50, and would be hanged if 100 did not
come up that would do as much as twice the number of other men: I say
some of them, instead of being at work at Deptford, where they were
intended, do come to the office this morning to demand the payment of
their tickets; for otherwise they would, they said, do no more work; and
are, as I understand from every body that has to do with them, the most
debauched, damning, swearing rogues that ever were in the Navy, just like
their prophane commander. So to Sir W. Batten's to sit and talk a
little, and then home to my flageolet, my heart being at pretty good ease
by a letter from my wife, brought by Saunders, that my father and wife
got well last night to their Inne and out again this morning, and
Gibson's being got safe to Caxton at twelve last night. So to supper,
and then to bed. No news to-day of any motion of the enemy either
upwards towards Chatham or this way.
15th. All the morning at the office. No newes more than last night;
only Purser Tyler comes and tells me that he being at all the passages in
this business at Chatham, he says there have been horrible miscarriages,
such as we shall shortly hear of: that the want of boats hath undone us;
and it is commonly said, and Sir J. Minnes under his hand tells us, that
they were employed by the men of the Yard to carry away their goods; and
I hear that Commissioner Pett will be found the first man that began to
remove; he is much spoken against, and Bruncker is complained of and
reproached for discharging the men of the great ships heretofore. At
noon Mr. Hater dined with me; and tells me he believes that it will
hardly be the want of money alone that will excuse to the Parliament the
neglect of not setting out a fleete, it having never been done in our
greatest straits, but however unlikely it appeared, yet when it was gone
about, the State or King did compass it; and there is something in it.
In like manner all the afternoon busy, vexed to see how slowly things go
on for want of money. At night comes, unexpectedly so soon, Mr. Gibson,
who left my wife well, and all got down well with them, but not with
himself, which I was afeard of, and cannot blame him, but must myself be
wiser against another time. He had one of his bags broke, through his
breeches, and some pieces dropped out, not many, he thinks, but two, for
he 'light, and took them up, and went back and could find no more. But I
am not able to tell how many, which troubles me, but the joy of having
the greatest part safe there makes me bear with it, so as not to afflict
myself for it. This afternoon poor Betty Michell, whom I love, sent to
tell my wife her child was dying, which I am troubled for, poor girle!
At night home and to my flageolet. Played with pleasure, but with a
heavy heart, only it pleased me to think how it may please God I may live
to spend my time in the country with plainness and pleasure, though but
with little glory. So to supper and to bed.
16th (Lord's day). Up, and called on by several on business of the
office. Then to the office to look out several of my old letters to Sir
W. Coventry in order to the preparing for justifying this office in our
frequent foretelling the want of money. By and by comes Roger Pepys and
his son Talbot, whom he had brought to town to settle at the Temple, but,
by reason of our present stirs, will carry him back again with him this
week. He seems to be but a silly lad. I sent them to church this
morning, I staying at home at the office, busy. At noon home to dinner,
and much good discourse with him, he being mighty sensible of our misery
and mal-administration. Talking of these straits we are in, he tells me
that my Lord Arlington did the last week take up L12,000 in gold, which
is very likely, for all was taken up that could be. Discoursing
afterwards with him of our family he told me, that when I come to his
house he will show me a decree in Chancery, wherein there was twenty-six
men all housekeepers in the town of Cottenham, in Queene Elizabeth's
time, of our name. He to church again in the afternoon, I staid at home
busy, and did show some dalliance to my maid Nell, speaking to her of her
sweetheart which she had, silly girle. After sermon Roger Pepys comes
again. I spent the evening with him much troubled with the thoughts of
the evils of our time, whereon we discoursed. By and by occasion offered
for my writing to Sir W. Coventry a plain bold letter touching lack of
money; which, when it was gone, I was afeard might give offence: but upon
two or three readings over again the copy of it, I was satisfied it was a
good letter; only Sir W. Batten signed it with me, which I could wish I
had done alone. Roger Pepys gone, I to the garden, and there dallied a
while all alone with Mrs. Markham, and then home to my chamber and to
read and write, and then to supper and to bed.
17th. Up, and to my office, where busy all the morning, particularly
setting my people to work in transcribing pieces of letters publique and
private, which I do collect against a black day to defend the office with
and myself. At noon dined at home, Mr. Hater with me alone, who do seem
to be confident that this nation will be undone, and with good reason:
Wishes himself at Hambrough, as a great many more, he says, he believes
do, but nothing but the reconciling of the Presbyterian party will save
us, and I am of his mind. At the office all the afternoon, where every
moment business of one kind or other about the fire-ships and other
businesses, most of them vexatious for want of money, the commanders all
complaining that, if they miss to pay their men a night, they run away;
seamen demanding money of them by way of advance, and some of Sir
Fretcheville Hollis's men, that he so bragged of, demanding their tickets
to be paid, or they would not work: this Hollis, Sir W. Batten and W. Pen
say, proves a very . . ., as Sir W. B. terms him, and the other called
him a conceited, idle, prating, lying fellow. But it was pleasant this
morning to hear Hollis give me the account what, he says, he told the
King in Commissioner Pett's presence, whence it was that his ship was fit
sooner than others, telling the King how he dealt with the several
Commissioners and agents of the Ports where he comes, offering Lanyon to
carry him a Ton or two of goods to the streights, giving Middleton an
hour or two's hearing of his stories of Barbadoes, going to prayer with
Taylor, and standing bare and calling, "If it please your Honour," to
Pett, but Sir W. Pen says that he tells this story to every body, and
believes it to be a very lie. At night comes Captain Cocke to see me,
and he and I an hour in the garden together. He tells me there have been
great endeavours of bringing in the Presbyterian interest, but that it
will not do. He named to me several of the insipid lords that are to
command the armies that are to be raised. He says the King and Court are
all troubled, and the gates of the Court were shut up upon the first
coming of the Dutch to us, but they do mind the business no more than
ever: that the bankers, he fears, are broke as to ready-money, though
Viner had L100,000 by him when our trouble begun: that he and the Duke of
Albemarle have received into their own hands, of Viner, the former
L10,000, and the latter L12,000, in tallies or assignments, to secure
what was in his hands of theirs; and many other great men of our.
masters have done the like; which is no good sign, when they begin to
fear the main. He and every body cries out of the office of the
Ordnance, for their neglects, both at Gravesend and Upnor, and everywhere
else. He gone, I to my business again, and then home to supper and to
bed. I have lately played the fool much with our Nell, in playing with
her breasts. This night, late, comes a porter with a letter from
Monsieur Pratt, to borrow L100 for my Lord Hinchingbroke, to enable him
to go out with his troop in the country, as he is commanded; but I did
find an excuse to decline it. Among other reasons to myself, this is
one, to teach him the necessity of being a good husband, and keeping
money or credit by him.
18th. Up, and did this morning dally with Nell . . . which I was
afterward troubled for. To the office, and there all the morning. Peg
Pen come to see me, and I was glad of it, and did resolve to have tried
her this afternoon, but that there was company with elle at my home,
whither I got her. Dined at home, W. Hewer with me, and then to the
office, and to my Lady Pen's, and did find occasion for Peg to go home
with me to my chamber, but there being an idle gentleman with them, he
went with us, and I lost my hope. So to the office, and by and by word
was brought me that Commissioner Pett is brought to the Tower, and there
laid up close prisoner; which puts me into a fright, lest they may do the
same with us as they do with him. This puts me upon hastening what I am
doing with my people, and collecting out of my papers our defence.
Myself got Fist, Sir W. Batten's clerk, and busy with him writing letters
late, and then home to supper and to read myself asleep, after piping,
and so to bed. Great newes to-night of the blowing up of one of the
Dutch greatest ships, while a Council of War was on board: the latter
part, I doubt, is not so, it not being confirmed since; but the former,
that they had a ship blown up, is said to be true. This evening comes
Sir G. Carteret to the office, to talk of business at Sir W. Batten's;
where all to be undone for want of money, there being none to pay the
Chest at their publique pay the 24th of this month, which will make us a
scorn to the world. After he had done there, he and I into the garden,
and walked; and the greatest of our discourse is, his sense of the
requisiteness of his parting with his being Treasurer of the Navy, if he
can, on any good terms. He do harp upon getting my Lord Bruncker to take
it on half profit, but that he is not able to secure him in paying him so
much. But the thing I do advise him to do by all means, and he resolves
on it, being but the same counsel which I intend to take myself. My Lady
Jem goes down to Hinchingbroke to lie down, because of the troubles of
the times here. He tells me he is not sure that the King of France will
not annoy us this year, but that the Court seems [to] reckon upon it as a
thing certain, for that is all that I and most people are afeard of this
year. He tells me now the great question is, whether a Parliament or no
Parliament; and says the Parliament itself cannot be thought able at
present to raise money, and therefore it will be to no purpose to call
one. I hear this day poor Michell's child is dead.
19th. Up, and to the office, where all the morning busy with Fist again,
beginning early to overtake my business in my letters, which for a post
or two have by the late and present troubles been interrupted. At noon
comes Sir W. Batten and [Sir] W. Pen, and we to [Sir] W. Pen's house, and
there discoursed of business an hour, and by and by comes an order from
Sir R. Browne, commanding me this afternoon to attend the Council-board,
with all my books and papers touching the Medway. I was ready [to fear]
some mischief to myself, though it appears most reasonable that it is to
inform them about Commissioner Pett. I eat a little bit in haste at Sir
W. Batten's, without much comfort, being fearful, though I shew it not,
and to my office and get up some papers, and found out the most material
letters and orders in our books, and so took coach and to the Council-
chamber lobby, where I met Mr. Evelyn, who do miserably decry our follies
that bring all this misery upon us. While we were discoursing over our
publique misfortunes, I am called in to a large Committee of the Council:
present the Duke of Albemarle, Anglesey, Arlington, Ashly, Carteret,
Duncomb, Coventry, Ingram, Clifford, Lauderdale, Morrice, Manchester,
Craven, Carlisle, Bridgewater. And after Sir W. Coventry's telling them
what orders His Royal Highness had made for the safety of the Medway, I
told them to their full content what we had done, and showed them our
letters. Then was Peter Pett called in, with the Lieutenant of the
Tower. He is in his old clothes, and looked most sillily. His charge
was chiefly the not carrying up of the great ships, and the using of the
boats in carrying away his goods; to which he answered very sillily,
though his faults to me seem only great omissions. Lord Arlington and
Coventry very severe against him; the former saying that, if he was not
guilty, the world would think them all guilty.
[Pett was made a scapegoat. This is confirmed by Marvel:
"After this loss, to relish discontent,
Some one must be accused by Parliament;
All our miscarriages on Pett must fall,
His name alone seems fit to answer all.
Whose counsel first did this mad war beget?
Who all commands sold through the Navy? Pett.
Who would not follow when the Dutch were beat?
Who treated out the time at Bergen? Pett.
Who the Dutch fleet with storms disabled met,
And, rifling prizes, them neglected? Pett.
Who with false news prevented the Gazette,
The fleet divided, writ for Ruhert? Pett.
Who all our seamen cheated of their debt?
And all our prizes who did swallow? Pett.
Who did advise no navy out to set?
And who the forts left unprepared? Pett.
Who to supply with powder did forget
Languard, Sheerness, Gravesend, and Upnor? Pett.
Who all our ships exposed in Chatham net?
Who should it be but the fanatick Pett?
Pett, the sea-architect, in making ships,
Was the first cause of all these naval slips.
Had he not built, none of these faults had been;
If no creation, there had been no sin
But his great crime, one boat away he sent,
That lost our fleet, and did our flight prevent."
Instructions to a Painter.--B]
The latter urged, that there must be some faults, and that the Admiral
must be found to have done his part. I did say an unhappy word, which I
was sorry for, when he complained of want of oares for the boats: and
there was, it seems, enough, and good enough, to carry away all the boats
with from the King's occasions. He said he used never a boat till they
were all gone but one; and that was to carry away things of great value,
and these were his models of ships; which, when the Council, some of
them, had said they wished that the Dutch had had them instead of the
King's ships, he answered, he did believe the Dutch would have made more
advantage of the models than of the ships, and that the King had had
greater loss thereby; this they all laughed at. After having heard him
for an hour or more, they bid him withdraw. I all this while showing him
no respect, but rather against him, for which God forgive me! for I mean
no hurt to him, but only find that these Lords are upon their own
purgation, and it is necessary I should be so in behalf of the office.
He being gone, they caused Sir Richard Browne to read over his minutes;
and then my Lord Arlington moved that they might be put into my hands to
put into form, I being more acquainted with such business; and they were
so. So I away back with my books and papers; and when I got into the
Court it was pretty to see how people gazed upon me, that I thought
myself obliged to salute people and to smile, lest they should think I
was a prisoner too; but afterwards I found that most did take me to be
there to bear evidence against P. Pett; but my fear was such, at my going
in, of the success of the day, that at my going in I did think fit to
give T. Hater, whom I took with me, to wait the event, my closet-key and
directions where to find L500 and more in silver and gold, and my tallys,
to remove, in case of any misfortune to me. Thence to Sir G. Carteret's
to take my leave of my Lady Jem, who is going into the country tomorrow;
but she being now at prayers with my Lady and family, and hearing here by
Yorke, the carrier, that my wife is coming to towne, I did make haste
home to see her, that she might not find me abroad, it being the first
minute I have been abroad since yesterday was se'ennight. It is pretty
to see how strange it is to be abroad to see people, as it used to be
after a month or two's absence, and I have brought myself so to it, that
I have no great mind to be abroad, which I could not have believed of
myself. I got home, and after being there a little, she come, and two of
her fellow-travellers with her, with whom we drunk: a couple of merchant-
like men, I think, but have friends in our country. They being gone, I
and my wife to talk, who did give me so bad an account of her and my
father's method in burying of our gold, that made me mad: and she herself
is not pleased with it, she believing that my sister knows of it. My
father and she did it on Sunday, when they were gone to church, in open
daylight, in the midst of the garden; where, for aught they knew, many
eyes might see them: which put me into such trouble, that I was almost
mad about it, and presently cast about, how to have it back again to
secure it here, the times being a little better now; at least at White
Hall they seem as if they were, but one way or other I am resolved to
free them from the place if I can get them. Such was my trouble at this,
that I fell out with my wife, that though new come to towne, I did not
sup with her, nor speak to her tonight, but to bed and sleep.
20th. Up, without any respect to my wife, only answering her a question
or two, without any anger though, and so to the office, where all the
morning busy, and among other things Mr. Barber come to me (one of the
clerks of the Ticket office) to get me to sign some tickets, and told me
that all the discourse yesterday, about that part of the town where he
was, was that Mr. Pett and I were in the Tower; and I did hear the same
before. At noon, home to dinner, and there my wife and I very good
friends; the care of my gold being somewhat over, considering it was in
their hands that have as much cause to secure it as myself almost, and so
if they will be mad, let them. But yet I do intend to, send for it away.
Here dined Mercer with us, and after dinner she cut my hair, and then I
into my closet and there slept a little, as I do now almost every day
after dinner; and then, after dallying a little with Nell, which I am
ashamed to think of, away to the office. Busy all the afternoon; in the
evening did treat with, and in the end agree; but by some kind of
compulsion, with the owners of six merchant ships, to serve the King as
men-of-war. But, Lord! to see how against the hair it is with these men
and every body to trust us and the King; and how unreasonable it is to
expect they should be willing to lend their ships, and lay out 2 or L300
a man to fit their ships for new voyages, when we have not paid them half
of what we owe them for their old services! I did write so to Sir W.
Coventry this night. At night my wife and I to walk and talk again about
our gold, which I am not quiet in my mind to be safe, and therefore will
think of some way to remove it, it troubling me very much. So home with
my wife to supper and to bed, miserable hot weather all night it was.
21st. Up and by water to White Hall, there to discourse with [Sir] G.
Carteret and Mr. Fenn about office business. I found them all aground,
and no money to do anything with. Thence homewards, calling at my
Tailor's to bespeak some coloured clothes, and thence to Hercules
Pillars, all alone, and there spent 6d. on myself, and so home and busy
all the morning. At noon to dinner, home, where my wife shows me a
letter from her father, who is going over sea, and this afternoon would
take his leave of her. I sent him by her three Jacobuses in gold, having
real pity for him and her. So I to my office, and there all the
afternoon. This day comes news from Harwich that the Dutch fleete are
all in sight, near 100 sail great and small, they think, coming towards
them; where, they think, they shall be able to oppose them; but do cry
out of the falling back of the seamen, few standing by them, and those
with much faintness. The like they write from Portsmouth, and their
letters this post are worth reading. Sir H. Cholmly come to me this day,
and tells me the Court is as mad as ever; and that the night the Dutch
burned our ships the King did sup with my Lady Castlemayne, at the
Duchess of Monmouth's, and there were all mad in hunting of a poor moth.
All the Court afraid of a Parliament; but he thinks nothing can save us
but the King's giving up all to a Parliament. Busy at the office all the
afternoon, and did much business to my great content. In the evening
sent for home, and there I find my Lady Pen and Mrs. Lowther, and Mrs.
Turner and my wife eating some victuals, and there I sat and laughed with
them a little, and so to the office again, and in the evening walked with
my wife in the garden, and did give Sir W. Pen at his lodgings (being
just come from Deptford from attending the dispatch of the fire-ships
there) an account of what passed the other day at Council touching
Commissioner Pett, and so home to supper and to bed.
22nd. Up, and to my office, where busy, and there comes Mrs. Daniel. .
. . At the office I all the morning busy. At noon home to dinner,
where Mr. Lewes Phillips, by invitation of my wife, comes, he coming up
to town with her in the coach this week, and she expected another
gentleman, a fellow-traveller, and I perceive the feast was for him,
though she do not say it, but by some mistake he come not, so there was a
good dinner lost. Here we had the two Mercers, and pretty merry. Much
talk with Mr. Phillips about country business, among others that there is
no way for me to purchase any severall lands in Brampton, or making any
severall that is not so, without much trouble and cost, and, it may be,
not do it neither, so that there is no more ground to be laid to our
Brampton house. After dinner I left them, and to the office, and thence
to Sir W. Pen's, there to talk with Mrs. Lowther, and by and by we
hearing Mercer and my boy singing at my house, making exceeding good
musique, to the joy of my heart, that I should be the master of it, I
took her to my office and there merry a while, and then I left them, and
at the office busy all the afternoon, and sleepy after a great dinner.
In the evening come Captain Hart and Haywood to me about the six
merchant-ships now taken up for men-of-war; and in talk they told me
about the taking of "The Royal Charles;" that nothing but carelessness
lost the ship, for they might have saved her the very tide that the Dutch
come up, if they would have but used means and had had but boats: and
that the want of boats plainly lost all the other ships. That the Dutch
did take her with a boat of nine men, who found not a man on board her,
and her laying so near them was a main temptation to them to come on; and
presently a man went up and struck her flag and jacke, and a trumpeter
sounded upon her "Joan's placket is torn," that they did carry her down
at a time, both for tides and wind, when the best pilot in Chatham would
not have undertaken it, they heeling her on one side to make her draw
little water: and so carried her away safe. They being gone, by and by
comes Sir W. Pen home, and he and I together talking. He hath been at
Court; and in the first place, I hear the Duke of Cambridge is dead; a
which is a great loss to the nation, having, I think, never an heyre male
now of the King's or Duke's to succeed to the Crown. He tells me that
they do begin already to damn the Dutch, and call them cowards at White
Hall, and think of them and their business no better than they used to
do; which is very sad. The King did tell him himself, which is so, I was
told, here in the City, that the City, hath lent him L10,000, to be laid
out towards securing of the River of Thames; which, methinks, is a very
poor thing, that we should be induced to borrow by such mean sums. He
tells me that it is most manifest that one great thing making it
impossible for us to have set out a fleete this year, if we could have
done it for money or stores, was the liberty given the beginning of the
year for the setting out of merchant-men, which did take up, as is said,
above ten, if not fifteen thousand seamen: and this the other day Captain
Cocke tells me appears in the council-books, that is the number of seamen
required to man the merchant ships that had passes to go abroad. By and
by, my wife being here, they sat down and eat a bit of their nasty
victuals, and so parted and we to bed.
23rd (Lord's day). Up to my chamber, and there all the morning reading
in my Lord Coke's Pleas of the Crowne, very fine noble reading. After
church time comes my wife and Sir W. Pen his lady and daughter; and Mrs.
Markham and Captain Harrison (who come to dine with them), by invitation
end dined with me, they as good as inviting themselves. I confess I hate
their company and tricks, and so had no great pleasure in [it], but a
good dinner lost. After dinner they all to church, and I by water alone
to Woolwich, and there called on Mr. Bodham: and he and I to see the
batterys newly raised; which, indeed, are good works to command the River
below the ships that are sunk, but not above them. Here I met with
Captain Cocke and Matt. Wren, Fenn, and Charles Porter, and Temple and
his wife. Here I fell in with these, and to Bodham's with them, and
there we sat and laughed and drank in his arbour, Wren making much and
kissing all the day of Temple's wife. It is a sad sight to see so many
good ships there sunk in the River, while we would be thought to be
masters of the sea. Cocke says the bankers cannot, till peace returns,
ever hope to have credit again; so that they can pay no more money, but
people must be contented to take publick security such as they can give
them; and if so, and they do live to receive the money thereupon, the
bankers will be happy men. Fenn read me an order of council passed the
17th instant, directing all the Treasurers of any part of the King's
revenue to make no payments but such as shall be approved by the present
Lords Commissioners; which will, I think, spoil the credit of all his
Majesty's service, when people cannot depend upon payment any where. But
the King's declaration in behalf of the bankers, to make good their
assignments for money, is very good, and will, I hope, secure me. Cocke
says, that he hears it is come to it now, that the King will try what he
can soon do for a peace; and if he cannot, that then he will cast all
upon the Parliament to do as they see fit: and in doing so, perhaps, he
may save us all. The King of France, it is believed, is engaged for this
year;
[Louis XIV. was at this time in Flanders, with his queen, his
mistresses, and all his Court. Turenne commanded under him. Whilst
Charles was hunting moths at Lady Castlemaine's, and the English
fleet was burning, Louis was carrying on the campaign with vigour.
Armentieres was taken on the 28th May; Charleroi on the 2nd June,
St. Winox on the 6th, Fumes on the 12th, Ath on the 16th, Toumay on
the 24th; the Escarpe on the 6th July, Courtray on the 18th,
Audenarde on the 31st; and Lisle on the 27th August.--B.]
so that we shall be safe as to him. The great misery the City and
kingdom is like to suffer for want of coals in a little time is very
visible, and, is feared, will breed a mutiny; for we are not in any
prospect to command the sea for our colliers to come, but rather, it is
feared, the Dutch may go and burn all our colliers at Newcastle; though
others do say that they lie safe enough there. No news at all of late
from Bredagh what our Treaters do. By and by, all by water in three
boats to Greenwich, there to Cocke's, where we supped well, and then
late, Wren, Fenn, and I home by water, set me in at the Tower, and they
to White Hall, and so I home, and after a little talk with my wife to
bed.
24th. Up, and to the office, where much business upon me by the coming
of people of all sorts about the dispatch of one business or other of the
fire-ships, or other ships to be set out now. This morning Greeting
come, and I with him at my flageolet. At noon dined at home with my wife
alone, and then in the afternoon all the day at my office. Troubled a
little at a letter from my father, which tells me of an idle companion,
one Coleman, who went down with him and my wife in the coach, and come up
again with my wife, a pensioner of the King's Guard, and one that my
wife, indeed, made the feast for on Saturday last, though he did not
come; but if he knows nothing of our money I will prevent any other
inconvenience. In the evening comes Mr. Povy about business; and he and
I to walk in the garden an hour or two, and to talk of State matters. He
tells me his opinion that it is out of possibility for us to escape being
undone, there being nothing in our power to do that is necessary for the
saving us: a lazy Prince, no Council, no money, no reputation at home or
abroad. He says that to this day the King do follow the women as much as
ever he did; that the Duke of York hath not got Mrs. Middleton, as I was
told the other day: but says that he wants not her, for he hath others,
and hath always had, and that he [Povy] hath known them brought through
the Matted Gallery at White Hall into his [the Duke's] closet; nay, he
hath come out of his wife's bed, and gone to others laid in bed for him:
that Mr. Bruncker is not the only pimp, but that the whole family is of
the same strain, and will do anything to please him: that, besides the
death of the two Princes lately, the family is in horrible disorder by
being in debt by spending above L60,000 per. annum, when he hath not
L40,000: that the Duchesse is not only the proudest woman in the world,
but the most expensefull; and that the Duke of York's marriage with her
hath undone the kingdom, by making the Chancellor so great above reach,
who otherwise would have been but an ordinary man, to have been dealt
with by other people; and he would have been careful of managing things
well, for fear of being called to account; whereas, now he is secure, and
hath let things run to rack, as they now appear. That at a certain time
Mr. Povy did carry him an account of the state of the Duke of York's
estate, showing in faithfullness how he spent more than his estate would
bear, by above L20,000 per annum, and asked my Lord's opinion of it; to
which he answered that no man that loved the King or kingdom durst own
the writing of that paper; at which Povy was startled, and reckoned
himself undone for this good service, and found it necessary then to show
it to the Duke of York's Commissioners; who read, examined, and approved
of it, so as to cause it to be put into form, and signed it, and gave it
the Duke. Now the end of the Chancellor was, for fear that his
daughter's ill housewifery should be condemned. He [Povy] tells me that
the other day, upon this ill newes of the Dutch being upon us, White Hall
was shut up, and the Council called and sat close; and, by the way, he do
assure me, from the mouth of some Privy-councillors, that at this day the
Privy-council in general do know no more what the state of the kingdom as
to peace and war is, than he or I; nor knows who manages it, nor upon
whom it depends; and there my Lord Chancellor did make a speech to them,
saying that they knew well that he was no friend to the war from the
beginning, and therefore had concerned himself little in, nor could say
much to it; and a great deal of that kind, to discharge himself of the
fault of the war. Upon which my Lord Anglesey rose up and told his
Majesty that he thought their coming now together was not to enquire who
was, or was not, the cause of the war, but to enquire what was, or could
be, done in the business of making a peace, and in whose hands that was,
and where it was stopped or forwarded; and went on very highly to have
all made open to them: and, by the way, I remember that Captain Cocke did
the other day tell me that this Lord Anglesey hath said, within few days,
that he would willingly give L10,000 of his estate that he was well
secured of the rest, such apprehensions he hath of the sequel of things,
as giving all over for lost. He tells me, speaking of the horrid
effeminacy of the King, that the King hath taken ten times more care and
pains in making friends between my Lady Castlemayne and Mrs. Stewart,
when they have fallen out, than ever he did to save his kingdom; nay,,
that upon any falling out between my Lady Castlemayne's nurse and her
woman, my Lady hath often said she would make the King to make them
friends, and they would be friends and be quiet; which the King hath been
fain to do: that the King is, at this day, every night in Hyde Park with
the Duchesse of Monmouth, or with my Lady Castlemaine: that he [Povy] is
concerned of late by my Lord Arlington in the looking after some
buildings that he is about in Norfolke, where my Lord is laying out a
great deal of money; and that he, Mr. Povy, considering the unsafeness of
laying out money at such a time as this, and, besides, the enviousness of
the particular county, as well as all the kingdom, to find him building
and employing workmen, while all the ordinary people of the country are
carried down to the seasides for securing the land, he thought it
becoming him to go to my Lord Arlington (Sir Thomas Clifford by), and
give it as his advice to hold his hands a little; but my Lord would not,
but would have him go on, and so Sir Thomas Clifford advised also, which
one would think, if he were a statesman worth a fart should be a sign of
his foreseeing that all shall do well. But I do forbear concluding any
such thing from them. He tells me that there is not so great confidence
between any two men of power in the nation at this day, that he knows of,
as between my Lord Arlington and Sir Thomas Clifford; and that it arises
by accident only, there being no relation nor acquaintance between them,
but only Sir Thomas Clifford's coming to him, and applying himself to him
for favours, when he come first up to town to be a Parliament-man. He
tells me that he do not think there is anything in the world for us
possibly to be saved by but the King of France's generousnesse to stand
by us against the Dutch, and getting us a tolerable peace, it may be,
upon our giving him Tangier and the islands he hath taken, and other
things he shall please to ask. He confirms me in the several grounds I
have conceived of fearing that we shall shortly fall into mutinys and
outrages among ourselves, and that therefore he, as a Treasurer, and
therefore much more myself, I say, as being not only a Treasurer but an
officer of the Navy, on whom, for all the world knows, the faults of all
our evils are to be laid, do fear to be seized on by some rude hands as
having money to answer for, which will make me the more desirous to get
off of this Treasurership as soon as I can, as I had before in my mind
resolved. Having done all this discourse, and concluded the kingdom in a
desperate condition, we parted; and I to my wife, with whom was Mercer
and Betty Michell, poor woman, come with her husband to see us after the
death of her little girle. We sat in the garden together a while, it
being night, and then Mercer and I a song or two, and then in (the
Michell's home), my wife, Mercer, and I to supper, and then parted and to
bed.
25th. Up, and with Sir W. Pen in his new chariot (which indeed is plain,
but pretty and more fashionable in shape than any coach he hath, and yet
do not cost him, harness and all, above L32) to White Hall; where staid a
very little: and thence to St. James's to [Sir] W. Coventry, whom I have
not seen since before the coming of the Dutch into the river, nor did
indeed know how well to go see him, for shame either to him or me, or
both of us, to find ourselves in so much misery. I find that he and his
fellow-Treasurers are in the utmost want of money, and do find fault with
Sir G. Carteret, that, having kept the mystery of borrowing money to
himself so long, to the ruin of the nation, as [Sir] W. Coventry said in
words to [Sir] W. Pen and me, he should now lay it aside and come to them
for money for every penny he hath, declaring that he can raise no more:
which, I confess, do appear to me the most like ill-will of any thing
that I have observed of [Sir] W. Coventry, when he himself did tell us,
on another occasion at the same time, that the bankers who used to
furnish them money are not able to lend a farthing, and he knows well
enough that that was all the mystery [Sir] G. Carteret did use, that is,
only his credit with them. He told us the masters and owners of the two
ships that I had complained of, for not readily setting forth their
ships, which we had taken up to make men-of-war, had been yesterday with
the King and Council, and had made their case so well understood, that
the King did owe them for what they had earned the last year, that they
could not set them out again without some money or stores out of the
King's Yards; the latter of which [Sir] W. Coventry said must be done,
for that they were not able to raise money for them, though it was but
L200 a ship: which do skew us our condition to be so bad, that I am in a
total despair of ever having the nation do well. After talking awhile,
and all out of heart with stories of want of seamen, and seamen's running
away, and their demanding a month's advance, and our being forced to give
seamen 3s. a-day to go hence to work at Chatham, and other things that
show nothing but destruction upon us; for it is certain that, as it now
is, the seamen of England, in my conscience, would, if they could, go
over and serve the King of France or Holland rather than us. Up to the
Duke of York to his chamber, where he seems to be pretty easy, and now
and then merry; but yet one may perceive in all their minds there is
something of trouble and care, and with good reason. Thence to White
Hall, and with Sir W. Pen, by chariot; and there in the Court met with my
Lord Anglesey: and he to talk with [Sir] W. Pen, and told him of the
masters of ships being with the Council yesterday, and that we were not
in condition, though the men were willing, to furnish them with L200 of
money, already due to them as earned by them the last year, to enable
them to set out their ships again this year for the King: which he is
amazed at; and when I told him, "My Lord, this is a sad instance of the
condition we are in," he answered, that it was so indeed, and sighed: and
so parted: and he up to the Council-chamber, where I perceive they sit
every morning, and I to Westminster Hall, where it is Term time. I met
with none I knew, nor did desire it, but only past through the-Hall and
so back again, and by coach home to dinner, being weary indeed of seeing
the world, and thinking it high time for me to provide against the foul
weather that is certainly coming upon us. So to the office, and there
[Sir] W. Pen and I did some business, and then home to dinner, where my
wife pleases me mightily with what she can do upon the flageolet, and
then I to the office again, and busy all the afternoon, and it is worth
noting that the King and Council, in their order of the 23rd instant, for
unloading three merchant-ships taken up for the King's service for men-
of-war, do call the late coming of the Dutch "an invasion." I was told,
yesterday, that Mr. Oldenburg, our Secretary at Gresham College, is put
into the Tower, for writing newes to a virtuoso in France, with whom he
constantly corresponds in philosophical matters; which makes it very
unsafe at this time to write, or almost do any thing. Several captains
come to the office yesterday and to-day, complaining that their men come
and go when they will, and will not be commanded, though they are paid
every night, or may be. Nay, this afternoon comes Harry Russell from
Gravesend, telling us that the money carried down yesterday for the Chest
at Chatham had like to have been seized upon yesterday, in the barge
there, by seamen, who did beat our watermen: and what men should these be
but the boat's crew of Sir Fretcheville Hollis, who used to brag so much
of the goodness and order of his men, and his command over them. Busy
all the afternoon at the office. Towards night I with Mr. Kinaston to
White Hall about a Tangier order, but lost our labour, only met Sir H.
Cholmly there, and he tells me great newes; that this day in Council the
King hath declared that he will call his Parliament in thirty days: which
is the best newes I have heard a great while, and will, if any thing,
save the kingdom. How the King come to be advised to this, I know not;
but he tells me that it was against the Duke of York's mind flatly, who
did rather advise the King to raise money as he pleased; and against the
Chancellor's, who told the King that Queen Elizabeth did do all her
business in eighty-eight without calling a Parliament, and so might he
do, for anything he saw. But, blessed be God! it is done; and pray God
it may hold, though some of us must surely go to the pot, for all must be
flung up to them, or nothing will be done. So back home, and my wife
down by water, I sent her, with Mrs. Hewer and her son, W. Hewer, to see
the sunk ships, while I staid at the office, and in the evening was
visited by Mr. Roberts the merchant by us about the getting him a ship
cleared from serving the King as a man of war, which I will endeavour to
do. So home to supper and to bed.
26th. Up, and in dressing myself in my dressing chamber comes up Nell,
and I did play with her . . . . So being ready I to White Hall by
water, and there to the Lords Treasurers' chamber, and there wait, and
here it is every body's discourse that the Parliament is ordered to meet
the 25th of July, being, as they say, St. James's day; which every
creature is glad of. But it is pretty to consider how, walking to the
Old Swan from my house, I met Sir Thomas Harvy, whom, asking the newes of
the Parliament's meeting, he told me it was true, and they would
certainly make a great rout among us. I answered, I did not care for my
part, though I was ruined, so that the Commonwealth might escape ruin by
it. He answered, that is a good one, in faith; for you know yourself to
be secure, in being necessary to the office; but for my part, says he,
I must look to be removed; but then, says he, I doubt not but I shall
have amends made me; for all the world knows upon what terms I come in;
which is a saying that a wise man would not unnecessarily have said, I
think, to any body, meaning his buying his place of my Lord Barkely [of
Stratton]. So we parted, and I to White Hall, as I said before, and
there met with Sir Stephen Fox and Mr. Scawen, who both confirm the news
of the Parliament's meeting. Here I staid for an order for my Tangier
money, L30,000, upon the 11 months' tax, and so away to my Lord
Arlington's office, and there spoke to him about Mr. Lanyon's business,
and received a good answer, and thence to Westminster Hall and there
walked a little, and there met with Colonell Reames, who tells me of a
letter come last night, or the day before, from my Lord St. Albans, out
of France, wherein he says, that the King of France did lately fall out
with him, giving him ill names, saying that he had belied him to our
King, by saying that he had promised to assist our King, and to forward
the peace; saying that indeed he had offered to forward the peace at such
a time, but it was not accepted of, and so he thinks himself not obliged,
and would do what was fit for him; and so made him to go out of his sight
in great displeasure: and he hath given this account to the King, which,
Colonell Reymes tells me, puts them into new melancholy at Court, and he
believes hath forwarded the resolution of calling the Parliament.
Wherewith for all this I am very well contented, and so parted and to the
Exchequer, but Mr. Burgess was not in his office; so alone to the Swan,
and thither come Mr. Kinaston to me, and he and I into a room and there
drank and discoursed, and I am mightily pleased with him for a most
diligent and methodical man in all his business. By and by to Burgess,
and did as much as we could with him about our Tangier order, though we
met with unexpected delays in it, but such as are not to be avoided by
reason of the form of the Act and the disorders which the King's
necessities do put upon it, and therefore away by coach, and at White
Hall spied Mr. Povy, who tells me, as a great secret, which none knows
but himself, that Sir G. Carteret hath parted with his place of Treasurer
of the Navy, by consent, to my Lord Anglesey, and is to be Treasurer of
Ireland in his stead; but upon what terms it is I know not, but Mr. Povy
tells it is so, and that it is in his power to bring me to as great a
friendship and confidence in my Lord Anglesey as ever I was with [Sir] W.
Coventry, which I am glad of, and so parted, and I to my tailor's about
turning my old silk suit and cloak into a suit and vest, and thence with
Mr. Kinaston (whom I had set down in the Strand and took up again at the
Temple gate) home, and there to dinner, mightily pleased with my wife's
playing on the flageolet, and so after dinner to the office. Such is the
want already of coals, and the despair of having any supply, by reason of
the enemy's being abroad, and no fleete of ours to secure, that they are
come, as Mr. Kinaston tells me, at this day to L5 10s. per chaldron. All
the afternoon busy at the office. In the evening with my wife and Mercer
took coach and to Islington to the Old House, and there eat and drank and
sang with great pleasure, and then round by Hackney home with great
pleasure, and when come home to bed, my stomach not being well pleased
with the cream we had to-night.
27th. Wakened this morning, about three o'clock, by Mr. Griffin with a
letter from Sir W. Coventry to W. Pen, which W. Pen sent me to see, that
the Dutch are come up to the Nore again, and he knows not whether further
or no, and would have, therefore, several things done: ships sunk, and I
know not what--which Sir W. Pen (who it seems is very ill this night, or
would be thought so) hath directed Griffin to carry to the Trinity House;
so he went away with the letter, and I tried and with much ado did get a
little sleep more, and so up about six o'clock, full of thought what to
do with the little money I have left and my plate, wishing with all my
heart that that was all secured. So to the office, where much business
all the morning, and the more by my brethren being all out of the way;
Sir W. Pen this night taken so ill cannot stir; [Sir] W. Batten ill at
Walthamstow; Sir J. Minnes the like at Chatham, and my Lord Bruncker
there also upon business. Horrible trouble with the backwardness of the
merchants to let us have their ships, and seamen's running away, and not
to be got or kept without money. It is worth turning to our letters this
day to Sir W. Coventry about these matters. At noon to dinner, having a
haunch of venison boiled; and all my clerks at dinner with me; and
mightily taken with Mr. Gibson's discourse of the faults of this war in
its management compared [with] that in the last war, which I will get him
to put into writing. Thence, after dinner, to the office again, and
there I saw the proclamations come out this day for the Parliament to
meet the 25th of next month; for which God be praised! and another to
invite seamen to bring in their complaints, of their being ill-used in
the getting their tickets and money, there being a Committee of the
Council appointed to receive their complaints. This noon W. Hewer and T.
Hater both tell me that it is all over the town, and Mr. Pierce tells me
also, this afternoon coming to me, that for certain Sir G. Carteret hath
parted with his Treasurer's place, and that my Lord Anglesey is in it
upon agreement and change of places, though the latter part I do not
think. This Povy told me yesterday, and I think it is a wise act of
[Sir] G. Carteret. Pierce tells me that he hears for certain fresh at
Court, that France and we shall agree; and more, that yesterday was
damned at the Council, the Canary Company; and also that my Lord Mordaunt
hath laid down his Commission, both good things to please the Parliament,
which I hope will do good. Pierce tells me that all the town do cry out
of our office, for a pack of fools and knaves; but says that everybody
speaks either well, or at least the best of me, which is my great
comfort, and think I do deserve it, and shall shew I have; but yet do
think, and he also, that the Parliament will send us all going; and I
shall be well contented with it, God knows! But he tells me how Matt.
Wren should say that he was told that I should say that W. Coventry was
guilty of the miscarriage at Chatham, though I myself, as he confesses,
did tell him otherwise, and that it was wholly Pett's fault. This do
trouble me, not only as untrue, but as a design in some [one] or other to
do me hurt; for, as the thing is false, so it never entered into my mouth
or thought, nor ever shall. He says that he hath rectified Wren in his
belief of this, and so all is well. He gone, I to business till the
evening, and then by chance home, and find the fellow that come up with
my wife, Coleman, last from Brampton, a silly rogue, but one that would
seem a gentleman; but I did not stay with him. So to the office, where
late, busy, and then to walk a little in the garden, and so home to
supper and to bed. News this tide, that about 80 sail of the Dutch,
great and small were seen coming up the river this morning; and this tide
some of them to the upper end of the Hope.
28th. Up, and hear Sir W. Batten is come to town: I to see him; he is
very ill of his fever, and come to town only for advice. Sir J. Minnes,
I hear also, is very ill all this night, worse than before. Thence I
going out met at the gate Sir H. Cholmly coming to me, and I to him in
the coach, and both of us presently to St. James's, by the way
discoursing of some Tangier business about money, which the want of I see
will certainly bring the place into a bad condition. We find the Duke of
York and [Sir] W. Coventry gone this morning, by two o'clock, to Chatham,
to come home to-night: and it is fine to observe how both the King and
Duke of York have, in their several late journeys to and again, done them
in the night for coolnesse. Thence with him to the Treasury Chamber, and
then to the Exchequer to inform ourselves a little about our warrant for
L30,000 for Tangier, which vexes us that it is so far off in time of
payment. Having walked two or three turns with him in the Hall we
parted, and I home by coach, and did business at the office till noon,
and then by water to White Hall to dinner to Sir G. Carteret, but he not
at home, but I dined with my Lady and good company, and good dinner. My
Lady and the family in very good humour upon this business of his parting
with his place of Treasurer of the Navy, which I perceive they do own,
and we did talk of it with satisfaction. They do here tell me that the
Duke of Buckingham hath surrendered himself to Secretary Morrice, and is
going to the Tower. Mr. Fenn, at the table, says that he hath been taken
by the watch two or three times of late, at unseasonable hours, but so
disguised that they could not know him: and when I come home, by and by,
Mr. Lowther tells me that the Duke of Buckingham do dine publickly this
day at Wadlow's, at the Sun Tavern; and is mighty merry, and sent word to
the Lieutenant of the Tower, that he would come to him as soon as he had
dined. Now, how sad a thing it is, when we come to make sport of
proclaiming men traitors, and banishing them, and putting them out of
their offices, and Privy Council, and of sending to and going to the
Tower: God have mercy on us! At table, my Lady and Sir Philip Carteret
have great and good discourse of the greatness of the present King of
France--what great things he hath done, that a man may pass, at any hour
in the night, all over that wild city [Paris], with a purse in his hand
and no danger: that there is not a beggar to be seen in it, nor dirt
lying in it; that he hath married two of Colbert's daughters to two of
the greatest princes of France, and given them portions--bought the
greatest dukedom in France, and given it to Colbert;
[The Carterets appear to have mystified Pepys, who eagerly believed
all that was told him. At this time Paris was notoriously unsafe,
infested with robbers and beggars, and abominably unclean. Colbert
had three daughters, of whom the eldest was just married when Pepys
wrote, viz., Jean Marie Therese, to the Duc de Chevreuse, on the 3rd
February, 1667. The second daughter, Henriette Louise, was not
married to the Duc de St. Aignan till January 21st, 1671; and the
third, Marie Anne, to the Duc de Mortemart, February 14th, 1679.
Colbert himself was never made a duke. His highest title was
Marquis de Seignelay.--B.]
and ne'er a prince in France dare whisper against it, whereas here our
King cannot do any such thing, but everybody's mouth is open against him
for it, and the man that hath the favour also. That to several
commanders that had not money to set them out to the present campagne, he
did of his own accord--send them L1000 sterling a-piece, to equip
themselves. But then they did enlarge upon the slavery of the people--
that they are taxed more than the real estates they have; nay, it is an
ordinary thing for people to desire to give the King all their land that
they have, and themselves become only his tenants, and pay him rent to
the full value of it: so they may have but their earnings, But this will
not be granted; but he shall give the value of his rent, and part of his
labour too. That there is not a petty governor of a province--nay, of a
town, but he will take the daughter from the richest man in the town
under him, that hath got anything, and give her to his footman for a wife
if he pleases, and the King of France will do the like to the best man in
his kingdom--take his daughter from him, and give her to his footman, or
whom he pleases. It is said that he do make a sport of us now; and says,
that he knows no reason why his cozen, the King of England, should not be
as willing to let him have his kingdom, as that the Dutch should take it
from him, which is a most wretched thing that ever we should live to be
in this most contemptible condition. After dinner Sir G. Carteret come
in, and I to him and my Lady, and there he did tell me that the business
was done between him and my Lord Anglesey; that himself is to have the
other's place of Deputy Treasurer of Ireland, which is a place of honour
and great profit, being far better, I know not for what reason, but a
reason there is, than the Treasurer's, my Lord of Corke's, and to give
the other his, of Treasurer of the Navy; that the King, at his earnest
entreaty, did, with much unwillingness, but with owning of great
obligations to him, for his faithfulness and long service to him and his
father, and therefore was willing to grant his desire. That the Duke of
York hath given him the same kind words, so that it is done with all the
good manner that could be, and he I perceive do look upon it, and so do
I, I confess, as a great good fortune to him to meet with one of my Lord
Anglesey's quality willing to receive it at this time. Sir W. Coventry
he hath not yet made acquainted with it, nor do intend it, it being done
purely to ease himself of the many troubles and plagues which he thinks
the perverseness and unkindness of Sir W. Coventry and others by his
means have and is likely every day to bring upon him, and the
Parliament's envy, and lastly to put himself into a condition of making
up his accounts, which he is, he says, afeard he shall never otherwise
be. My Lord Chancellor, I perceive, is his friend in it. I remember I
did in the morning tell Sir H. Cholmly of this business: and he answered
me, he was sorry for it; for, whatever Sir G. Carteret was, he is
confident my Lord Anglesey is one of the greatest knaves in the world,
which is news to me, but I shall make my use of it. Having done this
discourse with Sir G. Carteret, and signified my great satisfaction in
it, which they seem to look upon as something, I went away and by coach
home, and there find my wife making of tea, a drink which Mr. Pelling,
the Potticary, tells her is good for her cold and defluxions. I to the
office (whither come Mr. Carcasse to me to sue for my favour to him), and
Sir W. Pen's, where I find Mr. Lowther come to town after the journey,
and after a small visit to him, I to the office to do much business, and
then in the evening to Sir W. Batten's, to see how he did; and he is
better than he was. He told me how Mrs. Lowther had her train held up
yesterday by her page, at his house in the country; which is so
ridiculous a piece of pride as I am ashamed of. He told me also how he
hears by somebody that my Lord Bruncker's maid hath told that her lady
Mrs. Williams had sold her jewels and clothes to raise money for
something or other; and indeed the last night a letter was sent from her
to me, to send to my Lord, with about five pieces of gold in it, which
methought at the time was but a poor supply. I then to Sir W. Pen, who
continues a little ill, or dissembles it, the latter of which I am apt to
believe. Here I staid but little, not meaning much kindness in it; and
so to the office, and dispatched more business; and then home at night,
and to supper with my wife, and who should come in but Mr. Pelling, and
supped with us, and told us the news of the town; how the officers of the
Navy are cried out upon, and a great many greater men; but do think that
I shall do well enough; and I think, if I have justice, I shall. He
tells me of my Lord Duke of Buckingham, his dining to-day at the Sun, and
that he was mighty merry; and, what is strange, tells me that really he
is at this day a very popular man, the world reckoning him to suffer upon
no other account than that he did propound in Parliament to have all the
questions that had to do with the receipt of the taxes and prizes; but
they must be very silly that do think he can do any thing out of good
intention. After a great deal of tittle-tattle with this honest man, he
gone we to bed. We hear that the Dutch are gone down again; and thanks
be to God! the trouble they give us this second time is not very
considerable.
29th. Up, having had many ugly dreams to-night of my father and my
sister and mother's coming to us, and meeting my wife and me at the gate
of the office going out, they all in laced suits, and come, they told me,
to be with me this May day. My mother told me she lacked a pair of
gloves, and I remembered a pair of my wife's in my chamber, and resolved
she should have them, but then recollected how my mother come to be here
when I was in mourning for her, and so thinking it to be a mistake in our
thinking her all this while dead, I did contrive that it should be said
to any that enquired that it was my mother-in-law, my wife's mother, that
was dead, and we in mourning for. This dream troubled me and I waked .
. . . These dreams did trouble me mightily all night. Up, and by
coach to St. James's, and there find Sir W. Coventry and Sir W. Pen above
stairs, and then we to discourse about making up our accounts against the
Parliament; and Sir W. Coventry did give us the best advice he could for
us to provide for our own justification, believing, as everybody do, that
they will fall heavily upon us all, though he lay all upon want of money,
only a little, he says (if the Parliament be in any temper), may be laid
upon themselves for not providing money sooner, they being expressly and
industriously warned thereof by him, he says, even to the troubling them,
that some of them did afterwards tell him that he had frighted them. He
says he do prepare to justify himself, and that he hears that my Lord
Chancellor, my Lord Arlington, the Vice Chamberlain and himself are
reported all up and down the Coffee houses to be the four sacrifices that
must be made to atone the people. Then we to talk of the loss of all
affection and obedience, now in the seamen, so that all power is lost.
He told us that he do concur in thinking that want of money do do the
most of it, but that that is not all, but the having of gentlemen
Captains, who discourage all Tarpaulins, and have given out that they
would in a little time bring it to that pass that a Tarpaulin should not
dare to aspire to more than to be a Boatswain or a gunner. That this
makes the Sea Captains to lose their own good affections to the service,
and to instil it into the seamen also, and that the seamen do see it
themselves and resent it; and tells us that it is notorious, even to his
bearing of great ill will at Court, that he hath been the opposer of
gentlemen Captains; and Sir W. Pen did put in, and said that he was
esteemed to have been the man that did instil it into Sir W. Coventry,
which Sir W. Coventry did owne also, and says that he hath always told
the Gentlemen Captains his opinion of them, and that himself who had now
served to the business of the sea 6 or 7 years should know a little, and
as much as them that had never almost been at sea, and that yet he found
himself fitter to be a Bishop or Pope than to be a Sea-Commander, and so
indeed he is. I begun to tell him of the experience I had of the great
brags made by Sir F. Hollis the other day, and the little proof either of
the command or interest he had in his men, which Sir W. Pen seconded by
saying Sir Fr. Hollis had told him that there was not a pilot to be got
the other day for his fire-ships, and so was forced to carry them down
himself, which Sir W. Coventry says, in my conscience, he knows no more
to do and understand the River no more than he do Tiber or Ganges.
Thence I away with Sir W. Pen to White Hall, to the Treasury Chamber, but
to no purpose, and so by coach home, and there to my office to business,
and then home to dinner, and to pipe with my wife, and so to the office
again, having taken a resolution to take a turn to Chatham to-morrow,
indeed to do business of the King's, but also to give myself the
satisfaction of seeing the place after the Dutch have been here. I have
sent to and got Creed to go with me by coach betimes to-morrow morning.
After having done my business at the office I home, and there I found
Coleman come again to my house, and with my wife in our great chamber,
which vexed me, there being a bed therein. I staid there awhile, and
then to my study vexed, showing no civility to the man. But he comes on
a compliment to receive my wife's commands into the country, whither he
is going, and it being Saturday my wife told me there was no other room
for her to bring him in, and so much is truth. But I staid vexed in my
closet till by and by my cozen Thomas Pepys, of Hatcham, come to see me,
and he up to my closet, and there sat talking an hour or two of the sad
state of the times, whereof we did talk very freely, and he thinks
nothing but a union of religious interests will ever settle us; and I do
think that, and the Parliament's taking the whole management of things
into their hands, and severe inquisitions into our miscarriages; will
help us. After we had bewailed ourselves and the kingdom very freely one
to another (wherein I do blame myself for my freedom of speech to
anybody), he gone, and Coleman gone also before, I to the office, whither
Creed come by my desire, and he and I to my wife, to whom I now propose
the going to Chatham, who, mightily pleased with it, sent for Mercer to
go with her, but she could not go, having friends at home, which vexed my
wife and me; and the poor wretch would have had anybody else to have
gone, but I would like nobody else, so was contented to stay at home, on
condition to go to Ispsum next Sunday, which I will do, and so I to the
office to dispatch my business, and then home to supper with Creed, and
then Creed and I together to bed, very pleasant in discourse. This day
talking with Sir W. Batten, he did give me an account how ill the King
and Duke of York was advised to send orders for our frigates and fire-
ships to come from Gravesend, soon as ever news come of the Dutch being
returned into the river, wherein no seamen, he believes, was advised
with; for, says he, we might have done just as Warwicke did, when he,
W. Batten; come with the King and the like fleete, in the late wars, into
the river: for Warwicke did not run away from them, but sailed before
them when they sailed, and come to anchor when they come to anchor, and
always kept in a small distance from them: so as to be able to take any
opportunity of any of their ships running aground, or change of wind, or
any thing else, to his advantage. So might we have done with our fire-
ships, and we have lost an opportunity of taking or burning a good ship
of their's, which was run aground about Holehaven, I think he said, with
the wind so as their ships could not get her away; but we might have done
what we would with her, and, it may be, done them mischief, too, with the
wind. This seems very probable, and I believe was not considered.
30th (Lord's day). Up about three o'clock, and Creed and I got
ourselves ready, and took coach at our gate, it being very fine weather,
and the cool of the morning, and with much pleasure, without any stop,
got to Rochester about ten of the clock, all the way having mighty
pleasant talk of the fate that is over all we do, that it seems as if we
were designed in every thing, by land by sea, to undo ourselves. At the
foot of Rochester bridge, at the landing-place, I met my Lord Bruncker
and my Lord Douglas, and all the officers of the soldiers in the town,
waiting there for the Duke of York, whom they heard was coming thither
this day; by and by comes my Lord Middleton, the first time I remember to
have seen him, well mounted, who had been to meet him, but come back
without him; he seems a fine soldier, and so every body says he is; and a
man, like my Lord Teviott, and indeed most of the Scotch gentry, as I
observe, of few words. After staying here by the water-side and seeing
the boats come up from Chatham, with them that rowed with bandeleeres
about their shoulders, and muskets in their boats, they being the workmen
of the Yard, who have promised to redeem their credit, lost by their
deserting the service when the Dutch were there, my Lord Bruncker went
with Lord Middleton to his inne, the Crowne, to dinner, which I took
unkindly, but he was slightly invited. So I and Creed down by boat to
Chatham-yard (our watermen having their bandeleeres about them all the
way), and to Commissioner Pett's house, where my Lord Bruncker told me
that I should meet with his dinner two dishes of meat, but did not, but
however by the help of Mr. Wiles had some beer and ale brought me, and a
good piece of roast beef from somebody's table, and eat well at two, and
after dinner into the garden to shew Creed, and I must confess it must
needs be thought a sorrowful thing for a man that hath taken so much
pains to make a place neat to lose it as Commissioner Pett must now this.
Thence to see the batteries made; which, indeed, are very fine, and guns
placed so as one would think the River should be very secure. I was
glad, as also it was new to me, to see so many fortifications as I have
of late seen, and so up to the top of the Hill, there to look, and could
see towards Sheerenesse, to spy the Dutch fleete, but could make [out]
none but one vessel, they being all gone. But here I was told, that, in
all the late attempt, there was but one man that they knew killed on
shore: and that was a man that had laid himself upon his belly upon one
of the hills, on the other side of the River, to see the action; and a
bullet come, took the ground away just under his belly, and ripped up his
belly, and so was killed. Thence back to the docke, and in my way saw
how they are fain to take the deals of the rope-house to supply other
occasions, and how sillily the country troopers look, that stand upon the
passes there; and, methinks, as if they were more willing to run away
than to fight, and it is said that the country soldiers did first run at
Sheerenesse, but that then my Lord Douglas's men did run also; but it is
excused that there was no defence for them towards the sea, that so the
very beach did fly in their faces as the bullets come, and annoyed them,
they having, after all this preparation of the officers of the ordnance,
only done something towards the land, and nothing at all towards the sea.
The people here everywhere do speak very badly of Sir Edward Spragge, as
not behaving himself as he should have done in that business, going away
with the first, and that old Captain Pyne, who, I am here told, and no
sooner, is Master-Gunner of England, was the last that staid there.
Thence by barge, it raining hard, down to the chaine; and in our way did
see the sad wrackes of the poor "Royall Oake," "James," and "London;"
["The bottom of the `Royal James' is got afloat, and those of the `
Loyal London' and `Royal Oak' soon will be so. Many men are at work
to put Sheerness in a posture of defence, and a boom is being fitted
over the river by Upnor Castle, which with the good fortifications
will leave nothing to fear."--Calendar of State Papers, 1667, p.
285.]
and several other of our ships by us sunk, and several of the enemy's,
whereof three men-of-war that they could not get off, and so burned. We
did also see several dead bodies lie by the side of the water. I do not
see that Upnor Castle hath received any hurt by them, though they played
long against it; and they themselves shot till they had hardly a gun left
upon the carriages, so badly provided they were: they have now made two
batteries on that side, which will be very good, and do good service. So
to the chaine, and there saw it fast at the end on Upnor side of the
River; very fast, and borne up upon the several stages across the River;
and where it is broke nobody can tell me. I went on shore on Upnor side
to look upon the end of the chaine; and caused the link to be measured,
and it was six inches and one-fourth in circumference. They have burned
the Crane House that was to hawl it taught. It seems very remarkable to
me, and of great honour to the Dutch, that those of them that did go on
shore to Gillingham, though they went in fear of their lives, and were
some of them killed; and, notwithstanding their provocation at Schelling,
yet killed none of our people nor plundered their houses, but did take
some things of easy carriage, and left the rest, and not a house burned;
and, which is to our eternal disgrace, that what my Lord Douglas's men,
who come after them, found there, they plundered and took all away; and
the watermen that carried us did further tell us, that our own soldiers
are far more terrible to those people of the country-towns than the Dutch
themselves. We were told at the batteries, upon my seeing of the field-
guns that were there, that, had they come a day sooner, they had been
able to have saved all; but they had no orders, and lay lingering upon
the way, and did not come forward for want of direction. Commissioner
Pett's house was all unfurnished, he having carried away all his goods.
I met with no satisfaction whereabouts the chaine was broke, but do
confess I met with nobody that I could well expect to have satisfaction
[from], it being Sunday; and the officers of the Yard most of them
abroad, or at the Hill house, at the pay of the Chest, which they did
make use of to day to do part in. Several complaints, I hear, of the
Monmouth's coming away too soon from the chaine, where she was placed
with the two guard-ships to secure it; and Captain Robert Clerke, my
friend, is blamed for so doing there, but I hear nothing of him at
London about it; but Captain Brookes's running aground with the "Sancta
Maria," which was one of the three ships that were ordered to be sunk to
have dammed up the River at the chaine, is mightily cried against, and
with reason, he being the chief man to approve of the abilities of other
men, and the other two slips did get safe thither and he run aground; but
yet I do hear that though he be blameable, yet if she had been there, she
nor two more to them three would have been able to have commanded the
river all over. I find that here, as it hath been in our river, fire-
ships, when fitted, have been sunk afterwards, and particularly those
here at the Mussle, where they did no good at all. Our great ships that
were run aground and sunk are all well raised but the "Vanguard," which
they go about to raise to-morrow. "The Henery," being let loose to drive
up the river of herself, did run up as high as the bridge, and broke down
some of the rails of the bridge, and so back again with the tide, and up
again, and then berthed himself so well as no pilot could ever have done
better; and Punnet says he would not, for his life, have undertaken to
have done it, with all his skill. I find it is true that the Dutch did
heele "The Charles" to get her down, and yet run aground twice or thrice,
and yet got her safe away, and have her, with a great many good guns in
her, which none of our pilots would ever have undertaken. It is very
considerable the quantity of goods, which the making of these platforms
and batterys do take out of the King's stores: so that we shall have
little left there, and, God knows! no credit to buy any; besides, the
taking away and spending of (it is possible) several goods that would
have been either rejected or abatement made for them before used. It is
a strange thing to see that, while my Lords Douglas and Middleton do ride
up and down upon single horses, my Lord Bruncker do go up and down with
his hackney-coach and six horses at the King's charge, which will do, for
all this time, and the time that he is likely to stay, must amount to a
great deal. But I do not see that he hath any command over the seamen,
he being affronted by three or four seamen before my very face, which he
took sillily, methought; and is not able to do so much good as a good
boatswain in this business. My Lord Bruncker, I perceive, do endeavour
to speak well of Commissioner Pett, saying that he did exercise great
care and pains while he was there, but do not undertake to answer for his
not carrying up of the great ships. Back again to Rochester, and there
walked to the Cathedral as they were beginning of the service, but would
not be seen to stay to church there, besides had no mind, but rather to
go to our inne, the White Hart, where we drank and were fain (the towne
being so full of soldiers) to have a bed corded for us to lie in, I being
unwilling to lie at the Hill house for one night, being desirous to be
near our coach to be gone betimes to-morrow morning. Here in the
streets, I did hear the Scotch march beat by the drums before the
soldiers, which is very odde. Thence to the Castle, and viewed it with
Creed, and had good satisfaction from him that showed it us touching the
history of it. Then into the fields, a fine walk, and there saw Sir
Francis Clerke's house, which is a pretty seat, and then back to our inne
and bespoke supper, and so back to the fields and into the Cherry garden,
where we had them fresh gathered, and here met with a young, plain, silly
shopkeeper, and his wife, a pretty young woman, the man's name Hawkins,
and I did kiss her, and we talked (and the woman of the house is a very
talking bawdy jade), and eat cherries together, and then to walk in the
fields till it was late, and did kiss her, and I believe had I had a fit
time and place I might have done what I would with her. Walked back and
left them at their house near our inne, and then to our inne, where, I
hear, my Lord Bruncker hath sent for me to speak with me before I go: so
I took his coach, which stands there with two horses, and to him and to
his bedside, where he was in bed, and hath a watchman with a halbert at
his door; and to him, and did talk a little, and find him a very weak man
for this business that he is upon; and do pity the King's service, that
is no better handled, and his folly to call away Pett before we could
have found a better man to have staid in his stead; so took leave of him,
and with Creed back again, it being now about 10 at night, and to our
inne to supper, and then to bed, being both sleepy, but could get no
sheets to our bed, only linen to our mouths, and so to sleep, merrily
talking of Hawkins and his wife, and troubled that Creed did see so much
of my dalliance, though very little.
ETEXT EDITOR'S BOOKMARKS:
Buying his place of my Lord Barkely
Heeling her on one side to make her draw little water
Know yourself to be secure, in being necessary to the office
Night the Dutch burned our ships the King did sup with Castlemayne
Young fellow, with his hat cocked like a fool behind
End of this Project Gutenberg Etext of The Diary of Samuel Pepys, v61
by Samuel Pepys, Unabridged, transcribed by Bright, edited by Wheatley