



Produced by David Widger





                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.
                                 JULY
                                 1667

July 1st.  Up betimes, about 9 o'clock, waked by a damned noise between a
sow gelder and a cow and a dog, nobody after we were up being able to tell
us what it was.  After being ready we took coach, and, being very sleepy,
droused most part of the way to Gravesend, and there 'light, and down to
the new batterys, which are like to be very fine, and there did hear a
plain fellow cry out upon the folly of the King's officers above, to spend
so much money in works at Woolwich and Deptford, and sinking of good ships
loaden with goods, when, if half the charge had been laid out here, it
would have secured all that, and this place too, before now. And I think
it is not only true in this, but that the best of the actions of us all
are so silly, that the meanest people begin to see through them, and
contemn them.  Besides, says he, they spoil the river by it. Then informed
ourselves where we might have some creame, and they guided us to one Goody
Best's, a little out of the towne towards London road, and thither we went
with the coach, and find it a mighty clean, plain house, and had a dish of
very good creame to our liking, and so away presently very merry, and fell
to reading of the several Advices to a Painter, which made us good sport,
and indeed are very witty, and Creed did also repeat to me some of the
substance of letters of old Burleigh in Queen Elizabeth's time, which he
hath of late read in the printed Cabbala, which is a very fine style at
this day and fit to be imitated. With this, and talking and laughing at
the folly of our masters in the management of things at this day, we got
home by noon, where all well, and then to dinner, and after dinner both of
us laid down upon the couch and chairs and to sleep, which I did for an
hour or two, and then to the office, where I am sorry to hear that Sir J.
Minnes is likely to die this night, or to-morrow, I forgot to set down
that we met this morning upon the road with Mrs. Williams going down to my
Lord Bruncker; we bowed without speaking one to another, but I am ashamed
at the folly of the man to have her down at this serious busy time, when
the town and country is full of people and full of censure, and against
him particularly.  At Sir W. Batten's my Lady tells me that she hears for
certain that my Lord's maid of his lodging here do give out that Mrs.
Williams hath been fain of late to sell her best clothes and jewels to get
a little money upon, which is a sad condition.  Thence to the office, and
did write to my Lord Bruncker to give me a little satisfaction about the
certainty of the chain's being broke, which I begin to doubt, and the more
from Sir W. Pen's discourse.  It is worth while to read my letter to him
entered in my letter book.  Home in the evening to supper, and so pretty
betimes, about 10 o'clock, to bed, and slept well.  This day letters are
come that my sister is very ill.

2nd.  Up, and put on my new silke camelott suit, made of my cloak, and
suit now made into a vest.  So to the office, where W. Pen and myself, and
Sir T. Harvy met, the first time we have had a meeting since the coming of
the Dutch upon this coast.  Our only business (for we have little else to
do, nobody being willing to trust us for anything) was to speak with the
owners of six merchantmen which we have been taking up this fortnight, and
are yet in no readiness, they not fitting their ships without money
advanced to them, we owing them for what their ships have earned the last
year.  So every thing stands still for money, while we want money to pay
for some of the most necessary things that we promised ready money for in
the height of our wants, as grapnells, &c.  At noon home to dinner, and
after dinner my wife and Jane (mighty fine the girle) to go to see Jane's
old mistress, who was to see her, and did see my wife the other day, and
it is pleasant to hear with what kindness her old mistress speaks of this
girle, and how she would still have her, and how the wench cried when she
told her that she must come to her old mistress my wife.  They gone, I to
my chamber, and there dallied a little with my maid Nell. . . .  and
so to the office where busy till night, and then comes Mrs. Turner, and
walks with me in the garden to talk with me about her husband's business,
and to tell me how she hears at the other end of the town how bad our
office is spoken of by the King and Prince and Duke of Albemarle, and that
there is not a good word said of any of us but of me; and me they all do
speak mightily of, which, whether true or no, I am mighty glad to hear,
but from all put together that I hear from other people, I am likely to
pass as well as anybody.  So, she gone, comes my wife and to walk in the
garden, Sir J. Minnes being still ill and so keeping us from singing, and
by and by Sir W. Pen come and walked with us and gave us a bottle of
Syder, and so we home to supper and to bed.  This day I am told that poor
Tooker is dead, a very painfull poor man as ever I knew.

3rd.  Up, and within most of the morning, my tailor's boy coming to alter
something in my new suit I put on yesterday.  Then to the office and did
business, and then (my wife being a little ill of those in bed) I to Sir
W. Batten's and dined, and there comes in Sir Richard Ford, tells us how
he hath been at the Sessions-house, and there it is plain that there is a
combination of rogues in the town, that do make it their business to set
houses on fire, and that one house they did set on fire in Aldersgate
Streete last Easter; and that this is proved by two young men, whom one of
them debauched by degrees to steal their fathers' plate and clothes, and
at last to be of their company; and they had their places to take up what
goods were flung into the streets out of the windows, when the houses were
on fire; and this is like to be proved to a great number of rogues,
whereof five are already found, and some found guilty this day. One of
these boys is the son of a Montagu, of my Lord Manchester's family; but
whose son he could not tell me.  This is a strange thing methinks, but I
am glad that it is proved so true and discovered.  So home, and to enter
my Journall of my late journey to this hour, and then to the office, where
to do a little business, and then by water to White Hall (calling at
Michell's in my way, but the rogue would not invite me in, I having a mind
para voir his wife), and there to the Council-chamber, to deliver a letter
to their Lordships about the state of the six merchantmen which we have
been so long fitting out.  When I come, the King and the whole table full
of Lords were hearing of a pitifull cause of a complaint of an old man,
with a great grey beard, against his son, for not allowing him something
to live on; and at last come to the ordering the son to allow his father
L10 a year.  This cause lasted them near two hours; which, methinks, at
this time to be the work of the Council-board of England, is a scandalous
thing, and methought Sir W. Coventry to me did own as much.  Here I find
all the newes is the enemy's landing 3,000 men near Harwich,

     [Richard Browne, writing to Williamson from Aldeburgh, on July 2nd,
     says: "The Dutch fleet of 80 sail has anchored in the bay; they were
     expected to land, but they tacked about, and stood first northward
     and then southward, close by Orford lighthouse, and have now passed
     the Ness towards Harwich; they have fired no guns, but made false
     fires" ("Calendar of State Papers," 1667, p. 258).]

and attacking Landguard Fort, and being beat off thence with our great
guns, killing some of their men, and they leaving their ladders behind
them; but we had no Horse in the way on Suffolk side, otherwise we might
have galled their Foot.  The Duke of York is gone down thither this day,
while the General sat sleeping this afternoon at the Council-table.  The
news so much talked of this Exchange, of a peace, I find by Sir Richard
Browne arises from a letter the Swedes' agent hath received from Bredah
and shewed at Court to-day, that they are come very near it, but I do not
find anybody here relying upon it.  This cause being over, the Trinity
House men, whom I did not expect to meet, were called in, and there Sir W.
Pen made a formal speech in answer to a question of the King's, whether
the lying of the sunk ships in the river would spoil the river. But, Lord!
how gingerly he answered it, and with a deal of do that he did not know
whether it would be safe as to the enemy to have them taken up, but that
doubtless it would be better for the river to have them taken up.
Methought the Council found them answer like fools, and it ended in
bidding them think more of it, and bring their answer in writing.  Thence
I to Westminster Hall, and there hear how they talk against the present
management of things, and against Sir W. Coventry for his bringing in of
new commanders and casting out the old seamen, which I did endeavour to
rectify Mrs. Michell and them in, letting them know that he hath opposed
it all his life the most of any man in England.  After a deal of this
tittle tattle, I to Mrs. Martin's, and there she was gone in before, but
when I come, contrary to my expectation, I find her all in trouble, and
what was it for but that I have got her with child. . . . and is in
exceeding grief, and swears that the child is mine, which I do not
believe, but yet do comfort her that either it cannot be so, or if it be
that I will take care to send for her husband, though I do hardly see how
I can be sure of that, the ship being at sea, and as far as Scotland, but
however I must do it, and shall find some way or other of doing it, though
it do trouble me not a little.  Thence, not pleased, away to White Hall to
Mr. Williamson, and by and by my Lord Arlington about Mr. Lanyon's
business, and it is pretty to see how Mr. Williamson did altogether excuse
himself that my business was not done when I come to my Lord and told him
my business; "Why," says my Lord, "it hath been done, and the King signed
it several days ago," and so it was and was in Mr. Williamson's hands,
which made us both laugh, and I in innocent mirth, I remember, said, it is
pretty to see in what a condition we are that all our matters now-a-days
are undone, we know not how, and done we know not when.  He laughed at it,
but I have since reflected on it, and find it a severe speech as it might
be taken by a chief minister of state, as indeed Mr. Williamson is, for he
is indeed the Secretary.  But we fell to other pleasant talk, and a fine
gentleman he is, and so gave him L5 for his fee, and away home, and to Sir
W. Batten's to talk a little, and then to the office to do a little
business, and so home to supper and read myself asleep, and then to bed.

4th.  Up, and, in vain expecting Sir R. Ford's calling on me, I took coach
and to the Sessions-house, where I have a mind to hear Bazill Fielding's
case--[See May 9th, 1667]--tried; and so got up to the Bench, my Lord
Chief-Justice Keeling being Judge.  Here I stood bare, not challenging,
though I might well enough, to be covered.  But here were several fine
trials; among others, several brought in for making it their trade to set
houses on fire merely to get plunder; and all proved by the two little
boys spoken of yesterday by Sir R. Ford, who did give so good account of
particulars that I never heard children in my life.  And I confess, though
I was unsatisfied with the force given to such little boys, to take away
men's lives, yet, when I was told that my Lord Chief-Justice did declare
that there was no law against taking the oath of children above twelve
years old, and then heard from Sir R. Ford the good account which the boys
had given of their understanding the nature and consequence of an oath,
and now my own observation of the sobriety and readiness of their answers,
further than of any man of any rank that come to give witness this day,
though some men of years and learning, I was a little amazed, and fully
satisfied that they ought to have as much credit as the rest.  They proved
against several, their consulting several times at a bawdy-house in
Moore-Fields, called the Russia House, among many other rogueries, of
setting houses on fire, that they might gather the goods that were flung
into the streets; and it is worth considering how unsafe it is to have
children play up and down this lewd town.  For these two boys, one is my
Lady Montagu's (I know not what Lady Montagu) son, and the other of good
condition, were playing in Moore-Fields, and one rogue, Gabriel Holmes,
did come to them and teach them to drink, and then to bring him plate and
clothes from their fathers' houses, and carry him into their houses, and
leaving open the doors for him, and at last were made of their conspiracy,
and were at the very burning of this house in Aldersgate Street, on Easter
Sunday at night last, and did gather up goods, as they had resolved before
and this Gabriel Holmes did advise to have had two houses set on fire, one
after another, that, while they were quenching of one, they might be
burning another.  And it is pretty that G. Holmes did tell his fellows,
and these boys swore it, that he did set fire to a box of linen in the
Sheriffe, Sir Joseph Shelden's' house, while he was attending the fire in
Aldersgate Street, and the Sheriffe himself said that there was a fire in
his house, in a box of linen, at the same time, but cannot conceive how
this fellow should do it.  The boys did swear against one of them, that he
had made it his part to pull the plug out of the engine while it was
a-playing; and it really was so. And goods they did carry away, and the
manner of the setting the house on fire was, that Holmes did get to a
cockpit; where, it seems, there was a publick cockpit, and set fire to the
straw in it, and hath a fire-ball at the end of the straw, which did take
fire, and so it prevailed, and burned the house; and, among other things
they carried away, he took six of the cocks that were at the cockpit; and
afterwards the boys told us how they had one dressed, by the same token it
was so hard they could not eat it.  But that which was most remarkable was
the impudence of this Holmes, who hath been arraigned often, and still got
away; and on this business was taken and broke loose just at Newgate Gate;
and was last night luckily taken about Bow, who got loose, and run into
the river, and hid himself in the rushes; and they pursued him with a dog,
and the dog got him and held him till he was taken.  But the impudence of
this fellow was such, that he denied he ever saw the boys before, or ever
knew the Russia House, or that the people knew him; and by and by the
mistress of the Russia House was called in, being indicted, at the same
time, about another thing; and she denied that the fellow was of her
acquaintance, when it was pretty to see how the little boys did presently
fall upon her, and ask her how she durst say so, when she was always with
them when they met at her house, and particularly when she come in in her
smock before a dozen of them, at which the Court laughed, and put the
woman away.  Well, this fellow Holmes was found guilty of the act of
burning the house, and other things, that he stood indicted for.  And then
there were other good cases, as of a woman that come to serve a
gentle