



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.
                                 OCTOBER
                                  1665

October 1st (Lord's day).  Called up about 4 of the clock and so dressed
myself and so on board the Bezan, and there finding all my company asleep
I would not wake them, but it beginning to be break of day I did stay upon
the decke walking, and then into the Maister's cabbin and there laid and
slept a little, and so at last was waked by Captain Cocke's calling of me,
and so I turned out, and then to chat and talk and laugh, and mighty
merry.  We spent most of the morning talking and reading of "The Siege of
Rhodes," which is certainly (the more I read it the more I think so) the
best poem that ever was wrote.  We breakfasted betimes and come to the
fleete about two of the clock in the afternoon, having a fine day and a
fine winde.  My Lord received us mighty kindly, and after discourse with
us in general left us to our business, and he to his officers, having
called a council of wary, we in the meantime settling of papers with Mr.
Pierce and everybody else, and by and by with Captain Cuttance. Anon
called down to my Lord, and there with him till supper talking and
discourse; among other things, to my great joy, he did assure me that he
had wrote to the King and Duke about these prize-goods, and told me that
they did approve of what he had done, and that he would owne what he had
done, and would have me to tell all the world so, and did, under his hand,
give Cocke and me his certificate of our bargains, and giving us full
power of disposal of what we have so bought.  This do ease my mind of all
my fear, and makes my heart lighter by L100 than it was before. He did
discourse to us of the Dutch fleete being abroad, eighty-five of them
still, and are now at the Texell, he believes, in expectation of our
Eastland ships coming home with masts and hempe, and our loaden Hambrough
ships going to Hambrough.  He discoursed against them that would have us
yield to no conditions but conquest over the Dutch, and seems to believe
that the Dutch will call for the protection of the King of France and come
under his power, which were to be wished they might be brought to do under
ours by fair means, and to that end would have all Dutch men and familys,
that would come hither and settled, to be declared denizens; and my Lord
did whisper to me alone that things here must break in pieces, nobody
minding any thing, but every man his owne business of profit or pleasure,
and the King some little designs of his owne, and that certainly the
kingdom could not stand in this condition long, which I fear and believe
is very true.  So to supper and there my Lord the kindest man to me,
before all the table talking of me to my advantage and with tenderness too
that it overjoyed me.  So after supper Captain Cocke and I and Temple on
board the Bezan, and there to cards for a while and then to read again in
"Rhodes" and so to sleep.  But, Lord! the mirth which it caused me to be
waked in the night by their snoaring round about me; I did laugh till I
was ready to burst, and waked one of the two companions of Temple, who
could not a good while tell where he was that he heard one laugh so, till
he recollected himself, and I told him what it was at, and so to sleep
again, they still snoaring.

2nd.  We having sailed all night (and I do wonder how they in the dark
could find the way) we got by morning to Gillingham, and thence all walked
to Chatham; and there with Commissioner Pett viewed the Yard; and among
other things, a teame of four horses come close by us, he being with me,
drawing a piece of timber that I am confident one man could easily have
carried upon his back.  I made the horses be taken away, and a man or two
to take the timber away with their hands.  This the Commissioner did see,
but said nothing, but I think had cause to be ashamed of.  We walked, he
and I and Cocke, to the Hill-house, where we find Sir W. Pen in bed and
there much talke and much dissembling of kindnesse from him, but he is a
false rogue, and I shall not trust him, but my being there did procure his
consent to have his silk carried away before the money received, which he
would not have done for Cocke I am sure.  Thence to Rochester, walked to
the Crowne, and while dinner was getting ready, I did there walk to visit
the old Castle ruines, which hath been a noble place, and there going up I
did upon the stairs overtake three pretty mayds or women and took them up
with me, and I did 'baiser sur mouches et toucher leur mains' and necks to
my great pleasure: but, Lord! to see what a dreadfull thing it is to look
down the precipices, for it did fright me mightily, and hinder me of much
pleasure which I would have made to myself in the company of these three,
if it had not been for that.  The place hath been very noble and great and
strong in former ages.  So to walk up and down the Cathedral, and thence
to the Crowne, whither Mr. Fowler, the Mayor of the towne, was come in his
gowne, and is a very reverend magistrate.  After I had eat a bit, not
staying to eat with them, I went away, and so took horses and to
Gravesend, and there staid not, but got a boat, the sicknesse being very
much in the towne still, and so called on board my Lord Bruncker and Sir
John Minnes, on board one of the East Indiamen at Erith, and there do find
them full of envious complaints for the pillageing of the ships, but I did
pacify them, and discoursed about making money of some of the goods, and
do hope to be the better by it honestly.  So took leave (Madam Williams
being here also with my Lord), and about 8 o'clock got to Woolwich and
there supped and mighty pleasant with my wife, who is, for ought I see,
all friends with her mayds, and so in great joy and content to bed.

3rd.  Up, and to my great content visited betimes by Mr. Woolly, my uncle
Wight's cozen, who comes to see what work I have for him about these East
India goods, and I do find that this fellow might have been of great use,
and hereafter may be of very great use to me, in this trade of prize
goods, and glad I am fully of his coming hither.  While I dressed myself,
and afterwards in walking to Greenwich we did discourse over all the
business of the prize goods, and he puts me in hopes I may get some money
in what I have done, but not so much as I expected, but that I may
hereafter do more.  We have laid a design of getting more, and are to talk
again of it a few days hence.  To the office, where nobody to meet me, Sir
W. Batten being the only man and he gone this day to meet to adjourne the
Parliament to Oxford.  Anon by appointment comes one to tell me my Lord
Rutherford is come; so I to the King's Head to him, where I find his lady,
a fine young Scotch lady, pretty handsome and plain.  My wife also, and
Mercer, by and by comes, Creed bringing them; and so presently to dinner
and very merry; and after to even our accounts, and I to give him tallys,
where he do allow me L100, of which to my grief the rogue Creed has
trepanned me out of L50.  But I do foresee a way how it may be I may get a
greater sum of my Lord to his content by getting him allowance of interest
upon his tallys.  That being done, and some musique and other diversions,
at last away goes my Lord and Lady, and I sent my wife to visit Mrs.
Pierce, and so I to my office, where wrote important letters to the Court,
and at night (Creed having clownishly left my wife), I to Mrs. Pierces and
brought her and Mrs. Pierce to the King's Head and there spent a piece
upon a supper for her and mighty merry and pretty discourse, she being as
pretty as ever, most of our mirth being upon "my Cozen" (meaning my Lord
Bruncker's ugly mistress, whom he calls cozen), and to my trouble she
tells me that the fine Mrs. Middleton is noted for carrying about her body
a continued sour base smell, that is very offensive, especially if she be
a little hot.  Here some bad musique to close the night and so away and
all of us saw Mrs. Belle Pierce (as pretty as ever she was almost) home,
and so walked to Will's lodging where I used to lie, and there made shift
for a bed for Mercer, and mighty pleasantly to bed.  This night I hear
that of our two watermen that use to carry our letters, and were well on
Saturday last, one is dead, and the other dying sick of the plague.  The
plague, though decreasing elsewhere, yet being greater about the Tower and
thereabouts.

4th.  Up and to my office, where Mr. Andrews comes, and reckoning with him
I get L64 of him.  By and by comes Mr. Gawden, and reckoning with him he
gives me L60 in his account, which is a great mercy to me.  Then both of
them met and discoursed the business of the first man's resigning and the
other's taking up the business of the victualling of Tangier, and I do not
think that I shall be able to do as well under Mr. Gawden as under these
men, or within a little as to profit and less care upon me.  Thence to the
King's Head to dinner, where we three and Creed and my wife and her woman
dined mighty merry and sat long talking, and so in the afternoon broke up,
and I led my wife to our lodging again, and I to the office where did much
business, and so to my wife.  This night comes Sir George Smith to see me
at the office, and tells me how the plague is decreased this week 740, for
which God be praised!  but that it encreases at our end of the town still,
and says how all the towne is full of Captain Cocke's being in some ill
condition about prize-goods, his goods being taken from him, and I know
not what.  But though this troubles me to have it said, and that it is
likely to be a business in Parliament, yet I am not much concerned at it,
because yet I believe this newes is all false, for he would have wrote to
me sure about it.  Being come to my wife, at our lodging, I did go to bed,
and left my wife with her people to laugh and dance and I to sleep.

5th.  Lay long in bed talking among other things of my sister Pall, and my
wife of herself is very willing that I should give her L400 to her
portion, and would have her married soon as we could; but this great
sicknesse time do make it unfit to send for her up.  I abroad to the
office and thence to the Duke of Albemarle, all my way reading a book of
Mr. Evelyn's translating and sending me as a present, about directions for
gathering a Library;

     [Instructions concerning erecting of a Library, presented to my
     Lord the President De Mesme by Gilbert Naudeus, and now interpreted
     by Jo.  Evelyn, Esquire.  London, 1661: This little book was
     dedicated to Lord Clarendon by the translator.  It was printed while
     Evelyn was abroad, and is full of typographical errors; these are
     corrected in a copy mentioned in Evelyn's "Miscellaneous Writings,"
     1825, p.  xii, where a letter to Dr. Godolphin on the subject is
     printed.]

but the book is above my reach, but his epistle to my Lord Chancellor is a
very fine piece.  When I come to the Duke it was about the victuallers'
business, to put it into other hands, or more hands, which I do advise in,
but I hope to do myself a jobb of work in it.  So I walked through
Westminster to my old house the Swan, and there did pass some time with
Sarah, and so down by water to Deptford and there to my Valentine.

          [A Mrs. Bagwell.  See ante, February 14th, 1664-65]

Round about and next door on every side is the plague, but I did not value
it, but there did what I would 'con elle', and so away to Mr. Evelyn's to
discourse of our confounded business of prisoners, and sick and wounded
seamen, wherein he and we are so much put out of order.

     [Each of the Commissioners for the Sick and Wounded was appointed to
     a particular district, and Evelyn's district was Kent and Sussex.
     On September 25th, 1665, Evelyn wrote in his Diary: "My Lord Admiral
     being come from ye fleete to Greenewich, I went thence with him to
     ye Cockpit to consult with the Duke of Albemarle.  I was peremptory
     that unlesse we had L10,000 immediately, the prisoners would starve,
     and 'twas proposed it should be rais'd out of the E. India prizes
     now taken by Lord Sandwich.  They being but two of ye Commission,
     and so not impower'd to determine, sent an expresse to his Majesty
     and Council to know what they should do."]

And here he showed me his gardens, which are for variety of evergreens,
and hedge of holly, the finest things I ever saw in my life.

     [Evelyn purchased Sayes Court, Deptford, in 1653, and laid out his
     gardens, walks, groves, enclosures, and plantations, which
     afterwards became famous for their beauty.  When he took the place
     in hand it was nothing but an open field of one hundred acres, with
     scarcely a hedge in it.]

Thence in his coach to Greenwich, and there to my office, all the way
having fine discourse of trees and the nature of vegetables.  And so to
write letters, I very late to Sir W. Coventry of great concernment, and so
to my last night's lodging, but my wife is gone home to Woolwich.  The
Bill, blessed be God! is less this week by 740 of what it was the last
week.  Being come to my lodging I got something to eat, having eat little
all the day, and so to bed, having this night renewed my promises of
observing my vowes as I used to do; for I find that, since I left them
off, my mind is run a'wool-gathering and my business neglected.

6th.  Up, and having sent for Mr. Gawden he come to me, and he and I
largely discoursed the business of his Victualling, in order to the adding
of partners to him or other ways of altering it, wherein I find him ready
to do anything the King would have him do.  So he and I took his coach and
to Lambeth and to the Duke of Albemarle about it, and so back again, where
he left me.  In our way discoursing of the business and contracting a
great friendship with him, and I find he is a man most worthy to be made a
friend, being very honest and gratefull, and in the freedom of our
discourse he did tell me his opinion and knowledge of Sir W. Pen to be,
what I know him to be, as false a man as ever was born, for so, it seems,
he hath been to him.  He did also tell me, discoursing how things are
governed as to the King's treasure, that, having occasion for money in the
country, he did offer Alderman Maynell to pay him down money here, to be
paid by the Receiver in some county in the country, upon whom Maynell had
assignments, in whose hands the money also lay ready.  But Maynell refused
it, saying that he could have his money when he would, and had rather it
should lie where it do than receive it here in towne this sickly time,
where he hath no occasion for it.  But now the evil is that he hath lent
this money upon tallys which are become payable, but he finds that nobody
looks after it, how long the money is unpaid, and whether it lies dead in
the Receiver's hands or no, so the King he pays Maynell 10 per cent. while
the money lies in his Receiver's hands to no purpose but the benefit of
the Receiver.  I to dinner to the King's Head with Mr. Woolly, who is come
to instruct me in the business of my goods, but gives me not so good
comfort as I thought I should have had.  But, however, it will be well
worth my time though not above 2 or L300.  He gone I to my office, where
very busy drawing up a letter by way of discourse to the Duke of Albemarle
about my conception how the business of the Victualling should be ordered,
wherein I have taken great pains, and I think have hitt the right if they
will but follow it.  At this very late and so home to our lodgings to bed.

7th.  Up and to the office along with Mr. Childe, whom I sent for to
discourse about the victualling business, who will not come into
partnership (no more will Captain Beckford ), but I do find him a mighty
understanding man, and one I will keep a knowledge of.  Did business,
though not much, at the office; because of the horrible crowd and
lamentable moan of the poor seamen that lie starving in the streets for
lack of money.  Which do trouble and perplex me to the heart; and more at
noon when we were to go through them, for then a whole hundred of them
followed us; some cursing, some swearing, and some praying to us.  And
that that made me more troubled was a letter come this afternoon from the
Duke of Albemarle, signifying the Dutch to be in sight, with 80 sayle,
yesterday morning, off of Solebay, coming right into the bay.  God knows
what they will and may do to us, we having no force abroad able to oppose
them, but to be sacrificed to them.  Here come Sir W. Rider to me, whom I
sent for about the victualling business also, but he neither will not come
into partnership, but desires to be of the Commission if there be one.
Thence back the back way to my office, where very late, very busy. But
most of all when at night come two waggons from Rochester with more goods
from Captain Cocke; and in houseing them at Mr. Tooker's lodgings come two
of the Custome-house to seize them, and did seize them but I showed them
my 'Transire'.  However, after some hot and angry words, we locked them
up, and sealed up the key, and did give it to the constable to keep till
Monday, and so parted.  But, Lord!  to think how the poor constable come
to me in the dark going home; "Sir," says he, "I have the key, and if you
would have me do any service for you, send for me betimes to-morrow
morning, and I will do what you would have me."  Whether the fellow do
this out of kindness or knavery, I cannot tell; but it is pretty to
observe.  Talking with him in the high way, come close by the bearers with
a dead corpse of the plague; but, Lord! to see what custom is, that I am
come almost to think nothing of it.  So to my lodging, and there, with Mr.
Hater and Will, ending a business of the state of the last six months'
charge of the Navy, which we bring to L1,000,000 and above, and I think we
do not enlarge much in it if anything.  So to bed.

8th (Lord's day).  Up and, after being trimmed, to the office, whither I
upon a letter from the Duke of Albemarle to me, to order as many ships
forth out of the river as I can presently, to joyne to meet the Dutch;
having ordered all the Captains of the ships in the river to come to me, I
did some business with them, and so to Captain Cocke's to dinner, he being
in the country.  But here his brother Solomon was, and, for guests,
myself, Sir G. Smith, and a very fine lady, one Mrs. Penington, and two
more gentlemen.  But, both [before] and after dinner, most witty discourse
with this lady, who is a very fine witty lady, one of the best I ever
heard speake, and indifferent handsome.  There after dinner an houre or
two, and so to the office, where ended my business with the Captains; and
I think of twenty-two ships we shall make shift to get out seven.  (God
helpe us! men being sick, or provisions lacking.) And so to write letters
to Sir Ph. Warwicke, Sir W. Coventry, and Sir G. Carteret to Court about
the last six months' accounts, and sent away by an express to-night.  This
day I hear the Pope is dead;--[a false report]--and one said, that the
newes is, that the King of France is stabbed, but that the former is very
true, which will do great things sure, as to the troubling of that part of
the world, the King of Spayne

     [Philip IV., King of Spain, who succeeded to the throne in 1621,
     died in 1665.  He was succeeded by his son Charles II.]

being so lately dead.  And one thing more, Sir Martin Noell's lady is dead
with griefe for the death of her husband and nothing else, as they say, in
the world; but it seems nobody can make anything of his estate, whether he
be dead worth anything or no, he having dealt in so many things, publique
and private, as nobody can understand whereabouts his estate is, which is
the fate of these great dealers at everything.  So after my business being
done I home to my lodging and to bed,

9th.  Up, my head full of business, and called upon also by Sir John Shaw,
to whom I did give a civil answer about our prize goods, that all his dues
as one of the Farmers of the Customes are paid, and showed him our
Transire; with which he was satisfied, and parted, ordering his servants
to see the weight of them.  I to the office, and there found an order for
my coming presently to the Duke of Albemarle, and what should it be, but
to tell me, that, if my Lord Sandwich do not come to towne, he do resolve
to go with the fleete to sea himself, the Dutch, as he thinks, being in
the Downes, and so desired me to get a pleasure boat for to take him in
to-morrow morning, and do many other things, and with a great liking of
me, and my management especially, as that coxcombe my Lord Craven do tell
me, and I perceive it, and I am sure take pains enough to deserve it.
Thence away and to the office at London, where I did some business about
my money and private accounts, and there eat a bit of goose of Mr.
Griffin's, and so by water, it raining most miserably, to Greenwich,
calling on several vessels in my passage.  Being come there I hear another
seizure hath been made of our goods by one Captain Fisher that hath been
at Chatham by warrant of the Duke of Albemarle, and is come in my absence
to Tooker's and viewed them, demanding the key of the constable, and so
sealed up the door.  I to the house, but there being no officers nor
constable could do nothing, but back to my office full of trouble about
this, and there late about business, vexed to see myself fall into this
trouble and concernment in a thing that I want instruction from my Lord
Sandwich whether I should appear in it or no, and so home to bed, having
spent two hours, I and my boy, at Mr. Glanvill's removing of <DW19>s to
make room to remove our goods to, but when done I thought it not fit to
use it.  The newes of the killing of the [King of] France is wholly
untrue, and they say that of the Pope too.

10th.  Up, and receive a stop from the Duke of Albemarle of setting out
any more ships, or providing a pleasure boat for himself, which I am glad
of, and do see, what I thought yesterday, that this resolution of his was
a sudden one and silly.  By and by comes Captain Cocke's Jacob to tell me
that he is come from Chatham this morning, and that there are four waggons
of goods at hand coming to towne, which troubles me.  I directed him to
bring them to his master's house.  But before I could send him away to
bring them thither, newes is brought me that they are seized on in the
towne by this Captain Fisher and they will carry them to another place.
So I to them and found our four waggons in the streete stopped by the
church by this Fisher and company and 100 or 200 people in the streetes
gazing.  I did give them good words, and made modest desires of carrying
the goods to Captain Cocke's, but they would have them to a house of their
hiring, where in a barne the goods were laid.  I had transires to show for
all, and the tale was right, and there I spent all the morning seeing this
done.  At which Fisher was vexed that I would not let it be done by any
body else for the merchant, and that I must needs be concerned therein,
which I did not think fit to owne.  So that being done, I left the goods
to be watched by men on their part and ours, and so to the office by noon,
whither by and by comes Captain Cocke, whom I had with great care sent for
by expresse the last night, and so I with him to his house and there eat a
bit, and so