where I found the whole number of Commissioners, and was there received with great respect and kindness; and did give them great satisfaction, making it my endeavour to inform them what it was they were to expect from me, and what was the duty of other people; this being my only way to preserve myself, after all my pains and trouble. They did ask many questions, and demanded other books of me, which I did give them very ready and acceptable answers to; and, upon the whole, I do observe they do go about their business like men resolved to go through with it, and in a very good method, like men of understanding. They have Mr. Jessop their secretary; and it is pretty to see that they are fain to find out an oldfashioned man of Cromwell's to do their business for them, as well as the Parliament to pitch upon such, for the most part, in the list of people that were brought into the House, for Commissioners. I went away, giving and receiving great satisfaction; and so to Whitehall to the Commissioners of the Treasury; where, waiting some time, I there met with Colonel Birch; and he and I fell into discourse; and I did give him thanks for his kindness to me in the Parliament House, both before my face and behind my back. He told me that he knew me to be a man of the old way of taking pains, and did always endeavour to do me right, and prevent anything that was moved that might tend to my injury; which I was obliged to him for, and thanked him. Thence to talk of other things, and the want of money; and he told me of the general want of money in the country; that land sold for nothing, and the many pennyworths he knows of lands and houses upon them, with good titles in his country, at 16 years' purchase; 'and,' says he, though I am in debt, yet I have a mind to one thing, and that is a Bishop's lease'; but said, I will yet choose such a lease before any other, because I know they cannot stand, and then it will fall into the King's hands, and I in possession shall have an advantage by it.' Says he, I know they must fall, and they are now near it, taking all the ways they can to undo themselves, and showing us the way'; and thereupon told me a story of the present quarrel between

the Bishop1 and Dean of Coventry and Lichfield; the former of whom did excommunicate the latter, and caused his excommunication to be read in the church while he was there; and, after it was read, the Dean made the service be gone through with, though himself, an excommunicate, was present, which is contrary to the canon, and said he would justify the choir therein against the Bishop; and so they are at law in the Arches about it; which is a very pretty story. He tells me that the King is for toleration, though the Bishops be against it; and that he do not doubt but it will be carried in Parliament; but that he fears some will stand for the tolerating of the Papists with the rest; and that he knows not what to say, but rather thinks that the sober party will be without it, rather than have it upon those terms; and I do believe so. I to make a visit to Mr. Godolphin at his lodgings, who is lately come from Spain from my Lord Sandwich, and did, the other day, meeting me in Whitehall, compliment me mightily, and so I did offer him this visit, but missed him. To my bookbinder's, and there till late at night binding up my second part of my Tangier accounts, and I all the while observing his working, and his manner of gilding his books with great pleasure, and so home. This day Griffin did, in discourse in the coach, put me in the head of the little house by our garden, where old goodman Taylor puts his brooms and dirt, to make me a stable of, which I shall improve, so as, I think, to be able to get me a stable without much charge, which do please me mightily. It is observed, and is true, in the late fire of London, that the fire burned just as many parish churches as there were hours from the beginning to the end of the fire; and, next, that there were just as many Churches left standing as there were taverns left standing in the rest of the City that was not burned, being, I think, thirteen in all of each; which is pretty to observe.

1 John Hacket (1592-1670.) 2 Dr. Thomas Wood, consecrated Bishop of this see in 1671. [B.] 3 The Court of Arches. 4 William Godolphin (? 1634-1696), knighted Aug. At the time of his death, he was Envoy

28, 1668. to Spain, where he became a Roman Catholic.

He died at Madrid.

5 L.e. suggested the idea.

February 1668

February 1st. To the office till past two o'clock; where at the Board some high words passed between Sir W. Pen and I, begun by me, and yielded to by him, I being in the right in finding fault with him for his neglect of duty. Home, my head mighty full of business now on my hands, viz., of finishing my Tangier accounts; of auditing my last year's accounts; of preparing answers to the Commissioners of Accounts; of drawing up several important letters to the Duke of York and the Commissioners of the Treasury; the marrying of my sister; the building of a coach and stables against summer, and the setting many things in the Office right; and the drawing up a new form of contract with the Victualler of the Navy, and several other things, which pains, however, will go through with.

2nd. (Lord's day.) All the morning setting my books in order in my presses, for the following year, this number being much increased since the last, so as I am fain to lay by several books to make room for better, being resolved to keep no more than just my presses will contain. A very good dinner we had, of a powdered leg of pork and a loin of lamb roasted.

3rd. To the Duke of York's house, to the play, The Tempest, which we have often seen, and particularly this day I took pleasure to learn the tune of the seaman's dance.

4th. To Kate Joyce's, where the jury did sit where they did before, about her husband's death, and their verdict put off for fourteen days longer, at the suit of somebody, under pretence of the King; but it is only to get money out of her to compound the matter. But the truth is, something they will make out of Stillingfleet's sermon, which may trouble us, he declaring, like a fool, in his pulpit, that he did confess that his losses in the world did make him do what he did. This vexes me to see how foolish our Protestant divines are, while the Papists do make it the duty of confessor to be secret, or else nobody would confess their sins to them. All being put off for to-day, I took my leave of Kate, who

is mightily troubled at it for her estate sake, not for her husband; for her sorrow for that, I perceive, is all over.

5th. To the Commissioners of Accounts, where I was called in, and did take an oath to declare the truth to what they should ask me, which is a great power, I doubt more than the Act do, or as some say can, give them, to force a man to swear against himself; and so they fell to inquire about the business of prize-goods, wherein I did answer them as well as I could, in everything the just truth, keeping myself to that. Ido perceive at last, that that they do lay most like a fault to me was, that I did buy goods upon my Lord Sandwich's declaring that it was with the King's allowance, and my believing it, without seeing the King's allowance, which is a thing I will own, and doubt not to justify myself in. But what vexed me most was their having some watermen by, to witness my saying that they were rogues that had betrayed my goods, which was upon some discontent with one of the watermen that I employed at Greenwich, who I did think did discover the goods sent from Rochester to the Custom-house officer; but this can do me

no great harm. They were inquisitive into the minutest particulars, and had had great information; but I think that they can do me no hurt-at the worst, more than to make me refund, if it must be known, what profit I did make of my agreement with Captain Cocke; and yet, though this be all, I do find so poor a spirit within me, that it makes me almost out of my wits, and puts me to so much pain, that I cannot think of anything, nor do anything but vex and fret and imagine myself undone. After they had done with me, they called in Captain Cocke, with whom they were shorter; and I do fear he may answer foolishly; but I hope to preserve myself, and let him shift for himself as well as he can. Mr. Cooke came for my Lady Sandwich's plate,' which I must part with, and so endanger the losing of my money, which I lent upon my thoughts of securing myself by that plate. But it is no great sum-but £60; and if it must be lost, better that than a greater sum. I away back again, to find a dinner anywhere else, and so I, first, to the Ship Tavern, thereby to get a sight of the pretty 1 See p. 593.

mistress of the house, with whom I am not yet acquainted at all, and I do always find her scolding, and do believe she is an illnatured devil, that I have no great desire to speak to her. Mr. Moore mightily commends my Lord Hinchingbroke's match and Lady, though he buys her £10,000 dear, by the jointure and settlement his father makes her; and says that the Duke of York and Duchess of York did come to see them in bed together, on their wedding-night, and how my Lord had fifty pieces of gold taken out of his pocket that night, after he was in bed. He tells me that an Act of Comprehension is likely to pass this Parliament, for admitting of all persuasions in religion to the public observation of their particular worship, but in certain places, and the persons therein concerned to be listed of this or that Church; which, it is thought, will do them more hurt than good, and make them not own their persuasion. He tells me that there is a pardon passed to the Duke of Buckingham and my Lord of Shrewsbury and the rest, for the late duel and murder; which he thinks a worse fault than any ill use my late Lord Chancellor ever put the Great Seal to, and will be so thought by the Parliament, for them to be pardoned without bringing them to any trial; and that my Lord Privy Seal therefore would not have it pass his hand, but made it go by immediate warrant; or at least they knew that he would not pass it, and so did direct it to go by immediate warrant, that it might not come to him. He tells me what a character my Lord Sandwich hath sent over of Mr. Godolphin, as the worthiest man, and such a friend to him as he may be trusted in anything relating to him in the world; as one from whom, he says, he hath infallible assurances that he will remain his friend; which is very high, but indeed they say the gentleman is a fine man.

6th. Sir H. Cholmely tells me how the Parliament, which is to meet again to-day, are likely to fall heavy on the business of the Duke of Buckingham's pardon; and I shall be glad of it; and that the King hath put out of the Court the two Hydes, my Lord Chancellor's two sons, and also the 1 See p. 605.

2 Lord Cornbury and Laurence Hyde.

1000

Bishops of Rochester1 and Winchester,2 the latter of whom should have preached before him yesterday, being Ash-Wednesday, and had his sermon ready, but was put by; which is great news. My wife being gone before, I to the Duke of York's playhouse; where a new play of Etherege's, called She Would if she Could; and though I was there by two o'clock, there was people put back that could not have room in the pit; and I at last, because my wife was there, made shift to get into the 180. box, and there saw; but, Lord! how full was the house, and how silly the play, there being nothing in the world good in it, and few people pleased in it.3 The King was there; but Isat mightily behind, and could see but little, and hear not all. The play being done, I into the pit to look for my wife, it being dark and raining, but could not find her; and so stayed going between the two doors and through the pit an hour and half, I think, after the play was done; the people staying there till the rain was over, and to talk with one another. And, among the rest, here was the Duke of Buckingham today openly sat in the pit; and there I found him with my Lord Buckhurst, and Sedley, and Etherege, the poet; the last of whom I did hear mightily find fault with the actors, that they were out of humour, and had not their parts perfect, and that Harris did do nothing, nor could so much as sing a ketch in it; and so was mightily concerned; while all the rest did, through the whole pit, blame the play as a silly dull thing, though there was something very roguish and witty; but the design of the play, and end, mighty insipid. At last I did find my wife; and with her was Betty 1 John Dolben, see p. 594. 2 George Morley, see p. 594. 3 Dennis corroborates this opinion; cf. Shadwell's opinion infra (note).

4 Shadwell, when explaining the disadvantages under which he had laboured at the production of his play The Humourists, incidentally says 'The stroy'd She would if she Could, which I think (and last (viz. imperfect Action) had like to have deI have the Authority of some of the best Judges in England for't) is the best Comedy that has been written since the Restauration of the Stage: And even that, for the imperfect Representation of it at first, received such Prejudice, that, had it not been for the Favour of the Court, in all probability it had never got up again; and it suffers for it, in a great measure, to this very Day' (Preface to The Humourists, Works, ed. 1720, I. p. 118).

5 Catch.

Turner, Mercer, and Deb. So I got a coach, and a humour took us, and I carried them to Hercules Pillars, and there did give them a kind of a supper of about 7s., and very merry, and home round the town, not through the ruins; and it was pretty how the coachman by mistake drives us into the ruins from London Wall into Coleman Street; and would persuade me that I lived there. And the truth is I did think that he and the linkman had contrived some roguery; but it proved only a mistake of the coachman; but it was a cunning place to have done us a mischief in, as any I know, to drive us out of the road into the ruins, and there stop, while nobody could be called to help us. But we came safe home.

7th. Met my cousin, Roger Pepys, the Parliament meeting yesterday and adjourned to Monday next; and here he tells me that Mr. Jackson, my sister's servant,1 is come to town, and hath this day suffered a recovery on his estate, in order to the making her a settlement. There is a great trial between my Lord Gerard and Carr to-day, who is indicted for his life at the King's Bench, for running from his colours; but all do say that my Lord Gerard, though he designs the ruining of this man, will not get anything by it. To the Commissioners of Accounts, and there presented my books, and was made to sit down, and used with much respect, otherwise than the other day, when I came to them as a criminal about the business of prizes. I sat here with them a great while, while my books were inventoried. I find these gentlemen to sit all day, and only eat a bit of bread at noon, and a glass of wine; and are resolved to go through their business with great severity and method. Met my cousin Roger again, and Mr. Jackson, who is a plain young man, handsome enough for Pall, one of no education nor discourse, but of few words, and one altogether that, I think, will please me well enough. My cousin had got me to give the odd sixth £100 presently, which I intended to keep to the birth of the first child; and let it go-I shall be eased of the care. So there parted, my mind pretty well satisfied with this plain fellow for my sister, though I shall, I see, have no pleasure nor content 1 Suitor (.s.).

in him, as if he had been a man of reading and parts, like Cumberland. Lord Brouncker, and W. Pen, and I, and with us Sir Arnold Breames, to the King's playhouse, and there saw a piece of Love in a Maze, a dull, silly play, I think; and after the play, home with W. Pen and his son Lowther, whom we met there.

8th. Cousin Roger and Jackson by appointment came to dine with me, and Creed, and very merry, only Jackson hath few words, and I like him never the worse for it. The great talk is of Carr's coming off in all his trials, to the disgrace of my Lord Gerard, to that degree, and the ripping up of so many notorious rogueries and cheats of my Lord's, that my Lord, it is thought, will be ruined; and, above all, do show the madness of the House of Commons, who rejected the petition of this poor man by a combination of a few in the House; and, much more, the base proceedings (just the epitome of all our public managements in this age) of the House of Lords, that ordered him to stand in the pillory for those very things, without hearing and examining what he hath now, by the seeking of my Lord Gerard himself, cleared himself of, in open Court, to the gaining himself the pity of all the world, and shame for ever to my Lord Gerard. To the Strand, to my bookseller's, and there bought an idle roguish French book, which I have bought in plain binding, avoiding the buying of it better bound, because I resolve, as soon as I have read it, to burn it, that it may not stand in the list of books, nor among them, to disgrace them if it should be found. My wife well pleased with my sister's match, and designing how to be merry at their marriage.

9th. (Lord's day.) Peg Pen2 was brought to bed yesterday of a girl; and, among other things, if I have not already set it down, it hardly ever was remembered for such a season for the smallpox as these last two months have been, people being seen all up and down the streets, newly come out after the smallpox.

10th. Made a visit to Mr. Godolphin at his chamber; and I do find him a very pretty and able person, a man of very fine parts, and of infinite zeal to my Lord

1 See p. 491. 2 I.e., Mrs. Lowther.