Lord! what loose company was this, that I was in to-night, though full of wit; and worth a man's being in for once, to know the nature of it, and their manner of talk, and lives. 31st. (Lord's day.) To church. At noon I sent for Mr. Mills and his wife and daughter to dine, and they dined with me, and W. Hewer, and very good company, I being in good humour. They gone to church, comes Mr. Tempest, and he and I sang a psalm or two, and so parted. To Mrs. Pierce's, where Knipp, and she, and W. Howe, and Mr. Pierce, and little Betty, over to Fox Hall, and there walked and supped with great pleasure. Here was Mrs. Manuel also, and mighty good company, and good mirth in making W. Howe spend his six or seven shillings, and so they called him altogether "Cully." So back, and at Somerset-stairs do understand that a boy is newly drowned, washing himself there, and they cannot find his body. I hear that Mrs. Davis is quite gone from the Duke of York's house, and Gosnell comes in her room, which I am glad of. At the play at Court the other night, Mrs. Davis was there; and when she was to come to dance her jigg, the Queen would not stay to see it, which people do think was out of displeasure at her being the King's mistress, that she could not bear it. My Lady Castlemaine is, it seems, now mightily out of request, the King coming little to her, and thus she mighty melancholy and discontented. June 1st. To Westminster. There I met with Harris and Rolt, and carried them to the Rhenish wine-house, where I have not been in a morning-nor any tavern, I think, these seven years and more. Here I did get the words of a song of Harris that I wanted. Here also Mr. Young and Whistler by chance met us, and drank with us. Alone to Fox Hall, and walked and saw young Newport, and two more rogues of the town, seize on two ladies, who walked with them an hour with their masks on; perhaps civil ladies; and there I left them. To Mr. Mills's, where I never was before, and here find, whom I indeed saw go in, and that did make me go 1 Pepys here alludes to Sir Nicholas Cully (Nokes's character) in Etherege's "Comical Revenge, or Love in a Tub." In Cannon Row. till I was tired of them, because of the swaggering fellow, though the girl Mercer did mightily commend him before to me. 30th. Up, and put on a new summer black bombasin suit ; and being come now to an agreement with my barber, to keep my perriwig in good order at 20s. a-year, I am like to go ve spruce, more than I used to do. To the King's playhou and there saw "Philaster;" where it is pretty to see 1 I could remember almost all along, ever since I was a Arethusa, the part which I was to have acted at Sir I Cooke's ; and it was very pleasant to me, but more to what a ridiculous thing it would have been for me acted a beautiful woman. Thence to Mr. Pierce's, a saw Knipp also, and were merry; and here saw my li Katherine Montagu' come to town, about her eyes. sore, and they think the King's evil, poor, pretty the New Exchange, and there met Harris and P Richards, a tailor, and great company-keeper, a over to Fox Hall, and there fell into the com Killigrew, a rogue newly come back out of F in disgrace at our Court, and young Newpor very rogues as any in the town, who were re of every woman that come by them. And arbour but, Lord! their mad talk did ma And here I first understood by their talk company that lately were called Ballers it was by a meeting of some young among them, and my Lady Bennet' and dancing naked, and all the roguish thir 1 A tragedy, by Beaumont and Fletcher. 3 She died 15th Jan., 1757, aged ninety-six ! + Evidently adopted as a cant expression. The procuress well known in her day, and described celebrated Madam Bennet." We further learn that she was the Lady B. to whom Wycherley of The Plain Dealer, which is considered as worthy of remark, that the fair sex may just in the English language designating a femal been used as a term of reproach; for t Miss, all denoting women of bad ch Lady to the number, and comp! 1 ney I was, that me and my clerks. thither, Mrs. Hollworthy and Mrs. Andrews, and here supped, and extraordinary merry till one in the morning, Mr. Andrews coming to us and mightily pleased with this night's company and mirth, I home to bed. Mrs. Turner, too, was with us. 2d. Took a coach, and called Mercer at their back-door, and she brought with her Mrs. Knightly, a little pretty sober girl, and I carried them to Old Ford, a town by Bow, where I never was before, and there walked in the fields very pleasant, and sang: and so back again, and stopped and drank at the Gun, at Mile End, and so to the Old Exchange door, and did buy them a pound of cherries, cost me 2s., and so set them down again; and so by water, it being now about nine o'clock, down to Deptford, where I have not been many a-day: and to my boat again, and against the tide home. Got there by twelve o'clock, taking into my boat, for company, a man that desired a passage-a certain western bargeman, with whom I had good sport, talking of the old woman of Woolwich,' and telling him the whole story. 3d. To White Hall, to the Council-chamber, where I did present the Duke of York with an account of the charge of the present fleete, to his satisfaction; and this being done, did ask his leave for my going out of town five or six days, which he did give me, saying, that my diligence in the King's business was such, that I ought not to be denied when my own business called me any whither. Met Roger Pepys, who is mighty earnest for me to stay from going into the country till he goes, and to bring my people thither for some time: but I cannot, but will find another time this summer for it. To the King's house, and there saw good part of "The Scornfull Lady," and that done, would have taken out Knipp, but she was engaged. To my Lord Crewe's, to visit him; from whom I learn nothing but that there hath been some controversy at the Council-table, about my Lord Sandwich's signing, where some would not have had him, in the treaty with Portugall; but all, I think, is over in it. To Westminster, and thence to the Park, where much good company, and 1 What this story may have been it would now be futile to inquire. It evidently gave great amusement to Pepys. See 14th and 28th May, 1669, post. many fine ladies; and in so handsome a hackney I was, that I believe Sir W. Coventry and others, who looked on me, did take me to be in one of my own, which I was a little troubled for. So to the lodge, and drank a cup of new milk, and so home. Then to bed, having laid my business with W. Hewer to go out of town Friday next, with hopes of a great deal of pleasure. 4th. Mr. Clerke, the solicitor, dined with me and my clerks. After dinner I carried and set him down at the Temple, he observing to me how St. Sepulchre's church steeple is repaired already' a good deal, and the Fleet Bridge is contracted for by the City to begin to be built this summer, which do please me mightily. I to White Hall, and walked through the Park for a little ayre; and so back to the Council-chamber, to the Committee of the Navy, about the business of fitting the present fleete, suitable to the money given, which, as the King orders it, and by what appears, will be very little; and so as I perceive the Duke of York will have nothing to command, nor can intend to go abroad. But it is pretty to see how careful these great men are to do every thing so as they may answer it to the Parliament, thinking themselves safe in nothing but where the judges, with whom they often advise, do say the matter is doubtful; and so they take upon themselves then to be the chief persons to interpret what is doubtful. Thence home, and all the evening to set matters in order against my going to Brampton to-morrow, being resolved upon my journey, and having the Duke of York's leave again to-day; though I do plainly see that I can very ill be spared now, there being much business, especially about this, which I have attended the Council about, and I the man that am alone consulted with; and, besides, my Lord Brouncker is at this time ill, and Sir W. Pen. So things being put in order at the Office, I home to do the like there; and so to bed. 5th. (Friday.) At Barnet, for milk, 6d. 1 From the damage it sustained in the fire of 1666. On the high 2 The Journal from this time to the 17th of June is contained on five leaves, inserted in the Book; and after them follow several blank pages. |