[Stephen Fox, born 1627, and said to have been a choir-boy in
Salisbury Cathedral. He was the first person to announce the death
of Cromwell to Charles II., and at the Restoration he was made Clerk
of the Green Cloth, and afterwards Paymaster of the Forces. He was
knighted in 1665. He married Elizabeth, daughter of William Whittle
of Lancashire. (See June 25th, 1660.) Fox died in 1716. His sons
Stephen and Henry were created respectively Earl of Ilchester and
Lord Holland.]
(both very fine gentlemen), the King's servants, where we had brave discourse. Walking upon the decks, where persons of honour all the afternoon, among others, Thomas Killigrew (a merry droll, but a gentleman of great esteem with the King), who told us many merry stories: one, how he wrote a letter three or four days ago to the Princess Royal, about a Queen Dowager of Judaea and Palestine, that was at the Hague incognita, that made love to the King, &c., which was Mr. Cary (a courtier's) wife that had been a nun, who are all married to Jesus. At supper the three Drs. of Physic again at my cabin; where I put Dr. Scarborough in mind of what I heard him say about the use of the eyes, which he owned, that children do, in every day's experience, look several ways with both their eyes, till custom teaches them otherwise. And that we do now see but with one eye, our eyes looking in parallel lines. After this discourse I was called to write a pass for my Lord Mandeville to take up horses to London, which I wrote in the King's name,—[This right of purveyance was abolished in Charles's reign.]—and carried it to him to sign, which was the first and only one that ever he signed in the ship Charles. To bed, coming in sight of land a little before night.
25th. By the morning we were come close to the land, and every body made ready to get on shore. The King and the two Dukes did eat their breakfast before they went, and there being set some ship's diet before them, only to show them the manner of the ship's diet, they eat of nothing else but pease and pork, and boiled beef. I had Mr. Darcy in my cabin and Dr. Clerke, who eat with me, told me how the King had given L50 to Mr. Sheply for my Lord's servants, and L500 among the officers and common men of the ship. I spoke with the Duke of York about business, who called me Pepys by name, and upon my desire did promise me his future favour. Great expectation of the King's making some Knights, but there was none. About noon (though the brigantine that Beale made was there ready to carry him) yet he would go in my Lord's barge with the two Dukes. Our Captain steered, and my Lord went along bare with him. I went, and Mr. Mansell, and one of the King's footmen, with a dog that the King loved,
[Charles II.'s love of dogs is well known, but it is not so well
known that his dogs were continually being stolen from him. In the
"Mercurius Publicus," June 28-July 5, 1660, is the following
advertisement, apparently drawn up by the King himself: "We must
call upon you again for a Black Dog between a greyhound and a
spaniel, no white about him, onely a streak on his brest, and his
tayl a little bobbed. It is His Majesties own Dog, and doubtless
was stoln, for the dog was not born nor bred in England, and would
never forsake His master. Whoesoever findes him may acquaint any at
Whitehal for the Dog was better known at Court, than those who stole
him. Will they never leave robbing his Majesty! Must he not keep a
Dog? This dog's place (though better than some imagine) is the only
place which nobody offers to beg." (Quoted in "Notes and Queries,"
7th S., vii. 26, where are printed two other advertisements of
Charles's lost dogs.)]
(which [dirted] the boat, which made us laugh, and me think that a King and all that belong to him are but just as others are), in a boat by ourselves, and so got on shore when the King did, who was received by General Monk with all imaginable love and respect at his entrance upon the land of Dover. Infinite the crowd of people and the horsemen, citizens, and noblemen of all sorts. The Mayor of the town came and gave him his white staff, the badge of his place, which the King did give him again. The Mayor also presented him from the town a very rich Bible, which he took and said it was the thing that he loved above all things in the world. A canopy was provided for him to stand under, which he did, and talked awhile with General Monk and others, and so into a stately coach there set for him, and so away through the town towards Canterbury, without making any stay at Dover. The shouting and joy expressed by all is past imagination. Seeing that my Lord did not stir out of his barge, I got into a boat, and so into his barge, whither Mr. John Crew stepped, and spoke a word or two to my Lord, and so returned, we back to the ship, and going did see a man almost drowned that fell out of his boat into the sea, but with much ado was got out. My Lord almost transported with joy that he had done all this without any the least blur or obstruction in the world, that could give an offence to any, and with the great honour he thought it would be to him. Being overtook by the brigantine, my Lord and we went out of our barge into it, and so went on board with Sir W. Batten,
[Clarendon describes William Batten as an obscure fellow, and,
although unknown to the service, a good seaman, who was in 1642 made
Surveyor to the Navy; in which employ he evinced great animosity
against the King. The following year, while Vice-Admiral to the
Earl of Warwick, he chased a Dutch man-of-war into Burlington Bay,
knowing that Queen Henrietta Maria was on board; and then, learning
that she had landed and was lodged on the quay, he fired above a
hundred shot upon the house, some of which passing through her
majesty's chamber, she was obliged, though indisposed, to retire for
safety into the open fields. This act, brutal as it was, found
favour with the Parliament. But Batten became afterwards
discontented; and, when a portion of the fleet revolted, he carried
the "Constant Warwick," one of the best ships in the Parliament
navy, over into Holland, with several seamen of note. For this act
of treachery he was knighted and made a Rear-Admiral by Prince
Charles. We hear no more of Batten till the Restoration, when he
became a Commissioner of the Navy, and was soon after M.P. for
Rochester. See an account of his second wife, in note to November
24th, 1660, and of his illness and death, October 5th, 1667. He had
a son, Benjamin, and a daughter, Martha, by his first wife.—B.]
and the Vice and Rear-Admirals. At night my Lord supped and Mr. Thomas Crew with Captain Stoakes, I supped with the Captain, who told me what the King had given us. My Lord returned late, and at his coming did give me order to cause the marke to be gilded, and a Crown and C. R. to be made at the head of the coach table, where the King to-day with his own hand did mark his height, which accordingly I caused the painter to do, and is now done as is to be seen.
26th. Thanks to God I got to bed in my own poor cabin, and slept well till 9 o'clock this morning. Mr. North and Dr. Clerke and all the great company being gone, I found myself very uncouth all this day for want thereof. My Lord dined with the Vice-Admiral to-day (who is as officious, poor man! as any spaniel can be; but I believe all to no purpose, for I believe he will not hold his place), so I dined commander at the coach table to-day, and all the officers of the ship with me, and Mr. White of Dover. After a game or two at nine-pins, to work all the afternoon, making above twenty orders. In the evening my Lord having been a-shore, the first time that he hath been a-shore since he came out of the Hope (having resolved not to go till he had brought his Majesty into England), returned on board with a great deal of pleasure. I supped with the Captain in his cabin with young Captain Cuttance, and afterwards a messenger from the King came with a letter, and to go into France, and by that means we supped again with him at 12 o'clock at night. This night the Captain told me that my Lord had appointed me L30 out of the 1000 ducats which the King had given to the ship, at which my heart was very much joyed. To bed.
27th (Lord's day). Called up by John Goods to see the Garter and Heralds coat, which lay in the coach, brought by Sir Edward Walker,
[Edward Walker was knighted February 2nd, 1644-5, and on the 24th of
the same month was sworn in as Garter King at Arms. He adhered to
the cause of the king, and published "Iter Carolinum", being a
succinct account of the necessitated marches, retreats, and
sufferings of his Majesty King Charles I., from Jan. 10, 1641, to
the time of his death in 1648, collected by a daily attendant upon
his sacred Majesty during all that time: He joined Charles II. in
exile, and received the reward of his loyalty at the Restoration.
He died at Whitehall, February 19th, 1676-7, and was buried at
Stratford-on-Avon, his daughter having married Sir John Clepton of
that place.]