30th. Up, and vexed a little to be forced to pay 40s. for a glass of my coach, which was broke the other day, nobody knows how, within the door, while it was down; but I do doubt that I did break it myself with my knees. After dinner, my wife and I to the Duke's playhouse, and there did see King Harry the Eighth; and was mightily pleased, better than I ever expected, with the history and shows of it. We happened to sit by Mr. Andrews, our neighbour, and his wife, who talked so fondly to his little boy. Thence my wife and I to the 'Change; but, in going, our neere horse did fling himself, kicking of the coachbox over the pole; and a great deal of trouble it was to get him right again, and we forced to 'light, and in great fear of spoiling the horse, but there was no hurt. So to the 'Change, and then home, and there spent the evening talking, and so to supper and to bed.
31st. Up, and at the Office all the morning. At noon Capt. Ferrers and Mr. Sheres
[Henry Sheres accompanied Lord Sandwich in his embassy to Spain, and
returned to England in September, 1667, bearing letters from the
ambassador (see September 8th, 22nd, 27th). He was an officer in
the Ordnance, and served under Lord Dartmouth at the demolition of
the Mole at Tangier in 1683. He was knighted about 1684. He
translated Polybius (2 vols. 8vo., 1693), and also some of the
"Dialogues" of Lucian, included in the translation published in 1711
(3 vols. 8vo.). Pepys bequeathed him a ring, and he died about
1713.]
come to me to dinner, who did, and pretty pleased with their talk of Spayne; but my wife did not come down, I suppose because she would not, Captain Ferrers being there, to oblige me by it. They gone, after dinner, I to the office, and then in the evening home, being the last day of the year, to endeavour to pay all bills and servants' wages, &c., which I did almost to L5 that I know that I owe in the world, but to the publique; and so with great pleasure to supper and to bed, and, blessed be God! the year ends, after some late very great sorrow with my wife by my folly, yet ends, I say, with great mutual peace and content, and likely to last so by my care, who am resolved to enjoy the sweet of it, which I now possess, by never giving her like cause of trouble. My greatest trouble is now from the backwardness of my accounts, which I have not seen the bottom of now near these two years, so that I know not in what condition I am in the world, but by the grace of God, as far as my eyes will give me leave, I will do it.
ETEXT EDITOR'S BOOKMARKS, DIARY OF SAMUEL PEPYS, 1668 N.S., COMPLETE:
A book the Bishops will not let be printed again
Act against Nonconformists and Papists
All things to be managed with faction
And will not kiss a woman since his wife's death
And the woman so silly, as to let her go that took it
And they did lay pigeons to his feet
As all other women, cry, and yet talk of other things
At work, till I was almost blind, which makes my heart sad
Beating of a poor little dog to death, letting it lie
Being very poor and mean as to the bearing with trouble
Being the people that, at last, will be found the wisest
Best fence against the Parliament's present fury is delay
Bite at the stone, and not at the hand that flings it
Bookseller's, and there looked for Montaigne's Essays
Bought Montaigne's Essays, in English
Bristol milk (the sherry) in the vaults
Burned it, that it might not be among my books to my shame
Business of abusing the Puritans begins to grow stale
But get no ground there yet
But this the world believes, and so let them
But what they did, I did not enquire
But if she will ruin herself, I cannot help it
Calling me dog and rogue, and that I had a rotten heart
Cannot get suitably, without breach of his honour
Cannot be clean to go so many bodies together in the same water
Carry them to a box, which did cost me 20s., besides oranges
Caustic attack on Sir Robert Howard
City to be burned, and the Papists to cut our throats
City pay him great respect, and he the like to the meanest
Coach to W. Coventry about Mrs. Pett, 1s.
Come to see them in bed together, on their wedding-night
Cost me L5, which troubles me, but yet do please me also
Craft and cunning concerning the buying and choosing of horses
Declared, if he come, she would not live with me
Did see the knaveries and tricks of jockeys
Disorder in the pit by its raining in, from the cupola
Doe from Cobham, when the season comes, bucks season being past
Down to the Whey house and drank some and eat some curds
Eat some butter and radishes
Endangering the nation, when he knew himself such a coward
Espinette is the French term for a small harpsichord
Ever have done his maister better service than to hang for him?
Family governed so nobly and neatly as do me good to see it
Fear what would become of me if any real affliction should come
Fear that the goods and estate would be seized (after suicide)
Fears some will stand for the tolerating of Papists
Force a man to swear against himself
Forced to change gold, 8s. 7d.; servants and poor, 1s. 6d.
Forgetting many things, which her master beat her for
Frequent trouble in things we deserve best in
Glad to be at friendship with me, though we hate one another
Greater number of Counsellors is, the more confused the issue
Hath not a liberty of begging till he hath served three years
Have me get to be a Parliament-man the next Parliament
He that will not stoop for a pin, will never be worth a pound
He told me that he had so good spies
How natural it is for us to slight people out of power
I know not how in the world to abstain from reading
I have a good mind to have the maidenhead of this girl
I could have answered, but forbore
I away with great content, my mind being troubled before
I know not whether to be glad or sorry
In my nature am mighty unready to answer no to anything
Inventing a better theory of musique
It may be, be able to pay for it, or have health
King, "it is then but Mr. Pepys making of another speech to them"
L'escholle des filles, a lewd book
Lady Castlemayne do rule all at this time as much as ever
Laissez nous affaire—Colbert
Little company there, which made it very unpleasing
Little pleasure now in a play, the company being but little
Live of L100 a year with more plenty, and wine and wenches
Made him admire my drawing a thing presently in shorthand
Making their own advantages to the disturbance of the peace
My wife having a mind to see the play "Bartholomew-Fayre"
My wife hath something in her gizzard, that only waits
My wife, coming up suddenly, did find me embracing the girl
My wife's neglect of things, and impertinent humour
My heart beginning to falsify in this business
Never saw so many sit four hours together to hear any man
No pleasure—only the variety of it
No man was ever known to lose the first time
Nonconformists do now preach openly in houses
Not eat a bit of good meat till he has got money to pay the men
Offered to shew my wife further satisfaction if she desired
Parliament being vehement against the Nonconformists
Pictures of some Maids of Honor: good, but not like
Presbyterian style and the Independent are the best
Resolve never to give her trouble of that kind more
Resolved to go through it, and it is too late to help it now
Ridiculous nonsensical book set out by Will. Pen, for the Quaker
Rough notes were made to serve for a sort of account book
Saw two battles of cocks, wherein is no great sport
Saw "Mackbeth," to our great content
Seeing that he cared so little if he was out
She loves to be taken dressing herself, as I always find her
Should alway take somebody with me, or her herself
Shows how unfit I am for trouble
Sir, your faithful and humble servant
Slabbering themselves, and mirth fit for clownes
So out, and lost our way, which made me vexed
So time do alter, and do doubtless the like in myself
Suffered her humour to spend, till we begun to be very quiet
Tell me that I speak in my dreams
The factious part of the Parliament
The manner of the gaming
The most ingenious men may sometimes be mistaken
The devil being too cunning to discourage a gamester
Their ladies in the box, being grown mighty kind of a sudden
There being no curse in the world so great as this
There setting a poor man to keep my place
This kind of prophane, mad entertainment they give themselves
Though I know it will set the Office and me by the ears for ever
To be enjoyed while we are young and capable of these joys
Tried the effect of my silence and not provoking her
Trouble, and more money, to every Watch, to them to drink
Troubled me, to see the confidence of the vice of the age
Turn out every man that will be drunk, they must turn out all
Uncertainty of beauty
Up, finding our beds good, but lousy; which made us merry
Vexed me, but I made no matter of it, but vexed to myself
Weather being very wet and hot to keep meat in.
When he was seriously ill he declared himself a Roman Catholic
Where I expect most I find least satisfaction
Where a pedlar was in bed, and made him rise
Whip a boy at each place they stop at in their procession
Whom I find in bed, and pretended a little not well
With hangings not fit to be seen with mine
Without importunity or the contrary
Work that is not made the work of any one man