So ends the old yeare, I bless God, with great joy to me, not only from my having made so good a yeare of profit, as having spent L420 and laid up L540 and upwards; but I bless God I never have been in so good plight as to my health in so very cold weather as this is, nor indeed in any hot weather, these ten years, as I am at this day, and have been these four or five months. But I am at a great losse to know whether it be my hare’s foote, or taking every morning of a pill of turpentine, or my having left off the wearing of a gowne. My family is, my wife, in good health, and happy with her; her woman Mercer, a pretty, modest, quiett mayde; her chambermayde Besse, her cook mayde Jane, the little girl Susan, and my boy, which I have had about half a yeare, Tom Edwards, which I took from the King’s chappell, and a pretty and loving quiett family I have as any man in England. My credit in the world and my office grows daily, and I am in good esteeme with everybody, I think. My troubles of my uncle’s estate pretty well over; but it comes to be but of little profit to us, my father being much supported by my purse. But great vexations remain upon my father and me from my brother Tom’s death and ill condition, both to our disgrace and discontent, though no great reason for either. Publique matters are all in a hurry about a Dutch warr. Our preparations great; our provocations against them great; and, after all our presumption, we are now afeard as much of them, as we lately contemned them. Every thing else in the State quiett, blessed be God! My Lord Sandwich at sea with the fleete at Portsmouth; sending some about to cruise for taking of ships, which we have done to a great number. This Christmas I judged it fit to look over all my papers and books; and to tear all that I found either boyish or not to be worth keeping, or fit to be seen, if it should please God to take me away suddenly. Among others, I found these two or three notes, which I thought fit to keep.
ETEXT EDITOR’S BOOKMARKS, PEPY’S DIARY 1664, COMPLETE:
A real and not a complimentary acknowledgment
A mad merry slut she is
About several businesses, hoping to get money by them
After many protestings by degrees I did arrive at what I would
All divided that were bred so long at school together
All ended in love
All the men were dead of the plague, and the ship cast ashore
And with the great men in curing of their claps
At least 12 or 14,000 people in the street (to see the hanging)
Bath at the top of his house
Bearing more sayle will go faster than any other ships (multihull)
Began discourse of my not getting of children
Below what people think these great people say and do
But the wench went, and I believe had her turn served
Came to bed to me, but all would not make me friends
Chatted with her, her husband out of the way
Could not saw above 4 inches of the stone in a day
Do look upon me as a remembrancer of his former vanity
Doubtfull of himself, and easily be removed from his own opinion
Drink a dish of coffee
Even to the having bad words with my wife, and blows too
Expected musique, the missing of which spoiled my dinner
Expressly taking care that nobody might see this business done
Fear of making her think me to be in a better condition
Fear all his kindness is but only his lust to her
Feared I might meet with some people that might know me
Fetch masts from New England
Few in any age that do mind anything that is abstruse
Find myself to over-value things when a child
Gadding abroad to look after beauties
Generally with corruption, but most indeed with neglect
God forgive me! what thoughts and wishes I had
Good writers are not admired by the present
Greatest businesses are done so superficially
Had no mind to meddle with her
Having some experience, but greater conceit of it than is fit
Hear something of the effects of our last meeting (pregnancy?)
Helping to slip their calfes when there is occasion
Her months upon her is gone to bed
Her impudent tricks and ways of getting money
How little to be presumed of in our greatest undertakings
I had agreed with Jane Welsh, but she came not, which vexed me
I do not like his being angry and in debt both together to me
I will not by any over submission make myself cheap
I slept soundly all the sermon
Ill from my late cutting my hair so close to my head
In my dining-room she was doing something upon the pott
In a hackney and full of people, was ashamed to be seen
Ireland in a very distracted condition
Irish in Ireland, whom Cromwell had settled all in one corner
Jane going into the boat did fall down and show her arse
King is mighty kind to these his bastard children
King still do doat upon his women, even beyond all shame
Lay long caressing my wife and talking
Let her brew as she has baked
Little children employed, every one to do something
Mankind pleasing themselves in the easy delights of the world
Meazles, we fear, or, at least, of a scarlett feavour
Methought very ill, or else I am grown worse to please
Mind to have her bring it home
Mrs. Lane was gone forth, and so I missed of my intent
My wife was angry with me for not coming home, and for gadding
My leg fell in a hole broke on the bridge
My wife made great means to be friends, coming to my bedside
Never to trust too much to any man in the world
New Netherlands to English rule, under the title of New York
Not well, and so had no pleasure at all with my poor wife
Not when we can, but when we list
Not the greatest wits, but the steady man
Nothing of the memory of a man, an houre after he is dead!
Now against her going into the country (lay together)
Periwigg he lately made me cleansed of its nits
Play good, but spoiled with the ryme, which breaks the sense
Pleased to look upon their pretty daughter
Pray God give me a heart to fear a fall, and to prepare for it!
Presse seamen, without which we cannot really raise men
Pretty sayings, which are generally like paradoxes
Reduced the Dutch settlement of New Netherlands to English rule
Rotten teeth and false, set in with wire
Ryme, which breaks the sense
Saw “The German Princess” acted, by the woman herself
Sent my wife to get a place to see Turner hanged
Shakespeare’s plays
She had the cunning to cry a great while, and talk and blubber
She had got and used some puppy-dog water
Sheriffs did endeavour to get one jewell
Slabbering my band sent home for another
So home to prayers and to bed
Staid two hours with her kissing her, but nothing more
Strange slavery that I stand in to beauty
Subject to be put into a disarray upon very small occasions
Such open flattery is beastly
Talked with Mrs. Lane about persuading her to Hawly
Tear all that I found either boyish or not to be worth keeping
That hair by hair had his horse’s tail pulled off indeed
Their saws have no teeth, but it is the sand only
There eat and drank, and had my pleasure of her twice
There did see Mrs. Lane.....
These Lords are hard to be trusted
Things wear out of themselves and come fair again
Thinks she is with child, but I neither believe nor desire it
Till 12 at night, and then home to supper and to bed
To my Lord Sandwich, thinking to have dined there
Travels over the high hills in Asia above the clouds
Up, my mind very light from my last night’s accounts
Upon a very small occasion had a difference again broke out
Very angry we were, but quickly friends again
Very high and very foule words from her to me
We do nothing in this office like people able to carry on a warr
Went against me to have my wife and servants look upon them
What wine you drinke, lett it bee at meales
What a sorry dispatch these great persons give to business
What is there more to be had of a woman than the possessing her
Where a trade hath once been and do decay, it never recovers
Wherein every party has laboured to cheat another
Willing to receive a bribe if it were offered me
Would either conform, or be more wise, and not be catched!
Would make a dogg laugh
JANUARY 1664-1665
January 1st (Lord’s day). Lay long in bed, having been busy late last night, then up and to my office, where upon ordering my accounts and papers with respect to my understanding my last year’s gains and expense, which I find very great, as I have already set down yesterday. Now this day I am dividing my expense, to see what my clothes and every particular hath stood me in: I mean all the branches of my expense. At noon a good venison pasty and a turkey to ourselves without any body so much as invited by us, a thing unusuall for so small a family of my condition: but we did it and were very merry. After dinner to my office again, where very late alone upon my accounts, but have not brought them to order yet, and very intricate I find it, notwithstanding my care all the year to keep things in as good method as any man can do. Past 11 o’clock home to supper and to bed.
2nd. Up, and it being a most fine, hard frost I walked a good way toward White Hall, and then being overtaken with Sir W. Pen’s coach, went into it, and with him thither, and there did our usual business with the Duke. Thence, being forced to pay a great deale of money away in boxes (that is, basins at White Hall), I to my barber’s, Gervas, and there had a little opportunity of speaking with my Jane alone, and did give her something, and of herself she did tell me a place where I might come to her on Sunday next, which I will not fail, but to see how modestly and harmlessly she brought it out was very pretty. Thence to the Swan, and there did sport a good while with Herbert’s young kinswoman without hurt, though they being abroad, the old people. Then to the Hall, and there agreed with Mrs. Martin, and to her lodgings which she has now taken to lie in, in Bow Streete, pitiful poor things, yet she thinks them pretty, and so they are for her condition I believe good enough. Here I did ‘ce que je voudrais avec’ her most freely, and it having cost 2s. in wine and cake upon her, I away sick of her impudence, and by coach to my Lord Brunker’s, by appointment, in the Piazza, in Covent-Guarding; where I occasioned much mirth with a ballet I brought with me, made from the seamen at sea to their ladies in town; saying Sir W. Pen, Sir G. Ascue, and Sir J. Lawson made them. Here a most noble French dinner and banquet, the best I have seen this many a day and good discourse. Thence to my bookseller’s and at his binder’s saw Hooke’s book of the Microscope,
[“Micrographia: or some physiological descriptions of minute bodies
made by Magnifying Glasses. London, 1665,” a very remarkable work
with elaborate plates, some of which have been used for lecture
illustrations almost to our own day. On November 23rd, 1664, the
President of the Royal Society was “desired to sign a licence for
printing of Mr. Hooke’s microscopical book.” At this time the book
was mostly printed, but it was delayed, much to Hooke’s disgust, by
the examination of several Fellows of the Society. In spite of this
examination the council were anxious that the author should make it
clear that he alone was responsible for any theory put forward, and
they gave him notice to that effect. Hooke made this clear in his
dedication (see Birch’s “History,” vol. i., pp. 490-491)]
which is so pretty that I presently bespoke it, and away home to the office, where we met to do something, and then though very late by coach to Sir Ph. Warwicke’s, but having company with him could not speak with him. So back again home, where thinking to be merry was vexed with my wife’s having looked out a letter in Sir Philip Sidney about jealousy for me to read, which she industriously and maliciously caused me to do, and the truth is my conscience told me it was most proper for me, and therefore was touched at it, but tooke no notice of it, but read it out most frankly, but it stucke in my stomach, and moreover I was vexed to have a dog brought to my house to line our little bitch, which they make him do in all their sights, which, God forgive me, do stir my jealousy again, though of itself the thing is a very immodest sight. However, to cards with my wife a good while, and then to bed.
3rd. Up, and by coach to Sir Ph. Warwicke’s, the streete being full of footballs, it being a great frost, and found him and Mr. Coventry walking in St. James’s Parke. I did my errand to him about the felling of the King’s timber in the forests, and then to my Lord of Oxford, Justice in Eyre, for his consent thereto, for want whereof my Lord Privy Seale stops the whole business. I found him in his lodgings, in but an ordinary furnished house and roome where he was, but I find him to be a man of good discreet replys. Thence to the Coffee-house, where certain newes that the Dutch have taken some of our colliers to the North; some say four, some say seven. Thence to the ‘Change a while, and so home to dinner and to the office, where we sat late, and then I to write my letters, and then to Sir W. Batten’s, who is going out of towne to Harwich to-morrow to set up a light-house there, which he hath lately got a patent from the King to set up, that will turne much to his profit. Here very merry, and so to my office again, where very late, and then home to supper and to bed, but sat up with my wife at cards till past two in the morning.
4th. Lay long, and then up and to my Lord of Oxford’s, but his Lordshipp was in bed at past ten o’clock: and, Lord helpe us! so rude a dirty family I never saw in my life. He sent me out word my business was not done, but should against the afternoon. I thence to the Coffee-house, there but little company, and so home to the ‘Change, where I hear of some more of our ships lost to the Northward. So to Sir W. Batten’s, but he was set out before I got thither. I sat long talking with my lady, and then home to dinner. Then come Mr. Moore to see me, and he and I to my Lord of Oxford’s, but not finding him within Mr. Moore and I to “Love in a Tubb,” which is very merry, but only so by gesture, not wit at all, which methinks is beneath the House. So walked home, it being a very hard frost, and I find myself as heretofore in cold weather to begin to burn within and pimples and pricks all over my body, my pores with cold being shut up. So home to supper and to cards and to bed.