Chapter 36

31st. Up and to the office, where we sat all the morning, and among other things Sir W. Warren came about some contract, and there did at the open table, Sir W. Batten not being there; openly defy him, and insisted how Sir W. Batten did endeavour to oppose him in everything that he offered. Sir W. Pen took him up for it, like a counterfeit rogue, though I know he was as much pleased to hear him talk so as any man there. But upon his speaking no more was said but to the business. At noon we broke up and I to the 'Change awhile, and so home again to dinner, my head aching mightily with being overcharged with business. We had to dinner, my wife and I, a fine turkey and a mince pie, and dined in state, poor wretch, she and I, and have thus kept our Christmas together all alone almost, having not once been out, but to-morrow my vowes are all out as to plays and wine, but I hope I shall not be long before I come to new ones, so much good, and God's blessing, I find to have attended them. Thence to the office and did several businesses and answered several people, but my head aching and it being my great night of accounts, I went forth, took coach, and to my brother's, but he was not within, and so I back again and sat an hour or two at the Coffee [house], hearing some simple discourse about Quakers being charmed by a string about their wrists, and so home, and after a little while at my office, I home and supped, and so had a good fire in my chamber and there sat till 4 o'clock in the morning making up my accounts and writing this last Journall of the year. And first I bless God I do, after a large expense, even this month, by reason of Christmas, and some payments to my father, and other things extraordinary, find that I am worth in money, besides all my household stuff, or any thing of Brampton, above L800, whereof in my Lord Sandwich's hand, L700, and the rest in my hand. So that there is not above L5 of all my estate in money at this minute out of my hands and my Lord's. For which the good God be pleased to give me a thankful heart and a mind careful to preserve this and increase it. I do live at my lodgings in the Navy Office, my family being, besides my wife and I, Jane Gentleman, Besse, our excellent, good-natured cookmayde, and Susan, a little girle, having neither man nor boy, nor like to have again a good while, living now in most perfect content and quiett, and very frugally also; my health pretty good, but only that I have been much troubled with a costiveness which I am labouring to get away, and have hopes of doing it. At the office I am well, though envied to the devil by Sir William Batten, who hates me to death, but cannot hurt me. The rest either love me, or at least do not show otherwise, though I know Sir W. Pen to be a false knave touching me, though he seems fair. My father and mother well in the country; and at this time the young ladies of Hinchingbroke with them, their house having the small-pox in it. The Queene after a long and sore sicknesse is become well again; and the King minds his mistresse a little too much, if it pleased God! but I hope all things will go well, and in the Navy particularly, wherein I shall do my duty whatever comes of it. The great talke is the designs of the King of France, whether against the Pope or King of Spayne nobody knows; but a great and a most promising Prince he is, and all the Princes of Europe have their eye upon him. My wife's brother come to great unhappiness by the ill-disposition, my wife says, of his wife, and her poverty, which she now professes, after all her husband's pretence of a great fortune, but I see none of them, at least they come not to trouble me. At present I am concerned for my cozen Angier, of Cambridge, lately broke in his trade, and this day am sending his son John, a very rogue, to sea. My brother Tom I know not what to think of, for I cannot hear whether he minds his business or not; and my brother John at Cambridge, with as little hopes of doing good there, for when he was here he did give me great cause of dissatisfaction with his manner of life. Pall with my father, and God knows what she do there, or what will become of her, for I have not anything yet to spare her, and she grows now old, and must be disposed of one way or other. The Duchesse of York, at this time, sicke of the meazles, but is growing well again. The Turke very far entered into Germany, and all that part of the world at a losse what to expect from his proceedings. Myself, blessed be God! in a good way, and design and resolution of sticking to my business to get a little money with doing the best service I can to the King also; which God continue! So ends the old year.

ETEXT EDITOR'S BOOKMARKS FOR PEPY'S DIARY 1963 COMPLETE:

A woman sober, and no high-flyer, as he calls it Academy was dissolved by order of the Pope After oysters, at first course, a hash of rabbits, a lamb After some pleasant talk, my wife, Ashwell, and I to bed After awhile I caressed her and parted seeming friends Again that she spoke but somewhat of what she had in her heart And there, did what I would with her And so to sleep till the morning, but was bit cruelly And so to bed and there entertained her with great content And so to bed, my father lying with me in Ashwell's bed Apprehend about one hundred Quakers At last we pretty good friends Before I sent my boy out with them, I beat him for a lie Being cleansed of lice this day by my wife Better we think than most other couples do Book itself, and both it and them not worth a turd But a woful rude rabble there was, and such noises Compliment from my aunt, which I take kindly as it is unusual Conceited, but that's no matter to me Content as to be at our own home, after being abroad awhile Dare not oppose it alone for making an enemy and do no good Did so watch to see my wife put on drawers, which (she did) Did go to Shoe Lane to see a cocke-fighting at a new pit there Did find none of them within, which I was glad of Dined at home alone, a good calves head boiled and dumplings Dinner was great, and most neatly dressed Dog attending us, which made us all merry again Dr. Calamy is this day sent to Newgate for preaching Duodecimal arithmetique Eat a mouthful of pye at home to stay my stomach Employed by the fencers to play prizes at Enquiring into the selling of places do trouble a great many Every man looking after himself, and his owne lust and luxury Every small thing is enough now-a-days to bring a difference Excommunications, which they send upon the least occasions Expectation of profit will have its force Familiarity with her other servants is it that spoils them all Fear it may do him no good, but me hurt Fearful that I might not go far enough with my hat off Feverish, and hath sent for Mr. Pierce to let him blood Found guilty, and likely will be hanged (for stealing spoons) Found him a fool, as he ever was, or worse Galileo's air thermometer, made before 1597 Give her a Lobster and do so touse her and feel her all over God knows that I do not find honesty enough in my own mind Goes with his guards with him publiquely, and his trumpets Goes down the wind in honour as well as every thing else Great plot which was lately discovered in Ireland Had a good supper of an oxe's cheek Half a pint of Rhenish wine at the Still-yard, mixed with beer Hanged with a silken halter He is too wise to be made a friend of He hoped he should live to see her "ugly and willing" He having made good promises, though I fear his performance His readiness to speak spoilt all How highly the Presbyters do talk in the coffeehouses still I calling her beggar, and she me pricklouse, which vexed me I and she never were so heartily angry in our lives as to-day I do not find other people so willing to do business as myself I slept most of the sermon I was very angry, and resolve to beat him to-morrow Ill humour to be so against that which all the world cries up In some churches there was hardly ten people in the whole church Insurrection of the Catholiques there It must be the old ones that must do any good Jealous, though God knows I have no great reason John has got a wife, and for that he intends to part with him Justice of proceeding not to condemn a man unheard Keep at interest, which is a good, quiett, and easy profit King was gone to play at Tennis Lady Castlemaine hath all the King's Christmas presents Lay long in bed talking and pleasing myself with my wife Lay very long with my wife in bed talking with great pleasure Lay chiding, and then pleased with my wife in bed Liability of a husband to pay for goods supplied his wife Many thousands in a little time go out of England Matters in Ireland are full of discontent Money, which sweetens all things Most flat dead sermon, both for matter and manner of delivery Much discourse, but little to be learned My maid Susan ill, or would be thought so My wife has got too great head to be brought down soon My wife and her maid Ashwell had between them spilled the pot.... No more matter being made of the death of one than another No sense nor grammar, yet in as good words that ever I saw Nor will yield that the Papists have any ground given them Nor would become obliged too much to any Nothing in the world done with true integrity Nothing of any truth and sincerity, but mere envy and design Nothing is to be got without offending God and the King Once a week or so I know a gentleman must go.... Opening his mind to him as of one that may hereafter be his foe Out of an itch to look upon the sluts there Pain of the stone, and makes bloody water with great pain Parliament do agree to throw down Popery Pen was then turned Quaker Persuade me that she should prove with child since last night Plague is much in Amsterdam, and we in fears of it here Pride and debauchery of the present clergy Pride himself too much in it Quakers being charmed by a string about their wrists Rabbit not half roasted, which made me angry with my wife Railed bitterly ever and anon against John Calvin Reading my Latin grammar, which I perceive I have great need Reckon nothing money but when it is in the bank Resolve to live well and die a beggar Sad for want of my wife, whom I love with all my heart Saw his people go up and down louseing themselves Scholler, that would needs put in his discourse (every occasion) Scholler, but, it may be, thinks himself to be too much so See how time and example may alter a man See whether my wife did wear drawers to-day as she used to do Sent me last night, as a bribe, a barrel of sturgeon Servant of the King's pleasures too, as well as business She was so ill as to be shaved and pidgeons put to her feet She is conceited that she do well already She used the word devil, which vexed me She begins not at all to take pleasure in me or study to please So home, and mighty friends with my wife again So much is it against my nature to owe anything to any body So home to supper and bed with my father So home, and after supper did wash my feet, and so to bed So neat and kind one to another Softly up to see whether any of the beds were out of order or no Sorry for doing it now, because of obliging me to do the like Sporting in my fancy with the Queen Statute against selling of offices Talk very highly of liberty of conscience Taught my wife some part of subtraction That I might say I saw no money in the paper That he is not able to live almost with her The plague is got to Amsterdam, brought by a ship from Argier The goldsmith, he being one of the jury to-morrow The house was full of citizens, and so the less pleasant Thence by coach, with a mad coachman, that drove like mad There is no passing but by coach in the streets, and hardly that There is no man almost in the City cares a turd for him Therefore ought not to expect more justice from her These young Lords are not fit to do any service abroad They were so false spelt that I was ashamed of them They say now a common mistress to the King Things being dear and little attendance to be had we went away Though it be but little, yet I do get ground every month Through the Fleete Ally to see a couple of pretty [strumpets] To bed with discontent she yielded to me and began to be fond Towzing her and doing what I would, but the last thing of all Upon a small temptation I could be false to her Vexed at my wife's neglect in leaving of her scarf Waked this morning between four and five by my blackbird We having no luck in maids now-a-days Who is over head and eares in getting her house up Whose voice I am not to be reconciled Wife and the dancing-master alone above, not dancing but talking Wine, new and old, with labells pasted upon each bottle With much ado in an hour getting a coach home Would not make my coming troublesome to any Yet it was her fault not to see that I did take them

End of Project Gutenberg's Diary of Samuel Pepys, 1663, by Samuel Pepys