particularly the business of Captain Cocke's tender1 of hemp, which my Lord Brouncker brought in under an unknown hand without name. Wherein his Lordship will have no great successe, I doubt. That being done, I down to Thames-streete, and there agreed for four or five tons of corke, to send this day to the fleete, being a new device to make barricados with, instead of junke. By this means I came to see and kiss Mr. Hill's young wife and a blithe young woman she is. So to the office and sent for young Michell and employed him all the afternoon about weighing and shipping off of the corke, having by this means an opportunity of getting him 30 or 40s. To the office very late, very busy and did indeed dispatch much business and so to supper and after a song in the garden, which is now the greatest pleasure I take, and indeed do please me mightily, to bed. This evening I had Davila' brought home to me, and find it a most excellent history as ever I read.

15th. (Lord's day.) To church, where our lecturer made a sorry silly sermon, upon the great point of proving the truth of the Christian religion. Had a good dinner, there comes young Michell and his wife, whom my wife concurs with me to be a pretty woman and with her husband is a pretty innocent couple. Mighty pleasant we were and I mightily pleased in her company and to find my wife so well pleased with them also. After dinner he to the Abbey, and I to White Hall, but met with nobody to discourse with, having no great mind to be found idling there, and be asked questions of the fleete, so walked only through to the Parke, and there, it being mighty hot and I weary, lay down by the canalle, upon the grasse, and slept awhile, and was thinking of

1 For which Pepys was to receive 500/

2 The work referred to is Storia delle guerre civili di Francia, by Arrigo Caterino Davila. It is still a very popular book.

a lampoone which hath run in my head this weeke, to make upon the late fight at sea, and the miscarriages there; but other businesses put it out of my head, and so home and there drank a great deale of small beer; and so took up my wife and Betty Michell and her husband, and away into the fields, to take the ayre, as far as beyond Hackny, and so back again, in our way drinking a great deale of milke, which I drank to take away my heartburne. So home and supped and away went Michell and his wife, of whom I stole two or three salutes and so to bed in some pain and in fear of more, which accordingly I met with, for I was in mighty pain all night long, which I impute to the milke that I drank after so much beer, but the cold, to my washing my feet the night before.

16th. A wonderful dark sky, and shower of rain this morning. At Harwich a shower of hail as big as walnuts. In great pain all the morning. Passed the day with Balty, who is come from sea for a day or two before the fight, and I perceive could be willing fairly to be out of the next fight, and I cannot much blame him, he having no reason by his place to be there; however would not have him to be absent, manifestly to avoid being there.

17th. Able to rise to go to the office and there sat but in pain. I went and bought a common ridingcloake for myself, to save my best. It cost me but 30s., and will do my turne mighty well. Thence home and walked in the garden with Sir W. Pen a while, and saying how the riding in the coach do me good, he ordered his to be got ready, and so abroad he and I after 8 o'clock at night, as far almost as Bow, and so back again, and so home to supper and to bed. This day I did bid Balty to agree with ——, the Dutch paynter, which he once led me to, to see landskipps, for a winter piece of snow, which indeed is a good

C

piece, and costs me but 40s., which I would not take the money again for, it being, I think, very good.

18th. To St. James's after my fellows and there did our business, which is mostly every day to complain of want of money, and that only will undo us in a little time. Here, among other things, before us all, the Duke of York did say, that now at length he is come to a sure knowledge that the Dutch did lose in the late engagements twenty-nine captains and thirteen ships. Upon which Sir W. Coventry did publickly move, that if his Royal Highness had this of a certainty, it would be of use to send this down to the fleete, and to cause it to be spread about the fleete, for the recovering of the spirits of the officers and seamen ; who are under great dejectedness for want of knowing that they did do any thing against the enemy, notwithstanding all that they did to us. Which, though it be true, yet methought was one of the most dishonourable motions to our countrymen that ever was made; and is worth remembering. Thence with Sir W. Pen home, calling at Lilly's, to have a time appointed when to be drawn among the other Commanders of Flags the last year's fight. And so full of work Lilly is, that he was fain to take his table-book out to see how his time is appointed, and appointed six days hence for him to come between seven and eight in the morning. Thence with him home; and there by appointment I find Dr. Fuller, now Bishop of Limericke, in Ireland; whom I knew in his low condition at Twittenham,1 and find the Bishop the same good man as ever; and in a word, kind to us, and, methinks, one of the comeliest and most becoming prelates in all respects that ever I saw in my life. During dinner comes an acquaintance of his, Sir Thomas Littleton ; whom

1 Twickenham, where he kept a school.

2 Afterwards made Treasurer of the Navy, in conjunction with.

I knew not while he was in my house, but liked his discourse and afterwards, by Sir W. Pen, do come to know that he is one of the greatest speakers in the House of Commons, and the usual second to the great Vaughan. So was sorry I did observe him no more, and gain more of his acquaintance. Walked to Woolwich, reading "the Rivall Ladys" all the way, and find it a most pleasant and fine writ play.

19th. To the office, where all the morning. Full of wants of money, and much stores to buy, for to replenish the stores, and no money to do it with, nor anybody to trust us without it. So at noon home to dinner, Balty and his wife with us. By and by Balty takes his leave of us, he going away towards the fleete, where he will pass through one great engagement more before he be two days older, I believe. After I was in bed I had a letter from Sir W. Coventry that tells me that the fleete is sailed this morning; God send us good newes of them!

20th. To White Hall, and there the Duke of York did bid Sir W. Pen to stay to discourse with him and the King about business of the fleete, which troubled me a little, but it was only out of envy, for which I blame myself, having no reason to expect to be called to advise in a matter I understand not. So I away to Lovett's, there to see how my picture goes on to be varnished, a fine Crucifix,' which will be very fine; and here I saw some fine prints, brought from France by Sir Thomas Crew. Lovett did present me with a varnished staffe, very fine and

Sir Thomas Osborne. He was the eldest son of Sir Adam Littleton, of Stoke Milburgh, Salop, who had been created a baronet in 1642. He married Anne, daughter and heir of Edward Lord Littleton, the Lord Keeper, and died in 1681, aged 57. Sir Thomas Littleton, the only son of this match, became Speaker of the House of Commons, and deceased, s. p., in 1709.

1 This crucifix occasioned Pepys trouble long afterwards, having been brought as evidence that he was a Papist. See Life, vol. i.

light to walk with. So home and to dinner, there coming young Mrs. Daniel and her sister Sarah, and dined with us; and old Mr. Hawly, whose condition pities me, he being forced to turne under parishclerke at St. Giles's, I think at the other end of the towne. Thence I to the office, where busy all the afternoon and in the evening with Sir W. Pen walking in the garden, with whom I am of late mighty great, and it is wisdom to continue myself so, for he is of all the men of the office at present most manifestly usefull and best thought of. He and I supped together upon the seat in the garden and then, he gone, my wife and Mercer came and walked and sang late, and then home to bed.

21st. At noon walked in the garden with Commissioner Pett (newly come to towne), who tells me how infinite the disorders are among the commanders and all officers of the fleete. No discipline: nothing but swearing and cursing, and every body doing what they please; and the Generalls, understanding no better, suffer it, to the reproaching of this Board, or whoever it will be. He himself hath been challenged twice to the field, or something as good, by Sir Edward Spragge and Capt. Seamour. He tells me that captains carry, for all the late orders, what men they please; demand and consume what provisions they please. So that he fears, and I do no less, that God Almighty cannot bless us while we keep in this disorder that we are in: he observing to me too, that there is no man of counsel or advice in the fleete; and the truth is, the gentlemen captains will undo us, for they are not to be kept in order, their friends about the King and Duke, and their own houses, are so free, that it is not for any person but the Duke himself to have any command over them.

22nd. (Lord's day.) Up, and to my chamber, and