Diary, April 1667 | Page 8

to the Northward, and Harman to
the Southward. He did defend to me Sir W. Coventry as not guilty of
the dividing of the fleete the last year, and blesses God, as I do, for my
Lord Sandwich's absence, and tells me how the King did lately observe
to him how they have been particularly punished that were enemies to
my Lord Sandwich. Mightily pleased I am with his family, and my
Lady Carteret was on the bed to-day, having been let blood, and tells
me of my Lady Jemimah's being big-bellied. Thence with him to my
Lord Treasurer's, and there walked during Council sitting with Sir
Stephen Fox, talking of the sad condition of the King's purse, and
affairs thereby; and how sad the King's life must be, to pass by his
officers every hour, that are four years behind-hand unpaid. My Lord
Barkeley [of Stratton] I met with there, and fell into talk with him on
the same thing, wishing to God that it might be remedied, to which he
answered, with an oath, that it was as easy to remedy it as anything in
the world; saying, that there is himself and three more would venture
their carcasses upon it to pay all the King's debts in three years, had
they the managing his revenue, and putting L300,000 in his purse, as a
stock. But, Lord! what a thing is this to me, that do know how likely a
man my Lord Barkeley of all the world is, to do such a thing as this.
Here I spoke with Sir W. Coventry, who tells me plainly that to all
future complaints of lack of money he will answer but with the shrug of
his shoulder; which methought did come to my heart, to see him to

begin to abandon the King's affairs, and let them sink or swim, so he do
his owne part, which I confess I believe he do beyond any officer the
King hath, but unless he do endeavour to make others do theirs, nothing
will be done. The consideration here do make me go away very sad,
and so home by coach, and there took up my wife and Mercer, who had
been to-day at White Hall to the Maundy,
[The practice of giving alms on Maundy Thursday to poor men and
women equal in number to the years of the sovereign's age is a curious
survival in an altered form of an old custom. The original custom was
for the king to wash the feet of twelve poor persons, and to give them a
supper in imitation of Christ's last supper and his washing of the
Apostles' feet. James II. was the last sovereign to perform the ceremony
in person, but it was performed by deputy so late as 1731. The
Archbishop of York was the king's deputy on that occasion. The
institution has passed through the various stages of feet washing with a
supper, the discontinuance of the feet washing, the substitution of a gift
of provisions for the supper, and finally the substitution of a gift of
money for the provisions. The ceremony took place at the Chapel
Royal, Whitehall; but it is now held at Westminster Abbey. Maundy is
derived from the Latin word 'maudatum', which commences the
original anthem sung during the ceremony, in reference to Christ's
command]
it being Maundy Thursday; but the King did not wash the poor people's
feet himself, but the Bishop of London did it for him, but I did not see
it, and with them took up Mrs. Anne Jones at her mother's door, and so
to take the ayre to Hackney, where good neat's tongue, and things to eat
and drink, and very merry, the weather being mighty pleasant; and here
I was told that at their church they have a fair pair of organs, which
play while the people sing, which I am mighty glad of, wishing the like
at our church at London, and would give L50 towards it. So very
pleasant, and hugging of Mercer in our going home, we home, and then
to the office to do a little business, and so to supper at home and to bed.

5th. Up, and troubled with Mr. Carcasse's coming to speak with me,
which made me give him occasion to fall into a heat, and he began to
be ill- mannered to me, which made me angry. He gone, I to Sir W. Pen
about the business of Mrs. Turner's son to keep his ship in employment,

but so false a fellow as Sir W. Pen is I never did nor hope shall ever
know again. So to the office, and there did business, till dinnertime, and
then home to dinner, wife and I alone, and then down to the