Diary, December 1664 | Page 4

entire meal of them. D.W.]

THE DIARY OF SAMUEL PEPYS M.A. F.R.S.
CLERK OF THE ACTS AND SECRETARY TO THE ADMIRALTY
TRANSCRIBED FROM THE SHORTHAND MANUSCRIPT IN
THE PEPYSIAN LIBRARY MAGDALENE COLLEGE
CAMBRIDGE BY THE REV. MYNORS BRIGHT M.A. LATE

FELLOW AND PRESIDENT OF THE COLLEGE
(Unabridged)
WITH LORD BRAYBROOKE'S NOTES
EDITED WITH ADDITIONS BY
HENRY B. WHEATLEY F.S.A.

DIARY OF SAMUEL PEPYS. DECEMBER 1664
December 1st. Up betimes and to White Hall to a Committee of
Tangier, and so straight home and hard to my business at my office till
noon, then to dinner, and so to my office, and by and by we sat all the
afternoon, then to my office again till past one in the morning, and so
home to supper and to bed.

2nd. Lay long in bed. Then up and to the office, where busy all the
morning. At home dined. After dinner with my wife and Mercer to the
Duke's House, and there saw "The Rivalls," which I had seen before;
but the play not good, nor anything but the good actings of Betterton
and his wife and Harris. Thence homeward, and the coach broke with
us in Lincoln's Inn Fields, and so walked to Fleete Streete, and there
took coach and home, and to my office, whither by and by comes
Captain Cocke, and then Sir W. Batten, and we all to Sir J. Minnes, and
I did give them a barrel of oysters I had given to me, and so there sat
and talked, where good discourse of the late troubles, they knowing
things, all of them, very well; and Cocke, from the King's own mouth,
being then entrusted himself much, do know particularly that the King's
credulity to Cromwell's promises, private to him, against the advice of
his friends and the certain discovery of the practices and discourses of
Cromwell in council (by Major Huntington)
[According to Clarendon the officer here alluded to was a major in
Cromwell's own regiment of horse, and employed by him to treat with
Charles I. whilst at Hampton Court; but being convinced of the
insincerity of the proceeding, communicated his suspicions to that
monarch, and immediately gave up his commission. We hear no more
of Huntington till the Restoration, when his name occurs with those of
many other officers, who tendered their services to the king. His
reasons for laying down his commission are printed in Thurloe's "State

Papers" and Maseres's "Tracts."--B.]
did take away his life and nothing else. Then to some loose atheisticall
discourse of Cocke's, when he was almost drunk, and then about 11
o'clock broke up, and I to my office, to fit up an account for Povy,
wherein I hope to get something. At it till almost two o'clock, then to
supper and to bed.

3rd. Up, and at the office all the morning, and at noon to Mr. Cutler's,
and there dined with Sir W. Rider and him, and thence Sir W. Rider
and I by coach to White Hall to a Committee of the Fishery; there only
to hear Sir Edward Ford's proposal about farthings, wherein, O God! to
see almost every body interested for him; only my Lord Annesly, who
is a grave, serious man. My Lord Barkeley was there, but is the most
hot, fiery man in discourse, without any cause, that ever I saw, even to
breach of civility to my Lord Anglesey, in his discourse opposing to
my Lord's. At last, though without much satisfaction to me, it was
voted that it should be requested of the King, and that Sir Edward
Ford's proposal is the best yet made. Thence by coach home. The Duke
of Yorke being expected to-night with great joy from Portsmouth, after
his having been abroad at sea three or four days with the fleete; and the
Dutch are all drawn into their harbours. But it seems like a victory: and
a matter of some reputation to us it is, and blemish to them; but in no
degree like what it is esteemed at, the weather requiring them to do so.
Home and at my office late, and then to supper and to bed.

4th (Lord's day). Lay long in bed, and then up and to my office, there to
dispatch a business in order to the getting something out of the Tangier
business, wherein I have an opportunity to get myself paid upon the
score of freight. I hope a good sum. At noon home to dinner, and then
in the afternoon to church. So home, and by and by comes Mr. Hill and
Andrews, and sung together long and with great content. Then to
supper and broke up. Pretty discourse, very pleasant and ingenious, and
so to my office a little, and then home