Diary, Feb 1659/60 | Page 8

told me of a picture hung up at the Exchange of a great pair of
buttocks shooting of a turd into Lawson's mouth, and over it was wrote
"The thanks of the house." Boys do now cry "Kiss my Parliament,
instead of "Kiss my [rump]," so great and general a contempt is the
Rump come to among all the good and bad.

8th. A little practice on my flageolet, and afterwards walking in my
yard to see my stock of pigeons, which begin now with the spring to
breed very fast. I was called on by Mr. Fossan, my fellow pupil at
Cambridge, and I took him to the Swan in the Palace yard, and drank
together our morning draft. Thence to my office, where I received
money, and afterwards Mr. Carter, my old friend at Cambridge,
meeting me as I was going out of my office I took him to the Swan, and
in the way I met with Captain Lidcott, and so we three went together
and drank there, the Captain talking as high as ever he did, and more
because of the fall of his brother Thurlow.
[John Thurloe, born 1616; Secretary of State to Cromwell; M.P. for Ely,
1656, and for the University of Cambridge in Richard Cromwell's
Parliament of December, 1658. He was never employed after the
Restoration, although the King solicited his services. He died February
21st, 1668. Pepys spells the name Thurlow, which was a common
spelling at the time.]
Hence I went to Captain Stone, who told me how Squib had been with
him, and that he could do nothing with him, so I returned to Mr. Carter
and with him to Will's, where I spent upon him and Monsieur
L'Impertinent, alias Mr. Butler, who I took thither with me, and thence
to a Rhenish wine house, and in our way met with Mr. Hoole, where I
paid for my cozen Roger Pepys his wine, and after drinking we parted.
So I home, in my way delivering a letter which among the rest I had
from my Lord to-day to Sir N. Wheeler. At home my wife's brother
brought her a pretty black dog which I liked very well, and went away
again. Hence sending a porter with the hamper of bottles to the Temple
I called in my way upon Mrs. Jem, who was much frighted till I came
to tell her that her mother was well. So to the Temple, where I
delivered the wine and received the money of my cos. Roger that I laid
out, and thence to my father's, where he shewed me a base angry letter
that he had newly received from my uncle Robert about my brother
John, at which my father was very sad, but I comforted him and wrote
an answer. My brother John has an exhibition granted him from the
school. My father and I went down to his kitchen, and there we eat and
drank, and about 9 o'clock I went away homewards, and in Fleet Street,
received a great jostle from a man that had a mind to take the wall,

which I could not help?
[This was a constant trouble to the pedestrian until the rule of passing
to the right of the person met was generally accepted. Gay commences
his "Trivia" with an allusion to this--
"When to assert the wall, and when resign--"
and the epigram on the haughty courtier and the scholar is well known.]
I came home and to bed. Went to bed with my head not well by my too
much drinking to-day, and I had a boil under my chin which troubled
me cruelly.

9th. Soon as out of my bed I wrote letters into the country to go by
carrier to-day. Before I was out of my bed, I heard the soldiers very
busy in the morning, getting their horses ready where they lay at
Hilton's, but I knew not then their meaning in so doing: After I had
wrote my letters I went to Westminster up and down the Hall, and with
Mr. Swan walked a good [deal] talking about Mr. Downing's business.
I went with him to Mr. Phelps's house where he had some business to
solicit, where we met Mr. Rogers my neighbour, who did solicit against
him and talked very high, saying that he would not for a L1000 appear
in a business that Swan did, at which Swan was very angry, but I
believe he might be guilty enough. In the Hall I understand how Monk
is this morning gone into London with his army; and met with Mr. Fage,
who told me that he do believe that Monk is gone to secure some of the
Common- council of the City, who were very high yesterday there, and