Diary, Jan 1659/60 | Page 9

to my father's, where I
found Mrs. Ramsey and her grandchild, a pretty girl, and staid a while
and talked with them and my mother, and then took my leave, only
heard of an invitation to go to dinner to-morrow to my cosen Thomas
Pepys.--[Thomas Pepys, probably the son of Thomas Pepys of London
(born, 1595), brother of Samuel's father, John Pepys.]--I went back to
Mrs. Jem, and took my wife and Mrs. Sheply, and went home.

6th. This morning Mr. Sheply and I did eat our breakfast at Mrs.
Harper's, (my brother John' being with me,)
[John Pepys was born in 1641, and his brother Samuel took great
interest in his welfare, but he did not do any great credit to his elder.]
upon a cold turkey-pie and a goose. From thence I went to my office,
where we paid money to the soldiers till one o'clock, at which time we
made an end, and I went home and took my wife and went to my cosen,
Thomas Pepys, and found them just sat down to dinner, which was very
good; only the venison pasty was palpable beef, which was not
handsome. After dinner I took my leave, leaving my wife with my
cozen Stradwick,-- [Elizabeth, daughter of Richard Pepys, Lord Chief
Justice of Ireland, and wife of Thomas Stradwick.]--and went to
Westminster to Mr. Vines, where George and I fiddled a good while,
Dick and his wife (who was lately brought to bed) and her sister being

there, but Mr. Hudson not coming according to his promise, I went
away, and calling at my house on the wench, I took her and the
lanthorn with me to my cosen Stradwick, where, after a good supper,
there being there my father, mother, brothers, and sister, my cosen
Scott and his wife, Mr. Drawwater and his wife, and her brother, Mr.
Stradwick, we had a brave cake brought us, and in the choosing, Pall
was Queen and Mr. Stradwick was King. After that my wife and I bid
adieu and came home, it being still a great frost.

7th. At my office as I was receiving money of the probate of wills, in
came Mrs. Turner, Theoph., Madame Morrice, and Joyce, and after I
had done I took them home to my house and Mr. Hawly came after,
and I got a dish of steaks and a rabbit for them, while they were playing
a game or two at cards. In the middle of our dinner a messenger from
Mr. Downing came to fetch me to him, so leaving Mr. Hawly there, I
went and was forced to stay till night in expectation of the French
Embassador, who at last came, and I had a great deal of good discourse
with one of his gentlemen concerning the reason of the difference
between the zeal of the French and the Spaniard. After he was gone I
went home, and found my friends still at cards, and after that I went
along with them to Dr. Whores (sending my wife to Mrs. Jem's to a
sack-posset), where I heard some symphony and songs of his own
making, performed by Mr. May, Harding, and Mallard. Afterwards I
put my friends into a coach, and went to Mrs. Jem's, where I wrote a
letter to my Lord by the post, and had my part of the posset which was
saved for me, and so we went home, and put in at my Lord's lodgings,
where we staid late, eating of part of his turkey-pie, and reading of
Quarles' Emblems. So home and to bed.

8th (Sunday). In the morning I went to Mr. Gunning's, where a good
sermon, wherein he showed the life of Christ, and told us good
authority for us to believe that Christ did follow his father's trade, and
was a carpenter till thirty years of age. From thence to my father's to
dinner, where I found my wife, who was forced to dine there, we not
having one coal of fire in the house, and it being very hard frosty
weather. In the afternoon my father, he going to a man's to demand
some money due to my Aunt Bells my wife and I went to Mr.

Mossum's, where a strange doctor made a very good sermon. From
thence sending my wife to my father's, I went to Mrs. Turner's, and
staid a little while, and then to my father's, where I found Mr. Sheply,
and after supper went home together. Here I heard of the death of Mr.
Palmer, and that he was to be buried at Westminster tomorrow.

9th. For these two or three days I have been much troubled with
thoughts how to get money to pay them that I have borrowed money of,
by