Diary, March 1663/64 | Page 6

my uncle Wight and told him my
discourse this afternoon with Sir G. Carteret in Maes' business, but
much to his discomfort, and after a dish of coffee home, and at my
office a good while with Sir W. Warren talking with great pleasure of
many businesses, and then home to supper, my wife and I had a good
fowle to supper, and then I to the office again and so home, my mind in
great ease to think of our coming to so good a respect with my Lord
again, and my Lady, and that my Lady do so much cry up my father's
usage of her children, and the goodness of the ayre there, found in the
young ladies' faces at their return thence, as she says, as also my being
put into the commission of the Fishery,
[There had been recently established, under the Great Seal of England,
a Corporation for the Royal Fishing, of which the Duke of York was
Governor, Lord Craven Deputy-Governor, and the Lord Mayor and
Chamberlain of London, for the time being, Treasurers, in which body
was vested the sole power of licensing lotteries ("The Newes," October
6th, 1664). The original charter (dated April 8th, 1664), incorporating
James, Duke of York, and thirty-six assistants as Governor and
Company of the Royal Fishing of Great Britain and Ireland, is among

the State Papers. The duke was to be Governor till February 26th,
1665]
for which I must give my Lord thanks, and so home to bed, having a
great cold in my head and throat tonight from my late cutting my hair
so close to my head, but I hope it will be soon gone again.

5th. Up and to the office, where, though I had a great cold, I was forced
to speak much upon a publique meeting of the East India Company, at
our office; where our own company was full, and there was also my
Lord George Barkeley, in behalfe of the company of merchants (I
suppose he is on that company), who, hearing my name, took notice of
me, and condoled my cozen Edward Pepys's death, not knowing whose
son I was, nor did demand it of me. We broke up without coming to
any conclusion, for want of my Lord Marlborough. We broke up and I
to the 'Change, where with several people and my uncle Wight to drink
a dish of coffee, and so home to dinner, and then to the office all the
afternoon, my eye and my throat being very bad, and my cold
increasing so as I could not speak almost at all at night. So at night
home to supper, that is a posset, and to bed.

6th (Lord's day). Up, and my cold continuing in great extremity I could
not go out to church, but sat all day (a little time at dinner excepted) in
my closet at the office till night drawing up a second letter to Mr.
Coventry about the measure of masts to my great satisfaction, and so in
the evening home, and my uncle and aunt Wight came to us and supped
with us, where pretty merry, but that my cold put me out of humour. At
night with my cold, and my eye also sore still, to bed.

7th. Up betimes, and the Duke being gone abroad to-day, as we heard
by a messenger, I spent the morning at my office writing fair my
yesterday's work till almost 2 o'clock (only Sir G. Carteret coming I
went down a little way by water towards Deptford, but having more
mind to have my business done I pretended business at the 'Change,
and so went into another boat), and then, eating a bit, my wife and I by
coach to the Duke's house, where we saw "The Unfortunate Lovers;"
but I know not whether I am grown more curious than I was or no, but I
was not much pleased with it, though I know not where to lay the fault,

unless it was that the house was very empty, by reason of a new play at
the other house. Yet here was my Lady Castlemayne in a box, and it
was pleasant to hear an ordinary lady hard by us, that it seems did not
know her before, say, being told who she was, that "she was well
enough." Thence home, and I ended and sent away my letter to Mr.
Coventry (having first read it and had the opinion of Sir W. Warren in
the case), and so home to supper and to bed, my cold being pretty well
gone, but my eye remaining still snare and rhumey, which I wonder at,
my right eye ayling nothing.

8th. Up with some little discontent with my