Diary, March 1666/67 | Page 4

DIARY OF SAMUEL PEPYS. MARCH 1666-1667
March 1st. Up, it being very cold weather again after a good deal of
warm summer weather, and to the office, where I settled to do much
business to-day. By and by sent for to Sir G. Carteret to discourse of
the business of the Navy, and our wants, and the best way of bestowing

the little money we have, which is about L30,000, but, God knows, we
have need of ten times as much, which do make my life uncomfortable,
I confess, on the King's behalf, though it is well enough as to my own
particular, but the King's service is undone by it. Having done with him,
back again to the office, and in the streets, in Mark Lane, I do observe,
it being St. David's day, the picture of a man dressed like a Welchman,
hanging by the neck upon one of the poles that stand out at the top of
one of the merchants' houses, in full proportion, and very handsomely
done; which is one of the oddest sights I have seen a good while, for it
was so like a man that one would have thought it was indeed a man.
[From "Poor Robin's Almanack" for 1757 it appears that, in former
times in England, a Welshman was burnt in effigy on this anniversary.
Mr. W. C. Hazlitt, in his edition of Brand's "Popular Antiquities," adds
"The practice to which Pepys refers . . . was very common at one time;
and till very lately bakers made gingerbread Welshmen, called taffies,
on St. David's day, which were made to represent a man skewered" (vol.
i., pp. 60,61).]
Being returned home, I find Greeting, the flageolet-master, come, and
teaching my wife; and I do think my wife will take pleasure in it, and it
will be easy for her, and pleasant. So I, as I am well content with the
charge it will occasion me. So to the office till dinner-time, and then
home to dinner, and before dinner making my wife to sing. Poor wretch!
her ear is so bad that it made me angry, till the poor wretch cried to see
me so vexed at her, that I think I shall not discourage her so much again,
but will endeavour to make her understand sounds, and do her good
that way; for she hath a great mind to learn, only to please me; and,
therefore, I am mighty unjust to her in discouraging her so much, but
we were good friends, and to dinner, and had she not been ill with those
and that it were not Friday (on which in Lent there are no plays) I had
carried her to a play, but she not being fit to go abroad, I to the office,
where all the afternoon close examining the collection of my papers of
the accounts of the Navy since this war to my great content, and so at
night home to talk and sing with my-wife, and then to supper and so to
bed with great pleasure. But I cannot but remember that just before
dinner one of my people come up to me, and told me a man come from
Huntingdon would speak with me, how my heart come into my mouth
doubting that my father, who has been long sicke, was dead. It put me

into a trembling, but, blessed be [God]! it was no such thing, but a
countryman come about ordinary business to me, to receive L50 paid to
my father in the country for the Perkins's for their legacy, upon the
death of their mother, by my uncle's will. So though I get nothing at
present, at least by the estate, I am fain to pay this money rather than
rob my father, and much good may it do them that I may have no more
further trouble from them. I hear to-day that Tom Woodall, the known
chyrurgeon, is killed at Somerset House by a Frenchman, but the
occasion Sir W. Batten could not tell me.

2nd. Up, and to the office, where sitting all the morning, and among
other things did agree upon a distribution of L30,000 and odd, which is
the only sum we hear of like to come out of all the Poll Bill for the use
of this office for buying of goods. I did herein some few courtesies for
particular friends I wished well to, and for the King's service also, and
was therefore well pleased with what was done. Sir W. Pen this day did
bring an order from the Duke of York for our receiving from him a
small vessel for a fireship, and taking away a better of the King's for it,
it being expressed for his great service to the