Diary, May/Jun 1665 | Page 6

the Duke of
Albemarle's and there did much business, and then to the 'Change, and
thence off with Sir W. Warren to an ordinary, where we dined and sat
talking of most usefull discourse till 5 in the afternoon, and then home,
and very busy till late, and so home and to bed.

9th. Up betimes, and to my business at the office, where all the
morning. At noon comes Mrs. The. Turner, and dines with us, and my
wife's painting-master staid and dined; and I take great pleasure in
thinking that my wife will really come to something in that business.
Here dined also Luellin. So after dinner to my office, and there very
busy till almost midnight, and so home to supper and to bed. This day
we have newes of eight ships being taken by some of ours going into
the Texel, their two men of warr, that convoyed them, running in. They
come from about Ireland, round to the north.

10th. Up betimes, and abroad to the Cocke-Pitt, where the Duke [of

Albemarle] did give Sir W. Batten and me an account of the late taking
of eight ships, and of his intent to come back to the Gunfleete--[The
Gunfleet Sand off the Essex coast.]--with the fleete presently; which
creates us much work and haste therein, against the fleete comes. So to
Mr. Povy, and after discourse with him home, and thence to the Guard
in Southwarke, there to get some soldiers, by the Duke's order, to go
keep pressmen on board our ships. So to the 'Change and did much
business, and then home to dinner, and there find my poor mother come
out of the country today in good health, and I am glad to see her, but
my business, which I am sorry for, keeps me from paying the respect I
ought to her at her first coming, she being grown very weak in her
judgement, and doating again in her discourse, through age and some
trouble in her family. I left her and my wife to go abroad to buy
something, and then I to my office. In the evening by appointment to
Sir W. Warren and Mr. Deering at a taverne hard by with intent to do
some good upon their agreement in a great bargain of planks. So home
to my office again, and then to supper and to bed, my mother being in
bed already.

11th. Up betimes, and at the office all the morning. At home dined, and
then to the office all day till late at night, and then home to supper,
weary with business, and to bed.

12th. Up betimes, and find myself disappointed in my receiving
presently of my L50 I hoped for sure of Mr. Warren upon the benefit of
my press warrant, but he promises to make it good. So by water to the
Exchequer, and there up and down through all the offices to strike my
tallys for L17,500, which methinks is so great a testimony of the
goodness of God to me, that I, from a mean clerke there, should come
to strike tallys myself for that sum, and in the authority that I do now, is
a very stupendous mercy to me. I shall have them struck to-morrow.
But to see how every little fellow looks after his fees, and to get what
he can for everything, is a strange consideration; the King's fees that he
must pay himself for this L17,500 coming to above L100. Thence
called my wife at Unthanke's to the New Exchange and elsewhere to
buy a lace band for me, but we did not buy, but I find it so necessary to
have some handsome clothes that I cannot but lay out some money

thereupon. To the 'Change and thence to my watchmaker, where he has
put it [i.e. the watch] in order, and a good and brave piece it is, and he
tells me worth L14 which is a greater present than I valued it. So home
to dinner, and after dinner comes several people, among others my
cozen, Thomas Pepys, of Hatcham,
[Thomas Pepys, of Hatcham Barnes, Surrey, Master of the Jewel House
to Charles II. and James II.]
to receive some money, of my Lord Sandwich's, and there I paid him
what was due to him upon my uncle's score, but, contrary to my
expectation, did get him to sign and seale to my sale of lands for
payment of debts. So that now I reckon myself in better condition by
L100 in my content than I was before, when I was liable to be called to
an account and others after me by my uncle Thomas or his children for
every foot of land we had sold before. This