Diary, Nov/Dec 1662 | Page 4

before making
an entire meal of them. D.W.]

THE DIARY OF SAMUEL PEPYS M.A. F.R.S.
CLERK OF THE ACTS AND SECRETARY TO THE ADMIRALTY

TRANSCRIBED FROM THE SHORTHAND MANUSCRIPT IN
THE PEPYSIAN LIBRARY MAGDALENE COLLEGE
CAMBRIDGE BY THE REV. MYNORS BRIGHT M.A. LATE
FELLOW AND PRESIDENT OF THE COLLEGE
(Unabridged)
WITH LORD BRAYBROOKE'S NOTES
EDITED WITH ADDITIONS BY
HENRY B. WHEATLEY F.S.A.

DIARY OF SAMUEL PEPYS. NOVEMBER & DECEMBER 1662
November 1st. Up and after a little while with my workmen I went to
my office, and then to our sitting all the morning. At noon with Mr.
Creede, whom I found at my house, to the Trinity House, to a great
dinner there, by invitacion, and much company. It seems one Captain
Evans makes his Elder Brother's dinner to-day. Among other discourses
one Mr. Oudant, secretary to the late Princesse of Orange, did discourse
of the convenience as to keeping the highways from being deep, by
their horses, in Holland (and Flanders where the ground is as miry as
ours is), going in their carts and, waggons as ours in coaches, wishing
the same here as an expedient to make the ways better, and I think there
is something in it, where there is breadth enough. Thence to my office,
sent for to meet Mr. Leigh again; from Sir H. Bennet. And he and I,
with Wade and his intelligencer and labourers, to the Tower cellars, to
make one tryall more; where we staid two or three hours digging, and
dug a great deal all under the arches, as it was now most confidently
directed, and so seriously, and upon pretended good grounds, that I
myself did truly expect to speed; but we missed of all: and so we went
away the second time like fools. And to our office, whither, a coach
being come, Mr. Leigh goes home to Whitehall; and I by appointment
to the Dolphin Tavern, to meet Wade and the other, Captn. Evett, who
now do tell me plainly, that he that do put him upon this is one that had
it from Barkestead's own mouth, and was advised with by him, just
before the King's coming in, how to get it out, and had all the signs told
him how and where it lay, and had always been the great confident of
Barkestead even to the trusting him with his life and all he had. So that
he did much convince me that there is good ground for what we go
about. But I fear it may be that he did find some conveyance of it away,

without the help of this man, before he died. But he is resolved to go to
the party once more, and then to determine what we shall do further. So
we parted, and I to my office, where after sending away my letters to
the post I do hear that Sir J. Minnes is resolved to turn part of our entry
into a room and to divide the back yard between Sir W. Pen and him,
which though I do not see how it will annoy me much particularly, yet
it do trouble me a little for fear it should, but I do not see how it can
well unless in his desiring my coming to my back stairs, but for that I
shall do as well as himself or Sir W. Pen, who is most concerned to
look after it.

2nd (Lord's day). Lay long with pleasure talking with my wife, in
whom I never had greater content, blessed be God! than now, she
continuing with the same care and thrift and innocence, so long as I
keep her from occasions of being otherwise, as ever she was in her life,
and keeps the house as well. To church, where Mr. Mills, after he had
read the service, and shifted himself as he did the last day, preached a
very ordinary sermon. So home to dinner with my wife. Then up into
my new rooms which are, almost finished, and there walked with great
content talking with my wife till church time, and then to church, and
there being a lazy preacher I slept out the sermon, and so home, and
after visiting the two Sir Williams, who are both of them mending
apace, I to my office preparing things against to-morrow for the Duke,
and so home and to bed, with some pain, . . . having taken cold this
morning in sitting too long bare-legged to pare my corns. My wife and
I spent a good deal of this evening in reading "Du Bartas' Imposture"
and other parts which my wife of late has taken up to read, and is very
fine as anything I meet with.

3d. Up and with Sir