Diary, Oct/Nov/Dec 1660 | Page 5

about some way to get
himself some money to make up for all his great expenses, saying that
he believed that he might have any thing that he would ask of the King.
This day Mr. Sheply and all my Lord's goods came from sea, some of
them laid of the Wardrobe and some brought to my Lord's house. From
thence to our office, where we met and did business, and so home and

spent the evening looking upon the painters that are at work in my
house. This day I heard the Duke speak of a great design that he and
my Lord of Pembroke have, and a great many others, of sending a
venture to some parts of Africa to dig for gold ore there. They intend to
admit as many as will venture their money, and so make themselves a
company. L250 is the lowest share for every man. But I do not find that
my Lord do much like it. At night Dr. Fairbrother (for so he is lately
made of the Civil Law) brought home my wife by coach, it being rainy
weather, she having been abroad today to buy more furniture for her
house.

4th. This morning I was busy looking over papers at the office all alone,
and being visited by Lieut. Lambert of the Charles (to whom I was
formerly much beholden), I took him along with me to a little alehouse
hard by our office, whither my cozen Thomas Pepys the turner had sent
for me to show me two gentlemen that had a great desire to be known
to me, one his name is Pepys, of our family, but one that I never heard
of before, and the other a younger son of Sir Tho. Bendishes, and so we
all called cozens. After sitting awhile and drinking, my two new cozens,
myself, and Lieut. Lambert went by water to Whitehall, and from
thence I and Lieut. Lambert to Westminster Abbey, where we saw Dr.
Frewen translated to the Archbishoprick of York. Here I saw the
Bishops of Winchester, Bangor, Rochester, Bath and Wells, and
Salisbury, all in their habits, in King Henry Seventh's chappell. But,
Lord! at their going out, how people did most of them look upon them
as strange creatures, and few with any kind of love or respect. From
thence at 2 to my Lord's, where we took Mr. Sheply and Wm. Howe to
the Raindeer, and had some oysters, which were very good, the first I
have eat this year. So back to my Lord's to dinner, and after dinner
Lieut. Lambert and I did look upon my Lord's model, and he told me
many things in a ship that I desired to understand. From thence by
water I (leaving Lieut. Lambert at Blackfriars) went home, and there by
promise met with Robert Shaw and Jack Spicer, who came to see me,
and by the way I met upon Tower Hill with Mr. Pierce the surgeon and
his wife, and took them home and did give them good wine, ale, and
anchovies, and staid them till night, and so adieu. Then to look upon
my painters that are now at work in my house. At night to bed.

5th. Office day; dined at home, and all the afternoon at home to see my
painters make an end of their work, which they did to-day to my
content, and I am in great joy to see my house likely once again to be
clean. At night to bed.

6th. Col. Slingsby and I at the office getting a catch ready for the Prince
de Ligne to carry his things away to-day, who is now going home again.
About noon comes my cozen H. Alcock, for whom I brought a letter for
my Lord to sign to my Lord Broghill for some preferment in Ireland,
whither he is now a-going. After him comes Mr. Creed, who brought
me some books from Holland with him, well bound and good books,
which I thought he did intend to give me, but I found that I must pay
him. He dined with me at my house, and from thence to Whitehall
together, where I was to give my Lord an account of the stations and
victualls of the fleet in order to the choosing of a fleet fit for him to
take to sea, to bring over the Queen, but my Lord not coming in before
9 at night I staid no longer for him, but went back again home and so to
bed.

7th (Lord's day). To White Hall on foot, calling at my father's to change
my long black cloak for a short one (long cloaks being now quite out);
but he being gone to church, I could