Diary, October 1666 | Page 9

necessary, and we mentioned
L50,000. This is every day a greater and greater omen of ruine. God fit
us for it! Sir J. Minnes and I home (it raining) by coach, calling only on
Sir G. Cartefet at his lodging (who is I find troubled at my Lord
Treasurer and Sir Ph. Warwicke bungling in his accounts), and come
home to supper with my father, and then all to bed. I made my brother
in his cassocke to say grace this day, but I like his voice so ill that I
begin to be sorry he hath taken this order upon him.

8th. Up and to my office, called up by Commissioner Middleton, newly
come to town, but staid not with me; so I to my office busy all the
morning. Towards noon, by water to Westminster Hall, and there by
several hear that the Parliament do resolve to do something to retrench
Sir G. Carteret's great salary; but cannot hear of any thing bad they can
lay to his charge. The House did this day order to be engrossed the Bill
against importing Irish cattle; a thing, it seems, carried on by the
Western Parliament-men, wholly against the sense of most of the rest
of the House; who think if you do this, you give the Irish again cause to
rebel. Thus plenty on both sides makes us mad. The Committee of the
Canary Company of both factions come to me for my Cozen Roger that
is of the Committee. Thence with [Sir] W. Coventry when the House

rose and [Sir] W. Batten to St. James's, and there agreed of and signed
our paper of extraordinaries, and there left them, and I to Unthanke's,
where Mr. Falconbridge's girle is, and by and by comes my wife, who
likes her well, though I confess I cannot (though she be of my finding
out and sings pretty well), because she will be raised from so mean a
condition to so high all of a sudden; but she will be much to our profit,
more than Mercer, less expense. Here we bespoke anew gowne for her,
and to come to us on Friday. She being gone, my wife and I home by
coach, and then I presently by water with Mr. Pierce to Westminster
Hall, he in the way telling me how the Duke of York and Duke of
Albemarle do not agree. The Duke of York is wholly given up to this
bitch of Denham. The Duke of Albemarle and Prince Rupert do less
agree. So that we are all in pieces, and nobody knows what will be
done the next year. The King hath yesterday in Council declared his
resolution of setting a fashion for clothes, which he will never alter.
[There are several references to this new fashion of dress introduced by
the king, Pepys saw the Duke of York put on the vest on the 13th, and
he says Charles II. himself put it on on the 15th. On November 4th
Pepys dressed himself in the new vest and coat. See notes, October
15th and November 22nd.]
It will be a vest, I know not well how; but it is to teach the nobility
thrift, and will do good. By and by comes down from the Committee
[Sir] W. Coventry, and I find him troubled at several things happened
this afternoon, which vexes me also; our business looking worse and
worse, and our worke growing on our hands. Time spending, and no
money to set anything in hand with; the end thereof must be speedy
ruine. The Dutch insult and have taken off Bruant's head,
[Captain Du Buat, a Frenchman in the Dutch service, plotted with two
magistrates of Rotterdam to obtain a peace with England as the readiest
means of pressing the elevation of the Prince of Orange to the office of
Captain-General. He was brought before the Supreme Court of Holland,
condemned, and executed. He had been one of the household of the
Prince of Orange who were dismissed by De Witt.]
which they have not dared to do (though found guilty of the fault he did
die for, of something of the Prince of Orange's faction) till just now,
which speaks more confidence in our being worse than before.
Alderman Maynell, I hear, is dead. Thence returned in the darke by

coach all alone, full of thoughts of the consequences of this ill
complexion of affairs, and how to save myself and the little I have,
which if I can do, I have cause to bless God that I am so well, and shall
be well contented to retreat to Brampton, and spend the rest of my days
there. So to my office, and did some business, and finished my Journall
with resolutions, if God bless