The Diary of Samuel Pepys [231]
Parliament do meet, only to adjourne again till winter. The plague, I hear, encreases in the town much, and exceedingly in the country every where. Bonfires in the street, for being St.George's day, and the King's Coronation, and the day of the Prince and Duke's going to sea.
25th. I to the office, where Mr. Prin come to meet about the Chest-business; and till company come, did discourse with me a good while in the garden about the laws of England, telling me the main faults in them; and among others, their obscurity through multitude of long statutes, which he is about to abstract out of all of a sort; and as he lives, and Parliaments come, get them put into laws, and the other statutes repealed, and then it will be a short work to know the law. Having supped upon the leads, to bed. The plague, blessed be God! is decreased sixteen this week.
29th. To Mr. Evelyn's, where I walked in his garden till he come from Church, with great pleasure reading Ridly's discourse, all my way going and coming, upon the Civill and Ecclesiastical Law. He being come home, he and I walked together in the garden with mighty pleasure, he being a very ingenious man; and the more I know him the more I love him.
30th. I after dinner to even all my accounts of this month; and bless God, I find myself, notwithstanding great expences of late; viz. 80l. now to pay for a necklace; near 40l. for a set of chairs and couch; near 40l. for my three pictures: yet I do gather, and am worth 5200l. My wife comes home by and by, and hath pitched upon a necklace with three rows, which is a very good one, and 80l. is the price. So ends this month with great layings-out. Good health and gettings, and advanced well in the whole of my estate, for which God make me thankful!
May 1, 1666. At noon, my cosen Thomas Pepys did come to me, to consult about the business of his being a Justice of the Peace, which he is much against; and among other reasons, tells me, as a confidant, that he is not free to exercise punishment according to the Act against Quakers and other people, for religion. Nor do he understand Latin, and so is not capable of the place as formerly, now all warrants do run in Latin. Nor he in Kent, though he be of Deptford parish, his house standing in Surry. However, I did bring him to incline towards it, if he be pressed to take it. I do think it may be some repute to me to have my kinsman in Commission there, specially, if he behave himself to content in the country.
12th. Met Sir G. Downing on White Hall bridge, and there walked half an hour, talking of the success of the late new Act; and indeed it is very much, that that hath stood really in the room of 800,000l. [There appears to be some error in these figures.] now since Christmas, being itself but 1,250,000l. And so I do really take it to be a very considerable thing done by him; for the beginning, end, and every part of it, is to be imputed to him. The fleet is not yet gone from the Nore. The plague encreases in many places, and is 53 this week with us.
13th. Into St. Margett's [St. Margaret's.] Church, where I heard a young man play the fool upon the doctrine of Purgatory.
16th. I to my Lord Crowe's, who is very lately come to town, and he talked for half an hour of the business of the warr, wherein he is very doubtful, from our want of money, that we shall fail. And I do concur with him therein. After some little discourse of ordinary matters, I away to Sir Philip Warwick's again, and he was come in, and gone out to my Lord Treasurer's; whither I followed him, and there my business was, to be told that my Lord Treasurer hath got 10,000l. for us in the Navy, to answer our great necessities, which I did thank him for; but the sum is not considerable. The five brothers Houblons came, and Mr. Hill, to my house; and a very good supper we had, and good discourse with great pleasure. My new plate sets off my cupboard very nobly. Here they were till about eleven at night: and a fine sight it is to see these five brothers thus loving one to another, and all
25th. I to the office, where Mr. Prin come to meet about the Chest-business; and till company come, did discourse with me a good while in the garden about the laws of England, telling me the main faults in them; and among others, their obscurity through multitude of long statutes, which he is about to abstract out of all of a sort; and as he lives, and Parliaments come, get them put into laws, and the other statutes repealed, and then it will be a short work to know the law. Having supped upon the leads, to bed. The plague, blessed be God! is decreased sixteen this week.
29th. To Mr. Evelyn's, where I walked in his garden till he come from Church, with great pleasure reading Ridly's discourse, all my way going and coming, upon the Civill and Ecclesiastical Law. He being come home, he and I walked together in the garden with mighty pleasure, he being a very ingenious man; and the more I know him the more I love him.
30th. I after dinner to even all my accounts of this month; and bless God, I find myself, notwithstanding great expences of late; viz. 80l. now to pay for a necklace; near 40l. for a set of chairs and couch; near 40l. for my three pictures: yet I do gather, and am worth 5200l. My wife comes home by and by, and hath pitched upon a necklace with three rows, which is a very good one, and 80l. is the price. So ends this month with great layings-out. Good health and gettings, and advanced well in the whole of my estate, for which God make me thankful!
May 1, 1666. At noon, my cosen Thomas Pepys did come to me, to consult about the business of his being a Justice of the Peace, which he is much against; and among other reasons, tells me, as a confidant, that he is not free to exercise punishment according to the Act against Quakers and other people, for religion. Nor do he understand Latin, and so is not capable of the place as formerly, now all warrants do run in Latin. Nor he in Kent, though he be of Deptford parish, his house standing in Surry. However, I did bring him to incline towards it, if he be pressed to take it. I do think it may be some repute to me to have my kinsman in Commission there, specially, if he behave himself to content in the country.
12th. Met Sir G. Downing on White Hall bridge, and there walked half an hour, talking of the success of the late new Act; and indeed it is very much, that that hath stood really in the room of 800,000l. [There appears to be some error in these figures.] now since Christmas, being itself but 1,250,000l. And so I do really take it to be a very considerable thing done by him; for the beginning, end, and every part of it, is to be imputed to him. The fleet is not yet gone from the Nore. The plague encreases in many places, and is 53 this week with us.
13th. Into St. Margett's [St. Margaret's.] Church, where I heard a young man play the fool upon the doctrine of Purgatory.
16th. I to my Lord Crowe's, who is very lately come to town, and he talked for half an hour of the business of the warr, wherein he is very doubtful, from our want of money, that we shall fail. And I do concur with him therein. After some little discourse of ordinary matters, I away to Sir Philip Warwick's again, and he was come in, and gone out to my Lord Treasurer's; whither I followed him, and there my business was, to be told that my Lord Treasurer hath got 10,000l. for us in the Navy, to answer our great necessities, which I did thank him for; but the sum is not considerable. The five brothers Houblons came, and Mr. Hill, to my house; and a very good supper we had, and good discourse with great pleasure. My new plate sets off my cupboard very nobly. Here they were till about eleven at night: and a fine sight it is to see these five brothers thus loving one to another, and all