The Diary of Samuel Pepys [419]
town. Here I to see the church; which very good, and the leads, and a school in it: did give the sexton's boy 1s. A fair bridge here, with many arches: vexed at my people's making me lose so much time: reckoning, 13s. 4d. Mightily pleased with the pleasure of the ground all the day. At night to Newport Pagnell; and there a good pleasant country-town, but few people in it. A very fair and like a cathedral-church; and I saw the leads, and a vault that goes far under ground: the town, and so most of this country, well watered. Lay here well and rose next day by four o'clock: few people in the town: and so away. Reckoning for supper, 19s. 6d.; poor, 6d. Mischance to the coach, but no time lost.
9th. Tuesday. We came to Oxford, a very sweet place: paid our guide 1l. 2s. 6d.; barber, 2s. 6d.; book (Stonhenge,) 4s.; boy that showed me the colleges before dinner, 1s. To dinner; and then out with my wife and people, and landlord; and to him that showed us the schools and library, 10s.; to him that showed us All Souls' College and Chichly's picture, 5s. So to see Christ Church with my wife, I seeing several others very fine alone before dinner, and did give the boy that went with me, 1s. Strawberries, 1s. 2d. Dinner and servants, 1l. 0s. 6d. After coming home from the schools, I out with the landlord to Brazen- nose College to the butteries, and in the cellar find the hand of the child of Hales, long butler, 2s. [Does this mean "slipped 2s. into the child's hand?"] Thence with coach and people to Physic-garden, 1s. So to Friar Bacon's study: I up and saw it, and gave the man 1s.--Bottle of sack for landlord, 2s. Oxford mighty fine place; and well seated, and cheap entertainment. At night came to Abingdon, where had been a fair of custard; and met many people and scholars going home; and there did get some pretty good musick, and sang and danced till supper: 5s.
10th. Wednesday. Up, and walked to the hospitall: very large and fine, and pictures of founders and the History of the hospitall; and is said to be worth 700l. per annum, and that Mr. Foly was here lately to see how their lands were settled. And here, in old English, the story of the occasion of it, and a rebus at the bottom. So did give the poor, which they would not take but in their box, 2s. 8d. So to the inn, and paid the reckoning and what not, 13s. So forth towards Hungerford. Led this good way by our landlord, one Heart, an old but very civil and well-spoken man, more than I ever heard, of his quality. He gone, we forward; and I vexed at my people's not minding the way. So come to Hungerford, where very good trouts, eels, and cray- fish. Dinner: a mean town. At dinner there, 12s. Thence set out with a guide, who saw us to Newmarket-heath, and then left us, 3s. 6d. So all over the plain by the sight of the steeple (the plain high and low) to Salisbury by night; but before I came to the town, I saw a great fortification, and there light, and to it and in it; and find it prodigious, so as to fright me to be in it all alone at that time of night, it being dark. I understand since it to be that that is called Old Sarum. Come to the George Inne, where lay in a silk bed; and very good diet. To supper; then to bed.
11th. Thursday. Up, and W. Hewer and I up and down the town, and find it a very brave place. The river goes through every street; and a most capacious market-place. The city great, I think greater than Hereford. But the minster most admirable; as big, I think, and handsomer than Westminster: and a most large close about it, and horses for the officers thereof, and a fine palace for the Bishop. So to my lodging back, and took out my wife and people to show them the town and church; but they being at prayers, we could not be shown the quire. A very good organ; and I looked in and saw the Bishop, my friend Dr. Ward. Thence to the inns; and there not being able to hire coach-horses, and not willing to use our own, we got saddle-horses, very dear. Boy that went to look for them 6d. So the three women behind
9th. Tuesday. We came to Oxford, a very sweet place: paid our guide 1l. 2s. 6d.; barber, 2s. 6d.; book (Stonhenge,) 4s.; boy that showed me the colleges before dinner, 1s. To dinner; and then out with my wife and people, and landlord; and to him that showed us the schools and library, 10s.; to him that showed us All Souls' College and Chichly's picture, 5s. So to see Christ Church with my wife, I seeing several others very fine alone before dinner, and did give the boy that went with me, 1s. Strawberries, 1s. 2d. Dinner and servants, 1l. 0s. 6d. After coming home from the schools, I out with the landlord to Brazen- nose College to the butteries, and in the cellar find the hand of the child of Hales, long butler, 2s. [Does this mean "slipped 2s. into the child's hand?"] Thence with coach and people to Physic-garden, 1s. So to Friar Bacon's study: I up and saw it, and gave the man 1s.--Bottle of sack for landlord, 2s. Oxford mighty fine place; and well seated, and cheap entertainment. At night came to Abingdon, where had been a fair of custard; and met many people and scholars going home; and there did get some pretty good musick, and sang and danced till supper: 5s.
10th. Wednesday. Up, and walked to the hospitall: very large and fine, and pictures of founders and the History of the hospitall; and is said to be worth 700l. per annum, and that Mr. Foly was here lately to see how their lands were settled. And here, in old English, the story of the occasion of it, and a rebus at the bottom. So did give the poor, which they would not take but in their box, 2s. 8d. So to the inn, and paid the reckoning and what not, 13s. So forth towards Hungerford. Led this good way by our landlord, one Heart, an old but very civil and well-spoken man, more than I ever heard, of his quality. He gone, we forward; and I vexed at my people's not minding the way. So come to Hungerford, where very good trouts, eels, and cray- fish. Dinner: a mean town. At dinner there, 12s. Thence set out with a guide, who saw us to Newmarket-heath, and then left us, 3s. 6d. So all over the plain by the sight of the steeple (the plain high and low) to Salisbury by night; but before I came to the town, I saw a great fortification, and there light, and to it and in it; and find it prodigious, so as to fright me to be in it all alone at that time of night, it being dark. I understand since it to be that that is called Old Sarum. Come to the George Inne, where lay in a silk bed; and very good diet. To supper; then to bed.
11th. Thursday. Up, and W. Hewer and I up and down the town, and find it a very brave place. The river goes through every street; and a most capacious market-place. The city great, I think greater than Hereford. But the minster most admirable; as big, I think, and handsomer than Westminster: and a most large close about it, and horses for the officers thereof, and a fine palace for the Bishop. So to my lodging back, and took out my wife and people to show them the town and church; but they being at prayers, we could not be shown the quire. A very good organ; and I looked in and saw the Bishop, my friend Dr. Ward. Thence to the inns; and there not being able to hire coach-horses, and not willing to use our own, we got saddle-horses, very dear. Boy that went to look for them 6d. So the three women behind