Produced by David Widger
(Unabridged)
DIARY OF SAMUEL PEPYS.
JULY & AUGUST
1663
July 1st. This morning it rained so hard (though it was fair yesterday,and we thereupon in hopes of having some fair weather, which we havewanted these three months) that it wakened Creed, who lay with me lastnight, and me, and so we up and fell to discourse of the business of hisaccounts now under dispute, in which I have taken much trouble upon myselfand raised a distance between Sir G. Carteret and myself, which troublesme, but I hope we have this morning light on an expedient that will rightall, that will answer their queries, and yet save Creed the L500 which hedid propose to make of the exchange abroad of the pieces of eight which hedisbursed. Being ready, he and I by water to White Hall, where I left himbefore we came into the Court, for fear I should be seen by Sir G.Carteret with him, which of late I have been forced to avoid to removesuspicion. I to St. James's, and there discoursed a while with Mr.Coventry, between whom and myself there is very good understanding andfriendship, and so to Westminster Hall, and being in the Parliament lobby,I there saw my Lord of Bristoll come to the Commons House to give hisanswer to their question, about some words he should tell the King thatwere spoke by Sir Richard Temple, a member of their House. A chair wasset at the bar of the House for him, which he used but little, but made anharangue of half an hour bareheaded, the House covered. His speech beingdone, he came out and withdrew into a little room till the House hadconcluded of an answer to his speech; which they staying long upon, I wentaway. And by and by out comes Sir W. Batten; and he told me that hisLordship had made a long and a comedian-like speech, and delivered withsuch action as was not becoming his Lordship. He confesses he did tellthe King such a thing of Sir Richard Temple, but that upon his honour theywere not spoke by Sir Richard, he having taken a liberty of enlarging tothe King upon the discourse which had been between Sir Richard and himselflately; and so took upon himself the whole blame, and desired theirpardon, it being not to do any wrong to their fellow-member, but out ofzeal to the King. He told them, among many other things, that as to hisreligion he was a Roman Catholique, but such a one as thought no man tohave right to the Crown of England but the Prince that hath it; and such aone as, if the King should desire his counsel as to his own, he would notadvise him to another religion than the old true reformed religion of thiscountry, it being the properest of this kingdom as it now stands; andconcluded with a submission to what the House shall do with him, saying,that whatever they shall do, says he, "thanks be to God, this head, thisheart, and this sword (pointing to them all), will find me a being in anyplace in Europe." The House hath hereupon voted clearly Sir RichardTemple to be free from the imputation of saying those words; but when SirWilliam Batten came out, had not concluded wha