Produced by David Widger
(Unabridged)
DIARY OF SAMUEL PEPYS.
SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER
1661
September 1st (Lord's day). Last night being very rainy [the rain] brokeinto my house, the gutter being stopped, and spoiled all my ceilingsalmost. At church in the morning, and dined at home with my wife. Afterdinner to Sir W. Batten's, where I found Sir W. Pen and Captain Holmes.Here we were very merry with Sir W. Pen about the loss of his tankard,though all be but a cheat, and he do not yet understand it; but thetankard was stole by Sir W. Batten, and the letter, as from the thief,wrote by me, which makes: very good sport. Here I staid all theafternoon, and then Captain Holmes and I by coach to White Hall; in ourway, I found him by discourse, to be a great friend of my Lord's, and hetold me there was many did seek to remove him; but they were old seamen,such as Sir J. Minnes (but he would name no more, though I do believe SirW. Batten is one of them that do envy him), but he says he knows that theKing do so love him, and the Duke of York too, that there is no fear ofhim. He seems to be very well acquainted with the King's mind, and withall the several factions at Court, and spoke all with so much frankness,that I do take him to be my Lord's good friend, and one able to do himgreat service, being a cunning fellow, and one (by his own confession tome) that can put on two several faces, and look his enemies in the facewith as much love as his friends. But, good God! what an age is this, andwhat a world is this! that a man cannot live without playing the knave anddissimulation. At Whitehall we parted, and I to Mrs. Pierce's, meetingher and Madam Clifford in the street, and there staid talking and laughingwith them a good while, and so back to my mother's, and there supped, andso home and to bed.
2nd. In the morning to my cozen Thos. Pepys, executor, and there talkedwith him about my uncle Thomas, his being in the country, but he could notadvise me to anything therein, not knowing what the other has done in thecountry, and so we parted. And so to Whitehall, and there my Lord PrivySeal, who has been out of town this week, not being yet come, we can haveno seal, and therefore meeting with Mr. Battersby the apothecary inFenchurch Street to the King's Apothecary's chamber in Whitehall, andthere drank a bottle or two of wine, and so he and I by water towardsLondon. I landed at Blackfriars and so to the Wardrobe and dined, andthen back to Whitehall with Captain Ferrers, and there walked, and thenceto Westminster Hall, where we met with Mr. Pickering, and so all of us tothe Rhenish wine house (Prior's), where the master of the house is layingout some money in making a cellar with an arch in his yard, which is veryconvenient for him. Here we staid a good while, and so Mr. Pickering andI to Westminster Hall again, and there walked an hour or two talking, andthough he be a fool, yet he keeps much company, and will tell all he seesor hears, and so a man may understand what the common talk of the town