Produced by David Widger
(Unabridged)
DIARY OF SAMUEL PEPYS. JUNE 1667
June 1st. Up; and there comes to me Mr. Commander, whom I employ abouthiring of some ground behind the office, for the building of me a stableand coach-house: for I do find it necessary for me, both in respect tohonour and the profit of it also, my expense in hackney-coaches being nowso great, to keep a coach, and therefore will do it. Having given himsome instructions about it, I to the office, where we sat all the morning;where we have news that our peace with Spayne, as to trade, is whollyconcluded, and we are to furnish him with some men for Flanders againstthe French. How that will agree with the French, I know not; but they saythat he also hath liberty, to get what men he pleases out of England. Butfor the Spaniard, I hear that my Lord Castlehaven is raising a regiment of4000 men, which he is to command there; and several young gentlemen aregoing over in commands with him: and they say the Duke of Monmouth isgoing over only as a traveller, not to engage on either side, but only tosee the campagne, which will be becoming him much more than to livewhoreing and rogueing, as he now do. After dinner to the office, where,after a little nap, I fell to business, and did very much with infinitejoy to myself, as it always is to me when I have dispatched much business,and therefore it troubles me to see how hard it is for me to settle to itsometimes when my mind is upon pleasure. So home late to supper and tobed.
2nd (Lord's day). Up betimes, and down to my chamber without trimmingmyself, or putting on clean linen, thinking only to keep to my chamber anddo business to-day, but when I come there I find that without being shavedI am not fully awake, nor ready to settle to business, and so was fain togo up again and dress myself, which I did, and so down to my chamber, andfell roundly to business, and did to my satisfaction by dinner go far inthe drawing up a state of my accounts of Tangier for the new LordsCommissioners. So to dinner, and then to my business again all theafternoon close, when Creed come to visit me, but I did put him off, andto my business, till anon I did make an end, and wrote it fair with aletter to the Lords to accompany my accounts, which I think will be somuch satisfaction and so soon done (their order for my doing it beingdated but May 30) as they will not find from any hand else. Being wearyand almost blind with writing and reading so much to-day, I took boat atthe Old Swan, and there up the river all alone as high as Putney almost,and then back again, all the way reading, and finishing Mr. Boyle's bookof Colours, which is so chymical, that I can understand but little of it,but understand enough to see that he is a most excellent man. So back andhome, and there to supper, and so to bed.
3rd. Up, and by coach to St. James's, and with Sir W. Coventry a greatwhile talking about several businesses, but especially about accounts, andhow back