and went to the office. At noon thinking to have found my wife in hers, I found that the tailor had failed her, at which I was vexed because of an invitation that we have to a dinner this day, but after having waited till past one o’clock I went, and left her to put on some other clothes and come after me to the Mitre tavern in Wood-street (a house of the greatest note in London), where I met W. Symons, and D. Scobell, and their wives, Mr. Samford, Luellin, Chetwind, one Mr. Vivion, and Mr. White,
[According to Noble, Jeremiah White married Lady Frances Cromwell’s
waiting-woman, in Oliver’s lifetime, and they lived together fifty
years. Lady Frances had two husbands, Mr. Robert Rich and Sir John
Russell of Chippenham, the last of whom she survived fifty-two years
dying 1721–22 The story is, that Oliver found White on his knees to
Frances Cromwell, and that, to save himself, he pretended to have
been soliciting her interest with her waiting-woman, whom Oliver
compelled him to marry. (Noble’s “Life of Cromwell,” vol. ii.
pp. 151, 152.) White was born in 1629 and died 1707.]
formerly chaplin to the Lady Protectresse—[Elizabeth, wife of Oliver Cromwell.]—(and still so, and one they say that is likely to get my Lady Francess for his wife). Here we were very merry and had a very good dinner, my wife coming after me hither to us.
Among other pleasures some of us fell to handycapp,
[“A game at cards not unlike Loo, but with this difference, the
winner of one trick has to put in a double stake, the winner of two
tricks a triple stake, and so on. Thus, if six persons are playing,
and the general stake is 1s., suppose A gains the three tricks, he
gains 6s., and has to ‘hand i’ the cap,’ or pool, 4s. for the next
deal. Suppose A gains two tricks and B one, then A gains 4s. and B
2s., and A has to stake 3s. and B 2s. for the next deal.”—Hindley’s
Tavern Anecdotes.—M. B.]
a sport that I never knew before, which was very good. We staid till it was very late; it rained sadly, but we made shift to get coaches. So home and to bed.
20th. At home, and at the office, and in the garden walking with both Sir Williams all the morning. After dinner to Whitehall to Mr. Dalton, and with him to my house and took away all my papers that were left in my closet, and so I have now nothing more in the house or to do with it. We called to speak with my Landlord Beale, but he was not within but spoke with the old woman, who takes it very ill that I did not let her have it, but I did give her an answer. From thence to Sir G. Downing and staid late there (he having sent for me to come to him), which was to tell me how my Lord Sandwich had disappointed him of a ship to bring over his child and goods, and made great complaint thereof; but I got him to write a letter to Lawson, which it may be may do the business for him, I writing another also about it. While he was writing, and his Lady and I had a great deal of discourse in praise of Holland. By water to the Bridge, and so to Major Hart’s lodgings in Cannon-street, who used me very kindly with wine and good discourse, particularly upon the ill method which Colonel Birch and the Committee use in defending of the army and the navy; promising the Parliament to save them a great deal of money, when we judge that it will cost the King more than if they had nothing to do with it, by reason of their delays and scrupulous enquirys into the account of both. So home and to bed.
21st (Office day). There all the morning and afternoon till 4 o’clock. Hence to Whitehall, thinking to have put up my books at my Lord’s, but am disappointed from want of a chest which I had at Mr. Bowyer’s. Back by water about 8 o’clock, and upon the water saw the corpse of the Duke of Gloucester brought down Somerset House stairs, to go by water to Westminster, to be buried to-night. I landed at the old Swan and went to the Hoop Tavern, and (by a former agreement) sent for Mr. Chaplin, who with Nicholas Osborne and one Daniel came to us and we drank off two or three quarts of wine, which was very good; the drawing of our wine causing a great quarrel in the house between the two drawers which should draw us the best, which caused a great deal of noise and falling out till the master parted them, and came up to us and did give us a large account of the liberty that he gives his servants, all alike, to draw what wine they will to please his customers; and we did eat above 200 walnuts. About to o’clock we broke up and so home, and in my way I called in with them at Mr. Chaplin’s, where Nicholas Osborne did give me a barrel of samphire,
[Samphire was formerly a favourite pickle; hence the “dangerous
trade” of the samphire gatherer (“King Lear,” act iv. sc. 6) who
supplied the demand. It was sold in the streets, and one of the old
London cries was “I ha’ Rock Samphier, Rock Samphier!”]
and showed me the keys of Mardyke Fort,
[A fort four miles east of Dunkirk, probably dismantled when that
town was sold to Louis XIV.]
which he that was commander of the fort sent him as a token when the fort was demolished, which I was mightily pleased to see, and will get them of him if I can. Home, where I found my boy (my maid’s brother) come out of the country to-day, but was gone to bed and so I could not see him to-night. To bed.
22nd. This morning I called up my boy, and found him a pretty, well-looked boy, and one that I think will please me. I went this morning by land to Westminster along with Luellin, who came to my house this morning to get me to go with him to Capt. Allen to speak with him for his brother to go with him to Constantinople, but could not find him. We walked on to Fleet street, where at Mr. Standing’s in Salsbury Court we drank our morning draft and had a pickled herring. Among other discourse here he told me how the pretty woman that I always loved at the beginning of Cheapside that sells child’s coats was served by the Lady Bennett (a famous strumpet), who by counterfeiting to fall into a swoon upon the sight of her in her shop, became acquainted with her, and at last got her ends of her to lie with a gentleman that had hired her to procure this poor soul for him. To Westminster to my Lord’s, and there in the house of office vomited up all my breakfast, my stomach being ill all this day by reason of the last night’s debauch. Here I sent to Mr. Bowyer’s for my chest and put up my books and sent them home. I staid here all day in my Lord’s chamber and upon the leads gazing upon Diana, who looked out of a window upon me. At last I went out to Mr. Harper’s, and she standing over the way at the gate, I went over to her and appointed to meet to-morrow in the afternoon at my Lord’s. Here I bought a hanging jack. From thence by coach home by the way at the New Exchange
[In the Strand; built, under the auspices of James I., in 1608, out
of the stables of Durham House, the site of the present Adelphi.
The New Exchange stood where Coutts’s banking-house now is. “It was
built somewhat on the model of the Royal Exchange, with cellars
beneath, a walk above, and rows of shops over that, filled chiefly
with milliners, sempstresses, and the like.” It was also called
“Britain’s Burse.” “He has a lodging in the Strand … to
watch when ladies are gone to the china houses, or to the Exchange,
that he may meet them by chance and give them presents, some two or
three hundred pounds worth of toys, to be laughed at”—Ben Jonson,
The Silent Woman, act i. sc. 1.]
I bought a pair of short black stockings, to wear over a pair of silk ones for mourning; and here I met with The. Turner and Joyce, buying of things to go into mourning too for the Duke, (which is now the mode of all the ladies in town), where I wrote some letters by the post to Hinchinbroke to let them know that this day Mr. Edw. Pickering is come from my Lord, and says that he left him well in Holland,