Pepy's Diary. 03 Apr 1664. Lord's Day. Being weary last night lay long, and called up by W. Joyce. So I rose, and his business was to ask advice of me, he being summonsed to the House of Lords to-morrow, for endeavouring to arrest my Lady Peters¹ for a debt. I did give him advice, and will assist him. He staid all the morning, but would not dine with me.

Note 1. Elizabeth, daughter of [her father] John Savage, second Earl Rivers, and first wife to [her future husband] William, fourth Lord Petre (age 38), who was, in 1678, impeached by the Commons of high treason, and died under confinement in the Tower, January 5th, 1683, s. p. B.

Pepy's Diary. 04 Apr 1664. Afterwards I spoke with my Lord Barkeley (age 62) and my Lord Peterborough (age 42) about it. And so staid without a good while, and saw my Lady Peters, an impudent jade, soliciting all the Lords on her behalf.

Pepy's Diary. 04 Apr 1664. I left them providing for his stay there to-night and getting a petition against tomorrow, and so away to Westminster Hall [Map], and meeting Mr. Coventry (age 36), he took me to his chamber, with Sir William Hickeman, a member of their House, and a very civill gentleman. Here we dined very plentifully, and thence to White Hall to the Duke's (age 30), where we all met, and after some discourse of the condition of the Fleete, in order to a Dutch warr, for that, I perceive, the Duke (age 30) hath a mind it should come to, we away to the office, where we sat, and I took care to rise betimes, and so by water to Halfway House, talking all the way good discourse with Mr. Wayth, and there found my wife, who was gone with her mayd Besse to have a walk. But, Lord! how my jealous mind did make me suspect that she might have some appointment to meet somebody. But I found the poor souls coming away thence, so I took them back, and eat and drank, and then home, and after at the office a while, I home to supper and to bed. It was a sad sight, me thought, to-day to see my [her future husband] Lord Peters (age 38) coming out of the House fall out with his lady (from whom he is parted) about this business; saying that she disgraced him. But she hath been a handsome woman, and is, it seems, not only a lewd woman, but very high-spirited.

Pepy's Diary. 17 Apr 1664. I afterwards did without the House fall in company with my Lady Peters, and endeavoured to mollify her; but she told me she would not, to redeem her from hell, do any thing to release him; but would be revenged while she lived, if she lived the age of Methusalem. I made many friends, and so did others. At last it was ordered by the Lords that it should be referred to the Committee of Privileges to consider.

Pepy's Diary. 21 Apr 1664. Then comes Mr. Creed, and, after some discourse, he and I and my wife by coach to Westminster (leaving her at Unthanke's, her tailor's) Hall, and there at the Lords' House heard that it is ordered, that, upon submission upon the knee both to the House and my Lady Peters, W. Joyce shall be released. I forthwith made him submit, and aske pardon upon his knees; which he did before several Lords. But my Lady would not hear it; but swore she would post the Lords, that the world might know what pitifull Lords the King hath; and that revenge was sweeter to her than milk; and that she would never be satisfied unless he stood in a pillory, and demand pardon there.

Pepy's Diary. 26 Apr 1664. Thence to my Lord's, and by and by he comes down, and with him (Creed with us) I rode in his coach to St. James's, talking about W. Joyce's business mighty merry, and my Lady Peters, he says, is a drunken jade, he himself having seen her drunk in the lobby of their House. I went up with him to the Duke (age 30), where methought the Duke (age 30) did not shew him any so great fondness as he was wont; and methought my Lord was not pleased that I should see the Duke (age 30) made no more of him, not that I know any thing of any unkindnesse, but I think verily he is not as he was with him in his esteem.

Pepy's Diary. 15 Feb 1666. At noon to Starky's, a great cooke in Austin Friars, invited by Colonell Atkins, and a good dinner for Colonell Norwood (age 52) and his friends, among others Sir Edward Spragg (age 46) and others, but ill attendance. Before dined, called on by my wife in a coach, and so I took leave, and then with her and Knipp and Mercer (Mr. Hunt newly come out of the country being there also come to see us) to Mr. Hales (age 66), the Paynter's (age 57), having set down Mr. Hunt by the way. Here Mr. Hales' (age 66) begun my wife in the posture we saw one of my Lady Peters, like a St. Katharine¹. While he painted, Knipp, and Mercer, and I, sang; and by and by comes Mrs. Pierce, with my name in her bosom for her Valentine, which will cost me money. But strange how like his very first dead colouring is, that it did me good to see it, and pleases me mightily, and I believe will be a noble picture.

Note 1. It was the fashion at this time to be painted as St. Catherine, in compliment to the Queen (age 27).

Pepy's Diary. 23 Feb 1666. Up betimes, and out of doors by 6 of the clock, and walked (W. Howe with me) to my Lord Sandwich's (age 40), who did lie the last night at his house in Lincoln's Inne Fields. It being fine walking in the morning, and the streets full of people again. There I staid, and the house full of people come to take leave of my Lord, who this day goes out of towne upon his embassy towards Spayne. And I was glad to find Sir W. Coventry (age 38) to come, though I know it is only a piece of courtshipp. I had much discourse with my Lord, he telling me how fully he leaves the King (age 35) his friend and the large discourse he had with him the other day, and how he desired to have the business of the prizes examined before he went, and that he yielded to it, and it is done as far as it concerns himself to the full, and the Lords Commissioners for prizes did reprehend all the informers in what related to his Lordship, which I am glad of in many respects. But we could not make an end of discourse, so I promised to waite upon (him) on Sunday at Cranborne, and took leave and away hence to Mr. Hales's (age 66) with Mr. Hill (age 36) and two of the Houblons, who come thither to speak with me, and saw my wife's picture, which pleases me well, but Mr. Hill's (age 36) picture never a whit so well as it did before it was finished, which troubled me, and I begin to doubt the picture of my Lady Peters my wife takes her posture from, and which is an excellent picture, is not of his making, it is so master-like. I set them down at the 'Change [Map] and I home to the office, and at noon dined at home and to the office again.

Pepy's Diary. 27 Feb 1666. Up, and after a harsh word or two my wife and I good friends, and so up and to the office, where all the morning. At noon late to dinner, my wife gone out to Hales's (age 66) about her picture, and, after dinner, I after her, and do mightily like her picture, and think it will be as good as my Lady Peters's.