Pepy's Diary. 03 Jul 1661. To Westminster to Mr. Edward Montagu about business of my Lord's, and so to the Wardrobe, and there dined with my Lady, who is in some mourning for her brother, Mr. Saml. Crew, who died yesterday of the spotted fever. So home through Duck Lane [Map] to inquire for some Spanish books, but found none that pleased me.

Pepy's Diary. 18 Dec 1665. So to London, and there visited my wife, and was a little displeased to find she is so forward all of a spurt to make much of her brother and sister since my last kindnesse to him in getting him a place, but all ended well presently, and I to the 'Change [Map] and up and down to Kingdon and the goldsmith's to meet Mr. Stephens, and did get all my money matters most excellently cleared to my complete satisfaction. Passing over Cornhill [Map] I spied young Mrs. Daniel and Sarah, my landlady's daughter, who are come, as I expected, to towne, and did say they spied me and I dogged them to St. Martin's, where I passed by them being shy, and walked down as low as Ducke Lane [Map] and enquired for some Spanish books, and so back again and they were gone.

Pepy's Diary. 22 Feb 1668. So home, calling in Ducke Lane [Map] for the book I bought this morning, and so home, and wrote my letters at the office, and then home to supper and to bed.

Pepy's Diary. 22 Feb 1668. Up, and by coach through Ducke Lane [Map], and there did buy Kircher's Musurgia, cost me 35s., a book I am mighty glad of, expecting to find great satisfaction in it.

Pepy's Diary. 18 Mar 1668. Thence away by coach to my bookseller's, and to several places to pay my debts, and to Ducke Lane [Map], and there bought Montaigne's Essays, in English, and so away home to dinner, and after dinner with W. Pen (age 46) to White Hall, where we and my Lord Brouncker (age 48) attended the Council, to discourse about the fitness of entering of men presently for the manning of the fleete, before one ship is in condition to receive them. W. Coventry (age 40) did argue against it: I was wholly silent, because I saw the King (age 37), upon the earnestness of the Prince, was willing to it, crying very sillily, "If ever you intend to man the fleete, without being cheated by the captains and pursers, you may go to bed, and resolve never to have it manned"; and so it was, like other things, over-ruled that all volunteers should be presently entered. Then there was another great business about our signing of certificates to the Exchequer for [prize] goods, upon the £1,20,000 Act, which the Commissioners of the Treasury did all oppose, and to the laying fault upon us. But I did then speak to the justifying what we had done, even to the angering of Duncomb and Clifford, which I was vexed at: but, for all that, I did set the Office and myself right, and went away with the victory, my Lord Keeper saying that he would not advise the Council to order us to sign no more certificates. But, before I began to say anything in this matter, the King (age 37) and the Duke of York (age 34) talking at the Council-table, before all the Lords, of the Committee of Miscarriages, how this entering of men before the ships could be ready would be reckoned a miscarriage; "Why", says the King (age 37), "it is then but Mr. Pepys making of another speech to them"; which made all the Lords, and there were by also the Atturny and Sollicitor-Generall, look upon me.

Pepy's Diary. 03 Apr 1668. Thence my Lord Brouncker (age 48) and I to the Duke of York's playhouse, and there saw the latter part of "The Master and the Man", and thence by coach to Duck Lane [Map], to look out for Marsanne, in French, a man that has wrote well of musique, but it is not to be had, but I have given order for its being sent for over, and I did here buy Des Cartes his little treatise of musique, and so home, and there to read a little, and eat a little, though I find that my having so little taste do make me so far neglect eating that, unless company invite, I do not love to spend time upon eating, and so bring emptiness and the Cholique.

Pepy's Diary. 10 Apr 1668. So to piper and Duck Lane [Map], and there kissed bookseller's wife, and bought Legend.

Pepy's Diary. 18 Apr 1668. So home by coach, 3s., calling in Duck Lane [Map], and did get Des Cartes' Musique in English,' and so home and wrote my letters, and then to my chamber to save my eyes, and to bed.

Pepy's Diary. 20 Apr 1668. Thence took coach and I all alone to Hyde Park (passing through Duck Lane [Map] among the booksellers, only to get a sight of the pretty little woman I did salute the other night, and did in passing), and so all the evening in the Park, being a little unwilling to be seen there, and at night home, and thereto W. Pen's (age 46) and sat and talked there with his wife and children a good while, he being busy in his closet, I believe preparing his defence in Parliament, and so home to bed.

Pepy's Diary. 24 Apr 1668. Thence to Ducke Lane [Map], and there did overlook a great many of Monsieur Fouquet's library, that a bookseller hath bought, and I did buy one Spanish [work], "Los Illustres Varones".¹ Here did I endeavour to see my pretty woman that I did baiser in las tenebras a little while depuis. And did find her sofa in the book[shop], but had not la confidence para alter a elle. So lost my pains. But will another time, and so home and to my office, and then to dinner.

Note 1. Nicholas Fouquet, "Surintendant des Finances" in France, had built at Vaux a house which surpassed in magnificence any palace belonging to Louis XIV., prior to the erection of Versailles, and caused much envy to all the Court, especially to Colbert. Fouquet died at Pignerol in 1680, after nineteen years' incarceration; and whilst Pepys was buying his books in London, Colbert had become prime minister in France, and Colbert's brother ambassador in England. The 'viper' had caught the 'squirrel'! B.

Pepy's Diary. 13 Jul 1668. Up, and to my office, and thence by water to White Hall to attend the Council, but did not, and so home to dinner, and so out with my wife, and Deb., and W. Hewer (age 26) towards Cooper's (age 59), but I 'light and walked to Ducke Lane [Map], and there to the bookseller's; at the Bible, whose moher je have a mind to, but elle no erat dentro, but I did there look upon and buy some books, and made way for coming again to the man, which pleases me.

Pepy's Diary. 20 Jul 1668. Thence idling all the afternoon to Duck Lane [Map], and there saw my bookseller's moher, but get no ground there yet; and here saw Mrs. Michell's daughter married newly to a bookseller, and she proves a comely little grave woman.

Pepy's Diary. 27 Jul 1668. Busy all the morning at my office. At noon dined, and then I out of doors to my bookseller in Duck Lane [Map], but su moher not at home, and it was pretty here to see a pretty woman pass by with a little wanton look, and je did sequi her round about the street from Duck Lane [Map] to Newgate Market, and then elle did turn back, and je did lose her. And so to see my Lord Crew (age 70), whom I find up; and did wait on him; but his face sore, but in hopes to do now very well again.

Pepy's Diary. 10 Aug 1668. Thence to Westminster Hall [Map], and so by coach to the Old Exchange [Map], and there did several businesses, and so home to dinner, and then abroad to Duck Lane [Map], where I saw my belle femme of the book vendor, but had no opportunity para hazer con her. So away to Cooper's (age 59), where I spent all the afternoon with my wife and girl, seeing him-make an end of her picture, which he did Jo my great content, though not so great as, I confess, I expected, being not satisfied in the greatness of the resemblance, nor in the blue garment: but it is most certainly a most rare piece of work, as to the painting. He hath £30 for his work-and the chrystal, and case, and gold case comes to £8 3s. 4d.; and which I sent him this night, that I might be out of debt.

Pepy's Diary. 21 Aug 1668. After dinner I by coach to my bookseller's in Duck Lane [Map], and there did spend a little time and regarder su moher, and so to St. James's, where did a little ordinary business; and by and by comes Monsieur Colbert (age 43), the French Embassador, to make his first visit to the Duke of York (age 34), and then to the Duchess (age 31): and I saw it: a silly piece of ceremony, he saying only a few formal words. A comely man, and in a black suit and cloak of silk, which is a strange fashion, now it hath been so long left off: This day I did first see the Duke of York's (age 34) room of pictures of some Maids of Honour, done by Lilly (age 49): good, but not like¹.

Note 1. The set of portraits known as "King Charles's Beauties", formerly in Windsor Castle, but now at Hampton Court [Map]. B.

Pepy's Diary. 01 Sep 1668. So to the Fair, and there saw several sights; among others, the mare that tells money¹, and many things to admiration; and, among others, come to me, when she was bid to go to him of the company that most loved a pretty wench in a corner. And this did cost me 12d. to the horse, which I had flung him before, and did give me occasion to baiser a mighty belle fille that was in the house that was exceeding plain, but fort belle. At night going home I went to my bookseller's in Duck Lane [Map], and find her weeping in the shop, so as ego could not have any discourse con her nor ask the reason, so departed and took coach home, and taking coach was set on by a wench that was naught, and would have gone along with me to her lodging in Shoe Lane, Fleet Street, but ego did donner her a shilling.. and left her, and home, where after supper, W. Batelier with us, we to bed. This day Mrs. Martin come to see us, and dined with us.

Note 1. This is not the first learned horse of which we read. Shakespeare, "Love's Labour's Lost, act i., SC. 2, mentions "the dancing horse",' and the commentators have added many particulars of Banks's bay horse.

Pepy's Diary. 23 Oct 1668. Thence I to White Hall, to my Lord Sandwich's (age 43), where I find my Lord within, but busy, private; and so I staid a little talking with the young gentlemen: and so away with Mr. Pierce, the surgeon, towards Tyburne [Map], to see the people executed; but come too late, it being done; two men and a woman hanged, and so back again and to my coachmaker's, and there did come a little nearer agreement for the coach, and so to Duck Lane [Map], and there my bookseller's, and saw his moher, but elle is so big-bellied that elle is not worth seeing.

Pepy's Diary. 02 Nov 1668. After dinner up, and looked up and down the house, and so to the cellar; and thence I slipt away, without taking leave, and so to a few places about business, and among others to my bookseller's in Duck Lane [Map], and so home, where the house still full of dirt by painters and others, and will not be clean a good while.

Pepy's Diary. 04 May 1669. Up, and to the office, and then my wife being gone to see her mother at Deptford, Kent [Map], I before the office sat went to the Excise Office, and thence being alone stepped into Duck Lane [Map], and thence tried to have sent a porter to Deb.'s, but durst not trust him, and therefore having bought a book to satisfy the bookseller for my stay there, a 12d. book, Andronicus of Tom Fuller, I took coach, and at the end of Jewen Street next Red Cross Street I sent the coachman to her lodging, and understand she is gone for Greenwich, Kent [Map] to one Marys's, a tanner's, at which I, was glad, hoping to have opportunity to find her out; and so, in great fear of being seen, I to the office, and there all the morning, dined at home, and presently after dinner comes home my wife, who I believe is jealous of my spending the day, and I had very good fortune in being at home, for if Deb. had been to have been found it is forty to one but I had been abroad, God forgive me. So the afternoon at the office, and at night walked with my wife in the garden, and my Lord Brouncker (age 49) with us, who is newly come to W. Pen's (age 48) lodgings; and by and by comes Mr. Hooke (age 33); and my Lord, and he, and I into my Lord's lodgings, and there discoursed of many fine things in philosophy, to my great content, and so home to supper and to bed.