29th. I up early, it being my Lord Mayor’s day,
[When the calendar was reformed in England by the act 24 Geo. II.
c. 23, different provisions were made as regards those anniversaries
which affect directly the rights of property and those which do not.
Thus the old quarter days are still noted in our almanacs, and a
curious survival of this is brought home to payers of income tax.
The fiscal year still begins on old Lady-day, which now falls on
April 6th. All ecclesiastical fasts and feasts and other
commemorations which did not affect the rights of property were left
on their nominal days, such as the execution of Charles I. on
January 30th and the restoration of Charles II. on May 29th. The
change of Lord Mayor’s day from the 29th of October to the 9th of
November was not made by the act for reforming the calendar (c.
23), but by another act of the same session (c. 48), entitled “An
Act for the Abbreviation of Michaelmas Term,” by which it was
enacted, “that from and after the said feast of St. Michael, which
shall be in the year 1752, the said solemnity of presenting and
swearing the mayors of the city of London, after every annual
election into the said office, in the manner and form heretofore
used on the 29th day of October, shall be kept and observed on the
ninth day of November in every year, unless the same shall fall on
a Sunday, and in that case on the day following.”]
(Sir Richd. Browne), and neglecting my office I went to the Wardrobe, where I met my Lady Sandwich and all the children; and after drinking of some strange and incomparable good clarett of Mr. Rumball’s he and Mr. Townsend did take us, and set the young Lords at one Mr. Nevill’s, a draper in Paul’s churchyard; and my Lady and my Lady Pickering and I to one Mr. Isaacson’s, a linendraper at the Key in Cheapside; where there was a company of fine ladies, and we were very civilly treated, and had a very good place to see the pageants, which were many, and I believe good, for such kind of things, but in themselves but poor and absurd. After the ladies were placed I took Mr. Townsend and Isaacson to the next door, a tavern, and did spend 5s. upon them. The show being done, we got as far as Paul’s with much ado, where I left my Lady in the coach, and went on foot with my Lady Pickering to her lodging, which was a poor one in Blackfryars, where she never invited me to go in at all, which methought was very strange for her to do. So home, where I was told how my Lady Davis is now come to our next lodgings, and has locked up the leads door from me, which puts me into so great a disquiet that I went to bed, and could not sleep till morning at it.
30th. Within all the morning and dined at home, my mind being so troubled that I could not mind nor do anything till I spoke with the Comptroller to whom the lodgings belong. In the afternoon, to ease my mind, I went to the Cockpit all alone, and there saw a very fine play called “The Tamer Tamed;” very well acted. That being done, I went to Mr. Crew’s, where I had left my boy, and so with him and Mr. Moore (who would go a little way with me home, as he will always do) to the Hercules Pillars to drink, where we did read over the King’s declaration in matters of religion, which is come out to-day, which is very well penned, I think to the satisfaction of most people. So home, where I am told Mr. Davis’s people have broken open the bolt of my chamber door that goes upon the leads, which I went up to see and did find it so, which did still trouble me more and more. And so I sent for Griffith, and got him to search their house to see what the meaning of it might be, but can learn nothing to-night. But I am a little pleased that I have found this out. I hear nothing yet of my Lord, whether he be gone for the Queen from the Downs or no; but I believe he is, and that he is now upon coming back again.
31st Office day. Much troubled all this morning in my mind about the business of my walk on the leads. I spoke of it to the Comptroller and the rest of the principal officers, who are all unwilling to meddle in anything that may anger my Lady Davis. And so I am fain to give over for the time that she do continue therein. Dined at home, and after dinner to Westminster Hall, where I met with Billing the quaker at Mrs. Michell’s shop, who is still of the former opinion he was of against the clergymen of all sorts, and a cunning fellow I find him to be. Home, and there I had news that Sir W. Pen is resolved to ride to Sir W. Batten’s country house to-morrow, and would have me go with him, so I sat up late, getting together my things to ride in, and was fain to cut an old pair of boots to make leathers for those I was to wear. This month I conclude with my mind very heavy for the loss of the leads, as also for the greatness of my late expenses, insomuch that I do not think that I have above £150 clear money in the world, but I have, I believe, got a great deal of good household stuff: I hear to-day that the Queen is landed at Dover, and will be here on Friday next, November 2nd. My wife has been so ill of late of her old pain that I have not known her this fortnight almost, which is a pain to me.
NOVEMBER 1660
November 1st. This morning Sir W. Pen and I were mounted early, and had very merry discourse all the way, he being very good company. We came to Sir W. Batten’s, where he lives like a prince, and we were made very welcome. Among other things he showed us my Lady’s closet, where was great store of rarities; as also a chair, which he calls King Harry’s chair, where he that sits down is catched with two irons, that come round about him, which makes good sport. Here dined with us two or three more country gentle men; among the rest Mr. Christmas, my old school-fellow, with whom I had much talk. He did remember that I was a great Roundhead when I was a boy, and I was much afraid that he would have remembered the words that I said the day the King was beheaded (that, were I to preach upon him, my text should be “The memory of the wicked shall rot”); but I found afterwards that he did go away from school before that time.
[Pepys might well be anxious on this point, for in October of this
year Phieas Pett, assistant master shipwright at Chatham, was
dismissed from his post for having when a Child spoken
disrespectfully of the King. See ante, August 23rd.]
He did make us good sport in imitating Mr. Case, Ash, and Nye, the ministers, which he did very well, but a deadly drinker he is, and grown exceeding fat. From his house to an ale-house near the church, where we sat and drank and were merry, and so we mounted for London again, Sir W. Batten with us. We called at Bow and drank there, and took leave of Mr. Johnson of Blackwall, who dined with us and rode with us thus far. So home by moonlight, it being about 9 o’clock before we got home.
2nd. Office. Then dined at home, and by chance Mr. Holliard
[Thomas Holliard or Hollier was appointed in 1638 surgeon for scald
heads at St. Thomas’s Hospital, and on January 25th, 1643–4, he was
chosen surgeon in place of Edward Molins. In 1670 his son of the
same names was allowed to take his place during his illness. Ward,
in his Diary, p. 235, mentions that the porter at St. Thomas’s
Hospital told him, in 1661, of Mr. Holyard’s having cut thirty for
the stone in one year, who all lived.]
called