Samuel Pepys @samuelpepys@mastodon.social

I hired an ill-favoured horse, and away to Greenwich to my lodgings, where I hear how rude the souldiers have been in my absence, swearing what they would do with me, which troubled me.

I left my Lord, and so away to my Bezan againe, and there to read in a pretty French book, “La Nouvelle Allegorique,” upon the strife between rhetorique and its enemies, very pleasant.

The Duchesse herself is fallen in love with her new Master of the Horse, one Harry Sidney, and another, Harry Savill. So that God knows what will be the end of it.

As an infinite secret, my Lord tells me, the factions are high between the King and the Duke, and all the Court are in an uproare with their loose amours; the Duke of Yorke being in love desperately with Mrs. Stewart.

On board the Royall James spent an hour, my Lord playing upon the gittarr, which he now commends above all musique in the world, because it is base enough for a single voice, and is so portable and manageable without much trouble.

My Lord and I on board Sir W. Pen; and there held a council of Warr about many wants of the fleet, but chiefly how to get slopps and victuals for the fleet.

Sailed all night, and got down to Quinbrough water, where all the great ships are now come, and there on board my Lord, and was soon received with great content.

Having seen this, which was as noble a sight as ever I saw in my life, I away on board the other ship in despair to get the pleasure-boat of the gentlemen there to carry me to the fleet.

Pepper scattered through every chink, you trod upon it; and in cloves and nutmegs, I walked above the knees; whole rooms full. And silk in bales, and boxes of copper-plate, one of which I saw opened.

I on board my Lord Bruncker; and there he and Sir Edmund Pooly carried me down into the hold of the India shipp, and there did show me the greatest wealth lie in confusion that a man can see in the world.

I borrowed a horse of Mr. Boreman’s son, and after having sat an hour laughing with my Lady Batten and Mrs. Turner, and eat and drank with them, I took horse and rode to Eriffe.

Mrs. Penington and I very civilly sat an hour by the fireside observing the folly of this Robinson, that makes it his work to praise himself, and all he say and do, like a heavy-headed coxcomb.

The best jest was, that when the women saw themselves not regarded, they would go away; and my Lady Batten walking through the dirty lane with new spick and span white shoes, she dropped one of her galoshes in the dirt, where it stuck, and she forced to go home without one.

After dinner who comes in but my Lady Batten, and a troop of a dozen women almost, and expected to be made mighty much of, but nobody minded them.

Lord! to see how Sir W. Batten governs all and tramples upon Hurlestone, but I am confident the Company will grow the worse for that man’s death, for now Batten, and in him a lazy, corrupt, doating rogue, will have all the sway there.

To the King’s Head taverne, where all the Trinity House dined to-day, to choose a new Master in the room of Hurlestone, that is dead, and Captain Crispe is chosen.

I stopped my going, as I intended, to the buoy of the Nore, and great reason I had to rejoice at it, for it proved the night of as great a storme as was almost ever remembered.

Calling at Mr. Rawlinson’s to know how all did there, I hear that my pretty grocer’s wife, Mrs. Beversham, over the way there, her husband is lately dead of the plague at Bow, which I am sorry for.

Which methought was very strange, and I looked upon myself as a man mightily deceived in a lady, for I could not have thought Mrs. Penington could have suffered it, by her former discourse with me; so modest she seemed and I know not what.

We drank and laughed, and Mrs. Penington willingly suffered me to put my hand in her bosom very wantonly, and keep it there long.