第 119 节
作者:
敏儿不觉 更新:2022-11-28 19:16 字数:9322
nce the war; for the Committee of Parliament。
2nd。 Sir G。 Carteret tells me how our lists are referred to a Sub…committee to consider and examine; and that I am ordered to be there。 By and by the Committee met; and appointed me to attend them to…morrow at the office to examine our lists。
3rd。 The Committee met; and I did make shift to answer them better than I expected。 Sir W。 Batten; Lord Brouncker; W。 Pen; come in; but presently went out; and J。 Minnes come in; and said two or three words from the purpose but to do hurt; so away he went also; and left me all the morning with them alone to stand or fall。 And it ended with good peace; and much seeming satisfaction; but I find them wise and reserved; and instructed to hit all our blots。
4th。 To Sir G。 Carteret; and there discoursed much of the want of money; and our being designed for destruction。 How the King hath lost his power; by submitting himself to this way of examining his accounts; and is become but as a private man。 He says the King is troubled at it。 But they talk an entry 'In the Journals of the House of Commons。' shall be made; that it is not to be brought; into example; that the King must; if they do not agree presently; make them a courageous speech; which he says he may do (the City of London being now burned; and himself master of an army) better than any prince before him。
5th。 The Sub…committee have made their report to the Grand Committee; and in pretty kind terms。 Captain Cocke told me of a wild motion made in the House of Lords by the Duke of Buckingham; for all men that have cheated the King to be declared traitors and felons; and that my Lord Sandwich was named。 Mr。 Kirton's kinsman; my bookseller; come in my may; and so I am told by him that Mr。 Kirton is utterly undone; and made 2 or 3000l。 worse than nothing; from being worth 7 or 8000l。 That the goods laid in the Churchyard fired through the windows those in St。 Fayth's church; and those coming to the warehouses' doors fired them; and burned all the books and the pillars of the church; so as the roof falling down; broke quite down; which it did not do in the other places of the church; which is alike pillared; (which I knew not before;) but being not burned; they stood still。 He do believe there is above 150;000l。 of books burned; all the great book…sellers almost undone: not only these; but their warehouses at their Hall and under Christ…church; and elsewhere; being all burned。 A great want thereof there will be of books; specially Latin books and foreign books; and; among others; the Polyglottes and new Bible; which he believes will be presently worth 40l。 a… piece。
6th。 Sir W。 Coventry and I discoursed of; among others; our sad condition by want of a Controller; and it was his words; that he believes; besides all the shame and trouble he 'Sir John Minnes; who performed the duties inefficiently。' hath brought on the office; the King had better have given 100;000l。 than ever have had him there。 He did discourse about some of these discontented Parliament…men; and says that Birch is a false rogue; but that Garraway is a man that hath not been well used by the Court; though very stout to death; and hath suffered all that is possible for the King from the beginning。 But discontented as he is; yet he never knew a Session of Parliament but that he hath done some good deed for the King before it rose。 I told him the passage Cocke told me ofhis having begged a brace of bucks of the Lord Arlington for him; and when it come to him; he sent it back again。 Sir W。 Coventry told me; it is much to be pitied that the King should lose the service of a man so able and faithful; and that he ought to be brought over; but that it is always observed; that by bringing over one discontented man; you raise up three in his room; which is a state lesson I never knew before。 But when others discover your fear; and that discontent procures fear; they will be discontented too; and impose on you。
7th。 To White Hall; where met by Sir W。 Batten and Lord Brouncker; to attend the King and Duke of York at the Cabinet; but nobody had determined what to speak of; but only in general to ask for money。 So I was forced immediately to prepare in my mind a method of discoursing。 And anon we were called in to the Green Room; where the King; Duke of York; Prince Rupert; Lord Chancellor; Lord Treasurer; Duke of Albemarle; Sirs G。 Carteret; W。 Coventry; Morrice。 Nobody beginning; I did; and made a current; and I thought a good speech; laying open the ill state of the Navy: by the greatness of the debt; greatness of the work to do against next year; the time and materials it would take; and our incapacity; through a total want of money。 I had no sooner done; but Prince Rupert rose up and told the King in a heat; that whatever the gentleman had said; he had brought home his fleet in as good a condition as ever any fleet was brought home; that twenty boats would be as many as the fleet would want: and all the anchors and cables left in the storm; might be taken up again。 This arose from my saying; among other things we had to do; that the fleet was come in;the greatest fleet that ever his Majesty had yet together; and that in as bad condition as the enemy or weather could put it。 And to use Sir W。 Pen's words; who is upon the place taking a survey; he dreads the reports he is to receive from the Surveyors of its defects。 I therefore did only answer; that I was sorry for his Highness's offence; but that what I said was but the report we received from those entrusted in the fleet to inform us。 He muttered and repeated what he had said; and so; after a long silence on all hands; nobody; not so much as the Duke of Albemarle; seconding the Prince; nor taking notice of what he said; we withdrew。 I was not a little troubled at this passage; and the more when speaking with Jacke Fenn about it; he told me that the Prince will be asking who this Pepys is; and find him to be a creature of my Lord Sandwich's; and therefore this was done only to disparage him。 After all this pains; the King hath found out how to supply us with 5 or 6000l。; when 100;000l。 were at this time but absolutely necessary; and we mentioned 50;000l。 I made my brother in his cassocke to say grace this day; but I like his voice so ill; that I begin to be sorry he hath taken orders。
8th。 Towards noon by water to Westminster Hall; and there by several hear that the Parliament do resolve to do something to retrench Sir G。 Carteret's great salary; but cannot hear of any thing bad they can lay to his charge。 The House did this day order to be engrossed the Bill against importing Irish cattle: a thing; it seems carried on by the Western Parliament…men; wholly against the sense of most of the rest of the House; who think if you do this; you give the Irish again cause to rebel。 Mr。 Pierce says; the Duke of York and Duke of Albemarle do not agree。 The Duke of York is wholly given up to this Lady Denham。 The Duke of Albemarle and Prince Rupert do less agree。 The King hath yesterday in Council declared his resolution of setting a fashion for clothes; which he will never alter。 It will be a vest; I know not well how; but it is to teach the nobility thrift; and will do good。 By and by comes down from the Committee Sir W。 Coventry; and I find him troubled at several things happened this afternoon。 Which vexes me also; our business looking worse and worse; and our work growing on our hands。 Time spending; and no money to set any thing in hand with; the end thereof must be speedy ruin。 The Dutch insult and have taken off Bruant's head; which they had not dared to do (though found guilty of the fault he did die for; of something of the Prince of Orange's faction) till just now; which speaks more confidence in our being worse than before。 Alderman Maynell; I hear; is dead。 Thence returned in the dark by coach all alone; full of thoughts of the consequences of this ill complexion of affairs; and how to save the little I have; which if I can do; I have cause to bless God that I am so well; and shall be well contented to retreat to Brampton; and spend the rest of my days there。 So to my office; and finished my Journal with resolutions; if God bless me; to apply myself soberly to settle all matters for myself and expect the event of all with comfort。
9th。 To the office; where we sat the first day since the fire。
10th。 Fast…day for the fire。 With Sir W。 Batten by water to White Hall; and anon had a meeting before the Duke of York; where pretty to see how Sir W。 Batten; that carried the surveys of all the fleet with him to show their ill condition to the Duke of York; when he found the Prince there; did not speak one word; though the meeting was of his asking; for nothing else。 And when I asked him; he told me he knew the Prince too well to anger him; so that he was afraid to do it。 Thence with him to Westminster; to the parish church; where the Parliament…men; and Stillingfleete in the pulpit。 So full; no standing there; so he and I to eat herrings at the Dog Tavern。 And then to church again; and there was Mr。 Frampton in the pulpit; whom they cry up so much; a young man; and of a mighty ready tongue。 I heard a little of his sermon。 Cap