The Diary by Samuel Pepys (children's ebooks online TXT) 📕

editions the passage in the text has been supposed to refer to John Hales of Eton, but the “ever-memorable” Hales died some years before (on May 19th, 1656). ↩

Steventon was uncle of William Hewer. ↩

The Steelyard, Steleyard, or Stilliard, the hall of the Hanse merchants, stood in Upper Thames Street, where the Cannon Street station now stands. The superficial area of the place amounted to four acres. The principal entrance in Thames Street was formed by stone gateways. The ground floors of the buildings between these gates were devoted to the Rhenish wine tavern frequently alluded to by Pepys. ↩

The landing stage or stairs at Whitehall. These places were frequently called bridges. ↩

The engagement was broken off on account of the insufficiency of the lady’s portion (see post, October 22nd). ↩

Thomas Povy, who had held, under Cromwell, a high situation in the Office of Plantations, was appointed in July, 1660, Treasurer and Receiver-General of the Rents and Revenues of James, Duke of York; but his royal master’s affairs falling into confusion, he surrendered his patent on the 27th July, 1668, for a consideration of £2,000. He was also First Treasurer for Tangier, which office he resigned to Pepys. Povy, had apartments at Whitehall, besides his lodgings in Lincoln’s Inn, and a villa near Hounslow, called the Priory, which he had inherited from Justinian Povy, who purchased it in 1625. He was one of the sons of Justinian Povy, Auditor-General to Queen Anne of Denmark in 1614, whose father was John Povy, citizen and embroiderer of London. Justinian obtained a grant of arms: sable, a bend engrailed between six cinquefoils, or with an annulet for difference. Thomas Povy had two brothers⁠—Richard, who was Commissioner-General of Provisions at Jamaica; and William, Provost-Marshal at Barbados. Evelyn describes Thomas Povy, then one of the Masters of Requests (Diary, February 29th, 1675⁠–⁠6), as “a nice contriver of all elegancies, and exceedingly formal.” By Pepys’s report, he was “a wretched accountant.” His letter-books are in the British Museum. —⁠B. ↩

Alexander Burnett, M.D., who lived in Fenchurch Street. He died of the plague, August 25th, 1665. ↩

St. Matthew’s Church was situated on the west side of Friday Street, near Cheapside. It was destroyed in the Great Fire, and rebuilt under Sir Christopher Wren. This building was pulled down in 1881. ↩

A nickname given by the Dissenters to the Prayerbook. In Mrs. Behn’s City Heiress (1682), Sir Anthony says to Sir Timothy, “You come from Church, too.” Sir Timothy replies, “Ay, needs must when the Devil drives⁠—I go to save my bacon, as they say, once a month, and that too after the Porridge is served up.” Scott quotes, in his notes to Woodstock, a pamphlet entitled, Vindication of the Book of Common Prayer, Against the Contumelious Slanders of the Fanatic Party Terming It Porridge. ↩

Will Griffin, the doorkeeper. ↩

Durdans, a famous house near Epsom, then occupied by Lord Berkeley. ↩

The Breda (previously the Nantwich) was a fourth-rate of forty guns, built at Bristol in 1654. ↩

The Weymouth was a sixth-rate of nineteen guns. There were two vessels named the Success⁠—the Old Success, a fifth-rate of thirty-four guns, and the Success (previously the Bradford), a fifth-rate of twenty-four guns (see List of the Royal Navy in 1660, Archæologia, vol. xlviii, p. 167). ↩

Cromwell had considered the 3rd of September as the most fortunate day of his life, on account of his victories at Dunbar and Worcester. It was also remarkable for the great storm that occurred at the time of his death; and as being the day on which the Fire of London, in 1666, burnt with the greatest fury. —⁠B. ↩

Gilbert Sheldon, born July 19th, 1598; Fellow of All Souls, Oxford, 1622; Warden, 1635; Bishop of London, 1660⁠–⁠63; Archbishop of Canterbury, 1663. Died November 9th, 1677. ↩

John Bruce, M.P., F.R.S., drew up a very important report for the use of the Privy Council, which was privately printed in 1799. It is entitled, “Report on the Arrangements made for the Internal Defence of this Kingdom when Spain by its Armada projected the invasion of England.” ↩

William, Lord Viscount Brouncker, see ante, August 13th, 1662. ↩

For previous references to the Dutch and English yachts, see note 648 and note 784. ↩

The Commissioners of Customs, appointed September 20th, 1660, were: Sir Job Harby. Sir John Wolstenholme; created a baronet, 1664; an intimate friend of Lord Clarendon’s; and Collector outward for the Port of London; died 1679. Sir John Jacob, of Bromley, Middlesex; created a baronet, 1664, for his loyalty and zeal for the royal family; his third wife was a daughter of Sir John Ashburnham; died 1665⁠–⁠66. Sir Nicholas Crisp (see note 214). Sir John Harrison, of Balls, Herts (now the seat of the Marquis Townshend). Audrey Harrison, daughter of Edward Harrison of Balls, brought the property into the Townshend family by her marriage with Charles, third Viscount Townshend. Sir John Shaw, a Farmer of the Customs, was created a baronet, in 1665, for his services in lending the King large sums of money during his exile; died 1679⁠–⁠80. ↩

In 1583; the object of his mission being to persuade the Muscovite (Ivan IV the Terrible) to a peace with John, King of Sweden. He was also employed to confirm the trade of the English with Russia, and having incurred some personal danger, was received with favour on his return by the Queen. He died in 1616. There is a portrait of