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

The Council of State sitting at Whitehall, says Lilly (Life, p. 124), had no knowledge of what was passing out of doors, until Sir Martin Noel, a discreet citizen, came about nine at night, and informed them thereof. From this notice, Noel has been considered as the original of the messenger who brings the news of the burning of the Rumps, so admirably related in Hudibras, part iii, canto 11, l. 1497. We know nothing further about Sir Martin, except that he was a scrivener, and that Pepys records his death of the plague, in 1665. His son, of the same name, was knighted in November, 1665. —⁠B. ↩

Francis Wilford, D.D., Master of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, made Dean of Ely, May 20th, 1662. He died in July, 1667, being then Vice-Chancellor, and was buried in the chapel of his college. —⁠B. ↩

James, the son of Charles II by Lucy Walter, daughter of William Walter, of Roch Castle, co. Pembroke. He was born April 9th, 1649, and landed in England with the Queen-Mother, July 28th, 1662, when he bore the name of Crofts, after Lord Crofts, his governor. He was created Duke of Monmouth, February 14th, 1663, and married Lady Anne Scott, daughter and heiress of Francis, second Earl of Buccleuch, on April 20th following. In 1673 he took the name of Scott, and was created Duke of Buccleuch. ↩

Epictetus, Encheiridion, i 1: τῶν ὅντων τὰ μέν ἐστιν ὲφ’ ἡμῖν τὰ δε οῦκ “Some things are in our power, others are not.” Pepys means, “I ought not to vex myself about what I cannot control.” ↩

Margaret was Tom Pepys’s servant; see April 6th, 1664. ↩

A good manager. ↩

Charles II determined to form his own chapel on the model of that at Versailles. Twenty-four instrumentalists were engaged, and this was the first day upon which they were brought into requisition. Evelyn alludes to the change in his Diary, but he puts the date down as the 21st instead of the 14th. “Instead of the antient, grave and solemn wind musiq accompanying the organ, was introduc’d a concert of 24 violins between every pause after the French fantastical light way, better suiting a tavern or playhouse than a church. This was the first time of change, and now we no more heard the cornet which gave life to the organ, that instrument quite left off in which the English were so skilful.” A list of the twenty-four fiddlers in 1674, taken from an Exchequer document, “The names of the Gents of his Majesties Private Music paid out of the Exchequer,” is printed in North’s Memoires of Music, ed. Rimbault, 1846, p. 98 (note). ↩

Alderman Francis Meynell was a goldsmith and banker in London, and then one of the sheriffs. He was the third son of Godfrey Meynell, of Willington, in Derbyshire, and died in 1666; his father was buried at Langley, in that county, where their descendants still possess property. Sir W. Dugdale, in his Diary, mentions his having defaced the achievements which had been hung up at Bradley, in Derbyshire, where the alderman was interred: not, as it would seem, from any doubt as to that gentleman being entitled to bear arms, but because a London painter had been employed to blazon the shield who had not obtained the sanction of the Heralds’ Office, and thereby excited their jealousy at a moment when their occupation was on the decline. —⁠B. ↩

William Ashburnham, Cofferer of the King’s Household. ↩

It is not certain where this chapel was situated, but it was probably the same as that attached to Marlborough House, and known as the German Chapel. This chapel is said to have been built by Inigo Jones for the use of Queen Henrietta Maria, and it was, therefore, suitable for the Roman Catholic service. ↩

Pepys himself gives an account of this custom; see May 18th, 1660. ↩

Colonel Fitzgerald was Deputy-Governor of Tangier. ↩

Lord Braybrooke says that this was a mistake for Nicholas Burt, but there was an actor at this time named Theophilus Bird. ↩

Aglaura, a tragicomedy by Sir John Suckling, first published in 1638. ↩

“The French church in the Savoy” was established by Charles II. It was removed to Bloomsbury Street, and the present building, designed by Ambrose Poynter, architect, 1845⁠–⁠46. The Common Prayer Book In French is still used there. ↩

This seems to be the only mention of the acting of Shakespeare’s play at this time, and it does not appear to have been a favourite. ↩

A tragedy by John Webster, first published in 1623. The character of Bosola was taken by Betterton, and that of the Duchess of Malfy by Mary Saunderson, shortly afterwards his wife (Ianthe). The acting is highly praised by Downes. ↩

Two acts were passed in 1662 for this purpose, viz., 13 and 14 Car. II cap. 8: “An act for distribution of threescore thousand pounds amongst the truly loyal and indigent commission officers, and for assessing of offices and distributing the monies thereby raised for their further supply;” and cap. 9, “An act for the relief of poor and maimed officers and soldiers who have faithfully served his Majesty and his royal father in the late wars.” ↩

A tragedy by James Shirley, licensed on November 25th, 1641, and printed in 1652. ↩

See ante, September 12th, where the incident is mentioned.