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

year, for I did it as soon as ever the clock struck one.

So ends the old yeare, I bless God, with great joy to me, not only from my having made so good a yeare of profit, as having spent £420 and laid up £540 and upwards; but I bless God I never have been in so good plight as to my health in so very cold weather as this is, nor indeed in any hot weather, these ten years, as I am at this day, and have been these four or five months. But I am at a great losse to know whether it be my hare’s foote,2380 or taking every morning of a pill of turpentine, or my having left off the wearing of a gowne. My family is, my wife, in good health, and happy with her; her woman Mercer, a pretty, modest, quiet maid; her chambermaid Besse, her cook-maid Jane, the little girl Susan, and my boy, which I have had about half a yeare, Tom Edwards, which I took from the King’s chapel, and a pretty and loving quiet family I have as any man in England. My credit in the world and my office grows daily, and I am in good esteeme with everybody, I think. My troubles of my uncle’s estate pretty well over; but it comes to be but of little profit to us, my father being much supported by my purse. But great vexations remain upon my father and me from my brother Tom’s death and ill condition, both to our disgrace and discontent, though no great reason for either. Publique matters are all in a hurry about a Dutch war. Our preparations great; our provocations against them great; and, after all our presumption, we are now afeard as much of them, as we lately contemned them. Everything else in the State quiet, blessed be God! My Lord Sandwich at sea with the fleet at Portsmouth; sending some about to cruise for taking of ships, which we have done to a great number. This Christmas I judged it fit to look over all my papers and books; and to tear all that I found either boyish or not to be worth keeping, or fit to be seen, if it should please God to take me away suddenly. Among others, I found these two or three notes, which I thought fit to keep⁠–⁠

Age of My Grandfather’s Children.2381

Thomas, 1595.

Mary, March 16, 1597.

Edith, October 11, 1599.

John (my Father), January 14, 1601.

My father and mother married at Newington, in Surry, Octob. 15, 1626.

Theyr Children’s Ages.

Mary, July 24, 1627. mort.2382

Paulina, Sept. 18, 1628. mort.

Esther, March 27, 1630. mort.

John, January 10, 1631. mort.

Samuel,2383 Febr. 23, 1632.

Thomas, June 18, 1634. mort.

Sarah, August 25, 1635. mort.

Jacob, May 1, 1637. mort.

Robert, Nov. 18, 1638. mort.

Paulina, Oct. 18, 1640.

John, Novemb. 26, 1641. mort.

December 31, 1664.

Charmes.2384

1. For Stenching of Blood.

Sanguis mane in te,
Sicut Christus fuit in se;
Sanguis mane in tuâ venâ
Sicut Christus in suâ pœnâ;
Sanguis mane fixus,
Sicut Christus quando fuit crucifixus.

2. A Thorne.

Jesus, that was of a Virgin born,
Was pricked both with nail and thorn;
It neither wealed, nor belled, rankled, nor boned;
In the name of Jesus no more shall this.

Or, thus:⁠—

Christ was of a Virgin born,
And he was pricked with a thorn;
And it did neither bell, nor swell;
And I trust in Jesus this never will.

3. A Cramp.

Cramp be thou faintless,
As our Lady was sinless,
When she bare Jesus.

4. A Burning.

There came three Angells out of the East;
The one brought fire, the other brought frost⁠—
Out fire; in frost.
In the name of the Father, and Son, and Holy Ghost.

Amen.

January 1664⁠–⁠65

January 1st (Lord’s day). Lay long in bed, having been busy late last night, then up and to my office, where upon ordering my accounts and papers with respect to my understanding my last year’s gains and expense, which I find very great, as I have already set down yesterday. Now this day I am dividing my expense, to see what my clothes and every particular hath stood me in: I mean all the branches of my expense. At noon a good venison pasty and a turkey to ourselves without anybody so much as invited by us, a thing unusuall for so small a family of my condition: but we did it and were very merry. After dinner to my office again, where very late alone upon my accounts, but have not brought them to order yet, and very intricate I find it, notwithstanding my care all the year to keep things in as good method as any man can do. Past 11 o’clock home to supper and to bed.

2nd. Up, and it being a most fine, hard frost I walked a good way toward Whitehall, and then being overtaken with Sir W. Penn’s coach, went into it, and with him thither, and there did our usual business with the Duke. Thence, being forced to pay a great deal of money away in boxes (that is, basins at Whitehall), I to my barber’s, Gervas, and there had a little opportunity of speaking with my Jane alone, and did give her something, and of herself she did tell me a place where I might come to her on Sunday next, which I will not fail, but to see how modestly and harmlessly she brought it out was very pretty. Thence to the Swan, and there did sport a good while with Herbert’s young kinswoman without hurt, though they being abroad, the old people. Then to the Hall, and there agreed with Mrs. Martin, and to her lodgings which she has now taken to lie in, in Bow Street, pitiful poor things, yet she thinks them pretty, and so they are for her condition