Produced by David Widger
(Unabridged)
DIARY OF SAMUEL PEPYS.
MAY & JUNE
1663
May 1st. Up betimes and my father with me, and he and I all the morningand Will Stankes private, in my wife's closet above, settling our mattersconcerning our Brampton estate, &c., and I find that there will be, afterall debts paid within L100, L50 per annum clear coming towards my father'smaintenance, besides L25 per annum annuities to my Uncle Thomas and AuntPerkins. Of which, though I was in my mind glad, yet thought it not fitto let my father know it thoroughly, but after he had gone out to visit myuncle Thomas and brought him to dinner with him, and after dinner I got myfather, brother Tom, and myself together, I did make the business worse tothem, and did promise L20 out of my own purse to make it L50 a year to myfather, propounding that Stortlow may be sold to pay L200 for hissatisfaction therein and the rest to go towards payment of debts andlegacies. The truth is I am fearful lest my father should die beforedebts are paid, and then the land goes to Tom and the burden of paying alldebts will fall upon the rest of the land. Not that I would do my brotherany real hurt. I advised my father to good husbandry and to living withinthe compass of L50 a year, and all in such kind words, as not only made,them but myself to weep, and I hope it will have a good effect. Thatbeing done, and all things agreed on, we went down, and after a glass ofwine we all took horse, and I, upon a horse hired of Mr. Game, saw him outof London, at the end of Bishopsgate Street, and so I turned and rode,with some trouble, through the fields, and then Holborn, &c., towards HidePark, whither all the world, I think, are going, and in my going, almostthither, met W. Howe coming galloping upon a little crop black nag; itseems one that was taken in some ground of my Lord's, by some mischancebeing left by his master, a thief; this horse being found with black clothears on, and a false mayne, having none of his own; and I back again withhim to the Chequer, at Charing Cross, and there put up my own dull jade,and by his advice saddled a delicate stone-horse of Captain Ferrers's, andwith that rid in state to the Park, where none better mounted than Ialmost, but being in a throng of horses, seeing the King's riders showingtricks with their managed horses, which were very strange, my stone-horsewas very troublesome, and begun to, fight with other horses, to thedangering him and myself, and with much ado I got out, and kept myself outof harm's way.. Here I saw nothing good, neither the King, nor my LadyCastlemaine, nor any great ladies or beauties being there, there beingmore pleasure a great deal at an ordinary day; or else those few goodfaces that there were choked up with the many bad ones, there being peopleof all sorts in coaches there, to some thousands, I think. Going thitherin the highway, just by the Park gate, I met a boy in a sculler boat,carried by a dozen people at least, rowing as hard as he could drive, itseems upon some wager.