the diary of samuel pepys-第175章

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16th。　　My　wife　and　I　to　the　Duke's　playhouse；　where　we　saw　the　new　play　acted　yesterday；　〃The　Feign　Innocence；　or　Sir　Martin　Marall；〃　a　play　made　by　my　Lord　Duke　of　Newcastle；　but；　as　every　body　says；　corrected　by　Dryden。　　It　is　the　most　entire　piece　of　mirth；　a　complete　farce　from　one　end　to　the　other；　that　certainly　was　ever　writ。　　I　never　laughed　so　in　all　my　life；　and　at　very　good　wit　therein；　not　fooling。　　The　House　full；　and　in　all　things　of　mighty　content　to　me。　　Every　body　wonders　that　we　have　no　news　from　Bredah　of　the　ratification　of　the　peace；　and　do　suspect　that　there　is　some　stop　in　it。

17th。　　To　the　King's　playhouse；　where　the　house　extraordinary　full；　and　there　the　King　and　Duke　of　York　to　see　the　new　play；　〃Queene　Elizabeth's　Troubles；　and　the　history　of　Eighty　Eight。〃　I　confess　I　have　sucked　in　so　much　of　the　sad　story　of　Queene　Elizabeth　from　my　cradle；　that　I　was　ready　to　weep　for　her　sometimes；　but　the　play　is　the　most　ridiculous　that　sure　ever　came　upon　stage；　and；　indeed；　is　merely　a　show；　only　shows　the　true　garbe　of　the　Queene　in　those　days；　just　as　we　see　Queene　Mary　and　Queene　Elizabeth　painted：　　but　the　play　is　merely　a　puppet　play；　acted　by　living　puppets。　　Neither　the　design　nor　language　better；　and　one　stands　by　and　tells　us　the　meaning　of　things：　　only　I　was　pleased　to　see　Knipp　dance　among　the　milk　maids；　and　to　hear　her　sing　a　song　to　Queene　Elizabeth；　and　to　see　her　come　out　in　her　night…gowne　with　no　lockes　on；　but　her　bare　face　and　hair　only　tied　up　in　a　knot　behind；　which　is　the　comeliest　dress　that　ever　I　saw　her　in　to　her　advantage。

18th。　　To　Cree　Church；　to　see　it　how　it　is；　but　I　find　no　alteration　there；　as　they　say　there　was；　for　my　Lord　Mayor　and　Aldermen　to　come　to　sermon；　as　they　do　every　Sunday；　as　they　did　formerly　to　Paul's。

20th。　　Sir　W。　Coventry　fell　to　discourse　of　retrenchments：　　and　therein　he　tells　how　he　would　have　but　only　one　Clerk　of　the　Acts。　　He　do　tell　me　he　hath　propounded　how　the　charge　of　the　Navy　in　peace　shall　come　within　200；000l。；　by　keeping　out　twenty…　four　ships　in　summer；　and　ten　in　the　winter。　　And　several　other　particulars　we　went　over　of　retrenchment：　　and　I　find　I　must　provide　some　things　to　offer；　that　I　may　be　found　studious　to　lessen　the　King's　charge。　　Sir　W。　Coventry　did　single　Sir　W。　Pen　and　me；　and　desired　us　to　lend　the　King　some　money；　out　of　the　prizes　we　have　taken　by　Hogg。　　He　did　not　much　press　it；　and　we　made　but　a　merry　answer　thereto：　　but　I　perceive　he　did　ask　it　seriously；　and　did　tell　us　that　there　never　was　so　much　need　of　it　in　the　world　as　now；　we　being　brought　to　the　lowest　straits　that　can　be　in　the　world。

22nd。　　Up；　and　to　the　office：　　whence　Lord　Brouncker；　J。　Minnes；　and　W。　Pen；　and　I　went　to　examine　some　men　that　are　put　in　there　for　rescuing　of　men　that　were　pressed　into　the　service：　　and　we　do　plainly　see　that　the　desperate　condition　that　we　put　men　into　for　want　of　their　pay　makes　them　mad；　they　being　as　good　men　as　over　were　in　the　world；　and　would　as　readily　serve　the　King　again；　were　they　but　paid。　　Two　men　leapt　overboard；　among　others；　into　the　Thames　out　of　the　vessel　into　which　they　were　pressed；　and　were　shot　by　the　soldiers　placed　there　to　keep　them；　two　days　since；　so　much　people　do　avoid　the　King's　service！　　And　then　these　men　are　pressed　without　money；　and　so　we　cannot　punish　them　for　any　thing；　so　that　we　are　forced　only　to　make　a　show　of　severity　by　keeping　them　in　prison；　but　are　unable　to　punish　them。　　＇Shooting　the　men　was　rather　more　than　a　show　of　severity。＇　　Returning　to　the　office；　I　did　ask　whether　we　might　visit　Commissioner　Pett　（to　which；　I　confess；　I　have　no　great　mind）；　and　it　was　answered　that　he　was　close　prisoner；　and　we　could　not；　but　the　Lieutenant　of　the　Tower　would　send　for　him　to　his　lodgings；　if　we　would：　　so　we　put　it　off　to　another　time。　　To　Captain　Cocke's　to　dinner；　where　Lord　Brouncker　and　his　lady；　Matt。　Wren；　and　Bulteale；　and　Sir　Allan　Apsly；　the　last　of　whom　did　make　good　sport；　he　being　already　fallen　under　the　retrenchments　of　the　new　Committee；　as　he　is　Master　Falconer；　which　makes　him　mad。　　With　my　Lord　Brouncker　and　his　mistress　to　the　King's　Playhouse；　and　there　saw　〃The　Indian　Emperour：〃　＇A　tragi…comedy；　by　Dryden。＇　　where　I　find　Nell　come　again；　which　I　am　glad　of；　but　was　most　infinitely　displeased　with　her　being　put　to　act　the　Emperour's　daughter；　which　is　a　great　and　serious　part；　which　she　does　most　basely。　　This　evening　Mr。　Pelling　comes　to　me；　and　tells　me　that　this　night　the　Dutch　letters　are　come；　and　that　the　peace　was　proclaimed　there　the　19th　inst。　and　that　all　is　finished：　　which　for　my　life　I　know　not　whether　to　be　glad　or　sorry　for；　a　peace　being　so　necessary；　and　yet　so　bad　in　its　terms。

23rd。　　To　White　Hall　to　attend　the　Council。　　The　King　there：　　and　it　was　about　considering　how　the　fleet　might　be　discharged　at　their　coming　in　shortly；　the　peace　being　now　ratified；　and　it　takes　place　on　Monday　next。　　To　the　Treasury…chamber；　where　I　waited　talking　with　Sir　G。　Downing　till　the　Lords　met。　　He　tells　me　how　he　will　make　all　the　Exchequer　officers；　of　one　side　and　the　other；　to　lend　the　King　money　upon　the　Act；　and　that　the　least　Clerk　shall　lend　money；　and　he　believes　the　least　will　100l。：　　but　this　I　do　not　believe。　　He　made　me　almost　ashamed　that　we　of　the　Navy　had　not　in　all　this　time　lent　any；　so　that　I　find　it　necessary　I　should；　and　so　will　speedily　do　it　before　any　of　my　fellows　begin　and　lead　me　to　a　bigger　sum。　　By　and　by　the　Lords　come；　and　I　perceive　Sir　W。　Coventry　is　the　man；　and　nothing　done　till　he　comes。　　Among　other　things　I　heard　him　observe；　looking　over　a　paper；　that　Sir　John　Shaw　is　a　miracle　of　a　man；　for　he　thinks　he　executes　more　places　than　any　man　in　England：　　for　there　he　finds　him　a　Surveyor　of　some　of　the　King's　woods；　and　so　reckoned　up　many　other　places；　the　most　inconsistent　in　the　world。　　Their　business　with　me　was　to　consider　how　to　assigne　such　of　our　commanders　as　will　take　assignements　upon　the　Act　for　their　wages；　and　the　consideration　thereof　was　referred　to　me　to　give　them　an　answer　the　next　sitting：　　which　is　a　horrid　poor　thing；　but　they　scruple　at　nothing　of　honour　in　the　case。　　I　find　most　people　pleased　with　their　being　at　ease；　and　safe　of　a　peace；　that　they　may　know　no　more　charge　or　hazard　of　an　ill　managed　war；　but　nobody　speaking　of　the　peace　with　any　content　or　pleasure；　but　are　silent　in　it；　as　of　a　thing　they　are　ashamed　of；　no；　not　at　Court；　much　less　in　the　City。

24th。　　St。　Bartholomew's　Day。　　This　morning　was　proclaimed　the　peace　between　us　and　the　States　of　the　United　Provinces；　and　also　of　the　King　of　France　and　Denmarke；　and　in　the　afternoon　the　Proclamations　were　printed　and　came　out；　and　at　night　the　bells　rung；　but　no　bonfires　that　I　hear　of　any　where；　partly　from　the　dearness　of　firing；　but　principally　from　the　little　content　most　people　have　in　the　peace。　　This　day　comes　a　letter　from　the　Duke　of　York　to　the　Board；　to　invite　us；　which　is　as　much　as　to　fright　us；　into　the　lending　the　King　money；　which　is　a　poor　thing；　and　most　dishonourable；　and　shows　in　what　a　case　we　are　at　the　end　of　the　war　to　our　neighbours。　　And　the　King　do　now　declare　publickly　to　give　10　per　cent。　to　all　lenders；　which　make　some　think　that　the　Dutch　themselves　will　send　over　money；　and　lend　it　upon　our　publick　faith；　the　Act　of　Parliament。

28th。　　To　the　office；　where　we　sat　upon　a　particular　business　all　the　morning：　　and　my　Lord　Anglesy　with　us；　who；　and　my　Lord　Brouncker；　do　bring　us　news　how　my　Lord　Chancellor's　seal　is　to　be　taken　away　from　him　to…day。　　The　thing　is　so　great　and　sudden　to　me；　that　it　put　me　into　a　very　great　admiration　what　should　be　the　meaning　of　it；　and　they　do　not　own　that　they　know　what　it　should　be；　but　this　is　certain；　that　the　King　did　resolve　it　on　Saturday；　and　did　yesterday　send　the　Duke　of　Albemarle　（the　only　man　fit　for　those　works）　to　him　for　his　purse：　　to　which　the　Chancellor　answered；　that　he　received　it　from　the　King；　and　would　deliver　it　to　the　King's　own　hand；　and　so　civilly　returned　the　Duke　of　Albemarle　without　it；　and　this　morning　my　Lord　Chancellor　is　to　be　with　the　King；　to　come　to　an　end　in　the　business。　　Dined　at　Sir　W。　Batten's；　where　Mr。　Boreman　was；　who　ca