the diary of samuel pepys-第193章

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ne；　even　to　a　miracle；　so　as　their　farmers　can　pay　no　rent；　but　do　fling　up　their　lands；　and　would　pay　in　corne：　　but　（which　I　did　observe　to　my　Lord；　and　he　liked　well　of　it）　our　gentry　are　grown　so　ignorant　in　every　thing　of　good　husbandry　that　they　know　not　how　to　bestow　this　corne；　which；　did　they　understand　but　a　little　trade；　they　would　be　able　to　joyne　together　and　know　what　markets　there　are　abroad；　and　send　it　thither；　and　thereby　ease　their　tenants　and　be　able　to　pay　themselves。　　They　did　talk　much　of　the　disgrace　the　Archbishop　is　fallen　under　with　the　King；　and　the　rest　of　the　Bishops　also。　　Thence　I　after　dinner　to　the　Duke　of　York's　playhouse；　and　there　saw　〃Sir　Martin　Mar…all；〃　which　I　have　seen　so　often；　and　yet　am　mightily　pleased　with　it；　and　think　it　mighty　witty；　and　the　fullest　of　proper　matter　for　mirth　that；　ever　was　writ；　and　I　do　clearly　see　that　they　do　improve　in　their　acting　of　it。　　Here　a　mighty　company　of　citizens；　prentices；　and　others；　and　it　makes　me　observe；　that　when　I　began　first　to　be　able　to　bestow　a　play　on　myself；　I　do　not　remember　that　I　saw　so　many　by　half　of　the　ordinary　prentices　and　mean　people　in　the　pit　at　2s。　6d。　a…piece　as　now；　I　going　for　several　years　no　higher　than　the　12d。　and　then　the　18d。　places；　though　I　strained　hard　to　go　in　then　when　I　did：　　so　much　the　vanity　and　prodigality　of　the　age　is　to　be　observed　in　this　particular。　Thence　I　to　White　Hall；　and　there　walked　up　and　down　the　house　a　while；　and　do　hear　nothing　of　any　thing　done　further　in　this　business　of　the　change　of　Privy…counsellors：　　only　I　hear　that　Sir　G。　Savile；　＇Of　Rufford；　co。　Notts；　Bart。；　created　Lord　Savile　of　Eland；　and　Viscount　Halifax；　1668；　Earl　of　Halifax；　1679；　and　Marquis　of　Halifax；　1682。　　Ob。　1695。＇　　one　of　the　Parliament　Committee　of　nine　for　examining　the　Accounts；　is　by　the　King　made　a　Lord；　the　Lord　Halifax；　which；　I　believe；　will　displease　the　Parliament。　　By　and　by　I　met　with　Mr。　Brisband；　and　having　it　in　my　mind　this　Christmas　to　do　（what　I　never　can　remember　that　I　did）　go　to　see　the　gaming　at　the　groome…porters　（I　having　in　my　coming　from　the　playhouse　stepped　into　the　two　Temple…halls；　and　there　saw　the　dirty　prentices　and　idle　people　playing；　wherein　I　was　mistaken；　in　thinking　to　have　seen　gentlemen　of　quality　playing　there）；　he　did　lead　me　thither；　where；　after　staying　an　hour；　they　began　to　play；　at　about　eight　at　night。　　And　to　see　the　formality　of　the　groome…porter；　who　is　their　judge　of　all　disputes　in　play　and　all　quarrels　that　may　arise　therein；　and　how　his　under…officers　are　there　to　observe　true　play　at　each　table；　and　to　give　new　dice；　is　a　consideration　I　never　could　have　thought　had　been　in　the　world；　had　I　not　now　seen　it。　　And　so　I　having　enough　for　once；　refusing　to　venture；　though　Brisband　pressed　me　hard；　went　away。

2nd。　　Attended　the　King　and　the　Duke　of　York　in　the　Duke　of　York's　lodgings；　with　the　rest　of　the　officers　and　many　of　the　commanders　of　the　fleet；　and　some　of　our　master　shipwrights；　to　discourse　the　business　of　having　the　topmasts　of　ships　made　to　lower　abaft　of　the　mainmast；　a　business　I　understand　not；　and　so　can　give　no　good　account；　but　I　do　see　that　by　how　much　greater　the　Council　and　the　number　of　counsellors　is；　the　more　confused　the　issue　is　of　their　councils；　so　that　little　was　said　to　the　purpose　regularly；　and　but　little　use　was　made　of　it；　they　coming　to　a　very　broken　conclusion　upon　it　to　make　trial　in　a　ship　or　two。　　From　this　they　fell　to　other　talk　about　the　fleet's　fighting　this　late　war；　and　how　the　King's　ships　have　been　shattered；　though　the　King　said　that　the　world　would　not　have　it　that　above　ten　or　twenty　ships　in　any　fight　did　do　any　service；　and　that　this　hath　been　told　so　to　him　himself　by　ignorant　people。　　The　Prince；　who　was　there；　was　mightily　surprised　at　it；　and　seemed　troubled；　but　the　King　told　him　that　it　was　only　discourse　of　the　world。　　But　Mr。　Wren　whispered　me　in　the　eare；　and　said　that　the　Duke　of　Albemarle　had　put　it　into　his　Narrative　for　the　House；　that　not　above　twenty…five　ships　fought　in　the　engagement　wherein　he　was；　but　that　he　was　advised　to　leave　it　out；　but　this　he　did　write　from　sea；　I　am　sure；　or　words　to　that　effect：　　and　did　displease　many　commanders；　among　others　Captain　Batts；　who　the　Duke　of　York　said　was　a　very　stout　man；　all　the　world　knew；　and　that　another　was　brought　into　his　ship　that；　had　been　turned　out　of　his　place　when　he　was　a　boatswain；　not　long　before；　for　being　a　drunkard。　　This　the　Prince　＇Rupert。＇　　took　notice　of；　and　would　have　been　angry；　I　think；　but　they　let　their　discourse　fall：　　but　the　Duke　of　York　was　earnest　in　it。　　And　the　Prince　said　to　me；　standing　by　me；　〃If　they　will　turn　out　every　man　that　will　be　drunk；　they　must　turn　out　all　the　commanders　in　the　fleet。　　What　is　the　matter　if　he　be　drunk；　so　when　he　comes　to　fight　he　do　his　work？　　At　least；　let　him　be　punished　for　his　drunkenness；　and　not　put　out　of　his　command　presently。〃　　This　he　spoke　very　much　concerned　for　this　idle　fellow；　one　Greene。　After　this　the　King　began　to　tell　stories　of　the　cowardice　of　the　Spaniards　in　Flanders；　when　he　was　there；　at　the　siege　of　Mardike　and　Dunkirke；　which　was　very　pretty；　though　he　tells　them　but　meanly。　　To　Westminster　Hall；　and　there　staid　a　little：　　and　then　home；　and　by　the　way　did　find　with　difficulty　the　Life　of　Sir　Philip　Sidney。　　And　the　bookseller　told　me　that　he　had　sold　four　within　this　week　or　two；　which　is　more　than　ever　he　sold　in　all　his　life　of　them；　and　he　could　not　imagine　what　should　be　the　reason　of　it：　　but　I　suppose　it　is　from　the　same　reason　of　people's　observing　of　this　part　therein；　touching　his　prophecying　our　present　condition　here　in　England　in　relation　to　the　Dutch；　which　is　very　remarkable。　　It　is　generally　believed　that　France　is　endeavouring　a　firmer　league　with　us　than　the　former；　in　order　to　his　going　on　with　his　business　against　Spain　the　next　year；　which　I　am；　and　so　every　body　else　is；　I　think；　very　glad　of；　for　all　our　fear　is　of　his　invading　us。　　This　day　at　White　Hall　I　overheard　Sir　W。　Coventry　propose　to　the　King　his　ordering　of　some　particular　thing　in　the　Wardrobe；　which　was　of　no　great　value；　but　yet；　as　much　as　it　was；　it　was　of　profit　to　the　King　and　saving　to　his　purse。　　The　King　answered　to　it　with　great　indifferency；　as　a　thing　that　it　was　no　great　matter　whether　it　was　done　or　no。　　Sir　W。　Coventry　answered；　〃I　see　your　Majesty　do　not　remember　the　old　English　proverb；　'He　that　will　not　stoop　for　a　pin；　will　never　be　worth　a　pound。'〃　　And　so　they　parted；　the　King　bidding　him　do　as　he　would；　which；　methought；　was　an　answer　not　like　a　King　that　did　intend　ever　to　do　well。

4th。　　It　seems　worth　remembering　that　this　day　I　did　hear　my　Lord　Anglesy　at　the　table；　speaking　touching　this　new　Act　for　Accounts；　say　that　the　House　of　Lords　did　pass　it　because　it　was　a　senseless；　impracticable；　ineffectual；　and　foolish　Act；　and　that　my　Lord　Ashly　having　shown　that　it　was　so　to　the　House　of　Lords；　the　Duke　of　Buckingham　did　stand　up　and　told　the　Lords　that　they　were　beholden　to　my　Lord　Ashly；　that　having　first　commended　them　for　a　most　grave　and　honourable　assembly；　he　thought　it　fit　for　the　House　to　pass　this　Act　for　Accounts　because　it　was　a　foolish　and　simple　Act；　and　it　seems　it　was　passed　with　but　a　few　in　the　House；　when　it　was　intended　to　have　met　in　a　grand　Committee　upon　it。　　And　it　seems　that　in　itself　it　is　not　to　be　practised　till　after　this　session　of　Parliament；　by　the　very　words　of　the　Act；　which　nobody　regarded；　and　therefore　cannot　come　in　force　yet；　unless　the　next　meeting　they　do　make　a　new　Act　for　the　bringing　it　into　force　sooner；　which　is　a　strange　omission。　　But　I　perceive　my　Lord　Anglesy　do　make　a　mere　laughing…stock　of　this　act；　as　a　thing　that　can　do　nothing　considerable；　for　all　its　great　noise。

5th。　　The　business　of　putting　out　of　some　of　the　Privy…council　is　over；　the　King　being　at　last　advised　to　forbear　it；　for　whereas　he　did　design　it　to　make　room　for　some　of　the　House　of　Commons　that　are　against　him；　thereby　to　gratify　them；　it　is　believed　that　it　will　but　so　much　the　more　fret　the　rest　that　are　not　provided　for；　and　raise　a　new　stock　of　enemies　by　them　that　are　displeased；　and　it　goes　for　a　pretty　saying　of　my