the diary of samuel pepys-第78章

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DECEMBER　1；　1663。　　After　dinner　I　to　Guild　Hall　to　hear　a　trial　at　King's　Bench；　before　Lord　Chief　Justice　Hide；　＇Sir　Robert　Hyde。　　Ob。　1665。＇　　about　the　insurance　of　a　ship；　and　it　was　pleasant　to　see　what　mad　sort　of　testimonys　the　seamen　did　give；　and　could　not　be　got　to　speak　in　order：　　and　then　their　terms　such　as　the　Judge　could　not　understand；　and　to　hear　how　sillily　the　Counsel　and　Judge　would　speak　as　to　the　terms　necessary　in　the　matter；　would　make　one　laugh：　　and　above　all；　a　Frenchman　that　was　forced　to　speak　in　French；　and　took　an　English　oath　he　did　not；　understand；　and　had　an　interpreter　sworn　to　tell　us　what　he　said；　which　was　the　best　testimony　of　all。

3rd。　　This　day　Sir　G。　Carteret　did　tell　us　at　the　table；　that　the　Navy　（excepting　what　is　due　to　the　Yards　upon　the　quarter　now　going　on；　and　what　few　bills　he　hath　not　heard　of；）　is　quite　out　of　debt；　which　is　extraordinary　good　news；　and　upon　the　'Change　to　hear　how　our　credit　goes　as　good　as　any　merchant's　upon　the　'Change　is　a　joyfull　thing　to　consider；　which　God　continue！　　I　am　sure　the　King　will　have　the　benefit　of　it；　as　well　as　we　some　peace　and　creditt。

7th。　　I　hear　there　was　the　last　night　the　greatest　tide　that　ever　was　remembered　in　England　to　have　been　in　this　river：　　all　White　Hall　having　been　drowned。　　At　White　Hall；　and　anon　the　King　and　Duke　and　Duchesse　come　to　dinner　in　the　vane…roome；　where　I　never　saw　them　before；　but　it　seems　since　the　tables　are　done；　he　dines　there　all…together。　　The　Queene　is　pretty　well；　and　goes　out　of　her　chamber　to　her　little　chapel　in　the　house。　　The　King　of　France；　they　say　is　hiring　of　sixty　sail　of　ships　of　the　Dutch；　but　it　is　not　said　for　what　design。

8th。　　To　White　Hall；　where　a　great　while　walked　with　my　Lord　Teviott；　whom　I　find　a　most　carefull；　thoughtfull；　and　cunning　man；　as　I　also　ever　took　him　to　be。　　He　is　this　day　bringing　in　an　account　where　he　makes　the　King　debtor　to　him　10；000l。　already　on　the　garrison　of　Tangier　account；　but　yet　demands　not　ready　money　to　pay　it；　but　offers　such　ways　of　paying　it　out　of　the　sale　of　old　decayed　provisions　as　will　enrich　him　finely。

10th。　　To　St。　Paul's　Church　Yard；　to　my　bookseller's；　and　could　not　tell　whether　to　lay　out　my　money　for　books　of　pleasure；　as　plays；　which　my　nature　was　most　earnest　in；　but　at　last；　after　seeing　Chaucer；　Dugdale's　History　of　Paul's；　Stow's　London；　Gesner；　History　of　Trent；　besides　Shakespeare；　Jonson；　and　Beaumont's　plays；　I　at　last　chose　Dr。　Fuller's　Worthys；　the　Cabbala　or　Collections　of　Letters　of　State；　and　a　little　book；　Delices　de　Hollande；　with　another　little　book　or　two；　all　of　good　use　or　serious　pleasure；　and　Hudibras；　both　parts；　the　book　now　in　greatest　fashion　for　drollery；　though　I　cannot；　I　confess；　see　enough　where　the　wit　lies。　　My　mind　being　thus　settled；　I　went　by　link　home；　and　so　to　my　office；　and　to　read　in　Rushworth；　and　so　home　to　supper　and　to…bed。　　Calling　at　Wotton's；　my　shoemaker's；　to…day；　he　tells　me　that　Sir　H。　Wright　is　dying　　and　that　Harris　is　come　to　the　Duke's　house　again；　and　of　a　rare　play　to　be　acted　this　week　of　Sir　William　Davenant's。　　The　story　of　Henry　the　Eighth　with　all　his　wives。

11th。　　At　the　Coffee…house　I　went　and　sat　by　Mr。　Harrington；　and　some　East　country　merchants；　and　talking　of　the　country　above　Quinsborough；　＇Perhaps　Mr。　Harrington　invented　the　name　of　this　place；　and　the　account　of　the　country。＇　　and　thereabouts；　he　told　us　himself　that　for　fish；　none　there　the　poorest　body　will　buy　a　dead　fish；　but　must　be　alive；　unless　it　be　in　the　winter；　and　then　they　told　us　the　manner　of　putting　their　nets　into　the　water。　　Through　holes　made　in　the　thick　ice；　they　will　spread　a　net　of　half　a　mile　long；　and　he　hath　known　a　hundred　and　thirty　and　a　hundred　and　seventy　barrels　of　fish　taken　at　one　draught。　And　then　the　people　come　with　sledges　upon　the　ice；　with　snow　at　the　bottome；　and　lay　the　fish　in　and　cover　them　with　snow；　and　so　carry　them　to　market。　　And　he　hath　seen　when　the　said　fish　have　been　frozen　in　the　sledge；　so　as　he　hath　taken　a　fish　and　broke　a…pieces；　so　hard　it　hath　been；　and　yet　the　same　fishes　taken　out　of　the　snow；　and　brought　into　a　hot　room；　still　be　alive　and　leap　up　and　down。　　Swallows　are　often　brought　up　in　their　nets　out　of　the　mudd　from　under　water；　hanging　together　to　some　twigg　or　other；　dead　in　ropes；　and　brought　to　the　fire　will　come　to　life。　Fowl　killed　in　December　（Alderman　Barker　said）　he　did　buy；　and　putting　into　the　box　under　his　sledge；　did　forget　to　take　them　out　to　eate　till　Aprill　next；　and　they　then　were　found　there；　and　were　through　the　frost　as　sweet　and　fresh　and　eat　as　well　as　at　first　killed。　　Young　beares　appear　there；　their　flesh　sold　in　market　as　ordinarily　as　beef　here；　and　is　excellent　sweet　meat。　They　tell　us　that　beares　there　do　never　hurt　any　body；　but　fly　away　from　you；　unless　you　pursue　and　set　upon　them；　but　wolves　do　much　mischief。　　Mr。　Harrington　told　us　how　they　do　to　get　so　much　honey　as　they　send　abroad。　　They　make　hollow　a　great　fir…tree；　leaving　only　a　small　slitt　down　straight　in　one　place；　and　this　they　close　up　again；　only　leave　a　little　hole；　and　there　the　bees　go　in　and　fill　the　bodys　of　those　trees　as　full　of　wax　and　honey　as　they　can　hold；　and　the　inhabitants　at　times　go　and　open　the　slit；　and　take　what　they　please　without　killing　the　bees；　and　so　let　them　live　there　still　and　make　more。　　Fir　trees　are　always　planted　close　together；　because　of　keeping　one　another　from　the　violence　of　the　windes；　and　when　a　fellit　is　made；　they　leave　here　and　there　a　grown　tree　to　preserve　the　young　ones　coming　up。　The　great　entertainment　and　sport　of　the　Duke　of　Corland；　and　the　princes　thereabouts；　is　hunting；　which　is　not　with　dogs　as　we；　but　he　appoints　such　a　day；　and　summonses　all　the　country　people　as　to　a　campagnia；　and　by　several　companies　gives　every　one　their　circuit；　and　they　agree　upon　a　place　where　the　toyle　is　to　be　set；　and　so　making　fires　every　company　as　they　go；　they　drive　all　the　wild　beasts；　whether　bears；　wolves；　foxes；　swine；　and　stags；　and　roes；　into　the　toyle；　and　there　the　great　men　have　their　stands　in　such　and　such　places；　and　shoot　at　what　they　have　a　mind　to；　and　that　is　their　hunting。　　They　are　not　very　populous　there；　by　reason　that　people　marry　women　seldom　till　they　are　towards　or　above　thirty；　and　men　thirty　or　forty；　or　more　oftentimes；　years　old。　　Against　a　public　hunting　the　Duke　sends　that　no　wolves　be　killed　by　the　people；　and　whatever　harm　they　do；　the　Duke　makes　it　good　to　the　person　that　suffers　it：　　as　Mr。　Harrington　instanced　in　a　house　were　he　lodged；　where　a　wolfe　broke　into　a　hog…stye；　and　bit　three　or　four　great　pieces　off　of　the　back　of　the　hog；　before　the　house　could　come　to　help　it；　and　the　man　of　the　house　told　him　that　there　were　three　or　four　wolves　thereabouts　that　did　them　great　hurt；　but　it　was　no　matter；　for　the　Duke　was　to　make　it　good　to　him；　otherwise　he　would　kill　them。

12th。　　We　had　this　morning　a　great　dispute　between　Mr。　Gauden；　Victualler　of　the　Navy；　and　Sir　J。　Lawson；　and　the　rest　of　the　Commanders　going　against　Argier；　about　their　fish　and　keeping　of　Lent；　which　Mr。　Gauden　so　much　insists　upon　to　have　it　observed；　as　being　the　only　thing　that　makes　up　the　loss　of　his　dear　bargain　all　the　rest　of　the　year。　　This　day　I　heard　my　Lord　Barkeley　tell　Sir　G。　Carteret　that　he　hath　letters　from　France　that　the　King　hath　emduked　twelve　Dukes；　only　to　show　his　power；　and　to　crush　his　nobility；　who　he　said　he　did　see　had　heretofore　laboured　to　cross　him。　　And　this　my　Lord　Barkeley　did　mightily　magnify；　as　a　sign　of　a　brave　and　vigorous　mind　that　what　he　saw　fit　to　be　done　he　dares　do。

14th。　　To　the　Duke；　where　I　heard　a　large　discourse　between　one　that　goes　over　an　agent　from　the　King　to　Legorne　and　thereabouts；　to　remove　the　inconveniences　his　ships　are　put　to　by　denial　of　pratique；　which　is　a　thing　that　is　now…a…days　made　use　of　only　as　a　cheat；　for　a　man　may　buy　a　bill　of　health　for　a　piece　of　eight；　and　my　enemy　may　agree　with　the　Intendent　of　the　Sante　for　ten　pieces　of　eight　or　so；　that　he　shall　not　give　me　a　bill　of　health；　and　so　spoil　me　in　my　design；　whatever　it　be。　　This　the　King　will　not　endure；　and　so　resolves　either　to　have　it　removed；　or　to　keep　all