Category: Pepys Diary erasure project

…Lord’s day, in the morning writing letters to the fleete and elsewhere, and my mind eased of much business, home to bed and slept till 8. So up, and this day is brought home one of my new silk suits, the plain one, but very rich camelott and noble. I tried it and it pleases me, but did not wear it, being I would not go out today to church. So laid it by, and my mind changed, thinking to go see my Lady Sandwich, and I did go a little way, but stopped and returned home to dinner, after dinner up to my chamber to settle my Tangier accounts, and then to my office, there to do the like with other papers. In the evening home to supper and to bed.

writing letters to her
I slept on silk
and would not go out

my mind turned to amber
like the evening

Erasure poem derived from The Diary of Samuel Pepys, Sunday 21 May 1665.

Up, and to my office, where busy all the morning. At noon dined at home, and to my office, very busy, till past one…

an office all morning
at noon a home
a very busy stone

Erasure poem derived from The Diary of Samuel Pepys, Saturday 20 May 1665.

Up, and to White Hall, where the Committee for Tangier met, and there, though the case as to the merit of it was most plain and most of the company favourable to our business, yet it was with much ado that I got the business not carried fully against us, but put off to another day, my Lord Arlington being the great man in it, and I was sorry to be found arguing so greatly against him. The business I believe will in the end be carried against us, and the whole business fall; I must therefore endeavour the most I can to get money another way. It vexed me to see Creed so hot against it, but I cannot much blame him, having never declared to him my being concerned in it.
But that that troubles me most is my Lord Arlington calls to me privately and asks me whether I had ever said to any body that I desired to leave this employment, having not time to look after it. I told him, No, for that the thing being settled it will not require much time to look after it. He told me then he would do me right to the King, for he had been told so, which I desired him to do, and by and by he called me to him again and asked me whether I had no friend about the Duke, asking me (I making a stand) whether Mr. Coventry was not my friend. I told him I had received many friendships from him. He then advised me to procure that the Duke would in his next letter write to him to continue me in my place and remove any obstruction; which I told him I would, and thanked him.
So parted, vexed at the first and amazed at this business of my Lord Arlington’s. Thence to the Exchequer, and there got my tallys for 17,500l., the first payment I ever had out of the Exchequer, and at the Legg spent 14s. upon my old acquaintance, some of them the clerks, and away home with my tallys in a coach, fearful every step of having one of them fall out, or snatched from me.
Being come home, I much troubled out again by coach (for company taking Sir W. Warren with me), intending to have spoke to my Lord Arlington to have known the bottom of it, but missed him, and afterwards discoursing the thing as a confidant to Sir W. Warren, he did give me several good hints and principles not to do anything suddenly, but consult my pillow upon that and every great thing of my life, before I resolve anything in it. Away back home, and not being fit for business I took my wife and Mercer down by water to Greenwich at 8 at night, it being very fine and cool and moonshine afterward. Mighty pleasant passage it was; there eat a cake or two, and so home by 10 or 11 at night, and then to bed, my mind not settled what to think.

I put off to another day
my hot body

it will require time to look
after it right

making a friend
out of an old acquaintance

and intending not to do
anything suddenly

not being fit I eat
a cake or two

Erasure poem derived from The Diary of Samuel Pepys, Friday 19 May 1665.

Up, and with Sir J. Minnes to the Duke of Albemarle, where we did much business, and I with good content to myself; among other things we did examine Nixon and Stanesby, about their late running from two Dutchmen; for which they are committed to a vessel to carry them to the fleete to be tried. A most fowle unhandsome thing as ever was heard, for plain cowardice on Nixon’s part. Thence with the Duke of Albemarle in his coach to my Lord Treasurer, and there was before the King (who ever now calls me by my name) and Lord Chancellor, and many other great Lords, discoursing about insuring of some of the King’s goods, wherein the King accepted of my motion that we should; and so away, well pleased.
To the office, and dined, and then to the office again, and abroad to speak with Sir G. Carteret; but, Lord! to see how fraile a man I am, subject to my vanities, that can hardly forbear, though pressed with never so much business, my pursuing of pleasure, but home I got, and there very busy very late. Among other things consulting with Mr. Andrews about our Tangier business, wherein we are like to meet with some trouble, and my Lord Bellasses’s endeavour to supplant us, which vexes my mind; but, however, our undertaking is so honourable that we shall stand a tug for it I think. So home to supper and to bed.

I am an owl
(who calls my name)

I am a bear
(so much pursuing
of a tangier supper)

Erasure poem derived from The Diary of Samuel Pepys, Thursday 18 May 1665.

Up, and by appointment to a meeting of Sir John Lawson and Mr. Cholmly’s atturney and Mr. Povy at the Swan taverne at Westminster to settle their business about my being secured in the payment of money to Sir J. Lawson in the other’s absence.
Thence at Langford’s, where I never was since my brother died there. I find my wife and Mercer, having with him agreed upon two rich silk suits for me, which is fit for me to have, but yet the money is too much, I doubt, to lay out altogether; but it is done, and so let it be, it being the expense of the world that I can the best bear with and the worst spare.
Thence home, and after dinner to the office, where late, and so home to supper and to bed. Sir J. Minnes and I had an angry bout this afternoon with Commissioner Pett about his neglecting his duty and absenting himself, unknown to us, from his place at Chatham, but a most false man I every day find him more and more, and in this very full of equivocation.
The fleete we doubt not come to Harwich by this time. Sir W. Batten is gone down this day thither, and the Duchesse of Yorke went down yesterday to meet the Duke.

the swan of absence died
having too much world

I miss his absenting himself
from his place full of down

Erasure poem derived from The Diary of Samuel Pepys, Wednesday 17 May 1665.

Up betimes, and to the Duke of Albemarle with an account of my yesterday’s actions in writing. So back to the office, where all the morning very busy. After dinner by coach to see and speak with Mr. Povy, and after little discourse back again home, where busy upon letters till past 12 at night, and so home to supper and to bed, weary.

I mar my day
with discourse
busy as a night ear

Erasure poem derived from The Diary of Samuel Pepys, Tuesday 16 May 1665.

…our victualling ships to set them agoing, and so home, and after dinner to the King’s playhouse, all alone, and saw “Love’s Maistresse.” Some pretty things and good variety in it, but no or little fancy in it. Thence to the Duke of Albemarle to give him account of my day’s works, where he shewed me letters from Sir G. Downing, of four days’ date, that the Dutch are come out and joyned, well-manned, and resolved to board our best ships, and fight for certain they will.
Thence to the Swan at Herbert’s, and there the company of Sarah a little while, and so away and called at the Harp and Ball, where the mayde, Mary, is very ‘formosa’; but, Lord! to see in what readiness I am, upon the expiring of my vowes this day, to begin to run into all my pleasures and neglect of business.
Thence home, and being sleepy to bed.

after love an account
of my day’s work

where we join our hips
to the company of sleep

Erasure poem derived from The Diary of Samuel Pepys, Monday 15 May 1665.

(Lord’s day). Up, and with my wife to church, it being Whitsunday; my wife very fine in a new yellow bird’s–eye hood, as the fashion is now. We had a most sorry sermon; so home to dinner, my mother having her new suit brought home, which makes her very fine. After dinner my wife and she and Mercer to Thomas Pepys’s wife’s christening of his first child, and I took a coach, and to Wanstead, the house where Sir H. Mildmay died, and now Sir Robert Brookes lives, having bought it of the Duke of Yorke, it being forfeited to him. A fine seat, but an old-fashioned house; and being not full of people looks desolately. Thence to Walthamstow, where (failing at the old place) Sir W. Batten by and by come home, I walking up and down the house and garden with my Lady very pleasantly, then to supper very merry, and then back by coach by dark night. I all the afternoon in the coach reading the treasonous book of the Court of King James, printed a great while ago, and worth reading, though ill intended. As soon as I come home, upon a letter from the Duke of Albemarle, I took boat at about 12 at night, and down the River in a gally, my boy and I, down to the Hope and so up again, sleeping and waking, with great pleasure, my business to call upon every one of…

with its yellow bird’s eye
the old garden
reading the book of night

Erasure poem derived from The Diary of Samuel Pepys, Sunday 14 May 1665.

Up, and all day in some little gruntings of pain, as I used to have from winde, arising I think from my fasting so long, and want of exercise, and I think going so hot in clothes, the weather being hot, and the same clothes I wore all winter.
To the ‘Change after office, and received my watch from the watchmaker, and a very fine [one] it is, given me by Briggs, the Scrivener.
Home to dinner, and then I abroad to the Atturney Generall, about advice upon the Act for Land Carriage, which he desired not to give me before I had received the King’s and Council’s order therein; going home bespoke the King’s works, will cost me 50s., I believe. So home and late at my office. But, Lord! to see how much of my old folly and childishnesse hangs upon me still that I cannot forbear carrying my watch in my hand in the coach all this afternoon, and seeing what o’clock it is one hundred times; and am apt to think with myself, how could I be so long without one; though I remember since, I had one, and found it a trouble, and resolved to carry one no more about me while I lived.
So home to supper and to bed, being troubled at a letter from Mr. Cholmly from Tangier, wherein he do advise me how people are at worke to overthrow our Victualling business, by which I shall lose 300l. per annum, I am much obliged to him for this, secret kindnesse, and concerned to repay it him in his own concernments and look after this.

a little runt of wind
so hot
clothes hang on me

I cannot bear seeing
what o’clock it is

how to live where people are at work
to overthrow us

Erasure poem derived from The Diary of Samuel Pepys, Saturday 13 May 1665.

Up betimes, and find myself disappointed in my receiving presently of my 50l. I hoped for sure of Mr. Warren upon the benefit of my press warrant, but he promises to make it good. So by water to the Exchequer, and there up and down through all the offices to strike my tallys for 17,500l., which methinks is so great a testimony of the goodness of God to me, that I, from a mean clerke there, should come to strike tallys myself for that sum, and in the authority that I do now, is a very stupendous mercy to me. I shall have them struck to-morrow. But to see how every little fellow looks after his fees, and to get what he can for everything, is a strange consideration; the King’s fees that he must pay himself for this 17,500l. coming to above 100l..
Thence called my wife at Unthanke’s to the New Exchange and elsewhere to buy a lace band for me, but we did not buy, but I find it so necessary to have some handsome clothes that I cannot but lay out some money thereupon.
To the ‘Change and thence to my watchmaker, where he has put it in order, and a good and brave piece it is, and he tells me worth 14l. which is a greater present than I valued it. So home to dinner, and after dinner comes several people, among others my cozen, Thomas Pepys, of Hatcham, to receive some money, of my Lord Sandwich’s, and there I paid him what was due to him upon my uncle’s score, but, contrary to my expectation, did get him to sign and seale to my sale of lands for payment of debts. So that now I reckon myself in better condition by 100l. in my content than I was before, when I was liable to be called to an account and others after me by my uncle Thomas or his children for every foot of land we had sold before. This I reckon a great good fortune in the getting of this done.
He gone, come Mr. Povy, Dr. Twisden, and Mr. Lawson about settling my security in the paying of the 4000l. ordered to Sir J. Lawson.
So a little abroad and then home, and late at my office and closet settling this day’s disordering of my papers, then to supper and to bed.

disappointed in God
and in authority

I find it so necessary to have
that which is greater

sand and sea and every foot
of this road

Erasure poem derived from The Diary of Samuel Pepys, Friday 12 May 1665.