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1687


January
5 The French K. now sayd to be healed or rather patch'd up of the fistula in Ano1, for which he had ben severall times cut: &c: The persecution still raging:
I was to heare the Musique of the Italians in the new Chapel, now first of all opned at White-hall publiquely for the Popish Service: Nothing can be finer than the magnificent Marble work & Architecture at the End, where are 4 statues representing st. Joh: st. Petre, st. Paule, & the Church, statues in white marble, the worke of Mr. Gibbons, with all the carving & Pillars of exquisite art & greate cost: The history or altar piece is the Salutation, The Volto, in fresca, the Asumption of the blessed Virgin according to their Traditions with our B:Saviour, & a world of figures, painted by Verio. The thrones where the K. & Q: sits is very glorious in a Closset above just opposite to the Altar: Here we saw the Bishop in his Miter, & rich Copes, with 6 or 7: Jesuits & others in Rich Copes richly habited, often taking off, & putting on the Bishops Miter, who sate in a Chaire with Armes pontificaly, was adored, & censed by 3 Jesuits in their Copes, then he went to the Altar & made divers Cringes there, censing the Images, & glorious Tabernacle placed upon the Altar, & now & then changing place; The Crosier (which was of silver) put into his hand, with a world of mysterious Ceremony the Musique pla<y>ing & singing: & so I came away: not believing I should ever have lived to see such things in the K. of Englands palace, after it had pleas'd God to inlighten this nation; but our greate sinn, has (for the present) Eclips'd the Blessing, which I hope he will in mercy & his good time restore to its purity. This was on the 29 of December:
Little appearance of any Winter as yet:

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17 ... Greate expectations of severall greate-mens declaring themselves Papists: and L:Tyrconell gon to succeede my Lord Lieutennant in Ireland, to the astonishment of all sober men, & to the evident ruine of the Protestants in that Kingdome, as well as of its greate Improvement: Much discourse that all the White-staff-Officers and others should be dismissed for adhering to their Religion: Popish Justices of Peace established in all Counties of the meanest of the people: Judges ignorant of the Law, and perverting it: so furiously does the Jesuite drive, & even compell Princes to violent courses, & distruction of an excellent Government both in Church & State: God of his infinite mercy open our Eyes, & turne our hearts, Establish his Truth, with peace: the L: Jesus Defend his little flock, & preserve this threatned church & Nation.

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30 ... I heard the famous Cifeccio (Eunuch) sing, in the new popish chapell this afternoone, which was indeede very rare, & with greate skill: He came over from Rome, esteemed one of the best voices in Italy, much crowding, little devotion:


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March

2 ... Came out now a Proclamation for Universall liberty of Conscience in Scotland and dispensation from all Tests & Lawes to the Contrary; as also capacitating Papists to be chosen into all Offices of Trust: &c. The Mysterie operats.

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10 His Majestie sent to the Commissioners of the Privy-Seale this morning into his bed-chamber, & told us that [tho] he had thought fit to dispose of the Seale, into a single hand, yet he would [so] provide for us, as it should appeare how well he accepted of our faithfull & loyal service, with many gracious expressions to this effect: upon which we delivered the Seales into his Majesties hands - It was by all the world both hoped & expected his Majestie would have restor'd it to my Lord Clarendon againe; but they were astonish'd to see it given to my L. Arundel of Wardour, a zealous Rom: Catholique: & indeede it was very hard, and looked very unkindly, his Majestie (as my L:Clarendon protested to me, going to visite him & long discoursing with him about the affaires of Ireland) finding not the least failor of duty in him during all his government of that Kingdome: so as his recalling, plainely appeared to be from the stronger Influence of the Papists, who now got all the preferments:
Most of the greate officers both in Court, [& Country] Lords & others, dismissed, who would not promise his Majestie their consent to repealing the Test, & penal statutes against the Romish recusants: There was to this end most of the Parliament men, spoken to in his Majesties Closset, & such as refused, if in any place, or office of Trust, Civil, or military, put out of their Employments: This was a time of greate trial: Hardly one of them assenting, which put the Popish Interest much backward: The English Cleargy, every where very boldly preaching against their Superstition & errors, and wonderfully follow'd by the people, not one considerable proselyte being made in all this time. The party so exceedingly put to the worst by the preaching & writing of the Protestants, in many excellent Treatises, evincing the doctrine & discipline of the Reformed Religion, to the manifest disadvantage of their Adversarys: & to which did not a little contribute [13] the Sermon preached now at W-hall before the Princesse of Denmark, & an innumerable crowde of people, & at least 30 of the greatest nobility, by Dr. Ken:Bish: of Bath & Wells, upon 8:John:46 (the Gospel of the day) all along that whole discourse describing the blasphemies, perfidie, wresting of Scriptures, preference of Traditions before it, spirit of persecution, superstition, Legends & fables, of the Scribes & pharisees; so as all the Auditory understood his meaning of paralleling them with the Romish Priests, & their new Trent Religion: Exhorting the people to adhere to the Written-Word, & to persevere in the Faith tought in the Church of England, whose doctrine for Catholique & soundnesse, he preferr'd to all the Communit<i>es & Churches of Christians in the whole-world; & concluding with a kind of prophesy, that whatsoever it suffer'd, it should after a short trial Emerge to the confusion of her Adversaries, & the glory of God:
I went this Evening to see the order of the Boys & children at Christs hospital, there was neere 800 of them, Boys & Girles: so decently clad, cleanely lodged, so wholesomly fed, so admirably taught, some the Mathematics, Especialy the 40 of the late Kings foundation; that I was plainly astonished to see the progresse some little youths of 13 & 14 yeares of age, had made: I saw them at supper, visited their dormitories, admired the order, Oeconomie, & excellent government of this most charitable seminary: The rest, some are tought for the Universitie, others designed for seamen, all for Trades & Callings: The Girles instructed in all such worke as became their Sex, as might fit them to make good Wives, Mistresses, & a blessing to their generation: They sung a Psalme before they sat downe to supper in the greate hall, to an Organ which played all the time, & sung with that cherefull harmony, as seem'd to me a vision of heavenly Angels: & I came from the place with infinite Satisfaction, having never in my life seene a more noble, pious, & admirable Charity: All these consisting of Orphans onely: The foundation (which has also had & still has many Benefactors) was of that pious Prince, K. Edward the 6: whose picture, (held to be an original of Holbeins) is in the Court, where the Governors meete to consult of the affairs of the Hospital, & his stat<u>e in White-marble stands in a Nich of the Wall below, as you go to the Church which is a modern noble & ample fabric.
16 I made a step home, 10th Saw the trial of those devlish murdering mischiefe-doing engines Bombs, shot out of the Morter piece on black-heath: The distance that they are cast, the destruction they make where ever they fall is most prodigious:

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25 At St. Martines Dr. Tenison (Goodfriday) on: 1: Pet: 2. 24. A most pathetical discourse; he drew teares from many Eyes: The H:Sacrament follow'd, <of> which I participated after a very solemn preparation & to my extraordinary Comfort: The Lord make me mindfull & thankfull:
There came in a man (whilst we were at divine service) with his sword drawn to neere the middle of the Church, with severall others in that posture; which in this jealous time, put the Congregation into a wonderfull Confusion; but it appear'd to be one who fled into it, for Sanctuary, being pursued by Baylifs &c:

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April

9 After 5 moneths Absence, of my Family, wintering at my Sons in Lond: we all returned home, (I thank God) in health: for which the Lord be blessed:
10 ... There having the last weeke ben issu'd forth a dispensation from all Obligations & Tests, by which dissenters & Papists especialy, had publique liberty of exercising their severall ways of Worship, without incurring the penalty of the many Laws, & Acts of Parliament to the Contrary ever since the Reformation; & this purely obtained by the Papists, thinking thereby to ruine the C. of England, which now was the onely Church, which so admirably & strenuously oppos'd their Superstition; There was a wonderfull concourse at the Dissenters meeting house in this parish, and the Parish-Church left exceeding thinn: What this will end in, God Almighty onely knows, but <it> lookes like confusion, which I pray God avert:

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19 I heard the famous Singer the Eunuch Cifacca, esteemed the best in Europe & indeede his holding out & delicatenesse in extending & loosing a note with that incomparable softnesse, & sweetenesse was admirable: For the rest, I found him a meere wanton, effeminate child; very Coy, & prowdly conceited to my apprehension: He touch'd the Harpsichord to his Voice rarely well, & this was before a select number of some particular persons whom Mr. Pepys (Secretary of the Admiralty & a greate lover of Musick) invited to his house, where the meeting was, & this obtained by peculiar favour & much difficulty of the Singer, who much disdained to shew his talent to any but Princes:

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May

12 I came downe with the Countesses of Bristol & Sunderland, whose husband being Lord President [& Secretary of state] was made knight of the Gartir, & prime favorite: The two Countesses &c: dined at my house: Memo-randum: this day was such a storme of wind as had seldome happened in an age for the extreame violence of it, being as was judg'd a kind of Hurocan: It also kept the floud out of the Thames that people went on foote over several places above bridge, the tide was so low. I return'd this evening with the Ladys:

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17: Lond: about my P: Seale &c: stayed all this weeke: An Earthquake in severall places of England about the time of the great storme 11th past:

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June

2: I went to Lond: it having pleas'd his Majestie to grant me a Privy-Seale for 6000 pounds, for the discharging the Debt, I had ben so many years per-secuted for. It being indeede for Mony drawne over by my F. in Law Sir R: Browne during his Residence in the Court of France, & so (with a much greater summ, due to Sir Richard from his Majestie & now this part of the Arrere payed) there remaining yet due to me (as Executor to Sir Richard) about 6500 more: But this determining a tedious & expensive Chancery suite, has ben so greate a mercy & providence to me (through the kindnesse & friendship of my L. Godolphin one of the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury), that I do accknowledge it, with all imaginable thanks to my gracious God:

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12 ... There was about this time brought into the Downes, a Vast treasure which after 45 yeares being sunk in a Spanish Galioon, which perish'd somewhere neere Hispaniola [or B<a>hama Ilands] coming home; was now weighed up, by certaine Gentlemen & others, who were [at] the Charge of Divers &c: to the suddaine enriching of them, beyond all expectation: The Duke of Albemarles share came (tis believed) to 50000, & some private Gent: who adventured but 100 pounds & little more, to ten, 18000 pounds, & proportionably; [his Majesties tenth to 10000 pounds:]
The Camp was now againe pitch'd at Hounslow, The Commanders profusely vying in the expense & magnificence of Tents:
16 I went to Lond: thence to Hampton-Court to give his Majestie thanks for his late gracious favour, though it was the granting but what was a due debt to me, [18] & so return'd home: Whilst I was in the Council-chamber came in a formal person, with a large roll of Parchment in his hand, being an Addresse (as he said, for he introduc'd it with a Speech) of the people of Coventry, giving his Majestie their greate Acknowledgements for his granting a liberty of Conscience: He added, that this was not onely the Application of one party, but the unanimous Addresse of C. of England men, Presbyterians, Inde-pendents, & Anabaptists, to shew how extensive his Majesties Grace was, as taking all parties to his Indulgence & protection, had also taken a way all dissentions & animosit<i>es, which would not onely unite them in bonds of Christian Charity, but exceedingly incourage their future Industry to the Improvement of Trade in his Majesties dominions, & spreading of his glory through out the world, & that now he had given God his Empire, God would establish his, with Expressions of greate loyaltie & submission: & so gave the King the roll: which being return'd him againe, his Majestie caused him to reade: The Addresse was short, but much to the substance of the speech of their foreman: To whom the K. (pulling off his hatt,) sayed; That what he had don in giving liberty of Conscience, was, what ever his judgement ought to be don, & that as he would preserve them in their injoyment of it during his reigne; so he would indeavor so to settle it by Law, that it should never be alter'd by his successors: After this he gave them his hand to kisse: It was reported the subscribers were above 1000: But this is not so remarkeable as an Addresse of the Weeke before (as I was assured by one present) of some of the Family of Love; His Majestie asked what their Worship consisted in, & how-many their party might consist of: They told him, their costome was to reade the Scriptures, and then to preach, but did not give any farther account, onely sayed, that for the rest, they were a sort of refined Quakers, but their number very small, not consisting (as they sayed) of above threescore in all, and those chiefly belonging to the Ile of Ely:...

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August

27 I went to Lond, to resigne a Mortgage of 1000 pounds to my Lord Sunderland, being mony lent him in my name, but belonging to my Lord Godolphin, as part of his late Wifes (my ever dearest friend) portion: & now by his Lordships desire lent to the <Exchequer>, in my name againe, the product both of this and 2000 pounds more, for the maintenance of his sonn & heire Francis Godolphin &c: I returned this Evening:

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September

4 ... The Turkes beaten this summer by Emp: & Venetians exceedingly: persecution raging in France. Divers churches in France fired by lightning, Priests strucken, Consecrated hosts &c. burnt & destroyed, both at St. Malo, & Paris at the grand procession on C. Christi day.

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October

6 I was Godfather to sir Jo: Chartins sonn (the greate French Traveller), with the Earle of Bath, and the Countess of Carlile: The Child was Christn'd in Greenewich Church with much solemnitie, and it was named John, which was also my L: of Bathes name &c: we all dined at sir Johns in the Queenes house, where was the Marquisse of Ruvignie, Young Lord Carteret, Sir Jo: Fenwick, & other persons of qualitie:

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29 Was an Anabaptist very odd ignorant Mechanic, I thin<k> a made Lord Mayor; The K: Q: Invited to feast at Guild-hall, together with Dadi, the Popes Nuncio - ô strange turne of affaires, That these who scandaliz'd the Church of England, as favourers of Popery (the Dissenters) should publiqly invite an Emissary from Rome, one who represented the very person of their Antichrist!

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November

20 Our Lecturer on 27: Job: 56: &c: Pomerid: the Curate on 10.Act:38: Sleep surprized me, having sate up very late, upon my daughter Susans, Indisposition &c:

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December

1 I went to severall of my friends, & returned home [2] The next day, leaving both my poore Wife & daughter very much Indisposed:
This season was Extraordinarily Wett & Tempestious.

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10 I went to Lond to see my Wife who was Indisposed with a rhume, & staying some while to take the physitians Advice: My Son was now returned out of Devon Shire, where he had ben upon a Commission, from the Lords of the Tressury, about a Concealement of Land: I dined with the Secretary of the Admiralty [upon a petition for Mr. Fowler:] & returned home late:

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20 I went with my Lord Chiefe-Justice Herbert, to see his house at Walton on the Thames: It is a barren place, he had built, to a very ordinary house a very handsome Library, designing more building to it, than the place deserves in my opinion: He desired my advice about the laying out of his Gardens &c: next day, we went to Waybridge, to see som pictures of the Dutchesse of Norfolcks, especialy the statue, or Christo in Gremio, said to be of M:Angelos; but, there are reasons to think it rather a copy, from some proportion in both the figures ill taken: I<t> was now exposed to sale: I came to Lond: the thursday after, having be<en> exceedingly well treated by my L.C.Justice: and so
22 Return'd to Deptford.
25 Our Lecturer on 72. Psal: 6: The holy Sacrament follow'd of which I participated; the Lord make me thankfull: Pomerid: our Curate on Psal 119: 58:
31 I went to Lond:

Continue to 1688


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