Pepy's Diary. 08 Oct 1665. Lord's Day. Up and, after being trimmed, to the office, whither I upon a letter from the Duke of Albemarle (age 56) to me, to order as many ships forth out of the river as I can presently, to joyne to meet the Dutch; having ordered all the Captains of the ships in the river to come to me, I did some business with them, and so to Captain Cocke's (age 48) to dinner, he being in the country. But here his brother Solomon was, and, for guests, myself, Sir G. Smith (age 50), and a very fine lady, one Mrs. Penington, and two more gentlemen. But, both [before] and after dinner, most witty discourse with this lady, who is a very fine witty lady, one of the best I ever heard speake, and indifferent handsome.

Pepy's Diary. 22 Oct 1665. Thence back again, it being evening before I could get home, and there Cocke (age 48) not being within, I and Mr. Salomon to Mr. Glanville's (age 47), and there we found Cocke (age 48) and sat and supped, and was mighty merry with only Madam Penington, who is a fine, witty lady. Here we spent the evening late with great mirth, and so home and to bed.

Pepy's Diary. 05 Nov 1665. Then the lady and I to very serious discourse and, among other things, of what a bonny lasse my Lady Robinson (age 53) is, who is reported to be kind to the prisoners, and has said to Sir G. Smith (age 50), who is her great crony, "Look! there is a pretty man, I would be content to break a commandment with him", and such loose expressions she will have often.

Pepy's Diary. 05 Nov 1665. Here comes in, in the middle of our discourse Captain Cocke (age 48), as drunk as a dogg, but could stand, and talk and laugh. He did so joy himself in a brave woman that he had been with all the afternoon, and who should it be but my Lady Robinson (age 53), but very troublesome he is with his noise and talke, and laughing, though very pleasant. With him in his coach to Mr. Glanville's (age 47), where he sat with Mrs. Penington and myself a good while talking of this fine woman again and then went away.

Pepy's Diary. 07 Nov 1665. Thence my head being full of business and mind out of order for thinking of the effects which will arise from the want of money, I made an end of my letters by eight o'clock, and so to my lodging and there spent the evening till midnight talking with Mrs. Penington, who is a very discreet, understanding lady and very pretty discourse we had and great variety, and she tells me with great sorrow her bitch is dead this morning, died in her bed. So broke up and to bed.

Pepy's Diary. 12 Nov 1665. Thence by and by he and I to Mrs. Penington's, but she was gone to bed. So we back and walked a while, and then to his house and to supper, and then broke up, and I home to my lodging to bed.

Pepy's Diary. 13 Nov 1665. So I to the office and among other business prepared a deed for him to sign and seale to me about our agreement, which at night I got him to come and sign and seale, and so he and I to Glanville's (age 47), and there he and I sat talking and playing with Mrs. Penington, whom we found undrest in her smocke and petticoats by the fireside, and there we drank and laughed, and she willingly suffered me to put my hand in her bosom very wantonly, and keep it there long. Which methought was very strange, and I looked upon myself as a man mightily deceived in a lady, for I could not have thought she could have suffered it, by her former discourse with me; so modest she seemed and I know not what.

Pepy's Diary. 15 Nov 1665. After dinner who comes in but my Lady Batten, and a troop of a dozen women almost, and expected, as I found afterward, to be made mighty much of, but nobody minded them; but the best jest was, that when they saw themselves not regarded, they would go away, and it was horrible foule weather; and my Lady Batten walking through the dirty lane with new spicke and span white shoes, she dropped one of her galoshes in the dirt, where it stuck, and she forced to go home without one, at which she was horribly vexed, and I led her; and after vexing her a little more in mirth, I parted, and to Glanville's (age 47), where I knew Sir John Robinson (age 50), Sir G. Smith (age 50), and Captain Cocke (age 48) were gone, and there, with the company of Mrs. Penington, whose [her father] father, I hear, was one of the Court of justice, and died prisoner, of the stone, in the Tower [Map], I made them, against their resolutions, to stay from houre to houre till it was almost midnight, and a furious, darke and rainy, and windy, stormy night, and, which was best, I, with drinking small beer, made them all drunk drinking wine, at which Sir John Robinson (age 50) made great sport.

Pepy's Diary. 24 Nov 1665. Thence, Cocke (age 48) having sent for his coach, we to Mrs. Penington, and there sat and talked and eat our oysters with great pleasure, and so home to my lodging late and to bed.

Pepy's Diary. 24 Nov 1665. After dinner Captain Cocke (age 48) and I about some business, and then with my other barrel of oysters home to Greenwich, Kent [Map], sent them by water to Mrs. Penington, while he and I landed, and visited Mr. Evelyn (age 45), where most excellent discourse with him; among other things he showed me a ledger of a Treasurer of the Navy, his great grandfather, just 100 years old; which I seemed mighty fond of, and he did present me with it, which I take as a great rarity; and he hopes to find me more, older than it. He also shewed us several letters of the old Lord of Leicester's, in Queen Elizabeth's time, under the very hand-writing of Queen Elizabeth, and Queen Mary, Queen of Scotts; and others, very venerable names.

Pepy's Diary. 26 Nov 1665. But here, they tell me, one of the houses behind them is infected, and I was fain to stand there a great while, to have their back-door opened, but they could not, having locked them fast, against any passing through, so was forced to pass by them again, close to their sicke beds, which they were removing out of the house, which troubled me; so I made them uninvite their guests, and to resolve of coming all away to me to-morrow, and I walked with a lanthorne, weary as I was, to Greenwich, Kent [Map]; but it was a fine walke, it being a hard frost, and so to Captain Cocke's (age 48), but he I found had sent for me to come to him to Mrs. Penington's, and there I went, and we were very merry, and supped, and Cocke (age 48) being sleepy he went away betimes. I stayed alone talking and playing with her till past midnight, she suffering me whatever 'ego voulais avec ses mamilles [to do whatever I wanted with her breasts].... Much pleased with her company we parted, and I home to bed at past one, all people being in bed thinking I would have staid out of town all night.

Pepy's Diary. 04 Dec 1665. So late by water home, taking a barrel of oysters with me, and at Greenwich, Kent [Map] went and sat with Madam Penington .... and made her undress her head and sit dishevilled all night sporting till two in the morning, and so away to my lodging and so to bed. Over-fasting all the morning hath filled me mightily with wind, and nothing else hath done it, that I fear a fit of the cholique.

Pepy's Diary. 15 Dec 1665. So away and I to see Mrs. Penington, but company being to come to her, I staid not, but to the office a little and so home, and after supper to bed.

Pepy's Diary. 17 Dec 1665. I walked to Greenwich, Kent [Map] first, to make a short visit to my Lord Bruncker (age 45), and next to Mrs. Penington and spent all the evening with her with the same freedom I used to have and very pleasant company. With her till one of the clock in the morning and past, and so to my lodging to bed, and

Pepy's Diary. 20 Dec 1665. I was called by my Lord Bruncker (age 45) in his coach with his mistresse, and Mr. Cottle the lawyer, our acquaintance at Greenwich, Kent [Map], and so home to Greenwich, Kent [Map], and thence I to Mrs. Penington, and had a supper from the King's Head [Map] for her, and there mighty merry and free as I used to be with her, and at last, late, I did pray her to undress herself into her nightgowne, that I might see how to have her picture drawne carelessly (for she is mighty proud of that conceit), and I would walk without in the streete till she had done. So I did walk forth, and whether I made too many turns or no in the darke cold frosty night between the two walls up to the Parke gate I know not, but she was gone to bed when I come again to the house, upon pretence of leaving some papers there, which I did on purpose by her consent.