Pepy's Diary. 09 Jan 1660. Monday. For these two or three days I have been much troubled with thoughts how to get money to pay them that I have borrowed money of, by reason of my money being in my uncle's hands. I rose early this morning, and looked over and corrected my brother John's (age 19) speech, which he is to make the next apposition,-[Note. Declamations at St. Paul's School, in which there were opponents and respondents.]-and after that I went towards my office, and in my way met with W. Simons, Muddiman, and Jack Price, and went with them to Harper's and in many sorts of talk I staid till two of the clock in the afternoon. I found Muddiman a good scholar, an arch rogue; and owns that though he writes new books for the Parliament, yet he did declare that he did it only to get money; and did talk very basely of many of them. Among other things, W. Simons told me how his uncle Scobel was on Saturday last called to the bar, for entering in the journal of the House, for the year 1653, these words: "This day his Excellence the Lord General Cromwell dissolved this House;" which words the Parliament voted a forgery, and demanded of him how they came to be entered. He answered that they were his own handwriting, and that he did it by virtue of his office, and the practice of his predecessor; and that the intent of the practice was to-let posterity know how such and such a Parliament was dissolved, whether by the command of the King, or by their own neglect, as the last House of Lords was; and that to this end, he had said and writ that it was dissolved by his Excellence the Lord G[eneral]; and that for the word dissolved, he never at the time did hear of any other term; and desired pardon if he would not dare to make a word himself when it was six years after, before they came themselves to call it an interruption; but they were so little satisfied with this answer, that they did chuse a committee to report to the House, whether this crime of Mr. Scobell's did come within the act of indemnity or no. Thence I went with Muddiman to the Coffee-House, and gave 18d. to be entered of the Club. Thence into the Hall, where I heard for certain that Monk (age 51) was coming to London, and that Bradshaw's lodgings were preparing for him. Thence to Mrs. Jem's, and found her in bed, and she was afraid that it would prove the smallpox. Thence back to Westminster Hall [Map], where I heard how Sir H. Vane (age 46) was this day voted out of the House, and to sit no more there; and that he would retire himself to his house at Raby [Map], as also all the rest of the nine officers that had their commissions formerly taken away from them, were commanded to their farthest houses from London during the pleasure of the Parliament. Here I met with the Quarter Master of my Lord's (age 34) troop, and his clerk Mr. Jenings, and took them home, and gave them a bottle of wine, and the remainder of my collar of brawn; and so good night. After that came in Mr. Hawly, who told me that I was mist this day at my office, and that to-morrow I must pay all the money that I have, at which I was put to a great loss how I should get money to make up my cash, and so went to bed in great trouble.

Pepy's Diary. 08 Feb 1660. Wednesday. A little practice on my flageolet, and afterwards walking in my yard to see my stock of pigeons, which begin now with the spring to breed very fast. I was called on by Mr. Fossan, my fellow pupil at Cambridge, and I took him to the Swan [Map] in the Palace yard, and drank together our morning draft. Thence to my office, where I received money, and afterwards Mr. Carter, my old friend at Cambridge, meeting me as I was going out of my office I took him to the Swan [Map], and in the way I met with Captain Lidcott, and so we three went together and drank there, the Captain talking as high as ever he did, and more because of the fall of his brother Thurlow (age 43). Hence I went to Captain Stone, who told me how Squib had been with him, and that he could do nothing with him, so I returned to Mr. Carter and with him to Will's, where I spent upon him and Monsieur L'Impertinent, alias Mr. Butler, who I took thither with me, and thence to a Rhenish wine house, and in our way met with Mr. Hoole, where I paid for my cozen Roger Pepys (age 42) his wine, and after drinking we parted. So I home, in my way delivering a letter which among the rest I had from my Lord to-day to Sir N. Wheeler [Note. Another source has this as W Wheler probably being Sir William Wheler Baronet (age 49).]. At home my wife's brother (age 20) brought her a pretty black dog which I liked very well, and went away again. Hence sending a porter with the hamper of bottles to the Temple [Map] I called in my way upon Mrs. Jem, who was much frighted till I came to tell her that her mother (age 35) was well. So to the Temple [Map], where I delivered the wine and received the money of my cos. Roger (age 42) that I laid out, and thence to my [his brother] father's (age 59), where he shewed me a base angry letter that he had newly received from my uncle Robert about my brother John (age 19), at which my father (age 59) was very sad, but I comforted him and wrote an answer. My brother John (age 19) has an exhibition granted him from the school. My father (age 59) and I went down to his kitchen, and there we eat and drank, and about 9 o'clock I went away homewards, and in Fleet Street [Map], received a great jostle from a man that had a mind to take the wall¹, which I could not help?.

Note 1. This was a constant trouble to the pedestrian until the rule of passing to the right of the person met was generally accepted. Gay commences his "Trivia" with an allusion to this ... "When to assert the wall, and when resign-" and the epigram on the haughty courtier and the scholar is well known.