Pepy's Diary. 27 Sep 1665. We to the King's Head [Map], the great musique house, the first time I was ever there, and had a good breakfast, and thence parted, I being much troubled to hear from Creed, that he was told at Salsbury that I am come to be a great swearer and drinker, though I know the contrary; but, Lord! to see how my late little drinking of wine is taken notice of by envious men to my disadvantage.

Pepy's Diary. 03 Oct 1665. That being done, and some musique and other diversions, at last away goes my Lord and Lady, and I sent my wife to visit Mrs. Pierce, and so I to my office, where wrote important letters to the Court, and at night (Creed having clownishly left my wife), I to Mrs. Pierce's and brought her and Mrs. Pierce to the King's Head [Map] and there spent a piece upon a supper for her and mighty merry and pretty discourse, she being as pretty as ever, most of our mirth being upon "my Cozen" (meaning my Lord Bruncker's (age 45) ugly mistress, whom he calls cozen), and to my trouble she tells me that the fine Mrs. Middleton (age 20) is noted for carrying about her body a continued sour base smell, that is very offensive, especially if she be a little hot. Here some bad musique to close the night and so away and all of us saw Mrs. Belle Pierce (as pretty as ever she was almost) home, and so walked to Will's lodging where I used to lie, and there made shift for a bed for Mercer, and mighty pleasantly to bed.

Pepy's Diary. 03 Oct 1665. Anon by appointment comes one to tell me my Lord Rutherford is come; so I to the King's Head [Map] to him, where I find his lady (age 25), a fine young Scotch lady, pretty handsome and plain. My wife also, and Mercer, by and by comes, Creed bringing them; and so presently to dinner and very merry; and after to even our accounts, and I to give him tallys, where he do allow me £100, of which to my grief the rogue Creed has trepanned me out of £50. But I do foresee a way how it may be I may get a greater sum of my Lord to his content by getting him allowance of interest upon his tallys.

Pepy's Diary. 04 Oct 1665. Thence to the King's Head [Map] to dinner, where we three and Creed and my wife and her woman dined mighty merry and sat long talking, and so in the afternoon broke up, and I led my wife to our lodging again, and I to the office where did much business, and so to my wife.

Pepy's Diary. 06 Oct 1665. I to dinner to the King's Head [Map] with Mr. Woolly, who is come to instruct me in the business of my goods, but gives me not so good comfort as I thought I should have had. But, however, it will be well worth my time though not above 2 or £300.

Pepy's Diary. 13 Oct 1665. So to the office, and there very busy till about noon comes Sir W. Warren, and he goes and gets a bit of meat ready at the King's Head [Map] for us, and I by and by thither, and we dined together, and I am not pleased with him about a little business of Tangier that I put to him to do for me, but however, the hurt is not much, and his other matters of profit to me continue very likely to be good. Here we spent till 2 o'clock, and so I set him on shore, and I by water to the Duke of Albemarle (age 56), where I find him with Lord Craven (age 57) and Lieutenant of the Tower (age 50) about him; among other things, talking of ships to get of the King (age 35) to fetch coles for the poore of the city, which is a good worke.

Pepy's Diary. 15 Nov 1665. Up and all the morning at the office, busy, and at noon to the King's Head [Map] taverne, where all the Trinity House, Deptford [Map] dined to-day, to choose a new Master in the room of Hurlestone, that is dead, and Captain Crispe is chosen. But, Lord! to see how Sir W. Batten (age 64) governs all and tramples upon Hurlestone, but I am confident the Company will grow the worse for that man's death, for now Batten (age 64), and in him a lazy, corrupt, doating rogue, will have all the sway there.

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.

Pepy's Diary. 02 Jun 1666. Thence he and I to the King's Head [Map] and there bespoke a dish of steaks for our dinner about four o'clock. While that was doing, we walked to the water-side, and there seeing the King (age 36) and Duke (age 32) come down in their barge to Greenwich-house, I to them, and did give them an account [of] what I was doing. They went up to the Parke to hear the guns of the fleete go off. All our hopes now are that Prince Rupert (age 46) with his fleete is coming back and will be with the fleete this even: a message being sent to him to that purpose on Wednesday last; and a return is come from him this morning, that he did intend to sail from St. Ellen's point about four in the afternoon on Wednesday [Friday], which was yesterday; which gives us great hopes, the wind being very fair, that he is with them this even, and the fresh going off of the guns makes us believe the same.