Pepy's Diary. 20 Jan 1669. Thence to my wife at Unthanke's, and with her and W. Hewer (age 27) to Hercules Pillars, calling to do two or three things by the way, end there dined, and thence to the Duke of York's (age 35) house, and saw "Twelfth Night", as it is now revived; but, I think, one of the weakest plays that ever I saw on the stage. This afternoon, before the play, I called with my wife at Dancre's (age 44), the great landscape-painter, by Mr. Povy's (age 55) advice; and have bespoke him to come to take measure of my dining-room panels, and there I met with the pretty daughter of the coalseller's, that lived in Cheapside, and now in Covent Garden [Map], who hath her picture drawn here, but very poorly; but she is a pretty woman, and now, I perceive, married, a very pretty black woman. So, the play done, we home, my wife letting fall some words of her observing my eyes to be mightily employed in the playhouse, meaning upon women, which did vex me; but, however, when we come home, we were good friends; and so to read, and to supper, and so to bed.

Pepy's Diary. 22 Jan 1669. Up, and with W. Hewer (age 27) to White Hall, and there attended the Duke of York (age 35), and thence to the Exchange [Map], in the way calling at several places on occasions relating to my feast to-morrow, on which my mind is now set; as how to get a new looking-glass for my dining-room, and some pewter, and good wine, against to-morrow; and so home, where I had the looking-glass set up, cost me £6 7s. 6d. And here at the 'Change [Map] I met with Mr. Dancre (age 44), the famous landscape painter, with whom I was on Wednesday; and he took measure of my panels in my dining-room, where, in the four, I intend to have the four houses of the King (age 38), White Hall, Hampton Court [Map], Greenwich, Kent [Map], and Windsor. He gone, I to dinner with my people, and so to my office to dispatch a little business, and then home to look after things against to-morrow, and among other things was mightily pleased with the fellow that come to lay the cloth, and fold the napkins, which I like so well, as that I am resolved to give him 40s. to teach my wife to do it.

Pepy's Diary. 01 Feb 1669. Up, and by water from the Tower to White Hall, the first time that I have gone to that end of the town by water, for two or three months, I think, since I kept a coach, which God send propitious to me; but it is a very great convenience. I went to a Committee of Tangier, but it did not meet, and so I meeting Mr. Povy (age 55), he and I away to Dancre's (age 44), to speak something touching the pictures I am getting him to make for me. And thence he carried me to Mr. Streeter's, the famous history-painter over the way, whom I have often heard of, but did never see him before; and there I found him, and Dr. Wren, and several Virtuosos, looking upon the paintings which he is making for the new Theatre at Oxford: and, indeed, they look as if they would be very fine, and the rest think better than those of Rubens in the Banqueting-house at White Hall, but I do not so fully think so. But they will certainly be very noble; and I am mightily pleased to have the fortune to see this man and his work, which is very famous; and he a very civil little man, and lame, but lives very handsomely. So thence to my Lord Bellassis (age 54), and met him within: my business only to see a chimney-piece of Dancre's (age 44) doing, in distemper, with egg to keep off the glaring of the light, which I must have done for my room: and indeed it is pretty, but, I must confess, I do think it is not altogether so beautiful as the oyle pictures; but I will have some of one, and some of another.

Pepy's Diary. 05 Feb 1669. Up betimes, by coach to Sir W. Coventry's (age 41), and with him by coach to White Hall, and there walked in the garden talking of several things, and by my visit to keep fresh my interest in him; and there he tells me how it hath been talked that he was to go one of the Commissioners to Ireland, which he was resolved never to do, unless directly commanded; for he told me that for to go thither, while the Chief Secretary of State was his professed enemy, was to undo himself; and, therefore, it were better for him to venture being unhappy here, than to go further off, to be undone by some obscure instructions, or whatever other way of mischief his enemies should cut out for him. He mighty kind to me, and so parted, and thence home, calling in two or three places-among others, Dancre's (age 44), where I find him beginning of a piece for me, of Greenwich, Kent [Map], which will please me well, and so home to dinner, and very busy all the afternoon, and so at night home to supper, and to bed.

Pepy's Diary. 03 Mar 1669. Thence to Dancre's (age 44), the painter's, and there saw my picture of Greenwich, Kent [Map], finished to my very good content, though this manner of distemper do make the figures not so pleasing as in oyle.

Pepy's Diary. 16 Mar 1669. Thence, after seeing Mr. Sheldon, I to Greenwich, Kent [Map] by water, and there landed at the King's house, which goes on slow, but is very pretty¹. I to the Park, there to see the prospect of the hill, to judge of Dancre's (age 44) picture, which he hath made thereof for me: and I do like it very well: and it is a very pretty place.

Note 1. The old palace at Greenwich, Kent [Map] had just been pulled down, and a new building commenced by Charles II, only one wing of which was completed, at the expense of £36,000, under the auspices of Webb, Inigo Jones's kinsman and executor. In 1694 the unfinished edifice was granted by William and Mary to trustees for the use and service of a Naval Hospital; and it has been repeatedly enlarged and improved till it has arrived at its present splendour. B.

Pepy's Diary. 18 Mar 1669. Thence to visit Ned Pickering (age 51) and his lady (age 36), and Creed and his wife, but the former abroad, and the latter out of town, gone to my Lady Pickering's (age 43) in Northamptonshire, upon occasion of the late death of their brother, Oliver Pickering, a youth, that is dead of the smallpox. So my wife and I to Dancre's (age 44) to see the pictures; and thence to Hyde Park, the first time we were there this year, or ever in our own coach, where with mighty pride rode up and down, and many coaches there; and I thought our horses and coach as pretty as any there, and observed so to be by others. Here staid till night, and so home, and to the office, where busy late, and so home to supper and to bed, with great content, but much business in my head of the office, which troubles me.

Pepy's Diary. 31 Mar 1669. Thence to Dancre's (age 44), and there, saw our pictures which are in doing; and I did choose a view of Rome instead of Hampton Court [Map]; and mightily pleased I shall be in them. Here were Sir Charles Cotterell (age 53) and his son bespeaking something; both ingenious men.

Pepy's Diary. 30 Apr 1669. Thence to the frame-maker's one Morris, in Long Acre, who shewed me several forms of frames to choose by, which was pretty, in little bits of mouldings, to choose by. This done, I to my coach-maker's, and there vexed to see nothing yet done to my coach, at three in the afternoon; but I set it in doing, and stood by it till eight at night, and saw the painter varnish which is pretty to see how every doing it over do make it more and more yellow; and it dries as fast in the sun as it can be laid on almost; and most coaches are, now-a-days done so, and it is very pretty when laid on well, and not pale, as some are, even to shew the silver. Here I did make the workmen drink, and saw my coach cleaned and oyled; and, staying among poor people there in the alley, did hear them call their fat child Punch, which pleased me mightily that word being become a word of common use for all that is thick and short. At night home, and there find my wife hath been making herself clean against to-morrow; and, late as it was, I did send my coachman and horses to fetch home the coach to-night, and so we to supper, myself most weary with walking and standing so much, to see all things fine against to-morrow, and so to bed. God give a blessing to it! Meeting with Mr. Sheres, he went with me up and down to several places, and, among others, to buy a perriwig, but I bought none; and also to Dancre's (age 44), where he was about my picture of Windsor, which is mighty pretty, and so will the prospect of Rome be.

Pepy's Diary. 02 May 1669. Lord's Day. Up, and by water to White Hall, and there visit my Lord Sandwich (age 43), who, after about two months' absence at Hinchingbroke [Map], come to town last night. I saw him, and very kind; and I am glad he is so, I having not wrote to him all the time, my eyes indeed not letting me. Here with Sir Charles Herbert [Harbord] (age 29), and my Lord Hinchingbrooke (age 21), and Sidney (age 18), we looked upon the picture of Tangier, designed: by Charles Herbert [Harbord] (age 29), and drawn by Dancre (age 44), which my Lord Sandwich (age 43) admires, as being the truest picture that ever he's saw in his life: and it is indeed very pretty, and I will be at the cost of having one of them.

Before 1672. Hendrick Danckerts (age 46). View of the Queen's House, Greenwich with the first range of the King Charles Block behind.

1675. Hendrick Danckerts (age 50). Portrait of Royal Gardener John Rose presenting a pineappel to King Charles II (age 44)

1675. Hendrick Danckerts (age 50). View of Plymouth, Devon [Map].

1675. Hendrick Danckerts (age 50). View of Whitehall Palace [Map] from St James' Park.

1675. Hendrick Danckerts (age 50). View of Windsor Castle [Map].