x days see smoke still remaining of the late fire
in the City; and it is strange to think how, to this very day, I cannot
sleep at night without great terrors of fire, and this very night I
could not sleep till almost two in the morning through thoughts of fire.
Thus this month is ended with great content of mind to me, thriving in
my estate, and the affairs in my offices going pretty well as to myself.
This afternoon Mr. Gawden was with me and tells me more than I knew
before--that he hath orders to get all the victuals he can to Plymouth,
and the Western ports, and other outports, and some to Scotland, so that
we do intend to keep but a flying fleete this year; which, it may be,
may preserve us a year longer, but the end of it must be ruin. Sir J.
Minnes this night tells me, that he hears for certain, that ballads are
made of us in Holland for begging of a peace; which I expected, but am
vexed at. So ends this month, with nothing of weight upon my mind, but
for my father and mother, who are both very ill, and have been so for
some weeks: whom God help! but I do fear my poor father will hardly be
ever thoroughly well again.

MARCH 1666-1667

March 1st. Up, it being very cold weather again after a good deal of
warm summer weather, and to the office, where I settled to do much
business to-day. By and by sent for to Sir G. Carteret to discourse of
the business of the Navy, and our wants, and the best way of bestowing
the little money we have, which is about L30,000, but, God knows, we
have need of ten times as much, which do make my life uncomfortable,
I confess, on the King's behalf, though it is well enough as to my own
particular, but the King's service is undone by it. Having done with
him, back again to the office, and in the streets, in Mark Lane, I do
observe, it being St. David's day, the picture of a man dressed like a
Welchman, hanging by the neck upon one of the poles that stand out at
the top of one of the merchants' houses, in full proportion, and very
handsomely done; which is one of the oddest sights I have seen a good
while, for it was so like a man that one would have thought it was
indeed a man.

[From "Poor Robin's Almanack" for 1757 it appears that, in former
times in England, a Welshman was burnt in effigy on this
anniversary. Mr. W. C. Hazlitt, in his edition of Brand's "Popular
Antiquities," adds "The practice to which Pepys refers... was
very common at one time;