nd Duke of York
have, in their several late journeys to and again, done them in the night
for coolnesse. Thence with him to the Treasury Chamber, and then to the
Exchequer to inform ourselves a little about our warrant for L30,000 for
Tangier, which vexes us that it is so far off in time of payment. Having
walked two or three turns with him in the Hall we parted, and I home by
coach, and did business at the office till noon, and then by water to
White Hall to dinner to Sir G. Carteret, but he not at home, but I dined
with my Lady and good company, and good dinner. My Lady and the family in
very good humour upon this business of his parting with his place of
Treasurer of the Navy, which I perceive they do own, and we did talk of it
with satisfaction. They do here tell me that the Duke of Buckingham hath
surrendered himself to Secretary Morrice, and is going to the Tower. Mr.
Fenn, at the table, says that he hath been taken by the watch two or three
times of late, at unseasonable hours, but so disguised that they could not
know him: and when I come home, by and by, Mr. Lowther tells me that the
Duke of Buckingham do dine publickly this day at Wadlow's, at the Sun
Tavern; and is mighty merry, and sent word to the Lieutenant of the Tower,
that he would come to him as soon as he had dined. Now, how sad a thing
it is, when we come to make sport of proclaiming men traitors, and
banishing them, and putting them out of their offices, and Privy Council,
and of sending to and going to the Tower: God have mercy on us! At table,
my Lady and Sir Philip Carteret have great and good discourse of the
greatness of the present King of France--what great things he hath done,
that a man may pass, at any hour in the night, all over that wild city
[Paris], with a purse in his hand and no danger: that there is not a
beggar to be seen in it, nor dirt lying in it; that he hath married two of
Colbert's daughters to two of the greatest princes of France, and given
them portions--bought the greatest dukedom in France, and given it to
Colbert;
[The Carterets appear to have mystified Pepys, who eagerly believed
all that was told him. At this time Paris was notoriously unsafe,
infested with robbers and beggars, and abominably unclean. Colbert
had three daughters, of whom the eldest was just married when Pepys
wrote, viz., Jean Marie Therese, to the Duc de Chevreuse, on the 3rd
February, 1667. The second daughter
|