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On 24th April 1620 Captain John Graunt was born.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 20th May 1661. At home all the morning; paid £50 to one Mr. Grant (age 41) for Mr. Barlow, for the last half year, and was visited by Mr. Anderson, my former chamber fellow at Cambridge, with whom I parted at the Hague, but I did not go forthwith him, only gave him a morning draft at home.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 2nd January 1662. After dinner, borne by water, and so to the office till night, and then I went forth, by appointment, to meet with Mr. Grant (age 41), who promised to meet me at the Coffee-house to bring me acquainted with Cooper the great limner in little, but they deceived me, and so I went home, and there sat at my lute and singing till almost twelve at night, and so to bed.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 24th March 1662. So home again, and took water with them towards Westminster; but as we put off with the boat Griffin came after me to tell me that Sir G. Carteret (age 52) and the rest were at the office, so I intended to see them through the bridge [Map] and come back again, but the tide being against us, when we were almost through we were carried back again with much danger, and Mrs. Pierce was much afeard and frightened. So I carried them to the other side and walked to the Beare [Map], and sent them away, and so back again myself to the office, but finding nobody there I went again to the Old Swan [Map], and thence by water to the New Exchange [Map], and there found them, and thence by coach carried my wife to Bowes to buy something, and while they were there went to Westminster Hall [Map], and there bought Mr. Grant's (age 41) book of observations upon the weekly bills of mortality, which appear to me upon first sight to be very pretty.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 23rd January 1663. Thence to Mr. Grant (age 42), to bid him come for money for Mr. Barlow, and he and I to a coffee-house, where Sir J. Cutler (age 60)1 was; and in discourse, among other things, he did fully make it out that the trade of England is as great as ever it was, only in more hands; and that of all trades there is a greater number than ever there was, by reason of men taking more 'prentices, because of their having more money than heretofore. His discourse was well worth hearing.
Note 1. Citizen and grocer of London; most severely handled by Pope. Two statues were erected to his memory-one in the College of Physicians, and the other in the Grocers' Hall. They were erected and one removed (that in the College of Physicians) before Pope stigmatized "sage Cutler". Pope says that Sir John Cutler had an only daughter; in fact, he had two: one married to Lord Radnor; the other, mentioned afterwards by Pepys, the wife of Sir William Portman. B.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 10th April 1663. Up very betimes and to my office, where most hard at business alone all the morning. At noon to the Exchange [Map], where I hear that after great expectation from Ireland, and long stop of letters, there is good news come, that all is quiett after our great noise of troubles there, though some stir hath been as was reported. Off the Exchange [Map] with Sir J. Cutler (age 60) and Mr. Grant (age 42) to the Royall Oak Tavern, in Lumbard Street, where Alexander Broome the poet was, a merry and witty man, I believe, if he be not a little conceited, and here drank a sort of French wine, called Ho Bryan1, that hath a good and most particular taste that I never met with.
Note 1. Haut Brion, a claret; one of the first growths of the red wines of Medoc.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 20th April 1663. So to my office the remaining part of the morning till towards noon, and then to Mr. Grant's (age 42). There saw his prints, which he shewed me, and indeed are the best collection of any things almost that ever I saw, there being the prints of most of the greatest houses, churches, and antiquitys in Italy and France and brave cutts. I had not time to look them over as I ought, and which I will take time hereafter to do, and therefore left them and home to dinner.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 31st July 1663. Before I went to the office I went to the Coffee House, where Sir J. Cutler (age 60) and Mr. Grant (age 43) were, and there Mr. Grant showed me letters of Sir William Petty's (age 40), wherein he says, that his vessel which he hath built upon two keeles (a modell whereof, built for the King (age 33), he showed me) hath this month won a wager of £50 in sailing between Dublin and Holyhead with the pacquett-boat, the best ship or vessel the King hath there; and he offers to lay with any vessel in the world. It is about thirty ton in burden, and carries thirty men, with good accommodation, (as much more as any ship of her burden,) and so any vessel of this figure shall carry more men, with better accommodation by half, than any other ship. This carries also ten guns, of about five tons weight. In their coming back from Holyhead they started together, and this vessel came to Dublin by five at night, and the pacquett-boat not before eight the next morning; and when they came they did believe that, this vessel had been drowned, or at least behind, not thinking she could have lived in that sea. Strange things are told of this vessel, and he concludes his letter with this position, "I only affirm that the perfection of sayling lies in my principle, finde it out who can".
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 5th August 1663. All the morning at the office, whither Deane (age 29) of Woolwich came to me and discoursed of the body of ships, which I am now going about to understand, and then I took him to the coffee-house, where he was very earnest against Mr. Grant's (age 43) report in favour of Sir W. Petty's (age 40) vessel, even to some passion on both sides almost.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 14th October 1663. Up and to my office, where all the morning, and part of it Sir J. Minnes (age 64) spent, as he do every thing else, like a fool, reading the Anatomy of the body to me, but so sillily as to the making of me understand any thing that I was weary of him, and so I toward the 'Change [Map] and met with Mr. Grant (age 43), and he and I to the Coffee-house, where I understand by him that Sir W. Petty (age 40) and his vessel are coming, and the King (age 33) intends to go to Portsmouth, Hampshire [Map] to meet it.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 30th December 1663. So leaving him at the Guiny House I to the Coffee House, whither came Mr. Grant (age 43) and Sir W. Petty (age 40), with whom I talked, and so did many, almost all the house there, about his new vessel, wherein he did give me such satisfaction in every point that I am almost confident she will prove an admirable invention.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 11th January 1664. Thence to the Coffee-house, whither comes Sir W. Petty (age 40) and Captain Grant (age 43), and we fell in talke (besides a young gentleman, I suppose a merchant, his name Mr. Hill (age 34), that has travelled and I perceive is a master in most sorts of musique and other things) of musique; the universal character; art of memory; Granger's counterfeiting of hands and other most excellent discourses to my great content, having not been in so good company a great while, and had I time I should covet the acquaintance of that Mr. Hill. This morning I stood by the King (age 33) arguing with a pretty Quaker woman, that delivered to him a desire of hers in writing. The King showed her Sir J. Minnes (age 64), as a man the fittest for her quaking religion, saying that his beard was the stiffest thing about him, and again merrily said, looking upon the length of her paper, that if all she desired was of that length she might lose her desires; she modestly saying nothing till he begun seriously to discourse with her, arguing the truth of his spirit against hers; she replying still with these words, "O King!" and thou'd him all along.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 5th October 1664. And thither anon come all the Gresham College, and a great deal of noble company: and the new instrument was brought called the Arched Viall1, where being tuned with lute-strings, and played on with kees like an organ, a piece of parchment is always kept moving; and the strings, which by the kees are pressed down upon it, are grated in imitation of a bow, by the parchment; and so it is intended to resemble several vyalls played on with one bow, but so basely and harshly, that it will never do. But after three hours' stay it could not be fixed in tune; and so they were fain to go to some other musique of instruments, which I am grown quite out of love with, and so I, after some good discourse with Mr. Spong, Hill, Grant (age 44), and Dr. Whistler, and others by turns, I home to my office and there late, and so home, where I understand my wife has spoke to Jane and ended matters of difference between her and her, and she stays with us, which I am glad of; for her fault is nothing but sleepiness and forgetfulness, otherwise a good-natured, quiet, well-meaning, honest servant, and one that will do as she is bid, so one called upon her and will see her do it.
Note 1. "There seems to be a curious fate reigning over the instruments which have the word 'arch' prefixed to their name. They have no vitality, and somehow or other come to grief. Even the famous archlute, which was still a living thing in the time of Handel, has now disappeared from the concert room and joined Mr. Pepys's 'Arched Viall' in the limbo of things forgotten.... Mr. Pepys's verdict that it would never do... has been fully confirmed by the event, as his predictions usually were, being indeed always founded on calm judgment and close observation". B. (Hueffer's Italian and other Studies, 1883, p. 263).
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 25th July 1665. At noon to the 'Change [Map], which was very thin, and thence homeward, and was called in by Mr. Rawlinson (age 51), with whom I dined and some good company very harmlessly merry. But sad the story of the plague in the City, it growing mightily. This day my Lord Bruncker (age 45) did give me Mr. Grant's' (age 45) book upon the Bills of Mortality, new printed and enlarged.
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Samuel Pepys' Diary. 12th February 1666. Up, and very busy to perform an oathe in finishing my Journall this morning for 7 or 8 days past. Then to several people attending upon business, among others Mr. Grant (age 45) and the executors of Barlow for the £25 due for the quarter before he died, which I scrupled to pay, being obliged but to pay every half year. Then comes Mr. Caesar, my boy's lute-master, whom I have not seen since the plague before, but he hath been in Westminster all this while very well; and tells me in the height of it, how bold people there were, to go in sport to one another's burials; and in spite too, ill people would breathe in the faces (out of their windows) of well people going by. Then to dinner before the 'Change [Map], and so to the 'Change [Map], and then to the taverne to talk with Sir William Warren, and so by coach to several places, among others to my Lord Treasurer's (age 58), there to meet my Lord Sandwich (age 40), but missed, and met him at [my] Chancellor's (age 56), and there talked with him about his accounts, and then about Sir G. Carteret (age 56), and I find by him that Sir G. Carteret has a worse game to play than my Lord Sandwich, for people are jeering at him, and he cries out of the business of Sir W. Coventry (age 38), who strikes at all and do all.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 26th April 1668. Lord's Day. Lay long, and then up and to Church, and so home, where there come and dined with me Harris (age 34), Rolt (age 39), and Bannister, and one Bland, that sings well also, and very merry at dinner, and, after dinner, to sing all the afternoon. But when all was done, I did begin to think that the pleasure of these people was not worth so often charge and cost to me, as it hath occasioned me. They being gone I and Balty (age 28) walked as far as Charing Cross [Map], and there got a coach and to Hales's (age 68) the painter, thinking to have found Harris sitting there for his picture, which is drawing for me. But he, and all this day's company, and Hales, were got to the Crown tavern, at next door, and thither I to them and stayed a minute, leaving Captain Grant (age 48) telling pretty stories of people that have killed themselves, or been accessory to it, in revenge to other people, and to mischief other people, and thence with Hales to his house, and there did see his beginning of Harris's picture, which I think will be pretty like, and he promises a very good picture.
On 18th April 1674 Captain John Graunt (age 53) died.