Diary, Apr/May 1664 | Page 7

to our good!

6th. Up and to my office, whither by and by came John Noble, my
father's old servant, to speake with me. I smelling the business, took
him home; and there, all alone, he told me how he had been serviceable
to my brother Tom, in the business of his getting his servant, an ugly
jade, Margaret, with child. She was brought to bed in St. Sepulchre's
parish of two children; one is dead, the other is alive; her name
Elizabeth, and goes by the name of Taylor, daughter to John Taylor. It
seems Tom did a great while trust one Crawly with the business, who
daily got money of him; and at last, finding himself abused, he broke
the matter to J. Noble, upon a vowe of secresy. Tom's first plott was to
go on the other side the water and give a beggar woman something to
take the child. They did once go, but did nothing, J. Noble saying that
seven years hence the mother might come to demand the child and
force him to produce it, or to be suspected of murder. Then I think it
was that they consulted, and got one Cave, a poor pensioner in St.
Bride's parish to take it, giving him L5, he thereby promising to keepe
it for ever without more charge to them. The parish hereupon indite the
man Cave for bringing this child upon the parish, and by Sir Richard
Browne he is sent to the Counter. Cave thence writes to Tom to get him
out. Tom answers him in a letter of his owne hand, which J. Noble
shewed me, but not signed by him, wherein he speaks of freeing him
and getting security for him, but nothing as to the business of the child,
or anything like it: so that forasmuch as I could guess, there is nothing
therein to my brother's prejudice as to the main point, and therefore I
did not labour to tear or take away the paper. Cave being released,
demands L5 more to secure my brother for ever against the child; and
he was forced to give it him and took bond of Cave in L100, made at a
scrivener's, one Hudson, I think, in the Old Bayly, to secure John
Taylor, and his assigns, &c. (in consideration of L10 paid him), from
all trouble, or charge of meat, drink, clothes, and breeding of Elizabeth
Taylor; and it seems, in the doing of it, J. Noble was looked upon as the
assignee of this John Taylor. Noble says that he furnished Tom with
this money, and is also bound by another bond to pay him 20s. more
this next Easter Monday; but nothing for either sum appears under
Tom's hand. I told him how I am like to lose a great sum by his death,

and would not pay any more myself, but I would speake to my father
about it against the afternoon. So away he went, and I all the morning
in my office busy, and at noon home to dinner mightily oppressed with
wind, and after dinner took coach and to Paternoster Row, and there
bought a pretty silke for a petticoate for my wife, and thence set her
down at the New Exchange, and I leaving the coat at Unthanke's, went
to White Hall, but the Councell meeting at Worcester House I went
thither, and there delivered to the Duke of Albemarle a paper touching
some Tangier business, and thence to the 'Change for my wife, and
walked to my father's, who was packing up some things for the country.
I took him up and told him this business of Tom, at which the poor
wretch was much troubled, and desired me that I would speak with J.
Noble, and do what I could and thought fit in it without concerning him
in it. So I went to Noble, and saw the bond that Cave did give and also
Tom's letter that I mentioned above, and upon the whole I think some
shame may come, but that it will be hard from any thing I see there to
prove the child to be his. Thence to my father and told what I had done,
and how I had quieted Noble by telling him that, though we are
resolved to part with no more money out of our own purses, yet if he
can make it appear a true debt that it may be justifiable for us to pay it,
we will do our part to get it paid, and said that I would have it paid
before my own debt. So my father and I both a little satisfied, though
vexed to think what a rogue my brother was in all respects. I took my
wife