Wednesday 28 June 1665

Sir J. Minnes carried me and my wife to White Hall, and thence his coach along with my wife where she would. There after attending the Duke to discourse of the navy. We did not kiss his hand, nor do I think, for all their pretence, of going away to-morrow. Yet I believe they will not go for good and all, but I did take my leave of Sir William Coventry, who, it seems, was knighted and sworn a Privy-Counsellor two days since; who with his old kindness treated me, and I believe I shall ever find [him] a noble friend.

Thence by water to Blackfriars, and so to Paul’s churchyard and bespoke severall books, and so home and there dined, my man William giving me a lobster sent him by my old maid Sarah.

This morning I met with Sir G. Carteret, who tells me how all things proceed between my Lord Sandwich and himself to full content, and both sides depend upon having the match finished presently, and professed great kindnesse to me, and said that now we were something akin. I am mightily, both with respect to myself and much more of my Lord’s family, glad of this alliance.

After dinner to White Hall, thinking to speak with my Lord Ashly, but failed, and I whiled away some time in Westminster Hall against he did come, in my way observing several plague houses in King’s Street and [near] the Palace. Here I hear Mrs. Martin is gone out of town, and that her husband, an idle fellow, is since come out of France, as he pretends, but I believe not that he hath been. I was fearful of going to any house, but I did to the Swan, and thence to White Hall, giving the waterman a shilling, because a young fellow and belonging to the Plymouth.

Thence by coach to several places, and so home, and all the evening with Sir J. Minnes and all the women of the house (excepting my Lady Batten) late in the garden chatting. At 12 o’clock home to supper and to bed.

My Lord Sandwich is gone towards the sea to-day, it being a sudden resolution, I having taken no leave of him.

22 Annotations

First Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

Today at Gresham College — from the Hooke Folio Online

June 28. 1665. (Sr. Rob: moray.Loughneach Stones. [petrified wood?] [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loug… ] ) orderd that the Curator doe try to dissolue this stone with aqua fortis [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aqua… (nitric acid)] to see whether any minerall be conteined in it, & that he try also whether it will burne
(Sr. Theo: meyhernes papers to preserue timber from putrefaction. to salt beef well,

Resolued that the meeting of the Society be Discontinued till summond to meet againe. - mr. Hook was vrged to prosecute his chariots, watches, glasses, during this Recesse.

http://webapps.qmul.ac.uk/cell/Ho…

Terry Foreman  •  Link

Lough Neach Stones.

7. Coda

I

The lough will claim a victim every year.
It has virtue that hardens wood to stone.
There is a town sunk beneath its water.
It is the scar left by the Isle of Man.

II

At Toomebridge where it sluices towards the sea
They've set new gates and tanks against the flow.
From time to time they break the lost journey
And lift five hundred stone in one go.

III

But up the shore in Antrim and Tyrone
There is a sense of fair play in the game.
At two miles out, they coax them one by one,
These fishermen who've never learnt to swim.

IV

"We'll be the quicker going down," they say -
And when you argue there are not storms here,
That one hour floating's sure to land them safely -
"The lough will claim a victim every year."

Seamus Heaney

http://poetry.emory.edu/epoet-ite…

***
Cranfield Church, Lough Neagh
The ruins of Cranfield Church are on the north shore of Lough Neagh at Churchtown Point. It was built in the 13th century and nearby is a holy well, which provides spring water and amber coloured crystals. It was believed that if one of these stones was swallowed it would protect women during childbirth, men from drowning and homes from fire and burglary. In the last century emigrants to America believed that, if they swallowed a pebble, they would sail safely across the Atlantic Ocean.
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/…

Pedro  •  Link

"Resolued that the meeting of the Society be Discontinued till summond to meet againe. - mr. Hook was vrged to prosecute his chariots, watches, glasses, during this Recesse."

While many scatter due to the plague Hooke is expected to carry on the experiments. Hooke, Petty and Wilkins took a quantity of experimental equipment and materials to the Durdans estate outside Epsom.


dirk  •  Link

John Evelyn's diary

"To Lond: to R: Society, the Assembly now prorogued to Michaelmas, according to costome; & the sooner, because the Plague in Lond much increased:"

CGS  •  Link

Stone [petrified wood I believe ] objects often ooze from the fen lands {bogs} some are quite large, they that can damage a plough if not seen in time.

JWB  •  Link

"...giving the waterman a shilling..."

I take it that Sam's tipping the seaman in a navy boat. What with watermen dying in droves later that summer, Moote&Moote, "The Great Plague" write: "...Pepys was fortunate when he could hire a ride (from watermen) at ten shillings instread of the inflated rate of twenty shillings." p125

Terry Foreman  •  Link

As the Royal Society prorogues prematurely, the court is drifting apart

"We did not kiss [the Duke's] hand, nor do I think, for all their [L&M: the court's] pretence, of going away to-morrow [ --] yet I believe they will not go for good and all....My Lord Sandwich is gone towards the sea to-day, it being a sudden resolution, I having taken no leave of him."

A. Hamilton  •  Link

Terry,

Thanks for the gloss on a confusing passage.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

"...thence his coach along with my wife where she would."

All right who is this guy and what has he done with our Sam?

Mary  •  Link

... and thence his coach

The 17th century equivalent of the modern big-wig who offers some junior colleague the use of his car and driver when he doesn't need it for an hour or two.

Second Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"We did not kiss his hand, nor do I think, for all their pretence"

The court's. (L&M note)

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"but I did take my leave of Sir William Coventry, who, it seems, was knighted and sworn a Privy-Counsellor two days since; "

This entry (confirmed by The Newes,, 29 June, p. 520) corrects the date for the knighthood (3 March) given in W.A. Shaw, Knights of Engl, ii. 240 and in CSPD 1664-5, p. 239, n. For Coventry's admission to the Privy Council, see Longleat, Coventry MSS 64, f. 183r; ib. 98 f. 162r. (L&M note)

Marquess  •  Link

Coventry made a knight, would that Sam been made one too. At least today the Pepys and Montagu family are both represented in the Peerage, the Cottingham earldom being conferred on the Pepys family in the 19th century.

John G  •  Link

Marquess, thanks for the interesting annotation

Colin Skyrme  •  Link

Why, dear scholars, was Sam not knighted? I have often sought an answer but so far without success. I look to your responses with great interest.

Colin Skyrme  •  Link

Why, dear scholars, was Sam not knighted? I have often sought an answer, so far without success, so I look forward to any responses with great interest.

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"my man William" ... back at work, good. Is this a note of pride, or patronizing?

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"I have often sought an answer, so far without success ..."

Which, Colin, says it all. My guess is politics and timing. He had a long career, but James abdicated when it would have been Pepys' "turn" (since it hadn't occurred before) and by then the Popish Plot and a spin in the Tower had sullied his reputation. He was too much of a hot-potato for William and Mary to employ, so he retired -- but I don't really know the possible answers to your question.

My question is whether or not knighthoods can be bestowed post humorously, in which case, what do we have to do to spearhead this just cause? If we start now, it could coincide with the 350th anniversary of his being elected as a member of Parliament in 1670?

Mary K  •  Link

In answer to SD Sarah's question, no - the British honours system does not allow of the posthumous award of a knighthood.

(I assume that you meant posthumous and not post humorous. If I have missed the joke, forgive me).

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

Thanks ... and you are correct; spell check got the better of me.

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