Terry Foreman on 15 Aug 2008  •  Link

"what a happy thing it would be if when we are in our graves (as Shakespeere resembles it) we could dream"

resemble = "to represent, figure" (L&M Select Glossary).

***
Shakes. Hamlet, III, i

To die; to sleep;
No more; and by a sleep to say we end
The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to. ’Tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish’d. To die; to sleep;—
To sleep? Perchance to dream!
http://www.bartleby.com/46/2/31.h…

Carl in Boston on 15 Aug 2008  •  Link

"Perchance to dream" is said hastily, as in ... oops ...

To sleep--perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub,
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause. There's the respect
That makes calamity of so long life.

And Donald Duck continues as an aspiring actor:
Who would fardels bear,
And sink into the quagmire?

Tis the vacation season. All I hear are crickets.
Is anyone out there?

Michael Robinson on 15 Aug 2008  •  Link

" ... and promise of present payment from Mr. Fenn, which do rejoice my heart,..."

Presumably for Pepys, as a member of the board and friend of Cartaret, Fenn is to make an exception to his usual payment practice and hand over actual cash, rather than a negotiable banker's draft.

SP's 'White Book' note on Fenn's payment practices records how Fenn would not pay cash money but provided bills drawn on goldsmith/bankers which cost a minimum 2%, and on occasions between 10 and 15%, to negotiate with the Banker for actual cash -- Cartaret meanwhile providing the goldsmith/bankers with direct assignments on revenue (not just talleys, whose cash conversion schedule depends upon the inner workings of Exchequer) which would cover any cash due. The implication is that Fenn, rather than paying cash directly to contractors, splits this cash premium paid by a contractor with the goldsmith/bankers.

My own reading would suggest that Cartaret must be getting something as well since it is his assignment of revenue that is necessary for the process to work and allowing the bankers charging a 'cash premium' for a risk they do not in fact bear; presumably a percentage commission transfered to his own account at the goldsmith/banker. This would explain Cartaret's comment about 'cat skinning' of yesterday; he has his hand on the cash spigot that funds and re-pays the bankers for their negotiating and holding outstanding government notes, and other forms of navy debt, issued by the Navy board for all payments.

deepfatfriar on 16 Aug 2008  •  Link

". . . to my great trouble, I met a dead corps . . ."

There's a zombie joke to be made of that, but not by me.

JWB on 16 Aug 2008  •  Link

"...bankers charging a ‘cash premium’ for a risk they do not in fact bear..."

What do you think Backwell, on death bed, would say to that?

Robert Gertz on 16 Aug 2008  •  Link

Poetic...But a hard-headed man our Sam...Couldn't even allow himself to dream bliss without dreaming it was a dream.

Ah, if only Jonathan Pryce were younger...

Sssssaaammm... (I'm sure Pepys would have loved that flying suit from the "Brazil" dream sequences).

***

So Sam has money (at interest, presumably) placed with Fenn? I wonder if this was his own idea or if all in the office were "heartily encouraged" to make loans to the King. Or was it perhaps unpaid back salary? In any case no wonder he gets so antsy about dear Fenn.

***
"Oh, Sam....Sam..."

"Barbara? Were you dreaming?"

"Sire? Dreaming? Ummn..."

"Who the devil is 'Sam'?"

Michael Robinson on 16 Aug 2008  •  Link

“…bankers charging a ‘cash premium’ for a risk they do not in fact bear…”

What do you think Backwell, on death bed, would say to that?

Spoiler -- Blackwell on his death bed might very well regret trusting the regime sufficiently that he allowed himself to be a clearing bank, reserve bank and de facto become the central banker for the Stewarts, the last resort for 'smoothing' the Exchequer's liquidity problems and also funding the regime's external specie payments. It was the equivalent of the unsecured sovereign debt, in various forms, he and the other London goldsmiths carried that hit them worst in the 'stop on the Exchequer' in 1672. Since there was no public market for talleys, the principal form of government obligation, the best the goldsmith/bankers could do to reduce their overall government credit risk was, when acting on behalf of tax farmers, to pass accumulated talleys back to the Treasury at face value rather than the actual cash collected and deposited with them. However this would only relieve the bankers temporarily and exacerbate the difficulties at the Exchequer, leading to the Exchequer issuing yet more talleys and having less specie for redemption. We have seen that by earlier this year, 1665, the talleys Pepys, as Tangier Treasurer, was given from the Exchequer were completely nonnegotiable for cash with any major London goldsmith/banker.

A goldsmith/banker could argue that the heavy premium charged to merchants for redeeming Navy debt was a way of covering for the uncertain risks the Bankers carried by being involved in government business in general. However Naval finance under Carteret and others who had access to direct assignments of revenue was pretty well managed, even in terms of the day innovative; Navy bills were marked for direct payment 'in course' by 1665 -- though that did require ultimately that revenue and expenditure were balanced over time. Following the example, Downing, as Secretary of the Treasury, was able to create a form of secured credit instrument directly against Poll Tax and Land Tax revenues and payable 'in course' by 1667, which created a simple form of manageable and negotiable national debt instrument, a major fiscal innovation.

The problem for government was the collection side of revenue, Parliament could make all the grants it wished but in fact actual revenue was speculative and notional leading to the liquidity problems at the exchequer which Charles and his minsters of the day 'resolved' by the stop on all Exchequer specie payments in 1672, forcing the larger goldsmith/bankers in turn to suspend payment and effectively bankrupting them.

When the Bank of England was established in 1694 a portion of the "capital", which formed the Government loan and the Bank's initial asset, was made up with talleys issued prior to 1672 -- perhaps the only way these could be finally redeemed since the Bank had also the power to issue notes against the notional capital.

andy on 16 Aug 2008  •  Link

and then dreamt that this could not be awake, but that it was only a dream;

I think I first came across this one in Aldous Huxley but can't remember exactly, however, see:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhua…

"Once Zhuangzi dreamt he was a butterfly, a butterfly flitting and fluttering around, happy with himself and doing as he pleased. He didn't know he was Zhuangzi. Suddenly he woke up and there he was, solid and unmistakable Zhuangzi. But he didn't know if he was Zhuangzi who had dreamt he was a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming he was Zhuangzi. Between Zhuangzi and a butterfly there must be some distinction! This is called the Transformation of Things. (2, tr. Burton Watson 1968:49)"

and

http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Zhua…

maybe it was the eroticism that tipped Sam's head.

Bradford on 16 Aug 2008  •  Link

Interesting that Pepys, who in general does not seem to prize Shakespeare highly when seen in the playhouse, knows "Hamlet" well enough to make this allusion, even though he does not cite particular words or phrases. Might he have had a quarto? How many times has he mentioned seeing it?

language hat on 16 Aug 2008  •  Link

"something put my last night’s dream into my head, which I think is the best that ever was dreamt"

That's our Sam!

Incidentally, the link for "Church-yard" is wrong -- the Companion volume to L&M says:

Churchyard Stairs. The landing-stairs at the foot of Churchyard Alley, Upper Thames St, immediately upstream of old London Bridge; now absorbed in the approaches to the present London Bridge.

JWB on 16 Aug 2008  •  Link

Michael Robinson
Thanks for your insight.
I believe the Dutch at this time financed their provincial admiralties directly with licenses on trade.

Phil Gyford on 16 Aug 2008  •  Link

Language Hat: Thanks for spotting that -- I've now corrected the link to Church-yard Stairs.

Michael Robinson on 16 Aug 2008  •  Link

Might he have had a quarto?

SP first notes examining a Shakespeare on December 10th 1663:
"I could not tell whether to lay out my money for books of pleasure, as plays, which my nature was most earnest in; but at last, after seeing Chaucer, Dugdale’s History of Paul’s, Stows London, Gesner, History of Trent, besides Shakespeare, Jonson, and Beaumont’s plays, I at last chose Dr. Fuller’s Worthys, the Cabbala or Collections of Letters of State, and a little book, Delices de Hollande, with another little book or two, all of good use or serious pleasure: and Hudibras, both parts, ..."
http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…

and in July the following year:
" ..., and I home, calling by the way for my new bookes, viz., Sir H. Spillman’s “Whole Glossary,” “Scapula’s Lexicon,” and Shakespeare’s plays, which I have got money out of my stationer’s bills to pay for." http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…

SP acquired on July 7th. 1664 either:-

Mr. William Shakespeares comedies, histories, and tragedies. Published according to the true original copies. The third impression.
London : printed [by Roger Daniel, Alice Warren, and another] for Philip Chetwinde, 1663.

or the subsequent ‘re-issue’:-

Mr. William Shakespear’s comedies, histories, and tragedies. Published according to the true original copies. The third impression. And unto this impression is added seven playes, never before printed in folio. viz. Pericles Prince of Tyre. The London prodigall. The history o Thomas Ld. Cromwell. Sir John Oldcastle Lord Cobham. The Puritan widow. A York-shire tragedy. The tragedy of Locrine.
London : printed [by Roger Daniel, Alice Warren, and another] for P[hilip] C[hetwind], 1664.

Spoiler -- Pepys had the habit of replacing his books with the latest edition and the Pepysian Library contains:-

Mr William Shakespear’s comedies, histories, and tragedies. Published according to the true original copies. Unto which is added, seven plays, never before printed in folio: viz. Pericles Prince of Tyre. The London prodigal. The history of Thomas Lord Cromwel. Sir John Oldcastle Lord Cobham. The Puritan widow. A Yorkshire tragedy. The tragedy of Locrine. The fourth edition.
London : printed for H. Herringman, and are to be sold by Joseph Knight and Francis Saunders, at the Anchor in the Lower Walk of the New Exchange, 1685.
PL 2635

There is no record of his having owned a 'quarto' of any play at any stage, however the diary by no means records all his book purchases; if he had owned one, following habit, he would probably have disposed of it at the time of or shortly after acquiring his copy of the 'third' folio.
http://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclo…

Pedro on 16 Aug 2008  •  Link

On this day…

De Ruyter arrives at Buchan Ness, to the north of Aberdeen, and gathered information from various ships that the English fleet had passed several times close to his own. As the information was some days old it was impossible to gauge where they were, and so he decided to sail for Bergen.

Robert Gertz on 17 Aug 2008  •  Link

Sam's always been a fan of tragic Shakespeare-Othello and Hamlet especially. He once raved about Betterton's performance as the Dane. It seems to be the fantasy comedies like Midsummer that don't catch his fancy. Maybe Bottom and his comrade players hit too close to home.

I imagine Sam's the type who can appreciate great drama but has a weakness for special effects blockbusters if they're reasonably good ("Siege of Rhodes II", "Adventure of Five Hours", and other Pepys' favorites were probably the era's equivalent of "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones"). Then too it's possible many of the available Shakespeares outside a few of the great tragedies were pretty badly cut up and mangled versions.

Michael Robinson on 17 Aug 2008  •  Link

"He once raved about Betterton’s performance as the Dane"

The passages RG alludes to:

" ... and then straight to the Opera, and there saw “Hamlet, Prince of Denmark,” done with scenes very well, but above all, Betterton did the prince’s part beyond imagination." http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…

"And so to the Duke’s House; and there saw “Hamlett” done, giving us fresh reason never to think enough of Betterton." http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…

Bradford on 17 Aug 2008  •  Link

Thanks, Michael and Robert, for researching and setting forth Pepys's "Hamlet" and Third Folio connections. Certainly the ownership of the latter bespeaks a sincere interest, however much or little individual productions may please him.

CGS on 17 Aug 2008  •  Link

folio vs quarto. folio full page vs full page folded in four. * nice quote at star *

[a. L. foli{omac}, abl. of folium leaf. Branch I proceeds from the med.L. use of the ablative in references, though in sense 2 the word may be a. It. foglio. In branch II the phrase in folio is either a. Lat. or a refashioning of the Italian in foglio. Cf. the use of in folio in Fr. both in sense 5b and as n. = sense 7.]

II. With reference to size.

5. in folio, a phrase signifying ‘in the form of a full-sized sheet folded once’. Orig. apprehended as a Latin phrase, used appositively or attributively; afterwards as consisting of an English prep. and n.
1644 EVELYN Mem. (1857) I. 89 That rare book in a large folio.

6. A sheet of paper when folded once. Also, {dag}such a sheet used for a specific purpose.
1616

7. A volume made up of sheets of paper folded once; a volume of the largest size.
B. adj.

1. Formed of sheets or a sheet folded once; of the largest size; folio-sized. Often following the n.; cf. A. 5.

A. n.

1. The size of paper obtained by folding a whole sheet twice, so as to form four leaves. Originally and chiefly in in quarto. Also fig.
Quarto sizes range from 15 × 11 inches (approx. 38 x 28 cm) (imperial quarto) to 7 × 6 inches (approx. 19.7 x 15.2 cm) (pot quarto), according to the size of the original sheet.
Imperial paper sizes are no longer generally used in British paper manufacturing, although they form the basis of the sizes used in North America.
-------------------

*
1640 H. GLAPTHORNE Wit in Constable II. sig. Diiiv, The rest were made But fooles in Quarto, but I finde my selfe An asse in Folio.
---------
2. A book made of paper in this form; a quarto volume. Also attrib.
1642 T. FULLER Holy State III. xxv. 228 Those which they bought in Folio shrink quickly into Quarto's.
B. adj. (attrib.). Of paper: folded so as to form four leaves out of the original sheet; having the size or shape of a quarter-sheet; (of a book) printed on paper folded in this way or having this form; (of a work) published in quarto.

Chy on 19 Aug 2008  •  Link

Pepys here appears to be describing a lucid dream.

Terry Foreman on 18 Sep 2015  •  Link

Chy: "Pepys here appears to be describing a lucid dream."

A lucid dream is any dream in which one is aware that one is dreaming. In relation to this phenomenon....In a lucid dream, the dreamer has greater chances to exert some degree of control over their participation within the dream or be able to manipulate their imaginary experiences in the dream environment. Lucid dreams can be realistic and vivid.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luc…

Terry Foreman on 18 Sep 2015  •  Link

"part of the money he is to layout for a purchase for my Lady Jemimah."

L&M: The purchase was for her jointure: see http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…

San Diego Sarah on 16 Aug 2018  •  Link

"Thence he [CARTERET] and I to Sir J. Minnes’s by invitation, where Sir W. Batten and my Lady, and my Lord Bruncker, and all of us dined upon a venison pasty and other good meat, but nothing well dressed. But my pleasure lay in getting some bills signed by Sir G. Carteret, ..."

Further evidence that Mennes has housing in Deptford. This luncheon group sounds like a Quorum of the Navy Board.

Louise Hudson on 16 Aug 2018  •  Link

“It was dark before I could get home, and so land at Church-yard stairs, where, to my great trouble, I met a dead corps of the plague, in the narrow ally just bringing down a little pair of stairs. But I thank God I was not much disturbed at it.”

Good grief! He might have not been “disturbed” by it but I wonder of he stumbled over it or touched it! Even in those days they must have known that the plague was “catching” somehow.. Even if they didn’t know the process of contagion, they must have known that people came down with the plague after being close to someone else who had it or who was dead from it. They knew enough to go away from the city to try to avoid it. Sam seems very cavalier about it despite people dying of plague all around him every day. Well, we know he lived to age 70, so must have managed to avoid it, despite meeting “a dead corpse of the plague.”

StanB on 16 Aug 2018  •  Link

There were a lot of "Plague cures"around
In 1665 the College of Physicians issued a directive that brimstone ‘burnt plentiful’ was recommended for a cure for the bad air that caused the plague.
Those employed in the collection of bodies frequently smoked tobacco to avoid catching the plague.
“For personal disinfection, nothing enjoyed such favour as tobacco; the belief in it was widespread, and even children were made to light up a reaf in pipes. Thomas Hearnes remembers one Tom Rogers telling him that when he was a scholar at Eton in the year that the great plague raged, all the boys smoked in school by order.
Other methods were also used to keep the plague away. When money was used in day-to-day transactions in shops or at market, it was placed in a bowl of vinegar rather than being handed over to the recipient. At markets, meat was not handed over by hand rather but by a joint being attached to a hook.

The wearing of lucky charms was also common – and recommended by doctors. Ambroise Pare, a physician, believed that a lucky charm would keep away the plague. Dr George Thomson wore a dead toad around his neck.

The Church had a more basic way of protecting yourself against the plague. It recommended prayer and then more prayer.

Those who could afford health certificates were allowed to leave London, such as Dr Alston, the President of the College of Physicians. This mainly meant that the rich could leave London while the poor stayed in the city. Leaving the city was an obvious way of protecting yourself against the plague.
Charlatans who stayed in London set themselves up as doctors. They sold plague ‘cures’ at high prices. There were many who were willing to try these quack cures as few had any other alternative. ‘Plague water’ was a popular cure as was powdered unicorn horn and frogs legs. What actually went into powdered unicorn horn is not known. Putting the tail feathers of a live chicken onto buboes (a lymph node that is inflamed and swollen because of plague) drew out the poison allowing the patient to recover – so people were told.

Making a victim of the plague sweat and then applying to buboes a recently killed pigeon was a popular ‘cure’.

It is known that some who caught the plague did survive but the records kept at the time are not at all clear as to whether any ‘cures’ were applied to these people or whether they were extremely lucky. As a fourteen-year-old boy, Sir Dudley North caught the plague and was shut up in his father’s London home. His mother looked after him and his sister who also had the plague. Both survived but nothing is known about the treatment their mother gave to them.

It has to also be remembered that while many thousands did die in London from the plague, many more did not – including the likes of Dr Nathaniel Hodges and the Rev. Thomas Vincent who went on to write about their experiences. Many of these people would have had daily contact with plague victims but survived.

San Diego Sarah on 4 Oct 2018  •  Link

“Ye miserable conditions of St. Giles Cripplegate, which is one of your particulars, is more to be pittied than any parish in or about London, where all have liberty least the sicke and poore should be famished within dores, the parish not being able to relieve their necessityes.” – John Tillison to Dean Sancroft, August 15, 1665 -- The Great Plague, Lloyd and Dorothy Moote, Johns Hopkins University Press, 2004, pages 131.