It appears that, upon landing, Lord Mandeville will set about seizing the horses that are required to haul the King and his court to London. The owners of the animals have no say in the matter, but they will be paid, "sometime, somewhere, we'll let you know how much. Ta."
Bill, an English example would be Alfred the Great, letting the cakes burn. A hundred years after these events, many Americans equated Democracy with Anarchy, and either opposed independence or stayed out of the fight -- the latter being fully one third of the population. Surprisingly, during the American Revolution, the most loyal Americans were those most closely related to the Jacobin rebellion a generation earlier. As to Civil Wars, it is a matter of great importance, how they end. This one, and the American Civil War ended with minimum violence. More commonly, Civil Wars end in a Bloody Assize. Too often Civil wars are waged for the purpose of exterminating the opposition, and, eventually, one side prevails and slaughters the losers. We can read the history of the Restoration, with relief, as an example of the way things ought to be done.
As I read it, Clerke, North & Pickering were dunked together, coming from shore, and that Pepys & Clerke now share a bunk in the carpenter's cabin. It could be that North & Pickering and the carpenter are jammed in there, too -- and this while the big wigs and entourage were only beginning to seek space aboard ship. Charles was sailing in the Naseby, ergo everybody wanted to sail in the Naseby. The Duke of York, Montague, Coventry and Pepys met and decided who would travel where (presumably Pepys taking notes). It will be interesting to see which of the King's "dearest friends" get to sail with him, and which are relegated to the Queen's ship. The auguries are for an uncomfortably overcrowded trip, but a short one, with good music.
My Google Search turned up references to ship's bells at a date early enough for them to have become in common use by the 1660's. Pendulum clocks would not work at all on shipboard. They had a half-hour sand glass (How do you call a half-hour glass, an hourglass?) and a ship's boy appointed to watch it. He would turn it over every half hour, and they would ring the bell, adding one stroke to it until 8 bells signaled the end of a 4-hour watch. As MarkS reports, it makes sense for the flagship to coordinate the time aboard all ships of a flotilla at anchor, by firing a gun. Once daily would do it; not every half hour. Thanks, MarkS!
I was of the impression that they rang bells aboard ship to mark the passing hours of the watch but here they are shooting guns at 4 in the morning. Are they going to do that after the King comes aboard?
Pepys' entry about meeting the King on the 17th, was very short. Why? He begins that entry saying that he got up early to put down his observations for two days. Which two days? Well, he started the 17th aboard ship, where his diary was, and slept ashore the 17-18-19th. Ergo the "two days" must have been the 15th and 16th. So here it is the evening of the 19th and he has not been back aboard ship to make any entries in his diary. As we follow this narrative, we will reach some point at which he returns to the Naseby to write of his adventures ashore. The result of writing about several very busy days at once, would explain why the entry for meeting Charles was surprisingly brief, and why losing track of "the child", was a matter of concern, but not too much concern, because by the time he was writing about it, the child was safe and sound and all was well.
Let us hope that King Charles makes a better entrance than poor Mr. North. One can picture Montague saying "Go below Sam, See that the Royal cabin is tidy, the Royal Bunk made fresh, and the Royal bucket near at hand. Then do the same for the Duke of York's cabin."
Bill, Morland won the Kings' approbation by betraying his friends. Once that betrayal became public knowledge, everyone on both sides would look at him askance, and his former friends would sharpen their daggers.
Count yourselves lucky, oh Ye of the Mother Country, that your counties have unique names. I live in Jefferson County, Kentucky. I hate to think how many Jefferson Counties there may be in other states. I would guess twenty, maybe thirty? Jefferson County Indiana is not far from here, so when the TV announces a tornado warning for Jefferson County, "Which One?" is a vital question. There are scores of Springfields and Lexingtons and Washingtons. I recall hearing of a British couple who bought airline tickets to "Panama City" in New York. They arrived in Panama City Florida aboard the last plane to land before a hurricane closed the airport.
With reference to non-related people...To address a woman as "Sister" can be both an honoring, honorable title and also a condescending put-down, quite apart from the British practice of addressing all female nurses as "Sister", whether they are religious or not. "Uncle" can be both positive and negative. "Gramps" or "Grandma" to someone not your grandparent, is negative. "Auntie" can be both. There are plenty of uses for "son" and related terms, but few for "daughter". I cannot think of any uses for niece or nephew. Perhaps these meanings derive from stereotypical characters within in a family, used to describe a person outside the family.
Without too much work I found a reference to a ship's bell aboard the Grace Dieu in 1485, and in 1495 an inventory of the Regent included two "watch bells" so presumably they were being used to measure the watches even at that early date. A century and a half is plenty of time for the practice to spread from one ship to all the major vessels of the fleet. In 1676 there is reference to ships caught in fog ringing their bells (and firing guns and muskets) to avoid collision. That implies that bells were standard equipment on all ships shortly after the diary period. I conclude that a watch bell was being rung every half hour, and that listening for them would be what woke Pepys to duty, betimes.
From the glorious to the mundane: Pepys resolved to rise betimes. On board ships they took to ringing bells to tell the passing and changing of the watches. My question is, when did this practice start? Was Pepys resolving to wake up and get to work when he heard 4 bells in the morning watch, or what? Did it begin in the Naval service and transfer to merchant ships or vice versa? Was the Royal Navy the first to adopt it, or did someone else's navy do it first? I am going to google this and see what I can find out.
Would my brothers at the bar ever employ Latin/French for purposes of obfuscation? Why, res ipsa loquitur! And I have heard that in ancient Rome, lawyers would confuse things by lapsing into Greek.
For our Dutch annotators and readers, At this Royalist moment, I think it would not be amiss to wish long life in health to their Queen, retired, and to their new King!
"The House ... ordered 50,000 L to be forthwith provided ...to His Majesty for his present supply;" How did they transfer large sums of money? I suspect that in this case, gold coins to the value of 50,000 pounds were put into a strong box, and, with two or more special messengers commanding a substantial guard force, were sent off the King. Does anyone have any clearer information? It was kind of them to give Charles some pocket-money.
"all books whatever that are out against the Government of King, Lords, and Commons, should be brought into the House and burned." That could make for a very warm House of Commons. There must be many such publications, enough for several large bonfires. Maybe they meant a symbolic burning of a few in the House? At any rate, you cannot burn an idea. They knew that, so they must have been acting symbolically.
"And our seamen, as many as had money or credit for drink, did do nothing else this evening." I suspect that Pepys means Naval Officers, not common seamen. The latter would have had neither cash nor credit. I also suspect that if the Parliament had decided to reestablish a republic and abolish kings, the seamen with money or credit would have drunk it, anyway. After all, tars will be tars.
One has to wonder what the ordinary seamen thought of these doings. Their work was hard, as they watched their betters playing games. They got to sit in the boat while the swells went to sample the ales ashore. They had their grog ration, but if that ever led to throwing drinks on each other, someone would be flogged for it. One wonders what they thought, and realizes, that their opinions did not matter one iota.
OK Ninepins. The deck isn't level; it's uphill or downhill or cross hill ... and the deck probably has some bumps and uneven planks in it. One or more ships' boys act as pin-spotters. I envisage spots painted on the deck in a diamond pattern: 1-2-3-2-1 pins. The pins might have looked like modern "duckpins" or like bottles or cylinders, who knows. A line should be painted on the deck: "bowl from behind here". The gentlemen bowlers help themselves to cannonballs, which, if they are cast, probably have a rim around them and are not really as round as one might wish. The ship pitches slightly, rolls a bit and the bowler takes a step and flings his missile underhanded, to roll across the deck towards the pins. How they might keep score is anyone's guess; how their two-man teams worked is another mystery. It's a game of skill with a large element of luck.
The wager of a crown (I assume five shillings) between gentlemen is a reasonable sum, rather like winning or losing fifty dollars or twenty pounds to a golfing buddy, today. It's enough to make you take notice, little enough to collect, and a sum a gentlemen might not have on his person, at the moment of loss.
Comments
Second Reading
About Thursday 24 May 1660
Dick Wilson • Link
It appears that, upon landing, Lord Mandeville will set about seizing the horses that are required to haul the King and his court to London. The owners of the animals have no say in the matter, but they will be paid, "sometime, somewhere, we'll let you know how much. Ta."
About Wednesday 23 May 1660
Dick Wilson • Link
Bill, an English example would be Alfred the Great, letting the cakes burn. A hundred years after these events, many Americans equated Democracy with Anarchy, and either opposed independence or stayed out of the fight -- the latter being fully one third of the population. Surprisingly, during the American Revolution, the most loyal Americans were those most closely related to the Jacobin rebellion a generation earlier.
As to Civil Wars, it is a matter of great importance, how they end. This one, and the American Civil War ended with minimum violence. More commonly, Civil Wars end in a Bloody Assize. Too often Civil wars are waged for the purpose of exterminating the opposition, and, eventually, one side prevails and slaughters the losers. We can read the history of the Restoration, with relief, as an example of the way things ought to be done.
About Tuesday 22 May 1660
Dick Wilson • Link
As I read it, Clerke, North & Pickering were dunked together, coming from shore, and that Pepys & Clerke now share a bunk in the carpenter's cabin. It could be that North & Pickering and the carpenter are jammed in there, too -- and this while the big wigs and entourage were only beginning to seek space aboard ship. Charles was sailing in the Naseby, ergo everybody wanted to sail in the Naseby. The Duke of York, Montague, Coventry and Pepys met and decided who would travel where (presumably Pepys taking notes). It will be interesting to see which of the King's "dearest friends" get to sail with him, and which are relegated to the Queen's ship. The auguries are for an uncomfortably overcrowded trip, but a short one, with good music.
About Sunday 20 May 1660
Dick Wilson • Link
Except Pepys mistook the 4AM gun for the 8PM gun, so, maybe twice daily would serve.
About Sunday 20 May 1660
Dick Wilson • Link
My Google Search turned up references to ship's bells at a date early enough for them to have become in common use by the 1660's. Pendulum clocks would not work at all on shipboard. They had a half-hour sand glass (How do you call a half-hour glass, an hourglass?) and a ship's boy appointed to watch it. He would turn it over every half hour, and they would ring the bell, adding one stroke to it until 8 bells signaled the end of a 4-hour watch. As MarkS reports, it makes sense for the flagship to coordinate the time aboard all ships of a flotilla at anchor, by firing a gun. Once daily would do it; not every half hour. Thanks, MarkS!
About Sunday 20 May 1660
Dick Wilson • Link
I was of the impression that they rang bells aboard ship to mark the passing hours of the watch but here they are shooting guns at 4 in the morning. Are they going to do that after the King comes aboard?
About Saturday 19 May 1660
Dick Wilson • Link
Pepys' entry about meeting the King on the 17th, was very short. Why? He begins that entry saying that he got up early to put down his observations for two days. Which two days? Well, he started the 17th aboard ship, where his diary was, and slept ashore the 17-18-19th. Ergo the "two days" must have been the 15th and 16th. So here it is the evening of the 19th and he has not been back aboard ship to make any entries in his diary. As we follow this narrative, we will reach some point at which he returns to the Naseby to write of his adventures ashore. The result of writing about several very busy days at once, would explain why the entry for meeting Charles was surprisingly brief, and why losing track of "the child", was a matter of concern, but not too much concern, because by the time he was writing about it, the child was safe and sound and all was well.
About Wednesday 16 May 1660
Dick Wilson • Link
Let us hope that King Charles makes a better entrance than poor Mr. North. One can picture Montague saying "Go below Sam, See that the Royal cabin is tidy, the Royal Bunk made fresh, and the Royal bucket near at hand. Then do the same for the Duke of York's cabin."
About Tuesday 15 May 1660
Dick Wilson • Link
Bill, Morland won the Kings' approbation by betraying his friends. Once that betrayal became public knowledge, everyone on both sides would look at him askance, and his former friends would sharpen their daggers.
About Thursday 10 May 1660
Dick Wilson • Link
Count yourselves lucky, oh Ye of the Mother Country, that your counties have unique names. I live in Jefferson County, Kentucky. I hate to think how many Jefferson Counties there may be in other states. I would guess twenty, maybe thirty? Jefferson County Indiana is not far from here, so when the TV announces a tornado warning for Jefferson County, "Which One?" is a vital question. There are scores of Springfields and Lexingtons and Washingtons. I recall hearing of a British couple who bought airline tickets to "Panama City" in New York. They arrived in Panama City Florida aboard the last plane to land before a hurricane closed the airport.
About Wednesday 9 May 1660
Dick Wilson • Link
With reference to non-related people...To address a woman as "Sister" can be both an honoring, honorable title and also a condescending put-down, quite apart from the British practice of addressing all female nurses as "Sister", whether they are religious or not. "Uncle" can be both positive and negative. "Gramps" or "Grandma" to someone not your grandparent, is negative. "Auntie" can be both. There are plenty of uses for "son" and related terms, but few for "daughter". I cannot think of any uses for niece or nephew. Perhaps these meanings derive from stereotypical characters within in a family, used to describe a person outside the family.
About Tuesday 8 May 1660
Dick Wilson • Link
Without too much work I found a reference to a ship's bell aboard the Grace Dieu in 1485, and in 1495 an inventory of the Regent included two "watch bells" so presumably they were being used to measure the watches even at that early date. A century and a half is plenty of time for the practice to spread from one ship to all the major vessels of the fleet. In 1676 there is reference to ships caught in fog ringing their bells (and firing guns and muskets) to avoid collision. That implies that bells were standard equipment on all ships shortly after the diary period. I conclude that a watch bell was being rung every half hour, and that listening for them would be what woke Pepys to duty, betimes.
About Tuesday 8 May 1660
Dick Wilson • Link
From the glorious to the mundane: Pepys resolved to rise betimes. On board ships they took to ringing bells to tell the passing and changing of the watches. My question is, when did this practice start? Was Pepys resolving to wake up and get to work when he heard 4 bells in the morning watch, or what? Did it begin in the Naval service and transfer to merchant ships or vice versa? Was the Royal Navy the first to adopt it, or did someone else's navy do it first? I am going to google this and see what I can find out.
About Monday 7 May 1660
Dick Wilson • Link
Would my brothers at the bar ever employ Latin/French for purposes of obfuscation? Why, res ipsa loquitur! And I have heard that in ancient Rome, lawyers would confuse things by lapsing into Greek.
About Friday 4 May 1660
Dick Wilson • Link
For our Dutch annotators and readers, At this Royalist moment, I think it would not be amiss to wish long life in health to their Queen, retired, and to their new King!
About Thursday 3 May 1660
Dick Wilson • Link
Pepys' personal standing received a significant boost today.
About Wednesday 2 May 1660
Dick Wilson • Link
Thanks Gillian. During twelve years of exile, a King can run up a bar tab that is truly regal!
About Wednesday 2 May 1660
Dick Wilson • Link
"The House ... ordered 50,000 L to be forthwith provided ...to His Majesty for his present supply;"
How did they transfer large sums of money? I suspect that in this case, gold coins to the value of 50,000 pounds were put into a strong box, and, with two or more special messengers commanding a substantial guard force, were sent off the King. Does anyone have any clearer information? It was kind of them to give Charles some pocket-money.
"all books whatever that are out against the Government of King, Lords, and Commons, should be brought into the House and burned."
That could make for a very warm House of Commons. There must be many such publications, enough for several large bonfires. Maybe they meant a symbolic burning of a few in the House? At any rate, you cannot burn an idea. They knew that, so they must have been acting symbolically.
"And our seamen, as many as had money or credit for drink, did do nothing else this evening."
I suspect that Pepys means Naval Officers, not common seamen. The latter would have had neither cash nor credit. I also suspect that if the Parliament had decided to reestablish a republic and abolish kings, the seamen with money or credit would have drunk it, anyway. After all, tars will be tars.
About Monday 30 April 1660
Dick Wilson • Link
One has to wonder what the ordinary seamen thought of these doings. Their work was hard, as they watched their betters playing games. They got to sit in the boat while the swells went to sample the ales ashore. They had their grog ration, but if that ever led to throwing drinks on each other, someone would be flogged for it. One wonders what they thought, and realizes, that their opinions did not matter one iota.
About Saturday 28 April 1660
Dick Wilson • Link
OK Ninepins. The deck isn't level; it's uphill or downhill or cross hill ... and the deck probably has some bumps and uneven planks in it. One or more ships' boys act as pin-spotters. I envisage spots painted on the deck in a diamond pattern: 1-2-3-2-1 pins. The pins might have looked like modern "duckpins" or like bottles or cylinders, who knows. A line should be painted on the deck: "bowl from behind here". The gentlemen bowlers help themselves to cannonballs, which, if they are cast, probably have a rim around them and are not really as round as one might wish. The ship pitches slightly, rolls a bit and the bowler takes a step and flings his missile underhanded, to roll across the deck towards the pins. How they might keep score is anyone's guess; how their two-man teams worked is another mystery. It's a game of skill with a large element of luck.
The wager of a crown (I assume five shillings) between gentlemen is a reasonable sum, rather like winning or losing fifty dollars or twenty pounds to a golfing buddy, today. It's enough to make you take notice, little enough to collect, and a sum a gentlemen might not have on his person, at the moment of loss.
I hope they gave a penny apiece to the boy.