"I called at Mr. Harper’s, who told me how Monk had this day clapt up many of the Common-council, and that the Parliament had voted that he should pull down their gates and portcullisses, their posts and their chains, which he do intend to do, and do lie in the City all night."
A LETTER OF HIS EXCELLENCY THE Lord Gen. Monck, TO The Speaker of the Parliament from Guild-Hall, London. Right Honourable,
IN obedience to the Commands received from the Council last night, I marched with your Forces into the City this morning, and have secured all the persons except two, ordered to be secured, which two were not to be found: The Posts and Chains I have given order to be taken away, but have hitherto forborn the taking down of the Gates and Portcullises, because it will in all likelihood exaspe∣rate the City; and I have good ground of hopes from them that they will levie the Assess; They desiring onely first to meet in Common-council, which they intend to do to morrow morning. It seems probable to me, that they will yield obedience to your Com∣mands, and be brought to a friendly compliance with You; for which reason I have suspended the execution of Your commands touching the Gates and Portcullises, till I know Your further pleasure there∣in, which I desire I may by this Bearer: I shall onely desire that (so Your commands may be answered with due obedience) such tender∣ness may be used towards them, as may gain their affections: They desired the Restauration of those Members of their Common-coun∣cil that are secured; which desires of theirs I shall only commend to Your grave consideration, to do therein as You shall think most ex∣pedient; and, in attendance upon Your further commands, Re∣main
Your most humble and obedient Servant. GEORGE MONCK.
Guild-Hall, Feb. 9. 1659.
To the Right Honourable William Lenthal, Speaker to the Parlia∣ment of the Common-wealth of England at Westminster. Early English Books Online [full text] https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo…
https://www.british-history.ac.uk… City Gates, &c. to be destroyed. A LETTER from General George Monck, from Guildhall, London, of the 9th of February 1659, was read. Resolved, That the Answer to this Letter be, to send to General Monck the Resolves of the Parliament, That the Gates of the City of London, and the Portcullices thereof, be forthwith destroyed: And that he be ordered to put the said Vote in Execution, accordingly: And that Mr. Scot and Mr. Pury junior, do go to General Monck; and acquaint him with these Votes.
"I could find nothing in Mr. Downing’s letter, which Hawly brought me, concerning my office; but I could discern that Hawly had a mind that I would get to be Clerk of the Council, I suppose that he might have the greater salary; but I think it not safe yet to change this for a public employment."
L&M: Pepys, although working in the Exchequer in the public service, was (like most junior clerks) employed privately by his chief, Downing.
"Here I met and afterwards bought the answer to General Monk’s letter, which is a very good one, and I keep it by me."
A letter to General Monck,: in answer to his of the 23th of January, directed to Mr. Rolle, to be communicated to the gentlemen of the county of Devon· By one of the excluded Members of Parliament. Morris, Richard, fl. 1660., Albemarle, George Monck, Duke of, 1608-1670. London: printed for R. Lowndes, at the White Lyon in S. Paul's Church-yard, 1659 [i.e. 1660] Early English Books Online [full text] https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/…
An answer (Pepys seems unaware of) to Monk's letter of the 23rd::
A letter to General Monck,: in answer to his of the 23th of January, directed to Mr. Rolle, to be communicated to the gentlemen of the county of Devon· By one of the excluded Members of Parliament. Morris, Richard, fl. 1660., Albemarle, George Monck, Duke of, 1608-1670. London: printed for R. Lowndes, at the White Lyon in S. Paul's Church-yard, 1659 [i.e. 1660] Early English Books Online [full text] https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/…
A letter of General George Monck's, dated at Leicester 23 Ian. and directed unto Mr. Rolle to be communicated unto the rest of the gentry of Devon: occasioned by a late letter from the gentry of Devon dated at Execter 14 Ian. and sent by Mr. Bampfield to the Speaker to be communicated unto the Parliament. Read in Parliament Ian. 26. Albemarle, George Monck, Duke of, 1608-1670. London: printed by Iohn Redmayn in Lovels Court in Pater noster row, 1660. Early English Books Online [full text] https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo…
"then to Mr. Crew’s about a picture to be sent into the country, of Mr. Thomas Crew, to my Lord."
L&M: Probably the portrait by Lely which was one of the set of portraits by him of the Crew family, painted at this period. The set, now disbursed, was formerly at Hinchingbrooke: R. B. Beckett, Lely, p. 42. -------------- Cf the Wikipedia article linked above to Sir Thomas Crew.
"This day the Parliament gave order that the late Committee of Safety should come before them this day se’nnight, and all their papers, and their model of Government that they had made, to be brought in with them."
L&M: CJ, vii. 820. The Committee of Safety (composed mostly of military officers) ruled during the 'interruption' of the Rump, October-December 1659. https://www.british-history.ac.uk…
"we found Mrs. Carrick very fine, and one Mr. Lucy, who called one another husband and wife, and after dinner a great deal of mad stir. There was pulling off Mrs. bride’s and Mr. bridegroom’s ribbons"
"it was carried by ballot, that it was a steady government, though it is true by the voices it had been carried before that it was an unsteady government; "
L&M: For the use of ballot-boxes in the Rota club, see Aubrey, i. 290. Interregnum parliaments also used them for the election of councillors of state.
"We went forward and came about one of the clock to Mr. Fuller’s, but he was out of town, so we had a dinner there, and I gave the child 40s. to give to the two ushers."
L&M: These were probably gratuities, not fees; the custom of tipping schoolmasters did not quite disappear until the Public Schools Act of 1868: Sir M. McDonnell, Annals St Paul's School, p. 199. ----------------------- Google says of the meaning of "usher" - ARCHAIC an assistant teacher.
"In our way, at Kensington we understood how that my Lord Chesterfield had killed another gentleman about half an hour before, and was fled."
L&M: The duellists were the 2nd Earl of Chesterfield (who had already been involved in two other duels) and Francis Wolley, son of a Hammersmith doctor. They had quarreled about the price of a mare. Chesterfield took a boat at Chelsea and later fled to Holland where he obtained the King's pardon. The occasion and manner of Mr Francis Wolley's death (1659/60); Letters of Philip, 2nd Earl of Chesterfield . . . (1829), pp. 105-07; CSPD 1657-8, p. 290; Rugge, i, f. 50r. For duels see https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
:with Mr. Moore (with whom I had been in the lobby to hear news, and had spoke with Sir Anthony Ashley Cooper about my Lord’s lodgings)"
L&M: Cooper had been elected to the Council of State and given the apartments in Whitehall previously allotted to Mountagu, now out of employment. But, by friendly arrangement, the lodgings did not change hands. See https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/… Pepys to Mountagu (12 January, in Letters, p. 19); CSPD 1659-60, p. 306.
"He also told me that Monk’s letter that came to them by the sword-bearer was a cunning piece, and that which they did not much trust to;"
L&M: Monk's reply, of 6 January 1660, to the city's letter of 29 December 1659. It was not clear from its wording whether Monk stood for the Rump or for a free parliament, and on its arrival the Common Council forbore to debate it because 'they had not been able to discover what his sentiments were'. Two letters the one, sent by the lord mayor, aldermen, and common council of London, to His Excellency, the Lord Gen. Monck, by their sword-bearer, which letter was sent in answer to a letter formerly publish'd, and sent to the common council by His Excellency, delivered to them by Col. Markham, and Col. Atkins : the other, His Excellencies answer thereunto. Early English Books Online [full text] https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/…
"He told me how high Haselrigge, and Morly, the last night began at my Lord Mayor’s to exclaim against the City of London, saying that they had forfeited their charter."
L&M: By their recent votes in favour of a free parliament; see https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/… Sir Arthur Hesilrige (principal leader of the Rump) and Col. Herbert Morley (recently appointed Lieutenant of the Tower) were members of the committee appointed to deal with the city: CJ, vii. 807. The Mayor was Thomas Aleyn, of Leadenhall St. https://www.british-history.ac.uk…
Comments
Second Reading
About Thursday 9 February 1659/60
Terry Foreman • Link
"I called at Mr. Harper’s, who told me how Monk had this day clapt up many of the Common-council, and that the Parliament had voted that he should pull down their gates and portcullisses, their posts and their chains, which he do intend to do, and do lie in the City all night."
A LETTER OF HIS EXCELLENCY THE Lord Gen. Monck, TO The Speaker of the Parliament from Guild-Hall, London.
Right Honourable,
IN obedience to the Commands received from the Council last night, I marched with your Forces into the City this morning, and have secured all the persons except two, ordered to be secured, which two were not to be found: The Posts and Chains I have given order to be taken away, but have hitherto forborn the taking down of the Gates and Portcullises, because it will in all likelihood exaspe∣rate the City; and I have good ground of hopes from them that they will levie the Assess; They desiring onely first to meet in Common-council, which they intend to do to morrow morning. It seems probable to me, that they will yield obedience to your Com∣mands, and be brought to a friendly compliance with You; for which reason I have suspended the execution of Your commands touching the Gates and Portcullises, till I know Your further pleasure there∣in, which I desire I may by this Bearer: I shall onely desire that (so Your commands may be answered with due obedience) such tender∣ness may be used towards them, as may gain their affections: They desired the Restauration of those Members of their Common-coun∣cil that are secured; which desires of theirs I shall only commend to Your grave consideration, to do therein as You shall think most ex∣pedient; and, in attendance upon Your further commands, Re∣main
Your most humble and obedient Servant. GEORGE MONCK.
Guild-Hall, Feb. 9. 1659.
To the Right Honourable William Lenthal, Speaker to the Parlia∣ment of the Common-wealth of England at Westminster.
Early English Books Online [full text]
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo…
https://www.british-history.ac.uk…
City Gates, &c. to be destroyed.
A LETTER from General George Monck, from Guildhall, London, of the 9th of February 1659, was read.
Resolved, That the Answer to this Letter be, to send to General Monck the Resolves of the Parliament, That the Gates of the City of London, and the Portcullices thereof, be forthwith destroyed: And that he be ordered to put the said Vote in Execution, accordingly: And that Mr. Scot and Mr. Pury junior, do go to General Monck; and acquaint him with these Votes.
About Sunday 5 February 1659/60
Terry Foreman • Link
"we to my father’s, where I wrote some notes for my brother John to give to the Mercers’ to-morrow, it being the day of their apposition."
L&M: The Mercers' Company were trustees of St Paul's School, the letters were connected with his application for the exhition granted him at the Apposition Court of the company on 8 February: cf. https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
About Tuesday 31 January 1659/60
Terry Foreman • Link
"I could find nothing in Mr. Downing’s letter, which Hawly brought me, concerning my office; but I could discern that Hawly had a mind that I would get to be Clerk of the Council, I suppose that he might have the greater salary; but I think it not safe yet to change this for a public employment."
L&M: Pepys, although working in the Exchequer in the public service, was (like most junior clerks) employed privately by his chief, Downing.
About Thursday 26 January 1659/60
Terry Foreman • Link
Pepys sees and obtains this letter and praises it on 31 January, and pledges to "keep it by" him.
About Tuesday 31 January 1659/60
Terry Foreman • Link
"Here I met and afterwards bought the answer to General Monk’s letter, which is a very good one, and I keep it by me."
A letter to General Monck,: in answer to his of the 23th of January, directed to Mr. Rolle, to be communicated to the gentlemen of the county of Devon· By one of the excluded Members of Parliament.
Morris, Richard, fl. 1660., Albemarle, George Monck, Duke of, 1608-1670.
London: printed for R. Lowndes, at the White Lyon in S. Paul's Church-yard, 1659 [i.e. 1660] Early English Books Online [full text]
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/…
About Sunday 29 January 1659/60
Terry Foreman • Link
"the feast day of St. Paul being a day or two ago"
L&M: The feast of the conversion of St Paul, 25 January.
About Thursday 26 January 1659/60
Terry Foreman • Link
An answer (Pepys seems unaware of) to Monk's letter of the 23rd::
A letter to General Monck,: in answer to his of the 23th of January, directed to Mr. Rolle, to be communicated to the gentlemen of the county of Devon· By one of the excluded Members of Parliament.
Morris, Richard, fl. 1660., Albemarle, George Monck, Duke of, 1608-1670.
London: printed for R. Lowndes, at the White Lyon in S. Paul's Church-yard, 1659 [i.e. 1660] Early English Books Online [full text]
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/…
About Thursday 26 January 1659/60
Terry Foreman • Link
A better copy of the letter from Monk
A letter of General George Monck's, dated at Leicester 23 Ian. and directed unto Mr. Rolle to be communicated unto the rest of the gentry of Devon: occasioned by a late letter from the gentry of Devon dated at Execter 14 Ian. and sent by Mr. Bampfield to the Speaker to be communicated unto the Parliament. Read in Parliament Ian. 26.
Albemarle, George Monck, Duke of, 1608-1670.
London: printed by Iohn Redmayn in Lovels Court in Pater noster row, 1660.
Early English Books Online [full text]
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo…
About Wednesday 25 January 1659/60
Terry Foreman • Link
"then to Mr. Crew’s about a picture to be sent into the country, of Mr. Thomas Crew, to my Lord."
L&M: Probably the portrait by Lely which was one of the set of portraits by him of the Crew family, painted at this period. The set, now disbursed, was formerly at Hinchingbrooke: R. B. Beckett, Lely, p. 42.
--------------
Cf the Wikipedia article linked above to Sir Thomas Crew.
About Tuesday 24 January 1659/60
Terry Foreman • Link
"This day the Parliament gave order that the late Committee of Safety should come before them this day se’nnight, and all their papers, and their model of Government that they had made, to be brought in with them."
L&M: CJ, vii. 820. The Committee of Safety (composed mostly of military officers) ruled during the 'interruption' of the Rump, October-December 1659.
https://www.british-history.ac.uk…
About Tuesday 24 January 1659/60
Terry Foreman • Link
"we found Mrs. Carrick very fine, and one Mr. Lucy, who called one another husband and wife, and after dinner a great deal of mad stir. There was pulling off Mrs. bride’s and Mr. bridegroom’s ribbons"
L&M suggest this was a mock wedding.
About Sunday 22 January 1659/60
Terry Foreman • Link
For today's preachers and services:
Their names in the text of the entry are linked to information about them.
About Thursday 19 January 1659/60
Terry Foreman • Link
"And so we did determine thereupon that Mr. Sheply might now go into the country"
L&M: To Hinchingbrooke, Hunts.
About Tuesday 17 January 1659/60
Terry Foreman • Link
"it was carried by ballot, that it was a steady government, though it is true by the voices it had been carried before that it was an unsteady government; "
L&M: For the use of ballot-boxes in the Rota club, see Aubrey, i. 290. Interregnum parliaments also used them for the election of councillors of state.
About Tuesday 17 January 1659/60
Terry Foreman • Link
"We went forward and came about one of the clock to Mr. Fuller’s, but he was out of town, so we had a dinner there, and I gave the child 40s. to give to the two ushers."
L&M: These were probably gratuities, not fees; the custom of tipping schoolmasters did not quite disappear until the Public Schools Act of 1868: Sir M. McDonnell, Annals St Paul's School, p. 199.
-----------------------
Google says of the meaning of "usher" - ARCHAIC
an assistant teacher.
About Tuesday 17 January 1659/60
Terry Foreman • Link
"In our way, at Kensington we understood how that my Lord Chesterfield had killed another gentleman about half an hour before, and was fled."
L&M: The duellists were the 2nd Earl of Chesterfield (who had already been involved in two other duels) and Francis Wolley, son of a Hammersmith doctor. They had quarreled about the price of a mare. Chesterfield took a boat at Chelsea and later fled to Holland where he obtained the King's pardon. The occasion and manner of Mr Francis Wolley's death (1659/60); Letters of Philip, 2nd Earl of Chesterfield . . . (1829), pp. 105-07; CSPD 1657-8, p. 290; Rugge, i, f. 50r. For duels see https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
About Saturday 14 January 1659/60
Terry Foreman • Link
:with Mr. Moore (with whom I had been in the lobby to hear news, and had spoke with Sir Anthony Ashley Cooper about my Lord’s lodgings)"
L&M: Cooper had been elected to the Council of State and given the apartments in Whitehall previously allotted to Mountagu, now out of employment. But, by friendly arrangement, the lodgings did not change hands. See https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
Pepys to Mountagu (12 January, in Letters, p. 19); CSPD 1659-60, p. 306.
About Friday 13 January 1659/60
Terry Foreman • Link
"He also told me that Monk’s letter that came to them by the sword-bearer was a cunning piece, and that which they did not much trust to;"
L&M: Monk's reply, of 6 January 1660, to the city's letter of 29 December 1659. It was not clear from its wording whether Monk stood for the Rump or for a free parliament, and on its arrival the Common Council forbore to debate it because 'they had not been able to discover what his sentiments were'.
Two letters the one, sent by the lord mayor, aldermen, and common council of London, to His Excellency, the Lord Gen. Monck, by their sword-bearer, which letter was sent in answer to a letter formerly publish'd, and sent to the common council by His Excellency, delivered to them by Col. Markham, and Col. Atkins : the other, His Excellencies answer thereunto.
Early English Books Online [full text]
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/…
About Friday 13 January 1659/60
Terry Foreman • Link
"He told me how high Haselrigge, and Morly, the last night began at my Lord Mayor’s to exclaim against the City of London, saying that they had forfeited their charter."
L&M: By their recent votes in favour of a free parliament; see https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
Sir Arthur Hesilrige (principal leader of the Rump) and Col. Herbert Morley (recently appointed Lieutenant of the Tower) were members of the committee appointed to deal with the city: CJ, vii. 807. The Mayor was Thomas Aleyn, of Leadenhall St. https://www.british-history.ac.uk…
About Tuesday 10 January 1659/60
Terry Foreman • Link
"the rest of the members that were objected against last night,"
https://www.british-history.ac.uk…