"Going back again, Sir R. Brookes overtook us coming to town; who hath played the jacke"
play the jack - As early as the mid-16th century the jack card was known in England as the knave (meaning a male servant of royalty). Knave also means "a dishonest or unscrupulous man." https://www.google.com/search?sxs…
"He tells me that there is a letter sent by conspiracy to some of the House, which he hath seen, about the matter of selling of places, which he do believe he shall be called upon to-morrow for: and thinks himself well prepared to defend himself in it; and then neither he, nor his friends for him, are afeard of anything to his prejudice."
"He told me Birch was very industrious to do what he could, and did, like a friend; but they were resolved to find the thing, in general, a miscarriage; and says, that when we shall think fit to desire its being heard, as to our own defence, it will be granted. "
"I met with Sir W. Coventry, and he and I walked awhile together in the Matted Gallery; and there he told me all the proceedings yesterday: that the matter"
"He tells me in general that there is great looking after places, upon a presumption of a great many vacancies; and he did shew me a fellow at Court, a brother of my Lord Fanshaw’s, a witty but rascally fellow, without a penny in his purse, that was asking him what places there were in the Navy fit for him"
L&M: This was Henry Fanshawe, brother of the 2nd Viscount. He had a minor post in the Exchequer ('keeping, sorting and ordering' hearth-tax returns) for which he had a salary of £20 p.a.: CTB, iii. 215; H. C. Fanshawe, Fanshawe Family, p. 121.
"I by water over to Southwarke, and so walked to the Falkon, on the Bank-side, and there got another boat, and so to Westminster, where I would have gone into the Swan; but the door was locked; and the girl could not let me in"
L&M: Taverns were fobidden to serve customers during divine service,
"the ridicuiousnesse of Angell’s part, which is called Trinkilo"
L&M: Trincalo, a blustering farmer, is the chief comic role in Albumazar. and was played by Edward Angel, one of the original members of the Duke of York's Company.
"to the Lords’ House, and heard the Solicitor-General plead very finely, as he always do; and this was in defence of the East India Company against a man that complains of wrong from them,"
"Thence with Brouncker and T. Harvey to Westminster Hall, and there met with Colonel Birch and Sir John Lowther, and did there in the lobby read over what I have drawn up for our defence,"
"This makes them mad; for that the former Poll-bill, that was so much less in its extent than the last, which took in all sexes and qualities, did come to 350,000l."
L&M: The former poll-bill was that of 1660; the 'last' that of 1667. The 1660 bill yielded £252,167; that of 1667, ca. £500,000: S. Dowell, Hist. Taxatio, ii. 29. On this day a Committee of the Whole had considered a motion for supply made on the 19th: CJ, ix. 53, 55. Reports of debates in Grey, i. 89, 90; Milward, pp. 194-5.
"it is pretty odde that the very first sum mentioned in the account brought in by Sir Robert Long, of the disposal of the Poll-bill money, is 5000l. to my Lord Arlington for intelligence; which was mighty unseasonable, so soon after they had so much cried out against his want of intelligence."
"Here they tell me how Sir Thomas Allen hath taken the Englishmen out of “La Roche,” and taken from him an Ostend prize which La Roche had fetched out of our harbours; and at this day La Roche keeps upon our coasts; and had the boldness to land some men and go a mile up into the country, and there took some goods belonging to this prize out of a house there; which our King resents, and, they say, hath wrote to the King of France about; and everybody do think a war will follow; and then in what a case we shall be for want of money, nobody knows,"
L&M: Louis de la Roche, in the Jules César, commanded a small French squadron which had been attacking the lines of communication between Spain and the Netherlands in the Channel. He had captured a company of English soldiers in Plymouth under Capt. Bevill Skelton destined for the service of Spain, and was transporting them to France. At Torquay he had attacked an Ostend ship (the Sainte Marie) in the harbour itself, and had landed an armed party to secure its cargo, which had been hidden in a private house. Charles II had made a vigorous protest to the French King about these violations of English soil and waters, and had instructed Sir Thomas Allin to intercept de la Roche if he found himself with a superior force. Allin had come up with the French off Spithead on the 25th, and after an exchange of civilities, had secured the release of the English troops and the English prize, See Allin, ii. 9-10. CSPD 1667-8, passim: C. H. Hartmann, The King my brother, pp. 213-14; Bulstrode Papers, i. 26, 27.
"The dividing of the fleete, however, is, I hear, voted a miscarriage, and the not building a fortification at Sheernesse: and I have reason every hour to expect that they will vote the like of our paying men off by ticket;"
L&M: The vote about the division of the fleet was passed on the 14th, that about Sheerness on the 17th, that about the tickets on thwe 22nd: CJ, ix. 51, 52, 55.
"Sir W. Coventry did here come to his defence, in the business of the letter that was sent to call back Prince Rupert, after he was divided from the fleete, "
Comments
Second Reading
About Sunday 23 February 1667/68
Terry Foreman • Link
"Going back again, Sir R. Brookes overtook us coming to town; who hath played the jacke"
play the jack - As early as the mid-16th century the jack card was known in England as the knave (meaning a male servant of royalty). Knave also means "a dishonest or unscrupulous man."
https://www.google.com/search?sxs…
About Sunday 23 February 1667/68
Terry Foreman • Link
"after dinner [Sir G. Carteret] and I...discoursing of my Lord Sandwich’s matters;"
L&M: The charge against Sandwich of quitting the fleet in October 1665. See https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/… and https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
About Sunday 23 February 1667/68
Terry Foreman • Link
"He tells me that there is a letter sent by conspiracy to some of the House, which he hath seen, about the matter of selling of places, which he do believe he shall be called upon to-morrow for: and thinks himself well prepared to defend himself in it; and then neither he, nor his friends for him, are afeard of anything to his prejudice."
L&M: The petition was presented on the 24th by Sir Robert Brooke, but since it accused nobody by name the House did not allow it to be read: Grey, i. 92; Milward, , p. 197. Presente3d again in April, it named Coventry: Rawl. A 1952, f. 74 (copy). For Coventry's reply (13 April) , see Milward, pp. 320-1. He had been accused of the same offense in 1663 (see https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/… and https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
and madeboth then and now a considerable collection of papers in this own defence (Longleat, Coventry MSS 101, ff. 104-244).
About Sunday 23 February 1667/68
Terry Foreman • Link
"He told me Birch was very industrious to do what he could, and did, like a friend; but they were resolved to find the thing, in general, a miscarriage; and says, that when we shall think fit to desire its being heard, as to our own defence, it will be granted. "
L&M: See https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/… and https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
About Sunday 23 February 1667/68
Terry Foreman • Link
"I met with Sir W. Coventry, and he and I walked awhile together in the Matted Gallery; and there he told me all the proceedings yesterday: that the matter"
L&M: Of tickets.
About Sunday 23 February 1667/68
Terry Foreman • Link
"He tells me in general that there is great looking after places, upon a presumption of a great many vacancies; and he did shew me a fellow at Court, a brother of my Lord Fanshaw’s, a witty but rascally fellow, without a penny in his purse, that was asking him what places there were in the Navy fit for him"
L&M: This was Henry Fanshawe, brother of the 2nd Viscount. He had a minor post in the Exchequer ('keeping, sorting and ordering' hearth-tax returns) for which he had a salary of £20 p.a.: CTB, iii. 215; H. C. Fanshawe, Fanshawe Family, p. 121.
About Sunday 23 February 1667/68
Terry Foreman • Link
"I by water over to Southwarke, and so walked to the Falkon, on the Bank-side, and there got another boat, and so to Westminster, where I would have gone into the Swan; but the door was locked; and the girl could not let me in"
L&M: Taverns were fobidden to serve customers during divine service,
About Saturday 22 February 1667/68
Terry Foreman • Link
"the ridicuiousnesse of Angell’s part, which is called Trinkilo"
L&M: Trincalo, a blustering farmer, is the chief comic role in Albumazar. and was played by Edward Angel, one of the original members of the Duke of York's Company.
About Saturday 22 February 1667/68
Terry Foreman • Link
"to the Lords’ House, and heard the Solicitor-General plead very finely, as he always do; and this was in defence of the East India Company against a man that complains of wrong from them,"
L&M: For the case (Thomas Skinner vs. E. India Company) see https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/… and https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
It was the occasion of a long dispute between the Commons and the Lords, and became a leading case in the master of original jurisdiction of the Lords in civil cases. The Solicitor-General was Sir Heneage Finch. The proceedings:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ski…
About Friday 21 February 1667/68
Terry Foreman • Link
"here comes my wife to me, who hath been at Pegg Pen’s christening"
L&M: The daughter of Anthony and Peg Lowther (née Penn) was now named Mrgaret: Harl. Soc. Reg., 46/75.
About Friday 21 February 1667/68
Terry Foreman • Link
"Thence with Brouncker and T. Harvey to Westminster Hall, and there met with Colonel Birch and Sir John Lowther, and did there in the lobby read over what I have drawn up for our defence,"
L&M: See https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
About Friday 21 February 1667/68
Terry Foreman • Link
"This makes them mad; for that the former Poll-bill, that was so much less in its extent than the last, which took in all sexes and qualities, did come to 350,000l."
L&M: The former poll-bill was that of 1660; the 'last' that of 1667. The 1660 bill yielded £252,167; that of 1667, ca. £500,000: S. Dowell, Hist. Taxatio, ii. 29. On this day a Committee of the Whole had considered a motion for supply made on the 19th: CJ, ix. 53, 55. Reports of debates in Grey, i. 89, 90; Milward, pp. 194-5.
About Friday 21 February 1667/68
Terry Foreman • Link
"'The King do also own but 250,000l.,"
L&M: Milward (p. 194) gives £237,000.
About Friday 21 February 1667/68
Terry Foreman • Link
"it is pretty odde that the very first sum mentioned in the account brought in by Sir Robert Long, of the disposal of the Poll-bill money, is 5000l. to my Lord Arlington for intelligence; which was mighty unseasonable, so soon after they had so much cried out against his want of intelligence."
L&M: See https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/… and https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
The effect of this debate would be to decide whether or not there would be a summer fleet. See https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/… and
https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
Long was Auditor of the Receipt in the Exchequer.
About Thursday 20 February 1667/68
Terry Foreman • Link
"and Knepp and Nell spoke the prologue"
L&M: Their joint delivery of the prologue receives special mention in the first edition olf the play (1668).
About Wednesday 19 February 1667/68
Terry Foreman • Link
"I do hear how La Roche, a French captain, who was once prisoner here, being with his ship at Plymouth, hath played some reakes there,"
L&M: See the account of his raids: https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/… and https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
He had been taken prisoner by Rupert in 1666.
About Saturday 29 February 1667/68
Terry Foreman • Link
"Here they tell me how Sir Thomas Allen hath taken the Englishmen out of “La Roche,” and taken from him an Ostend prize which La Roche had fetched out of our harbours; and at this day La Roche keeps upon our coasts; and had the boldness to land some men and go a mile up into the country, and there took some goods belonging to this prize out of a house there; which our King resents, and, they say, hath wrote to the King of France about; and everybody do think a war will follow; and then in what a case we shall be for want of money, nobody knows,"
L&M: Louis de la Roche, in the Jules César, commanded a small French squadron which had been attacking the lines of communication between Spain and the Netherlands in the Channel. He had captured a company of English soldiers in Plymouth under Capt. Bevill Skelton destined for the service of Spain, and was transporting them to France. At Torquay he had attacked an Ostend ship (the Sainte Marie) in the harbour itself, and had landed an armed party to secure its cargo, which had been hidden in a private house. Charles II had made a vigorous protest to the French King about these violations of English soil and waters, and had instructed Sir Thomas Allin to intercept de la Roche if he found himself with a superior force. Allin had come up with the French off Spithead on the 25th, and after an exchange of civilities, had secured the release of the English troops and the English prize, See Allin, ii. 9-10. CSPD 1667-8, passim: C. H. Hartmann, The King my brother, pp. 213-14; Bulstrode Papers, i. 26, 27.
About Wednesday 19 February 1667/68
Terry Foreman • Link
L&M transcribe otherwise:
"I do hear how La Roche, a French captain, who was once prisoner here, being with his ship at Plymouth, hath played some reakes there,"
REAKES: tricks: OED records plural only; 'to play reaks' very common in 17th cent. (L&M Large Glossary).
About Monday 17 February 1667/68
Terry Foreman • Link
"The dividing of the fleete, however, is, I hear, voted a miscarriage, and the not building a fortification at Sheernesse: and I have reason every hour to expect that they will vote the like of our paying men off by ticket;"
L&M: The vote about the division of the fleet was passed on the 14th, that about Sheerness on the 17th, that about the tickets on thwe 22nd: CJ, ix. 51, 52, 55.
About Monday 17 February 1667/68
Terry Foreman • Link
"Sir W. Coventry did here come to his defence, in the business of the letter that was sent to call back Prince Rupert, after he was divided from the fleete, "
L&M: See https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…