"Here they did talk much of the present cheapness of corne, even to a miracle; so as their farmers can pay no rent, but do fling up their lands; and would pay in corne:"
John Browne (circa 1608-1691) was a parliamentary official. He became a student in the Middle Temple in 1628 and was appointed clerk of the parliaments in 1638. Following the break between the king and parliament in 1642, he remained at Westminster to serve the House of Lords. In 1650 the House of Commons appointed Henry Scobell, over Browne, as their clerk and as designated clerk of the parliaments, but in 1660, the House of Lords reinstated Browne as clerk of the parliaments. He served the house for another thirty years until his death in 1691. He acquired property in Northamptonshire and as well as a house in Twickenham, and was father-in-law to Sir Roger Cave. https://snaccooperative.org/view/…
The German name has largely ousted the original English name marchpane with the same apparent derivation: "March bread". (The word marchpane occurs in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, Scene 5, Line 9.) Marzapane is documented earlier in Italian than in any other language, and the sense "bread" for pan is Romance. The origin could be from the Latin term "martius panis", which means bread of March. However, the ultimate etymology is unclear; for example, the Italian word derives from the Latin words "Massa" (itself from Greek Μάζα "Maza") meaning pastry and "Pan" meaning bread, this can be particularly seen in the Provençal massapan, the Portuguese maçapão (where 'ç' is an alternative form for the phoneme 'ss') and old Spanish mazapán – the change from 'ss' to 'z' in Latin words was common in old Spanish and the 'r' appeared later. It could also be derived from martis pan, bread of March. Among the other possible etymologies set forth in the Oxford English Dictionary, one theory proposes that the word "marzipan" may be a corruption of Martaban, a Burmese city famous for its jars. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mar…
"I perceive all people’s expectation is, what will be the issue of this great business of putting these great Lords out of the council and power, the quarrel, I perceive, being only their standing against the will of the King in the business of the Chancellor."
"From the Exchange I took a coach, and went to Turlington, the great spectacle- maker, for advice, who dissuades me from using old spectacles, but rather young ones"
"He tells me he do verily believe that there will come in an impeachment of High Treason against my Lord of Ormond; among other things, for ordering the quartering of soldiers in Ireland on free quarters; which, it seems, is High Treason in that country, and was one of the things that lost the Lord Strafford his head, and the law is not yet repealed"
L&M: Ormond was Clarendon's principal ally in the government. Buckingham led the attack, hoping to succeed to his offices. Ormond came to England in the following spring and faced an inquiry into his management of Irish finances, being removed from the lord-lieutenancy in March 1669. He was not, however, impeached. He admitted the quartering of troops, arguing that it was a customary right of government. There was, it is true, a statute of 1440 (18 Henry VI c. 3) by which the 'cessing of Soldiers' in Ireland had been declared treason. An offense against this statute had been one of the charges in the attainder of Strafford in 1641, when he was declared guilty of a series of offences alleged to amount to cumulative treason. But this attainder had been repealed in 1662, and it was very doubtful whether either Strafford's or Ormond's action was treasonable within the terms of the act. ///j. Rushworth, Hist. Coll., vol. vii (1721); M. Hale, Hist. pleas of Crown (ed. Dogherty, 1800), i. 146-7; also Carte, Ormonde, iv. 312+.
Mansions of Misery review – Marshalsea and the horror of debt Jerry White offers an exuberant history of the debtors’ prison in Southwark, London, immortalised in the novels of Dickens https://www.theguardian.com/books…
"(Lord’s day). Up, and at my chamber all the day, both morning and afternoon (only a little at dinner with my wife alone), upon the settling of my Tangier accounts "
L&M: For an abstract of these accounts (covering 4 November 1664-30 December 1667, declared in the Exchequer 1 April 1675), see Routh, pp. 366-7. Pepys mentioned his delay in making them up at 26 November and 19 December 1667. He has a summary of them in Rawl. A 185, f. 23r.
"Thence I home, and there to my office and wrote a letter to the Duke of York from myself about my clerks extraordinary,"
L&M: Peoys had employed two extra clerks, one in general office business at £10 p.a. and the other on victualing at £50: PRO. Admin. 20/9, p. 453. By the Duke's order (31 March 1668) he was allowed to retain both, the victualing clerk being transferred (at the lower salary) to general duties: BM. Add. 36782, f. 68r.
"He tells me that my Lord of Canterbury is a mighty stout man, and a man of a brave, high spirit, and cares not for this disfavour that he is under at Court, knowing that the King cannot take away his profits during his life, and therefore do not value it."
L&M: Burnet (i. 453, on Lauderdale's authority) tells of the interview between the two men the preceding October, when Charles had decided to dismiss Clarendon. 'As soon as it was done, the King sent for Sheldon, and told him what he had done; but he answered nothing. When the King insisted to oblige him to declare himself, he said "Sir, I wish you would put away this woman that you keep".'
"a sum of 500l. which he has entered given to E. E. S., which in great confidence he do discover to me to be my Lord Sandwich, at the beginning of their contract for the Mole, and I suppose the rest"
L&M: Cholmley's two partners in the contract: the Earl of Rutherford and Sir John Lawson: above, loc. cit. Ever simce his visit to Tangier in 1662, when he had taken soundings in the harbour for the construction of a mole, Sandwich had shown a special interest in the progress of the work: Harris, ii. 154+.
"[W. Coventry] told me how some of his enemies at the Duke of York’s had got the Duke of York’s commission for the Commissioners of his estate changed, and he and Brouncker and Povy left out:"
L&M: A new commission for the management of the Duke's household and the regulation of its expenses had been appointed on 20 December from which the names of these three had been omitted: HMC, Rep., 8/1/12804. Povey had been its Treasurer, the others Commissioners.
"he tells me that there are so many things concur to make him and his Fellow Commissioners unable to go through the King’s work that he do despair of it, every body becoming an enemy to them in their retrenchments,"
"with my wife to the King’s playhouse, and there saw “The Surprizall;” which did not please me to-day, the actors not pleasing me; and especially Nell’s acting of a serious part, which she spoils."
L&M: Nell Gwyn played Samira in this comedy by Sir Robert Howard. It is generally agreed that she was much better in comic than in tragic roles.
"my Lord Sandwich is very scepticall. He says the greatest warrants that ever he had to believe any, is the present appearing of the Devil1 in Wiltshire, much of late talked of, who beats a drum up and down. There are books of it, and, they say, very true;"
L&M: These phenomena had been occuring in the house of John Mompesson of Tidworth, Wilts., for the past two years, and had recently become famous. Fot the pamphlet literature, see E. H. Goddard, Wilts. Bibliog., pp. 240-1. Both the King and the Queen sent agents to investigate, but nothing happened while they were there. Mompesson in the end admitted it was all a trick. Pepys later read the story in Glanvill's version on 25 December 1667. Accounts of the incident are in Merc. Pub., 23 April 1663, pp. 253-6; H. S. & L. M. L. Redgrove, /joseph Glanvill and psychical research in 17th cent., ch. vi. Addison's play, The Drummer, or The haunted house (1716) was founded on it. Both the diary and his later writings show that Pepys's interest in such things was real and lasting, for all his skepticism: e.g. Tangier Papers, pp. 10, 15; Priv. Corr., i. 240+ etc.
"there hear by Creed that the Bishops of Winchester and of Rochester, and the Dean of the Chapel, and some other great prelates, are suspended: and a cloud upon the Archbishop ever since the late business in the House of Lords;"
L&M: Pepys's account is inaccurate and a little confusing. No bishop was now suspendd from his episcopal duties for his support of Clarendon, but Morley of Winchester (an old friend of Clarendon) and Dolben of Rochester were replaced a few weeks later as court officers (Dean of the Chapel Royal and Clerk of the Closet respectively): https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/… and https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/… Rumours of their dismissal were now current: BM. Add. 36916. f. 56r. &c.
Comments
Second Reading
About Wednesday 1 January 1667/68
Terry Foreman • Link
"Here they did talk much of the present cheapness of corne, even to a miracle; so as their farmers can pay no rent, but do fling up their lands; and would pay in corne:"
L&M: Cf. https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/… and https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
About John Browne (a)
Terry Foreman • Link
John Browne (Clerk of the Parliaments was Lord Crew's brother-in-law
(L&M, ix.1)
About John Browne (a)
Terry Foreman • Link
John Browne (circa 1608-1691) was a parliamentary official. He became a student in the Middle Temple in 1628 and was appointed clerk of the parliaments in 1638. Following the break between the king and parliament in 1642, he remained at Westminster to serve the House of Lords. In 1650 the House of Commons appointed Henry Scobell, over Browne, as their clerk and as designated clerk of the parliaments, but in 1660, the House of Lords reinstated Browne as clerk of the parliaments. He served the house for another thirty years until his death in 1691. He acquired property in Northamptonshire and as well as a house in Twickenham, and was father-in-law to Sir Roger Cave. https://snaccooperative.org/view/…
From the descrip
About Monday 9 July 1660
Terry Foreman • Link
Marchpane
The German name has largely ousted the original English name marchpane with the same apparent derivation: "March bread". (The word marchpane occurs in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, Scene 5, Line 9.) Marzapane is documented earlier in Italian than in any other language, and the sense "bread" for pan is Romance. The origin could be from the Latin term "martius panis", which means bread of March. However, the ultimate etymology is unclear; for example, the Italian word derives from the Latin words "Massa" (itself from Greek Μάζα "Maza") meaning pastry and "Pan" meaning bread, this can be particularly seen in the Provençal massapan, the Portuguese maçapão (where 'ç' is an alternative form for the phoneme 'ss') and old Spanish mazapán – the change from 'ss' to 'z' in Latin words was common in old Spanish and the 'r' appeared later. It could also be derived from martis pan, bread of March. Among the other possible etymologies set forth in the Oxford English Dictionary, one theory proposes that the word "marzipan" may be a corruption of Martaban, a Burmese city famous for its jars.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mar…
About Tuesday 31 December 1667
Terry Foreman • Link
"I perceive all people’s expectation is, what will be the issue of this great business of putting these great Lords out of the council and power, the quarrel, I perceive, being only their standing against the will of the King in the business of the Chancellor."
L&M: The reference is probably to the attack on Ormond: cf. https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/… and https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
About Monday 4 November 1667
Terry Foreman • Link
"From the Exchange I took a coach, and went to Turlington, the great spectacle- maker, for advice, who dissuades me from using old spectacles, but rather young ones"
L&M: https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/… and https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
About Monday 4 November 1667
Terry Foreman • Link
"He tells me he do verily believe that there will come in an impeachment of High Treason against my Lord of Ormond; among other things, for ordering the quartering of soldiers in Ireland on free quarters; which, it seems, is High Treason in that country, and was one of the things that lost the Lord Strafford his head, and the law is not yet repealed"
L&M: Ormond was Clarendon's principal ally in the government. Buckingham led the attack, hoping to succeed to his offices. Ormond came to England in the following spring and faced an inquiry into his management of Irish finances, being removed from the lord-lieutenancy in March 1669. He was not, however, impeached. He admitted the quartering of troops, arguing that it was a customary right of government. There was, it is true, a statute of 1440 (18 Henry VI c. 3) by which the 'cessing of Soldiers' in Ireland had been declared treason. An offense against this statute had been one of the charges in the attainder of Strafford in 1641, when he was declared guilty of a series of offences alleged to amount to cumulative treason. But this attainder had been repealed in 1662, and it was very doubtful whether either Strafford's or Ormond's action was treasonable within the terms of the act. ///j. Rushworth, Hist. Coll., vol. vii (1721); M. Hale, Hist. pleas of Crown (ed. Dogherty, 1800), i. 146-7; also Carte, Ormonde, iv. 312+.
About Counter/Compter
Terry Foreman • Link
Mansions of Misery review – Marshalsea and the horror of debt
Jerry White offers an exuberant history of the debtors’ prison in Southwark, London, immortalised in the novels of Dickens
https://www.theguardian.com/books…
About Monday 30 December 1667
Terry Foreman • Link
"I met with Cooling at the Temple-gate, after I had been at both my booksellers "
L&M: John Starkey and Henry Herringman, booksellers, had shops by Temple Bar.
About Sunday 29 December 1667
Terry Foreman • Link
"(Lord’s day). Up, and at my chamber all the day, both morning and afternoon (only a little at dinner with my wife alone), upon the settling of my Tangier accounts "
L&M: For an abstract of these accounts (covering 4 November 1664-30 December 1667, declared in the Exchequer 1 April 1675), see Routh, pp. 366-7. Pepys mentioned his delay in making them up at 26 November and 19 December 1667. He has a summary of them in Rawl. A 185, f. 23r.
About Friday 27 December 1667
Terry Foreman • Link
"Thence I home, and there to my office and wrote a letter to the Duke of York from myself about my clerks extraordinary,"
L&M: Peoys had employed two extra clerks, one in general office business at £10 p.a. and the other on victualing at £50: PRO. Admin. 20/9, p. 453. By the Duke's order (31 March 1668) he was allowed to retain both, the victualing clerk being transferred (at the lower salary) to general duties: BM. Add. 36782, f. 68r.
About Friday 27 December 1667
Terry Foreman • Link
"He tells me that my Lord of Canterbury is a mighty stout man, and a man of a brave, high spirit, and cares not for this disfavour that he is under at Court, knowing that the King cannot take away his profits during his life, and therefore do not value it."
L&M: Burnet (i. 453, on Lauderdale's authority) tells of the interview between the two men the preceding October, when Charles had decided to dismiss Clarendon. 'As soon as it was done, the King sent for Sheldon, and told him what he had done; but he answered nothing. When the King insisted to oblige him to declare himself, he said "Sir, I wish you would put away this woman that you keep".'
About Friday 27 December 1667
Terry Foreman • Link
"a sum of 500l. which he has entered given to E. E. S., which in great confidence he do discover to me to be my Lord Sandwich, at the beginning of their contract for the Mole, and I suppose the rest"
L&M: Cholmley's two partners in the contract: the Earl of Rutherford and Sir John Lawson: above, loc. cit. Ever simce his visit to Tangier in 1662, when he had taken soundings in the harbour for the construction of a mole, Sandwich had shown a special interest in the progress of the work: Harris, ii. 154+.
About Friday 27 December 1667
Terry Foreman • Link
"at the beginning of their contract for the Mole"
L&M: See https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/… and https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
About Friday 27 December 1667
Terry Foreman • Link
"[W. Coventry] told me how some of his enemies at the Duke of York’s had got the Duke of York’s commission for the Commissioners of his estate changed, and he and Brouncker and Povy left out:"
L&M: A new commission for the management of the Duke's household and the regulation of its expenses had been appointed on 20 December from which the names of these three had been omitted: HMC, Rep., 8/1/12804. Povey had been its Treasurer, the others Commissioners.
About Friday 27 December 1667
Terry Foreman • Link
"he tells me that there are so many things concur to make him and his Fellow Commissioners unable to go through the King’s work that he do despair of it, every body becoming an enemy to them in their retrenchments,"
L&M: Coventry was referring to his work as one of the committee of the council appointed in July 1667 to retrench royal expenditures: see https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/… and https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
About Thursday 26 December 1667
Terry Foreman • Link
"with my wife to the King’s playhouse, and there saw “The Surprizall;” which did not please me to-day, the actors not pleasing me; and especially Nell’s acting of a serious part, which she spoils."
L&M: Nell Gwyn played Samira in this comedy by Sir Robert Howard. It is generally agreed that she was much better in comic than in tragic roles.
About Wednesday 25 December 1667
Terry Foreman • Link
"all the afternoon at home, my wife reading to me “The History of the Drummer of Mr. Mompesson,”"
L&M: For the story of the ghostly drummer see https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/… and https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
About Monday 15 June 1663
Terry Foreman • Link
"my Lord Sandwich is very scepticall. He says the greatest warrants that ever he had to believe any, is the present appearing of the Devil1 in Wiltshire, much of late talked of, who beats a drum up and down. There are books of it, and, they say, very true;"
L&M: These phenomena had been occuring in the house of John Mompesson of Tidworth, Wilts., for the past two years, and had recently become famous. Fot the pamphlet literature, see E. H. Goddard, Wilts. Bibliog., pp. 240-1. Both the King and the Queen sent agents to investigate, but nothing happened while they were there. Mompesson in the end admitted it was all a trick. Pepys later read the story in Glanvill's version on 25 December 1667. Accounts of the incident are in Merc. Pub., 23 April 1663, pp. 253-6; H. S. & L. M. L. Redgrove, /joseph Glanvill and psychical research in 17th cent., ch. vi. Addison's play, The Drummer, or The haunted house (1716) was founded on it. Both the diary and his later writings show that Pepys's interest in such things was real and lasting, for all his skepticism: e.g. Tangier Papers, pp. 10, 15; Priv. Corr., i. 240+ etc.
About Monday 23 December 1667
Terry Foreman • Link
"there hear by Creed that the Bishops of Winchester and of Rochester, and the Dean of the Chapel, and some other great prelates, are suspended: and a cloud upon the Archbishop ever since the late business in the House of Lords;"
L&M: Pepys's account is inaccurate and a little confusing. No bishop was now suspendd from his episcopal duties for his support of Clarendon, but Morley of Winchester (an old friend of Clarendon) and Dolben of Rochester were replaced a few weeks later as court officers (Dean of the Chapel Royal and Clerk of the Closet respectively): https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/… and https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
Rumours of their dismissal were now current: BM. Add. 36916. f. 56r. &c.