"... and, among other things, did much inveigh against the writing of romances, that 500 years hence being wrote of matters in general, true as the romance of Cleopatra, the world will not know which is the true and which the false."
Seems to me English were behind in the publishing of novels. Pepys reads lots of plays, poetry, how-to books, histories, and sermons. Translations of novels from other languages, like "Don Quixote" and "The Romance of Cleopatra" were available. Margaret "Mad Madge" Lucas Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle (1623-1673) published 22 books following the Restoration, including Britain's first science fiction novel. We have to wait until 1684 for John Bunyan to publish "The Pilgrim’s Progress". Defoe didn't publish a novel until 1705. Something beside Mad Madge's efforts must be going on in the English novel department for these men to consider romances a problem. Anyone know some authors or titles?
How interesting, Bill, that neither Pepys or Evelyn mention Charles II and Catherine being there. Perhaps they stayed in a back room to avoid the rabble.
I agree Matt -- he was upset, the excuse being her bookkeeping, but he knows he went too far -- again. I wonder if the war stress will cause him to "blow up". He has to be nice to all the old guys in the office and the sycophant courtiers. Bess is an easy target.
I think we can work out who those two Secretaries were in Council.
https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/… Friday 28 October 1664 His Majesty present in Council At the court at Whitehall, the 28th of October, 1664. Present: the king's most excellent Majesty, Charles II. His Royal Highness, James, Duke of York. Lord Chancellor Sir Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarenden. Lord Treasurer, Thomas Wriothesley, 4th Earl of Southampton Gen. Sir George Monck, Duke of Albemarle. Sir James Butler, Duke of Ormonde. Lord Chamberlain Sir Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk Arthur Annesley, 1st Earl of Anglesea Secretary for Scotland Sir John Maitland, 2nd Earl of Lauderdale. John Middleton, 1st Earl of Middleton William Juxon, Lord Bishop of London. Lord Anthony Ashley-Cooper Mr. Vice-Chamberlain. ??? Mr. Secretary Morice. Sir William Morice served as Secretary of State for the Northern Department and a Lord of the Treasury from June 1660 to September 1668 Mr. Secretary Bennet. Henry Bennet Mr. Chancellor of the Dutchy. ??? Sir Edward Nicholas. Former Secretary of State.
I vote for Bennet and Morice. Nicholas was out to pasture, and the war had nothing to do with Scotland.
It sounds as if James, Duke of York rode to Portsmouth. I wonder if Coventry and Pearse rode with him, or sailed on the Royal Charles with Penn. I think it makes more sense for them to ride.
"... vexed for my being so angry in bad words to my wife to-night, she not giving me a good account of her layings out to my mind to-night."
Elizabeth has been giving Pepys a hard time -- insubordinate may be the word I'm looking for; passive resistant is another way of putting it -- since she was left at the church one Sunday to take herself home and then to Uncle Wight's while he chased a pretty girl all over Tower Hill. The next day was their wedding anniversary, and she showed her displeasure by scheduling the laundry for that day, and he forgot to give her anything. This all happened after he hit her for the service at a fancy dinner not being good enough. She has been out late a couple of times, and not been "good ol' Bess" for a while. I think his upset over the accounts is just Pepys' way of calling her to heel. She's angry.
Per L&M: William Ackworth, the naval storekeeper at Woolwich's first wife (Avice Cole who died in 1643) was a younger sister of Commissioner Peter Pett's wife.
Whether or not this made her Mary Pett's younger sister, I don't know. But there was a relationship between Commissioner Pett and Storekeeper Ackworth.
I believe today is considered the start of the Second Dutch War. Charles II acknowledging the taking of New Amsterdam and the Guinney ports on his orders, setting a bounty for goods, merchandise and ordinance from "lawful pillage," and providing for the care of injured sailors does seem to be the final steps from which there will be no going back.
I also note that the Royal Marines trace their origins back to the formation of the English Army's "Duke of York and Albany's maritime regiment of Foot" at the grounds of the Honorable Artillery Company on 28 October, 1664.
"But by and by she and her company come in all well, at which I was glad, though angry."
It was girls day and night out, escorted of course. You don't get it yet, Pepys, do you? Elizabeth is really miffed at you for (1) forgetting your anniversary, (2) leaving her at Church to go home and on to Uncle Wight's alone because she had no idea when you'd be home from chasing a pretty girl over Tower Hill, and (3) working hard to throw a big dinner party for you, and being rewarded by being hit.
Her passive-aggressive responses are probably going to throw you into the arms of Betty Lane and Mrs. Bagwell, but things at home are in the tank because of your behavior. Not waiting for you with the boat, and then dallying around so they got home later than you, were no accidents.
Much as I like Michael Robinson's theory about Pepys reading John Keymer's observation on Dutch fishing written in about 1601, which was reprinted by Sir Edward Ford in 1664 (so it is possible, even if it isn't in the Pepys library), after some prodding around I have reached the conclusion that Sir Edward Ford and Sir Richard Ford were not related, and this idea is not supported by any evidence.
William Berkeley was born in 1639, the younger son of Lord Fitzhardinge, treasurer of the household to Charles II.
He first went to sea in 1661 as lieutenant of the Swiftsure and obtained his first command, the Fourth Rate frigate Assistance, in 1662.
Despite Commander William Berkeley's youth and inexperience he commanded three more large warships before the outbreak of the second Anglo-Dutch War.
Most of Commander William Berkeley's service was in the Mediterranean, where he was promoted assiduously by Admiral Sir John Lawson, partly perhaps because of his merits, partly because Lawson wanted Berkeley’s Court connections to further of his own career (Berkeley’s elder brother, Charles Berkeley was a favorite of Charles II).
Commander William Berkeley courted, but never married, Sir John Lawson’s daughter.
Journal of the Earl of Sandwich -- 10th October. Spithead
"Monday. At 7 o'clock at night Sir John Lawson in the Resolution and Capt. Berkeley in the Bristol came to an anchor with us and came aboard. ........"
Capt. William Berkeley (1639-1666), third son of Sir Charles Berkeley of Bruton, 2nd Viscount Fitzharding in the Irish peerage, and younger brother of Charles, Earl of Falmouth. William shared with his brother the favor of James, Duke of York.
In 1662 he was Lieutenant of the "Swiftsure"; Captain of the "Bonaventure" in the same year; Captain of the "Bristol" in 1663; Captain of the "Resolution" in 1664.
Christine Voth, Lecturer in Medieval Studies at the University of Göttingen, has an article in this week's History Today on information gleaned from ancient medical manuscripts, collectively known as Bald’s Leechbook.
Most of the manuscripts were written before the Norman Conquest of 1066 but the manuscript shows evidence of many readers using it later, in a time when Old English had become the language known today as Middle English, and learning was needed to comprehend it.
Considering this, a surprising number of later medieval readers left their marks on its pages. In the late 12th and early 13th centuries readers started using a mark to indicate a section of interesting text: today's equivalent of highlighting. Nota marks occur throughout Bald's Leechbook, and some chapters have remarkably more, suggesting these were of particular interest to later readers.
The chapter on eye diseases and the dimming of eyesight is one of them. It's reasonable to think that the readers of manuscripts, or those writing or copying manuscripts, would find these medical remedies interesting: failing eyesight due to reading or writing by candlelight was a common ailment in the Middle Ages.
"It was common enough that eyeglasses were invented by the end of the 13th century."
We must have lost the science, or Pepys should have had a pair perched on his nose long ago. For more information on Bald's Leechbook, see
Monday 17 October 1664 -- "... and with Sir W. Batten to St. James’s; there did our business. I saw Sir J. Lawson since his return from sea first this morning, ..."
So today Admiral Lawson is reporting to the Tangier Committee on the latest word from the Mediterranean.
Comments
Second Reading
About Friday 11 November 1664
San Diego Sarah • Link
"... and, among other things, did much inveigh against the writing of romances, that 500 years hence being wrote of matters in general, true as the romance of Cleopatra, the world will not know which is the true and which the false."
Seems to me English were behind in the publishing of novels. Pepys reads lots of plays, poetry, how-to books, histories, and sermons. Translations of novels from other languages, like "Don Quixote" and "The Romance of Cleopatra" were available. Margaret "Mad Madge" Lucas Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle (1623-1673) published 22 books following the Restoration, including Britain's first science fiction novel. We have to wait until 1684 for John Bunyan to publish "The Pilgrim’s Progress". Defoe didn't publish a novel until 1705. Something beside Mad Madge's efforts must be going on in the English novel department for these men to consider romances a problem. Anyone know some authors or titles?
About Saturday 29 October 1664
San Diego Sarah • Link
How interesting, Bill, that neither Pepys or Evelyn mention Charles II and Catherine being there. Perhaps they stayed in a back room to avoid the rabble.
About Monday 31 October 1664
San Diego Sarah • Link
I agree Matt -- he was upset, the excuse being her bookkeeping, but he knows he went too far -- again. I wonder if the war stress will cause him to "blow up". He has to be nice to all the old guys in the office and the sycophant courtiers. Bess is an easy target.
About Wednesday 9 November 1664
San Diego Sarah • Link
I think we can work out who those two Secretaries were in Council.
https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
Friday 28 October 1664
His Majesty present in Council At the court at Whitehall, the 28th of October, 1664. Present:
the king's most excellent Majesty, Charles II.
His Royal Highness, James, Duke of York.
Lord Chancellor Sir Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarenden.
Lord Treasurer, Thomas Wriothesley, 4th Earl of Southampton
Gen. Sir George Monck, Duke of Albemarle.
Sir James Butler, Duke of Ormonde.
Lord Chamberlain Sir Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk
Arthur Annesley, 1st Earl of Anglesea
Secretary for Scotland Sir John Maitland, 2nd Earl of Lauderdale.
John Middleton, 1st Earl of Middleton
William Juxon, Lord Bishop of London.
Lord Anthony Ashley-Cooper
Mr. Vice-Chamberlain. ???
Mr. Secretary Morice. Sir William Morice served as Secretary of State for the Northern Department and a Lord of the Treasury from June 1660 to September 1668
Mr. Secretary Bennet. Henry Bennet
Mr. Chancellor of the Dutchy. ???
Sir Edward Nicholas. Former Secretary of State.
I vote for Bennet and Morice. Nicholas was out to pasture, and the war had nothing to do with Scotland.
About Wednesday 9 November 1664
San Diego Sarah • Link
It sounds as if James, Duke of York rode to Portsmouth. I wonder if Coventry and Pearse rode with him, or sailed on the Royal Charles with Penn. I think it makes more sense for them to ride.
About Sunday 6 November 1664
San Diego Sarah • Link
Sad ... the Castlemaine jibjab is no more. I was in need of a laugh.
About Friday 21 October 1664
San Diego Sarah • Link
Good point, Athena ... that investment a year ago has paid off handsomely. Birds of a feather flock together.
About Tuesday 18 October 1664
San Diego Sarah • Link
I like exclude. The whole thing makes more sense now. Thanks for explaining it, Jon.
About Monday 31 October 1664
San Diego Sarah • Link
"... vexed for my being so angry in bad words to my wife to-night, she not giving me a good account of her layings out to my mind to-night."
Elizabeth has been giving Pepys a hard time -- insubordinate may be the word I'm looking for; passive resistant is another way of putting it -- since she was left at the church one Sunday to take herself home and then to Uncle Wight's while he chased a pretty girl all over Tower Hill. The next day was their wedding anniversary, and she showed her displeasure by scheduling the laundry for that day, and he forgot to give her anything. This all happened after he hit her for the service at a fancy dinner not being good enough. She has been out late a couple of times, and not been "good ol' Bess" for a while. I think his upset over the accounts is just Pepys' way of calling her to heel. She's angry.
About Monday 17 October 1664
San Diego Sarah • Link
Thanks, Jon.
About Friday 28 October 1664
San Diego Sarah • Link
"... as good a suit as ever I wore in my life, and mighty neat, to my great content."
So much for my believe that "neat" was a 1970's affectation.
About Mary Pett
San Diego Sarah • Link
Per L&M: William Ackworth, the naval storekeeper at Woolwich's first wife (Avice Cole who died in 1643) was a younger sister of Commissioner Peter Pett's wife.
Whether or not this made her Mary Pett's younger sister, I don't know. But there was a relationship between Commissioner Pett and Storekeeper Ackworth.
About Friday 28 October 1664
San Diego Sarah • Link
I believe today is considered the start of the Second Dutch War. Charles II acknowledging the taking of New Amsterdam and the Guinney ports on his orders, setting a bounty for goods, merchandise and ordinance from "lawful pillage," and providing for the care of injured sailors does seem to be the final steps from which there will be no going back.
I also note that the Royal Marines trace their origins back to the formation of the English Army's "Duke of York and Albany's maritime regiment of Foot" at the grounds of the Honorable Artillery Company on 28 October, 1664.
About Wednesday 26 October 1664
San Diego Sarah • Link
"But by and by she and her company come in all well, at which I was glad, though angry."
It was girls day and night out, escorted of course. You don't get it yet, Pepys, do you? Elizabeth is really miffed at you for (1) forgetting your anniversary, (2) leaving her at Church to go home and on to Uncle Wight's alone because she had no idea when you'd be home from chasing a pretty girl over Tower Hill, and (3) working hard to throw a big dinner party for you, and being rewarded by being hit.
Her passive-aggressive responses are probably going to throw you into the arms of Betty Lane and Mrs. Bagwell, but things at home are in the tank because of your behavior. Not waiting for you with the boat, and then dallying around so they got home later than you, were no accidents.
About Wednesday 26 October 1664
San Diego Sarah • Link
Much as I like Michael Robinson's theory about Pepys reading John Keymer's observation on Dutch fishing written in about 1601, which was reprinted by Sir Edward Ford in 1664 (so it is possible, even if it isn't in the Pepys library), after some prodding around I have reached the conclusion that Sir Edward Ford and Sir Richard Ford were not related, and this idea is not supported by any evidence.
For information on Sir EDWARD Ford (brother-in-law to Gen. Ireton, but a Royalist) see:
https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Fo…
About Monday 10 October 1664
San Diego Sarah • Link
William Berkeley was born in 1639, the younger son of Lord Fitzhardinge, treasurer of the household to Charles II.
He first went to sea in 1661 as lieutenant of the Swiftsure and obtained his first command, the Fourth Rate frigate Assistance, in 1662.
Despite Commander William Berkeley's youth and inexperience he commanded three more large warships before the outbreak of the second Anglo-Dutch War.
Most of Commander William Berkeley's service was in the Mediterranean, where he was promoted assiduously by Admiral Sir John Lawson, partly perhaps because of his merits, partly because Lawson wanted Berkeley’s Court connections to further of his own career (Berkeley’s elder brother, Charles Berkeley was a favorite of Charles II).
Commander William Berkeley courted, but never married, Sir John Lawson’s daughter.
For more information see http://jddavies.com/2016/03/03/th…
About Monday 10 October 1664
San Diego Sarah • Link
Journal of the Earl of Sandwich -- 10th October. Spithead
"Monday. At 7 o'clock at night Sir John Lawson in the Resolution and Capt. Berkeley in the Bristol came to an anchor with us and came aboard. ........"
Capt. William Berkeley (1639-1666), third son of Sir Charles Berkeley of Bruton, 2nd Viscount Fitzharding in the Irish peerage, and younger brother of Charles, Earl of Falmouth. William shared with his brother the favor of James, Duke of York.
In 1662 he was Lieutenant of the "Swiftsure"; Captain of the "Bonaventure" in the same year; Captain of the "Bristol" in 1663; Captain of the "Resolution" in 1664.
Knighted October 12, 1664 -- TWO DAYS FROM NOW.
About Wednesday 17 August 1664
San Diego Sarah • Link
Lady Castlemaine ... mean fellows! She will give birth on 4 September, 1664 to a daughter, Charlotte. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cha…...
About Wednesday 25 September 1667
San Diego Sarah • Link
Christine Voth, Lecturer in Medieval Studies at the University of Göttingen, has an article in this week's History Today on information gleaned from ancient medical manuscripts, collectively known as Bald’s Leechbook.
Most of the manuscripts were written before the Norman Conquest of 1066 but the manuscript shows evidence of many readers using it later, in a time when Old English had become the language known today as Middle English, and learning was needed to comprehend it.
Considering this, a surprising number of later medieval readers left their marks on its pages. In the late 12th and early 13th centuries readers started using a mark to indicate a section of interesting text: today's equivalent of highlighting. Nota marks occur throughout Bald's Leechbook, and some chapters have remarkably more, suggesting these were of particular interest to later readers.
The chapter on eye diseases and the dimming of eyesight is one of them. It's reasonable to think that the readers of manuscripts, or those writing or copying manuscripts, would find these medical remedies interesting: failing eyesight due to reading or writing by candlelight was a common ailment in the Middle Ages.
"It was common enough that eyeglasses were invented by the end of the 13th century."
We must have lost the science, or Pepys should have had a pair perched on his nose long ago. For more information on Bald's Leechbook, see
http://www.historytoday.com/chris…
About Monday 24 October 1664
San Diego Sarah • Link
Monday 17 October 1664 -- "... and with Sir W. Batten to St. James’s; there did our business. I saw Sir J. Lawson since his return from sea first this morning, ..."
So today Admiral Lawson is reporting to the Tangier Committee on the latest word from the Mediterranean.