Monday 19 March 1659/60
Early to my Lord, where infinity of business to do, which makes my head full; and indeed, for these two or three days, I have not been without a great many cares and thoughts concerning them. After that to the Admiralty, where a good while with Mr. Blackburne, who told me that it was much to be feared that the King would come in, for all good men and good things were now discouraged. Thence to Wilkinson’s, where Mr. Sheply and I dined; and while we were at dinner, my Lord Monk’s lifeguard come by with the Serjeant at Arms before them, with two Proclamations, that all Cavaliers do depart the town; but the other that all officers that were lately disbanded should do the same. The last of which Mr. R. Creed, I remember, said, that he looked upon it as if they had said, that all God’s people should depart the town. Thence with some sea officers to the Swan, where we drank wine till one comes to me to pay me some money from Worcester, viz., 25l. His name is Wilday. I sat in another room and took my money and drank with him till the rest of my company were gone and so we parted. Going home the water was high, and so I got Crockford to carry me over it. So home, and left my money there.
All the discourse now-a-day is, that the King will come again; and for all I see, it is the wishes of all; and all do believe that it will be so.
My mind is still much troubled for my poor wife, but I hope that this undertaking will be worth my pains.
To Whitehall and staid about business at the Admiralty late, then to Tony Robins’s, where Capt. Stokes, Mr. Luddington and others were, and I did solicit the Captain for Laud Crisp, who gave me a promise that he would entertain him.
After that to Mrs. Crisp’s where Dr. Clodius and his wife were. He very merry with drink. We played at cards late and so to bed. This day my Lord dined at my Lord Mayor’s [Allen], and Jasper was made drunk, which my Lord was very angry at.
18 Annotations
First Reading
David Bell • Link
Worcester? 25l? Place or person?
I'm puzzled just where the money is coming from, and why. Considering what Sam has reckoned he is worth, not so long since, this is a substantial sum by his personal standards, yet all we know is that it is paid to him.
Jenny Doughty • Link
'Jasper was made drunk' : who is Jasper?
Pauline • Link
We met a Jasper on March 8 at Westminster Hall
"Here I met with Jasper, who was to look for me to bring me to my Lord at the lobby; whither sending a note to my Lord, he comes out to me...." Here too there seems to be a connection with "my lord."
Glyn • Link
"that all Cavaliers do depart the town; but the other that all officers that were lately disbanded should do the same." Typical. So Cavaliers are now bold enough to come into town and start being obnoxious, but the decent law-abiding Parliamentarian officers are to be punished as well. And if you get these Officers out of London, then that reduces the risk of possible opposition and dissent to your plans. London is going downhill fast: it would not have happened in Cromwell's time.
In fact, the Royalist leaders still in Europe are also concerned that there should not be too much Royalist triumphalism at present. Negotiations are at a very delicate stage, and the last thing they need are Royalist braggarts, drunks and fanaticks making enemies, especially of the moneymen in the City.
The 25 pounds may be Montagu's rather than Pepys, because I believe Montagu had property in Worcester. In that case, Pepys would merely be doing his regular job of collecting income for Montagu and keeping a reminder of it.
Jasper was probably one of Montagu's servants, so it would be bad manners to make a fool of him by getting him drunk. Any knowledge if he was one of the Black servants who were present in London in the 17th century?
Keith Wright • Link
Jasper does not get a look-in in the Companion, "Shorter Pepys," or Tomalin. Can someone with Vol. 1 oblige?
Mary • Link
Jaspr/Jesper
According to the footnote in Vol.I, he is a negro footman to Mountagu
Emilio • Link
Keeping the peace
I think you've got the right idea, Glyn, but don't forget that it's not long ago that discontented officers were also threatening the peace, first with a demo against Charles on 8 Mar, then again just four days ago. These are the ones I take it who have been 'disbanded' and who are now being driven from town.
I think it's a case of Monk trying to keep a lid on *all* the hotheads around town, not of decent soldiers versus obnoxious Royalists. As you say, things have gone downhill, and tensions need to to be defused for the public good, completely independent of politics.
Brian • Link
With the Parliament dissolved is Monk acting as the 'civilian' government, is he head of a 'military' government, or is he 'temporarily' in charge since no other armed forces are available to oust him. Is Monk aligned with Montague? Is Monk a Royalist?
mary • Link
Monck
There's plenty of biographical and interpretative information on him in the People section of the background notes.
Brian • Link
Thank you , Mary.
I found the following information in Charles Harding Firth's biography of the General.
'They (the parliament) kept their word, elected a new council with Monck at the head of the list (21 Feb.), appointed him general-in-chief of all the land forces in the three kingdoms (25 Feb.) and joint-commander of the navy (2 March).'
Shortly after, the parliament was dissolved.
Lance • Link
"Infinity Of Business To Do"
Nice turn of phrase. Love it.
David Quidnunc • Link
Jasper/Jesper
Just to squeeze out the last bit of information on him:
The L&M index volume (10) lists Jasper as Mountagu's footman (p 181 -- household servants are normally listed under their master in the index). Mountagu also has a footboy, Tom.
Jasper first appears in the diary on 8 March ("Then to Westminster-hall . . . Here I met with Jesper, who was to look for me to bring me to my Lord at the Lobby."
After today, he appears for the third and last time on 1 June.
KVK • Link
No one is sure when Monck decided in his mind to support the return of the king. Maurice Ashley thinks he had made the decision by August 1659, but others suggest it was later.
However, he has continued to deny all support for the king in public. When he marched into England he claimed to be doing so on behalf of the civil government of the republic against Lambert's military rule, and that's more or less where he claims to stand now. He presents himself as the commander of the republican army, a servant of the state, but if he wanted to he could impose a military government right now. That he is not doing so reflects the fact that he wants a stable settlement and knows this will never come about through a general seizing power.
It's important to note where Monck differs with the just-dissolved Parliament. Since that Parliament represented the Long Parliment as it existed in 1648, before the Presbyterians were kicked out, they want to pick up where they left off in 1648: they were negotiating the treaty of Newport with Charles I, which would convert the English church to a Presbyterian system. This is what they want Charles II to accept.
Monck, however, is outbidding them around this time (I don’t have the precise dates) and writing the King offering to restore him without conditions. Monck had never been committed in religion until he let it be known he was a Presbyterian late last year - possibly a political move.
Second Reading
meech • Link
"Early to my Lord, where infinity of business to do, which makes my head full; and indeed, for these two or three days, I have not been without a great many cares and thoughts concerning them."
I'm not surprised. I have been amazed from the beginning of this diary at the amount of work, or should I say lack of work, that Samuel does. Typically he goes to his office where there is nothing to do and then winds up in a nearby tavern drinking with friends until it's time for dinner, after which he may check back in the office where there is still nothing to do and thereby meets someone in the Hall and winds up at another pub until supper, or maybe two. What a job! I kept thinking what a contrast to today where we work long hours and have our nose to the grindstone, multi-tasking our way through 8 to 12 hours. Of course I live in America and I hear we are considered 'workaholics' by other civilized nations. Believe me, it's not by choice.
But now, his Lord has asked him to be his secretary and go to sea and suddenly Sam is finding out what it is to actually have work to do; lots of it. Quite a shock to go from nothing to full on.
Terry Foreman • Link
"The 25 pounds may be Montagu's rather than Pepys, because I believe Montagu had property in Worcester. In that case, Pepys would merely be doing his regular job of collecting income for Montagu and keeping a reminder of it."
This was first mentioned on 15 February, where there is now this post:
No Worcester property of Mountagu's has been traced.; possibly this was a loan secured on excise revenue. As a Treasury commissioner, he had been in charge of some Worcester revenues. (Per L&M note) http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
Terry Foreman • Link
"my Lord Monk’s lifeguard"
The Life Guards grew from the four troops of Horse Guards (exclusively formed of gentlemen-troopers until the transformation of the last two remaining troops into Regiments of Life Guards in 1788) raised by Charles II around the time of his restoration.
The first troop was originally raised in Bruges in 1658 as His Majesty's Own Troop of Horse Guards.
The second troop was founded in 1659 as Monck's Life Guards.
The third troop, like the first troop was formed in 1658 from exiled Royalists and was initially known as The Duke of York's Troop of Horse Guards.
The fourth troop was raised in 1661 in England. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lif…
Terry Foreman • Link
"my Lord Monk’s lifeguard come by with the Serjeant at Arms before them, with two Proclamations, that all Cavaliers do depart the town; but the other that all officers that were lately disbanded should do the same. "
"Disbanded officers : to leave London, 3166. https://ia601206.us.archive.org/1… Disbanded officers, papists and malignants were to absent themselves between 25 March and 1 May, i.e. during the parliamentary elections and the first week of the new session.
(L&M note)
Terry Foreman • Link
"Going home the water was high, and so I got Crockford to carry me over it."
The river had overflowed its banks at Wesstminster. Crockford appears to have been one of the local porters. (L&M note)