Wednesday 5 September 1660
To the office.
From thence by coach upon the desire of the principal officers to a Master of Chancery to give Mr. Stowell his oath, whereby he do answer that he did hear Phineas Pett say very high words against the King a great while ago.
Coming back our coach broke, and so Stowell and I to Mr. Rawlinson’s, and after a glass of wine parted, and I to the office, home to dinner, where (having put away my boy in the morning) his father brought him again, but I did so clear up my boy’s roguery to his father, that he could not speak against my putting him away, and so I did give him 10s. for the boy’s clothes that I made him, and so parted and tore his indenture.
All the afternoon with the principal officers at Sir W. Batten’s about Pett’s business (where I first saw Col. Slingsby, who has now his appointment for Comptroller), but did bring it to no issue. This day I saw our Dedimus to be sworn in the peace by, which will be shortly.
In the evening my wife being a little impatient I went along with her to buy her a necklace of pearl, which will cost 4l. 10s., which I am willing to comply with her in for her encouragement, and because I have lately got money, having now above 200l. in cash beforehand in the world.
Home, and having in our way bought a rabbit and two little lobsters, my wife and I did sup late, and so to bed.
Great news now-a-day of the Duke d’Anjou’s desire to marry the Princesse Henrietta.
Hugh Peters is said to be taken, and the Duke of Gloucester is ill, and it is said it will prove the small-pox.
20 Annotations
First Reading
chip • Link
On 30 April 1666, L&M say Pepys will give Elizabeth a pearl necklace worth 80L. Also, Philippe, Duc d'Anjou, afterwards Duc d'Orleans, brother of Louis XIV, married Henrietta, youngest sister of Charles II, in March 1661. Hugh Peters is the leading preacher of the New Model army, in hiding since 18 June when he was excluded from the Act of Indemnity; arrested on 2 September in Southwark. For some reason, L&M put Dedimus in italics but there is no explication who this is.
Paul Brewster • Link
Dedimus
OED:
"[From the words of the writ, dedimus potestatem, Lat. "we have given the power".]
A writ empowering one who is not a judge to do some act in place of a judge.
1489/90 Plumpton Corr. … Afore Easter, send upp your pardons, wrytes of dedimus. 1712 Arbuthnot John Bull … He talks of nothing but Writs of Error, Actions of Trover and Conversion, Trespasses, Precipes et Dedimus. 1771 Smollett Humph. … He found means to obtain a Dedimus as an acting justice of peace. 1800 Bentham Method of Census Wks. … Acting justices who have taken out their respective dedimuses.”
L&M: “Italics are all editorial, but (in e.g. heading to entries) often follow indications given in the MS. (by e.g. the use of larger writing).”
Paul Brewster • Link
This day I saw our Dedimus to be Sworn in the Peace by, which will be shortly
I think the L&M capitalization (which would only be SP's if he had written this longhand) gives me a better clue to the meaning of this sentence. I believe that has seen the document (Dedimus) that would allow him and other members of the Navy Board to be sworn in as justices of the peace in the near future.
A. De Araujo • Link
"The Duke d'Anjou's desire to marry the Princesse Henrietta" Philippe of Orleans younger brother of Louis XIV also known as Monsieur was dressed by his mother(Maria de Medici if I am not mistaken)as a girl and although he married twice and left many descendents was very effeminate and had many male favorites
vincent • Link
"...In the evening my wife being a little impatient I went along with her to buy her a necklace of pearl, which will cost 4l. 10s., which I am willing to comply with her in for her encouragement, ..."
"Auferimur cultu; gemmis auroque tegenuntur omnia: par minima est ipsa puella sui. " Ovid Remedia Amoris 343-344 (guilt?)
vincent • Link
I liv'd so long and never Knew of dedimus potestatem> the Local J.P. I knew was In the venacular "dead at most" I so needed him to open bank accounts etc.. One lives and (l)earns.
Mary • Link
Princess Henrietta
This was Charles youngest sister, called by him 'Minette'. She was a great favourite with him. Her marriage to 'Monsieur' was not at all happy, but she used her position at the French court to promote better relations between France and England. Her efforts as go-between eventually resulted in the secret Treaty of Dover (1670) in which Charles undertook to restore Catholicism in England. This treaty and its ramifications were to prove disastrous for the Stuart succession in 1688.
Mary • Link
10s for the boy's clothes that I made him
Presumably Pepys had insisted that the boy be outfitted with suitable clothes for his position within the household at the beginning of his term of indenture. It looks as if Pepys arranged for the garments to be made but the cost of them fell upon the boy's father. With the abrupt cancellation of the indenture, Pepys is now compensating the father for the initial expense and maybe even keeping the clothes against the appointment of another, suitably sized boy?
chip • Link
I am with you Mary, I think he kept the clothes (his father can always alter them). Thanks Paul for the Dedimus, I too had no idea what that was. OK Vincent, I'll bite, is it Let us be carried away by the mode, gems and gold hide all, for nothing a girl is herself. I don't think our boy has guilt in the modern sense, at least not yet.
JWB • Link
Oh, I think Sammy's feeling guilt-modern, Restoration, original,... what-have-you. Look at the qualifiers attached to the account of the purchase. They're sure tells.
Pauline • Link
Guilt or affirmation?
I don't think we can get around the implications to date that Sam really does love his wife (and the idea of having a wife) and takes pleasure in her. So this other messing around is just "other." He indulges his wife because he wants to please her and it fits his success to be buying jewelry for a wife. Perhaps he drags his feet a bit as that fits some image of "the husband." But he could be feeling guilty as well.
maureen • Link
Does anyone know who Mr Stowell was?
Mary • Link
Mr. Stowell
L&M Companion seems to indicate that Pepys should have written 'Sewell' here, as one Robert Sewell was a storekeeper at Chatham under the Commonwealth and was reappointed in 1660.
They offer notes on two Robert Stowells: one, receiver of clerical tenths for Rochester in 1667 and the other (?his father) diocesan resgistrar under Charles I. The connection with Rochester, a city not far from Chatham where Pett was in office, could argue in favour of either Stowell having some political axe to grind in this case, so Sewell is not automatically the preferable reading for Stowell at this point.
Second Reading
Tonyel • Link
"In the evening my wife being a little impatient"
I'll bet that Sam has been unable to resist boasting about his new-found wealth until Bess has suggested he might spread some of it around.
Gerald Berg • Link
So Liz is a little impatient eh? With whom and about what? I think she knows Sam better than he knows himself. Buys her pearls! If she can't read this for what it is -- a guilty conscience that he can't recognise in himself -- she is herself is a "nulla puella negat". I wonder how happy the household will be over the next while?
Terry Foreman • Link
"From thence by coach upon the desire of the principal officers to a Master of Chancery to give Mr. Stowell his oath, whereby he do answer that he did hear Phineas Pett say very high words against the King a great while ago."
L&M: See https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
Terry Foreman • Link
"All the afternoon with the principal officers at Sir W. Batten’s about Pett’s business (where I first saw Col. Slingsby, who has now his appointment for Comptroller), "
L&M: Issued on 11 August.
San Diego Sarah • Link
John Evelyn's Diary – he and Mary Browne Evelyn live at Saye's Court, Deptford.
http://brittlebooks.library.illin…
@@@
5 September, 1660.
Came to visit and dine with me the Envoyee of the King of Poland, and Resident of the King of Denmark, etc.
@@@
King of Poland, John II Casimir Vasa https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…
King of Denmark, Frederick III https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…
@@@
Now we know why the Duke of Anjou sent his own envoy yesterday. Permission to marry your sister, please, Cousin Charles.
Third Reading
Stephane Chenard • Link
Meanwhile, where's Sandwich? What's he doing? Capt. Teddiman informs us that he inspected his ship, the freshly renamed Resolution and, with naval precision, adds that at 4 pm he "gave directions for fitting the stateroom", to make it Princess Royal-ready. Judging from its size and the amount of gilding visible at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eng…, it should do.
The dispatch that Venetian ambassador Mocenigo sends home today isn't particularly fascinating but notes that rough weather is keeping the Spanish ambassadors in Spain; we pray it doesn't extend to the North sea and imperils my lord.
He also reports that the court is a bit freaked out by Gloucester's pox, as well it may be, but it "does not seem to be of the worst kind". Tomorrow the king's secretary will tell the same in a dispatch to York's secretary Sir Henry Bennet (State Papers, 6 September). See, nothing to worry about.
San Diego Sarah • Link
A writ of dedimus:
noun
variants or dedimus potestatem --ˌpōtəˈstätəm
a writ to commission a private person to perform some act in place of a judge (as to examine a witness)
https://www.merriam-webster.com/d…)