Saturday 30 November 1661

In the morning to the Temple, Mr. Philips and Dr. Williams about my several law matters, and so to the Wardrobe to dinner, and after dinner stole away, my Lady not dining out of her chamber, and so home and then to the office all the afternoon, and that being done Sir W. Batten and I and Captain Cock got a bottle of sack into the office, and there we sat late and drank and talked, and so home and to bed.

I am this day in very good health, only got a little cold. The Parliament has sat a pretty while. The old condemned judges of the late King have been brought before the Parliament, and like to be hanged. I am deep in Chancery against Tom Trice, God give a good issue; and myself under great trouble for my late great expending of money vainly, which God stop for the future. This is the last day for the old State’s coyne1 to pass in common payments, but they say it is to pass in publique payments to the King three months still.

29 Annotations

First Reading

RexLeo  •  Link

"...got a bottle of sack into the office, and there we sat late and drank"

sounds like a great place to work!

David Cooper  •  Link

only got a little cold. Does he mean physically or that he had a runny nose? Was this aliment recongnized then?

dirk  •  Link

"This is the last day for the old State's coyne1 to pass in common payments, but they say it is to pass in publique payments to the King three months still.”

As I read this, a type of coin is being withdrawn (replaced?). Does anybody have more info on this?

A. Hamilton  •  Link

"myself under great trouble for my late great expending of money vainly, which God stop for the future"

Delayed reaction? See comments for Nov. 23 & 24.

vicente  •  Link

Coins of the Inter-Regnum [not the revolution [shush never happened] but a period of time missing between the charlies I & II{ or was it really II and II {vacation without pay}}] was a dastardly reminder of a time when it was so straight laced, and not enough raw metals to create new idols in order to create monies, although the Mint was a working full tilt. There be some inflation in the works for foodstuffs. therefore monies needed to circulate like muck [mis quote of Sir F. Bacon]

see currency: for more info
http://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclo…
Liza Picard ( Restoration London P144
Foreign coins were in frequent use at this time. A Proclamation, January 29th, 1660-61, declared certain foreign gold and silver coins to be current at certain rates. The rate of the ducatoon was at 5s. 9d

vicente  •  Link

A sin every one can relate too, money it doth burn a weee hole in ones privey purse:"...great expending of money vainly..."

AussieRene  •  Link

Is it just me or is Vicente a tad difficult to understand on occasions?

jseal  •  Link

Sometimes Vicente is even easier to understand than at other times.

tjcarr  •  Link

Dining at the Wardrobe
While I realize that Sam's main purpose to dine at the Wardrobe so often is to visit Lady Mountagu, it seems to me that Sam might be saving money by dining so often at the Wardrobe. Especially as Vincente mentions that "There be some inflation in the works for foodstuffs." I remember reading some time back that in 19th century America that the cost of food could consume 60% of one's income.

Maurie Beck  •  Link

Vicente

Vicente is an All Original.

David Keith Johnson  •  Link

Maestro Vincente IS in the room. He IS listening. You may address your remarks directly to him.

Can't we, Vincente?

Glyn  •  Link

Throughout this period, there was a shortage of small change, as the smallest coins weren't profitable to make (i.e. a quarter of a penny = a "farthing"). One result of this was that many taverns produced their own tokens that could be spent on their food and drink, and were often accepted in the shops in the immediate locality. Technically, this was a serious crime but was overlooked by the authorities as it filled an economic need.

http://www.channel4.com/history/m…

vicente  •  Link

"He IS listening. You may address your remarks directly to him." a: remove the GR in my address and enticing line in the subject [ham not spam] box. And I will try to unravel my disconnected thoughts.
" by dining so often at the Wardrobe" It might also be, that Sam does not enjoy burnt offerings from the Maids that be rotating and must get use to the Jack {spit for the warmin' up left overs}or split pea soup that be over cooked?.

Peter  •  Link

Professor Stanley Unwin couldn't have put it better.

Michiel van der Leeuw  •  Link

The last day for the old State's coyne
This raises an interesting question: from 1662 coins were no longer hammered, but milled, but most of the milled coins from Charles II date from later years. Of 1662, only a silver crown is known. Is the “the old State's coyne” the hammered coinage, being replaced with more trustworthy coins, or is it the coinage of the Commonwealth? There don’t seem to be many of them left. Did Charles II melt them all down?

Australian Susan  •  Link

"after dinner stole away"
I took this to mean that Sam departed discreetly because he had to get back to work and he didn't want to draw attention to the household that he has around - he seems to be hoping that as "My lady" dined in her own chamber, she might not know he'd even been there. Or did Sam have another reason for not wanting to spend time with "My Lady" ??

Jesse  •  Link

"to the Wardrobe to dinner"

Perhaps there be more powerful gods at the Wardrobe than those apt to receive the 'burnt offerings' at the hearthen altar. ...Sorry.

Pedro.  •  Link

Coinage.

"Gold crowns continued to be issued until 1662 under Charles II, when all the previous denominations of gold coins were replaced by milled guineas."
To see Cromwell's and Charles' crowns

http://www.24carat.co.uk/crownsst…

vicente  •  Link

re; Inflation : from the Rev Jocelyn;
No: 17." A very cold day, yet something cheerful; god good to us in the mercies of my family, my child Jane up and down with us again, lord let us live to keep thy word, a dear time for corn. rye 7s. and wheat 8s.6d. per bushel, but few consider the famine of the word, and yet men loath the ordinances of god."
http://linux02.lib.cam.ac.uk/earl…

Second Reading

Bill  •  Link

"I am this day in very good health, only got a little cold"

se Morfondre, To take cold, catch cold, get a cold.
---A French and English dictionary. R. Cotgrave, 1673.

Prendre froid, to catch cold.
---A new dictionary, french and english. G. Miège, 1677.

Sue  •  Link

Sasha thanks for that - throws light on the subject.

Terry Foreman  •  Link

Commonwealth Money. Commons 28 November

¶Mr. Secretary Morrice informing this House, That his Majesty, making the Good of his People the Subjects of his Thoughts, and considering, that the Calling-in of Money called the Commonwealth's Money, by the last of this Month, might be prejudicial to his People, and hazard the Exportation of a great Part thereof, was graciously pleased, by the Advice of his Privy Council, to direct a Proclamation to be issued, signifying his Majesty's Pleasure to accept of the said Money, in any Payment to be made to his Majesty, till the Five-andtwentieth of March next.

Ordered, That Mr. Secretary Morrice do return the humble Thanks of this House to his Majesty, for his Grace and Favour therein.
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/…

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"The old condemned judges of the late King have been brought before the Parliament, and like to be hanged."

These were the group of regicides who had been tried and condemned in October 1660, but whose sentences had been suspended until confirmed by an act of parliament, on the grounds that they had obeyed an order to surrender and could adduce other extenuating facts. There were 109 of them, only 12 of whom could appear in parliament. The bill to have them executed was introduced on the 22 November and had on the 26th been committed, after second reading. It was never passed, however, and the condemned men lived out their lives in prison. (L&M note)

Executing Regicides.

¶A Bill for executing certain Persons which are attainted for High Treason, was this Day read the First time.
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/…
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/…

Third Reading

Stephane Chenard  •  Link

Tho' the very Angels sing of His Majesty's incomparable wisdom, &c., in this matter of the coinage perhaps he, and those adulating MPs as they fall over each other to demonstrate their love, should heed this "Remonstrance by Alderman Blackwell to the King and Council", which forever shakes his head in the State Papers for November 27 current, on how not everything can be improvised.

Retiring the Commonwealth money as soon as the end of the month, Blackwell wrote, "would be an injury to trade, because the Mint would be glutted with 500,000£. worth of coin, having already 100,000£, and being unable to coin more than 10,000£. a week".

To put this last number in perspective, pray consider this note seen back in March (at https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…) which put the Navy's debts as of February 1 at £1,284,452, and even more usefully the "charge of setting forth and maintaining a fleet of 13,065 men, for 9 month's service" at £470,340. So, £52,260 per month, or one-third more than the Mint can supply, just for victualling the Navy. On November 28, a warrant directs the treasurer for the garrison of Dunkirk to pay £3,500 just for the monthly salary of the Mardike regiment. So, one-third of the weekly output just for one regiment, and we're not sure how many make up the garrison but we suspect there's at least two others, at Dunkirk proper and Gravelines.

And this, at a time when the entire New Model Army is being disbanded and paid off, and the Duke of York himself has had to jet off to, precisely, Dunkirk to check into rumors of plots and mutiny. Of course kicking the can down to March 1662 isn't going to change the picture. Instead Blackwell concludes with the sensible suggestion "that no time may be limited for its calling in, but that it may be taken gradually". Advice that would spare Sam a lifetime of tally-sticks, IOUs, defaults and angry sailors, but which we fear even many modern States will disregard in the future...

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

No wonder Pepys and the Navy were short of funds! Fascinating. Thanks.

"... the Duke of York himself has had to jet off to, precisely, Dunkirk to check into rumors of plots and mutiny."

So that's why he went! What more can you link me to about this, Stephane? Were the troops upset about being sent to Tangier, or the local populace about being taken over by France? Or were they upset with Charles II and knew nothing about the deal yet?

I thought Gravelines was ceded to the French in 1657?
https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…

Ambassador Godefroy, Comte d'Estrades was military governor of Gravelines in 1661, according to "A French Ambassador at the Court of Charles the Second: Le Comte de Cominges" -- which doesn't necessarily mean that the English weren't sending money there for some reason
https://books.google.com/books?id…

Stephane Chenard  •  Link

Like so many good things in life, that bit on the duke came from Venetian ambassador Giavarina. On December 2 (new style, November 22 old style) he writes that "the duke of York has been at Dunkirk and is momentarily expected back at Court". Indeed, on November 20-21 he is unlisted on the attendence roll of the House of Lords, where he reappears on November 22.

As for why he went there, apart from reviewing the troops before they go to Tangiers, in the same message Giavarina reports being told by royal secretary Nicholas "that he had intelligence with [from] the governor of Dunkirk [on plans] for the revolt of that fortress". Given frequent remarks on the difficulty of paying the troops, this seems more likely to be about money than restoring the Commonwealth, so perhaps the duke went with a few heavy bags.

Yes Sarah, you're quite right that Gravelines is no longer an English base (or problem). Reading ahead, we came across what seems to be the Venetian embassy's end-of-year report (undated, listed as Cod. 1490/11 at https://www.british-history.ac.uk…) which helpfully notes that "the garrison of Dunkirk consists of 6,000 foot and 600 horse, all English except a few Walloons. In the fort of Mardich there will be about 3,000 Irish".

So, given Mardike's monthly payroll of £3,500 cited at https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/… above, those Irish make a grand 17s. (£0.86) a month; and we wager that the proper English troops are paid even more. But they're all fed, lodged and clothed (aren't they? hmm), and maybe they'll get to see the sensuous mysteries of the Orient.

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