Friday 7 February 1661/62

Among my workmen this morning. By and by by water to Westminster with Commissioner Pett (landing my wife at Black Friars) where I hear the prisoners in the Tower that are to die are come to the Parliament-house this morning.

To the Wardrobe to dinner with my Lady; where a civitt cat, parrot, apes, and many other things are come from my Lord by Captain Hill, who dined with my Lady with us to-day. Thence to the Paynter’s, and am well pleased with our pictures. So by coach home, where I found the joyners putting up my chimney-piece in the dining-room, which pleases me well, only the frame for a picture they have made so massy and heavy that I cannot tell what to do with it.

This evening came my she cozen Porter to see us (the first time that we had seen her since we came to this end of the town) and after her Mr. Hunt, who both staid with us a pretty while and so went away.

By and by, hearing that Mr. Turner was much troubled at what I do in the office, and do give ill words to Sir W. Pen and others of me, I am much troubled in my mind, and so went to bed; not that I fear him at all, but the natural aptness I have to be troubled at any thing that crosses me.

16 Annotations

First Reading

Bradford  •  Link

"the natural aptness I have to be troubled at any thing that crosses me."

And yet during a long career with the Navy, this was not what killed him. Some self-administered Anger Management avant la lettre?

Miss Ann  •  Link

What a way for Sam to start the day - "among MY workmen" - no doubt putting in his penny's worth, THENCE to the "paynter" to add yet more critique to the poor bloke's creation, and eventually home to "the joyners" and the new chimneypiece. No doubt the paynter could come up with something to put in the pictureframe, notwithstanding its size and bulk.

This Tom Turner is a pain, he missed out on our Sam's job and now puts about scurrilous stories to all and sundry, and especially the heirarchy - haven't we all workedwith people like that! Jealousy's a curse.

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

re: "the natural aptness..."

I don't know if anger-management is what's needed so much, Bradford, as a way to boost his self-esteem. I don't think he's angry, but instead nervous about the harm that Turner's slander may do him (nervous in his heart, not his head, which tells him that he need not "fear him at all"...)

Wonder how long the exotic animals lived on English food and in the London air?

vicenzo  •  Link

here they be : "... I hear the prisoners in the Tower that are to die are come to the Parliament-house this morning ..."
Attainted persons brought to bar : Garland,Augustine; Smith, Henry; Martin, Henry; Titchburne, Robert; James Temple; Wayte Thomas; Temple , Peter; Myllington, Gilbert; Heveningham, William; Downes, John ; lastly Fleetwood George; four others be lately dead Owen Row; Isaac Pennington, Symon Mayne and Vincent Potter; then there be Edmond Harvey, Sir Hardress Waller and Robert Lylborne, not in custody of the Tower but in on other Prisons , then there be Thomas Wogan who is not in any custody.
Those that came, to say what they must, were sent back to the Tower in Safety.
for more details see http://www.british-history.ac.uk/…
also a very interesting regulations of fereign goods.

Mary  •  Link

"the frame for a picture ..."

It was the fashion to inset picture frames over both fireplaces and doorways during the 17th century. L&M refer to rooms at Ham House redecorated in 1670 which show these built-in items of decoration. Sam's workmen have evidently constructed such an imposing frame that it presents something of an embarrassment.

Mary  •  Link

"what I do in the office"

(per L&M) This concerns the payments for petty provisions. Entry for 14th March 1661 recorded: "With Sir W. Batten and Pen to Mr. Coventry's and there had a dispute about my claim to the place of Pourveyor for Petty-provisions. And at last, to my content did conclude to have my hand to all the bills for those provisions and Mr. Turner to purvey them, because I would not have him lose the place."

This compromise position doesn't seem to be working out as happily as either party might have hoped.

Martin  •  Link

"to dinner with my Lady; where a civitt cat, parrot, apes, and many other things are come"
My first thought was that this was the menu, but I guess not. Civet cats are food in parts of China, and were responsible for the transmission of SARS to humans last year.

Rex Gordon  •  Link

"... prisoners ... that are to die ..."

Per L&M: "These were the regicides who had voluntarily surrendered to the Restoration government, and were now held at Parliament's mercy, having escaped execution with most of the others in October 1660. A bill for their execution had passed the Commons ... and was now before the Lords. Eleven were examined by the Lords this morning, but the bill never passed, and the men lived out their lives in imprisonment."

vicenzo  •  Link

reading the dailies for H of P: an exert from one of the petitioners:
"Chancellor told him, "That he being a Person attainted for High Treason; but, by reason of an Act of Parliament, Execution being to be stayed until His Majesty and both Houses of Parliament by Act shall give further Order; and there being now a Bill brought from the House of Commons for the Execution of him and the other Persons who are in the like Condition with him; the Lords desire to hear what he can say for himself, why the said Bill should not be passed for his Execution:"
...............

Adjourn.
Dominus Cancellarius declaravit pr

David A. Smith  •  Link

"the natural aptness I have to be troubled"
Bradford, Todd, I think the answer is simpler: he's a worrywart, a quality which is useful (leads to sensitivity and also to job commitment) but only in moderation (else we freeze into inoffensive immobility) and has a cost (perpetual anxiety).
And Sam's predicate phrase is also telling: "not that I fear him at all." He is reminding himself that bruised egos, backstairs slanders, and sly sotto voce threats come with his newfound lofty political position, and he must modulate his response.
But this can also lead to hardening of the heart-eries ...

Australian Susan  •  Link

Sam seems to think that the attainted men are to die. We, with hindsight, know this did not happen, but no doubt the prisoners were concerned the act would be passed and they would be executed. Charles (if indeed his hand is in this) is skilfull here: the men are punished (and kept in prison, which would have shortened their lives - conditions were bad), but not made martyrs of. However, there is always the threat, if more troubles arise, that the bill will be forced through and the men executed at a later date. Clever.

vicenzo  •  Link

the Bill for execution for attained persons was first presented on 5th Feb to bring said persons[ see above] plus "... at the same Time, the Bodies of Edmond Harvey, Sir Hardres Waller, Robert Lylborne, Symon Mayne, John Downes, and George Fleetwood; and, after the Pleasure of this House is signified concerning the said Persons, to return them in Safety into the said Tower of London: And this to be a sufficient Warrant in that Behalf
..."
From: British History Online
Source: House of Lords Journal Volume 11: 5 February 1662. Journal of the House of Lords: volume 11, ().
URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/…
Date: 09/02/2005

Second Reading

Bill  •  Link

"where a civitt cat, parrot, apes, and many other things are come from my Lord"

An APE, a Monkey. Also an Imitator or Mimick.
---An Universal Etymological English Dictionary. N. Bailey, 1675.

Sasha Clarkson  •  Link

" ... Mr. Turner was much troubled at what I do in the office, and do give ill words to Sir W. Pen and others of me ..."

Interesting on two points. We know that, because of its potential profitability, Turner had previously offered to buy Pepys' position from him. We also know that as he gained more power and status Pepys was responsible for cleaning up much of the corruption in Navy procurement and contracts. If Pepys had already started to make a few waves, this might already be reducing Turner's potential income from graft: hence his dissatisfaction.

The other point is that someone is relaying the gossip to Pepys; either an office flunkey or perhaps Penn himself. If the latter, one wonders whether it was out of friendship, or out of malice to keep his ambitious young colleague off balance?

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