Tuesday 25 March 1662
[The Project Gutenberg text, and possibly the 1893 text it’s taken from, omits 25th March 1662. Because it’s a short entry, I’m taking the liberty of copying it from the Latham & Matthews edition, in the hope no one minds too much. P.G.]
Lady Day. All the morning at the office. Dined with my wife at home. Then to the office, where (while Sir Wms both did examine the Victuallers account) I sat in my closet drawing letters and other businesses — being much troubled for want of an order of the Councells lately sent us, about making of boates for some ships now going to Jamaica. At last, late at night, I had a Copy sent me of it by Sir G. Lane from the Council Chamber. With my mind well at ease, home and to supper and bed.
12 Annotations
First Reading
vicenzo • Link
Lady day: all bills to be settled, otherwise one of the debter rest houses, be a waiting. Accommodations be nice, simple, no extras, except with large dollop of silver of the realm.
vicenzo • Link
the state of problems - Jamaica Saturday, July 30th, 1659; Afternoon.
Jamaica
a snippet from earlier days [time might change the elements but the cogs of power do grind on so]
"...
Abstracts of Letters received from Jamaica, from the Commander in Chief; dated the Twentieth of April 1659.
Advertiseth, "That the Supplies of the Diamond came very seasonably; and were immediately taken out of the Victuallers, and put on board the Ships at Jamaica, which were then destitute of Provisions; and then sent them forth, to interrupt the Trade that is driven by the Spaniards between Carraccas and Carasao; and to get some Prize; which he almost despairs of in regard of the Dawbing there is between the Dutch and Spaniards:
That the State's Frigates are in continual Want of Cordage, Pitch, Tallow, and all other Stores; as also of Shallops; which they greatly need; being of constant Use to carry Water and other Provisions to the Fortifications:..." this before the famous 'Governer' M
A. De Araujo • Link
Shallops
middle french: chaloupe
1-a usually 2-masted ship with lugsails
2-a small open boat propelled by oars or sails and used chiefly in shallow waters.
cf merriam webster on line
Stolzi • Link
Dawbing?
Has the meaning "to put on a false show" - example from 1716
A. Hamilton • Link
Wanted
We get glimpses of fleets preparing for voyages to the East Indies and West Indies and Portugal, etc. It would be of some interest to be able to fill in this background, and get a sense of by whom and how & when the decisions were made to send fleets, and to build ships for these fleets, and to outfit these voyages, and to find captians and crews, and what role Pepys played in executing these orders, and how long it took between decision and sailing, etc.
vicenzo • Link
The merchants of the city request that they be defended against the bad guys [other merchants and Pyrates] of the Sea and those that seek revenge of the English Buccaneers. That request is sifted by the various councils [councills] as found on the Parliament site:[ http://www.british-history.ac.uk/… ] {{Like Carteret be one, so over an oyster he tells his fellow members , yep I will tell that Pepys fella " get that olde wreck up and running, fully provissioned", }}
see this list of buddies [Commissioners]
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/…
Plantations
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/…
vicenzo • Link
I found this sentence most facinating:"...I sat in my closet drawing letters and other businesses - ..." drawing letters , ?? Doodling or elaborating his Capit[o]ls:
re: how to write: i.e. penmanship
make ink , make pen , find paper. get pen-knife and sit correctly, no slouching then pen away:
http://www.shipbrook.com/jeff/wri…
Peter • Link
Vincent... "Drawing letters"...I imagine the usage survives in the sense of a "first draft" etc.
language hat • Link
"Drawing letters"
Just means writing them out. OED s.v. “draw”:
63. a. To frame (a writing or document) in due form; to compose, compile, write out. (See also draw out, 87h, draw up, 89g.)
a1300 Cursor M. 20059 (Cott.) In sotherin englis was it draun, And turnd it haue i till our aun Langage o northrin lede. […] 1548 HALL Chron., Hen. VII, 21 A forme of a league and amitie shoulde be drawen with condicions, clauses and covenauntes. 1596 SHAKES. Merch. V. IV. i. 394 Clarke, draw a deed of gift. 165. PEPYS Diary (1879) IV. 92 Drawing the letter we are to send. 1722 SEWEL Hist. Quakers (1795) II. VII. 25 Caused an indictment to be drawn against us. […] 1879 L. STEPHEN Johnson iii. 72 Langton had employed Chambers.. to draw his will.
Second Reading
Terry Foreman • Link
"Then to the office, where (while Sir Wms both did examine the Victuallers account) I sat in my closet drawing letters and other businesses - " Pepys having only one prior experience with the victualer's account.
http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
Terry Foreman • Link
"...being much troubled for want of an order of the Councells lately sent us, about making of boates for some ships now going to Jamaica."
On the 12th the Council's Committee for Jamaica had asked the Navy Board for an estimate for this purpose; Pepys and Batten now sent it; its receipt was acknowledged on 4 April. (L&M note)
Sasha Clarkson • Link
Sir George Lane was a Clerk in Ordinary to the Privy Council, so "an order of the Councells" would have been either an "Order in Council" (signed by the King), or an "Order of Council" (signed on its behalf by another member.)
Although now largely ceremonial, the Privy Council was (and is) the senior official branch of the government of the UK¹. Officially, the Cabinet is merely one of its committees. PC members are normally appointed for life and have the appendage "right honourable"²
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priv…
¹also of several ex-colonies.
²“The louder he talked of his honor, the faster we counted our spoons.” (Emerson)