Tuesday 22 July 1662

Among my workmen early: then to the office, and there I had letters from the Downs from Mr. Coventry; who tells me of the foul weather they had last Sunday, that drove them back from near Boulogne, whither they were going for the Queen, back again to the Downs, with the loss of their cables, sayles, and masts; but are all safe, only my Lord Sandwich, who went before with the yachts; they know not what is become of him, which do trouble me much; but I hope he got ashore before the storm begun; which God grant!

All day at the office, only at home at dinner, where I was highly angry with my wife for her keys being out of the way, but they were found at last, and so friends again. All the afternoon answering letters and writing letters, and at night to Mr. Coventry an ample letter in answer to all his and the Duke’s business.

Late at night at the office, where my business is great, being now all alone in town, but I shall go through it with pleasure. So home and to bed.

24 Annotations

First Reading

Terry F.  •  Link

"but I hope he got ashore before the storm begun; which God grant!"

L&M note: The storm overtook the flotilla close by the Goodwin Sands on the way to France.Cf. the description in Diary of Henry Townshend (ed. Willis Bund), i. 92-3: the King's 'barque struck ground and was in very great danger, but through God's providence, and his own skill and Prince Rupert and some others...stood into Quimborough Castle. The Duke of York lost his mast in pieces, and the Vice-Admiral, Lord Montagu [sic] driven into the seas again. But all at last safe.' Coventry's letters referred to here have not been traced.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

Beth's departure for Brampton seems very delayed...

Bradford  •  Link

After luckily finding a key he had lost in the ashes a few days back, might Pepys's annoyance at Elizabeth's mislaid keys be a good example of delayed projection?

Terry F.  •  Link

"at night to Mr. Coventry an ample letter in answer to all his and the Duke's business.”

L&M note: Copy (in Hewer’s hand) in NMM, LBK/8, pp. 9-11; reporting measures taken to fit out and victual ships, and briefly recounting Pepys’ visit on the 21st to Woolwich. Copies of six other letters, dated this day, are in ib., pp.6-9.

Pedro  •  Link

"but I hope he got ashore before the storm begun; which God grant!"

As Admiral of the Narrow Seas (Sandwich) he chose to sail in the King’s yacht to bring over the QM while the Duke and Coventry took passage in the warship escort. A fierce storm in the Channel scattered the flotilla, demasting the Duke’s ship and edangering the rest. Coventry had wrote to Pepys warning him that Sandwich’s fate was unknown.

Pedro  •  Link

The above from Ollard's biography of Sandwich.

A. De Araujo  •  Link

"for her keys being out of the way"
I sympathize with Sam 100%,keys and eyglasses should be kept in one place only. and cell phones and remote controls too.

Terry F.  •  Link

"I was highly angry with my wife"
Tempers seem near the surface yesterday and today; perhaps it is indeed the weather, today also the storm endangering Sandwich.

Terry F.  •  Link

"for her keys being out of the way"
Yes, A. De Araujo, and that we cut off the hands of those who fail to put things back in their places (which is why I am unhanded).

Jeannine  •  Link

"Angry with my wife..and so friends again"...what is so amazing to me about Sam's diary is it's so "in the present" --he flows in and out of emotions and is able to record his feelings through the process --it reminds me of watching children play--mad as can be one moment and hugging each other the next.

Mary  •  Link

"tempers seem near the surface"

Not so surprising; the Pepyses are having a trying week. Their own house is in total disorder, they've worked hard to store away their household goods in order to protect them from both workmen and weather, they're sleeping in temporary accommodation, Elizabeth is getting herself together for a lengthy stay in the country that does not entirely fill her with joy, Sam is putting in very long hours at the office and now there's considerable anxiety about Sandwich's fate on the crossing to France. No wonder tempers are frayed.

A. Hamilton  •  Link

Goodwin Sands

A very dangerous place to be near in a storm

For a very brief history, with some local links, see http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/be…
wikipedia, Encarta and Columbia encyclopedias all have on-line articles.

I believe I have read that a major WWII tragedy occurred on the Goodwin Sands, with large loss of American lives, during training exercises to prepare for the Normandy invasion in 1943 or 1944, but cannot find any references on line. It was, as I recall, very mush hushed up at the time.

gerry  •  Link

A.Hamilton, that was Slapton Sands on the South Coast. 700+ GIs died.

Terry F.  •  Link

The title, "The Treacherous Goodwins," of the site Pedro furnished, does suggest they aren't exactly a plearure-beach either; but any port....

LAF  •  Link

Yes, a trying week, and lost keys a nice focal point for what might anger Sam most: a spectacular loss of control over his life in a very short time. With Sandwich's fate and his own in doubt, the loss of what could be controlled (keys) would loom large. Disappointing when Sam lashes out at Beth or anyone, particularly for a fault he shares, but part of his credibility lies in recording at least some of his faults (whether he views them as such or not). His last sentence speaks of contentment and relief that he has only himself and his work to think of for now. If he keeps his pledge.

Terry F.  •  Link

LAF, a very suggestive interpretation: Sam who would control, his Sabbath oaths as spell; perhaps by naming his faults, he exorcises them. If he were a disciple of Francis Bacon, as he seems to be, he would believe that knowledge is power, and that the reliable source of knowledge is experience/experiment; and so the Diary itself can be seen from this perspective as a tool to gain power over himself through self-knowledge.

Cumgranissalis  •  Link

Lashing out, the pecking order, Apha to Zeta, very common unmentioned 'uman characteristic, Levatious 16:20 When Moe hits Larry? from LA Times David P. Barash.[Nice piece ]

marc  •  Link

I am catching up and have missed M. Vincent these last several days: I had begun to fear that he had retired to that country where there is no Internet connexion.

Second Reading

Tonyel  •  Link

That's a nice piece about the Goodwins, Terry, which also explains the popularity of The Downs as a sheltered mooring.
I sailed over the Goodwins in a small boat many years ago and it was a weird experience to drop a line over the side and find only six inches of water under the keel.

john  •  Link

Eliizabeth being chateline, the loss of her keys would be serious.

jimmigee  •  Link

"Now, where are my keys?"
(heard thru the centuries)

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