Wednesday 8 October 1662

Up and by water to my Lord Sandwich’s, and was with him a good while in his chamber, and among other things to my extraordinary joy, he did tell me how much I was beholding to the Duke of York, who did yesterday of his own accord tell him that he did thank him for one person brought into the Navy, naming myself, and much more to my commendation, which is the greatest comfort and encouragement that ever I had in my life, and do owe it all to Mr. Coventry’s goodness and ingenuity. I was glad above measure of this.

Thence to Mr. Moore, who, I hope, is better than he was, and so home and dined at home, and all the afternoon busy at my office, and at night by coach to my Lord’s again, thinking to speak with him, but he is at White Hall with the King, before whom the puppet plays I saw this summer in Covent-garden are acted this night. Hither this night my scallop, bought and got made by Captain Ferrers’ lady, is sent, and I brought it home, a very neat one. It cost me about 3l., and 3l. more I have given him to buy me another. I do find myself much bound to go handsome, which I shall do in linen, and so the other things may be all the plainer.

Here I staid playing some new tunes to parts with Wm. Howe, and, my Lord not coming home, I came home late on foot, my boy carrying a link, and so eat a bit and to bed, my head full of ordering of businesses against my journey to-morrow, that there may be nothing done to my wrong in my absence.

This day Sir W. Pen did speak to me from Sir J. Minnes to desire my best chamber of me, and my great joy is that I perceive he do not stand upon his right, which I was much afraid of, and so I hope I shall do well enough with him for it, for I will not part with it by fair means, though I contrive to let him have another room for it.

33 Annotations

First Reading

Leo Starrenburg  •  Link

One of the happiest entries in his diary so far as I see it. A far cry from the drinking and feasting a good year or so ago. But he's as vain about his clothing as ever !

cheers, Leo.

JWB  •  Link

"...to my commendation...puppet plays...are acted this night."
And Sam will die professing himself to be an Old Jacobite.

A. De Araujo  •  Link

spoiler
The Duke of York likes him too much and he is a Catholic,so in the long run it is not a good thing.

Cumgranissalis  •  Link

"...This day Sir W. Pen did speak to me ..." Sir W. Pen dothe support Samuell in his battle over who gets the best room. Yet Sam feels Sir W. not be not worthy of his support.

Australian Susan  •  Link

Sam is relieved to have the support and commendation of a very powerful patron: he is so full of joy at this because patronage was how you got on in those days. Sam has merits, of course, but this was not a meritocracy and the winds of patronage could blow fair or fickle.
The Duke of York is not yet (openly) Catholic and at this stage I am sure everyone is expecting Queen Catherine to have a child who would take James's place as heir.

Cumgranissalis  •  Link

Samuell 's worth be recognised by the Top Dog,[courtesy of Cobentry],it be a wonderful moment in ones life.
I'm sure many have had that chest filling moment when The President or Mayor of a major city step out grab your hand and shake and that snap of flash that gives one that 1 sec of recognition , that keeps thee floating on a cloud for days.

Australian Susan  •  Link

There is a casual reference to Wayneman to day - presumably because it was unusual for him to be carrying the link and for them not to hire a linkboy - but no mention of misdeeds: Wayneman seems to be keeping a very low profile!

Australian Susan  •  Link

The Puppet Plays were Punch and Judy ones.

Pauline  •  Link

"...owe it all to Mr. Coventry?s goodness and ingenuity..."
Seems a genuine appreciation of and understanding of how things work: Merit plays a role, abetted by the notice of someone with the king or his brother's ear. Work hard at the make-a-difference level, but be sure to charm and consult within the power structure.

Mary  •  Link

"Hither this night my scallop.."

Now we see why Sam was ordering two bands from Ferrers. It looks as if Ferrers' lady is a particularly accomplished needlewoman .... or at least more accomplished than Elizabeth, who might otherwise have been expected to embellish a pair of plain bands with lace.

Sam is actually being canny about his clothing, rather than simply vain. Like many both before and since, he realises that some really fine accessories can make a plain outfit look special. Hence even today the classic appeal of the "little black dress" that can be made to look very stylish by the addition of something "good" in the way of a scarf, stole, belt etc.

Bob T  •  Link

by coach to my Lord?s again, thinking to speak with him,
Has anyone else thought how much easier Sam's life would have been with a telephone?

Xjy  •  Link

Sam and Pen(n)
This support from Pen(n) probably confirms the shift in office power relations we've been witnessing. Now the old salt is trying to get into Sam's good books - and it looks as if he's found a great way to win Sam's affections :-)

J A Gioia  •  Link

punch & judy?

while strolling through covent garden a few years ago i found a full-on punch and judy theater, the mayhem of which was closely followed by about 25 screaming and laughing moppets. good on the old wife-beater for still drawing a crowd in these very tv times, thought i - gives one hope for the youth of today.

however, i have a hard time picturing the court sitting down to watch p. feed the judge to the alligator and am wondering if the puppet play mentioned here is more in line with the sicilian/neapolitan puppet shows - large-scale marionettes and stories of orlando fighting the moors; knights in armor, swordfights, beautiful ladies, black giants - that kind of thing.

andy  •  Link

my best chamber

ever-so-gently doth Minnes turn the screw, just to keep young Sam in line; the argument isn't really about the chamber, he's doing it just because he can, and Sam had better not forget it.

Also I agree with JA Gioia on the likely content of the puppet show, it'll be a curiosity but a caricature of current events & politics. (maybe the parson is fed to the alligator??)

JWB  •  Link

"...my commendation..."
Nonone else offended by this? Beholding to the Duke for a compliment? Are Sam & Sandwich dogs or men?

Gerry  •  Link

I'm not quite sure if this is the right place to post this but today's freebie on the Oxford DNB site is Sam's pin-up the Duchess of Cleveland.

Jeannine  •  Link

Accomodations by the Duke of York ,etc.
Sam is at an early career level where he is able to rise among the upper levels of the Navy elite (Carteret, Sandwich, Coventry, York, Rupert, etc.) because his function is in support of all of them and not competing with any of them. This is a great place for a younger man to be when trying to make his way up the hierarchy, kind of "below the radar screen" in terms of competition.
In no disregard to Sam whatsoever, not intended as a character attack, etc. but a statement of reality is that he has no experience commanding a ship, managing/fighting in an actual battle, or facing any real time sea related military life-threatening danger head on. When compared to the likes of the "elite", he doesn't hold a candle to their accomplishments. He has nothing in his resume, so to speak, to compete with the accomplishments, reputations, experiences of those "divas" above him. In reality we could call him a lightweight or such in terms of military magnificence, as he clearly has none.
What we are seeing come forth are the same skills that he exhibits in the diary - his detail oriented meticulous mind that doesn't miss a thing, his organizational skills, curiosity and commitment to learning (math, etc.), and adpatability. These are wonderful skills that any administrator/support person needs to complement the management chain above him and MAKE THEM LOOK GOOD. This skill set allows him to move between the egos, the power struggles, etc. in an almost seamless fashion as he is performing tasks that the elite, by their nature would rather not be doing. As long as Sam can keep his own ego in check (outside of the privacy of the diary, of course), stay out of the poltics above him and manage the competition coming in sideways in the hierarchy, he should be okay. Right now all of upper chain's needs and his fulfillment of them are working to Sam's benefit. As long as he continues to use his skills to benefit the powers above he should have ample opportunity to contiune to move ahead.

Alan Bedford  •  Link

"Are Sam & Sandwich dogs or men?"

We know Sam to be satisfied by a job well-done, but as Australian Susan has noted, "...patronage was how you got on in those days. Sam has merits, of course, but this was not a meritocracy and the winds of patronage could blow fair or fickle."

So... arf, arf.

Jeannine  •  Link

Partonage and Sam

Susan and Alan are totally on the money here as clearly patronage got Sam in the door of the Navy. That's how Sandwich, Coventry and Carteret, etc. all got established-- sometimes as a reward for loyalty & ties to Charles I (Carteret), changing loyalties from Cromwell to Charles II(Sandwich), being related by blood (York), etc. The other thing to always keep in mind is that Charles II has and will always be a "shifty" fellow so that people who are loved today are easily discarded tomorrow --his "winds" blow hot and cold and the politics of those around him (Castlemaine, Arlington, etc.) will always be a behind the scenes concern.
Also, of note and a recent example of the "winds of patronage"... over the past few days Sandwich has been attending a few events (balls, etc.) given by Lady Castlemaine. When Sandwich was in Portugal to get the queen the fact that the dowry wasn't all there as promised was brought to his attention. He had to make a decision on his own--do I bring her or not --as the money wasn't there but Charles' need for it was. He made that decision and brought Catherine to England. He could have left her. Either choice had it's career risks. Sandwich also felt that the entire "bedchamber" incident was a disgrace on the behalf of Charles II, but seeing that The Lady won that round, it's prudent on his behalf to attend to her and make himself open and available to her whims, etc. He is an astute man who understands that being in Charles' good graces in crucial for his continued success, and he'll do well only if he aligns properly and moves himself away from the less favored person of the day(Queen Catherine) to the more highly favored (Castlemaine).

stolzi  •  Link

Patronage? Offended?

C'mon, today as then, it never hurts to get a verbal pat on the back from the higher-ups. Then one must see to one's status symbols (the scalloped bands etc) while not blowing the budget rashly (wear simple outfits but with good accessories). Seems to me the path to success was not so different then from now; though of course you're less likely these days to get your actual head chopped off.

Jeannine  •  Link

"you?re less likely these days to get your actual head chopped off"
Hey Stolzi--don't give anyone any ideas here--once companies get an idea for how much they could save with the old fashioned literal "headcount reduction" via the rusty old metal ax (big OUCH!), they may re-instate this --think of the savings when they don't have to pay those severance packages--and wouldn't a few heads on posts (ie, Cromwellian style) really motivate others to work a little overtime without complaining! You may be on to something here....

Cumgranissalis  •  Link

Patronage/Mentor? It has,is, will be always whom doth know you, never wot ye know except when the other candidates[funditi nasi} that will make the leader look the Idiot. It usually be too late and then the sword will be swiftly used to give space to the new realities. People in power adore the Adulation,.[ action gets reaction smile begets smile.]

Robert Gertz  •  Link

I think if your former boss, say in the US, the vice-Secretary of Defense, told you you owed Dick Cheney thanks because he with the encouragement of the Secretary of Defense or of the Navy had said you were the best man he had taken on...(Despite your Democratic past), you'd be ready to offer fervent thanks. (were you the type to be able to work for Dick Cheney, of course). Sandwich is merely telling Sam he ought to be glad to hear the good things coming out of Whitehall about him and suggesting that he himself is very pleased and proud that his protege has made out well.

"By the way, Pepys. I was thinking perhaps I might stop by your place and show that charming wife of yours...And you, of course, my latest set of plans for remodeling Brampton, to suit with our plans for the estate. Would ten suit?"

"Well, my lord...I'm usually rather busy at..."

"A pity, a pity. Well, I'm sure dear Elisabeth will be able to convey the gist of the plans to you later."

***

E  •  Link

It sounds to me as though Captain Ferrers' lady organised the making of the scallop, rather than sewing it herself. "...my scallop, bought and got made by Captain Ferrers' lady..." and " ...3l. more I have given him to buy me another".

If his "lady" was his wife, this makes it even more probable she did not sew it herself. The background article on Captain Ferrer at http://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclo… has the L&M Companion saying that his wife is the daughter of a Scottish earl -- unlikely to have plied a needle for hire.

Australian Susan  •  Link

"Plied a needle for hire"
But she may,as the daughter of an Earl (even a Scottish one) have had ample time to do really fine embroidery. Maybe especailly a Scottish one, come to think of it - all those dank, gloomy days of fog and rain, nothing to do in a draughty castle but huddle over the peats and stitch away at yards of cushion covers, despite the chilblains. (Hardwick Hall still has some embroidery done by Mary Queen of Scots when in captivity).

A. De Araujo  •  Link

"severance packages"
Please Jeannine don't be so gory! I am eating breakfast.

Cumgranissalis  •  Link

Be a Lady of an Earldom, from reading the Speckled Monster, one gets the Impression that all females better be good with a needle [ for defense of course] and thread, boys were taught the worthy things of life, like Lanquages and sword play, while Girls were exposed to keeping house and enjoying learning the finer points of taking care of Lord and master. See P.188 of Restoration London, There be a few finishing schools for Ladies,that taught practical things like music,dancing,reading romance stories, and if a girl wanted to write or read Latin, and other manly deeds, she had to find her own books. There be a book called A Gentlewoman's companion 1675.
Quote of a quote "Man is apt to think we were meerly intended the worlds propagation and to keepe its humane inhabitants sweet and cleane; but, by their leaves had we the same Literature he would find our brains as fruitful as our bodies.'
The Quakers were a group that bucked the system, Mrs Bausa Makin's school for girls at Tottenham High Cross 1673. The civil war had exposed women to greater tasks as the men be fighting or running, so someone had to keep the home fires a burning.

Second Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"at White Hall with the King, before whom the puppet plays I saw this summer [ 9 May, 'Mr. Punch's birthday' ] in Covent-garden are acted this night." http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…

In October 1660 a small stage was constructed in the Queen's Guard Chamber at Whitehall, probably for this performance by puppets; as a reward for the performance, Signor Bologna alias Policinella was presented with a gold chain and medal. (E. Boswell, Restoration court stage, pp. 56-7, 116.) (L&M note)

http://books.google.com/books?id=…

Gerald Berg  •  Link

As I like to say every time I hear an English citizen say extraordinary. It is extraordinary how ordinary extraordinary is to the English! But in SP's case today, I could feel the love.

Bridget Davis  •  Link

A busy day for Sam and our annotators!

Tonyel  •  Link

my best chamber

I'm not so sure that Penn is on Sam's side. I suspect he may be stirring things up a little, just to keep Sam in his place. After all, Minnes is no shrinking violet - if he wants to pull rank on Sam he doesn't need Penn to do it for him.

Politics, politics......

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