Saturday 18 April 1663
Up betimes and to my office, where all the morning. At noon to dinner. With us Mr. Creed, who has been deeply engaged at the office this day about the ending of his accounts, wherein he is most unhappy to have to do with a company of fools who after they have signed his accounts and made bills upon them yet dare not boldly assert to the Treasurer that they are satisfied with his accounts. Hereupon all dinner, and walking in the garden the afternoon, he and I talking of the ill management of our office, which God knows is very ill for the King’s advantage. I would I could make it better.
In the evening to my office, and at night home to supper and bed.
14 Annotations
First Reading
TerryF • Link
"[Mr. Creed] and I talking of the ill management of our office, which God knows is very ill for the King's advantage. I would I could make it better."
Did he share with Creed this sentiment? It echoes one he shared with his Diary 6 April: "vexed at my heart to see a thing of that importance done so slightly and with that neglect for which God pardon us, and I would I could mend it. " http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
Australian Susan • Link
"ending of his accounts"
Presumably the end of the financial year - Lady Day, March 25th.
Who exactly are the "company of fools" ?
Robert Gertz • Link
"Well, Mr. Creed. A good morning's work, eh what?" Minnes beams. "Done all we could to put you and your master Sandwich on the right end of things, eh? Eh?"
"Aye, Sir John. Now if you would just affix your signature to this certification letter and I'll..."
Uh... "Ah, well. I believe that job rightly belongs to Sir Will here." Minnes eyes Batten.
"You are the Comptroller, Sir John. And my accounts are correct, are they not?"
"Solid as a rock, lad. Solid as a rock. But,really I could not in all conscience take from Sir Will that duty that is, as it were, rightfully his."
"Not at all, Sir John." Batten chimes in. "But while I appreciate the courtesy implied, I do believe Mr. Creed is quite right in assigning the duty to you."
"Oh, no I must refuse to concur, Sir William. You have always dealt with such bills pertaining to reimbursement of the Crown's servants for victuals and such like."
"Only for merchants, Sir John. And I would hardly consider Lord Sandwich in that capacity. No, I must stand on principle and the articles of our office and refuse."
"But, gentlemen...I assure Lord Sandwich's accounts as well as mine own are all quite in order. You've merely to look over the itemized list Mr. Pepys and I have prepared."
"Yes." Minnes eyes the list on his desk shrewdly but cautiously...As a man might approach a rattlesnake coiled to strike. "And a fine job you two have done on it. As a literary chap myself, I can tell you I know what it is to throw oneself into such a project, scratching quill to parchment through the long hours, eh?"
"Yes, quite." Creed turns to Batten... "Perhaps Sir Will, just this once as a courtesy to the Earl..."
"Mr. Creed." Batten dignified, yet firm..."Are you suggesting we simply up abandon the time-honored policy of this office? A time-honored policy, sir that but a few short years ago had been nearly trampled into the mud by Cromwell's fanatics. I cannot believe that the Earl of Sandwich would ever conceive of such a thing."
Salvation appears in the form of Sir William Penn at the office door, just back from dinner...
"Sir William?..." Creed turns to the practical man and stout hero of the service. "If you could grant me the courtesy of signing off on Lord Sandwich's accounts..."
Ummn...Uncomfortable look...Penn having extended his rather exceptionally early dinner hour considerably in order to avoid just such an occurence.
in Aqua Scripto • Link
Single line veto to all unexplained entries, not supported by additionall paper trail, no fudging , no 100 quids worth of horseblankets with lace edge. Your problem that thee lost a wherrie with four oars. Where is the eye witness reports.
Alan Bedford • Link
Who exactly are the “company of fools” ?
Seems to me that's the Navy Board, with the notable exception of Samuel Pepys, Esq. At least as far as Sam knows.
in Aqua Scripto • Link
Alan I doth agree, Mr. Creed wants Sandwich's outlay paid back for his long trip to La Mare. Even lowly I, have had run in with The Pay Master General when [t]he[y] thought I be lazying around England, while I be actually being shipped here, there, and everywhere. it was years before the said paper work be got.
andy • Link
...has been deeply engaged at the office this day about the ending of his accounts, wherein he is most unhappy to have to do with a company of fools
Sympathy, Sam, I've just concluded my cost centre accounts in what we call period 13, the company of fools is here too!
Australian Susan • Link
"hereupon all dinner" ?? Mistranscription?
Mary • Link
No mistranscription.
L&M gives the same reading. Perhaps Sam's pen has missed out [to] between 'all' and 'dinner.'
Stolzi • Link
"company of fools"
I suspect here we have a living echo of the voice of Sir John, as he stomps up and down the garden.
"hereupon all dinner"
I interpret this as "Hereupon" (on this subject) ["we talked" understood] "all dinner" = throughout dinner; as we now say "we talked all night."
in Aqua Scripto • Link
Non stop, yakka, yakka ....."....Hereupon all dinner, and walking in the garden the afternoon, he and I talking of the ill management of our office..."
TerryF • Link
Group therapy/Cohesion-building/Groupthink
Non stop, yakka, yakka …..”….Hereupon all dinner, and walking in the garden the afternoon, he and I talking of the ill management of our office…”
in Aqua Scripto • Link
Was this one of the events that Sandwich had a problem with?http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/dept/scwmss/projects/carte/carte35.html
"...Warrant of the Clerk of the Pells in the Exchequer for payment to Edward, Earl of Sandwich, His Majesty's Ambassador to the Court of Lisbon, of the sum of £10,248; for expenses of his Embassy, in pursuance of a Writ of Privy Seal, dated 31 December 1662
Written from: [Westminster] ..."
Date: 16 February 1663
Second Reading
Chris Squire UK • Link
OED has:
‘hereupon, adv.
1. Upon this thing, point, subject, or matter.
. . 1651 T. Hobbes Leviathan iii. xxxvi. 226 Hereupon a question may be asked.
2. Immediately following upon this (in time or consequence).
. . 1706 tr. L. E. Du Pin New Eccl. Hist. 16th Cent. II. iii. xviii. 261 Hereupon there was a great murmur . . ‘
Sense 2 here, I think.