Monday 24 August 1663

Up very early, and my joyners came to work. I to Mr. Moore; from him came back home again, and drew up an account to my Lord, and that being done met him at my Lord Sandwich’s, where I was a good while alone with my Lord; and I perceive he confides in me and loves me as he uses to do, and tells me his condition, which is now very well all I fear is that he will not live within compass, for I am told this morning of strange dotages of his upon the slut at Chelsea, even in the presence of his daughter, my Lady Jem, and Mrs. Ferrers, who took notice of it.

There come to him this morning his prints of the river Tagus and the City of Lisbon, which he measured with his own hand, and printed by command of the King. My Lord pleases himself with it, but methinks it ought to have been better done than by jobing. Besides I put him upon having some took off upon white sattin, which he ordered presently.

I offered my Lord my accounts, and did give him up his old bond for 500l. and took a new one of him for 700l., which I am by lending him more money to make up: and I am glad of it. My Lord would have had me dine with him, but I had a mind to go home to my workmen, and so took a kind good bye of him, and so with Creed to St. James’s, and, missing Mr. Coventry, walked to the New Exchange, and there drank some whey, and so I by water home, and found my closett at my office made very clean and neat to my mind mightily, and home to dinner, and then to my office to brush my books, and put them and my papers in order again, and all the afternoon till late at night doing business there, and so home to supper, and then to work in my chamber, making matters of this day’s accounts clear in my books, they being a little extraordinary, and so being very late I put myself to bed, the rest being long ago gone.

34 Annotations

First Reading

alanB  •  Link

Early to rise, late to bed: makes a man dead. Sam needs to consider his work-'w'ife balance.

Miss Ann fr Home  •  Link

Evening all - where are you?

Do we assume My Lord is having a mid-life crisis? The Chelsea gal sounds just like so many others who take up with an older man - not being bitter & twisted here guys, the divorce was over 2 months ago, I'm well and truly over it - truly I am! Notwithstanding the strumpett, My Lord has a good and kindly side, especially in his love for our boy - this will save him.

Anyway, good to see the carpenters are back and working under our Sam's wonderful supervision - no wonder trades unions were developed ... in this regard, as in so many others, Sam reminds me of my late father who, once retired, became known as "The Consultant" who knew absolutely everything about everything and was delighted to share his knowledge to all and sundry, especially the workmen who attended his home to carry out repairs.

This bond of L700 - is this by way of a type of mortgage or unsecured loan? And the increase by L200 - I wonder what the return is, and does it get increased by o.25% every so often to restrain the economy (still not bitter and twisted because of the recent increase in mortgage payments).

Robert Gertz  •  Link

My Lord's been through quite a spiritual shock in the last few years, having to betray his principles, his love and regard for Cromwell, sit in judgement of old colleagues, and know he's abandoned his republican idealism for stability, profit, and a king who seems the antithesis of everything his old mentor was. Plus I think he's realizing slowly that the reward is to be well fed (within leash limits), petted, but increasingly, caged. He now must be the most prominent former Cromwellian still alive and free and it's likely that Charles and Jamie and their people keep a very sharp eye on the one man besides Monk who could pose a potential threat.

Poor Jemina. But at least so far she hasn't suffered the humiliation of having Sandwich attempting her friend and cousin-in-law Bess as his latest, despite his showing of interest that way earlier. It still fascinates me to think of how Sam would deal...Torn between his natural, careful caution and his irrational, savage jealousy.

I wonder if my Lord Crew, Jem's dad will be brought into the discussion by Sam eventually. Interesting to read his take on the situation.

Montagu does seem a kind man...I think though he sometimes regards Sam with a heavily patronizing air and still treats his cousin as a servant, he is fond of him. Politically though I don't think he has anywhere near Charles' clever skill and perhaps not even Sam's astute ear.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

Of course it's still summer and like Sam, Sandwich may have been a "summer bachelor" meaning this little affair may end with the fall. What was interesting was Sam's apparent feeling that pursuing every woman in sight while Bess was off was nothing to pay the vow box for...I guess he feels "entitled" to join in the general frolicing so long as Bess isn't around to be hurt. (Hopefully he cares that much).

TerryF  •  Link

Sam'l's OCD's outlasted even them who tucks him in.

---
Miss Ann fr Home, good evening! or good 5+ AM where I am. No Diary entry at 11 PM GMT +5 hrs. on 24 August when I went to bed. My hypotheses then was Sam had nodded off, as by candlelight he strained to prepare to write, and zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzand. So the entry came up just before alanB's g'day post (so writ Phil in an email).
---

L&M read that the prints "ought to have been better done then by Iching."

L&M [and those who knows from intaglio: my dear ex- made some and taught Iching for a brief while] also agree with SP that an etching produces a less firm and lasting image than an engraving.

----

Nice points RG. Well, having made those matters of this day’s account clear, I will put myself back to bed.....

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

Thanks for the clarification on the "Iching," Terry. Now, can anyone help with this?

"Besides I put him upon having some took off upon white sattin, which he ordered presently."

Tried to parse it, still can't.

I'm a little concerned that Sam is putting most of his nest eggs in Montagu's basket ... seems rather to me like someone investing the bulk of their pension/401(k) in their company's stock ... (Enron, anyone?)

Michael Robinson  •  Link

having some took off upon white sattin

"took off" is a printers slang term for printing an impression, running inked plate and printing medium together through the rollers of the press and taking an image off when they come out, I assume. Here Pepys has suggested using white satin as the supporting medium for the ink rather than paper; the smoother surface will take the fine lines of an etching better and produce an interesting visual effect, one wonders when or how he discovered this. Rembrandt, and Whistler for example, are notorious for the varying kinds and varieties of papers they used to take "proofs."

My edition of Wheatley has a long note about the absolute rarity of this and other prints by Dirk Stoop (commemorating the Catherine – Charles marriage) and that the British Museum possesses one impression on silk. In part:-

"The title agrees verbally with that given by Pepys, and the engraving contains not only Lord Sandwich’s arms, but also his portrait; he is represented holding a measuring rod, which marks the scale of mile. In spite of Pepys opinion it may be considered a very fine example of the artist's skill; its rarity is very great; ..."

A. Hamilton  •  Link

"My Lord would have had me dine with him, but I had a mind to go home to my workmen, and so took a kind good bye of him..."

and straight goes off to look for Mr. Coventry. This encounter with Sandwich is tinged with hints of a changing relationship between patron and protege. Sam has a low opinion of his lord's Ichings (both amorous and graphical), offers gratuitous advice (print them on white satin) and lends another L200 even while fearing that Sandwich "will not live within compass" in terms of expense and/or discretion.

A brief dramatic irony: Lady Jem has now caught sight of Sam with Mrs. Betty and dad with the strumpet from Chelsea. I trust she's a sharp-eyed girl who knows how to draw inferences about the way of the world.

TerryF  •  Link

"Early to rise, late to bed: makes a man dead."

James Thurber begs to differ. "Early to rise and early to bed makes a male healthy and wealthy and dead." is the moral of Thurber's Fable "The Shrike and the Chipmunks" (*The New Yorker*, 18 February 1939) http://www.visi.com/~tomcat/poetr…

Our Hero is halfway to avoiding the upshot of the tale.

andy  •  Link

Gertz: so long as Bess isn’t around to be hurt.

isn't around to know??

Aqua  •  Link

L&M read that the prints "ought to have been better done then by Iching."
so!
a young man from Hitchin,
who had a big itching,
asked lass to see an itching.
All she saw was an etching
that was not that fetching
There on the wall be Lisboa
which failed to woh her
There be the Rio Tejo
when she said, Leo No.

There be the Biaxa, the Chiado, Novo Paco Real, Rossio Da Fiera Justa, Capela de Sao Jeronimo. and

Convento de S. Domingo, watching over all that wealth,
A city of many English Merchants.
A shame 92 years later an giant earthquake leveled [1755] much of down Town, a city that the Romans had established way back when , artifacts are still being found in the basements of buildings, when being upgraded in the modern building boom.

Glyn  •  Link

Pepys does like to gossip with the women he meets, doesn't he. Since the source of this story wasn't Sandwich or his daughter then it must have been Jane Ferrers who told him the juicy details. I can imagine her telling him everything in a shocked tone of voice, and him happy to hear all the details.

Aqua  •  Link

RE: Wealth: Sam is not always clear on his total funds and estate, I do beleive that he only counts the gold that he has in his hands, when he checks his worldly status. His off shore investments be not clear, I remember, he did not count his income from being a muster man untill he received the loot into his palm. His accounting be not up to big 5 shufflers, does not count chickens unless they be in his yard.
"I’m a little concerned that Sam is putting most of his nest eggs in Montagu’s basket … seems rather to me like someone investing the bulk of their pension/401(k) in their company’s stock … (Enron, anyone?)"

Michael Robinson  •  Link

to my office to brush my books

Appears that though Pepys just complains about the dirt in the house he cleans his own books; rather poignant unless its a matter of trusting no one else with these cherished possessions.

TerryF  •  Link

Michael, you pose an interesting question about the book-dusting. He records it as part of what seems to be part of the (mild) obsessive-compulsive disorder he manfests. I say "mild" since as Martin observed yesterday, Pepys "could pick up a broom [him]self", but doesn't. Perhaps tonight he's transfered his abhorrence of the "dirt" at home, about which he does nothing, to his office, where everything is under his control, and noone else dare mess with it. And how he delights when all is "neat", "in order," "clear"~ how therapeutic!

TerryF  •  Link

To continue considering the therapeutic value of cleaning up books -- ones dusty on the shelves, ones full of figures in columns (Is that how they would be?) --, though hardly a neatnik, I find it therapeutic to hand-wash dishes (I have a nechanical dishwasher, but never use it, nor did I when I was married). I find reaching a conclusion with a specific practical task is more satisfying than completing a scholarly article, which is still open-ended, as I think of ways I could have improved it. Perhaps Pepys is that way too.

TerryF  •  Link

Aqua, nice augmented Limerick!

A. Hamilton  •  Link

Glyn,

I puzzled on the gossip source too, then noticed Sam's earlier meeting with Mr. Moore, the source of all gossip about My Lord.

Patricia  •  Link

Sam had the joyners in his house and in his office, no doubt he is dusting his books because they are covered with sawdust. The office is his responsibility, after all.

Michael Robinson  •  Link

The gipsy fortune teller ...

"... did give him up his old bond for 500l. and took a new one of him for 700l., which I am by lending him more money ..."

The gipsy fortune teller on Saturday, August 22nd.

"... that somebody should be with me this day se’nnight to borrow money of me, but I should lend him none..."

.

Nix  •  Link

"did give him up his old bond" --

As I work this out, because Samuel is handling public funds and contracts, he has to provide a bond -- a third party who would answer for his misconduct (e.g., misappropriation). His wealthy cousin and patron Montagu gave him a bond with a L.500 limit. Now, as Samuel's activities and responsibilities increase, he requires a larger bond. Montague is willing to do it, but in return requires Samuel to make him a loan. So ... the treasury gets its assurance, Samuel gets his bond, Montague gets some additional working capital, and Samuel gets some interest back from Montague.

jeannine  •  Link

Nix
Thank you! This makes a lot of sense and is a great help in understanding the bond/money flow!

Nix  •  Link

But apparently I worked it out wrong -- see the entry for August 26th. After reading that one, I am thoroughly confused!

Aqua  •  Link

Nix I dothe thinke you have the right idea. Creed looks after the Sandwich funds, and is playing games with comingled funds, and has got Samuell to ante up the 200l to satisfy onother interested party. Sam would not want to be in heavy debt without some ready cash on hand, he has been to longe in the hands of other Misers , not to appreciate Cash be King .

Pedro  •  Link

For views of Lisbon 1735, 1751, and earlier.

Also Greenwich (1739), Dunkirk (1726), Alicante (1725) and many others see…

http://www.cichw.net/pmpans.html

Second Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

Permalink for A quote by James Thurber, 1894 - 1961

Early to rise and early to bed makes a male healthy, wealthy and dead.
James Thurber - "The Shrike and the Chipmunks", The New Yorker (18 February 1939) http://www5.qotd.org/search/singl…

Bill  •  Link

"There come to him this morning his prints of the river Tagus and the City of Lisbon, which he measured with his own hand, and printed by command of the King."

As annotated by Michael Robinson, this was a print by "Dirk Stoop (commemorating the Catherine – Charles marriage)"

Here is a Dirk Stoop print of Lisbon dedicated to Catherine of Braganza, dated 1662, and includes a guide to more prints in the series: http://www.britishmuseum.org/rese…

Bill  •  Link

Here is another series of prints by Dirk Stoop, 1662. The first is titled: "The Entrance of the Lord Ambassador Mountague into the Citty of Lisbone." http://www.britishmuseum.org/rese…

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"being very late I put myself to bed, the rest being long ago gone."

If the servants weren't long ago gone to bed, SP would have been dressed for bed by one or more.

One of those regular things he doesn't usually record in his journal.

Louise Hudson  •  Link

"I am told this morning of strange dotages of his upon the slut at Chelsea, even in the presence of his daughter, my Lady Jem, and Mrs. Ferrers, who took notice of it."

Funny how men, even up to today, naively think women and young girls will be shocked to know how men carry on, when surely they knew at least as much as the men did -- probably more. Who did they think they were protecting? They knew women might rat them out, that's why they "protected them". Nothing to do with protecting innocent women. They were protecting themselves.

Sasha Clarkson  •  Link

The most prominent Parliament/Commonwealth man still left is not *our* Montagu, Sandwich, but his cousin Edward Montagu Earl of Manchester, his cousin, currently the Lord Chamberlain.

Log in to post an annotation.

If you don't have an account, then register here.