Wednesday 16 December 1663

Up, and with my head and heart full of my business, I to my office, and there all the morning, where among other things to my great content Captain Taylor brought me 40l., the greater part of which I shall gain to myself after much care and pains out of his bill of freight, as I have at large set down in my book of Memorandums.

At noon to the ’Change and there met with Mr. Wood by design, and got out of him to my advantage a condition which I shall make good use of against Sir W. Batten (vide my book of Memorandums touching the contract of masts of Sir W. Warren about which I have had so much trouble).

So home to dinner and then to the Star Tavern hard by to our arbitration of Mr. Bland’s business, and at it a great while, but I found no order like to be kept in our inquiry, and Mr. Clerke, the other arbitrator, one so far from being fit (though able as to his trade of a merchant) to inquire and to take pains in searching out the truth on both sides, that we parted without doing anything, nor do I believe we shall at all ever attain to anything in it.

Then home and till 12 at night making up my accounts with great account of this day’s receipt of Captain Taylor’s money and some money reimbursed me which I have laid out on Field’s business. So home with my mind in pretty good quiet, and to Supper and to bed.

16 Annotations

First Reading

Bradford  •  Link

"with my head and heart full of my business," thanks to no woman crossing his path all day till suppertime. Not that the menfolk today are any prize.

cumgranosalis  •  Link

who be 'coffing' up the some funds to help poor old Samuell?
"... some money reimbursed me which I have laid out on Field's business...."

Robert Gertz  •  Link

But Bradford, all those loose bodices and up-sliding skirts combined with shrewd grins from lovely ladies not so good as they should be...How can our hero hope to resist temptation when stronger men of fighting temper like Sandwich have fallen?

Only problem is we can sometimes doubt he makes the fight at all...

***

"The Way to Grow Rich", Hugh Aubry...
Chapter Fifty-Two.

"Getting Your Business Associates to Make Your Holiday Season a Truly Merry One"

"Indeed." Sam grins, patting his large share of Taylor's 40Ls.

"So Ye hast followed the advice of Chapter fifty-one and been raking it in this Xmas by provision of favors to 'friends' and 'associates'."

"Oh...Yeah." Sam nods.

"And ye hast taken care to never, never directly demand returns for such favor as 'twas noted to ye in said previous chapter."

"Absobloomingtootly."

"Excellent. Thou hast only two worries this holiday season, friend. One...That thy associate's tongue may loosen during this festive time."

Hmmn...Cut to Cap't Taylor blind drunk in tavern, boasting of his high connection at the Naval Office...In bloody trud, 'is pet...Whadadey call them lil blighters in Guinea-land, mate? Aye, monkey. Yas.

"...For while no documentation may stand against ye, such talk may come to the ears of those enemies about you who may be already be aggrieved by your good fortune."

Uh...
Cut to Sir William Batten, sitting in same tavern, overhearing, eyes narrowing...

"Tis best to keep such 'friends' close this merry time."

"Hewer! Take this invitation to Captain Taylor to dine with us...All Christmas week."

"And Two..."

"Right, the other one..." Sam sighs.

"No boasting of thy business acumen to the Missus...Else see One's outcome again."

"Ooops."

"No doubt ye hast violated Two, haven't ye?"

"Well...It was such a clever action. And I didn't tell her how much."

"If so, ye damned fool...Proceed to Chapter Fifty-Eight."

Hmmn... "Chapter Fifty-Eight:Throwing Thy Worst Enemy a Juicy Bone at Xmas Turnith away Wrath."

Paul Chapin  •  Link

Easy go, easy come
Sounds like Captain Taylor's fiddle just about covered Sam's outlays in the Field affair.

A. De Araujo  •  Link

"The Diary of Samuel Pepys"
A little off topic
In todays' Financial Times there is a review of a Biography of John Evelyn who was Pepys friend and a fellow diarist; by the way where is Dirk?

Ruben  •  Link

"The Diary of Samuel Pepys"
Thank you, Aroaldo, for pointing out the biography of Evelyn. As Evelyn said, may I also mention that a day without Pepys is insipid...
I found another interesting article about another book there:
"Europe's Physician: The Various Life of Sir Theodore de Mayerne", by Hugh Trevor-Roper. We read about treatments similar to those administered to Charles Queen some time ago (pigeons and the like). Better to stay healthy!

Terry F  •  Link

"met with Mr. Wood by design and got out of him, to my advantage, a confession which I shall make good use of against Sir W. Batten"

This transcription by L&M changes the sense of what transpired, but leaves it as mysterious as does Wheatley's.

Terry F  •  Link

Sir W. Batten vs. Mr. Pepys

Mr. Wood had been the exclusive client of Sir W. Batten, a relationship that Pepys had believed corrupt - due to the poor quality/cost of the merchandise Wood had purveyed. Pepys has now acquired ammunition in his defense against Sir W. Batten's attacks on his having favored the competing bids of Sir W. Warren (the "trouble"). I wonder what it was? Shall we find out at some future date?

jeannine  •  Link

"by the way where is Dirk?"
In the process of a move and without an internet connection! The only thing one could imagine being a worse predicament would be being stuck in 1663 without a "boy" servant to call your own.....

Second Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"Pepys has now acquired ammunition in his defense against Sir W. Batten's attacks on his having favored the competing bids of Sir W. Warren (the "trouble"). I wonder what it was? Shall we find out at some future date?"

Pepys told us where to look in today's entry: "(vide my book of Memorandums touching the contract of masts of Sir W. Warren about which I have had so much trouble)", which L&M attempt in a footnote:

A note on this confession was later copied into Pepys's MS. 'Navy White Book', p.6. Pepys first called on a friend, Capt. David Lambert, and gave him 'in his care direction to stand close by and hear what passed between Mr. Wood and I'. He then tricked Wood (by giving him the impression that a sale might still be arranged) into stating that it was Pepys who had opposed his original tender and that the reason was that the masts were too old. 'But it is a pretty consideration, that hence Wood will go to W. Batten and tell him how I seem willing to buy his masts, and what Sir W. Batten will do therein -- for either he must now contradict himself by offering to buy these, when he says they have too many already, or else he must, sore against his will, be contented to have Woods lie still upon his hands.'

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"to my great content Captain Taylor brought me 40l., the greater part of which I shall gain to myself after much care and pains out of his bill of freight, ..."

Having chatted until midnight, and then walked home to Wapping, Capt. John Taylor is back bright and early with the money ... finally!

This goes back to 21 February 1663: "Captn. Taylor and Bowry, whose ship we have hired for Tangier ... and after some difference about their prices we agreed, ... and discoursed of something about freight of a ship that may bring me a little money" http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1… which was referred to last Saturday http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"... Captain Taylor brought me 40l., the greater part of which I shall gain to myself after much care and pains out of his bill of freight, as I have at large set down in my book of Memorandums."

Anyone know what Pepys' Book of Memorandums is ... an official accounting record for the Navy, or Pepys' personal log of reminders of what's owed to him by whom? Keeping double books can be so confusing.

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

Twice in one day: "(vide my book of Memorandums touching the contract of masts of Sir W. Warren about which I have had so much trouble)."

So it would seem to be a useful log of actions taken to justify decisions made, and possibly copies of correspondence sent.

Tonyel  •  Link

"Keeping double books can be so confusing"

Reminds me of one of my favourite Doonesbury cartoons around the time of Enron:
"You want me to do a triple-cross?"
"That a problem?"
"No, no, but the paper work's appalling."

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