Tuesday 22 December 1663

Up and there comes my she cozen Angier, of Cambridge, to me to speak about her son. But though I love them, and have reason so to do, yet, Lord! to consider how cold I am to speak to her, for fear of giving her too much hopes of expecting either money or anything else from me besides my care of her son. I let her go without drinking, though that was against my will, being forced to hasten to the office, where we sat all the morning, and at noon I to Sir R. Ford’s, where Sir R. Browne (a dull but it seems upon action a hot man), and he and I met upon setting a price upon the freight of a barge sent to France to the Duchess of Orleans. And here by discourse I find them greatly crying out against the choice of Sir J. Cutler to be Treasurer for Paul’s upon condition that he give 1500l. towards it, and it seems he did give it upon condition that he might be Treasurer for the work, which they say will be worth three times as much money, and talk as if his being chosen to the office will make people backward to give, but I think him as likely a man as either of them, or better.

The business being done we parted, Sir R. Ford never inviting me to dine with him at all, and I was not sorry for it.

Home and dined. I had a letter from W. Howe that my Lord hath ordered his coach and six horses for me to-morrow, which pleases me mightily to think that my Lord should do so much, hoping thereby that his anger is a little over.

After dinner abroad with my wife by coach to Westminster, and set her at Mrs. Hunt’s while I about my business, having in our way met with Captain Ferrers luckily to speak to him about my coach, who was going in all haste thither, and I perceive the King and Duke and all the Court was going to the Duke’s playhouse to see “Henry VIII.” acted, which is said to be an admirable play. But, Lord! to see how near I was to have broken my oathe, or run the hazard of 20s. losse, so much my nature was hot to have gone thither; but I did not go, but having spoke with W. Howe and known how my Lord did do this kindly as I would have it, I did go to Westminster Hall, and there met Hawley, and walked a great while with him. Among other discourse encouraging him to pursue his love to Mrs. Lane, while God knows I had a roguish meaning in it.

Thence calling my wife home by coach, calling at several places, and to my office, where late, and so home to supper and to bed.

This day I hear for certain that my Lady Castlemaine is turned Papist, which the Queene for all do not much like, thinking that she do it not for conscience sake.

I heard to-day of a great fray lately between Sir H. Finch’s coachman, who struck with his whip a coachman of the King’s to the losse of one of his eyes; at which the people of the Exchange seeming to laugh and make sport with some words of contempt to him, my Lord Chamberlin did come from the King to shut up the ’Change, and by the help of a justice, did it; but upon petition to the King it was opened again.

20 Annotations

First Reading

Bradford  •  Link

"met Hawley, and walked a great while with him. Among other discourse encouraging him to pursue his love to Mrs. Lane, while God knows I had a roguish meaning in it."

Make friends with the husband with a view to the wife? You'll spoil the plot if you click on the "Mrs."'s link.

Well, Jeannine, what about Our Lady Castlemaine's supposed conversion---rumor or fact?

Martin  •  Link

Isn't it amazing how he gets around, meets up with all kinds of people, gets business done, hears bits and pieces of gossip, all without a cell phone?

jeannine  •  Link

"This day I hear for certain that my Lady Castlemaine is turned Papist, which the Queene for all do not much like, thinking that she do it not for conscience sake"
Bradford-Fact. The real reason for the conversion is not known, but historians surmise that it may have been tied to her feeling like Frances Stuart may have been taking her place at court and she needed a "back up plan". Her husband was a staunch Catholic so if she needed to ever head home, perhaps she felt this would be a plus for her. Clearly it wasn't based on any moral calling!
Catherine was probably quite disgusted as I would imagine she felt that the change was perhaps making a mockery of the religion that she believed dearly in.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

I'd guess, Martin, Sam has the equivalent of a cell phone-an army of clerks, doormen, porters, boys who can be dispatched at all hours.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

I'd guess, Martin, Sam has the equivalent of a cell phone-an army of clerks, doormen, porters, boys who can be dispatched at all hours.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

The Duke's house...

A few weeks later...

[Spoiler]

Two female actor/orange sellers wait breathlessly by the doors...

"It's Will Shakespeare's last history play...Will it flop or will it stay? The cast is taking its final bow, here comes our Sam Pepys now. The doors are open, he's on his way. Lets here what he has to say!"

Sam and Bess, arm in arm:

"He's done it again...He's done it again! Will Shakespeare has done it again!"

"We can't believe it." Sam.

"You can't conceive it." Bess

Together: "How'd Will achieve it? It's thw worst play in town!"

"We sat there sighing...Groaning and crying...There's no denying. It's
the worst play in town!"

"Oh, we wanted to stand up and hiss..." Bess.

"'Midsumner's Night' was crap, but oh, this...!" Sam.

"The story was hollow. The pagentry rotten. What Will did to Henry, Liz did to Mary!" Sam and Bess.

"We couldn't leave faster." Bess, holding nose.

"What a disaster!" the actresses, moaning...

"I am still in shock...Will must have had a block!" Sam, shaking head.

"We can't believe we paid to view such schlock!" Sam and Bess.

tel  •  Link

But, Lord! to see how near I was to have broken my oathe, or run the hazard of 20s. losse, so much my nature was hot to have gone thither;

Does this mean that Sam would fine himself 20 shillings if he broke one of his oaths? No wonder he took them so seriously.

Ruben  •  Link

"My poor wife" is becoming infrequent.
Lord! is in the increase.

Terry F  •  Link

"Does this mean that Sam would fine himself 20 shillings if he broke one of his oaths?"

Well, tel, YES for the oath not to watch plays at the playhouses in certain seasons, and even more for breaking other oaths - break an oath and there's Geld to pay.

Michael Robinson  •  Link

who struck with his whip a coachman of the King's ...

Note in Wheatley ed.

"Rugge adds, that the queen was in the carriage when the battle took place, her coachman striking the first blow; and that the combatants fought a long time, nobody comng to part them. The Exchange was not reopened till the man who had injured the royal servant had ben given up."

Pedro  •  Link

On this day...

Ollard in his biography of Holmes, tells us that Holmes wrote in the log...

"...in the morning one of the master's mates came down into my cabin and told me that they did believe that we were bewitched. Whereupon I asked him what the matter was, he told me that all our Sayles were coloured red. I told him to go up and not to meddle with any of the sayles till I came upon deck...I did order the master to put the ship about...as soon as the sayles fluttered in the wind all the sand and stuff that was in the sayles shook out, and the ropes left a print on the sayles like as if there were flower or sand upon a table and that you may draw a stick or your finger through it."

Pedro  •  Link

"who struck with his whip a coachman of the King's ..."

More infro from the Carte Papers normally alerted to us by Dirk...

Advices, sent from the Court at Whitehall, Domestic and Foreign
Date: November and December 1663
Shelfmark: MS. Carte 222, fol(s). 6-7
Document type: Original

The 'New Exchange', upon occasion of repeated offence to the Queen's servants, has been closed, by order of the Lord Chamberlain.

Lord Willoughby, having settled the affairs of the English colonty at Barbadoes, was about to proceed to the other West Iindia Islands, on a like mission.

Intelligence from Dover reports that the town has been in great danger to be swallowed up by the sea.

From Constantinople, it is stated that the difficulties met within gaining Neuhausel, "wrought upon the Grand Seignior to little less than a frenzy"; and that there have been serious dissensions in the Ottoman Court.

Second Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"to Sir R. Ford’s, where Sir R. Browne..., and he and I met upon setting a price upon the freight of a barge sent to France to the Duchess of Orleans."

On 15 December passes had been granted for Sir Richard Ford and one horse, and also for twelve horses sent for the use of the Duchess (Charles II's sister): CSPD 1663-4, p. 374. Sir Richard Browne was Clerk of the Privy Council and had been the King's resident in France during the exile. (L&M footnote)

Terry Foreman  •  Link

" Treasurer for the work"

I.e. of the repair of St Paul's cathedral, inaugurated by a royal proclamation of 18 April 1663; Pepys was first convinced the project was in earnest 4 August:
http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1… (Per L&M footnote)

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"This day I hear for certain that my Lady Castlemaine is turned Papist"

The French ambassador reported this news on 31 December, adding that Charles had refused to intervene to dissuade her. Stillingfleet is said to have remarked: 'If the Church of Rome got by her no more than the church of England has lost, the matter is not much.' In 1673 she was deprived of her post as Lady of the Bedchamber because of her Catholicism. (Per L&M footnote)

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"my Lord Chamberlin did come from the King to shut up the ‘Change, and by the help of a justice, did it; but upon petition to the King it was opened again."

Not exactly. The incident occurred on 3 December, in front of the door of the New Exchange in the Strand. The Queen was in the royal coach at the time. According to Rugge the Exchange was shut over the weekend of 5-7 December. When, with the help of some of its shopkeepers, the offending coachman was discovered, it was reopened. (Per L&M footnote)

Bill  •  Link

"This day I hear for certain that my Lady Castlemaine is turned Papist"

"Le mariage du Chevalier de Grammont," says Monsieur de Lionne, in a letter written to Louis XIV. of this date, "et la conversion de Madame de Castlemaine se sont publiez le même jour: et le Roy d'Angleterre, estant tant prié par les parents de la Dame d'apporter quelque obstacle à cette action, repondit galamment que pour l'âme des Dames il ne s'en melôit point."
---Diary and correspondence of Samuel Pepys, the diary deciphered by J. Smith. 1854.

[Loose translation: "The marriage of the Chevalier de Grammont, and the conversion of Lady Castlemaine were published the same day: and the king of England, requested by the parents of the Lady to provide an obstacle to that action, replied gallantly that he does not meddle with the lady’s soul.”]

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

Sam can go to a cock fight -- just because he had never seen one before -- but not a play where he might be seen by Charles II and James. He can't buy books with his own money, but he can be reimbursed by petty cash for office books and spend the money on personal books. He has more money than ever before, but "my poor wife" can't have a velvet dress to look as smart as he does at church. Samuel -- your convoluted logic of what is proper and what is not, is ridiculous. And as for "Among other discourse encouraging him to pursue his love to Mrs. Lane, while God knows I had a roguish meaning in it." -- if she was married, you wouldn't have to worry if she got pregnant, would you?!!! You'd do that to a friend. You all-round rogue.

JayW  •  Link

Re Pedro's post on 25 December 2006 about the red sails: in the south of England, cars are sometimes covered in red dust from the Sahara Desert in North Africa. It sounds as if Holmes had a similar experience.

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