Monday 21 March 1663/64
Up, and it snowing this morning a little, which from the mildness of the winter and the weather beginning to be hot and the summer to come on apace, is a little strange to us. I did not go abroad for fear of my tumour, for fear it shall rise again, but staid within, and by and by my, father came, poor man, to me, and my brother John. After much talke and taking them up to my chamber, I did there after some discourse bring in any business of anger — with John, and did before my father read all his roguish letters, which troubled my father mightily, especially to hear me say what I did, against my allowing any thing for the time to come to him out of my owne purse, and other words very severe, while he, like a simple rogue, made very silly and churlish answers to me, not like a man of any goodness or witt, at which I was as much disturbed as the other, and will be as good as my word in making him to his cost know that I will remember his carriage to me in this particular the longest day I live. It troubled me to see my poor father so troubled, whose good nature did make him, poor wretch, to yield, I believe, to comply with my brother Tom and him in part of their designs, but without any ill intent to me, or doubt of me or my good intentions to him or them, though it do trouble me a little that he should in any manner do it.
They dined with me, and after dinner abroad with my wife to buy some things for her, and I to the office, where we sat till night, and then, after doing some business at my closet, I home and to supper and to bed.
This day the Houses of Parliament met; and the King met them, with the Queene with him. And he made a speech to them:1 among other things, discoursing largely of the plots abroad against him and the peace of the kingdom; and, among other things, that the dissatisfied party had great hopes upon the effect of the Act for a Triennial Parliament granted by his father, which he desired them to peruse, and, I think, repeal. So the Houses did retire to their own House, and did order the Act to be read to-morrow before them; and I suppose it will be repealed, though I believe much against the will of a good many that sit there.
17 Annotations
First Reading
Terry F • Link
"I did there after some discourse bring in my business of anger with John and did before my father read all his roguish letters;"
L&M read it thus.
cape henry • Link
"...I will remember his carriage to me in this particular the longest day I live." After which, naturally, they have lunch. Though Pepys provides no details, one gets the sense from this entry that John's missives fit the category of juvenile, sibling jealousy as evidenced by his behavior during his dressing down.
Can you not see the smirks? The rolling eyes?
Robert Gertz • Link
I dunno as to it being utterly juvenile. John had something fairly elaborate regarding Sturlow in mind and despite Sam's willingness to dismiss Dad's role it seems clear that John Jr., Tom, and John Sr. were bridling a bit under Sam's benevolent despotism. How much their attitude was unfair to Sam or deserved is hard to judge. Sam has tried to deal justly with his father and to help John and Tom but they're quite aware he's always taken care of Sam (and Bess) first and not been above niggling a bit on the parents' income. On the other hand only John Sr. has any right to claim a share in Sam's success.
I'm still curious as to whether yesterday's remarks about Pall meant John was deriding her or enlisting her in his schemes.
Robert Gertz • Link
"...the King met them, with the Queene with him..."
Was it common for the Queen to attend at Parliament with the King?
Paul Chapin • Link
The Triennial Parliament
Wikipedia: The Triennial Act 1641 (16 Cha. I c. 1) [1](also known as the Dissolution Act) was an Act passed by the English Long Parliament, during the reign of King Charles I. The act requires that the Parliament meet for at least a fifty-day session once every three years. It was intended to prevent Kings from ruling without Parliament, as had been done between 1629 and 1640.
In 1664, it was repealed by the Triennial Parliaments Act 1664 (16 Cha. II c. 1) [2], though the requirement that a Parliament be called least once in three years was kept.
Under the Triennial Act 1694 (6 & 7 Will. & Mar. c. 2) [3]Parliament met annually and held general elections once every three years. The country now remained in a grip of constant election fever (10 elections in 20 years) and loyalties among MPs were difficult to establish. This increased faction and rivalry. In 1716 the Septennial Act was created, under which a parliament could remain in being for seven years.
This, the Bill of Rights and the Act of Settlement eventually led to Parliament having control over the country.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trie…
Footnote [2] is a link to
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/…
which contains the text of the act of repeal:
Recital that 16 Car. I. c. 1. is in Derogation of the Crown.
The said Act repealed.
Whereas the Act made in the Parliament begun at Westminster the Third day of November in the Sixteenth Yeare of the Raigne of our late Soveraigne Lord King Charles of blessed Memory entituled An Act for the preventing of Inconveniencies happening by the long Intermission of Parliaments is in Derogation of His Majestyes just Rights and Prerogative inherent to the Imperiall Crowne of this Realme for the calling and assembling of Parliaments, And may be an occasion of manifold mischeifes and inconveniences, and much endanger the Peace and Safety of His Majestie, and all His Leidge People of this Realme, Be it therefore enacted by the Kings most Excellent Majestie by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spirituall and Temporall and the Co[m]mons in this present Parliament assembled and by the Authoritie of the same That the said Act entituled An Act for the preventing of Inconveniencies happening by the long Intermission of Parliaments And all and every the Articles Clauses and Things therein contained is, shall be and are hereby wholly repealed annulled and utterly made void, And are hereby declared to be null and void to all intents and purposes whatsoever as if the said Act had never beene had or made, Any thing in the said Act contained to the contrary ( (fn. 1) ) notwithstanding.
II. No longer Intermission of Parliaments than Three Years.
And because by the auntient Lawes and Statutes of this Realme made in the Raigne of King Edward the Third Parliaments are to be held very often Your Majesties humble and loyall Subjects the Lords Spirituall and Temporall and the Co[m]mons in this present Parliament assembled most humbly doe beseech Your most Excellent Majestie, That it may be declared and enacted And bee it declared and enacted by the Authority aforesaid That hereafter the sitting and holding of Parliaments shall not be intermitted or discontinued above three yeares at the most, but that within three yeares from and after the determination of this present Parliament and soe from time to time within three yeares after the determination of any other Parliament or Parliaments, or if there be occasion more often, Your Majestie Your Heires and Successors doe issue out Your Writts for calling, assembling and holding of another Parliament to the end there may be a frequent calling assembling and holding of Parliaments once in Three yeares at the least.
From: 'Charles II, 1664: An Act for the assembling and holding of Parliaments once in Three yeares at the least, And for the repeale of an Act entituled An Act for the preventing of Inconveniencies happening by the long Intermission of Parliaments.', Statutes of the Realm: volume 5: 1628-80 (1819), p. 513. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/…. Date accessed: 22 March 2007.
I don't understand, and haven't been able to find any discussion of, the point of this exercise. It seems the Act repealed the requirement that Parliament meet at least once every three years, and then in the next paragraph reinstated it. Was it just because the 1641 Act was a personal affront to his father that C2 wanted it repealed, even though he had no objection to its substance?
djc • Link
"Up, and it snowing this morning a little, which from the mildness of the winter and the weather beginning to be hot and the summer to come on apace, is a little strange to us"
Climate change, what climate change? Pepys predicts weather in London in March 2007
Australian Susan • Link
"They dined with me"
One of the more uncomfortable meals in the Diary. And how much did Elizabeth know of what was going on? The atmosphere cannot have been anything other than awkward!
djc • Link
re Triennial Act
"in 1664 the Tiennial Act of 1641, which had compelled the king to call parliament every three years (and required sheriffs to issue election writs if the king failed to do so) was repealed, and replaced by a measure which, while still stipulating that parliaments should be called at least once every three years, removed the machinery wherby this could be enforced." [Harris Restoration: Charles II and his kingdoms. 2005]
andy • Link
Up, and it snowing this morning a little, which from the mildness of the winter and the weather beginning to be hot and the summer to come on apace, is a little strange to us.
Same this morning here in Leicestershire.
Rod McCaslin • Link
"Up, and it snowing this morning a little, which from the mildness of the winter and the weather beginning to be hot and the summer to come on apace, is a little strange to us."
The tail end of the Little Ice Age, 1300-1700. Global Warming to follow, 1700's to......
Bradford • Link
Agreed, A. Susan. I suppose he could hardly keep Dad and send away Bro; nonetheless, the words of Dylan Thomas come to mind: "An icicle forms in the cold air of the dining vault."
Terry F • Link
Triennial Parliaments - Cui bono?
Parliament without great lapse would seem to beneft BOTH those who oppose tyranny -- the Parliament being a ckeck and balance to the Crown -- AND the Monarch -- the Parliament being a means for generating revenues for the Crown -- cf. the fawning, the maudlin, the disingenuous formulaic parts of the speeches of King C II to Parliament expressing his affection for them.
Would seem.
cumsalisgrano • Link
The heart of the matter:... Question still being argued.: Who should RULE? a benevolent Father. [sovereign]. A committee of lordly ones or a Group that represents the middling types, those that have a small stake in the community, ie, local small business men.
[no thought to those that could not qualify for a mortgage of buying property or a female except a lass who has abilities through her charms with pillow talk to get vote in]
This is part of the evolving society in obtaining the power to have a say in its welfare.
'Umans be the only ones that allow more than one alpha type to have say in the affairs of the commonwealth [tribe, community, country or Empire]
Charles was so grateful for his hot seat after his begging for morsals in foreign lands, but now he is feeling and testing his political muscle. [his Great Great Granma genes be turning on]
As long as monies[ gold has such persuasion who has the final sayso] is controlled by others, The sovereign , [leader, Alpha figure, one of superior genetic stock [well bred ye know, like sulley man the sot] ] as to ask nicely or be able to have an arm lock on the mony bag holders.
Second Reading
San Diego Sarah • Link
"... it snowing this morning a little, which from the mildness of the winter and the weather beginning to be hot and the summer to come on apace, is a little strange to us."
This probably influenced Sam's decision to bury Tom fast.
Sasha Clarkson • Link
"I will remember his carriage to me in this particular the longest day I live."
SPOILER: Sam does look after young John of course - up to a point. After the diary is over, when Pepys, has been promoted to be Secretary of the Admiralty, John is appointed his successor as Clerk of the Acts, but only jointly with Tom Hayter who, one suspects did more of the work, Hayter's performance was good enough to ensure significant further promotion.
Chris Squire UK • Link
Re: ‘ . . I will remember his carriage to me in this particular . . ‘
'carriage, n. < Old Northern French . .
. . 14. b. Manner of acting to or towards others; treatment of others. arch.
. . 1646 Sir T. Browne Pseudodoxia Epidemica (1686) i. x. 30 Who can but laugh at the carriage of Ammon unto Alexander?
1679 R. South Serm. Several Occasions 36 We have treated of mens carriage to Christ in this world . . ‘
(OED)
Chris Squire UK • Link
The Little Ice Age (LIA): ‘A cold period that lasted from about A.D. 1550 to about A.D. 1850 in Europe, North America, and Asia . . There were three (cold) maxima, beginning about 1650, about 1770, and 1850, each separated by slight warming intervals.’
https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov…