Friday 29 April 1664

Up betimes, and with Sir W. Rider and Cutler to White Hall. Rider and I to St. James’s, and there with Mr. Coventry did proceed strictly upon some fooleries of Mr. Povy’s in my Lord Peterborough’s accounts, which will touch him home, and I am glad of it, for he is the most troublesome impertinent man that ever I met with. Thence to the ’Change, and there, after some business, home to dinner, where Luellin and Mount came to me and dined, and after dinner my wife and I by coach to see my Lady Sandwich, where we find all the children and my Lord removed, and the house so melancholy that I thought my Lady had been dead, knowing that she was not well; but it seems she hath the meazles, and I fear the small pox, poor lady. It grieves me mightily; for it will be a sad houre to the family should she miscarry. Thence straight home and to the office, and in the evening comes Mr. Hill the merchant and another with him that sings well, and we sung some things, and good musique it seemed to me, only my mind too full of business to have much pleasure in it. But I will have more of it. They gone, and I having paid Mr. Moxon for the work he has done for the office upon the King’s globes, I to my office, where very late busy upon Captain Tayler’s bills for his masts, which I think will never off my hand. Home to supper and to bed.

22 Annotations

First Reading

Terry F  •  Link

Today in the House of Lords, the King's answer to both Houses concerning the Dutch

Message from the King, concerning the Protection of Foreign Trade.

"CHARLES R."

"His Majesty, having considered the Address made to Him by His Two Houses of Parliament, is very well pleased with the great Zeal they have expressed for the Advancement of the Trade of this Kingdom, and removing all Obstructions which may hinder the same; being thoroughly convinced it is that which will contribute most to the Honour and Glory of this Nation; and the Prosperity of His People.

"His Majesty will examine and peruse the particular Complaints which have been represented to His Parliament; and thereupon, according to their Advice, appoint His Minister at The Hague to demand speedy Justice and Reparation from The States Generall; as also use His utmost Endeavours to secure His Subjects from the like Violences for the future; in the Prosecution of which, or upon the Denial of Justice, He depends on the Promise of both Houses to stand by Him, and returns them His hearty Thanks for their frank Declaration therein."

ORDERED, That this Message be communicated to the House of Commons, at a Conference.

Message to H. C. for a Conference about it.

A Message was sent to the House of Commons, by Dr. Childe and Sir Moundeford Brampston:
To desire a present Conference, in the Painted Chamber, touching a Message received from His Majesty, in Answer to the Vote of both Houses lately presented to His [M]ajesty.

The Messengers return with this Answer:
Answer.
That the House of Commons will give a present Conference, as is desired.
The Lord Privy Seal was appointed to manage this Conference.
The House was adjourned during Pleasure, and the Lords went to the Conference; which being ended, the House was resumed.

From: 'House of Lords Journal Volume 11: 29 April 1664', Journal of the House of Lords: volume 11: 1660-1666, pp. 603-04. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/… Date accessed: 28 April 2007.

language hat  •  Link

"it will be a sad houre to the family should she miscarry"

This is of course the older meaning of "miscarry": "To come to harm, suffer misfortune, perish; (of a person) to meet with death" (OED).

1737 S. BERINGTON Mem. G. di Lucca 133 He left the Government.. of all to his eldest Son, in case he should miscarry.

Glyn  •  Link

She's pregnant? Is this anything to do with her loss of bladder control last week? I still can't get over she and Sam trying to make polite conversation, instead of him just quickly leaving the room.

Would this have happened around the same time that Sandwich was seeing his alleged mistress in Chelsea?

A. De Araujo  •  Link

"and I fear the small pox"
Very strange!did the family leave for fear of contagiousness?and Sam is a little casual about such a dreadful disease! did he actually see the Lady?

cape henry  •  Link

From my reading it seems that Sandwich and the children are out of the house and that Pepys and his wife do not see her, and on hearing the situation, leave immediately. Lady Sandwich is in the care of servants, and presumably a doctor.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

"...Mr. Coventry did proceed strictly upon some fooleries of Mr. Povy's in my Lord Peterborough's accounts, which will touch him home, and I am glad of it, for he is the most troublesome impertinent man that ever I met with."

I get the impression Povy was somewhat dismissive of Sam's earlier criticisms of his handling of the Tangier accounts and Sam is now thoroughly enjoying seeing Coventry crack down on him.

***
"...in the evening comes Mr. Hill the merchant and another with him that sings well, and we sung some things..."

Good for Sam not to overlook the little pleasures even if office work prevents him from fully enjoying it. Of course a pity we don't get the playlist...And that he had to do it at work rather than home where Bess might have enjoyed it as well.

cumsalisgrano  •  Link

Time and time again Samuell juxture positions two "torts' to give an extended meaning,
I dothe hear a little crowing, I dothe thinke, just a little hop too. [A little chuffed]
May be Samuell has had some pox, small not large, thereby feeling safe.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

Strategic planning session of the Royal Council...

"Gentlemen? You have something for us, I hope? Something that vaguely resembles a war plan to present to Parliament?"

Prince Rupert rises, the others eyeing him...

"Well, Sire, we have Plan A, the large economy war... In short we declare war on all potential enemies...The Dutch, the French, the Spanish, the Vatican, the Turks, at once, mobilize everyone, declare it one's patroitic duty to fight for free, and attack at multiple points...The Dutch coast, India, Guinea, the French naval ports, the Spanish Caribbean bases."

"Sounds exhausting. And anything but economical."

"The savings is in pulling the largest forces together in the shortest possible time and paying nothing while war fever and patriotism are at the red-hot... Of course the chance of utter defeat is somewhat high but if we win, the world is under our heel and we pay off our people with loot."

"The world? I thought we just wanted to prop up the regime with a quick and easy win. Surely you've something a little more reasonable, Rupert."

"Yes..." Disappointed sigh. "There is plan B, the midrange assault. We mobilize a couple of large fleets...Holding back on paying the common seamen till victory is won, but promising a bundle to the officers, including of course free and full access to loot. We then hit Holland and Spain, grab the Dutch East Indies, Guinea, and the Caribbean. Should France not intervene and Spain cave quickly, potentially very profitable."

"And if France does join in or the Spainish not fold quickly?"

"Mmmn...Sticky."

"You mean Worcester sticky?"

"Well..."

"Anything else?"

"Plan C...The budget war. Very cost-effective if somewhat lacking in panache."

"Mmnn...Sounds more to my liking..."

"We send out our current fleet, hit the Dutch traders where they're sure to be weakly protected and scoop up every penny we can carry. No conquest, we win by...Uggh...Economic pressure."

"No invading and conquest? No big army and occupation force?"

"No, Sire." Renewed sigh, then brightening. "Some naval battles. Much plundering."

"A war plan after my own heart..."

Martin  •  Link

"we sung some things, and good musique it seemed to me . . . I will have more of it."

Drummer needed for garage band, the Peeps.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

"..."we sung some things, and good musique it seemed to me ... I will have more of it."

Drummer needed for garage band, the Peeps."

(thanks Martin)
***

"Come on, Pepys."

"I'm telling you, Hill. We don't want to go that way." nervous look from Sam past Hill.

"But who cares if she can't sing. Major eye candy." Hill waves over to a waiting, anxious, ready to audition Bess...Smiling shyly at Sam...Though in no way wishing to take undue advantage, of course.

Tight narrow-eyed look from Sam at Hill...

Eye candy?

Robert Gertz  •  Link

Rehearsal...

Hmmn...Hill eyes Bess' submission for review. A frowning Sam forced by unspoken eye contact threat to restrain his objections...For now...

"Like a virginal...Touched for the very first time..."

"Virgin." Bess corrects as Sam's color goes apoplexic. "And it should be more bouncy like 'Like the Virgin, touched for the very first time...Like the blessed Vir-rr-rr-gin'..." Rocking shoulders and swaying hips suggestively...

Hmmn...Hill and co reflect. Perhaps a bit much with the flouncing...Though the religious wedge might slide it past the censors.

Though God...Hill sighs. Avoiding both a direct stare at Bess' writhing, twisting figure or Sam's wrathing, raging look.

Was I right about eye candy or was I?

Bess catches Sam's look...Now a bit mournful.

Ooops...

"Maybe something less potentially misconstrued as lewd...Or Papist?" Hill cautiously suggests.

"Oh, I have lots more..." Bess beams, moving to Sam.

"Hmmn... 'She loves you...Ya...Ya...With a love like that you know you should be glad'..." Hill reads.

"'Ya...Ya...Ya'...It's important to get all three in." she corrects.

"Sorry..." hiss to the now downcast Sam.

"You know I wrote those poems for you. I don't mind 'She Loves You' but you said 'Like the Virgin' would stay our song after you set it." he glares.

"Really sorry...I won't use that one."

Hill busy trying to sound out 'Ya...Ya...Ya...' on his viol.

Terry F  •  Link

"good musique..., only my mind too full of business to have much pleasure in it."

A pity Pepys is plugged-up. This distraction he needs.

(Robert, LOL. Martin, inspired.)

Cactus Wren  •  Link

" ... where very late busy upon Captain Tayler's bills for his masts, which I think me that should I never hear the word in my life again it will be soon enough and too soon. Home to supper and bed, to dream of masts."

Terry F  •  Link

"it seems she hath the meazles, and I fear the small pox"

Pepys, as medical amateur, is simply uninformed. Surely European medicine had absorbed the results of Muslim medicine published in Arabic. "[T]he first scientific description of the [measles] and its distinction from smallpox is attributed to the Persian physician Ibn Razi (Rhazes) 860-932 who published a book entitled "Smallpox and Measles" (in Arabic: Kitab fi al-jadari wa-al-hasbah)." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meas…

Ruben  •  Link

Measles versus smallpox
not an easy diagnosis in Pepys time. A famous Poster published by Thomas Thacher in the colonies explains some. See:
http://www.countway.harvard.edu/r…

cumsalisgrano  •  Link

See also:
http://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclo…

Hope some one can have a copy of Thomas Thatchers scribbles put on the net.

From discovery to acceptance it appears to take over hundred years.

Second Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"I having paid Mr. Moxon for the work he has done for the office upon the King’s globes"

On this day a bill for over £20 for 'new covering' a pair of globes at the Navy Office was registered in the Navy Treasury. For their purchase see: http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
(Per L&M footnote)

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"busy upon Captain Tayler’s bills for his masts, which I think will never off my hand."

The masts had been delivered to Chatham yard in January, and the bills had been sent to Pepys on 21 January: CSPD 1663-4. pp. 447, 449. (L&M footnote)

And paying the bills will last as long as the masts.

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