Tuesday 21 June 1664
Being weary yesterday with walking I sleep long, and at last up and to the office, where all the morning. At home to dinner, Mr. Deane with me. After dinner I to White Hall (setting down my wife by the way) to a Committee of Tangier, where the Duke of Yorke, I perceive, do attend the business very well, much better than any man there or most of them, and my [mind] eased of some trouble I lay under for fear of his thinking ill of me from the bad successe in the setting forth of these crew men to Tangier.
Thence with Mr. Creed, and walked in the Parke, and so to the New Exchange, meeting Mr. Moore, and he with us. I shewed him no friendly look, but he took no notice to me of the Wardrobe business, which vexes me. I perceive by him my Lord’s business of his family and estate goes very ill, and runs in debt mightily. I would to God I were clear of it, both as to my owne money and the bond of 1000l., which I stand debtor for him in, to my cozen Thomas Pepys. Thence by coach home and to my office a little, and so to supper and to bed.
11 Annotations
First Reading
Terry F • Link
"my [mind] eased of some trouble I lay under for fear of his thinking ill of me from the bad successe in the setting forth of these crew men to Tangier."
Are we to understand that Pepys *finally* succeeded in the hasslesome business of getting Taylor & Fudge off to Tangier, certainly later than hoped, and so/or that the Duke is giving Pepys a pass?!
"the bad successe" -- provocative phrase.
cape henry • Link
"...crew men to Tangier." That's the impression I get, TF, and the passage also reveals the ever great and pitiless thrall of the middle manager:How do I appear in the eyes of the boss?
cape henry • Link
(And another middle manager's trait: Once the ship has sailed, those bumbling knaves Taylor and Fudge are completely forgotten.)
Terry F • Link
"the Wardrobe business"
L&M are puzzled (they note "?"). I can only imagine that, since Sandwich was the Master of the Great Wardrobe and Moore his man-of-businesses, this phrase refers to yesterday's encounter: "I to Mr. Townsend at the Wardrobe, and received kind words from him to be true to me against Captain Ferrers his endeavours to get the place from my father as my Lord hath promised him." I'm not terribly surprised that Moore's not forthcoming: How's he's supposed to know what's on Silent Samuel's mind?
Michael Robinson • Link
the Wardrobe business(1)
The copy of L&M on my shelf (Vol V, Lon., 1971) foot-notes:-
"(1) Sandwich's accounts: cf. above, p. 132."
i.e. "... After dinner walked in the garden, talking, with Mr. Moore about my Lord's business. He told me my Lord runs in debt every day more and more, and takes little care how to come out of it. He counted to me how my Lord pays use now for above 9000l., ..."
http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
Michael Robinson • Link
I shewed him no friendly look, but he took no notice to me of the Wardrobe business,
Moore appears to have joined the SP 'enemies list' several months back:-
but discoursing with Mr. Moore, who I find by discourse to be grown rich, and indeed not to use me at all with the respect he used to do, but as his equal.
http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
So home a little vexed in my mind to think how to-day I was forced to ... admit myself to an equality with Mr. Moore, which is come to challenge in his discourse with me, but I will admit it no more, but let me stand or fall, I will show myself as strange to them as my Lord do himself to me.
http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
This, six months prior, appears to be the last mention of any 'business' between them from which SP could profit:-
"...I took up Mr. Moore again and set him down at Pauls, by the way he proposed to me of a way of profit which perhaps may shortly be made by money by fines upon houses at the Wardrobe, but how I did not understand but left it to another discourse. "
http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
Robert Gertz • Link
"I would to God I were clear of it, both as to my owne money and the bond of 1000l., which I stand debtor for him in..."
Down, down goes the Montagu stock...And would our boy love to sell.
Of course it must be noted he would not have money to lend where it not for cousin Ed's coming through on the "do you all the good Jobs I can..." promise.
Terry F • Link
Michael, I think your Dec 15 1663 citation, your last one, may have solved the puzzle of "the Wardrobe business.". http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
The notorious footnote in my copy of L&M (© 1995) has a question-mark in it, reading "1. ? Sandwich's accounts: cf. above, p. 132." -- which was, as you show, not, per se, Wardrobe business.
Cumsalisgrano • Link
Now we know why he is anxious to get a thousand together, and forgo the pleasures seeing the orange lasses and hearing words uttered on the boards, he needs money to cover his position.
"...and the bond of 1000l., which I stand debtor for him in..."
It was not that longer ago, when Sa muell got his musical instrument out of hock.
Michael Robinson • Link
the bond of 1000l., which I stand debtor for him in
Pepys is on the hook for the money in two capacities; personally and as executor for uncle Robert's estate.
"So to my coz. Tho. Pepys, and got him to promise me 1,000l. to lend my Lord upon his and my uncle Robert's and my security. So to my Lord's, and there got him to sign a bond to him, which I also signed too, and he did sign counter security to us both."
http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
pepf • Link
"puzzle of “the Wardrobe business.”"
Obviously, the L&M interpretation results in an internal contradiction (not taking notice of a business SP perceives of him) and should be disregarded.
On the other hand I can't imagine SP being vexed today in Creed's presence by Moore's not taking notice to him of a poorly understood and possibly fishy business opportunity discussed six months ago. There had been several occasions to explain that "way of profit which perhaps may shortly be made by money by fines upon houses at the Wardrobe, but how I did not understand but left it to another discourse." yet only his increasingly hostile feelings were jotted down.
IMHO, he was expecting Moore as Sandwich's homme d'affaires to take a stand in the Wardrobe business concerning John Pepys sr. vs. Captain Ferrer. Why yesterday's quote of Mr. Townsend's "kind words from him to be true to me against Captain Ferrers his endeavours" in spite of their accommodation a fortnight ago if not in doubt again?