Sunday 2 April 1665
(Lord’s day). At my office all the morning, renewing my vowes in writing and then home to dinner. All the afternoon, Mr. Tasborough, one of Mr. Povy’s clerks, with me about his master’s accounts. In the evening Mr. Andrews and Hill sang, but supped not with me, then after supper to bed.
15 Annotations
First Reading
Carl in Boston • Link
Mr. Tasborough, one of Mr. Povy’s clerks,
There we have it, here we sees it plain. Povy has an organization, one that couldn't do the job, and the aristocrats (like them or not) have turned the job over to someone who can win the battle, namely Pepys and his organization of Navy Office clerks. This shows us the aristocracy could actually do something managerial, and useful too.
Apple computers forever. Let them who have ears to hear, let them hear. This swapperation of servers and popups has taken great trickerations by our Grand Master to apply equal access to Apples, so freely enjoyed by the Microsoft users.
Ruben • Link
Dear Carl in Boston:
Mr. Povy was rich but not aristocracy.
Another point: I think he was not as inept as SP would like, but I have no other source. Do not forget the diary is the place were SP wrote without any inhibition, and so he did!
When you write for yourself anything goes: lies, fantasy, desire. How can we be sure that something SP put to the paper happened and was not coming from his imagination? The intricacy of human mind...
Terry Foreman • Link
"How can we be sure that something SP put to the paper happened and was not coming from his imagination?"
Consult the original documents. Go to the UK Public Record Office, E 351/357 for Povey's Tangier accounts, according to an L&M note to the Diary entry of 20 March 1664/65. The notes in the Latham & Matthews ed. have many such references.
Ralph Berry • Link
"...was not coming fom his imagination?"
Sure it will not be imagination and the original documents will be there. However Carl makes a valid point that Sam is (was)writing for himself and what he writes will be slanted to how he sees situations and his views and prejudice coming from his very strong character come through in what he records. When he has a downer on someone it is very clear. When he is in a tetchy mood it is very obvious. This must be because he writes for himself and can hardly have expected us, 243 years later, to be examining every word. Thats what makes it all so fascinating.
Ralph Berry • Link
Sorry Ruben made the point about not coming from his imagination.
Phil • Link
This days' entry is so short for a Sunday. He may have been tired when he wrote it or it was not written on the same day he lived it. Working on a Sunday, did not Sam's bible tell him this was the day God rested. Maybe he had so much work to do he had no time for play or writting in his diary.
cgs • Link
War be fact, it be good or bad, it be an opinion based on how the money gets into or leaves thy pocket.
Same goes for Povy, his management of funds be the same, based on the rules of the day, that be why Accounting has evolved to prevent mismanagement [usually an opinion as facts be on the shy side]. Management of personal funds be differing from publick funds as those involved want their own views to be in the lead.
The adage be where be money their be someone figuring how move it [divert it]into his pocket.
Robert Gertz • Link
Apparently Povy spent on perpectives and art works but stinted on his clerical team. Tom, a Creed may cost but he's worth it.
Australian Susan • Link
Dear Ralph - I make it 343 years?
Truth/Imagination/Recall
This is such a difficult subject. I gave up keeping a diary as i was "editing" it too much in my mind or finding the act of writing things down varied according to mood/tiredness/even how good a pen I was holding (arthritis in the thumbs makes actual writing tricky.) And on the subject of the perception bit, a few years ago I read all the books written by the hostages held together (for some of the time) by Hezbollah in Lebanon (John McCarthy, Brian Keenan, Terry Waite, Terry Anderson) and even physical descriptions of the same jail differed remarkably. OK, these were extreme circumstances, but it is an example of how "truth" is always subjective. That is why it is so useful to crosscheck Sam's accounts with others, where they exist, and i am so grateful for these other perspectives provided by other annotators so we get Royal Society minutes, Evelyn's diary, Josselin's diary, Sandwich's writings,military letters, H of C records and so much more posted, to help us get a rounded picture. And LH to remind us of the changing meanings of words from the 17thc to the 21st. Wonderful! Thank you all!
Australian Susan • Link
"renewing my vowes in writing"
Wish he'd written them out in the Diary!
JWB • Link
"When we run over libraries, persuaded of these principles, what havoc must we make? If we take in our hand any volume; of divinity or school metaphysics, for instance; let us ask, Does it contain any abstract reasoning concerning quantity or number? No. Does it contain any experimental reasoning concerning matter of fact and existence? No. Commit it then to the flames: for it can contain nothing but sophistry and illusion." David Hume
Robert Gertz • Link
"... Mr. Tasborough, one of Mr. Povy’s clerks..."
Given Povy's recent humiliations I'd've of thought it would be "...late one of Mr. Povy's clerks...". Whatever else he is, Thomas Povy appears remarkably tolerant, neither vindictive nor given to blaming subordinates.
dirk • Link
Today's diary entry of the Rev. Josselin:
"Week past, dry and windy and cold. god good in outward mercies and yet his hand on us especially myself in a scab, and my spirit much ill, for which I humble myself before god and beg his pardon and grace. god good in day and word a cheerful audience"
dirk • Link
John Evelyn's diary today.
"Took order about some prisoners sent from Capt. Allen's ship, taken in the Solomon, viz. the brave men who defended her so gallantly."
Pedro • Link
Sam mentions the attack on the Smyrna fleet on the 16th January 1665, but it actually took place on the 19th December 1664.
For some details of the taking of the King Solomon see the annotations for that day from the Journal of Allin…
http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…