Friday 14 April 1665

Up, and betimes to Mr. Povy, being desirous to have an end of my trouble of mind touching my Tangier business, whether he hath any desire of accepting what my Lord Ashly offered, of his becoming Treasurer again; and there I did, with a seeming most generous spirit, offer him to take it back again upon his owne terms; but he did answer to me that he would not above all things in the world, at which I was for the present satisfied; but, going away thence and speaking with Creed, he puts me in doubt that the very nature of the thing will require that he be put in again; and did give me the reasons of the auditors, which, I confess, are so plain, that I know not how to withstand them. But he did give me most ingenious advice what to do in it, and anon, my Lord Barkeley and some of the Commissioners coming together, though not in a meeting, I did procure that they should order Povy’s payment of his remain of accounts to me; which order if it do pass will put a good stop to the fastening of the thing upon me.

At noon Creed and I to a cook’s shop at Charing Cross, and there dined and had much discourse, and his very good upon my business, and upon other things, among the rest upon Will Howe’s dissembling with us, we discovering one to another his carriage to us, present and absent, being a very false fellow. Thence to White Hall again, and there spent the afternoon, and then home to fetch a letter for the Council, and so back to White Hall, where walked an hour with Mr. Wren, of my Lord Chancellor’s, and Mr. Ager, and then to Unthanke’s and called my wife, and with her through the city to Mile-End Greene, and eat some creame and cakes and so back home, and I a little at the office, and so home to supper and to bed.

This morning I was saluted with newes that the fleetes, ours and the Dutch, were engaged, and that the guns were heard at Walthamstow to play all yesterday, and that Captain Teddiman’s legs were shot off in the Royall Katherine. But before night I hear the contrary, both by letters of my owne and messengers thence, that they were all well of our side and no enemy appears yet, and that the Royall Katherine is come to the fleete, and likely to prove as good a ship as any the King hath, of which I am heartily glad, both for Christopher Pett’s sake and Captain Teddiman that is in her.

23 Annotations

First Reading

Robert Gertz  •  Link

I should imagine Capt Teddiman is somewhat relieved to know his legs are not shot off...Yet.
Nothing like good ole Rumor.

Hmmn...Would the Royal Kate have been proved not so good a ship if Teddiman's legs had been blown away?

"Can't tell you Teddiman how sorry I am." Pett sighs. "Really should not have made that drainage hole at the port side so large."

***
Interesting to hear our two rogues Creed and Pepys complaining as to the dissembling nature of Will Howe even as Sam pats himself on the back for a brilliant performance with Povy and Barkeley.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

Pity we don't get more from Sam on the relations of William Petty and the Petts. Petty, I assume, with his innovative designs, would be considered something of a threat to Pett, Inc., though Christopher Pett seems to be a gifted designer in his own right. (I take his brother Peter to be a bit more the administrative type.) Would be interesting to know if Chris and Petty ever got together to discuss their ideas.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

"But, Pete..."

"Never..."

"Just take a look at these designs. Peter, the man is a century ahead of his time."

"My God." Peter Pett wrings hands. "My own brother, grabbing the bread from out of my children's mouths. Chris, look at that sign..." Points. "Do you see a Y at the end of Pett?"

"Pete..."

"First Stuart makes his brother Lord of the Navy and he starts giving design orders. Then that errand boy of Sandwich's, Pepys, starts telling me how to run our dockyards. Now, soome dilettante from the Gresham College crew is going to tell us how to build our ships?"

"But Pete...Petty is a genius."

"So we should now let anyone come along and take the family business?! Would we be sitting here if father and grandfather had said 'Why your Majesty, that man is far more brilliant than we...Let him design your ships.'?"

"Peter..."

"What is our motto, Chris? Have you forgotten?"

"Of course not..."

"Well?"

"'If it's not a Pett, sink it.'"

"Exactly...That's not 'Petty' it's Pett. And that name is remaining above our door. No -ys allowed."

***

dirk  •  Link

Diary of Ralph Josselin

"Heard yesterday of a strange light northwest(,) saw it this morning very red as big as the sun, not directly round."

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"William Petty and the Petts"

William Petty http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will… was an autodidact of many interests, Oxford Professor of Anatomy (1651-), physician-general to Cromwell's army in Ireland, where he carried out the 'Down [or Civil] Survey' of Irish landholding in a year (1655-56) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Down…
Mathematizing data on property and economy, he founded Political Arithmetick
http://www.marxists.org/reference…
Methinks the Petts would have regarded him as a dilettante.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

“Heard yesterday of a strange light northwest(,) saw it this morning very red as big as the sun, not directly round.”

Now come on...Can I let this one pass?

"Sam'l? What do these...People...Want with us?"

"Just a moment, Mrs. Pepys. Now see here, you greyish little thing unhand my wife. I am Samuel Pepys, Clerk of the Acts of His Majesty's Royal Navy."

"Greechos of Tau Ceti Prime...A planet in another stellar system. A great pleasure, Mr. Peeeeps."

"Pepys. Another planet you say? Yes, well...Now what the devil are you doing with that? That, sir, is my personal journal."

"A most fascinating bit of historical recording, Mr. Peeeps. Not to mention drama."

Oh?... "Really, well...What? You mean you've read it?"

"Every gripping word...And thank you for writing in such a clear hand."

"Sam'l! Tell them to let us go. They can keep Mercer if they like, I was going to have you discharge her next week for telling lies."

"Bess...I say, Greechos, would you mind not waving that thing down there."

"Most fascinating...Amazing example of primitive surgical technique."

"Yes, well...I'd be happy to show my stone if you like. I have it at home, just take a moment."

"Sam'l...This isn't the time."

"Uh...That would not be necessary. Mr. Peeeeps, we apologize for bringing you aboard so abruptly but I am pleased to tell you that all TCP and its colony worlds are now hooked on your writings. So we wondered if you might consider doing a brief interview and consenting to a little financial arrangement regarding publication rights."

Hmmn...? "Financial, you say...?"

"Sam'l...Tell them to let us go. Let them keep those papers of yours."

"Just a mo, Bess...Interview, eh? And in what way, financial?"

"Pretty financial...Though explorers we also represent the largest publishing firm in the known galaxy. You see, Mr. Peeeps, all TCP is burning to know..." waves Sam away from fuming Bess to a quiet corner, other aliens intently listening... "Mrs. Bagwell and you?...Was that just fantasy? Did you really...?"

"Sam'l!! Tell them to get this thing away from me!!"

"Nix on the medical exam for now, Trreeev. We can find out if they can bear offspring as part of the deal. Anyway, Mr. Peeeeps..."

"Pepys. But if it's financial enough you can call me Samuel..."
***

Phil  •  Link

"I did procure that they should order Povy’s payment of his remain of accounts to me; which order if it do pass will put a good stop to the fastening of the thing upon me." ......Are we to understand from this passage that the Tangier funding from the Parliment was paid directly to Povy's personal accounts? Or perhaps the money is not personally in Povy's accounts, but rather this is part the plot hatched with Creed, ie if the Commissioners issue such a formal order for Povy to give Sam Tangier monies (whether Povy has it or not) then there is a formal political document implying complete support of Samuel's position as Treasurer of Tangier. I guess I'm not sure if their plan is trying to address the rumour of Povy returning as Treasurer of Tangier or if Sam is trying to make sure he isn't blamed for the confussed mess of the Tangier account.

"...among the rest upon Will Howe’s dissembling with us, we discovering one to another his carriage to us, present and absent, being a very false fellow."...I'm a little lost on this comment as well. Is Sam saying he and Creed were in one carriage and Will Howe was in another carriage, or is it that Creed in a carriage met Will in another carriage and they spoke on a matter...then later Sam in a carriage meets Will in a carriage and they speak on a matter ... and now Creed and Sam are discussing what Will had said in those separate meetings?

Oh English, be there ever such a language so clearly confusing?

Eric Rowe  •  Link

I think by carriage he would use behaviour today

djc  •  Link

“…among the rest upon Will Howe’s dissembling with us, we discovering one to another his carriage to us, present and absent, being a very false fellow.”

carriage in this sense being, in a sense now no longer current with us, a matter of behaviour and presentation rather than just deportment.
They appear to agree that Will Howe has been saying and doing things behind their back, possibly discovering that what he has said to each of them is in some way contradicted by what he has said to the other. Maybe Howe has said uncomplimentary things about Pepys to Creed and similar unpleasing opinions of Creed have been offered by Howe to Pepys.

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"This morning I was saluted with newes that the fleetes, ours and the Dutch, were engaged, and that the guns were heard at Walthamstow to play all yesterday"

Nice phrases -- "I was saluted with newes" and "the fleetes, ours and the Dutch, were engaged" (prelude to a marriage?) -- and better than other salutes one can think of, e.g. the sound of cannon-fire, here purportedly implausibly "heard at Walthamstow," "6.4 miles (10.3 km) north east of Charing Cross," a location that should have made SP more skeptical of this "newes" than he appears to have been -- until he receives the "cancel that" info later in the day. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walt…

CGS  •  Link

Carriage, word of many meanings. "...we discovering one to another his carriage to us, present and absent, being a very false fellow..."
a possible meaning.

15. a. Habitual conduct or behaviour. (Referring to morals or character.)
1588

b. Conduct or action in given circumstances.

1663 GERBIER Counsel Civa, Negotiations..wherein your Lordships carriage hath justly deserved the respects of those

c. Short for ‘good carriage’. (Also in sense 13.)
1618 FLETCHER Island P'cess II. i, One without carriage or common sense.

1621 H. ELSING Debates Ho. Lords (1870) 106 Protested his innocencye and carryage in that place.

1666 PEPYS Diary 27 Sept., She is poor in clothes, and not bred to any carriage

CGS  •  Link

[maybe it be a miscarriage but] More OED:

II. Manner of carrying; conduct, behaviour.

12. Manner or way of carrying or bearing (e.g. anything in the hand, the body, or any part of it).

1621 BURTON Anat. Mel. III. ii. III. iii. (1651) 470 'Tis not the eye, but carriage of it.

1653 WALTON Angler I. v, The ill carriage of the line..makes you lose your labour.

b. Manner of acting to or towards others; treatment of others. arch.
1598 BACON Hypocrites, Ess.

c. (with pl.) An act of behaviour towards another. Obs.
1649 BP. HALL Cases Consc. I. ix, In all which mutuall carriages, we ought to be guided by those respects which we could wish tendered to ourselves in the like occasions.

1682 BUNYAN Holy War 338 After some mutual carriages of love.

Australian Susan  •  Link

"...then to Unthanke’s and called my wife,..."

Elizabeth seems to have used her tailor's like a kind of Ladies'Club. A century on, such places were giving fashion shows for their clients and also providing them with entertainment such as singing - all in the name of getting them to order more clothes. At this time, perhaps we are to imagine Elizabeth in a comfortable chair, drinking fashionable coffee or chocolate or even tea whilst Unthank's assistants show her lengths of (expensive) and she gossips with friends.

dirk  •  Link

Robert, I love it! -- Does anyone have any suggestions as to what the "strange light northwest ... very red as big as the sun, not directly round" might have been???

CGS  •  Link

RE: The Barrage of naval gun fire, heard at Walthamstowe, reminds me of the my father telling me how they use to listen to the great barrages of the Somme and Jutland in Kentish Towne {N London } during the WWI. Sound dothe travel. The modern living has brought forth great noise pollution. It is always nice to hear the great silence in a far off places, away from the civilised craziness.

CGS  •  Link

Just another Unidentified Solar [solo] Object watching 'umans and their madness : "...,very red as big as the sun, not directly round.”..."

Second Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"the Royall Katherine is come to the fleete, and likely to prove as good a ship as any the King hath, of which I am heartily glad, both for Christopher Pett’s sake and Captain Teddiman that is in her."

The English battle fleet now lay off the Gunfleet
[ Where the Gunfleet is: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun… ] , and Thomas Teddiman (an old friend both of Pepys and Sandwich) had joined in from the river on the 10th. His ship, the Catherine, had been newly built by Christopher Pett. (Per L&M footnote)

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"walked an hour with Mr. Wren, of my Lord Chancellor’s, and Mr. Ager,"

I.e. Matthew Wren, Remembrancer, and Thomas Ager, Clerk of Appeals, in Chancery. (L&M footnote)

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

Phil had some complicated questions on 15 Apr 2008:
1. “Are we to understand from this passage that the Tangier funding from the Parliament was paid directly to Povy's personal accounts?” – I don’t think so.

The Tangier Committee has funds stashed somewhere … there were no banks. Povy, as Treasurer, is responsible for doling out the cash, reimbursing people for authorized expenditures, and keeping an accounting for new funds received verses payments, with supporting documentation approved by other people. We have had examples of Pepys needing a second signature and he had to find a Navy Board member at lunch for that purpose. Povy appears to have kept all this paperwork in their version of shoe boxes.

2. “this is part the plot hatched with Creed, i.e. if the Commissioners issue such a formal order for Povy to give Sam Tangier monies (whether Povy has it or not) then there is a formal political document implying complete support of Samuel's position as Treasurer of Tangier.”

I read this entry as saying that Povy doesn’t want to be Treasurer, even though Pepys graciously offered to let him do that based on the Povy version of their contract. At lunch Creed says this may not be Povy’s decision. There may be reasons Anthony Ashley-Cooper wants Povy to clean up his own mess.

3. “I'm not sure if their plan is trying to address the rumor of Povy returning as Treasurer of Tangier, or if Sam is trying to make sure he isn't blamed for the confused mess of the Tangier account.” I don’t think it’s either of these thoughts.

Pepys says on Wednesday 12 April 1665: “Up, and to White Hall to a Committee of Tangier, where, contrary to all expectation, my Lord Ashly, being vexed with Povy’s accounts, did propose it as necessary that Povy should be still continued Treasurer of Tangier till he had made up his accounts; and with such arguments as, I confess, I was not prepared to answer …”

Pepys’ distress over this delay probably comes from: Monday 27 March 1665:
“Up betimes to Mr. Povy’s, and there did sign and seal my agreement with him about my place of being Treasurer for Tangier, it being the greatest part of it drawn out of a draught of his own drawing up, only I have added something here and there in favor of myself.”

Pepys doesn’t want other people seeing this agreement, because Povy happily signed it. All that could change, and Pepys’ reputation for being a straight-shooter ruined, if more canny eyes and brains question Pepys’ ‘enhanced’ terms.

mountebank  •  Link

It is still possible these days to hear the sound of guns at Walthamstow.

Celia  •  Link

As a newcomer, I would just like to comment on how easily Pepys appears to get from London to Westminster and back again, often several times in one day. Presumably much of his travelling would be on the river, but much on foot. I suspect carriages weren’t really an option. I wonder how long all this took.

Tonyel  •  Link

"They appear to agree that Will Howe has been saying and doing things behind their back, possibly discovering that what he has said to each of them is in some way contradicted by what he has said to the other. Maybe Howe has said uncomplimentary things about Pepys to Creed and similar unpleasing opinions of Creed have been offered by Howe to Pepys."
Or..... maybe Will Howe has repeated exactly what Creed and Sam have said about each other but both need to deny it. "Will Howe said that I said what? About you? You know he's not to be trusted, my dear good friend!"

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