Friday 12 May 1665

Up betimes, and find myself disappointed in my receiving presently of my 50l. I hoped for sure of Mr. Warren upon the benefit of my press warrant, but he promises to make it good. So by water to the Exchequer, and there up and down through all the offices to strike my tallys for 17,500l., which methinks is so great a testimony of the goodness of God to me, that I, from a mean clerke there, should come to strike tallys myself for that sum, and in the authority that I do now, is a very stupendous mercy to me. I shall have them struck to-morrow. But to see how every little fellow looks after his fees, and to get what he can for everything, is a strange consideration; the King’s fees that he must pay himself for this 17,500l. coming to above 100l..

Thence called my wife at Unthanke’s to the New Exchange and elsewhere to buy a lace band for me, but we did not buy, but I find it so necessary to have some handsome clothes that I cannot but lay out some money thereupon.

To the ’Change and thence to my watchmaker, where he has put it [i.e. the watch] in order, and a good and brave piece it is, and he tells me worth 14l. which is a greater present than I valued it. So home to dinner, and after dinner comes several people, among others my cozen, Thomas Pepys, of Hatcham, to receive some money, of my Lord Sandwich’s, and there I paid him what was due to him upon my uncle’s score, but, contrary to my expectation, did get him to sign and seale to my sale of lands for payment of debts. So that now I reckon myself in better condition by 100l. in my content than I was before, when I was liable to be called to an account and others after me by my uncle Thomas or his children for every foot of land we had sold before. This I reckon a great good fortune in the getting of this done.

He gone, come Mr. Povy, Dr. Twisden, and Mr. Lawson about settling my security in the paying of the 4000l. ordered to Sir J. Lawson.

So a little abroad and then home, and late at my office and closet settling this day’s disordering of my papers, then to supper and to bed.

12 Annotations

First Reading

Australian Susan  •  Link

"...But to see how every little fellow looks after his fees, and to get what he can for everything, is a strange consideration;..."

Irony? Naivety?

After today's read, all I can say (or sing) is "Money makes the world go around, the world go around, the world go around.moneymoneymoneymoney........" et cetera, et cetera.

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"disappointed in my receiving presently of my 50l. I hoped for sure of Mr. Warren upon the benefit of my press warrant"

See this annote to 10 April 1665:
"Mr. Warren proposed my getting of 100l. to get him a protection for a ship to go out"

[Mr Thomas] Warren [brother of the timber merchant Sir William], would pay Pepys to issue warrants exempting from impressment seamen on ships bringing essential naval supplies from the Baltic and the Mediterranean (L&M make that clear in a note). Evidently Pepys HAS that power. http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

I wondered about that, too, Aussie Sue, but it occurred to me that perhaps these clerks were only trying to make sure the fees they were responsible for got paid, rather than trying to skim their bit of cream off the top (if I recall correctly, while a clerk, Sam never spoke of doing this).

That said, then, what are "the King's fees"?

Kenth  •  Link

Ah and still no mention of poor old mum since he bundled her off shopping.

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"what are 'the King’s fees'?"

Todd, good question. L&M say "Exchequer fees were usually pad on a percentage basis." and reference S.B. Baxter, *Development of the treasury 1660-1702*, Appendix III; and G.E. Aylmer, *The King's Servants*, pp.201-3 (for you who have them).

Phil  •  Link

Odd, coincidental, in keeping with those times?

Sir J. Lawson is one of the key movers and shakers of the Mole project for Tangier. A project, which Sam has problems understanding let alone controlling the cost. As Sam reports on Mar 8 - 64/65 Sir Lawson's ship, The London, blows up. A few weeks later, Mar 30 -65 Sam says "...thence to the Tangier Committee, where Lord! to see how they did run into the giving of Sir Lawson... 4,000L. about his Mole business..." and here we have Sam forking over the money.

No doubt the money really did go to the Mole project in Tangier but you have to wonder considering Sam's diary entry more than a year past (Apr 16-63) Sir Lawson's sec & deputy treasurer Mr. Pitt presents Lawson account for payment to Sam "...account for the voyage last to the Streights, wherein the demands are strangely irregular, and I dare not oppose it alone for making an enemy and do no good...". Spots of the leopard, do they change?

Res Ipsa  •  Link

Sam mentions Elizabeth fairly often, rarely mentions Mercer, and never mentions the servants, unless its in relation to hiring/firing. The women in his domestic circle don't seem to rate very high in his estimation, at least as far as preservation for posterity goes. Could it be his "mum"ness on Mum puts her into the latter catetory?

language hat  •  Link

I had the same reaction as Aussie Susan. We humans are amazingly good at noting the motes in others' eyes while ignoring the beams in our own.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

"Up betimes, and find myself disappointed in my receiving presently of my 50l. I hoped for sure of Mr. Warren upon the benefit of my press warrant, but he promises to make it good."

"I cannot tell you, dear Warren...Just how disappointed our friend Mr. Pepys was not to receive your promised gift. Was he not, Mr. Howe?"

"Shaken to his very soul's core by blighted hope, Mr. Creed."

"Yes...And you know how sensitive a soul dear Mr. P is, Warren. He felt he had to communicate his sorrow and grief to you properly...And personally."

"Very personally." Howe nods.

"Indeed, I...Uh, Howe?"

Howe lifts Warren's gasping head out of horse trough full of (hopefully) water.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

"...which methinks is so great a testimony of the goodness of God to me, that I, from a mean clerke there, should come to strike tallys myself for that sum, and in the authority that I do now, is a very stupendous mercy to me....But to see how every little fellow looks after his fees, and to get what he can for everything, is a strange consideration;"

Can anyone suppress a smile reading this one?

And Sam, remember it's not your 17,500Ls. Though it is fun, isn't it? I just had one day to spend (or else lose) $110,000 in lab money two weeks ago due to our ridiculous administrative (or lack thereof) system and loved every insane minute of it.

Second Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"He gone, come Mr. Povy,"

L&M: Povey appears as a witness to Thomas Pepys's signature on the agreement mentioned earlier in this entry.

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