Monday 10 July 1665

Up, and with great pleasure looking over a nest of puppies of Mr. Shelden’s, with which my wife is most extraordinary pleased, and one of them is promised her. Anon I took my leave, and away by water to the Duke of Albemarle’s, where he tells me that I must be at Hampton Court anon. So I home to look over my Tangier papers, and having a coach of Mr. Povy’s attending me, by appointment, in order to my coming to dine at his country house at Brainford, where he and his family is, I went and Mr. Tasbrough with me therein, it being a pretty chariot, but most inconvenient as to the horses throwing dust and dirt into one’s eyes and upon one’s clothes. There I staid a quarter of an houre, Creed being there, and being able to do little business (but the less the better). Creed rode before, and Mr. Povy and I after him in the chariot; and I was set down by him at the Parke pale, where one of his saddle horses was ready for me, he himself not daring to come into the house or be seen, because that a servant of his, out of his horse, happened to be sicke, but is not yet dead, but was never suffered to come into his house after he was ill. But this opportunity was taken to injure Povy, and most horribly he is abused by some persons hereupon, and his fortune, I believe, quite broke; but that he hath a good heart to bear, or a cunning one to conceal his evil. There I met with Sir W. Coventry, and by and by was heard by my Lord Chancellor and Treasurer about our Tangier money, and my Lord Treasurer had ordered me to forbear meddling with the 15,000l. he offered me the other day, but, upon opening the case to them, they did offer it again, and so I think I shall have it, but my Lord General must give his consent in it, this money having been promised to him, and he very angry at the proposal.

Here though I have not been in many years, yet I lacke time to stay, besides that it is, I perceive, an unpleasing thing to be at Court, everybody being fearful one of another, and all so sad, enquiring after the plague, so that I stole away by my horse to Kingston, and there with trouble was forced, to press two sturdy rogues to carry me to London, and met at the waterside with Mr. Charnocke, Sir Philip Warwicke’s clerke, who had been in company and was quite foxed. I took him with me in my boat, and so away to Richmond, and there, by night, walked with him to Moreclacke, a very pretty walk, and there staid a good while, now and then talking and sporting with Nan the servant, who says she is a seaman’s wife, and at last bade good night.

24 Annotations

First Reading

Robert Gertz  •  Link

"...with which my wife is most extraordinary pleased..." Freudian.

***

"There I staid a quarter of an houre, Creed being there, and being able to do little business (but the less the better)."

Because Creed was there? Or the 'business' so unsuitable?

***

"...himself not daring to come into the house or be seen, because that a servant of his, out of his horse, happened to be sicke, but is not yet dead, but was never suffered to come into his house after he was ill. But this opportunity was taken to injure Povy, and most horribly he is abused by some persons hereupon, and his fortune, I believe, quite broke; but that he hath a good heart to bear, or a cunning one to conceal his evil."

Hard to figure...Was Povy's callousness and fear used against him, say in a lawsuit?...Or was the 'opportunity' something else?

Sam certainly seems unable to make up his mind as to whether Povy is a cunning schemer or a good-hearted fool.

Paul Chapin  •  Link

"a servant of his, out of his horse"

Should this be "out of his house"? If not, what does "out of his horse" mean?

dirk  •  Link

"out of his horse"

L&M confirm "out of his house" is the correct reading.

Linda F  •  Link

Does this mean that because Povy's servant was ill with what might have been plague, Povy himself --despite that the servant had not entered Povy's house once clearly ill -- was forbidden participation in the House session? And that Sam (who has just been with Povy and seems unafraid)sees the illness as a pretext seized upon by some to exclude and ruin Povy (character assassination by innuendo? more substantive stuff?), while Povy appears either ignorant of or uninterested in that?

CGS  •  Link

"...because that a servant of his, out of his horse, happened to be sicke, but is not yet dead,..."
my take be "of" s/b "on" i.e. out on his GG, because he be sick

Linda F  •  Link

Sam does not mention which of his new clothes he was wearing, and whether or not or how he was able to mend his appearance after the dusty/dirty chariot ride. On another day he might have given these details. Perhaps he had a good travelling cloak. Busy day.

Martin  •  Link

Quite a perambulation, and I'm not sure it's totally clear. Have I got this straight?
1. With the wife to Shelden's.
2. From there, by water to the Duke of Albemarle's.
3. From there, home for a while.
4. Then, in Povy's coach, to Brainford, with Tasbrough.
5. Though it was a dinner invitation, after 15 minutes at Brainford, off with Povy in the coach to the Parke pale, the fence at Hampton Court.
6. After business at court, on Povy's horse to Kingston.
7. Then by water (with "two sturdy rogues") to London, there picking up Charnocke, who is blitzed. (What happened to Povy's horse?)
8. On in the boat to Richmond.
9. From there, walking with Charnocke to Moreclacke/Mortlake to flirt with Nan.
10. At last, bade Nan good night and off to parts unknown.

Terry F  •  Link

"Nan the servant, who says she is a seaman’s wife"

Now why would SP mention this? Mrs. Bagwell, where are you?

Jesse  •  Link

"was forced, to press two sturdy rogues to carry me to London"

Was it the time, the plague or some of both? If the plague's making it difficult to hire transport to London then I'd think Pepys would comment on it, yet it doesn't seem that late.

Mary  •  Link

the reluctant rogues.

It's a long pull from Kingston to London and for almost the whole of that distance, (from Teddington onwards) the River Thames is tidal. This may have had a bearing on the reluctance of the boatmen if the tide was against them at the time or would be against them on the return journey.

Robin Peters  •  Link

Re. the long pull from Kingston to London, the Thames was tidal up to Staines until 1811 when Teddington lock was constructed.

Tony Eldridge  •  Link

The reluctant rogues.

Some things don't change. Try getting a London cabbie to go 'sarf of the river at this time of night'.

A. Hamilton  •  Link

At Povy's, I read it that Sam and Povy chose not to discuss some difficult matter (possibly involving Tangier -- see below) because Creed was present, and that Sam was relieved to avoid the discussion, perhaps because he didn't want to be grilled by Povy on what he was doing.

At the Hampton Court wall (Parke pale) Povy isn't allowed to enter because of a (false)report there is plague in his household. Povy does not show any concern that being excluded from the court meeting there (the "evil")worries him and Sam can't figure out whether that is because he is unaware or good at presenting a brave face.

At Hampton Court Sam receives the bad news that the Duke of Albemarle, head of the Army, will be displeased that he is pressing his case for funds for Tangier (at least, as I read it).

On the return trip, Sam and Mr. Charnock leave the boat at Richmond ( a few miles downstream from Kingston) and walk to Mortlake, cutting off the big northerly loop of the Thames. There, it seems, Sam decided to spend the night, being still some miles from home.

Nothing like a pleasant moonlight walk (with a drunken companion?) and some banter with a barmaid to relieve the tension of the trip to court. This delight in physical activity and evanescent pleasures seems to be one of Sam's psychological strengths.

CGS  •  Link

Thanks for the memory of going against the tide. We will have to waite for Isaac to explain the problem of going against the forces of nature. [ he thinking about it]
The rogues wanted a premium for pulling an oare, 'tis better for ones 'ealth to take the short cut rather than worrying if thee be dunked, catch some shivers.

Second Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"Lord Treasurer had ordered me to forbear meddling with the 15,000l. he offered me the other day, but, upon opening the case to them, they did offer it again, and so I think I shall have it, but my Lord General must give his consent in it, this money having been promised to him"

I'm guessing "my Lord General" is the Duke of Albemarle (Monck).

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"Anon I took my leave, and away by water to the Duke of Albemarle’s, where he tells me that I must be at Hampton Court anon. "

Thew court had gone there on the 9th. (L&M note)

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"having a coach of Mr. Povy’s attending me, by appointment, in order to my coming to dine at his country house at Brainford,"

The Priory, Hounslow, near Branford, Mdx. Thomas Povey's father, Justinian, Auditor of the Exchequer, had bought it in 1625; he sold it in 1671.: D. Lysons, Environs of London (1792-1811), ii. 38. (L&M note)

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"to Richmond, and there, by night, walked with him to Moreclacke, a very pretty walk, and there staid a good while"

Sc. at an inn, which may have been the White Hart, Mortlake (built 1662), or one on the site of the present Ship Hotel. (L&M note)

David G  •  Link

A “nest of puppies”: It appears that this expression was rarely used between Pepys’ era and the current decade but suddenly has become common once again.

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

Breaking this story down:
"... Mr. Povy and I after him in the chariot; and I was set down by him at the Parke pale, where one of his saddle horses was ready for me, he himself not daring to come into the house or be seen ..."

Brentford to Hampton Court Palace is about 8 miles. Pepys was set down by Povy at the Park walls, where one of Povy's saddle horses was ready so Pepys could ride into Hampton Court Palace, as Povy wanted to stay out of sight.

Povy's excuse was that he had a sick servant -- nothing to worry about of course!

"But this opportunity was taken to injure Povy, and most horribly he is abused by some persons hereupon, and his fortune, I believe, quite broke; but that he hath a good heart to bear, or a cunning one to conceal his evil."

Because Povy wasn't there, the people Pepys met in the Palace felt free to gossip maliciously that Povy was broke, stupid, whatever. Pepys muses to himself that Povy is probably ruined by his bad business practices, in which case he is bearing his misfortune with grace ... or perhaps Povy has socked away a fortune and is playing them all for fools?

"I lacke time to stay, besides that it is, I perceive, an unpleasing thing to be at Court, everybody being fearful one of another, and all so sad, enquiring after the plague, so that I stole away by my horse to Kingston, ..."

Pepys then quietly leaves on Povy's horse, without Creed, and rides the 4 miles to Kingston. There are lots of inns in the large market town, so he can leave the horse, probably to be picked up by one of Povy's lackeys (8 miles from Kingston to Brentford; less if you can ride through Richmond Park).

It sounds as if Pepys made a genuine effort to get home that night, but between drunks and unwilling rogues, he was forced to stay at Mortlake.

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"Have I got this straight?"

Almost:
1. Wakes up with wife at Shelden's in Woolwich.
2. From there, by water to the Duke of Albemarle's, at the Cockpit, Whitehall.
3. From there, home for a while.
4. Then, in Povy's coach to Brentford, Middlesex with Tasbrough.
5. Although it was a dinner invitation, after 15 minutes at Brentford, left with Povy in the coach to the Park pale, the fence at Hampton Court.
6. After business at court, on Povy's horse to Kingston-on-Thames.
7. Then by water (with "two sturdy rogues") to London – but he chose to get out at Richmond, picked up Charnocke, who is blitzed.
8. walked with Charnocke to Moreclacke/Mortlake
9. Stayed a while – doesn’t say so, but I bet he had something to eat.
10. At last, bade Nan good night and – maybe to bed? Maybe off to London by boat? -- but we’ll have to wait until tomorrow to find out.

john  •  Link

"it being a pretty chariot, but most inconvenient as to the horses throwing dust and dirt into one’s eyes and upon one’s clothes."

How lovely. Did they leave their dirty clothes on or clean them?

Gerald Berg  •  Link

I would pay anyone for a spoiler on Povy! Personally, I am now siding with Povy the Great Dissimulator.
As in: "I am out of Tangier so who cares what the court sez. I made a fortune in the lighters thank you."

I see he lived to 89 years. Comfortably, I assume.

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