Wednesday 23 August 1665
Up, and whereas I had appointed Mr. Hater and Will to come betimes to the office to meet me about business there, I was called upon as soon as ready by Mr. Andrews to my great content, and he and I to our Tangier accounts, where I settled, to my great joy, all my accounts with him, and, which is more, cleared for my service to the contractors since the last sum I received of them, 222l. 13s. profit to myself, and received the money actually in the afternoon.
After he was gone comes by a pretence of mine yesterday old Delks the waterman, with his daughter Robins, and several times to and again, he leaving her with me, about the getting of his son Robins off, who was pressed yesterday again … [We are left to wonder how the daughter convinced Pepy’s to release her pressed brother. D.W.] [And jo ella metro su mano upon my pragma hasta hazerme hazer la cosa in su mano. Pero ella no voulut permettre que je ponebam meam manum a ella, but I do not doubt but ἀλλῳ χ[ρ]όνῳ de obtenir le. – L&M]
All the afternoon at my office mighty busy writing letters, and received a very kind and good one from my Lord Sandwich of his arrival with the fleete at Solebay, and the joy he has at my last newes he met with, of the marriage of my Lady Jemimah.
And he tells me more, the good newes that all our ships, which were in such danger that nobody would insure upon them, from the Eastland, were all safe arrived, which I am sure is a great piece of good luck, being in much more danger than those of Hambrough which were lost, and their value much greater at this time to us.
At night home, much contented with this day’s work, and being at home alone looking over my papers, comes a neighbour of ours hard by to speak with me about business of the office, one Mr. Fuller, a great merchant, but not my acquaintance, but he come drunk, and would have had me gone and drunk with him at home, or have let him send for wine hither, but I would do neither, nor offered him any, but after some sorry discourse parted, and I up to [my] chamber and to bed.
19 Annotations
First Reading
Terry Foreman • Link
After he was gone comes by a practice [sic] of mine yesterday, old Delkes the waterman with his daughter Robins, and several times to and again, he leaving her with me about getting of his son Robins off, who was pressed yesterday again. And jo haze ella mettre su mano upon my pragma hasta hazerme hazer la costa in su mano. [And I made her put her hand on my thing to touch me until I did the deed in her hand.]. Pero ella no voulut permettre que je ponebam meam manum a ella [she would not let me put my hand on her], but I do not doubt but allo k[r]onw de obtenir le. [I don't doubt she could be had at another time]” [Duncan Grey translation tentatively modified] http://www.pepys.info/bits2.html
Terry Foreman • Link
The "allo k[r]onw" should be in Greek (complain about SP's polyglot ways if you will); I assume the Robbins son is a son-in-law by that surname, whose wife is another of Delkes's daughters?
dirk • Link
From the Carte Papers, Bodleian Library
http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/dept/s…
Sir William Coventry to Sandwich
Written from: Yorke
Date: 23 August 1665
Has received his Lordship's letter of the 18th instant, and has conferred with Sir Thomas Clifford, who spent one day here. Our misfortune [at Bergen] has not, it is seen, arisen from the fleet. Adds his hope that care will be taken at London to enable Lord Sandwich "to meet De Witt, before he get home, in which I beseech God to preserve you, & to give you good success"...
-----
Jan De Witt: see encyclopedia
http://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclo…
CGS • Link
"...cleared for my service to the contractors since the last sum I received of them, 222l. 13s. profit to myself, and received the money actually in the afternoon..."
Many a man would have gotten that sparkler for the missus especially after all that sinful stuff ...' manu eh!' .
Martin • Link
Beat me to it, CGS.
Come on Sam. Go pick up that 60-pound string of pearls; you'll still have 162 pounds left over.
Robert Gertz • Link
I wonder how Tom Hayter's poor nervous wife is feeling about Sam's insistence on Hayter joining him in plague central. Little she can do of course but protest...Or...Assuming Tom has behaved as most good husbands do and shared...
1)
"Mr. Pepys." Coy smile...
"Why, Mrs. Hayter? What brings your dear self to these our offices in such grim times?"
"Ohhh...Mr. Pepys." Gentle hand touch on arm, downcast look... "I am so worried about my poor Thomas these days. You know, I would do...Anything...To see him safe."
Hmmn...?
(Note for entry. Mrs. Hayter, fine figure of woman, supplement later...Have French/Latin dictionary standing by...)
***
or
2)
"Mrs. Pepys?"
"Mrs...? Hayter, isn't it? You told my Mercer you needed to see me about my husband?"
"Yes. Mrs. Pepys, I think you should be made aware what your husband has been up to in London."
Hmmn...She doesn't look pregnant, thank God.
"What do you mean, Mrs. Hayter?"
(Add dress allowance, new cabinet, 20L pearl earbobs to that necklace if this is what I think it is...)
***
Robert Gertz • Link
Poor Fuller...Who gave him the wrong steer about Sam? Now if he'd just brought his adolescent daughter or niece...
I'm now waiting for the entry when Uncle Wight comes to speak to him about "talk" regarding his increasingly infamous behavior.
"Uncle?"
"Nephew Pepys, a word, sir."
Carl in Boston • Link
Then there's taking care of business
Mr. Fuller, a great merchant, but not my acquaintance, but he come drunk,
Sam won't have anything to do with a drunken deal maker.
Peter Robins • Link
"After he was gone comes by a pretence of mine yesterday old Delks the waterman, with his daughter Robins, and several times to and again, he leaving her with me, about the getting of his son Robins off, who was pressed yesterday again …"
Whilst researching my family tree I came across some London watermen in the Robins family. Have got back to mid 1700s so now have incentive to get back another century as he may have done the deed and I could be a descendant of our Sam.
Australian Susan • Link
After reading today's entry and then TF's added bits, did anyone else have an overwhelming desire to go and wash their hands very, very thoroughly?
Robert Gertz • Link
If you mean Susan that Sam looks especially awful apparently forcing a desperate old man to try and save his son by pimping his daughter (or was she a daughter-in-law? Cause if the boy is a Robins and she's a Robins and Delks is a Delks, something seems wrong in the DW comment) while Evelyn is desperately pleading for help for ill and starving prisoners and English seamen...? I guess the hopefully saving graces here are-Evelyn wrote to Sam, the one man at the Naval Office he thought might help and that...
(spoiler)
he remained friends with Sam to the end of Pepys' life, suggesting he was never completely disappointed or disgusted with him. Perhaps Sam will do what he can. And he has shown and
(spoiler)
will show signs that he does care about the plight of such men. Naturally we'd prefer to see him not acting like a modern-day politician or film star, especially with women whom his position allows him power over, but we can at least hope he did respond to Evelyn with a decent effort.
Pedro • Link
Robert…"he remained friends with Sam to the end of Pepys’ life,"
Terry as a general comment on the war and prisoners the letter is relevant at this time and as some comment has already been made I thought I would add something that may be of interest.
We see Sam, through the Diary, with all his faults, but I think Evelyn would see him in a much different way. I don’t think that Evelyn was the kind to have the time or inclination to listen to gossip, and as Robert says he would see Pepys as being the one man at the Naval Office he thought might help.
For John Evelyn’s character I would recommend the book John Evelyn, Living with Ingenuity by Gillian Darley which shows that Evelyn was quite a contrast. He could not, as Sam could, put the nasty thinks in the background and indulge in pleasure…
“Darley”…
In August Mary (his wife) was well advanced with pregnancy again and she left Deptford for Wooton with young John (his son). Evelyn longed to be with her but his movements changed by the day: ''the contagion being sadly broken in amongst my sick men I must settle pest ships before I stir and allay some disorder at Chelsea”.
He frequently fainted under strain. By late September, a year into his work with the Commission, he told Mary he was "entering upon the impossibilities of my Charge, which is to keep and maintain 3000 prisoners with nothing". He was “oppressed with business (the trouble and danger whereof you can hardly imagine) but carry my life hourly in my hand.” Without his faith in God and her affection he said "my heart would plainly break”...
At one moment he told her he had reached the end of his tether and planned to go to Oxford to confront the Privy Council, he was resolved “to lay down my Commission and for reason you will approve if you wish me to live”, but he changed his mind, realizing that he could not turn his back on his responsibilities.
Pedro • Link
"for the numerous Sick-prisoners which we could not march with their fellows to Leeds"
Foe anyone worried that Leeds is a fair march for a fit prisoner, this refers to Leeds Castle outside Maidstone in Kent.
CGS • Link
nice pieces of the puzzle of survival of the fittest.
Second Reading
Terry Foreman • Link
"all our ships, which were in such danger that nobody would insure upon them, from the Eastland, were all safe arrived"
L&M: The convey of '14 sail laden with tar and cordage' which arrived in Bridlington Bay from the Baltic on the 18th: Sandwich, p. 266.
"being in much more danger than those of Hambrough which were lost"
See http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
Mary Ellen • Link
The word is out on this guy. Give him your female relatives for sex and he will consider getting a job for your male relative. Pretty disgusting. He was not above raping at least one of them to get what he wanted in the deal, either. He always got him pay, one way or another. Talk about keeping TALLY.... he did.
San Diego Sarah • Link
Forget a lecture from Uncle Wight ... can you imagine what Sandwich could say!
San Diego Sarah • Link
"... comes a neighbor of ours hard by to speak with me about business of the office, one Mr. Fuller, a great merchant, ..."
Interesting this is the only mention of the 'great merchant' neighbor. I can see not doing business with a uninvited drunk in the middle of the night (no matter how great), but given Pepys' current need to take full advantage of everything available (either for the penniless war effort, or in his 'live for today, for tomorrow we die' epidemic mindset), I am amazed he didn't follow up and use this indiscretion as a lever to his own advantage.
Third Reading
Guy de la Bedoyere • Link
The Greek in this passage was misunderstood and mistranscribed by Latham and Matthews.
After revisiting the shorthand, my reading is this:
And yo haze ella mettre su mano upon hemera pragma (1) hasta hazer me hazer la cosa in su mano. Pero ella no voulut permettre que je ponebam meam manum a ella [‘I made her put her hand upon my thing until making me do the thing in her hand. But she did not want to allow that I was putting my hand to her’] but I do not doubt but ἀλλῳ χείρῳ(2) de obtenir le [‘but with another laying on of hands to get it’].
(1) Sic: the Greek words ἠμέ(τε)ρα πρᾶγμα (‘my thing’) clumsily transliterated into shorthand. L&M read the first word as ‘her’ and substituted ‘my’, not apparently realizing that Pepys had blundered a Greek plural possessive pronoun but ending up with the correct meaning anyway; ἠμέ(τε)ρα means ‘our’ but was also substituted occasionally in Greek for ἐμος/ἐμά ‘my’ (Liddell and Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, vol. I, 771, rh column, under ἠμέτερος), for example the Odyssey XI.562,thus explaining Pepys’s use of it for ‘my’ here.
(2) These two final Greek words are in longhand, probably because writing them in shorthand would have been too difficult. L&M incorrectly read χ[ρ]όνῳ (‘time’), probably misled by Pepys’s seventeenth-century ligatured Greek script; the word clearly ends -ίρῳ. The word χείρῳ(σις) (‘laying on of hands’ in the sense of a conquest) is a more plausible reading, especially given the context and other words used. Pepys blundered the first vowel, resulting in a strangely formed character. Thanks to Tim Whitmarsh for the suggested readings of the Greek.