Wednesday 11 October 1665
Up, and so in my chamber staid all the morning doing something toward my Tangier accounts, for the stating of them, and also comes up my landlady, Mrs. Clerke, to make an agreement for the time to come; and I, for the having room enough, and to keepe out strangers, and to have a place to retreat to for my wife, if the sicknesse should come to Woolwich, am contented to pay dear; so for three rooms and a dining-room, and for linen and bread and beer and butter, at nights and mornings, I am to give her 5l. 10s. per month, and I wrote and we signed to an agreement. By and by comes Cocke to tell me that Fisher and his fellow were last night mightily satisfied and promised all friendship, but this morning he finds them to have new tricks and shall be troubled with them. So he being to go down to Erith with them this afternoon about giving security, I advised him to let them go by land, and so he and I (having eat something at his house) by water to Erith, but they got thither before us, and there we met Mr. Seymour, one of the Commissioners for Prizes, and a Parliament-man, and he was mighty high, and had now seized our goods on their behalf; and he mighty imperiously would have all forfeited, and I know not what. I thought I was in the right in a thing I said and spoke somewhat earnestly, so we took up one another very smartly, for which I was sorry afterwards, shewing thereby myself too much concerned, but nothing passed that I valued at all. But I could not but think [it odd] that a Parliament-man, in a serious discourse before such persons as we and my Lord Bruncker, and Sir John Minnes, should quote Hudibras, as being the book I doubt he hath read most. They I doubt will stand hard for high security, and Cocke would have had me bound with him for his appearing, but I did stagger at it, besides Seymour do stop the doing it at all till he has been with the Duke of Albemarle. So there will be another demurre. It growing late, and I having something to do at home, took my leave alone, leaving Cocke there for all night, and so against tide and in the darke and very cold weather to Woolwich, where we had appointed to keepe the night merrily; and so, by Captain Cocke’s coach, had brought a very pretty child, a daughter of one Mrs. Tooker’s, next door to my lodging, and so she, and a daughter and kinsman of Mrs. Pett’s [L&M say “Mr. Pett” P.G.] made up a fine company at my lodgings at Woolwich, where my wife and Mercer, and Mrs. Barbara danced, and mighty merry we were, but especially at Mercer’s dancing a jigg, which she does the best I ever did see, having the most natural way of it, and keeps time the most perfectly I ever did see. This night is kept in lieu of yesterday, for my wedding day of ten years; for which God be praised! being now in an extreme good condition of health and estate and honour, and a way of getting more money, though at this houre under some discomposure, rather than damage, about some prize goods that I have bought off the fleete, in partnership with Captain Cocke; and for the discourse about the world concerning my Lord Sandwich, that he hath done a thing so bad; and indeed it must needs have been a very rash act; and the rather because of a Parliament now newly met to give money, and will have some account of what hath already been spent, besides the precedent for a General to take what prizes he pleases, and the giving a pretence to take away much more than he intended, and all will lie upon him; and not giving to all the Commanders, as well as the Flaggs, he displeases all them, and offends even some of them, thinking others to be better served than themselves; and lastly, puts himself out of a power of begging anything again a great while of the King. Having danced with my people as long as I saw fit to sit up, I to bed and left them to do what they would. I forgot that we had W. Hewer there, and Tom, and Golding, my barber at Greenwich, for our fiddler, to whom I did give 10s.
21 Annotations
First Reading
jeannine • Link
"This night is kept in lieu of yesterday, for my wedding day of ten years; for which God be praised! being now in an extreme good condition of health and estate and honour, and a way of getting more money,"
Oh and by the way did I somehow forget to mention anything about my wife, what's her name...?He probably thought he married himself 10 years ago...
A. Hamilton • Link
What an extraordinary mixture of the pleasure of the wedding anniversary and the dancing of Mercer (and kudos to Jeannine for -- as we have come to expect of her -- noticing and drawing attention to Sam's lack of appreciation here for the other partner in the marriage) and on the other hand the shrewd assessment of the mess that Sandwich has gotten himself into. R. Gertz's plausible guess is that Coventry has sought to wean Sam from Sandwich to weaken "My Lord"; here we see the result, reminiscent of Sam's unfavorable assessment of the Sandwich mistress episode. Yet, here, on the other side, is Sam, no longer a mouse under the table, seeking fees and profits for prize goods and having a mistress of his own. When will the cat pounce?
Todd Bernhardt • Link
And, Jeannine, no tender "celebration" of a decade of marriage!
At least he does use the occasion to give a synopsis of the "story so far" regarding the scandal...
Paul Chapin • Link
"I did stagger at it"
Under the OED entry for "stagger" (v.i.):
2. fig. a. To begin to doubt or waver in an argument, opinion, or purpose; to become less confident or determined; to hesitate or waver at. Now rare.
1533 More Answ. Poysoned Bk. iv. viii. Wks. 1112/1 Then the disciples and apostles+must nedes haue woondered, stonned, and staggered, and haue been more inquisitiue therin then they were. 1582 N. T. (Rheims) Matt. xxi. 21 If you shal haue faith, and stagger not. 1593 Bilson Govt. Christ's Ch. 96 They+caused the strong to stagger at the truth of Paules doctrine. 1628 Prynne Cens. Cozens 40 Wee need not doubt nor stager at this Conclusion. 1634 Sir T. Herbert Trav. 158 Mahomet promised them his second glorious comming after a thousand yeares, which they seriously lately looking for, and seeing themselues guld by such credulity began to stagger. 1738 J. Fisher Inestimable Value Div. Truth (1803) 46 They who once begin to stagger are at the next Door to Apostasy. 1837 Carlyle Fr. Rev. I. iv. i, They stagger at the Double Representation, at the Vote by Head. 1883 J. Gilmour Mongols xvii. 202 A Buddhist+seems to stagger at the idea of a hell to the duration of which no period is assigned.
cgs • Link
"...So there will be another demurre..."
demurre
3. intr. To hesitate; to delay or suspend action; to pause in uncertainty. Obs.
1641
b. To be of doubtful mind; to remain doubtful. Obs. rare.
c. trans. To hesitate about. Obs. rare.
4. intr. To make scruples or difficulties; to raise objection, take exception to (occas. at, on). (The current sense; often with allusion to the legal sense, 5.)
1639 ...
5. Law. (intr.) To put in a DEMURRER.
[a1481 LITTLETON ,,
1660 Trial of Regic. 107, I must demur to your Jurisdiction. 1681 Trial S. Colledge 10 And if so be matter of Law arises upon any evidence that is given against you..you may demurr upon that Evidence, and pray Counsel of the Court to argue that demurrer.
1667
cgs • Link
He dothe note his payment to his Land Lady but nothing of the cost of having Mercer and wifee lodged.
Of course now it would be a nice small Hotel with all the modern conveniences at 80L[ & up ] per day???? compared to 4 shillings a day
Eric Walla • Link
It appears the full seriousness of the situation is beginning to dawn on Sam. What array of lies, bribes, flattery, and hard work will be called into play? It should be fascinating to watch.
A. De Araujo • Link
"for our fiddler to whom I did give 10s"
Camille Saint-Saens' "Danse Macabre" would have been an appropiate music for the occasion had it been composed by then.
Robert Gertz • Link
"...and there we met Mr. Seymour, one of the Commissioners for Prizes, and a Parliament-man, and he was mighty high, and had now seized our goods on their behalf..."
Yikes! Now Parliament's involved and worse Cocke wants our boy to openly declare his interest in the matter. Abort, Sam...Abort, abort!
"Gentlemen, I was assured by the Clerk of the Acts of our Navy that this arrangement was perfectly legitmate." Cocke, solemnly innocent stare.
"Sirs, I am really just a simple fighting man, unfamiliar with such legalistic affairs. As such I put my entire trust in my cousin and former employee, one Samuel Pepys. Clearly a trust misplaced..." deep sigh.
"Gentlemen, it has long been known that frankly, in such matters, I am a idiot. And that I knew little and had no understanding of the matters of the Tangier treasury. In fact, I present here the transcript of the meeting in which several members of the committee denounced me to my face and after which I handed over all the affairs of the Tangier Treasurer's post to Mr. Pepys." Povy waving transcript, smile to Pepys in dock. I may be a coxcomb but I ain't going to the Tower, Sammy boy....
"I knew Samuel Pepys well..." Creed nods expansively. "And the man had his hands in everything. None wishing to deal with the Navy could hope to make a move without his approval...And a little something for his open hand."
Moore, Howe in unison... "It was Pepys!! All Pepys!!!"
"Mr. Pepys is the finest man I ever knew. When I was arrested at a Quaker meeting and likely to be fired, even condemned to prison, he was the man who stood for me." Hayter, earnestly. Newspaper summary..."Corrupt Traitor pals with Quaker radicals"
"I do not know the said Samuel Peeps. I have had no dealings with him. All my contacts with the Navy have been through normal, legal channels." Statement of Sir William Warren.
"Pepys was always about, mucking 'round my shipyard, interfering with the work, eye out for the main chance as we would say." Commissioner Pett notes solemnly.
"Honestly and forthrightness, gentlemen. That was my watchword in the Navy Office." Sir William Batten. "But sadly, we had often to rely on Mr. Pepys to act on his own. He gave all the impression of a man worthy of his great trust. But..."
"Bwaa...Haaa...Ahhh...Bwa...Hahaha..." Admiral Sir William Penn, overheard in tavern near Parliament House on third day of prize ship investigatory hearings.
"I confess that the above named Samuel Peops was an agent of our Republic and transferred numerous notes on the English Navy to me." Tortured Dutch spy's statement. "I confess that our Republic in league with the Pope plotted to bring plague to England and kept Mr. Papps fully informed. I met him many times at various places which I cannot remember and always recognized him by his red..." Prisoner pulled away for further "interrogation" "...arrrh...Brown hair."
"He tole William he'd find a job for him on one of the finest ships in the Navy if I...I...I...Oh..." Mrs. B flees chamber...
"Gents, I knew too much, so this Pepys kicks me out of my job and before I know it, I'm sent off to Barbados by his associate, me next employer." Wayneman, knowing eye to the members. "Oh, the money, the women...Gents, let me tell you...England's never seen such a man."
Jesse • Link
"... the precedent for a General to take what prizes he pleases"
As with many royal 'precedents', one that is gradually being overturned. A difficult situation for Sandwich in these times.
cgs • Link
Samuell must have the same feelings in his stomach as he watches his 17c K401 plan take a dip as his 18 generations removed genetically connected are doing this day
A. De Araujo • Link
Yes CGS private appropriation of the gains and socialization of the losses; Marx got somethings right.
cgs • Link
name of the game has not changed:
Get the coins from thy pocket to mine any way possible
with as much agreement with the thy leader.
More legal the better otherwise resort to bucking pyrates if all else fails..
cgs • Link
contactin' the Houses of at Westminster proves difficult, must discussing their winter vacation, money be difficult to play with.
Albatross • Link
Here's a page from a Pepys diary that fell through a wormhole from an alternate, but not very alternate, universe...
"So we by water to AIG insurance, there we met Mr. Waxman, a Legislator, and explained to him that we had the very President's blessing when we used $450,000 of the $700 billion prize money for a spa retreat. And Mr. Waxman did hold a Hearing, and ask after the distribution of other prize goods. And for the discourse about the world concerning the $350 million Golden Parachute of Lehman Brothers' president Richard Fuld, that he hath done a thing so bad; and indeed it must needs have been a very rash act; and the rather because of a Congress now newly met to give money, and will have some account of what hath already been spent."
Robert Gertz • Link
Heaven...This morning...
(slight spoiler)
"Why are you smiling? This was almost a disaster for us?"
"I know..." Bess grins. "But it was one of the times after you became Lord Imperial Pooba of the Acts you tole me what was going on and I got a chance to make you feel better about it. I mean the house and money and things were grand but I did tell you that other time if we lost everything I could scrub your shirts and wash the floors myself in a heartbeat."
"Oh, Bess...You're killing me here."
"Good."
***
A great find, Albatross...
GrahamT • Link
Demurre.
In the ocean shipping business, we still charge "Demurrage and Detention" to any customers a bit slow picking up their cargo from the quay.
Second Reading
Terry Foreman • Link
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/…
Supply.
The House then took into Debate the Matter of his Majesty's Speech, and Supply.
Resolved, &c. That a present additional Supply shall be given to his Majesty, suitable to his Occasions.
Resolved, &c. That the Proportion of the King's Supply shall be named here in the House.
Resolved, &c. That the Sum of Twelve hundred and Fifty thousand Pounds shall be given to his Majesty, for his present Supply.
Resolved, &c. That the Sum of Twelve hundred and Fifty thousand Pounds, for his Majesty's Supply, shall be raised by a proportionable Addition to the monthly Assessment, to begin at Christmas next.
Terry Foreman • Link
"so for three rooms and a dining-room, and for linen and bread and beer and butter, at nights and mornings, I am to give her 5l. 10s. per month, and I wrote and we signed to an agreement."
L&M: These lodgings were to serve Pepys until the following 7 January. (They were apparently those Pepys had used on and off since 10 September and in which Hewer had a chamber.) The cost was high; the more informal arrangements made with the Sheldons at Woolwich for Mrs Pepys's entertainment cost much less: http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1… Mrs Clerke appears to have had one son (the boy Christopher), and a daughter Sarah who lived with her, and a married daughter (the younger Mrs Daniel, wife of a naval lieutenant) who lived next door.
James Morgan • Link
To put in a good word for Sam, apparently after a hard day and many worries, he war rowed "against tide and in the darke and very cold weather to Woolwich, where we had appointed to keepe the night merrily". I'm guessing the whole dance and party at Woolwich was a celebration of his 10th anniversary.
Unless there's some October 11th holiday?
David • Link
An interesting entry. Sam rarely mentions breakfast, when he does it is usually when he is traveling, otherwise he usually starts his day with a morning draft. This deal with Mrs. Clerke would seem to indicate that bread and butter every morning is the norm. Maybe it is so mundane that he just doesn't think to mention it.