Saturday 27 January 1665/66
Up very betimes to finish my letter and writ it fair to Mr. Gawden, it being to demand several arrears in the present state of the victualling, partly to the King’s and partly to give him occasion to say something relating to the want of money on his own behalf. This done I to the office, where all the morning. At noon after a bit of dinner back to the office and there fitting myself in all points to give an account to the Duke and Mr. Coventry in all things, and in my Tangier business, till three o’clock in the morning, and so to bed, … [Continued tomorrow. P.G.]
6 Annotations
First Reading
Robert Gertz • Link
Cute...So this is a (more or less) phony letter of complaint by our uncompromising CoA and Surveyor General of Victualling regarding delays in service by Gawden, actually calculated to give him an excuse for noting lack of payment by the government? And should he get that payment, no doubt one Pepys gets another decent "gift"?
With all their modern methods of disinformation, our present-day defense department in "helping" its friends in the weapons contractor business with such things could hardly hope to do so well by them.
Isn't that Sir William Coventry, Sam?
Michael Robinson • Link
"Up very betimes to finish my letter and writ it fair to Mr. Gawden, ..."
Kasper Gutman: ... this is genuine coin of the realm. With a dollar of this, you can buy ten dollars of talk.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt00338…
Lawrence • Link
I suppose the letter is for the duke of york? tomorrow at Hampton Court?
cgs • Link
do not forget the derivative value/future good will.
Second Reading
Terry Foreman • Link
"fitting myself in all points to give an account to the Duke and Mr. Coventry in all things"
See Pepys's memorandum (in his own hand): Minues of Matters thought fitt to bee layd before his R.H. by discourse of the Board at their attending him at Hampton Court January 38 1665 as well in answer to his Royal Highness's letter of the 25th instant, as for his generall Information in the present Worke of the Office.' They concerned the refitting and building of ships, and the effects of the Plague: Longleat, Coventry MSS 98, ff. 173-5. (L&M note)
San Diego Sarah • Link
On 20 April, 1661, Denzil Holles MP was created 1st Baron Holles of Ifield in Sussex, and served as the English ambassador to Paris from 1662-1667, but his obsession with protocol was severely criticized.
I like the A Biographical History of England. J. Granger, 1779 note: "... He refused the insidious presents offered him by Louis XIV with as much disdain as he had before refused 5,000l. offered him by the parliament, to indemnify him for his losses in the civil war.”
Ambassador Holles, who was an excellent French scholar, arrived in Paris on 7 July, 1663. He was ostentatiously English, and a zealous upholder of the national honor and interests; but his position was rendered difficult by the absence of home support.
On 27 January, 1665/66 war was declared against France, but Ambassador Holles was not recalled from Paris until May. Perhaps the fact that he was courting and married Esther Richer, widow of Jacques Richer, a French nobleman in 1666 might have had a little to do with it? Plus I'm sure he had spies to coordinate.
http://bcw-project.org/biography/…
http://www.britannica.com/EBcheck…
https://spartacus-educational.com…