Friday 15 June 1666
Up betimes, and to my Journall entries, but disturbed by many businesses, among others by Mr. Houblon’s coming to me about evening their freight for Tangier, which I did, and then Mr. Bland, who presented me yesterday with a very fine African mat, to lay upon the ground under a bed of state, being the first fruits of our peace with Guyland.
So to the office, and thither come my pretty widow Mrs. Burrows, poor woman, to get her ticket paid for her husband’s service, which I did her myself, and did ‘baisser her moucher’, and I do hope may thereafter have some day ‘sa’ company.
Thence to Westminster to the Exchequer, but could not persuade the blockheaded fellows to do what I desire, of breaking my great tallys into less, notwithstanding my Lord Treasurer’s order, which vexed [me] so much that I would not bestow more time and trouble among a company of dunces, and so back again home, and to dinner, whither Creed come and dined with me.
And after dinner Mr. Moore, and he and I abroad, thinking to go down the river together, but the tide being against me would not, but returned and walked an houre in the garden, but, Lord! to hear how he pleases himself in behalf of my Lord Sandwich, in the miscarriage of the Duke of Albemarle, and do inveigh against Sir W. Coventry as a cunning knave, but I thinke that without any manner of reason at all, but only his passion.
He being gone I to my chamber at home to set my Journall right and so to settle my Tangier accounts, which I did in very good order, and then in the evening comes Mr. Yeabsly to reckon with me, which I did also, and have above 200l. profit therein to myself, which is a great blessing, the God of heaven make me thankfull for it. That being done, and my eyes beginning to be sore with overmuch writing, I to supper and to bed.
20 Annotations
First Reading
Terry Foreman • Link
….”So to the office, and thither came my pretty widow Mrs. Burrows, poor woman, to get her ticket paid for her husband’s service which I did pay her myself, and did bezar her muchas vezes [ kiss her many times ] and I do hope may hereafter have mas de su [ more of her ] company.”
[Tr. mine. ] http://www.pepys.info/bits3.html#…
Terry Foreman • Link
John Evelyn's Diary
June 15 I went to Chattham: [ http://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclo… where he plans the infirmary for sick & wounded seamen be built ]
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Le…
Robert Gertz • Link
"...thither come my pretty widow Mrs. Burrows, poor woman, to get her ticket paid for her husband’s service, which I did her myself, and did ‘baisser her moucher’, and I do hope may thereafter have some day ‘sa’ company."
***
Heaven...
"Ummn...Human frailty, dear?"
"You're a class act, darling..." Bess glares.
"We allow him to stay just to watch moments like this." St. Peter notes to colleague.
***
"Thence to Westminster to the Exchequer, but could not persuade the blockheaded fellows to do what I desire, of breaking my great tallys into less, notwithstanding my Lord Treasurer’s order, which vexed [me] so much that I would not bestow more time and trouble among a company of dunces..."
Dunces, eh? Whether or not Downing is still running the Exchequer, I'd hesitate to do anything that could potentially come back to bite me at this time...Shaky regime, new massive defeat, growing outcry...If I were one of those clerks.
***
"...then in the evening comes Mr. Yeabsly to reckon with me, which I did also, and have above 200l. profit therein to myself, which is a great blessing, the God of heaven make me thankfull for it."
One hard-earned bribe...
Michael Robinson • Link
" ... a very fine African mat, to lay upon the ground under a bed of state, ..."
I assume a mat or rug of quality suitable for the underneath of a North African bed of state and not that SP is adopting decorating tips for home, the salon d’Apollon Grand appartement du Pepys, from discarded issues of 'Palais et Chateaux' browsed while waiting for meetings with the Duke.
Australian Susan • Link
"....but could not persuade the blockheaded fellows to do what I desire, of breaking my great tallys into less, notwithstanding my Lord Treasurer’s order, which vexed [me] so much that I would not bestow more time and trouble among a company of dunces,...."
Sam's frustration is echoed by ours: last Monday was a Public Holiday here so no banks open. Husband stuck in Melbourne, could not recall PINs of any card he held (at least Sam never has this problem). Calls in at an Exchange and is told he can get cash transfer via Western union. Calls wife in Brisbane who arranges said transfer (after exhaustive phone calls to a Call Centre somewhere in Asia and confirming emails). Husband briskly turns back to Exchange person and says he has organised the the transfer, so can he have the cash - here is the transaction number - to which he had the reply "Oh, no! You can't do it today - it's a public holiday......" Much grinding of teeth. Hotel concierge gave him cash advance...
I wonder if Sam actually had the tallys in his possession when he had the stonewall treatment. Strong desire to whack clerks over the head with them if he had...
cgs • Link
"‘baisser her moucher’"
moucher ???snuff or nose
Maybe la femme peeps used this word for another meaning.
Just maybe it be the saying from a wharf on the Seine.
like a french kiss.
Mary • Link
No "moucher" in L&M
".. did bezar her muchas vezes -"
JWB • Link
"...fruits of our peace with Guyland..."
Guyland was underwritten by Spain, new ally to England in the war as France took Dutch side, and as such got marching orders from Philip.
See page 175,"Intelligence and Espionage in the Reign of Charles II, 1660-1685" By Alan Marshall
http://books.google.com/books?id=…
jean-paul • Link
"…baisser her moucher": in spite of French being my mother's tongue, i am at a loss to come up with a satisfactory explanation. I suppose Samuel meant "baiser" and not "baisser" ("Baiser" as a verb used to mean "to kiss". Today, it means that four-letter verb starting with an F—i don't want to shock anybody here!), and perhaps, Samuel also meant "bouche" (mouth) instead of "moucher" (which is a verb meaning 'to blow one's nose'; can't imagine Pepys wanting to do that!). Or perhaps he meant to say that he kissed her "mouche". A mouche was a small round-shaped piece of velvet that women applied to their cheek "par coquetterie".
If anybody has a better idea, go ahead!
Mary • Link
"moucher"
Jean-Paul - see last-but-one annotation above your own, which gives the L&M reading of the text.
language hat • Link
I wish everyone would take the trouble to read prior annotations; it would save fruitless speculation.
Rex Gordon • Link
"Eyes beginning to be sore with overmuch writing ..."
Foreshadowing ... Is this the first time Sam has made this complaint? Unfortunately for us (well-known spoiler coming), he will abandon the diary from concern for his eyes.
Jesse • Link
"notwithstanding my Lord Treasurer’s order"
It's terribly frustrating when bean counters seem to arbitrarily overrule the big shots. In my experience it's usually put down to audit(ors). That couldn't have been the reason then?
Re: baiser - how's that pronounced? ;)
Terry Foreman • Link
"my eyes beginning to be sore with overmuch writing"
"Is this the first time Sam has made this complaint? "
Rex, among Pepys's recurring complaints about failing eyesight is this unusual one of 5 May 1664:
"my eyes beginning every day to grow less and less able to bear with long reading or writing, though it be by daylight; which I never observed till now." http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
Rex Gordon • Link
Thanks, Terry!
jean-paul • Link
Thank you Mary for your kind note :-)
Second Reading
Terry Foreman • Link
"our peace with Guyland."
L&M note this refers to a treaty of peace and alliance concluded 2 April 1666 between King Charles II and the Berber leader, Ghaylan.
Terry Foreman • Link
"our peace with Guyland."
L&M note this refers to a treaty of peace and alliance concluded 2 April 1666 between King Charles II and the Berber leader, Ghaïlan: Enid M. G. Routh, Tangier, England's lost Atlantic outpost, 1661-1684, 1912. p. 90. https://books.google.com/books/ab…
San Diego Sarah • Link
"Whether or not Downing is still running the Exchequer ..."
No, the Chancellor of the Exchequer was Anthony Ashley-Cooper, Lord Ashley, who is clearly running things.
HOWEVER, according to Downing's House of Commons biography, he retained the title of Teller of the Exchequer from 1660 until he died.
And in that capacity, when he finally came back from The Hague (where he was Dutch envoy extraordinary, obtaining intelligence with ‘the keys taken out of De Witt’s pocket when he was a-bed’) in 1665 he set himself to improve government credit, much to the disgust of Chancellor Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarendon, who believed that he was chiefly concerned to increase the income from his tellership.
Resuming his seat for the Oxford session, Sir George Downing MP was supported by Secretary of State Sir Henry Bennet and Charles II in taking over from Heneage Finch the management of supply, in which his principal achievement was the Additional Aid Bill.
Aiming to revolutionize public borrowing by appealing to the small investor, Sir George Downing MP revived the principle of appropriating the revenue to specified purposes; but his great innovation (resisted by Chancellor Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarendon as an entrenchment on the prerogative) provided for the repayment of loans ‘in course’ instead of by treasury whim or favor.
Returning to London, which was still infected by the plague, Sir George Downing MP used every publicity device available, including advertisements in Sir Joseph Williamson's Gazette and personal application to his acquaintances, to make the loan a success.
Exhausted by Sir George Downing MP’s volubility and pertinacity, one reluctant investor confessed: ‘the beginning, end, and every part of it is to be imputed to him.’
In the next Parliamentary session Sir George Downing MP again took the chair of a committee on trade, which on 8 Oct. 1666 recommended a total prohibition of French imports.
So Downing's not "running" the Exchequer, but he is reforming it (and doubtlessly lining his own pocket at the same time).
https://www.historyofparliamenton…
And, once again, I would suggest to Pepys that he be more generous to the clerks so they want to change his tallys. He sees how it moves Ashley, knows it motivates him, but he won't do it for others.
john • Link
SDS wrote (at the end of her very welcome summary): "but he won't do it for others."
I am reminded of particularly parsimonious relatives, who would never tip appropriately with the self-justification of "They make enough money!" (usually voiced simultaneously as a strange mantra).