Monday 18 June 1666

Up betimes and in my chamber most of the morning setting things to rights there, my Journall and accounts with my father and brother, then to the office a little, and so to Lumbard Streete, to borrow a little money upon a tally, but cannot. Thence to the Exchequer, and there after much wrangling got consent that I should have a great tally broken into little ones. Thence to Hales’s to see how my father’s picture goes on, which pleases me mighty well, though I find again, as I did in Mrs. Pierce’s, that a picture may have more of a likeness in the first or second working than it shall have when finished, though this is very well and to my full content, but so it is, and certainly mine was not so like at the first, second, or third sitting as it was afterward.

Thence to my Lord Bellasses, by invitation, and there dined with him, and his lady and daughter; and at dinner there played to us a young boy, lately come from France, where he had been learning a yeare or two on the viallin, and plays finely. But impartially I do not find any goodnesse in their ayres (though very good) beyond ours when played by the same hand, I observed in several of Baptiste’s (the present great composer) and our Bannister’s. But it was pretty to see how passionately my Lord’s daughter loves musique, the most that ever I saw creature in my life. Thence after dinner home and to the office and anon to Lumbard Streete again, where much talke at Colvill’s, he censuring the times, and how matters are ordered, and with reason enough; but, above all, the thinking to borrow money of the City, which will not be done, but be denied, they being little pleased with the King’s affairs, and that must breed differences between the King and the City. Thence down by water to Deptford, to order things away to the fleete and back again, and after some business at my office late home to supper and to bed.

Sir W. Coventry is returned this night from the fleete, he being the activest man in the world, and we all (myself particularly) more afeard of him than of the King or his service, for aught I see; God forgive us! This day the great newes is come of the French, their taking the island of St. Christopher’s from us; and it is to be feared they have done the like of all those islands thereabouts this makes the city mad.

19 Annotations

First Reading

Mary  •  Link

The achievement of a likeness.

I find it interesting that Sam found his own portrait to improve as the sittings went on, but those of Mrs. Pierce and his father to grow less satisfactory in terms of likeness.

Perhaps the sitter in each case gradually persuaded Hales to present his subject in a manner closer to the sitter's own idea of his/her appearance rather than the 'objective' view taken by a third party. Rarely does someone perceive his own features in quite the same way as others see him.

Sam liked the portrait of Elizabeth, but could well have offered Hales a loving husband's 'advice' as that one progressed.

Australian Susan  •  Link

"...I should have a great tally broken into little ones. ..."

At last! Persistence pays off against the jobsworths! Well done Sam!

Anyone else get a fleeting Proustian vision of Cuisenaire rods here? oh, dear, betraying my age...

A. De Araujo  •  Link

"Baptiste"
He has had a revival thanks to "Les Arts Florissants"
His Opera "Attys" was staged at the Brooklyn Academy of Music a while back; just outstanding.

cgs  •  Link

Portraits always cause problems, reality or self-perception unless thee be perfect, rare of course.

'Tis best after being recorded, to leave them [portraits that be]in the vault until the dust settles, then extract them to the light of day so that the oohs and arh's of "ain't that be a good likeness" as they not be showing the newly acquired laugh or experience lines.

Nix  •  Link

How accurate a sense would Samuel have had of his own likeness? Does anyone know what kind of mirrors were in common use in the 17th century, and how faithful a reflection they gave?

language hat  •  Link

"and there after much wrangling got consent that I should have a great tally broken into little ones."

Didn't he already get "consent"? I thought the problem was that nobody would actually do the breaking for him.

jeannine  •  Link

"Thence to Hales’s to see how my father’s picture goes on"

Does anyone know if this picture still exists? The picture of Sam is still around and the original of Elizabeth was destroyed (I believe a maid slashed it up because of her provocative dress). Not sure if the dad picture still exists or not?

Michael Robinson  •  Link

Does anyone know if this picture still exists?

Oliver Millar in a footnote in L&M (vii p. 151; June 6th. 1666) notes that it does not survive.

jeannine  •  Link

Thanks MR -what a shame. I would have loved to have seen a portrait of 'dad'~~would have been a father's day treat for many.

Todd Bernhard  •  Link

"but, above all, the thinking to borrow money of the City, which will not be done, but be denied, they being little pleased with the King’s affairs, and that must breed differences between the King and the City."

When Sam says "the City" in instances like this, is it shorthand for "the monied interests"? Was the City the center of the county's financial activities even then? Or is there something else going on here?

Mary, I was thinking the same thing about the portraits...

cgs  •  Link

"thought the problem was that nobody would actually do the breaking for him."
I agree, 'tis like asking someone to break a 100 and trying to get change for the gas meter or parking meter.

cgs  •  Link

Who has the money, not CII, he is the ultimate spendthrifting consumer along with his entertaining wenches, He can only get so much by getting prize ships and foreign lands or tax chimney pots and potty pots, so who else has the doreme, not the poor flower-girls, no, just those evil merchants that risk sailors lives to bring in the spices and all things nice, unused tealeaves, calico blouses etal.
So how to get ones hand on all that loot, tax them , fine them, stick them in debtors prison, or offer a nice carrot for loaning His Majesty and pay interest later when he has figured a way to tax Virginia 'baccy or offer virgin lands near the Hudson river.

Second Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

Todd Bernhard asks: "When Sam says "the City" in instances like this ['the thinking to borrow money of the City'], is it shorthand for "the monied interests"? Was the City the center of the county's financial activities even then? Or is there something else going on here?"

Todd, when Pepys writes "the City" as a financial institution he's referring to the Corporation of London, the municipal governing body of the City of London. The corporation's structure includes the Lord Mayor, the Court of Aldermen, the Court of Common Council, and the Freemen and Livery of the City. The City of London Corporation had its privileges stripped by a writ of Quo Warranto under Charles II in 1683, but they were later restored and confirmed by William and Mary in 1690, after the Glorious Revolution.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cit…

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"This day the great newes is come of the French, their taking the island of St. Christopher’s from us; and it is to be feared they have done the like of all those islands thereabouts this makes the city mad."

St Kitt's (one of the Leeward Is.) was shared between the English and the French. The latter took control after a short campaign in April; but no other island was now taken. The peace of 1667 restored the status quo in St Kitt's. (L&M note) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tre…

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"Was the City the center of the county's financial activities even then?" Yes it was.

In 1663 the City (i.e. the merchants through the great Guilds, and shareholders in the new organizations like the Royal Africa Company and the plantations) let Charles II know that the Dutch were hampering their profits. Downing told Charles that he didn't think the Dutch would fight. This power play seemed like a slam-dunk. But Charles made "the City" petition him formally, with a promise to pay for the war.

There are lots of entries about these negotiations around April 1663.

As usual, mission creep and the reality of war, belatedly discovering that the Dutch are excellent seamen, and that allies are not always reliable, has made "the City" change their collective minds about paying for everything, leaving Charles exactly where he did not want to be -- broke and losing.

That's why Downing rewrote the way the Exchequer works, making payment on loans more reliable and not based on personal relationships, so more small investors would want to support Government expenditures.

This is a tiny step away from feudal economics, and towards the eventual establishment of taxes and the system we have today. "The City" may not know it, but they just lost some power.

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

Wikipedia identifies John Belasyse's daughter as Mary, who later married Robert Constable, 3rd Viscount of Dunbar.

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"... to Lumbard Streete again, where much talke at Colvill’s, he censuring the times, and how matters are ordered, and with reason enough; but, above all, the thinking to borrow money of the City, which will not be done, but be denied, they being little pleased with the King’s affairs, and that must breed differences between the King and the City."

Downing saw this day coming. Whether or not the new-fangled way of raising money will work, Pepys truly does not know. Perhaps The City thought Lady Castlemaine should pay?

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

The next time we meet Mrs. Pearce, Pepys notes that she has been confined to bed for a month, but the baby died. So Mrs. P. is about 7-1/2 months pregnant today.

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