Wednesday 19 September 1666
Up, and with Sir W. Pen by coach to St. James’s, and there did our usual business before the Duke of Yorke; which signified little, our business being only complaints of lack of money. Here I saw a bastard of the late King of Sweden’s come to kiss his hands; a mighty modish French-like gentleman. Thence to White Hall, with Sir W. Batten and Sir W. Pen, to Wilkes’s; and there did hear the many profane stories of Sir Henry Wood damning the parsons for so much spending the wine at the sacrament, cursing that ever they took the cup to themselves, and then another story that he valued not all the world’s curses, for two pence he shall get at any time the prayers of some poor body that is worth a 1000 of all their curses; Lord Norwich drawing a tooth at a health. Another time, he and Pinchbacke and Dr. Goffe, now a religious man, Pinchbacke did begin a frolick to drink out of a glass with a toad in it that he had taken up going out to shit, he did it without harm. Goffe, who knew sacke would kill the toad, called for sacke; and when he saw it dead, says he, “I will have a quick toad, and will not drink from a dead toad.”1 By that means, no other being to be found, he escaped the health. Thence home, and dined, and to Deptford and got all my pictures put into wherries, and my other fine things, and landed them all very well, and brought them home, and got Sympson to set them all up to-night; and he gone, I and the boy to finish and set up my books, and everything else in my house, till two o’clock in the morning, and then to bed; but mightily troubled, and even in my sleep, at my missing four or five of my biggest books. Speed’s Chronicle and Maps, and the two parts of Waggoner, and a book of cards, which I suppose I have put up with too much care, that I have forgot where they are; for sure they are not stole. Two little pictures of sea and ships and a little gilt frame belonging to my plate of the River, I want; but my books do heartily trouble me. Most of my gilt frames are hurt, which also troubles me, but most my books. This day I put on two shirts, the first time this year, and do grow well upon it; so that my disease is nothing but wind.
16 Annotations
First Reading
Terry Foreman • Link
The Royal Society today at Gresham College — from the Hooke Folio Online
Sep. 19. 1666. mr Hooke shewed the company his modul for Rebuilding the City
[ http://tiny.cc/d4xGX ], who were well pleased therewth and Sr. I Laurence Late Ld mayor of London hauing addressed himself to the Society, and Express the Present Ld Mayors & Aldermens Liking of the the said module as also their desire that it might be shewn to his Majty. they preferreng it far before that which was drawn vp by the surueyor of the City.
The President of the Society answered that the society would be very glad if they or any of their members could doe any seruice for the good of the City, and that mr. Hooke should wait on them wth. his module to the King if they thought fit to present it. which was accepted wth. expression of thankes to the Society, -
http://webapps.qmul.ac.uk/cell/Ho…
Paul Chapin • Link
A "health" is a toast, e.g. "To the king!" (bottoms up). The toad story is fun, but I don't know the meaning of Lord Norwich "drawing a tooth at a health" - maybe he banged the cup against his teeth so hard that he knocked one out?
Mr. Gunning • Link
I wonder how a bastard introduced himself? "Hello, I am a bastard of the King of Sweden." What was his rank? Lower than a prince but higher than a duke? Or simply a gentleman (or gentlewoman)?
"This day I put on two shirts, the first time this year..."
So as it got colder, the more shirts they piled on? A simpler system than ours with our pullovers, fleeces etc.
JWB • Link
uuuummmmm....Black Toad Ale
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/prof…
JWB • Link
"Nathaniel Ingelo (c.1621-1683) was an English clergyman, writer and musician, best known for the allegorical romance Bentivolio and Urania (1660 and 1664)."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nath…
Robert Gertz • Link
"Here I saw a bastard of the late King of Sweden’s come to kiss his hands; a mighty modish French- like gentleman." I was wondering about that myself, Mr. G.
"Your Grace, the Swede's Bastard!"
"Ah, the Swede's Bastard...How do ye do, Bastard?"
According to Shakespeare there should be a high chance of the fellow being shifty and downright Evil. Though of course there's always Falconbridge...
"What did he want Your Grace?"
"The usual...A chance to betray and murder his father, hand his country over to us for gold and the murder of his stepbrothers...etc, etc..."
"The bastard..."
"If you think he's a bastard you should hear what Charlie's are starting to come up with..."
Robert Gertz • Link
"Another time, he and Pinchbacke and Dr. Goffe, now a religious man, Pinchbacke did begin a frolick to drink out of a glass with a toad in it..."
Sort of the 17th century equivalent of reality TV. In a way, I suppose it should give us hope...
JWB • Link
New Model City
Wren had previously presented his model directly to the King without imprimatur of the Royal Society. Hooke's plan seems to have been ginned up as "rent seeking' design by RS to get in on the rebuilding. Subsiquent Rebuilding Committee will spread the wealth with King's rep.'s Wren, May & Pratt while the City will be represented by Hooke, Mills & Jerman. See p 141-5 Jardine, "The Curious Life of Robert Hooke".
JWB • Link
"...a mighty modish French- like gentleman."
How long's this been going on? One idea is that the University of Paris from the 12th C. divided into 4 nations, recruiting louts and sending back sophisticates.
language hat • Link
"which I suppose I have put up with too much care, that I have forgot where they are"
That gave me a good laugh. Some things never change!
Michael Robinson • Link
he and Pinchbacke and Dr. Goffe, now a religious man,
L& M note John Pinchbeck served in the army under both Charles I and Charles II. Stephen Goffe, once a Royal Chaplain, had been a Roman convert since 1641 and Superior of the Paris Oratory since 1655.
Australian Susan • Link
"...many profane stories of Sir Henry Wood damning the parsons for so much spending the wine at the sacrament, cursing that ever they took the cup to themselves, and then another story that he valued not all the world’s curses, for two pence he shall get at any time the prayers of some poor body that is worth a 1000 of all their curses;..."
HW betraying some Catholic sympathies here - OK for now, but dangerous in 10 years time. Presumably this was widespread gossip, so he was being not very sensible in his utterances and the company he made them in.
Second Reading
Terry Foreman • Link
"mightily troubled, and even in my sleep, at my missing four or five of my biggest books. Speed’s Chronicle and Maps, and the two parts of Waggoner, and a book of cards"
L&M note they were found later. The "book of cards" appears to have been a collection of sea-cards (charts): http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
James Morgan • Link
I wondered if this royal bastard could be a son of the famous Gustavus Adophus (d.1632), but it seems more likely to be a child of Charles X (d.1660).
San Diego Sarah • Link
James ... click through on "the bastard" and you'll see that the encyclopedia agrees with you, and provides his name.
San Diego Sarah • Link
I, for one, am happy that none of the plans to rebuild London as an open city with straight boulevards and open vistas happened. Partly it's because there is a history and an attachment to our past represented in every street name. And partly because I like the anarchy of it all.
Today I found this article on how the French kings used geometry in architecture and garden design to reinforce the importance of the monarchy. Apparently, design creates a false sense of security and order in our primitive minds.
Nice picture of Versailles and the Tuileries gardens as designed by Louis XIV ... he wrote instructions about where people had to stand in order to see the best view/not upset his design.
A little chaos is good for you.
https://longreads.com/2019/09/27/…