Saturday 29 September 1666
A little meeting at the office by Sir W. Batten, Sir W. Pen, and myself, being the first since the fire. We rose soon, and comes Sir W. Warren, by our desire, and with Sir W. Pen and I talked of our Scotch motion, which Sir W. Warren did seem to be stumbled at, and did give no ready answer, but proposed some thing previous to it, which he knows would find us work, or writing to Mr. Pett to be informed how matters go there as to cost and ways of providing sawyers or saw-mills. We were parted without coming to any good resolution in it, I discerning plainly that Sir W. Warren had no mind to it, but that he was surprised at our motion. He gone, I to some office business, and then home to dinner, and then to office again, and then got done by night the lists that are to be presented to the Parliament Committee of the ships, number of men, and time employed since the war, and then I with it (leaving my wife at Unthanke’s) to St. James’s, where Sir W. Coventry staid for me, and I perused our lists, and find to our great joy that wages, victuals, wear and tear, cast by the medium of the men, will come to above 3,000,000; and that the extraordinaries, which all the world will allow us, will arise to more than will justify the expence we have declared to have been at since the war, viz., 320,000l., he and I being both mightily satisfied, he saying to me, that if God send us over this rub we must take another course for a better Comptroller. So parted, and I to my wife [at Unthanke’s], who staid for the finishing her new best gowne (the best that ever I made her) coloured tabby, flowered, and so took it and her home; and then I to my people, and having cut them out a little more work than they expected, viz., the writing over the lists in new method, I home to bed, being in good humour, and glad of the end we have brought this matter to.
16 Annotations
First Reading
Terry Foreman • Link
John Evelyn's Diary
Septenber 29 Michaelmas-day [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mich… ], I went to visite my Bro: Richard, who was now indisposd in his health:
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Le…
Australian Susan • Link
Unthanke's the tailor's seems to operate rather like a Ladies' Club. I imagine a group of them sitting around drinking hot chocolate and eating macaroons discussing fabrics on display and matching up ribbons and trimmings and so on. And exchanging gossip.....
Robert Gertz • Link
"...the best that ever I made her..."
You can take the boy out of the tailor's shop but...
Robert Gertz • Link
Warren senses danger in this wheeler-dealer plan of Penn and Pepys...Fear that Parliament might frown at Navy officials involved in timber speculation at such a time?
***
"...and so took it and her home; and then I to my people, and having cut them out a little more work than they expected, viz., the writing over the lists in new method, I home to bed, being in good humour,..."
Cute turn of phrase there...And nice to see him showing a little pleasure in making the Missus happy. I suspect someone will be laying long in bed tomorrow.
Mary • Link
"our Scotch motion"
Possible spoiler.
L&M footnotes tell us that nothing was to come of this proposal and, furthermore, that timber from Scotland was generally reckoned by the Navy to be of poorer quality than that from either England or foreign sources.
JWB • Link
2 jokes, 1 entry:
1)"..talked of our Scotch motion, which Sir W. Warren did seem to be stumbled at,"
2)"...best gowne (the best that ever I made her...and then I to my people, and having cut them out a little more work..."
Terry Foreman • Link
"the expence we have declared to have been at since the war, viz., 320,000l.,"
L&M note "Recte £3,200,000." and source it. "The expense was £3,200,516 (£2,195,560 being paid by the Navy Treasury and £74,460 by the Exchequer). Debts at 29 September stood at £930,496."
Second Reading
Terry Foreman • Link
Sept.? 121. The King to the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Common Councilmen of London. . They are to take special care, in the new elections of common councilmen, to observe the Act for regulating corporations, by which no one is allowed to be a mayor, alderman, or common councilman, without taking the Lord's supper, the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy, and that on the unlawfulness of taking up arms against himself, and also subscribing the declaration of the illegality of imposing the Covenant. -- CSPD.
Terry Foreman • Link
"the expence we have declared to have been at since the war, viz., 320,000l.,"
L&M: Recte £3,200,000, 'Expense of the Navy from Sep. 1 1664 to Sept. 29 1666 and the Debt then.' The expense was £3,20,516 (£2,195,560 being paid by the Navy Treasury and £74,460 by the Exchequer). Debts at 29 September stood at £930,496.
Bintisabella • Link
When the news in 2019 is hard to bear I look forward to a daily escape to 1666. Thank you to all who make this possible especially the erudite annotators. I have learned so much that is fascinating and life enhancing from you.
Daniel Neal • Link
I echo Bintisabella's gratitude! I am another new reader, and find this blog to be a wonderful relief. Thanks as well to all of the wonderful commentary!
San Diego Sarah • Link
I echo Bintisabella and Daniel's gratitude! I suspect people for many generations have escaped to Pepys' Diary ... but without the guidance of those who went before us with the annotations, I would be lost. There is an enormous amount of wisdom here, and perspective is hard to find in the headlines, all over the world most of the time.
San Diego Sarah • Link
"... he saying to me, that if God send us over this rub we must take another course for a better Comptroller."
Coventry says to Pepys that if God successfully gets them over this rub (hurdle, problem) they must find a better Comptroller than Sir John Mennes.
Poor Sir John -- he's been out sick for months, and on January 11, 1664 Charles II was teasing him for symptoms that sound much like Parkinson's.
We know James wants to get rid of Carteret, Coventry wants Mennes gone, Rupert has it in for Pepys, Charles has no reason to like Batten, Pett can't handle his job, Brouncker is suspected by those in the know of covering for James ... I'd stop throwing stones, guys. You'll all be lucky to get out without a stint in the Tower.
San Diego Sarah • Link
"I went to visit my Bro: Richard, who was now indisposd in his health:"
Richard Evelyn is John's older brother, owner of Wotton near Epsom/Dorking, Surrey where John's family spent the plague times. We don't know what ails Richard at this moment, but in 1669 Evelyn enlists Pepys' help in urging him to take the stone operation, so that may well be the problem now.
Christopher • Link
When the news in 2019 is hard to bear I look forward to a daily escape to 1666.
It is I, the future from the year 2020, Bintisabella. And if you thought 2019 was bad...
Michaela • Link
It is I, the future from 2022, Christopher; I’m almost nostalgic for 2020…