Tuesday 23 October 1666
Up, and to the office all the morning. At noon Sir W. Batten told me Sir Richard Ford would accept of one-third of my profit of our private man-of-war, and bear one-third of the charge, and be bound in the Admiralty, so I shall be excused being bound, which I like mightily of, and did draw up a writing, as well as I could, to that purpose and signed and sealed it, and so he and Sir R. Ford are to go to enter into bond this afternoon.
Home to dinner, and after dinner, it being late, I down by water to Shadwell, to see Betty Michell, the first time I was ever at their new dwelling since the fire, and there find her in the house all alone. I find her mighty modest. But had her lips as much as I would, and indeed she is mighty pretty, that I love her exceedingly. I paid her 10l. 1s. that I received upon a ticket for her husband, which is a great kindness I have done them, and having kissed her as much as I would, I away, poor wretch, and down to Deptford to see Sir J. Minnes ordering of the pay of some ships there, which he do most miserably, and so home. Bagwell’s wife, seeing me come the fields way, did get over her pales to come after and talk with me, which she did for a good way, and so parted, and I home, and to the office, very busy, and so to supper and to bed.
20 Annotations
First Reading
Terry Foreman • Link
"so I shall be excused being bound, which I like mightily of"
The partners in the Flying Greyhound were bonded to the Admiral to guarantee he receives 10% of the profit. What Pepys does here is consistent with the plan to remove some financial assets to Brampton.
tg • Link
"But had her lips as much as I would, and indeed she is mighty pretty, that I love her exceedingly. I paid her 10l. 1s. that I received upon a ticket for her husband, which is a great kindness I have done them, and having kissed her as much as I would, I away, poor wretch, and down to Deptford..."
Poor Betty has been completely ensnared now. And who wouldn't with an influential man like Sam waving 10 pounds in her face and only asking for some kisses, for the time being. He has stalked her and successfully brought her into his orbit. And then the encounter with Bagwell's wife is noted. I wonder what was so important that Mrs. Bagwell had to step over all her pails to get to Sam?
Mary • Link
pales.
I imagine that these are not pails (as in buckets) but indeed pales (as in a paling/picket fence).
Tony Eldridge • Link
and having kissed her as much as I would, I away, poor wretch,
"Poor wretch"? Is this Sam actually being ashamed of his behaviour, for once?
Robert Gertz • Link
While it may be a momentary regret at her innocent affection for him I think the "poor wretch" is a hark back to the fact that Betty Mitchell bears a strong resemblance to Bess.
Spoiler: Ms. Bagwell begins to show a little of the (dependent? presumptive?) behavior that will have Sam barring her from his presence in a few years...A far cry from the reluctant lady of their first encounters. Poor Sam to have the lady expecting him to show her a little consideration and not to understand she is to quietly withdraw herself when no longer of interest to him.
Jeffrey Shelldrake (Fred MacMurray), Calvin C. Baxter (Jack Lemmon), "The Apartment":
[Shelldrake]"Sooner or later they always give you a bad time. You know you go out with a girl a few times, just for laughs and right away they think you're gonna up and divorce your wife. Now, is that fair?"
[Baxter]: "No sir...Especially not to your wife."
[Shelldrake, nodding, pleased at the notion]: "Yeah."
FJA • Link
"[P]oor wretch" may refer to Sam, himself, who had to tear away for business reasons just when he was getting on so well and innocently with Mrs. Mitchell. Later, Mrs. Bagwell presents poor seconds and Sam makes no note of having looked for a quiet spot to be with her.
A. Hamilton • Link
"'[P]oor wretch' may refer to Sam, himself"
My reading as well. Sam's smitten by this new Betty and has no time for Mrs. B.
CGS • Link
"...did get over her pales to come after and talk with me,..."
I doth think it be a saying of the time:
she got over sulks and was ready to talk turkey.
OED:
1 pale, n.1 2 pale, n.2 3 pale, n.3
4 pale, n.4 5 pale, n.5 6 pale, adj. *
7 pale, v.1 8 pale, v.2 9 pale, v.3
[< Anglo-Norman and Middle French pal (French pal) stake (end of the 11th cent. in Old French), stripe in heraldry (1297 in Old French in an isolated attestation in a 15th-cent. manuscript; subsequently from 1660), palisade (1339), space enclosed by stakes (second half of the 14th cent.) and its etymon classical Latin p{amac}lus stake, wooden post used by Roman soldiers to represent an opponent during fighting practice (see Vegetius De Re Militari 1. 11, 2. 23), in post-classical Latin also palisade (13th cent. in British sources), stripe in heraldry (c1595 in a British source), also pala (feminine) stake (1237, 1526 in British sources), stripe (1388 in a British source) < an extended form of the base of pacere to agree (see PACT n., and compare PAX n.1); the original sense of the base was probably ‘to make fast or firm’. Compare Old Occitan pal (12th cent. or earlier), Italian palo (1130), Spanish palo (12th cent.), Portuguese pau (13th cent. as pao), Catalan pal (13th cent.). Compare earlier POLE n.1, and also PEEL n.2
Some northern English and Older Scots forms may represent reflexes of Old English p{amac}l POLE n.1
n1:stake as in fence,
A vertical stripe.
Botanical uses.
n2 Paleness, pallor
N3:.
1:A small plug or peg, used to control the flow of liquid in a pipe, cask, etc.; a spigot. Cf. COCK n.1 12a. Obs.
2. Sc. A cheese-scoop; the amount held in such a scoop.
3. A baker's shovel; = PEEL n.1 1a. Obs. rare.
4 as in ale
1743 W. ELLIS London & Country Brewer (ed. 2) III. 179 It is a common Saying, that there is brought to London the worst of brown Malt, and the best of Pale.
pale, adj
1. a. Of a person, a person's complexion, etc.: of a whitish or ashen appearance; lacking healthy colour; pallid, wan, bloodless (typically connoting shock, strong emotion, or ill health). Freq. in pale as death.
b. Of colour: light, almost white; (of a specific colour) light in shade or hue.
c. gen. Having a colour approaching white; lacking intensity or depth of colour; faintly coloured.
2. Of something luminous or illuminated: lacking in brightness or brilliancy; faint in lustre, dim.
3. fig. Feeble, weak, faint; lacking intensity, vigour, or robustness; timorous, without spirit.
a pale imitation: a feeble or inferior version.
Verb:
1. trans.
a. To enclose with pales or a fence; to provide with a fence; to encircle or surround. Freq. with about, around, in, etc. Now rare.
b. fig. and in extended use. To encircle, encompass; to hem in. Obs.
1570
c. To shut out by means of a fence. Obs. rare.
1597
2. trans. To stripe; to mark or adorn with vertical stripes; (Heraldry) to mark (a shield or charge) with an equal number of vertical stripes or divisions. Usu. in pass.
3. trans. To fix (an embossed figure) on a lead surface by soldering. Obs.
1703
v3: 1. intr. a. To grow pale or dim; to lose colour or brightness; to become pale in comparison. Now esp.: to become pale in the face from shock or fear. Also fig. c1400
b. To diminish in importance, esp. in comparison with another action, achievement, etc.; to seem less impressive or important. Freq. in to pale into insignificance.
1856
2. trans. To make pale or dim; to cause to lose colour or brightness.
?a1425
trans. To cut or scoop (a cheese) with a cheese scoop. Cf. PALE n.3 2.
1728
CGS • Link
pale not = pail
Terry Foreman • Link
Anglesey to Ormond
Written from: London
Date: 23 October 1666 - "day fatal to Ireland"
Shelfmark: MS. Carte 217, fol(s). 316
Document type: Holograph
The Lords Committee (of the preamble of the whole House) have passed the preamble of the Bill prohibiting of Irish Cattle. This, the writer regards as decisive of the question, but the Lord Chancellor differs from that opinion.
It will now be for the Duke to think of preparing, in Ireland, "an Act of State against trade with England, which I, and my colleague [Lord Ossory], will move for His Majesty's direction in".
Note: The "fatal" day is the anniversary of the Irish rising of 1641.
__________________
A News-Letter, addressed to Sir George Lane
Written from: [Whitehall]
Date: 23 October 1666
Shelfmark: MS. Carte 222, fol(s). 131-132
"A very serious and rational letter, from the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland", has been read at the Council Board, in which letter the writer represents the fatal consequences to Ireland, which must arise from the passing, in England, of the pending Bill for prohibiting the importation of Irish Cattle; unless, in the event of that policy being persisted in some countervailing measures for the benefit of Ireland shall be devised, and carried into effect.
Copious naval advices are added; with an account of proceedings, in the Privy Council, upon charges brought against Admiral Sir Jeremy Smith. ...
http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/dept/s…
Second Reading
Terry Foreman • Link
"Sir Richard Ford would accept of one-third of my profit of our private man-of-war, and bear one-third of the charge, and be bound in the Admiralty, so I shall be excused being bound, which I like mightily of, and did draw up a writing, as well as I could, to that purpose and signed and sealed it, and so he and Sir R. Ford are to go to enter into bond this afternoon."
L&M: See https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…
The captains, masters and owners of privateers had to enter into bonds to render to the Admiral his share (one tenth) of their profits.
Terry Foreman • Link
"paid her 10l. 1s. that I received upon a ticket for her husband, which is a great kindness I have done them"
L&M: https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/… and https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
San Diego Sarah • Link
"The Lords Committee (of the preamble of the whole House) have passed the preamble of the Bill prohibiting of Irish Cattle. This, the writer regards as decisive of the question, but the Lord Chancellor differs from that opinion."
On 24 July 1663 Arthur Annesley, Earl of Anglesey alone signed a protest against the bill "for the encouragement of trade", on the plea that owing to the free export of coin and bullion allowed by the act, and to the importation of foreign commodities being greater than the export of home goods, "it must necessarily follow ... that our silver will also be carried away into foreign parts and all trade fail for want of money."[4][5][6] 4^ Rogers (1875), Vol. I, p. 27. 5^ Carte (1851), Vol. IV, p. 234. 6^ Parl. Hist. (1808), p. 284.
Anglesey especially disapproved of another clause in the same bill forbidding the importation of Irish cattle into England, a mischievous measure promoted by George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham,
Anglesey again opposed the bill forbidding the importation of Irish cattle into England in January 1667.
He was a man of principle.
Info from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art…
Terry Foreman • Link
24 July 1663 Arthur Annesley, Earl of Anglesey persuaded others to sign with him in Protest against the Bill, for Encouragement of Trade.
"A Bill, intituled, An Act for the Encouragement of Trade, being this Day read the Third Time, and ready to be put to the Question for passing into a Law; it was moved, and granted by the House, That, if the Question passed in the Affirmative, such Peers as were against the Bill might enter their Protestation. And accordingly we whose Names are subscribed do protest against the said Bill being made a Law
His Royal Highness the Duke of Yorke.
Epus. London.
Epus. Winton.
Epus. Bath et Wells.
Epus. Ely.
Epus. St. Asaph.
Epus. St. David's.
Epus. Lyncolne.
Epus. Carlile.
Epus. Bristol.
Epus. Gloucester.
Epus. Hereford.
Epus. Petriburgh. Ds. Custos Privati Sigilli Speaker.
Ds. Thesaurarius Angl.
Dux Albemarle.
L. Chamberlain.
Comes Derby.
Comes Bedford.
Comes Bridgwater.
Comes Berks.
Comes Cleveland.
Comes Sandwich.
Comes Anglesey.
Viscount Say et Seale. Ds. Berkley Berk.
Ds. Wentworth.
Ds. Eure.
Ds. Wharton.
Ds. Arundell.
Ds. Howard Ch.
Ds. Craven.
Ds. Newport.
Ds. Vaughan.
Ds. Lucas.
Ds. Lexington.
Ds. Berkley Str.
Ds. Crofts.
Ds. Cornwallis.
Ds. Ashley.
https://www.british-history.ac.uk…
Batch • Link
I believe he means "poor wretch" in the same sense that he uses it toward his wife: it is a term of endearment that acknowledges her state of subservience to him, which he can't help but acknowledge is lamentable.
Jonathan V • Link
Thank you for the reference and the clarifying comment, Terry, about the Mitchell ticket. I really wasn't clear what was going on there.
San Diego Sarah • Link
"The captains, masters and owners of privateers had to enter into bonds to render to the Admiral his share (one tenth) of their profits."
Took me a while to realize that means they have to pay Adm. BATTEN one tenth of their profits for the privilege of administering the bonds. Presumably he, in turn, had to pay Charles II or James. Everybody wins. Just prepare for an audit.
San Diego Sarah • Link
But Batten is also a one third owner ... so Pepys and Ford would (a) had to give Batten one tenth of their profits? Or (b) Batten would take one tenth of the profits before the balance was divided into three and paid to each partners? I suspect the answer to that is whatever resulted in Charles II or James getting the most.
I'm with Pepys: Not good to be in business with the other men in the office; the less they know the better. Take your money and run.
Bryan • Link
"The captains, masters and owners of privateers had to enter into bonds to render to the Admiral his share (one tenth) of their profits."
This appears to be a general statement applying to all privateers, so "the Admiral" is unlikely to refer to Batten.
The owners of a privateer are "bound in the Admiralty", the boss of which is the Lord High Admiral, i.e. the D of Y.
My reading is the Admiralty (Navy) lends captured ships to be used as privateers for a set period in return for ten per cent of any profits.
San Diego Sarah • Link
Pepys never refers to James as familiarly as "the Admiral" ... but otherwise I agree with your reading,