Tuesday 20 November 1666

Called up by Mr. Sheply, who is going into the country to-day to Hinchingbroke, I sent my service to my Lady, and in general for newes: that the world do think well of my Lord, and do wish he were here again, but that the publique matters of the State as to the war are in the worst condition that is possible. By and by Sir W. Warren, and with him half an hour discoursing of several businesses, and some I hope will bring me a little profit. He gone, and Sheply, I to the office a little, and then to church, it being thanksgiving-day for the cessation of the plague; but, Lord! how the towne do say that it is hastened before the plague is quite over, there dying some people still,1 but only to get ground for plays to be publickly acted, which the Bishops would not suffer till the plague was over; and one would thinke so, by the suddenness of the notice given of the day, which was last Sunday, and the little ceremony. The sermon being dull of Mr. Minnes, and people with great indifferency come to hear him.

After church home, where I met Mr. Gregory, who I did then agree with to come to teach my wife to play on the Viall, and he being an able and sober man, I am mightily glad of it. He had dined, therefore went away, and I to dinner, and after dinner by coach to Barkeshire-house, and there did get a very great meeting; the Duke of York being there, and much business done, though not in proportion to the greatness of the business, and my Lord Chancellor sleeping and snoring the greater part of the time. Among other things I declared the state of our credit as to tallys to raise money by, and there was an order for payment of 5000l. to Mr. Gawden, out of which I hope to get something against Christmas. Here we sat late, and here I did hear that there are some troubles like to be in Scotland, there being a discontented party already risen, that have seized on the Governor of Dumfreeze and imprisoned him,2 but the story is yet very uncertain, and therefore I set no great weight on it.

I home by Mr. Gawden in his coach, and so with great pleasure to spend the evening at home upon my Lyra Viall, and then to supper and to bed. With mighty peace of mind and a hearty desire that I had but what I have quietly in the country, but, I fear, I do at this day see the best that either I or the rest of our nation will ever see.

17 Annotations

First Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

Arlington to Ormond
Written from: Whitehall

Date: 20 November 1666

The House will not hear of bringing so many live cattle [as a gift to those who suffered by the Great Fire]. ... With much ado, they consented they should be killed & barrelled up; but would enjoin such a distribution afterwards, that we cannot suppose the City will much profit by the gift.

Adds some particulars relating to the late rising in Yorkshire ...

http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/dept/s…

Terry Foreman  •  Link

Another angle on yesterday's quarrel between L. Butler/Ossory and L. Ashley

Anglesey to Ormond
Written from: London

Date: 20 November 1666

Communicates an account of further proceedings in the House of Lords, in relation to Irish Cattle, and, in particular, of an aspersion cast upon the givers of the beeves to the distressed late inhabitants of the destroyed part of London, as being guilty of "a design and contrivance to mischief England".

Describes the intended "proviso", empowering the export from four ports of Ireland, in equal numbers, of an aggregate of 20,000 beeves, to be so distributed; & what ensued therein; expecially in respect to Lord Ossory's stern resentment of many expressed used by Lord Ashley, reflecting upon the Duke his father and the other promoters of the gift...

Adds particulars relating to the Revenue.

http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/dept/s…

Andrew Hamilton  •  Link

Lord Chancellor sleeping and snoring the greater part of the time. Among other things I declared the state of our credit

Soporific stuff apparently

cf Robert Benchley, The Treasurer's report
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ed…

JWB  •  Link

"...the lairds of Barscob and Corsuck, came to Dumfries..."

There just ain't enough real Scotts today.

"Just another Presbyterian uprising": Lord Howe @ beginng Am. Revolution.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

"...but, Lord! how the towne do say that it is hastened before the plague is quite over, there dying some people still,1 but only to get ground for plays to be publickly acted, which the Bishops would not suffer till the plague was over; and one would thinke so, by the suddenness of the notice given of the day, which was last Sunday, and the little ceremony..."

Priorities, people...Hey, folks die of something every day. How often does "The Bondsman" or "Siege of Rhodes, II:Suleyman the Magificent Strikes Back" come to town?

Robert Gertz  •  Link

"...where I met Mr. Gregory, who I did then agree with to come to teach my wife to play on the Viall, and he being an able and sober man, I am mightily glad of it."

"Oh, Mr. Gregory...You're so...Able..."

"Bess? It's rather quiet up there? How's the lesson going?"

Robert Gertz  •  Link

"...there was an order for payment of 5000l. to Mr. Gawden, out of which I hope to get something against Christmas."

There's an almost touching innocence in this remark...

Unless of course one contemplates the starving sailors and workmen... Or, poor desperate Mrs. Bagwell and widow Burroughs throwing themselves at (or being grabbed by) our hero. Still, better Sam gets some I suppose, who does spend a bit around town, than nobody but Gawden.

JWB  •  Link

Put this in your pipe and smoke it:

"Barscob, for lack of ball, rammed his tobacco pipe into his pistol, fired, and grounded Deanes(redcoat)beside his victim." James King Hewison, "The Coventers",p191 http://books.google.com/books?id=…

Andrew Hamilton  •  Link

Unless of course one contemplates the starving sailors and workmen…

Sam as Scrooge; R. Gertz as the composite ghosts of Christmas....

Robert Gertz  •  Link

Actually in last year's tale I had Bess and Jack Cade as Christmas Past, Jane Birch and Betty Pierce together as Christmas Present, and since I hadn't quite finished when I paused last year, I've yet to find a Christmas future for Sam...Probably Capt. Scott.

But I imagine one could find many today who display Sam's strange combination of innocent ignorance to suffering mixed with natural selfconcern in hard times as well as downright greed. Though to be fair, perhaps he feels in helping Evelyn and others like him he has done his bit for the boys...

Second Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"I did hear that there are some troubles like to be in Scotland, there being a discontented party already risen, that have seized on the Governor of Dumfreeze and imprisoned him"

This was the beginning of the Pentland Rising, a rebellion of the Covenanters in the South-West. On 15 November, Sir James Turner, Governor of Dumphries and a prominent enemy of the Covenanters, had been seized by the rebels and imprisoned in Maxwell Town, Galloway. (Per L&M footnote)

The Battle of Rullion Green in the Pentland Hills, in Lothian, Scotland on 28 November 1666 was the culmination of the brief Pentland Rising (15–28 November 1666). At least 3000 men of the Scottish Royal Army led by Tam Dalyell of the Binns opposed about 900 Covenanter rebels.
The Pentland Rising was in the context of the long-running government campaign to impose episcopalianism upon Scotland. [More]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bat…

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"the towne do say that it is hastened before the plague is quite over, there dying some people still"

L&M: Eight died of plague during 13-20 November; seven in the following week: GL, A.i.5, no. 96.

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"I met Mr. Gregory, who I did then agree with to come to teach my wife to play on the Viall"

L&M: About this time there were two William and two Henry Gregorys, all court musicians.

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"there was an order for payment of 5000l. to Mr. Gawden"

L&M: Recte £5858: Rawl. A 174, ff. 450-1.

john  •  Link

In dark times, people take refuge in light entertainment. The bishops wanted more suffering.

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