Friday 23 November 1666

Up, and with Sir J. Minnes to White Hall, where we and the rest attended the Duke of York, where, among other things, we had a complaint of Sir William Jennings against his lieutenant, Le Neve, one that had been long the Duke’s page, and for whom the Duke of York hath great kindness. It was a drunken quarrel, where one was as blameable as the other. It was referred to further examination, but the Duke of York declared, that as he would not favour disobedience, so neither drunkenness, and therein he said very well.

Thence with Sir W. Coventry to Westminster Hall, and there parted, he having told me how Sir J. Minnes do disagree from the proposition of resigning his place, and that so the whole matter is again at a stand, at which I am sorry for the King’s sake, but glad that Sir W. Pen is again defeated, for I would not have him come to be Comptroller if I could help it, he will be so cruel proud. Here I spoke with Sir G. Downing about our prisoners in Holland, and their being released; which he is concerned in, and most of them are. Then, discoursing of matters of the House of Parliament, he tells me that it is not the fault of the House, but the King’s own party, that have hindered the passing of the Bill for money, by their popping in of new projects for raising it: which is a strange thing; and mighty confident he is, that what money is raised, will be raised and put into the same form that the last was, to come into the Exchequer; and, for aught I see, I must confess I think it is the best way.

Thence down to the Hall, and there walked awhile, and all the talk is about Scotland, what news thence; but there is nothing come since the first report, and so all is given over for nothing.

Thence home, and after dinner to my chamber with Creed, who come and dined with me, and he and I to reckon for his salary, and by and by comes in Colonel Atkins, and I did the like with him, and it was Creed’s design to bring him only for his own ends, to seem to do him a courtesy, and it is no great matter. The fellow I hate, and so I think all the world else do. Then to talk of my report I am to make of the state of our wants of money to the Lord Treasurer, but our discourse come to little. However, in the evening, to be rid of him, I took coach and saw him to the Temple and there ’light, and he being gone, with all the haste back again and to my chamber late to enter all this day’s matters of account, and to draw up my report to my Lord Treasurer, and so to bed. At the Temple I called at Playford’s, and there find that his new impression of his ketches are not yet out, the fire having hindered it, but his man tells me that it will be a very fine piece, many things new being added to it.

12 Annotations

First Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

John Evelyn's Diary

November 23. I heard an extraordinary Case before a Committee of the whole house of Commons, in the Commons house of Parliament, betweene one Cap: Taylor, & my Lord Vicount Mordaunt; where after the Lawyers had pleaded, & the Witnesses examin’d, such foule & dishonorable things were produced against his Lordship of Tyrannie during his goverment of Windsore Castle, of which he was Constable, Incontinence & suborning, of which last one Sir Rich: Breames was most concerned, that I was exceedingly concernd for his Lordship, who was my special friend, and husband of the most virtuous Lady in the world: We sate ’till neere ten at night, & yet but halfe the Council had don, on behalfe of the plaintife: The question then was put, for the bringing in of lights to sit longer, which lasted so long a time before it was determind, & raisd such a confused noise among the Members, that a stranger would have ben astonished at it: & I admire, that there is not a Rationale to regulate such trifling accidents, which yet I find consume a world of time, & is a reproch to the gravity of so greate an Assembly of sober men:
***
http://www.gyford.com/archive/200…

Terry Foreman  •  Link

John Viscount Mordaunt "was appointed Constable of Windsor Castle, keeper of Windsor Great Park and Lord Lieutenant of Surrey upon the Restoration, but played little role at court. In 1666, he was charged in the House of Commons with having imprisoned William Taylor, surveyor of Windsor Castle, and raped Taylor's daughter.[1] He was impeached by the Commons in December, but Parliament was prorogued in February, and the King pardoned him in July. He resigned his offices at Windsor in September 1668, and went abroad to Montpellier that year...." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John…

Terry W  •  Link

John Evelyn’s Diary: "... raisd such a confused noise among the Members, that a stranger would have ben astonished at it ..."

Nearly 350 years on and nothing has changed!

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

"Then, discoursing of matters of the House of Parliament, he tells me that it is not the fault of the House, but the King’s own party, that have hindered the passing of the Bill for money, by their popping in of new projects for raising it: which is a strange thing"

As Terry says, nearly 350 years on, and nothing has changed!

CGS  •  Link

Damn it! poll tax is the answer,[Thatcher must have read the diary] get the money people to fork over,as the Llauds have none, then the merchants, bankers and dignified gents have to pay a quid apiece.

Resolved, &c. That a Gentleman shall be taxed Twenty Shilliings in the Poll Bill for his Dignity.

Preventing Fire. as read by the 'illiteri'
"daily wail"

Pisspots
every one must have a pot or even a frying pan or wok to pour water on a fire.

Sam spoke to his old boss on this.
Prisoners Relief.

H o C:

The lawds up in arms agin as foreign peoples are stealing fish in waters beyond, and English boeuf must be sold for the best prices.

see H o L for details
Bill against the Importation of Irish Cattle.

CGS  •  Link

Poll tax was used, it seems whenever a number unpredictable bills came due, all householders had to cough up, but London has a shortage of payees, the plague got some of them or the hell got them, so where to get more monies?

Hearth tax [few left]is another method of collection, of course the import tax on goods at dockside be a "painless" method.

A. Hamilton  •  Link

Boll tax, poll weevil -- or have I got that backward? In my fuddled state I conflate the two as evils of the Old South.

Second Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

" a complaint of Sir William Jennings against his lieutenant, Le Neve, one that had been long the Duke’s page, and for whom the Duke of York hath great kindness."

L&M : Jennings commanded the Ruby. Richard Le Neve (now 20) was made a captain in 1671.

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"I spoke with Sir G. Downing about our prisoners in Holland, and their being released; which he is concerned in, and most of them are. "

L&M: Downing, lately envoy-extraordinary to the United Provinces, supervised the exchange of prisoners of war in the winters of 1665-6 and 1666-7.

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

The Stuarts influence on the writing of America's Constitution was profound.

'John Viscount Mordaunt "was appointed Constable of Windsor Castle, keeper of Windsor Great Park and Lord Lieutenant of Surrey upon the Restoration, but played little role at court. In 1666, he was charged in the House of Commons with having imprisoned William Taylor, surveyor of Windsor Castle, and raped Taylor's daughter.[1] He was impeached by the Commons in December, ..."'

If you were listening to testimony today in the Impeachment Hearings for President Trump, one of the citations given was to this case against John, Viscount Mordaunt of Avalon.

Today they also stated that the President of the USA is not a King. We know how hard Cromwell and cohorts found it to rout out a Stuart King they considered not acting in the best interests of the country.

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