Wednesday 9 January 1666/67

Up, and with Sir W. Batten and Sir W. Pen in a hackney-coach to White Hall, the way being most horribly bad upon the breaking up of the frost, so as not to be passed almost. There did our usual [business] with the Duke of York, and here I do hear, by my Lord Bruncker, that for certain Sir W. Coventry hath resigned his place of Commissioner; which I believe he hath done upon good grounds of security to himself, from all the blame which must attend our office this next year; but I fear the King will suffer by it. Thence to Westminster Hall, and there to the conference of the Houses about the word “Nuisance,”1 which the Commons would have, and the Lords will not, in the Irish Bill. The Commons do it professedly to prevent the King’s dispensing with it; which Sir Robert Howard and others did expressly repeat often: viz., “the King nor any King ever could do any thing which was hurtful to their people.” Now the Lords did argue, that it was an ill precedent, and that which will ever hereafter be used as a way of preventing the King’s dispensation with acts; and therefore rather advise to pass the Bill without that word, and let it go, accompanied with a petition, to the King, that he will not dispense with it; this being a more civil way to the King. They answered well, that this do imply that the King should pass their Bill, and yet with design to dispense with it; which is to suppose the King guilty of abusing them. And more, they produce precedents for it; namely, that against new buildings and about leather, wherein the word “Nuisance” is used to the purpose: and further, that they do not rob the King of any right he ever had, for he never had a power to do hurt to his people, nor would exercise it; and therefore there is no danger, in the passing this Bill, of imposing on his prerogative; and concluded, that they think they ought to do this, so as the people may really have the benefit of it when it is passed, for never any people could expect so reasonably to be indulged something from a King, they having already given him so much money, and are likely to give more. Thus they broke up, both adhering to their opinions; but the Commons seemed much more full of judgment and reason than the Lords.

Then the Commons made their Report to the Lords of their vote, that their Lordships’ proceedings in the Bill for examining Accounts were unparliamentary; they having, while a Bill was sent up to them from the Commons about the business, petitioned his Majesty that he would do the same thing by his Commission. They did give their reasons: viz., that it had no precedent; that the King ought not to be informed of anything passing in the Houses till it comes to a Bill; that it will wholly break off all correspondence between the two Houses, and in the issue wholly infringe the very use and being of Parliaments. Having left their arguments with the Lords they all broke up, and I by coach to the ordinary by the Temple, and there dined alone on a rabbit, and read a book I brought home from Mrs. Michell’s, of the proceedings of the Parliament in the 3rd and 4th year of the late King, a very good book for speeches and for arguments of law.

Thence to Faythorne, and bought a head or two; one of them my Lord of Ormond’s, the best I ever saw, and then to Arundell House, where first the Royall Society meet, by the favour of Mr. Harry Howard, who was there, and has given us his grandfather’s library, a noble gift, and a noble favour and undertaking it is for him to make his house the seat for this college. Here was an experiment shown about improving the use of powder for creating of force in winding up of springs and other uses of great worth. And here was a great meeting of worthy noble persons; but my Lord Bruncker, who pretended to make a congratulatory speech upon their coming hither, and in thanks to Mr. Howard, do it in the worst manner in the world, being the worst speaker, so as I do wonder at his parts and the unhappiness of his speaking.

Thence home by coach and to the office, and then home to supper, Mercer and her sister there, and to cards, and then to bed.

Mr. Cowling did this day in the House-lobby tell me of the many complaints among people against Mr. Townsend in the Wardrobe, and advises me to think of my Lord Sandwich’s concernment there under his care. He did also tell me upon my demanding it, that he do believe there are some things on foot for a peace between France and us, but that we shall be foiled in it.

29 Annotations

First Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

John Evelyn's Diary

9th January, 1666-67. To the Royal Society, which since the sad conflagration were invited by Mr. Howard to sit at Arundel-House in the Strand, who at my instigation likewise bestowed on the Society that noble library which his grandfather especially, and his ancestors had collected. This gentleman had so little inclination to books, that it was the preservation of them from embezzlement.

http://www.gyford.com/archive/200…

Terry Foreman  •  Link

The Royal Society today at Arundel House — from the Hooke Folio Online

Ian: 9th. 1666 (1st. meeting in Arundell House)

merrets Pinax [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chri… ] ) vniting bark of trees) tryall on the american Aloe. paper read) Account of Heuelius Books caled for.)

Sr Paul Neile about the Rising of the sun) mr Auzouts method of taking Diameters to 2ds. finding moons parallax by Diameter. Dr. wren & mr Hooke hauing Related to the company seuerall ways they had known Long since of taking the Diameters of the planetts to seconds were desired breefly to discribe them that soe it might be signifyd to the Parision philosopher that it was a thing not at all new among the English. The Curator [ mr. Hooke ] Renewd his former proposall of obseruing the Parallax of the Earths Orb. The President exhorted him to set vpon it with all possible speed.

There was againe produce[d] the bucket for fetching things from the bottom of the sea it being not yet alterd as was orderd at the former meeting it was orderd it should be perfected against the next Day.

The new clock motion for adiusting the circular pendulum was also orderd to be perfected for the next meeting.
Expt for next day. bending springs by powder. 2ly new weather glasse for trying /all degrees of heat in

http://webapps.qmul.ac.uk/cell/Ho…

Terry Foreman  •  Link

Why the bucket for fetching things from the bottom of the sea?

This was explained when published in the APPENDIX to PANCIROLLVS; Containing ...A Collection of some Modern Arts* and new Inventions, recommended to the World in these later Ages.

Other new Inventions they have, which, though Of no great Benefit in Navigation, yet may be of Advantage to Merchants-and Travellers, viz,. A new Instrument for fetching up any Substance from the Bottom of the Sea-, whether Sand, Shells, Clay, Stones, Minerals, or Metals. >A new Bucket for examining and fetching up whatever Water is found at the Bottom of the Sea, or at any Depth, and for bringing it up without mixing with the other Water of the Sea, through which it passes. Two new Ways of founding the Depth of the Sea without a Line,, for examining the greatest Depth of the Sea in thofe Parts that are remote from Land ; with many other Experiments both useful and curious. http://bit.ly/4AgQts

Michael Robinson  •  Link

"Thence to Faythorne, and bought a head or two; one of them my Lord of Ormond’s, the best I ever saw, ..."

L&M suggest this is, most plausibly, the engraved portrait by David Logan:

http://www.artoftheprint.com/arti…

Michael Robinson  •  Link

Thanks TF; what you are showing is at the minimum a worn impression of a later copy engraving. I have put below links to the three 'possibilities' Oliver Millar must have weighed when making the note; the problem is that there is nothing known in the standard catalogues that matches SP's description. Of the three the Loggan engraving was much the most copied 'prototype' image in the C 17th. and might therefore match SP's descriptive comment 'the best I ever saw.'

David Loggan, engraving from life, ?1675-85:
http://www.britishmuseum.org/rese…

Robert White, after Kneller, mezzotint (circa 1680-3):
http://www.britishmuseum.org/rese…

Robert White, after Wissing, mezzotint (Circa 1680-8)
http://www.britishmuseum.org/rese…

L. K. van Marjenhoff  •  Link

I first heard abut this blog in August 2009. I decided to start at the beginning, and after four months of reading I have caught up with the rest of you.

One thing puzzles me. Sam gives himself lots of credit for being a fine Latin scholar, but he uses phrases like "cum ego" (i.e., 'with me') when the preposition 'cum' takes the ablative 'me,' not the nominative 'ego.' He also frequently uses phrases like "to my wife and I." I always thought that one of the main reasons for learning Latin was to gain better command of one's native language, especially with regard to cases. He was reading classical Latin, so he was learning from the right stuff. Does anybody know if Sam was really any good at Latin?

Also, a few days ago there was a discussion of the profusion of Bettys and Beths in Sam's life -- the many Elizabeths, undoubtedly so named in honor of the great queen whose dates bear a neat relationship to Sam's: QE1 was born in 1533, Sam 100 years later, in 1633; QE1 died in 1603, Sam 100 years later, in 1703; so they both had their biblical three score and ten an easy-to-remember century apart.

Mary  •  Link

I suspect that when Pepys was reading (or, indeed, writing) classical Latin, his attention to grammar was perfectly sound. The slips that you note in the diary entries are just typical of the kind of 'dog Latin' that used to be heard (perhaps still is heard in the right schools) when pupils were extemporising odd phrases for their own private amusement.

The occasionally careless grammar in the English text just emphasizes that the diary was intended as a document of private record and entertainment for Pepys, never intended for the eyes of others.

[By the way, congratulations on catching up with us in a mere 4 months!]

Mary  •  Link

The king's power of dispensation.

The monarch had the power to give named individuals the right to disregard a particular statute provided that such action did not harm the common law rights of others.

L&M note that this power of dispensation would have applied to the case of the importation of Irish cattle if the term 'common nuisance' were used in the statute. However, it would not have applied if the Lords were to succeed in substituting the words 'detriment and mischief' in the Bill.

The Commons eventually prevailed.

djc  •  Link

Latin. The idea of Latin as the model of correct language is a development of the eighteenth and nineteenth century. Mediaeval Latin was a living language, taught because it was a necessity for communication among the educated. The interest in Roman and -in the C19 Greek- culture is related to a sense -in the eighteenth cenury that the Moderns have exceeded the achievements of the Ancients. Pepys times are a transition from Latin as a lingua franca to Latin as a frozen standard.

JWB  •  Link

"The President exhorted him to set vpon it with all possible speed."

It wasn't until 1669 that Hooke reported his infamous stellar parallax numbers, but his descent into fraud did not begin here. It has been discovered that drawings of snowflakes in "Microphia" were plagerized from Thos. Bartholin.

"Self-Deception & Gullibility", Wm. Broad & N. Wade in
"The ethical dimensions of the biological and health sciences "By Ruth Ellen Bulger, Elizabeth Heitman, Stanley Joel Reiser
http://books.google.com/books?id=…'s+fraud&source=bl&ots=8CQaXuydzR&sig=XAN84aMWwq_E91dsB8AUcBdlkeo&hl=en&ei=acZJS4GrDIfINa_NlI8J&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10&ved=0CB4Q6AEwCTgU#v=onepage&q=&f=false

and:

http://74.125.95.132/search?q=cac…

Terry Foreman  •  Link

Scientific fraud

Wm. Broad & N. Wade have common problems with experiment (historically = "experience") in science about right: self-deception and gullibility. Wishful thinking was a problem for many of us in high school chemistry. Sir Francis Bacon himself had noted and warned against the human (all too human) unjustified trust in the reports of the senses. Hence even the Royal Society required public demonstration and multiple confirmation -- by the Society ensemble and initially by a committee "or any two of them" -- of findings, but their procedures were too susceptible to group-think. ("Did you see that?!")

cape henry  •  Link

Without pointing to any specific line, this entry underscores Pepys keen knowledge of, and interest in, the dynamics of the political dimensions he moved through. This evolution, since the beginning of the diary, has been swift and natural.

cape henry  •  Link

"...and bought a head or two..." Another evolution we have witnessed - this casual toss off line probably represents an expenditure of money he would have agonized over not so long ago.

language hat  •  Link

"He also frequently uses phrases like 'to my wife and I.' I always thought that one of the main reasons for learning Latin was to gain better command of one’s native language, especially with regard to cases."

No, that is an excuse sometimes proffered since Latin became essentially useless for any practical purpose, but it is wrong. One needs to learn no other language to use one's own correctly (as should be obvious from a moment's thought). The very fact that people have for centuries said "to X and I" shows that it is perfectly good English; the opinion that it is "wrong" is driven by antiquated ideas about how language works (e.g., that language should be logical, or that English should be based on Latin). I'm sure some will be outraged, feeling certain that "to X and I" is in fact wrong, but they should read up on the modern science of linguistics and realize that their reaction is based on prejudice and not true understanding of language.

Sam had the good fortune to be living in a time when superstitions about English grammar had not been invented, so he was free to write his uninhibited, lively English without fear of "grammar mavens"!

CGS  •  Link

Interesting view point. Parliament , Money, King.
[noted 21C : Canada has prorogued its Parliament]

CGS  •  Link

Nuisance
A. n.

1. Injury, hurt, harm; esp. (in later use) that resulting from the perpetration of a legal nuisance. Obs.\\

2. a. Law. Something harmful or offensive to the public or to a member of it, for which there is a legal remedy; spec. unlawful interference with an individual in the enjoyment of his or her rights, esp. those relating to use and possession of land; an offence against private property.
to commit a nuisance: to do something which constitutes a nuisance of this kind; esp. to urinate or defecate in a public place.
{alpha} c1432
....
1641 KING CHARLES I Commons Remonstr. in Wks. (1662) II. 60 The sale of pretended Nusanzes, as Buildings in and about London.
1652 tr. A. Fitzherbert New Natura Brevium 452 Assise of Nusans lyeth where a man levieth a Nusans to my freehold.
1691 T. HALE Acct. New Inventions p. lxxxi, I find that a Nusance once erected may be abated by any Body.

1638 POTTER in W. Chillingworth Relig. Protestants I. iv. §67. 228 Shall it bee a fault to straiten and encumber the Kings high way with publique nuisances? 1733

b. A thing or action considered obnoxious or harmful because of its unsightliness, obstructiveness, smell, etc. (though not contravening any law). Cf. sense A. 3a and public nuisance n. at PUBLIC adj. and n. Special uses 2.

1661 J. EVELYN Fumifugium ii. 15 Such Trades, as are manifest Nuisances to the City.
a1669 J. DENHAM Poet. Wks. (1928) 103 Making efforts with all my Puissance, For some Venereal Reiouissance, I got (as one may say) a nuysance.
1687 T. BROWN Lib. Consc. in Duke of Buckingham Wks. (1705) II. 129 You think my Trade a Nuisance, I like it better, than a Powder-Shop.

c. A person or group of people regarded as offensive, harmful, or troublesome, esp. to the general public. Cf. sense A. 3b.
1676 G. ETHEREGE Man of Mode I. i. 9 Damn her, Dunghill, if her Husband does Not remove her, she stinks so, the Parish Intend to indite him for a Nusance.
1695 W. CONGREVE Love for Love II. i. 19 I'll swear you are a Nusance to the Neighbourhood{em}What a Bustle did you keep against the last Invisible Eclipse.

Don McCahill  •  Link

> he uses phrases like “cum ego”

LKvM

Sam usually is dropping into foreign languages in the diary when he is talking about his ribald exploits, and grammar is often misplaced in those areas. I suspect that when he wants to, SP can produce perfect Latin. I remember one case where he lambasted his younger brother for not being proficient at it.

CGS  •  Link

“cum ego” then in
1653 BAXTER Chr. Concord 64, I know this speech must be understood cum grano salis.
Pepys usage never made it to the OED

CGS  •  Link

I had hard time trying find an 'entree' for "like “cum ego” ".
Is it possible to have a citation?
4 ego's found, all in the naughty parts, not in the scholarly section.
e.g.
"yo haze ella hazer cum ego "

Ego may have been used as a "pre Freudian" error.
[cum grano salis]
OED
A second self; an intimate and trusted friend; a confidential agent or representative. Hence {smm}alter-{sm}egoism, altruism; {smm}alter-ego{sm}istic a., altruistic.
1537 R. LAYTON Let. 4 June in Lett. Suppress. Monast. (1843) 156 Ye muste have suche as ye may trust evyn as well as your owne self, wiche muste be unto yowe as alter ego.

1622 MABBE tr. Aleman's Guzman d'Alf. I. ii. 24 She would tell him, that I was his alter ego, that he and I were one.

1650 TRAPP Comm. Gen. ii. 18 One..that may be to him as an Alter-ego, a second-self.

1652 N. CULVERWEL Lt. Nature 10 We use to call a friend Alter ego. 1

language hat  •  Link

CGS: You're overthinking it. He's just translating "with me" into Latin using dictionary equivalents: cum = with, ego = me. (Yes, yes, ego is nominative and thus = "I", and "me" should be a declined form in Latin, but Pepys isn't concerned with grammar in those little pseudo-disguised foreignish bits, he's just tossing in random foreign equivalents, presumably for his own amusement, since they certainly don't impede understanding.)

CGS  •  Link

LH you are correct, but "Ego" was amused that Ego was discussed in this period of time.
"ego sum, ego existo"

Second Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"[Robert Howard and others] produce precedents for it; namely, that against new buildings and about leather,"

L&M note these were the act for rebuilding London after the Fire (18-19 Car. II. c. 8, 1666), sect. i ; and the act prohibiting the export of leather (14 Car. II. c. 7, 1662), sect. x.

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"[Richard Cooling ("Cowling", secretary to Manchester (Sandwich's cousin and the Lord Chamberlain) did also tell me upon my demanding it, that he do believe there are some things on foot for a peace between France and us, but that we shall be foiled in it."

L&M note the country party in the Commons strongly suspected the pro-French faction at court. But at this moment there was no question of a separate peace with France -- neither Louis nor Charles wanted it.

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

I wonder how many members attended this meeting of the Royal Society? I bet it was a packed house, or Pepys and Evelyn might remember seeing each other.

And poor Brouncker. Nothing worse than having to make a speech when you're no good at doing that.

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

Thank goodness Pepys was at Westminster this day ... imagine if we had no idea of the back-and-forth and issues, and just had the dry Parliamentary record later saying the Cattle Bill and Supply Bill passed or failed.

And I wonder where Hyde was: did he take a sick day because he didn't want to be on the record, inevitably upsetting many people?

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

By reading the book about King Charles I's downfall, perhaps Pepys was trying to guage how close England was to civil war over Charles II's behavior. Seems to me things were very rocky right now.

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

Any ideas why Charles II didn't want peace ... his navy was pretty much useless now? Delayed announcement, yes -- until after the Supply Bill passed and he got the money, then declare peace and keep the money. Good plan, Barbara -- I mean Charles.

Louis XIV wanted these two little countries to exhaust each other so he could invade the Spanish Netherlands without much Protestant resistance.

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