Friday 11 January 1666/67
Up, being troubled at my being found abed a-days by all sorts of people, I having got a trick of sitting up later than I need, never supping, or very seldom, before 12 at night. Then to the office, there busy all the morning, and among other things comes Sir W. Warren and walked with me awhile, whose discourse I love, he being a very wise man and full of good counsel, and his own practices for wisdom much to be observed, and among other things he tells me how he is fallen in with my Lord Bruncker, who has promised him most particular inward friendship and yet not to appear at the board to do so, and he tells me how my Lord Bruncker should take notice of the two flaggons he saw at my house at dinner, at my late feast, and merrily, yet I know enviously, said, I could not come honestly by them. This I am glad to hear, though vexed to see his ignoble soul, but I shall beware of him, and yet it is fit he should see I am no mean fellow, but can live in the world, and have something. At noon home to dinner, and then to the office with my people and very busy, and did dispatch to my great satisfaction abundance of business, and do resolve, by the grace of God, to stick to it till I have cleared my heart of most things wherein I am in arrear in public and private matters. At night, home to supper and to bed. This day ill news of my father’s being very ill of his old grief the rupture, which troubles me.
11 Annotations
First Reading
Mr. Gunning • Link
Sam's flaggons! Will he ever shut up about them?
I wonder if they survived until now....doubtful.
Can anyone recall from where (or whom) he acquired them?
cape henry • Link
"...[that]I could not come honestly by them." Such is the risk of ostentation. These flagons, if I recall, were, uh, gifts from someone currying favor. What it is deemed perfectly reasonable and proper for a lord or knight to acquire in a certain fashion may be highly suspect in a commoner - even a talented and highly placed one.
L. K. van Marjenhoff • Link
So Sir W. Warren "merrily" said Sam "could not come honestly by" his flagons. Over the past six years of annotations there have been several mentions of the need for a miniseries about Sam. Here is a proposed title for such a miniseries: "Sam Pepys: On the Take and On the Make."
Louise H • Link
Looks to me like he got the flaggons from Mr. Gauden, a navy victualler of course. See entry 21 July 1664:
"This morning to the office comes Nicholas Osborne, Mr. Gauden’s clerke, to desire of me what piece of plate I would choose to have a 100l., or thereabouts, bestowed upon me in, he having order to lay out so much; and, out of his freedom with me, do of himself come to make this question. I a great while urged my unwillingnesse to take any, not knowing how I could serve Mr. Gauden, but left it wholly to himself; so at noon I find brought home in fine leather cases, a pair of the noblest flaggons that ever I saw all the days of my life; whether I shall keepe them or no I cannot tell; for it is to oblige me to him in the business of the Tangier victualling, wherein I doubt I shall not; but glad I am to see that I shall be sure to get something on one side or other, have it which will: so, with a merry heart, I looked upon them, and locked them up."
http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
There are various other entries to be found by searching for "flaggons." I find the entry 7 August 1664 very endearing:
"So up and ready, and my wife also, and then down and I showed my wife, to her great admiration and joy, Mr. Gauden’s present of plate, the two flaggons, which indeed are so noble that I hardly can think that they are yet mine. So blessing God for it, we down to dinner mighty pleasant, ...."
http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
CGS • Link
on the take.
We only the rules adjust all the time, as every one likes a little on the side, i.e. take advantage of the new rules to prevent the unfair advantage of the old rules, like the expense account or housing allowance for the Members of the houses as they live so far away from the where they sit, they need an extra bed sitter, or you want my vote, give a bridge to nowhere.......
Here we will see how the Unsalaried are allowed to have perks or means to accumulate wealth, but this is the first attempt for the navy to get its value, not unlike how the new coins get milled to prevent the lessers from skimming gold, monies have a habit of fading away into another pocket.
Morality is adjustable to the needs of eating, be clothed and an have a hammock to sling.
Enclosures are running amok as the Landlords want to have private grazing for greater profits.
Adjust the rules, wools for the dead, no red wines from France, no cheap Irish beef etc..
Eric Walla • Link
I was surprised too at how Sam threw caution to the wind when it came to laying out the plate for his meal. Watch out, Sam--I thought--your pride in ownership will only lead others to suspect you of milking your position in service to the King. Oops! 21st- (or probably still 20th-) Century thinking. As he has carried on, it becomes obvious that Sam WANTS exactly that, he wants people to "... see I am no mean fellow, but can live in the world, and have something." Everyone is doing it, most prominently the King himself, and Sam want to be every bit a Man of his Time, the envy of those around him.
Robert Gertz • Link
"...being troubled at my being found abed a-days by all sorts of people..."
"By God, the man still abed yet?" "Shhh, Charley. Sorry, sir. Joiners for the new floor."
"Mr. Pepys? Are you still in there? Mr. Jones, sir...Naval Complex window-washer?" "Yes..." "Shall I come back at some...Even more obscene hour, sir?"
"Pepys! Pepys!!"
"Sir William? Are you throwing rocks at my bedroom...Ow!!... Window, sir?"
"Sorry, Samuel. Seemed the only way to roust you, today." merry call.
"Pardon me, sir." "Bess? Who the devil's that now?"
"Floor washer, sir."
"Floor washer? Bess, since when we do need...?"
"Since your last party here the other night when three of your guests were ill..."
"Right..."
"I was tole 11am'd be quite all right, sir." "Yes, yes...." "Taking our time about it, this am, are we, sir?"
"Delivery for Pepys!!!!!"
Bang on floor of bedroom...
"Good God! Bess?!!!"
"Oh...Sorry, sir."
"Sam'l. It's after 11 and I can hold our deliveries all day long."
"But what the devil's the boy doing in our bedroom?"
"My...Privates...Sam'l." hiss. "Among other things..."
Oh...
"From Mr. Unthankes with his compliments, sir. And the gent outside who said to make sure I drop the heavy one with a bang."
"Indeed you did, boy..."
"Believe he wants you up and out, sir."
"Right..."
"Bit of a head, sir? Tis' the season, sir."
"Bit of a head, meself..." one of the joiners notes rather loudly to the floor-washer. "Don't keep me from me duties."
"Gentry...You know..." Washer makes a face.
"Out!! Everyone!!!! Out!!!!"
"Sam'l...."
"Fine by me...Charge by the hour I do." the joiner notes in passing.
"Sam'l..."
"Oh, you can stay."
"Really...? Well...Oh, but, Sam'l. The Duke..."
"Duke? Don't tell me. Outside?"
"With Warren. At least he has a sense of humor what with the boy and package and all..."
***
Robert Gertz • Link
Seems Sam's a bit nervous about his ill-gotten gains...Bruncker was quite a good fellow in his books until his jest of today dropped him to Penn level. On the other hand who could resist enjoying the envy of a Lord? Though I'd bet it will be Abigail who'll be determined to count every Pepysian penny when she hears.
Of course the real worry would be the relationship beginning to bloom between Warren and Bruncker. If my Lord is really wondering how to get some flaggons for himself and Abby, he may be planning to show Sir Will how much more a Lord can do for Warren, Inc.
Robert Gertz • Link
"What?"
"Nothing..."
"Bess...What are you grinning about?"
"You ought to know."
"Bess..."
"All morning...'Betty...Bess...Elisabeth...Sweet Betty...It must have been some dream about me you were having."
"Uh...Really...?"
"A fantasic dream I would say..."
"Yes...Darling it was."
(Oh, Lord...I thank thee for bestowing upon me the wisdom to take upon myself only....)
"And when you were screeching 'Oh, Bess...Oh, bag me well..." giggle.
"It was a little odd...It was 'bag me well', right?"
Ummmn...."Absolutely..."
(OH, most merciful God almighty!!)
Terry Foreman • Link
Concerning a treaty between Portugal & Spain - the London Gazette
Lisbon, Jan. 11. All things continue peaceable in this
Kingdom , the expectations of all persons being fixt upon the Assembly of Estates, which by reason of some difficulties which have risen in Elections, is from the first, put off till the 20th. of this month.
His Excellency the Earl of Sandwich, is in few dayes expected here, to the great satisfaction of the generality of the people, who with impatiency expect the happy success of his Negotiation. http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/i…
Second Reading
john • Link
"merrily, yet I know enviously, said, I could not come honestly by them."
Petty praise, in my opinion.