Saturday 23 February 1666/67
This day I am, by the blessing of God, 34 years old, in very good health and mind’s content, and in condition of estate much beyond whatever my friends could expect of a child of theirs, this day 34 years. The Lord’s name be praised! and may I be ever thankful for it. Up betimes to the office, in order to my letter to the Duke of York to-morrow, and then the office met and spent the greatest part about this letter. At noon home to dinner, and then to the office again very close at it all the day till midnight, making an end and writing fair this great letter and other things to my full content, it abundantly providing for the vindication of this office, whatever the success be of our wants of money. This evening Sir W. Batten come to me to the office on purpose, out of spleen (of which he is full to Carcasse !), to tell me that he is now informed of many double tickets now found of Carcasses making which quite overthrows him. It is strange to see how, though I do believe this fellow to be a rogue, and could be contented to have him removed, yet to see him persecuted by Sir W. Batten, who is as bad himself, and that with so much rancour, I am almost the fellow’s friend. But this good I shall have from it, that the differences between Sir W. Batten and my Lord Bruncker will do me no hurt.
14 Annotations
First Reading
Terry Foreman • Link
Arlington to Ormond
Written from: Whitehall
Date: 23 February 1667
When Lord Berkeley & the writer come into the office of Packet-Boats [for Ireland], they will try to observe the Lord Lieutenant's rules. At this end of Lady Chesterfield's lease, it is impossible to prevail with her to mend anything.
A copy is sent [but not now appended to the letter] of the States' Letter to his Majesty, desiring him to accept of Boisleduc, Maastricht, or Breda, as the place of Treaty, instead of the Hague. ... But the King absolutely refuses the proposition.
_____
Ormond to Anglesey
Written from: Dublin
Date: 23 February 1667
After various details concerning matters of Revenue and trade, in Ireland, the Duke proceeds: "It is certain [that] Peace is best made with a good and ready sword in the hand. If the King is not found in that posture, the misfortune may, but the fault cannot, be his. Let it be remembered when the succour was promised & ... when it was ascertained. Then, the want of due preparation must be laid - I will not say where, but I am sure not at Whitehall. Yet I hope God will give us a safe & honourable Peace, or make the War so to us." ...
http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/dept/s…
cape henry • Link
"But this good I shall have from it, that the differences between Sir W. Batten and my Lord Bruncker will do me no hurt." Happy Birthday, Mr. Pepys - indeed.
Eric Walla • Link
Needless to say, "Happy Birthday, Sam!" Now get back to work ...
Robert Gertz • Link
"It is strange to see how, though I do believe this fellow to be a rogue, and could be contented to have him removed, yet to see him persecuted by Sir W. Batten, who is as bad himself, and that with so much rancour, I am almost the fellow’s friend."
The key word is "almost".
Interesting...One pictures a man like Batten being able to do a lot more to someone like Carcasse than threaten to have him investigated for double ticketing.
Oh, think on Mordaunt and be gone, James...!
Terry Foreman • Link
"I am almost the fellow’s friend.”
Ironic, since "[t]hroughout his ‘Lucid Intervals’, [James] Carkesse [will] maintain [in 1679] that he has been thrown into Bedlam by the contrivance of his enemies:
Satan’s Agents, my false Friends, combine
A Minister to Silence and confine.
I’m forc’d (though Sober) Bedlam to inherit,
When they, who put me here, the Prison merit;
For they’re possest, not I, by th’Evil Spirit…
These enemies seem to include, interestingly, Samuel Pepys, who had caught Carkesse peculating at the Navy Office, and had him dismissed from office:
… Mr. Pepys, who hath my Rival been
For the Duk’es favour, more than years thirteen:
But I excluded, he High and Fortunate…
http://roy25booth.blogspot.com/20…
Ruben • Link
Double tickets and Carkesse opinion about his co-workers
I looked for information at the best source since civilization began and found the following:
From the hair rising book "Corporate Fraud" by Michael J Comer
http://books.google.co.il/books?i…
in page 8: "All frauds can be prevented by people asking the right questions at the right time."
page 17: "ask a criminal about fraud and he will tell you that everyone is dishonest. To an extent we see others as mirror images of ourselves."
page 87: "the fraudster is not clever enough to realize that concealment is possible or is stupid enough to believe that he has hit upon a unique scheme that cannot be detected."
More on page 156 "genuine suppliers".
And some weird findings concerning "double tickets"
http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/londo…
http://www.thehagueonline.com/hea…
ONeville • Link
'(of which he is full to Carcasse)'
Seems to me that our Sam is enjoying a play on words there.
Second Reading
Terry Foreman • Link
"making an end and writing fair this great letter and other things to my full content, it abundantly providing for the vindication of this office, whatever the success be of our wants of money."
L&M: Dated this day; copies (in Pepys's hand) in LMM, LBK/8, FF. 458-60 (printed in Further Corr., pp. 158+). It asked for a minimum of £526,135 to be paid in weekly installments of £40,000 in order to set out a summer fleet. At 14 March Pepys reports that the sum has been granted, though not in ready money.
Terry Foreman • Link
"It is strange to see how, though I do believe this fellow to be a rogue, and could be contented to have him removed, yet to see him persecuted by Sir W. Batten, who is as bad himself, and that with so much rancour, I am almost the fellow’s friend."
L&M : Two tickets made out for the same service. Pepys has a note in NWB, p. 105 about the payment of two soldiers in December 1666, adding that Carkesse did not keep a register of all tickets registered.
San Diego Sarah • Link
"At this end of Lady Chesterfield's lease, it is impossible to prevail with her to mend anything."
At first I thought he was referring to Ormonde's daughter, Elizabeth Butler Stanhope, Countess of Chesterfield, but she died at Wellinborough in July, 1665 aged 25.
Then I remembered the Countess of Chesterfield who was Elizabeth's mother-in-law, the former postmistress, Lady Katherine Wotton Stanhope van der Kerckhove O'Neill, who was made Countess of Chesterfield in her own right by Charles II for her services, mostly to Mary, the Princess Royal in Holland.
The old lady's tenure as postmistress ended in 1666, so I suppose she's ending her lease on a home which she rented from Ormonde. She will die of an edema on 9 April 1667 (age 58) at Belsize Park, Middlesex, and be buried on her father's estate.
Must have been confusing having two Lady Chesterfields running around Court at the same time.
Tonyel • Link
But think of the time saved by not having to address Lady Katherine Wotton Stanhope van der Kerkhove O'Neill !
San Diego Sarah • Link
But then readers might miss the point of husband #1 allowing her the title of Lady Chesterfield, and the hint as to how long she had been "friends" with #3. These forgotten women had lives ... interesting ones. It also enables readers to realise that a woman is talking to her former brother-in-law or distant cousin.
Following men is much easier; you don't lose your identity when you get married. It's bad enough that Hinchingbrooke becomes Sandwich for no discernable reason -- add the name Edward Montagu, and engaged readers have a hope of working it out.
john • Link
Never a mention in the diary of celebrating the anniversary of anyone's birth (excepting the king). I found some (undocumented) assertions that celebrating "common" birthdates began in the 19th century.
Liz • Link
I continue to be amazed at how young SP actually is at this point. All that he has achieved, the goings-on that occur and that portrait put me in mind of a much older man.