Thursday 21 March 1666/67
Up, and to the office, where sat all the morning. At noon home to dinner, and had some melancholy discourse with my wife about my mother’s being so ill and my father, and after dinner to cheer myself, I having the opportunity of Sir W. Coventry and the Duke of York’s being out of town, I alone out and to the Duke of York’s play-house, where unexpectedly I come to see only the young men and women of the house act; they having liberty to act for their own profit on Wednesdays and Fridays this Lent: and the play they did yesterday, being Wednesday, was so well-taken, that they thought fit to venture it publickly to-day; a play of my Lord Falkland’s called “The Wedding Night,” a kind of a tragedy, and some things very good in it, but the whole together, I thought, not so. I confess I was well enough pleased with my seeing it: and the people did do better, without the great actors, than I did expect, but yet far short of what they do when they are there, which I was glad to find the difference of. Thence to rights home, and there to the office to my business hard, being sorry to have made this scape without my wife, but I have a good salvo to my oath in doing it. By and by, in the evening, comes Sir W. Batten’s Mingo to me to pray me to come to his master and Sir Richard Ford, who have very ill news to tell me. I knew what it was, it was about our trial for a good prize to-day, “The Phoenix,” a worth two or 3000l.. I went to them, where they told me with much trouble how they had sped, being cast and sentenced to make great reparation for what we had embezzled, and they did it so well that I was much troubled at it, when by and by Sir W. Batten asked me whether I was mortified enough, and told me we had got the day, which was mighty welcome news to me and us all. But it is pretty to see what money will do. Yesterday, Walker was mighty cold on our behalf, till Sir W. Batten promised him, if we sped in this business of the goods, a coach; and if at the next trial we sped for the ship, we would give him a pair of horses. And he hath strove for us today like a prince, though the Swedes’ Agent was there with all the vehemence he could to save the goods, but yet we carried it against him. This put me in mighty good heart, and then we go to Sir W. Pen, who is come back to-night from Chatham, and did put him into the same condition, and then comforted him. So back to my office, and wrote an affectionate and sad letter to my father about his and my mother’s illness, and so home to supper and to bed late.
30 Annotations
First Reading
Terry Foreman • Link
The Royal Society today at Arundel House — from the Hooke Folio Online
61 [In margin]Vol. 3.
March. 21. 1666/7. The curator [ Mr. Hooke ] produced againe his new kind of contracted telescope of two foot long performing the part of a 6 foot Glasse by the meanes of 2 reflections he was orderd to bring in the Description of it and to try it vpon nocturnall obiects, as also to haue ready at the next meeting a 6 foot glasse to compare it with & to change the Obiect glases. (Reiue to be acquainted the Society acepted of his 120 foot glasse.)
Mr Smethwicks glasse vsed as an eye glasse. Sr. P Neile was desired to incourage the Inuentor of this vnder taking. who intimated that he had wished him to addresse himself to Mr Hooke for assistance.
The curator brought in the Description of his Instrument of an easy and simple, but vniversall instrument to Describe all kinds of plain dialls together with a demonstration of the principles and Reason of it. It was orderd to be enterd, and the curator affirming that vpon the same principle he could frame an instrument to indicate the Inaequality of Dayes, he was desired to cause such an instrument to be made.
(a Scotch amethyst where are whole rocks of the same. also yellow spar from Ireland dd. to mr Hooke for repository) Dr Cotton profess magnets.)
The curator was put in mind to make expt. wth the great Loadstone.
(letter from Paris about starr in collo ceti & in andromeda
[ http://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/ufh…
Omicron Ceti - Mira http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.… ].)
The curator affirmed tht the air had been soe thick about London lately that he had not been able to see the s[ai]d starrs) *
The Curator was desired to bring in at the next meeting his demonstration of ye curue line &. (Hayes the figures of snow) bone out of bladder) of transfusing blood of a mangy into sound dog) account from from paris of the same.)
http://webapps.qmul.ac.uk/cell/Ho…
Terry Foreman • Link
"The curator [ Mr. Hooke ] affirmed tht the air had been soe thick about London lately that he had not been able to see the s[ai]d starrs"
Indeed, see *Fumifugium, or, The inconveniencie of the aer and smoak of London dissipated together with some remedies humbly proposed* by J.E. esq. to His Sacred Majestie, and to the Parliament now assembled is a pamphlet published in London, 1661, by John Evelyn. http://www.gyford.com/archive/200…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fumi…
Terry Foreman • Link
Arlington to Sandwich
Written from: Whitehall
Date: 21 March 1667
The King, perceiving that the governing party in Holland cannot be brought to consent to treat at the Hague, has at last agreed to treat at Breda. The Emperor's
[ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leop… ] mediation has been accepted here, & the Baron d'Isola [ the Spanish ambassador ] is about to offer it in Holland.
http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/dept/s…
cum salis grano • Link
interesting
"...I went to them, where they told me with much trouble how they had sped, being cast and sentenced to make great reparation for what we had embezzled, and they did it so well that I was much troubled at it, when by and by Sir W. Batten asked me whether I was mortified enough, and told me we had got the day, which was mighty welcome news to me and us all. ..."
cum salis grano • Link
A sentence ending preposition?
Interesting
"...where unexpectedly I come to see only the young men and women of the house act; they having liberty to act for their own profit on Wednesdays and Fridays this Lent: and the play they did yesterday, being Wednesday, was so well- taken, that they thought fit to venture it publickly to-day; a play of my Lord Falkland’s called “The Wedding Night,” a kind of a tragedy, and some things very good in it, but the whole together, I thought, not so. I confess I was well enough pleased with my seeing it: and the people did do better, without the great actors, than I did expect, but yet far short of what they do when they are there, which I was glad to find the difference of...."
Robert Gertz • Link
"...a play of my Lord Falkland’s called “The Wedding Night,” a kind of a tragedy..."
Smile on his face as he writes that one...
***
"Thence to rights home, and there to the office to my business hard, being sorry to have made this scape without my wife..."
Philandering on a regular basis being one thing but going to a play without Bess...
Heaven...
"You know...It's entries like these that make me think the whole thing about all those women was just your fantasizing." Bess eyes our hero.
Hmmn...On the one hand...It would make her very happy. On the other...
"This is my yearly trap, correct?" Sam asks. Bess dissolving into fuming Satan, muttering as she returns to Hell.
"Oh, well done, honey." real Bess notes, entering.
Ow!! "Bess?!"
"That's for not taking me."
Robert Gertz • Link
"...comes Sir W. Batten’s Mingo to me to pray me to come to his master and Sir Richard Ford, who have very ill news to tell me. I knew what it was, it was about our trial for a good prize to-day, “The Phoenix,” a worth two or 3000l.. I went to them, where they told me with much trouble how they had sped, being cast and sentenced to make great reparation for what we had embezzled, and they did it so well that I was much troubled at it, when by and by Sir W. Batten asked me whether I was mortified enough..."
That Batten, what a sense of humor... Now if he could just have gotten Sir John Robinson to send over a couple of Tower guards.
Clearly the boys in the office know their little colleague quite well.
Paul Chapin • Link
Do unto others ... Despite his clear discomfort at this nasty practical joke, Sam was willing to join in doing the same to Sir William Penn. That annoys me.
Mary • Link
Sir William Batten's Mingo.
How nice to meet Mingo again. With one exception (a couple of years ago) we've heard nothing of him since 1661. Good to know that he is still with the Battens.
Robert Gertz • Link
I get the feeling Mingo has a quiet but dignified presence. Sam seems to treat him with a degree of respect and not mind at all that he be sent to summon him. Apparently Mingo also played a part in setting the mood of "very ill news".
"Pray, Mr. Pepys, Sir William asks that you come to him at once. He has news on the matter of the Phoenix for you."
"Bad news, eh?"
"I couldn't say, sir. Though Sir William, he did suggest you might wish to bring along a change of clothing and some ready cash."
"Oh, my..."
"I did say, pray, sir."
Australian Susan • Link
I've said it before and, before we all go our separate ways in 1669, I'll probably say it again, but THANK YOU, RG! You never fail to brighten my day with your erudite wit and perspicacious comments!
language hat • Link
"A sentence ending preposition?"
The superstition about not ending sentences with prepositions had not, I am happy to say, been dreamed up yet in Pepys' day.
Robert Gertz • Link
Just my having fun with the Pepysian masterwork when my own work gets too grating. I like to think Sam would be as tolerant of my doodling...When no one else is around, at least...As the general group. Thanks, truly.
cum salis grano • Link
Picking on prepositions dothe make for job security or nice lifetime income trying to get us all.
cape henry • Link
"...“The Wedding Night,” a kind of a tragedy..." It certainly is for some, isn't it.
Australian Susan • Link
Cue to quote (I do hope this is real and not a factoid) Winston Churchill. On someone complaining that he had ended a memo with a preposition, WC is (supposed) to have sent a memo in reply:
"This is something up with which I will not put."
cum salis grano • Link
attributed to WSC but never found in any written or recorded text .
language hat • Link
Yes, I'm pretty sure that's apocryphal.
Australian Susan • Link
Yes, I thought it probably was when I posted, but it is so much in character.
Kevin Peter • Link
I found this episode of Sam's coworkers playing a practical joke on him quite amusing. I could just imagine the expression of relief on Sam's face as they told him the truth and started laughing at how they had pulled one over on him.
Then of course he joins in on pulling the same prank on Sir William Penn. It's reading about things like this that really makes history come alive for me.
Terry Foreman • Link
"the young men and women of the house "
L&M note these were the players who were not shareholders in the theatre, who had been allowed to set aside the prohibition of plats on Fridays during Lent, a prohibition attested by Pepys in a comment of 1 March 1667 about a dismal "Friday (on which in Lent there are no plays)". http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
Second Reading
Terry Foreman • Link
L&M transcribe: "our trial for a good prize to-day, “The Phoenix,” worth 2 or 3000l.."
L&M: A ship of Riga recently brought into Dover. The Prize Commissioners on 8 March had referred the issue to Dr Leoline Jenkins, judge of the High Court of Admiralty, who now upheld the claim of the Swedish Resident (Leijonberg) that the ships and goods were Swedish. The ship was discharged on 28 March.
San Diego Sarah • Link
Dr Leoline Jenkins, Judge of the High Court of Admiralty
https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…
San Diego Sarah • Link
"... though the Swedes’ Agent was there with all the vehemence he could to save the goods, ..."
Terry, any help from L&M on the anguished Swedish Agent's name?
Terry Foreman • Link
"... though the Swedes’ Agent was there with all the vehemence he could to save the goods, ..."
Terry, any help from L&M on the anguished Swedish Agent's name?
------------
Alas, San Diego Sarah, neither on this entry nor in The Companion do L&M offer4 any help.
The Swedes Resident is Sir Johan Barckmann (Baron Leijonbergh) https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl… Would his eminence involve himself personally is this dispute, or send an agent?
San Diego Sarah • Link
Terry, I hate to play I-gotcha ... but today you say
"... mediation has been accepted here, & the Baron d'Isola [ the Spanish ambassador ] ..."
But on Monday 30 September 1667 by Terry Foreman on 30 Sep 2010
"… and the mediation of D'Isola [ the Emperor's Ambassador ] …"
You and I spent a long time trying to sort out what the HRE Leopold I, the Spanish Court, the Portugese and Baron d'Isola were up to, as misreported by Louis XIV to the chagrin of the Earl of St.Albans on 11 March 1667, and to be honest, I'm still not clear:
https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
San Diego Sarah • Link
No go on Ambassador Johan Barckmann, Baron Leijonbergh
The list of Swedish Ambassadors to the Court of St. James has a pesky gap at this time, and I haven't found any helpful lists of Envoys.
1558–1561 Dionysius Beurraeus
1629–1632 Jakob Spens
1656–1657 Krister Bonde
1672–1691 Johan Barckmann, Baron Leijonbergh
1703–1710 Christoffer Leijoncrona
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lis…
San Diego Sarah • Link
"I having the opportunity of Sir W. Coventry and the Duke of York’s being out of town,"
L&M: On 20-21 March, 1667 the Duke of York and Sir Bernard de Gomme, joint engineer-in-chief of royal castles and forts, were busy at Harwich preparing plans for the construction of a second fort to secure the harbor.
I'm guessing Coventry was one of the gentlemen-in-waiting who went with the Duke of York and de Gomme. Someone had to keep notes, and James could never travel alone.
San Diego Sarah • Link
Terry ... you were right about the Swedish Resident:
https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
Monday 21 January 1667
Up betimes, and with, Sir W. Batten, [Sir] W. Pen by coach to the Swede’s Resident’s in the Piatza,
The Swede -- L&M Companion -- Swedish Resident Johan Barckmann 1625 – 1691. cr. Baron Leijonbergh (Swed.) 1658 -- Career diplomat, he was in the Swedish embassy in London from 1653, becoming Commissary 1655, Resident 1661 and Envoy 1672; kn. & bt. 1661. He married Sir William Batten's widow. A quarrel with Pepys over prize-goods, which almost led to a duel in 1667, was not long-lasting. In 1687 he presented Pepys with a copy of Pufendorf's *Commentariorum de rebus Suecicis XXVI* (1686) inscribed "Dno. Samueli Pips" in honor of their 26 years of friendship.
Since they are about to come to blows over prize goods, I have to assume Barckmann was at least represented in today's argument.
San Diego Sarah • Link
I had completely forgotten the back story to the Pheonix and their first run-in with Swedish Resident Sir Johan Barckman ... see https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/… for
Monday 21 January 1667.
Read the whole day because Penn, Batten and Pepys meet him in the morning, and discuss whether or not to let Forde bribe him, and for how much, in the evening. Today we find out they bribed the Admiralty judge instead.