Tuesday 7 May 1667

Up betimes, and by coach to St. James’s; but there find Sir W. Coventry gone out betimes this morning, on horseback, with the King and Duke of York, to Putney-heath, — to run some horses, and so back again to the office, where some witnesses from Chatham which I sent for are come up, and do give shrewd testimonies against Carcasse, which put my Lord into a new flame, and he and I to high words, and so broke up. Then home to dinner, where W. Hewer dined with us, and he and I after dinner to discourse of Carcasses business, wherein I apparently now do manage it wholly against my Lord Bruncker, Sir W. Pen, like a false rogue, shrinking out of the collar, Sir J. Minnes, afoot, being easily led either way, and Sir W. Batten, a malicious fellow that is not able to defend any thing, so that the whole odium must fall on me, which I will therefore beware how I manage that I may not get enemies to no purpose. It vexes me to see with what a company I am mixed, but then it pleases me to see that I am reckoned the chief mover among them, as they do, confess and esteem me in every thing.

Thence to the office, and did business, and then by coach to St. James’s again, but [Sir] W. Coventry not within, so I wrote something to him, and then straight back again and to Sir W. Batten’s, and there talked with him and [Sir] J. Minnes, who are mighty hot in Carcasses business, but their judgment’s not to be trusted. However, I will go through with it, or otherwise we shall be all slaves to my Lord Bruncker and his man’s impudence. So to the office a little, and then home to supper and to bed, after hearing my wife sing, who is manifestly come to be more musical in her eare than ever I thought she could have been made, which rejoices me to the heart, for I take great delight now to hear her sing.

16 Annotations

First Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

A News-Letter. Addressed to Sir George Lane
Written from: [Whitehall]
Date: 7 May 1667

Gives the purport of recent advices from Paris and from the Hague, and of naval intelligence received at Bristol from the Plantations in the West-Indies. With other news.

The King's "excellent inventions" in the science of Fortification, - "found out, with infinite art, by his royal self", - have been "framed into a medal", at the suit of Sir Samuel Morland

http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/dept/s…

Right.

cape henry  •  Link

"...otherwise we shall be all slaves to my Lord Bruncker and his man’s impudence."Wow.

Australian Susan  •  Link

"...to run some horses..." Hold private horse races on Putney Heath??

"shrinking out of the collar." Wonderful expression - but does it refer to a horse collar (horse being reluctant to allow collar to be put on so it can start work) or a dog collar - (dog wiggling free and running away)?

JWB  •  Link

"shrinking out of the collar"
...or shirking the collar?, e.g.:

"But in too many of the teams we saw, the two horses weren’t pulling equally: one was doing most of the work, sometimes really seeming to struggle, while the other was shirking..."
nosleepingdogs
http://nosleepingdogs.wordpress.c…

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"Carcasses business, wherein I apparently now do manage it wholly against my Lord Bruncker"

So Carkasse had been correctly told Pepys was his adversary.

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…

(Like Pepys, I wish this matter would be done with!)

Andrew Hamilton  •  Link

The collar --

OED, collar 8a fig. to slip (the) collar: ... to draw back from a task or undertaking: also to shrink collar.

Sam's use not cited. To shirk the collar seems as good a phrase, maybe more apt in this context.

cum salis grano  •  Link

"...shrinking out of the collar,..." my 'tort' be , He nearly be caught red handed with hand on the monies has slipped away free, like so many a lauded one, has talked his way out of being punished.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

"...it pleases me to see that I am reckoned the chief mover among them, as they do, confess and esteem me in every thing."

Uh-oh. Sammmm...

Where is that Roman triumph slave when you need him?

"Remember, thou are mortal."

***

Music hath charm...cont.

"Hold me close and hold me fast
The magic spell you cast
This is la vie en rose
When you kiss me, Heaven sighs
And though I close my eyes
I see la vie en rose
When you press me to your heart
I'm in a world apart
A world where roses bloom
And when you speak
Angels sing from above
Every day words
Seem to turn into love songs
Give your heart and soul to me
And life will always be
La vie en rose
I thought that love was just a word
They sang about in songs I heard
It took your kisses to reveal
That I was wrong, and love is real
Hold me close and hold me fast
The magic spell you cast
This is la vie en rose
When you kiss me, Heaven sighs
And though I close my eyes
I see la vie en rose
When you press me to your heart
I'm in a world apart
A world where roses bloom
And when you speak
Angels sing from above
Every day words
Seem to turn into love songs
Give your heart and soul to me
And life will always be
La vie en rose"

"Sam'l? Didn't you like it? It's a little better in my French version..."

"Oh..." Cough... "No, no. Quite nice. Pardon." Runs for closet.

"Sam'l?" call at door. "You did like it?"

"Oh, yes. You can do the French version now."

"Well, come out...Please..."

"Just go ahead, Bess. My eyes are troubling me."

***
I could wish for your poor sake, Samuel, that you hadn't written this one...And tomorrow's. I only hope that along with dreadful sorrow and bitter remorse, they also brought comfort remembering the pleasure she took in pleasing you.

John  •  Link

What exactly are James Carcasse's alleged crimes? I'm done some research on it tonight and am none the wiser.

cum salis grano  •  Link

Basically, he was misusing the ancient art of sticky fingers with funds.

"...Mr. Carcasse brought me near 500 tickets to sign, which I did, and by discourse find him a cunning, confident, shrewd man, but one that I do doubt hath by his discourse of the ill will he hath got with my Lord Marquess of Dorchester (with whom he lived), he hath had cunning practices in his time, and would not now spare to use the same to his profit.... "

http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…

Mary  •  Link

Carcasse was also accused of taking bribes.

cum salis grano  •  Link

bribe:
an ancient art form of superior persuasion of mind over matter, still has many practicing this means of inducement to purchase items. [modern form now -rebate.]
? persuading that [the bribed one] purchaser to accept fiscal proof that goods be of superior and tangible better than all other offerings in coin rather than in trusted verbal/written documentation.

OED
bribe, n.

1. A thing stolen or robbed; theft, robbery; spoil, plunder. Obs. (The Chaucer quotation is doubtful: if the n. is right, it might perh. have the sense of ‘an alms’, as in OF.)
c1386 CHAUCER Friar's T

2. ‘A reward given to pervert the judgment or corrupt the conduct’ (J.). a. The earlier sense probably regarded it as a consideration extorted, exacted, or taken by an official, a judge, etc.; i.e. as the act of the receiver: cf. BRIBER.
1535 COVERDALE Ecclus

b. But it is now applied to a consideration voluntarily offered to corrupt a person and induce him to act in the interest of the giver, e.g. a consideration given to a voter to procure his vote.
1555 ...
. 1570 LEVINS Manip. 113 A Bribe, largitio.
1607 SHAKES. Cor. I. ix. 38, I..cannot make my heart consent to take A Bribe.
1667 PEPYS Diary (1879) IV. 340 His rise hath been his giving of large bribes.

briber
1. A vagabond, strolling vagrant; = F. bribeur, It. and Sp. bribon. Obs. (The last quot. belongs doubtfully here.)
b. Hence: Scoundrel, wretch, rascal. (Cf. a similar use of beggar, vagabond, thief.) Obs.
1387 TREVISA ..
2. A thief, purloiner, or robber; a taker of blackmail; an extortioner. Obs.
1377

3. A judge or other official who levies ‘blackmail’ upon those to whom he should administer justice; one who exacts or accepts bribes; a bribee. Cf. BRIBE-TAKER. Obs.
1520
4. One who offers or gives a bribe.
1583
{dag}5. A thing that bribes, a price paid. Obs.
1607 SHAKES. Timon III. v. 61 His seruice done at Lacedemon, and Bizantium, Were a sufficient briber for his life.
1483

Second Reading

Scube  •  Link

Wondering if and how Lord Bruckner ever managed to get even with Sam.

Gerald Berg  •  Link

Shrinking out of the collar. A ox is yoked, a horse is collared.

I think Carcasse is suppose to be the collar. To my mind this implies making some people responsible for having Carcasse appointed to the NB. Pen manages to shrink away from this 'collar of responsibility' for either Carcasse's hire or his subsequent behaviour. Bruckner cannot shrink from it.

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

'"...to run some horses..." Hold private horse races on Putney Heath??'

I spent way too much time last night reading histories of Putney and Putney Heath. Research is always interesting and never wasted, but the only references I found to horse racing on the Heath quoted this note by Pepys. No hint of exactly where or how often Charles II did this.

Knowing of his later love of Newmarket and his ponies, my guess is Charles is looking for diversions from a failed war, a broken heart, and his creditors. He must have been extremely depressed. Being the King is not always fun.

Log in to post an annotation.

If you don't have an account, then register here.