Saturday 6 July 1667

Up, and to the office, where some of us sat busy all the morning. At noon home to dinner, whither Creed come to dine with us and brings the first word I hear of the news of a peace, the King having letters come to him this noon signifying that it is concluded on, and that Mr. Coventry is upon his way coming over for the King’s satisfaction. The news was so good and sudden that I went with great joy to [Sir] W. Batten and then to [Sir] W. Pen to tell it them, and so home to dinner, mighty merry, and light at my heart only on this ground, that a continuing of the war must undo us, and so though peace may do the like if we do not make good use of it to reform ourselves and get up money, yet there is an opportunity for us to save ourselves. At least, for my own particular, we shall continue well till I can get my money into my hands, and then I will shift for myself. After dinner away, leaving Creed there, by coach to Westminster, where to the Swan and drank, and then to the Hall, and there talked a little with great joy of the peace, and then to Mrs. Martin’s, where I met with the good news que elle ne est con child, the fear of which she did give me the other day, had troubled me much. My joy in this made me send for wine, and thither come her sister and Mrs. Cragg, and I staid a good while there. But here happened the best instance of a woman’s falseness in the world, that her sister Doll, who went for a bottle of wine, did come home all blubbering and swearing against one Captain Vandener, a Dutchman of the Rhenish Wine House, that pulled her into a stable by the Dog tavern, and there did tumble her and toss her, calling him all the rogues and toads in the world, when she knows that elle hath suffered me to do any thing with her a hundred times. Thence with joyful heart to White Hall to ask Mr. Williamson the news, who told me that Mr. Coventry is coming over with a project of a peace; which, if the States agree to, and our King, when their Ministers on both sides have shewed it them, we shall agree, and that is all: but the King, I hear, do give it out plain that the peace is concluded. Thence by coach home, and there wrote a few letters, and then to consult with my wife about going to Epsum to-morrow, sometimes designing to go and then again not; and at last it grew late and I bethought myself of business to employ me at home tomorrow, and so I did not go. This afternoon I met with Mr. Rolt, who tells me that he is going Cornett under Collonel Ingoldsby, being his old acquaintance, and Ingoldsby hath a troop now from under the King, and I think it is a handsome way for him, but it was an ominous thing, methought, just as he was bidding me his last adieu, his nose fell a-bleeding, which ran in my mind a pretty while after. This afternoon Sir Alexander Frazier, who was of council for Sir J. Minnes, and had given him over for a dead man, said to me at White Hall: — “What,” says he, “Sir J. Minnes is dead.” I told him, “No! but that there is hopes of his life.” Methought he looked very sillily after it, and went his way. Late home to supper, a little troubled at my not going to Epsum to-morrow, as I had resolved, especially having the Duke of York and [Sir] W. Coventry out of town, but it was my own fault and at last my judgment to stay, and so to supper and to bed. This day, with great satisfaction, I hear that my Lady Jemimah is brought to bed, at Hinchingbroke, of a boy.

16 Annotations

First Reading

Bradford  •  Link

"The Omen of the Bleeding Nose." Can other readers recall similar instances where Pepys is impressed, negatively or positively, by the seeming symbolism of a simple coincidence?

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"Mr. Rolt...tells me that he is going Cornett under Collonel Ingoldsby"

Cornet was originally the third and lowest grade of commissioned officer in a British cavalry troop, after captain and lieutenant. A cornet is a new and junior officer....The cornet carried the troop standard, also known as a "cornet". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corn…

Robert Gertz  •  Link

Life goes well as Sam celebrates (hopefully) victories on both the diplomatic and personal fronts.

Sam...If Doll says no, she means no. Sort of like when those flag dealers wanted to bribe you and you said no, not liking them or their trustworthiness. Suppose they'd gone and forced you to take their gold by threats.

"We'll have our way with ye yet, Mr. Pepys, har, har. Take that gold, you cheap clerk. Now c'mere and give us a signature on the dotted line here."

"Oh, gentlemen...Unhand me. I say no!"

Ooof...One goes down, struck by Sam in belly with head, Sam running off.

"Eh, away with ye! There be other naval administrators...Of more fair rank and manner!!" the other calls after him.
***

"And then they tore my waistcoat and I ran..." Sam to the Sirs William B and P, and the recovering Minnes.

"Eh..." Penn shrugs. "You might as well've given them what they wanted. You do for everyone else."

***

And you might've taken Bess to Epsum. Geesh...

Mary  •  Link

"the best instance of a woman's falseness in the world"

Well, I suppose it all depends on your point of view.

Wim van der Meij  •  Link

In this case a very male-chauvinist point of view.

Phoenix  •  Link

"But here happened the best instance of a woman’s falseness in the world, that her sister Doll, who went for a bottle of wine, did come home all blubbering and swearing against one Captain Vandener ... "

Of the many reasons the diary is intriguing:

Sam is not only totally oblivious to the difference between consent (I'm assuming consent) granted him and being taken forcibly but he also illustrates the curious propensity we have - men and women alike - to see someone who violates a social norm - no matter how hypocritical that norm and our attitude is - as deserving of what they get. Especially women. Even today.

A hundred times Sam? Another male tendency. Apparently ageless.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

Or he could just have been trembling in his boots at the thought of taking on Capt. Vandener.

Second Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"This afternoon I met with Mr. Rolt, who tells me that he is going Cornett under Collonel Ingoldsby, being his old acquaintance, and Ingoldsby hath a troop now from under the King;"

L&M: For Ingoldsby's appointment, see https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/… .
Edward Rolt was a relative of his, and like him had once served in the Cromwellian army. He came of a family Pepys knew in Brampton.

David G  •  Link

I wouldn't call Mr. Rolt's nose bleed a coincidence, as Bradford suggested a decade ago. It's probably a result of high blood pressure/stress, relating to Rolt's decision to join the cavalry where it's likely the mortality rate for junior officers, even 350 years ago, was fairly high.

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"This afternoon I met with Mr. Rolt, who tells me that he is going Cornett under Collonel Ingoldsby, being his old acquaintance, and Ingoldsby hath a troop now from under the King, and I think it is a handsome way for him ..."

I recall all those warrants sent out by Charles the day the Dutch began the attack on the Medway. Obviously I was optimistic about how long it would take new colonels to respond with troops. How fortunate they were that the Dutch (and French) did not bring an army ... they would have been half way to York by now.

"and that there are regiments ordered to be got together, whereof to be commanders my Lord Fairfax, Ingoldsby, Bethell, Norton, and Birch, and other Presbyterians"

L&M: On 13 June, 1667 some colonelcies were granted to 'Presbyterians' and ex-parliamentarians such as Fairfax, Manchester and Norton. CSPD 1667, pp. 179, 181, 182, 199. For other forms of the rumor, see newsletter (15 June): ib., p. 189.
https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
June 13 to July 6, and the troops are not underway yet.

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"At least, for my own particular, we shall continue well till I can get my money into my hands, and then I will shift for myself."

This appears to be a plan Pepys has for his future.

I thought he was possibly the only person in London who had consolidated his investments before the start of this year's hostilities (and before he sent some of it to Brampton). This sounds like there is more out there to be harvested. The "and then I will shift for myself" sounds like he wants to quit as CoA.

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

Pepys can't take Elizabeth to Epsom: He IS the Navy right now.

The Duke of York and Coventry are out of town (plus Coventry isn't involved in the Navy any more). Brouncker is in Rochester, driving around in a coach. Mennes is ill, and Batten and Penn have been sick recently and appear not to have been in the office today. Pett is in the Tower. Who else was there? Oh, the new guy who's name I can't remember -- he's not ready for prime time alone.

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

Now I remember: Lord Annesly [Anglesey] became the Treasurer of the Navy yesterday, and the new guy's name was [Sir] T. Harvy. I rest my case. No way Pepys could responsibly go to Epsom in what were still chaotic times.

Mary K  •  Link

Nose-bleeds

According to The Encyclopedia of Superstitions (Richard Webster, available as an e--book) a nose-bleed was traditionally regarded as a sign of bad luck; especially so if it came from the right nostril, as that portended a death. (But doesn't specify whose death).

Vincent Telford  •  Link

Re: Phoenix comment above - Mrs Martin according to Claire Tomalin 'took a cheerful, pagan view of sex and its possibilities' and her Sister Doll was presumably of a similar attitude and disposition, the difference (re the attacker Captain Vandena) is that they both very much like Pepys & were two of Pepys several sexual mistresses through out this diary. Of course sisters do talk to each other, often in an intimate way and so they may well have many times compared notes re Pepys and their personal relationships and interactions with him.

Pepys in this time of this diary seems to be handsome (according to his portait), young, rich, confident, very intelligent and something of a charmer - his attitudes to women and sex (Re: Pepys understanding of consent) could definitely do with updating to the early 21th century but Pepys lived in the late 17th century and persumably shared the attitudes of almost all around him, that being the culture of his time and place; this diary gives us now insight into what those attitudes commonly were (thought perhaps I am assuming they were common then), something that might otherwise have been lost.

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