Saturday 24 August 1667

(St. Bartholomew’s day). This morning was proclaimed the peace between us and the States of the United Provinces, and also of the King of France and Denmarke; and in the afternoon the Proclamations were printed and come out; and at night the bells rung, but no bonfires that I hear of any where, partly from the dearness of firing, but principally from the little content most people have in the peace.

All the morning at the office. At noon dined, and Creed with me, at home. After dinner we to a play, and there saw “The Cardinall” at the King’s house, wherewith I am mightily pleased; but, above all, with Becke Marshall. But it is pretty to observe how I look up and down for, and did spy Knipp; but durst not own it to my wife that I see her, for fear of angering her, who do not like my kindness to her, and so I was forced not to take notice of her, and so homeward, leaving Creed at the Temple: and my belly now full with plays, that I do intend to bind myself to see no more till Michaelmas. So with my wife to Mile End, and there drank of Bides ale, and so home. Most of our discourse is about our keeping a coach the next year, which pleases my wife mightily; and if I continue as able as now, it will save us money.

This day comes a letter from the Duke of York to the Board to invite us, which is as much as to fright us, into the lending the King money; which is a poor thing, and most dishonourable, and shows in what a case we are at the end of the war to our neighbours. And the King do now declare publickly to give 10 per cent. to all lenders; which makes some think that the Dutch themselves will send over money, and lend it upon our publick faith, the Act of Parliament. So home and to my office, wrote a little, and then home to supper and to bed.

20 Annotations

First Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"This morning was proclaimed the peace between us and the States of the United Provinces, and also of the King of France and Denmarke"

Treaty of peace & alliance between the United Netherlands and Great Britain, concluded at Breda, July 21/31, 1667.
http://bit.ly/9uN8Sy

Treaty of peace between Great Britain and France, concluded at Breda, July 21/31, 1667. Ratifications exchanged, August 14/24, 1667.
http://bit.ly/9PoyCG

An account of the Treaty ending the Second Anglo-Dutch War
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trea…

Find the treaty with the Dutch in a library by this title:

Articles of peace & alliance between the Most Serene and Mighty Prince Charles II, by the grace of God, King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, defender of the faith, &c. and the High and Mighty Lords, the States General of the United Netherlands, concluded the 21/31 day of July, 1667
http://www.worldcat.org/title/art…

Terry Foreman  •  Link

John Evelyn's Diary

24th August, 1667. I was appointed, with the rest of my brother commissioners, to put in execution an order of Council for freeing the prisoners at war in my custody at Leeds Castle, and taking off his Majesty's extraordinary charge, having called before us the French and Dutch agents.

The peace was now proclaimed, in the usual form, by the heralds-at-arms.

http://bit.ly/9x1fLY

Bradford  •  Link

10%! Why, Sam, are you going to pass up an offer too good to be true? Yes, scaring the well-off will certainly convince them to loosen their purse-strings. Glad to see the King's Business in such good hands.

Carl in Boston  •  Link

Terry, thank you for providing the reference to Heralds. It led to pursuivant, and further: "Some Masonic Grand Lodges have an office known as the Grand Pursuivant." I met the Grand Pursuivant of Maine once in a local lodge. He was very fine to look at, but I hadn't a clue what he did and now I know.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

"...which makes some think that the Dutch themselves will send over money, and lend it upon our publick faith..."

Oh, ja, sure...Who wouldn't trust in the credit and faith of Charles Stuart and his kingdom?

Robert Gertz  •  Link

Bides' is the...One ale to have...When you're having more than one.

Or when you'd like to get your dear wife so drunk she doesn't complain about your fascination with certain actress.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

"...the Proclamations were printed and come out..."

"'It is peace in our time'?"

Hmmn...Jamie frowns at the writer, eyeing Charlie who shakes head...

"I know a fellow named Thomas who can twist it to look good and put the blame on the Danes."

"Hmmmn...No...Just doesn't quite do it."

"'Our forces have won a great moral victory!'?"

"You're putting me on, right?" Charlie stares.

"Might play in the sticks..." Jamie, hopefully.

"No." wave of hand...

"Well, sire... 'Thank God It's Over'?"

Hmmn... "Honest, concise...Not quite the thing to get the pocketbooks open and flowing, though."

"Might lead to idle speculation...Rumor, leading to criticism, however undeserved." Jamie, frowning...

"Keep on, man." Charlie pats back...

"'Hang Pett, the Traitor.'?"

"Hmmn...Well...Has merit but doesn't quite deliver the key message about the war being over."

"Ummn...Hows' about 'Louis' Treachery Thwarted! England and Holland Reconciled!'"

"Now that's good...Turns the tables. And Louis did..."

Er, Jamie...Charlie, aside...Whispering.

Oh...

"No good." both at once.

"'We're Whipped, Just Pray They Don't Want Plague and Fire-ridden England'?"

"Humor...I like that." Charlie, coldly. "Commissioner Pett could use your company in the Tower to lighten his protective detention."

"I trust you do have something else..." Jamie, glaring...

Sigh...

"'Three Cheers for the Troops!'?"

"Hmmn...Everyone supports the troops...?" Jamie eyes Charlie. "Even when we have to gun them down to keep them, we support them."

"I think it'll sail." Charlie nods. "But lets make it 'His Majesty's Troops'. Right now we could end up with crowds deliriously cheering to welcome Dutch troops."

"Over my kingdom's revolted nationality and my own daughter's true allegiance to me." Jamie, frowning.

Terry Foreman  •  Link

St. Bartholomew's day

Methinks the announcement of the two treaties on St. Bartholomew's day is appropriate since the massacre of Huguenots on this day in 1572 was preceded by French Huguenot and Catholic intervention in the Netherlands.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._…'s_Day_massacre

andy  •  Link

Bide's Ale

I think it was Kingsley Amis who in one of his early novels - Lucky Jim, possibly - coined the advertisement for his protagonist Bowen:

"Bowen's Beer - Makes You Drunk"

Good to see how British enthusiasm for local labels stems from Sam's time, if not earlier.

Mary  •  Link

Charles II's urgent need for money

is shown by the manner in which these loans are being raised. The letter sent to the Board by the Duke of York asked for a list of names of those stumping up and the sums that they had lent so that an account of their 'zeal for the King's service' might be known. Just a bit of pressure being applied.

As to the terms of the loan, that 10% interest contains two elements, as noted by L&M. To the 6% statutory rate is added a further 4% for all sums loaned before 1st November. Money coming in after 1st November would only command a premium of 2% over the statutory rate.

JWB  •  Link

"In Holland" declared Josiah Child in 1668,"any man that is a competent good husband, prudent and careful in his business, may take up 500 pounds or 1,000 pounds at 3% upon his own note only." p 129 ,"A History of Interest Rates", Homer & Sylla
http://books.google.com/books?id=…

Wim van der Meij  •  Link

Interesting that now the peace has been signed Sam calls the Dutch "our neighbours" again. He had a lot of other words for them earlier.

Mary  •  Link

neighbours.

Well, this is pretty non-committal; better than 'foes' but not a good as 'friends'. Just stating a fact.

Second Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

Articles of peace & alliance between the Most Serene and Mighty Prince Charles II, by the grace of God, King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, defender of the faith, &c. and the High and Mighty Lords, the States General of the United Netherlands, concluded the 21/31 day of July, 1667
England and Wales., England and Wales. Treaties, etc. United Provinces of the Netherlands, 1667 July 31., United Provinces of the Netherlands. Treaties, etc. England and Wales, 1667 July 31., England and Wales. Treaties, etc. France, 1667 July 31., England and Wales. Treaties, etc. Denmark, 1667 July 31., Denmark. Treaties, etc. England and Wales, 1667 July 31., United Provinces of the Netherlands. Staten Generaal.
In the Savoy: Printed by the assigns of John Bill and Christopher Barker ..., 1667. http://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo2…

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"After dinner we to a play, and there saw “The Cardinall” at the King’s house, wherewith I am mightily pleased; but, above all, with Becke Marshall."

L&M: Rebecca Marshall, the younger of two sisters who acted at this theatre, played the part of the Duchess Rosaura in this production. The play was a tragedy by James Shirley.

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"And the King do now declare publickly to give 10 per cent. to all lenders;"

L&M: To the interest of 6% allowed by the Act was to be added a gratuity of 4% on all sums lent before 1 November. The gratuity was to be reduced to 2% after that date.

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"which makes some think that the Dutch themselves will send over money, and lend it upon our publick faith, the Act of Parliament."

L&M: The Dutch kept interest rates on government stock low throughout the century.

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