Tuesday 24 September 1667

Up, and to the Office, where all the morning very busy. At noon home, where there dined with me Anthony Joyce and his wife, and Will and his wife, and my aunt Lucett, that was here the other day, and Sarah Kite, and I had a good dinner for them, and were as merry as I could be in that company where W. Joyce is, who is still the same impertinent fellow that ever he was. After dinner I away to St. James’s, where we had an audience of the Duke of York of many things of weight, as the confirming an establishment of the numbers of men on ships in peace and other things of weight, about which we stayed till past candle-light, and so Sir W. Batten and W. Pen and I fain to go all in a hackney-coach round by London Wall, for fear of cellars, this being the first time I have been forced to go that way this year, though now I shall begin to use it. We tired one coach upon Holborne-Conduit Hill, and got another, and made it a long journey home. Where to the office and then home, and at my business till twelve at night, writing in short hand the draught of a report to make to the King and Council to-morrow, about the reason of not having the book of the Treasurer made up. This I did finish to-night to the spoiling of my eyes, I fear. This done, then to bed.

This evening my wife tells me that W. Batelier hath been here to-day, and brought with him the pretty girl he speaks of, to come to serve my wife as a woman, out of the school at Bow. My wife says she is extraordinary handsome, and inclines to have her, and I am glad of it — at least, that if we must have one, she should be handsome. But I shall leave it wholly to my wife, to do what she will therein.

19 Annotations

First Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

John Evelyn's Diary

24th September, 1667. Returned to London, where I had orders to deliver the possession of Chelsea College (used as my prison during the war with Holland for such as were sent from the fleet to London) to our Society, as a gift of his Majesty, our founder.
[ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chel… ]

http://bit.ly/d482SJ

Terry Foreman  •  Link

Clarendon to Ormond
Written from: [London]
Date: 24 September 1667

"... The truth is, I know not what to say, the world is so much altered since I wrote last. The great affliction I lay under, in the unexpected loss of my wife - which I did not apprehend full two days - had, I thought pretty well prepared me to quit this world; yet I cannot tell you that the other, which followed within few days, did not exceedingly surprize, & even astonish, me. Nor, in truth, am I yet recovered out of that trance; nor can I imagine how, from being thought a pretty wise fellow, I became suddenly to have no understanding, & to be of no use." ...

... "I thank God I fear nothing that my enemies can bring against me, though the number of them is great, & that of my friends fewer than I could imagine." ...

"If I am suffered, I shall be glad to spend the winter here; and at the spring shall retire to some corner in the country, where I may be able to get bread."

"I must not omit to tell you that the Duke of York hath been, & is, as gracious to me ... as possible."
_____

Clarendon to Ormond
Written from: Clarendon House
Date: 24 September 1667

Had thought his great affliction - in the unexpected loss of his wife - had pretty well prepared him to quit the World; yet the other, within so few days, did surprize & even astonish him. Nor is he yet recovered out of that trance.

Is not conscious of having done or said anything in discharge of his public trust, which he would not have done or said had he known himself about "that minute to expire".

[printed in Life of Ormond, 3, App.]

http://www.rsl.ox.ac.uk/dept/scwm…

Terry Foreman  •  Link

Anglesey to Ormond
Written from: London
Date: 24 September 1667

Has received the Duke's letter of September 9. "Some discontented adventurers" clamour against His Grace, and slight indications are given now & then, in Council, by whom they are encouraged. The writer, however, prefers to mention no names, until such an attempt be made, as may give occasion of open notice; when he "will not spare to appear", in the Duke's defence, & to acquaint objectors "with persons and things".

[No. I. By Colonel Cooke.]
_____

Anglesey to Ormond
Written from: London
Date: 24 September 1667

An adjournment of Barker's Case has been made, at Colonel Vernon's instance, an account of the length of some papers put in, by way of exceptions.

The chief clamourers against the Duke's administration are malcontents who "had swallowed more land in their expectations, than they find" to be extant.

[No II. By post.]

http://www.rsl.ox.ac.uk/dept/scwm…

Robert Gertz  •  Link

Spoiler...

"This evening my wife tells me that W. Batelier hath been here to-day, and brought with him the pretty girl he speaks of, to come to serve my wife as a woman, out of the school at Bow."

Gulp...A cloud no bigger than a man's hand.

Danger! Danger, Sam Pepys!!

Robert Gertz  •  Link

"...were as merry as I could be in that company where W. Joyce is, who is still the same impertinent fellow that ever he was."

"Hewer?"

"Sir?"

"Take a note. Insufficient groveling on the part of W. Joyce today."

"Yes, sir."

cum salis grano  •  Link

He that climbs the Ladder does not like to be reminded of the good old days especially if it casts a poor light.

An RG moment, " Samuel remember that milk mayde on the swings over at Bethel?"

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"After dinner I away to St. James’s, where we had an audience of the Duke of York of many things of weight, as the confirming an establishment of the numbers of men on ships in peace and other things of weight,...."

Lessons learned from the undermanned ships of the Medway disaster. L&M note the policy "in its final form (27 September) covered both peacetime and wartime...."

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"After dinner I away to St. James’s, where we had an audience of the Duke of York of many things of weight, as the confirming an establishment of the numbers of men on ships in peace and other things of weight,...."

Lessons learned from the undermanned ships of the Medway disaster and perhaps the non-productive bodies who'd been dead weight at other times? -- L&M note "The establishment [ i.e. policy ] in its final form (27 September) covered both peacetime and wartime...."

Terry Foreman  •  Link

“After dinner I away to St. James’s, where we had an audience of the Duke of York of many things of weight, as the confirming an establishment of the numbers of men on ships in peace and other things of weight,….”

Lessons learned from the undermanned ships of the Medway disaster and perhaps the non-productive bodies who’d been dead weight at other times? — L&M note the policy “in its final form (27 September) covered both peacetime and wartime….”

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"we stayed till past candle-light, and so Sir W. Batten and W. Pen and I fain to go all in a hackney-coach round by London Wall, for fear of cellars, this being the first time I have been forced to go that way this year, though now I shall begin to use it."

L&M note that "[a]fter the Fire, all that remained of many buildings was their cellars, now dangerously close to the traffic."

Eric Walla  •  Link

Don't do therein, Bess! Don't do therein! Ah shucks! She done do'd it ...

Honestly, I thought she had the sense to avoid too much temptation in the household. Maybe they've been getting along too well lately, with all the piping and all. And the prospect of promenading about town with an attractive companion would probably be seen as a status symbol.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

Tis fate, Eric...Fate. O, Fortuna...You fickle, evil one.

And that damned wandering eye of our hero...

***
And just maybe...

That Den of Iniquity...The Vatican...

The Vicar of Christ enthroned eyes the approaching cardinal...

"Speak..."

"Holiness... The latest English enterprise is under way."

"At last... And our agent?"

"An excellent, intelligent young woman..."

"Yes, yes, Cardinal...But is she...Suitable?"

"Outstanding, yet modestly so...A perfection, Holiness, our target will be unable to resist."

"Wouldn't take all that much..."

"No, Holiness...But within a short time she will have him and the Royal Navy wrapped about her little...Ummn..."

"...You weren't going to say 'finger', were you, Cardinal?"

"A thousand pardons and fifty Holy Marys, Holiness...No..."

"...Just make sure you say 'finger' in the secret archive, eh?"

"Si, Holiness..."

Bradford  •  Link

Enter stage left, Deborah Willet. (A sound of low thunder, from a distance.)

Second Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"the draught of a report to make to the King and Council to-morrow, about the reason of not having the book of the Treasurer made up."

L&M: The Board had been directed on 19 August to prepare a final statement of the accounts of Cartaret, the late Treasurer. On 21 September they had been asked to hasten it, and to prepare 'distinct accounts' for the war. On receiving their excuses on the 25th, the Council ordered the employment of extra clertks and accountants. Cartaret did not finish his accounts until August 1668.
(Per footnote)

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"L&M: The Board had been directed on 19 August to prepare a final statement of the accounts of Carteret, the late Treasurer. On 21 September they had been asked to hasten it, and to prepare 'distinct accounts' for the war. ..."

Pepys sounded shocked but unconcerned on the 18th, so he must have known he was being handed a mess on the 19th.

https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
Wednesday 18 September 1667

"... and at noon with my Lord Bruncker to the Treasurer’s office to look over the clerks who are there making up the books, but in such a manner as it is a shame to see."

Scube  •  Link

"Sir W. Batten and W. Pen and I fain to go all in a hackney-coach round by London Wall, for fear of cellars," Any insight on the fear of cellars? Were cellar bulkhead doors open for laying in coal for the winter?

James Morgan  •  Link

Thanks Terry for the letter from Clarendon. I had not known of the loss of his wife. I assume the other affliction is the loss of his office. It is a powerful paragraph:
"... The truth is, I know not what to say, the world is so much altered since I wrote last. The great affliction I lay under, in the unexpected loss of my wife - which I did not apprehend full two days - had, I thought pretty well prepared me to quit this world; yet I cannot tell you that the other, which followed within few days, did not exceedingly surprize, & even astonish, me. Nor, in truth, am I yet recovered out of that trance; nor can I imagine how, from being thought a pretty wise fellow, I became suddenly to have no understanding, & to be of no use." ...

john  •  Link

Scube, L&M note that the fire burnt down the houses leaving the cellars as dark pits near the roadways. (Just a short while ago, Pepys was in a coach that fell into one: https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/… .)

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