Saturday 12 October 1667
Up, and eat our breakfast, and set out about nine o’clock, and so to Barnett, where we staid and baited, the weather very good all day and yesterday, and by five o’clock got home, where I find all well; and did bring my gold, to my heart’s content, very safe home, having not this day carried it in a basket, but in our hands: the girl took care of one, and my wife another bag, and I the rest, I being afraid of the bottom of the coach, lest it should break, and therefore was at more ease in my mind than I was yesterday. At home we find that Sir W. Batten’s burial was to-day carried from hence, with a hundred or two of coaches, to Walthamstow, and there buried. Here I hear by Mr. Pierce the surgeon; and then by Mr. Lewes, and also by Mr. Hater, that the Parliament hath met on Thursday last, and adjourned to Monday next. The King did make them a very kind speech, promising them to leave all to them to do, and call to account what and whom they pleased; and declared by my Lord Keeper how many, thirty-six, actes he had done since he saw them; among others, disbanding the army, and putting all Papists out of employment, and displacing persons that had managed their business ill, that the Parliament is mightily pleased with the King’s speech, and voted giving him thanks for what he said and hath done; and, among things, would by name thank him for displacing my Lord Chancellor, for which a great many did speak in the House, but it was opposed by some, and particularly Harry Coventry, who got that it should be put to a Committee to consider what particulars to mention in their thanks to the King, saying that it was too soon to give thanks for the displacing of a man, before they knew or had examined what was the cause of his displacing. And so it rested; but this do shew that they are and will be very high; and Mr. Pierce do tell me that he fears, and do hear, that it hath been said among them, that they will move for the calling my Lord Sandwich home, to bring him to account; which do trouble me mightily; but I trust it will not be so. Anon comes home Sir W. Pen from the burial, and he and I to walk in the garden, where he did confirm the most of this news, and so to talk of our particular concernments, and among the rest he says that Lady Batten and her children-in-law are all broke in pieces, and that there is but 800l. found in the world, of money; and is in great doubt what we shall do towards the doing ourselves right with them, about the prize-money. This troubles me, but we will fall to work upon that next week close. Then he tells me he did deliver my petition into the hands of Sir W. Coventry, who did take it with great kindness and promised to present it to the Duke of York, and that himself has since seen the Duke of York, but it was in haste, and thinks the Duke of York did tell him that the thing was done, but he is confident that it either is or will be done. This do please me mightily. So after a little talk more I away home to supper with John Bowles and brother and wife (who, I perceive, is already a little jealous of my being fond of Willet, but I will avoid giving her any cause to continue in that mind, as much as possible), and before that did go with Sir W. Pen to my Lady Batten, whom I had not seen since she was a widow, which she took unkindly, but I did excuse it; and the house being full of company, and of several factions, she against the children, and they against one another and her, I away, and home to supper, and after supper to bed.
20 Annotations
First Reading
Terry Foreman • Link
Fallout from Lord Clarendon's ouster -- a parliamentary campaign against his allies including Ormond
Colonel Edward Vernon to Ormond
Written from: [London]
Date: 12 October 1667
Reports, at great length, a hearing of the appeal in 'Barker's Case'
[ http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1… ] before the Privy Council of England. ... Adds that all the bystanders observed the satisfaction expressed by the King & by H.R.H. [ the Duke of York ] with the judgment given therein by the Lord Lieutenant, towards whom both of them shewed marked kindness. ...
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Anglesey to Ormond
Written from: London
Date: 12 October 1667
"With difficulty enough", reports the writer, of the late proceedings at a Council meeting at Whitehall, "we got Barker's appeal dismissed, but it was late at night for it; and whether anything will be done to correct him for his printed Observations, when so many compassionated his case I cannot tell. ... There is much threatening that the offence taken at this judgement will bring the whole Settlement of Ireland into question in Parliament."
Adds an account of recent proceedings in Parliament on various matters._____
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Orrery to the Archbishop of Dublin
Written from: Charleville
Date: 12 October 1667
... If the two 'Articles' mentioned in the Archbishop's letter ... "be proved, it will be enough, and if [ Lord Clarendon] be guilty of either, he will deserve what he shall undergo". ...
... "Barker, since his dismissal at the [ Council ] Board in England is preparing Articles against my Lord Lieutenant here, and has engaged several Adventurers to join with him, to print his 'Case', [ and ] to bring it before the Parliament." ...
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Ossory to Ormond
Written from: [London]
Date: 12 October 1667
The Duke's recent care for the sending over the Revenue accounts of Ireland, "with that exactness which the importance of the affair requires", has given much satisfaction.
On the preceding day, October 11th, Barker's appeal to the Council was rejected, and the judgment given in Ireland was confirmed; but after long debates. Lords Anglesey, Lauderdale, Bridgewater, and Arlington, Sir Thomas Clifford, and the Duke of York spoke very obligingly of the Duke of Ormond, "and very well to the thing" in question; whilst Lords Carlisle, Holles, Berkeley, Buckingham, and some others, supported the appeal.
http://www.rsl.ox.ac.uk/dept/scwm…
Terry Foreman • Link
Arlington to Sandwich
Written from: Whitehall
Date: 12 October 1667
Explains the delay in the remitting of monies due to Lord Sandwich. His accounts have been put into the hands of the Commissioners of the Treasury, with a recommendation from the King for a speedy supply.
http://www.rsl.ox.ac.uk/dept/scwm…
Ric Jerrom • Link
Baiting again - and this time rather obviously stopping and scoffing...I'm planning to bait tomorrow (working in the Roman Baths in Bath, U.K.) on homemade soup and stuffed pitta bread...
Robert Gertz • Link
Poor Lady Batten...800Ls? Apparently Sir Will did enjoy the high life beyond his means.
Of course this opens interesting possibilities...Namely involving
...
"November, 1667...
Lady Batten did come to the office and implored me to do what I could for her regarding the matter of the prizes as yet unresolved. I did promise to do so and did kiss her cheek which she took without complaint and did agree to meet with me to discuss her affairs at a more convenient time.
Note-I am resolved to make further trial of her though I will do what I can for her."
Well, anyway, we shall see, though it would be true to form for Sam. I can already sense Sir Will spinning in his grave...
Robert Gertz • Link
"...for which a great many did speak in the House, but it was opposed by some, and particularly Harry Coventry, who got that it should be put to a Committee to consider what particulars to mention in their thanks to the King, saying that it was too soon to give thanks for the displacing of a man, before they knew or had examined what was the cause of his displacing."
What do we need a trial for when he's obviously guilty? I mean everyone's guilty of something...
Nice to see there are a few sane men about who'd like to hear the particulars of the case first.
Robert Gertz • Link
"...and did bring my gold, to my heart’s content, very safe home, having not this day carried it in a basket, but in our hands: the girl took care of one, and my wife another bag, and I the rest, I being afraid of the bottom of the coach, lest it should break..."
You have a loyal and loving wife, Sam. And are very fortunate she and Willet didn't bop you over the head with their bags and run off.
Still while Bess must have a good idea what was in the bags, having helped to bury them, I wonder what Willet's been told. Sam must be a little leery of having her spread tales of his wealth about...
"Sir?" gravely...
"Deb, dear girl?"
"What be in these sacks we're to carry, sir? If I may, sir?"
Uh-oh...Sam eyes Bess...Bess, Sam.
Possible responses:
"Magic dirt, girl. Brampton garden has the finest soil in England. I want to give several sacks to my fellow officers and spread some around our garden at Seething Lane."
Hmmn...
"Well, if you must know, Deb. I'm a blood-sucking vampire, but thanks to my dear wife, have regained my soul and have daylight protection via magic. However, I require my native soil from Brampton to lie in at night, less I revert."
I don't think so...
"Very good question, Willet. And Mrs. P and I feel you have earned our trust. These sacks contain special soil from Brampton which contains a fantastic new substance which produces an unheard-of explosive power which when Mrs. P's brilliant father..."
Beam from Bess...Oh, Sam'l...
"...Deploys it in his newly invented super cannon, will win the next Dutch war for us. And the one after that..."
Nah...
"Shut up girl and do as you're told."
Bess' contribution ...And a brilliant one, Sam notes.
Michael Robinson • Link
" ... and that there is but 800l. found in the world, of money; and is in great doubt what we shall do towards the doing ourselves right with them, about the prize-money. This troubles me, ...."
L&M footnote: Pepys had sold to Batten his share in the prize taken recently by their Privateer the 'Flying Greyhound' ... Batten had died owing Pepys £666 13s. 4d.
Robert Gertz • Link
Seems one of the rare entries where Sam mentions eating breakfast. Wonder what was on the menu? Flax flakes and here muffins, with jam and a glass of ale?
gingerd • Link
When he does mention breakfast it is usually when he is travelling, otherwise it is just "my morning draught"
Maybe when on the road they weren't sure when or where they would get dinner so made sure they had something to eat early to keep them going?
Geoff Hallett • Link
In Yorkshire if the rain is bating, it is stopping or slowing down. However in my old OED, baiting is to feed a horse. Perhaps that was what Sam was doing, I hope not with Ric's home made soup and stuffed pitta bread.
martinb • Link
"... [my wife] a little jealous of my being fond of Willet, but I will avoid giving her any cause to continue in that mind, as much as possible"
Solemn commitment followed by a get-out clause. Those last four words seem to sum up one part of Pepys' make-up vey well.
Terry Foreman • Link
"as much as possible”
SP as hopeful realist.
Terry Foreman • Link
"I wish I may, I wish I might...." -- Samuel Pepys, Esq.
nix • Link
"I being afraid of the bottom of the coach, lest it should break…”
Sounds a bit like my old MG with the wooden floorboards.
Second Reading
Terry Foreman • Link
"there is but 800l. found in the world, of money"
There is some relative cash-insecurity over the long term. L&M say his will (PCC, Carr 144) shows ther pricipal assets are land in Easton St George's, Somerset (inherited from his father and now left, with the mortgages redeemed, to his second son, Benjamin), and the dues payable under his patent for the two lighthouses at Harwich. He left £10 to each of his two daughters and the same to their children, Mary Leming (Lemon) and William Castle.
Cases like this would be marginally improved by a banking system: the family quarrel is probably long-standing and incurable
Terry Foreman • Link
"and is in great doubt what we shall do towards the doing ourselves right with them, about the prize-money."
Pepys had sold to Batten his share of the prize taken recently by their privateer the Flying Greyhound. Batten had died owing Pepys £666 13s. 4d.
Terry Foreman • Link
"The King did make them a very kind speech, promising them to leave all to them to do, and call to account what and whom they pleased"
L&M: This refers to the examination of the war finances; the words were used by the Lord Keeper, not by the King: see LJ, xii. 115-16. Cf Milward, p. 85.
Terry Foreman • Link
"and declared by my Lord Keeper how many, thirty-six, actes he had done since he saw them; among others, disbanding the army, and putting all Papists out of employment, and displacing persons that had managed their business ill,"
L&M: These particulars were not in the Lord Keeper's speech but in the address of thanks (delivered on the 14th) which the Commons was now drawing up: Marvell, ii. 57; CJ, ix, 1, 2. Pepys's inaccuracies here are perhaps due to the number of his informants.
Matt Newton • Link
Those bags of gold....
Anyone an idea of their weight?
Sam plus his family and gold appear to be quite a load.
Harry R • Link
"did go with Sir W. Pen to my Lady Batten, whom I had not seen since she was a widow, which she took unkindly, but I did excuse it"
There are 720 references to Batten in the diary, only a few posthumously, and 143 to his wife, but barely an acknowledgment by Sam of his death. It seems strange to me and no wonder Lady B took it unkindly that he only puts in an appearance after the funeral. Extremely magnanimous of Sam though to excuse her for this. And I excuse him too. He had weightier matters on his mind, the bags of gold.