Friday 18 October 1667

Up, and by coach with Sir W. Pen to White Hall, and there attended the Duke of York; but first we find him to spend above an hour in private in his closet with Sir W. Coventry; which I was glad to see, that there is so much confidence between them. By and by we were called in and did our usual business, and complained of the business yesterday discovered of our officers abusing the King in the appraisement of the prizes. Here it was worth observing that the Duke of York, considering what third rate ships to keep abroad, the Rupert was thought on, but then it was said that Captain Hubbert was Commander of her and that the King had a mind for Spragg to command the ship, which would not be well to be by turning out Hubbert, who is a good man, but one the Duke of York said he did not know whether he did so well conforme, as at this lime to please the people and Parliament. Sir W. Coventry answered, and the Duke of York merrily agreed to it, that it was very hard to know what it was that the Parliament would call conformity at this time, and so it stopped, which I only observe to see how the Parliament’s present temper do amuse them all.

Thence to several places to buy a hat, and books, and neckcloths, and several errands I did before I got home, and, among others, bought me two new pair of spectacles of Turlington, who, it seems, is famous for them; and his daughter, he being out of the way, do advise me two very young sights, as that that will help me most, and promises me great ease from them, and I will try them. At the Exchange I met Creed, and took him home with me, and dined, and among other things he tells me that Sir Robert Brookes is the man that did mention the business in Parliament yesterday about my Lord Sandwich, but that it was seconded by nobody, but the matter will fall before the Committee for miscarriages. Thence, after dinner, my wife and he, and I, and Willet to the King’s house, and saw “Brenoralt,” which is a good tragedy, that I like well, and parted after the play, and so home, and there a little at my office, and so to my chamber, and spent this night late in telling over all my gold, and putting it into proper bags and my iron chest, being glad with my heart to see so much of it here again, but cannot yet tell certainly how much I have lost by Gibson in his journey, and my father’s burying of it in the dirt. At this late, but did it to my mind, and so to supper and to bed.

14 Annotations

First Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"what third rate ships to keep abroad"

L&M note, i.e. for the winter guard of the coasts.

***
"his daughter...do advise me two very young sights"

I.e., note L&M, concave lenses, suitable for the young suffering from "short-sight." Turlington himself confirmed this advice, but they did not suit and Pepys did not buy them: he, as we recall, apparently suffered from "long-sight" and astigmatism, which, at the time. could neither be diagnosed nor improved.

***
"telling over all my gold"

I.e., counting it.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

"...being glad with my heart to see so much of it here again, but cannot yet tell certainly how much I have lost by Gibson in his journey, and my father’s burying of it in the dirt."

Well, considering Bess and Will Hewer could have gutted you and left you for dead on the road and invited Paulina and Gibson to share in the blessings of your death. Or Deb might have called in a gang of thieves having been posted to the wealthy and flaunting Mr. Pepys as an informer..Not a bad outcome. You might pause to count those blessings as well, Sam...Faithful employees, good friends, a true and devoted wife.

Spoiler...

But sadly, you will one day when they're gone...

JWB  •  Link

"Society at large would become demoralized by the use of spectacles; they would give one man an unfair advantage over his fellows, and every man an unfair advantage over every woman, who could not be expected, on æsthetic and intellectual grounds, to adopt the practice."
Robert Crosse, (1605-1683) puritan divine

Terry Foreman  •  Link

“…being glad with my heart to see so much of it here again,..."

L&M note the accounts Pepys made up this night survive and show his having £2720 7s. 3d. in gold.

'State of Gold after my returne from Brampton. Oct 18 1667...Memd. Soe much as my gold had cost mee less then 22d. and would have sold for more, I have lost of my Profit. Soe much as my present Quantity of Gold yeeld mee lesse then 22d. I loose out of Purse, the price I then ayd for them ariseing at most but to 2720. 07. 03. the 3 jacobus's given my Father in law being included.'

Tony Eldridge  •  Link

Splendid quote from Robert Crosse, JWB.
Up till now I had been wondering where my sense of superiority came from.

Wim van der Meij  •  Link

“his daughter...do advise me two very young sights”
With Sam one might expect a double meaning here ;-)

language hat  •  Link

"...his daughter, he being out of the way, do advise me two very young sights, as that that will help me most, and promises me great ease from them, and I will try them."

I presume I was not the only one surprised that that was all that happened. She must have been ill favored (in Pepys's view).

Robert Gertz  •  Link

Heaven...

Sam frowning...

"Was I going to make a lewd pass at a woman holding sharp objects three inches from my eyeballs?"

"Were you?" Bess, glaring...

cum salis grano  •  Link

A bit old fashioned rhyming slang or just a scanning error?
"...as at this lime to please the people..."
or how to remove people without trace?

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"...as at this time, to please the people and Parliament."

So transcribe L&M. Well-sighted, cum salis grano.

Fern  •  Link

"Men never make passes at girls who wear glasses"

Second Reading

Nicolas  •  Link

No doubt only the rich could afford spectacles. Had I lived then I would’ve been a beggar on the street with a tin cup!

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"Here it was worth observing that the Duke of York, considering what third rate ships to keep abroad, the Rupert was thought on, but then it was said that Captain Hubbert was Commander of her and that the King had a mind for Spragg to command the ship ..."

I'm confused again about the role of the Navy Board versus The Admiralty. Seems to me the disposition of ships and captains are decisions to be discussed with Penn, Rupert and Albermarle.

And here's William Coventry MP, who is supposed to have retired from business with the Navy ... but no mention of his replacement, Matthew Wren, being in on the conversation. Maybe Pepys answers my confusion:

"Sir W. Coventry answered, and the Duke of York merrily agreed to it, that it was very hard to know what it was that the Parliament would call conformity at this time, and so it stopped, which I only observe to see how the Parliament’s present temper do amuse them all."

I.E. The Stuart Brothers will do business their way, and confound Parliament, committees, etc.

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