Sunday 20 October 1667
(Lord’s day). Up, and put on my new tunique of velvett; which is very plain, but good. This morning is brought to me an order for the presenting the Committee of Parliament to-morrow with a list of the commanders and ships’ names of all the fleetes set out since the war, and particularly of those ships which were divided from the fleete with Prince Rupert;1 which gives me occasion to see that they are busy after that business, and I am glad of it. So I alone to church, and then home, and there Mr. Deane comes and dines with me by invitation, and both at and after dinner he and I spent all the day till it was dark in discourse of business of the Navy and the ground of the many miscarriages, wherein he do inform me in many more than I knew, and I had desired him to put them in writing, and many indeed they are and good ones; and also we discoursed of the business of shipping, and he hath promised me a draught of the ship he is now building, wherein I am mightily pleased. This afternoon comes to me Captain O’Bryan, about a ship that the King hath given him; and he and I to talk of the Parliament; and he tells me that the business of the Duke of York’s slackening sail in the first fight, at the beginning of the war, is brought into question, and Sir W. Pen and Captain Cox are to appear to-morrow about it; and it is thought will at last be laid upon Mr. Bruncker’s giving orders from the Duke of York (which the Duke of York do not own) to Captain Cox to do it; but it seems they do resent this very highly, and are mad in going through all business, where they can lay any fault. I am glad to hear, that in the world I am as kindly spoke of as any body; for, for aught I see, there is bloody work like to be, Sir W. Coventry having been forced to produce a letter in Parliament wherein the Duke of Albemarle did from Sheernesse write in what good posture all things were at Chatham, and that the chain was so well placed that he feared no attempt of the enemy: so that, among other things, I see every body is upon his own defence, and spares not to blame another to defend himself, and the same course I shall take. But God knows where it will end! He gone, and Deane, I to my chamber for a while, and then comes Pelling the apothecary to see us, and sat and supped with me (my wife being gone to bed sick of the cholique), and then I to bed, after supper. Pelling tells me that my Lady Duchesse Albemarle was at Mrs. Turner’s this afternoon, she being ill, and did there publickly talk of business, and of our Office; and that she believed that I was safe, and had done well; and so, I thank God! I hear every body speaks of me; and indeed, I think, without vanity, I may expect to be profited rather than injured by this inquiry, which the Parliament makes into business.
13 Annotations
First Reading
JWB • Link
"Great detachments are sometimes necessary evils, but in this case no necessity existed. Granting the approach of the French, the proper course for the English [126]was to fall with their whole fleet upon the Dutch before their allies could come up. This lesson is as applicable to-day as it ever was. A second lesson, likewise of present application, is the necessity of sound military institutions for implanting correct military feeling, pride, and discipline. Great as was the first blunder of the English, and serious as was the disaster, there can be no doubt that the consequences would have been much worse but for the high spirit and skill with which the plans of Monk were carried out by his subordinates, and the lack of similar support to Ruyter on the part of the Dutch subalterns."
Mahan, "The Influence of Sea Power Upon History" p126 http://www.gutenberg.org/files/13…
Paul E • Link
Every man for himself!
Jesse • Link
"busy after that business, and I am glad of it"
Why's that? I wonder what outcome he expects. Pepys being "kindly spoke" may be due to his staying above the fray, keeping his nose to the grindstone.
'Albemarle’s tactics are praised by Captain Mahan'. Hardly (thanks JWB). I think most would agree w/Mahan with respect to "the high spirit and skill" part.
Paul Chapin • Link
Anthony Deane's birth year is 1638, not 1648 as in the rollover (the Wikipedia link has it right). I noticed because it seemed implausible to me that a 19-year-old would be discoursing with SP at such a sophisticated level.
Michael Robinson • Link
" ... and also we discoursed of the business of shipping, and he hath promised me a draught of the ship he is now building, wherein I am mightily pleased. ..."
Possibly 'Method of measuring the body of a ship and pre-calculating her draught of water by Anthony Deane' [18 pp., including 1 blank] 16 sectional drawings of a ship with calculations of draught.
PL 2501.
Spoiler. The major manuscript prepared by Deane for Pepys is the 'Doctrine of Naval Architecture, 1670' [pp. i-iii, 1-110, text illustrated with numerous pen drawings throughout] PL 2910. Published, Brian Laverty ed & introd. 'Deane's doctrine of naval architecture 1670,' 1981.
andy • Link
among other things, I see every body is upon his own defence, and spares not to blame another to defend himself, and the same course I shall take. But God knows where it will end!
standard procedure in a public enquiry, then as now...
Robert Gertz • Link
The Duchess seems to have risen a bit in Sam's estimation now that she's spoken to his favor.
Robert Gertz • Link
I suppose should we ever get a really fine miniseries on Sam it will use the direct address in "Richard III", "House of Cards trilogy" style with Sam taking us into confidence while telling us the real workings "...everybody is upon his own defence and spares not to blame another to defend himself..." of the administration, though with less sinister intent.
"You do trust me, don't you? Of course you do." Francis Urquhart, "To Play The King".
Phoenix • Link
"...then comes Pelling the apothecary to see us, and sat and supped with me (my wife being gone to bed sick of the cholique), and then I to bed, after supper. Pelling tells me that my Lady Duchesse Albemarle was at Mrs. Turner’s this afternoon, she being ill, and did there publickly talk of business, and of our Office; and that she believed that I was safe, and had done well."
I suppose Pelling in treating his patients would hear much that he could share to his advantage. Robert Herrick's
When his potion and his pill
Has or none or little skill,
Meet for nothing but to kill,
Sweet Spirit, comfort me!
came to mind and I wondered whether Pelling was called to Elizabeth after their return from Paris.
Robert Gertz • Link
Ho, apothecary!
"Man, Sirs is like a Tub or Sink;
From everything we eat or drink
A vicious sediment remains,
Prolifik source of future pains,
Where the concealed from vulgar eye,
Gout, fevers, agues, dormant lie.
Those by intemp'rance jod'd awake,
And (as when we a vessel shake,
From the low bottom dregs arising,
With filth th'imprison'd fluid poison)
With the swift blood and spirits mingling,
Set all the tainted mas atingling;
Now to prevent such dire devouring,
The sink of man needs frequent scouring,
To compass which salubrious end,
My sov'reign remedies I vend,
Which in an instant let me tell ye
Cause such a ferment in the bellye,
That in an hour, I'll hold a guinea,
They'll purge as tho' the devil were in ye."
-A Pharmacopeia Empirica of 1748.
Second Reading
Terry Foreman • Link
Michael Robinson posted: The major manuscript prepared by Deane for Pepys is the 'Doctrine of Naval Architecture, 1670' [pp. i-iii, 1-110, text illustrated with numerous pen drawings throughout] PL 2910. Published, Brian Laverty ed & introd. 'Deane's doctrine of naval architecture 1670,' 1981
Deane's doctrine of naval architecture, 1670
https://books.google.com/books/ab…
Terry Foreman • Link
"the business of the Duke of York’s slackening sail in the first fight, at the beginning of the war"
The Battle of Lowestoft, June 1665: http://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclo…
Terry Foreman • Link
"the business of the Duke of York’s slackening sail in the first fight, at the beginning of the war, is brought into question, and Sir W. Pen and Captain Cox are to appear to-morrow about it; and it is thought will at last be laid upon Mr. Bruncker’s giving orders from the Duke of York (which the Duke of York do not own) to Captain Cox to do it; but it seems they do resent this very highly, and are mad in going through all business, where they can lay any fault. "
During the night of 3-4 June the English fleet, in pursuit of the defeated Dutch, had lost touch with the enemy. Henry Brouncker, an officer of the Duke of York's household, was generally held responsible: in his anxiety to protect the Duke's life--possibly on instructions from the Duchess--he had taken to Harman and John Cox (captain and sailing-master, respectively, of the Royal Charles) an order to slacken sail which he had falsely represented to have come from the Duke, who was asleep at the time. Penn was also on the Royal Charles as the Duke's professional adviser. After this enquiry, Brouncker was expelled from parliament (21 April 1668) and Harman exonerated [L&M list multiple sources, some by the principals]. Pepys later remarked (Naval Minutes, p. 119; c. 1682) on the clumsiness and futility of the of the parliamentary enquiry into this business. (Per L&M footnote)