Thursday 28 November 1667

Up, and at the office all this morning, and then home to dinner, and then by coach sent my wife to the King’s playhouse, and I to White Hall, there intending, with Lord Bruncker, Sir J. Minnes, and Sir T. Harvy to have seen the Duke of York, whom it seems the King and Queen have visited, and so we may now well go to see him. But there was nobody could speak with him, and so we parted, leaving a note in Mr. Wren’s chamber that we had been there, he being at the free conference of the two Houses about this great business of my Lord Chancellor’s, at which they were at this hour, three in the afternoon, and there they say my Lord Anglesey do his part admirablyably, and each of us taking a copy of the Guinny Company’s defence to a petition against them to the Parliament the other day. So I away to the King’s playhouse, and there sat by my wife, and saw “The Mistaken Beauty,” which I never, I think, saw before, though an old play; and there is much in it that I like, though the name is but improper to it — at least, that name, it being also called “The Lyer,” which is proper enough. Here I met with Sir. Richard Browne, who wondered to find me there, telling me that I am a man of so much business, which character, I thank God, I have ever got, and have for a long time had and deserved, and yet am now come to be censured in common with the office for a man of negligence.

Thence home and to the office to my letters, and then home to supper and to bed.

14 Annotations

First Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

The Royal Society today at Arundel House — from the Hooke Folio Online

Nou: 28 [ Arthur ] Coga's Account of himself since transfusion.

The Curator being called vpon for an account of the expt. of passing the blood from One side to the other wthout passing through the Lungs, said he had attempted it but it suceeded not soe well. but that he thought he had now deuised a way contriuance to make it succeed as desired of which he hoped to giue a good account the next Day.

(Boyles Expt. about light) to be tryed next day) mr Howard sweet smelling Earth
[ like tragoriganum ] -
mr. Ball Rotten willow with Wormes in theca's:[ http://is.gd/fVAfS ] Dr Smith said at Ancona shellfish in Clay: also vpon the Coast of Languedock & in Cornwall.) metred:
[ John ] Speeds [ http://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclo… ] Letter about Artificiall
[ spa ]. Sr Vincents Rock &c.)

Slusius [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fran… ] letter of reducing a biquadratick into 2 quadratick aequations by a circle & Parabola

Wallis his Letter about the Iulian Period. [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juli… ]

http://webapps.qmul.ac.uk/cell/Ho…

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"[ Arthur ] Coga's Account of himself since transfusion."

"Mr. Coga, the first person in England, on whom the experiment of transfusion was made on the 23d instant, by order of the society, , and by the management of Dr. Lower and Dr. King, according to the method brought in by the latter, Octob. 24, 1667, and entered in the register-book, presented himself before the society, and produced a Latin paper of his own, giving an account of what he had observed in himself since he underwent the said experiment: which was ordered to be filed up, and Dr. Lower and Dr. King were desired to give in their accounts of the experiment.

"It was ordered likewise, that Mr. Coga being willing to have the experiment repeated on him, it mould be tried again accordingly, when the physicians of the society should judge it seasonable."

-- *The history of the Royal Society of London for improving of natural knowledge from its first rise, in which the most considerable of those papers communicated to the Society, which have hitherto not been published, are inserted as a supplement to the Philosophical Transactions*, By Thomas Birch, Volume 2, p. 216. London: Printed for A. Millar in the Strand, 1756 http://is.gd/hVt25

Terry Foreman  •  Link

Arlington to Sandwich
Written from: Whitehall
Date: 28 November 1667

Has received Lord Sandwich's letter of October 30. Expresses his anxiety to be fully certified as to Mr Godolphin's journey into Portugal, since other letters speak of it as a thing "laid aside". The Dutch Ambassadors press the Government hard to make a Peace [between France & Spain] but "we object that we know not enough the minds of the Parties to go about it".

http://www.rsl.ox.ac.uk/dept/scwm…

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"they say my Lord Anglesey do his part admirably ably" (L&M)

I.e. his part as one of 14 managers [advocates] appointed by the Lords (so L&M).

Robert Gertz  •  Link

"Here I met with Sir. Richard Browne, who wondered to find me there, telling me that I am a man of so much business, which character, I thank God, I have ever got, and have for a long time had and deserved, and yet am now come to be censured in common with the office for a man of negligence."

Alas that's all it takes to destroy a rep built on years of diligence...

Of course the correct response is to reply that one is startled to find Sir Richard, famed for his own diligence (or lack thereof), likewise able to squeeze a few moments out of a soul-crushing day. Clearly both men should agree that it is only for love of their dear, dear wives that they should have forced themselves away from Duty, even for a few moments of relaxation.

"It took you forty minutes just to tell him I've been sick?" Bess fumed.

"These things must be done...Delicately, darling."

Robert Gertz  •  Link

"So who do I run into at the King's House but little Pepys and that pretty wife of his..."

"Really?"

"Lord, should have seen him...He turned positively green on seeing me. So I eyed him and says 'Why Pepys, of all people in England to find you whiling the afternoon away at a play? Things must be quite secure at the Navy for a man of so much business, the busiest man in England, so I'm told, to be so free with his time."

"Ha, hah...So?..."

"Well I thought the little fellow was going to expire on the spot...And the little wife seemed upset as well, insisting she'd been ill and he'd taken her out for the air,,,"

"Some air, there..."

"...So I let him off but kept glancing at him whenever I thought he might be looking my way...Which ended up being about every five minutes. I tell you, it was better than the damned play, ha-hah..."

"I'm sure. By the way, Dick...What were you doing there?" Charles eyes him.

"Uh...Sire?"

Wim van der Meij  •  Link

I was wondering about the meaning of the phrase on 'being censured', but your conversation helped me a lot Robert.

Claire  •  Link

"admirablyably"?

Coined word or is this a rare typo in the transcription?

Phoenix  •  Link

Alas that’s all it takes to destroy a rep built on years of diligence…

Surely not because he is unexpectedly found in a playhouse instead of the office. I read it as Sir Richard referring to the fact that despite Sam's reputation as a man of business - exceptional in the Navy Office - he (Sir Richard) is surprised at Sam being lumped together with them and thought to be negligent.

"Ah Sam! I wonder at you being here. Sorry to hear that after all of your exceptional work you are thought to be negligent like the rest those rascals."

language hat  •  Link

“admirablyably”?

There should be a space: “admirably ably.” It does look startling at first glance.

I think Phoenix must be right about the meaning of the "censure" bit; if Pepys had thought Browne was criticizing him, his account would have read very differently, full of defensiveness and self-flagellation.

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"the Guinny Company’s defence to a petition against them to the Parliament...."

L&M note a group of merchants trading to the American colonies had petitioned the Commons in September against the high price of Negro slaves [for Barbados, sc. £17 per head, provided security was given for payment in money or sugae*] supplied by the monopolistic Royal African Company. The company had provided a reply on 22 November. http://www.british-history.ac.uk/…

*The Company of royal adventurers trading into Africa
By George Frederick Zook http://is.gd/hXwTh

Second Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

Mr. Wren "being at the free conference of the two Houses about this great business of my Lord Chancellor’s"

Commons Journal:
The House of Commons being ready for the Free Conference in the Painted Chamber, the House was adjourned during Pleasure, and the Lords went to the Conference; which being ended, the House was resumed.

And it is ORDERED, That the Report of this Free Conference shall be made To-morrow Morning.
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/…

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"the Guinny Company’s defence to a petition against them to the Parliament the other day"

L&M note both the petition and the anser are printed in An answer of the Company of Royal Adventurers of England trading into Africa to the petition and paper of certain heads and particulars thereunto relating and annexed exhibited to the Honourable House of Commons by Sir Paul Painter, Ferdinando Gorges, Henry Batson, Benjamin Skutt, and Thomas Knights on the behalf of themselves and others concerned in His Majesties plantations in America. Royal African Company., Painter, Paul, 17th cent.
[London: s.n.], 1667. [Early English Books Online]
http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/t…

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