Friday 6 December 1667

Up, and with Sir J. Minnes to the Duke of York, the first time that I have seen him, or we waited on him, since his sickness; and, blessed be God! he is not at all the worse for the smallpox, but is only a little weak yet. We did much business with him, and so parted. My Lord Anglesey told me how my Lord Northampton brought in a Bill into the House of Lords yesterday, under the name of a Bill for the Honour and Privilege of the House, and Mercy to my Lord Clarendon: which, he told me, he opposed, saying that he was a man accused of treason by the House of Commons; and mercy was not proper for him, having not been tried yet, and so no mercy needful for him. However, the Duke of Buckingham and others did desire that the Bill might be read; and it, was for banishing my Lord Clarendon from all his Majesty’s dominions, and that it should be treason to have him found in any of them: the thing is only a thing of vanity, and to insult over him, which is mighty poor I think, and so do every body else, and ended in nothing, I think.

By and by home with Sir J. Minnes, who tells me that my Lord Clarendon did go away in a Custom-house boat, and is now at Callis (Calais): and, I confess, nothing seems to hang more heavy than his leaving of this unfortunate paper behind him, that hath angered both Houses, and hath, I think, reconciled them in that which otherwise would have broke them in pieces; so that I do hence, and from Sir W. Coventry’s late example and doctrine to me, learn that on these sorts of occasions there is nothing like silence; it being seldom any wrong to a man to say nothing, but, for the most part, it is to say anything. This day, in coming home, Sir J. Minnes told me a pretty story of Sir Lewes Dives, whom I saw this morning speaking with him, that having escaped once out of prison through a house of office, and another time in woman’s apparel, and leaping over a broad canal, a soldier swore, says he, this is a strange jade … [but I never felt a cunt with a handle to it before. – L&M] He told me also a story of my Lord Cottington, who, wanting a son, intended to make his nephew his heir, a country boy; but did alter his mind upon the boy’s being persuaded by another young heir, in roguery, to crow like a cock at my Lord’s table, much company being there, and the boy having a great trick at doing that perfectly. My Lord bade them take away that fool from the table, and so gave over the thoughts of making him his heir, from this piece of folly. So home, and there to dinner, and after dinner abroad with my wife and girle, set them down at Unthanke’s, and I to White Hall to the Council chamber, where I was summoned about the business of paying of the seamen, where I heard my Lord Anglesey put to it by Sir W. Coventry before the King for altering the course set by the Council; which he like a wise man did answer in few words, that he had already sent to alter it according to the Council’s method, and so stopped it, whereas many words would have set the Commissioners of the Treasury on fire, who, I perceive, were prepared for it. Here I heard Mr. Gawden speak to the King and Council upon some business of his before them, but did it so well, in so good words and to the purpose, that I could never have expected from a man of no greater learning.

So went away, and in the Lobby met Mr. Sawyer, my old chamber fellow, and stayed and had an hour’s discourse of old things with him, and I perceive he do very well in the world, and is married he tells me and hath a child. Then home and to the office, where Captain Cocke come to me; and, among other discourse, tells me that he is told that an impeachment against Sir W. Coventry will be brought in very soon. He tells me, that even those that are against my Lord Chancellor and the Court, in the House, do not trust nor agree one with another. He tells me that my Lord Chancellor went away about ten at night, on Saturday last; and took boat at Westminster, and thence by a vessel to Callis, where he believes he now is: and that the Duke of York and Mr. Wren knew of it, and that himself did know of it on Sunday morning: that on Sunday his coach, and people about it, went to Twittenham, and the world thought that he had been there: that nothing but this unhappy paper hath undone him and that he doubts that this paper hath lost him everywhere that his withdrawing do reconcile things so far as, he thinks the heat of their fury will be over, and that all will be made well between the two [royal] brothers: that Holland do endeavour to persuade the King of France to break peace with us: that the Dutch will, without doubt, have sixty sail of ships out the next year; so knows not what will become of us, but hopes the Parliament will find money for us to have a fleete. He gone, I home, and there my wife made an end to me of Sir R. Cotton’s discourse of warr, which is indeed a very fine book. So to supper and to bed.

Captain Cocke did this night tell me also, among other discourses, that he did believe that there are jealousies in some of the House at this day against the Commissioners of the Treasury, that by their good husbandry they will bring the King to be out of debt and to save money, and so will not be in need of the Parliament, and then do what he please, which is a very good piece of news that there is such a thing to be hoped, which they would be afeard of.

20 Annotations

First Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

In the ellipsis of the text above a four-letter word

"This day, in coming home, Sir J. Mennes told me a pretty story of Sir Lewes Dives, whom I saw this morning speaking with him; that having escaped once out of prison through a house of office, and another time in woman's apparel, and leaping over a broad canal, a soldier in roguery put his hand towards her belly, and swore, says he, "This is a strong Jade, but I never felt a cunt with a handle to it before."

L&M text.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

"...jealousies in some of the House at this day against the Commissioners of the Treasury, that by their good husbandry they will bring the King to be out of debt and to save money, and so will not be in need of the Parliament, and then do what he please, which is a very good piece of news that there is such a thing to be hoped..."

Who were these paragons and can their remains be cloned? Though I fear they fall under the heading of wishful thinking.

Australian Susan  •  Link

"...he is not at all the worse for the smallpox, ..."
Presumably Sam is referring to the D of Y not having the characteristic marks of the pox on his face. Many people survived smallpox at that time, but were often left with very marked faces. Queen Elizabeth survived the disease, but always wore a lot of make-up to cover the pit marks on her face. Although other treatments had been developed abroad, it was observations by people in England (it is disputed now if Jenner was the first to do this) (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smal…) of milkmaids with unmarked faces that led to the discovery that if you got cowpox, you did not get smallpox. There were many folk beliefs linking your appearance with general and moral health, some of which were given a "scientific" explanation (such as you can tell a man who masturbates because he has a weak chin and spots). People were very desirous to have an unmarked face, which possibly encouraged the take-up of the vaccination process in the 18th century.

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"People were very desirous to have an unmarked face,..."

Except for makeup (the "painting" Pepys scorns -- perhaps prostitutes used it? ) and the "beauty-marks", the fashionable black patches. http://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclo…

Robert Gertz  •  Link

"...by their good husbandry they will bring the King to be out of debt and to save money, and so will not be in need of the Parliament, and then do what he please, which is a very good piece of news that there is such a thing to be hoped,.."

I'd be careful what you wish for on this score, Sam.

Second Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"I was summoned about the business of paying of the seamen, where I heard my Lord Anglesey...like a wise man did answer in few words.., whereas many words would have set the Commissioners of the Treasury on fire, who, I perceive, were prepared for it."

Anglesey had been examined by the Treasury Commissioners on the 5th. They held that the Navy Board had disobeyed the orders of both Council and Treasury in the matter of the tickets. (L&M)

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"However, the Duke of Buckingham and others did desire that the Bill might be read; and it, was for banishing my Lord Clarendon from all his Majesty’s dominions, and that it should be treason to have him found in any of them: the thing is only a thing of vanity, and to insult over him, which is mighty poor I think, and so do every body else, and ended in nothing, I think."

L&M: 'An Act for banishing and discrediting' Clarendon was now given its first reading: LJ, XIII. 158. https://www.british-history.ac.uk…
:It was passed at the end of the session: https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/… and https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"This day, in coming home, Sir J. Mennes told me a pretty story of Sir Lewes Dives, whom I saw this morning speaking with him; that having escaped once out of prison through a house of office, and another time in woman's apparel, and leaping over a broad canal, a soldier in roguery put his hand towards her belly, and swore, says he, "This is a strong Jade, but I never felt a cunt with a handle to it before."

L&M: Sir Lewis Dyve (d. 1669) was a royalist soldier, of whom Evelyn said that he was 'a valiant gent: but not a little given to romance when he spake of himselfe'. He claimed to have made five escapes, and the second of the two here referred to here remains untraced. The first was a feat made famous by his own published account: on 30 January (the night after the King's execution) he dropped through the hole of a privy in the King's Bench prison in Whitehall, two storeys above the river, landed in the water and escaped in a waiting boat. See A letter from Sir L. D. written out of France to a gentleman, a friend of his in London. Giving him an account of the manner of his escape out of the Kings Bench, and the reasons that moved him thereunto.
Dyre, Lewis, Sir, 1599-1669.
[London: s.n.], Printed in the Yeare, 1648. Early English Books Online
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo…

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"He told me also a story of my Lord Cottington, who, wanting a son, intended to make his nephew his heir, a country boy; but did alter his mind upon the boy’s being persuaded by another young heir, in roguery, to crow like a cock at my Lord’s table, much company being there, and the boy having a great trick at doing that perfectly. My Lord bade them take away that fool from the table, and so gave over the thoughts of making him his heir, from this piece of folly."

L&M: Both Cottingham's son and daughter had died childless before their father, and the two young heirs were Francis and Charles Cottingham, sons of his brother. Francis was principal hair and administrator under a will of 16 June 1652 made on his deathbed; after Francis's death in 1665, Charles inherited the estate. (It consisted mainly of Fonthill, Wilts., later the home of William Beckford.) Lord Cottingham's love of birds and animals may possibly have inspired the cock-crowing. Sir R. C. Hoare et al., Hist. Mod. Wilts. (1822-37), iii. (Dunworth), pp. 29-1.

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"I to White Hall to the Council chamber, where I was summoned about the business of paying of the seamen, where I heard my Lord Anglesey put to it by Sir W. Coventry before the King for altering the course set by the Council; which he like a wise man did answer in few words, that he had already sent to alter it according to the Council’s method, and so stopped it, whereas many words would have set the Commissioners of the Treasury on fire, who, I perceive, were prepared for it."

L&M: Anglesey had been examined by the Treasury Commissioners on the 5th. They held that the Navy Board had disobeyed the orders of both Council and Treasury in the matter of the tickets. CTB, ii. 139.

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"Here I heard Mr. Gawden speak to the King and Council upon some business of his before them"

L&M: The new victualing contract; the Council this day ordered Pepys to draft an additional clause: PRO, PC 2/60, p. 80. 'Mr.' is a mistake for 'Sir Denis'.

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"in the Lobby met Mr. Sawyer, my old chamber fellow, and stayed and had an hour’s discourse of old things with him, and I perceive he do very well in the world, and is married he tells me and hath a child."

L&M: Robert Ssawyer had been at Magdalene with Pepys. He was a rising young barrister, and afterwards acted as Carteret's counsel before the Brooke House Committee: https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
He became Attorney-General, 1681-7. He had married in July 1665.

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"By and by home with Sir J. Minnes, who tells me that my Lord Clarendon did go away in a Custom-house boat, and is now at Callis (Calais)"

L&M: Clarendon (iii. 332-3) states that he embarked at Erith at 111 p.m. on 'Saturday night, the 29th November'. But Saturday was the 30th: Clarendon mistook the date, but not the day of the week.

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"and that the Duke of York and Mr. Wren knew of it, and that himself did know of it on Sunday morning: that on Sunday his coach, and people about it, went to Twittenham,"

L&M: Clarendon had a country villa (York House) at Twickenham: R. S. Cobbett, Memorials Twickenham, pp. 217+.

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"... that Holland do endeavour to persuade the King of France to break peace with us: that the Dutch will, without doubt, have sixty sail of ships out the next year; so knows not what will become of us, but hopes the Parliament will find money for us to have a fleete."

So last year Louis XIV invaded the Spanish Netherlands as per a winko agreement with Charles II.
The Dutch ... meaning the Dutch Republic, I suppose ... are now asking Louis to back their plans to send another fleet against England in violation of their recent peace agreement.

Charles II is financially held captive by Parliament with zero funds, and can do nothing to prepare for a Dutch invasion, with or without the aid of France.

I completely understand why Pepys would welcome someone ... anyone ... being in charge who will appreciate that time is awasting, and enable him to do his job by providing him with some money. But come 1672, I suspect even Pepys will appreciate the error of the "Charles In Charge" idea.

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"I heard Mr. Gawden speak to the King and Council upon some business of his before them, but did it so well, in so good words and to the purpose, that I could never have expected from a man of no greater learning."

Simplicity and facts win the day, Pepys.

But of no greater learning? His younger brother was educated enough to be a Bishop, so there was learning in their childhood household. Denis Gauden knew himself sufficiently well to go after being a rich trader in the City, and is currently the Sheriff of the City of London. He and the Clothworkers Company are tasked with untangling the legal property rights which will govern the rebuilding of the City. PLUS he organizes and subcontracts the victualling for the Navy and Tangier for decades. Gauden's as smart as a whip.

Maybe Alderman Sir Denis Gauden's Essex accent misleads our Latin scholar from Cambridge? Pepys can be a condescending, obnoxious snob when he feels like it.

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