Friday 10 January 1667/68

Up, and with Sir Denis Gawden, who called me, to White Hall, and there to wait on the Duke of York with the rest of my brethren, which we did a little in the King’s Greenroom, while the King was in Council: and in this room we found my Lord Bristoll walking alone; which, wondering at, while the Council was sitting, I was answered that, as being a Catholique, he could not be of the Council, which I did not consider before. After broke up and walked a turn or two with Lord Brouncker talking about the times, and he tells me that he thinks, and so do every body else, that the great business of putting out some of the Council to make room for some of the Parliament men to gratify and wheedle them is over, thinking that it might do more hurt than good, and not obtain much upon the Parliament either. This morning there was a Persian in that country dress, with a turban, waiting to kiss the King’s hand in the Vane-room, against he come out: it was a comely man as to features, and his dress, methinks, very comely. Thence in Sir W. Pen’s coach alone (he going with Sir D. Gawden) to my new bookseller’s, Martin’s; and there did meet with Fournier, the Frenchman, that hath wrote of the Sea and Navigation, and I could not but buy him, and also bespoke an excellent book, which I met with there, of China. The truth is, I have bought a great many books lately to a great value; but I think to buy no more till Christmas next, and those that I have will so fill my two presses that I must be forced to give away some to make room for them, it being my design to have no more at any time for my proper library than to fill them. Thence home and to the Exchange, there to do a little business, where I find everybody concerned whether we shall have out a fleete this next year or no, they talking of a peace concluded between France and Spayne, so that the King of France will have nothing to do with his army unless he comes to us; but I do not see in the world how we shall be able to set out a fleete for want of money to buy stores and pay men, for neither of which we shall be any more trusted. So home to dinner, and then with my wife and Deb. to the King’s house, to see “Aglaura,” which hath been always mightily cried up; and so I went with mighty expectation, but do find nothing extraordinary in it at all, and but hardly good in any degree. So home, and thither comes to us W. Batelier and sat with us all the evening, and to cards and supper, passing the evening pretty pleasantly, and so late at night parted, and so to bed. I find him mightily troubled at the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury opposing him in the business he hath a patent for about the business of Impost on wine, but I do see that the Lords have reason for it, it being a matter wherein money might be saved to his Majesty, and I am satisfied that they do let nothing pass that may save money, and so God bless them! So he being gone we to bed.

This day I received a letter from my father, and another from my cozen Roger Pepys, who have had a view of Jackson’s evidences of his estate, and do mightily like of the man, and his condition and estate, and do advise me to accept of the match for my sister, and to finish it as soon as I can; and he do it so as, I confess, I am contented to have it done, and so give her her portion; and so I shall be eased of one care how to provide for her, and do in many respects think that it may be a match proper enough to have her married there, and to one that may look after my concernments if my father should die and I continue where I am, and there[fore] I am well pleased with it, and so to bed.

29 Annotations

First Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

John Evelyn's Diary

10th January, 1668. To visit Mr. Povey, where were divers great Lords to see his well-contrived cellar, and other elegancies.

http://is.gd/fY5wB

Vanity of vanities on display.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

"This morning there was a Persian in that country dress, with a turban, waiting to kiss the King’s hand in the Vane-room, against he come out: it was a comely man as to features, and his dress, methinks, very comely."

Whoa...Nearly the equivalent of an inhabitant of Tau Ceti IV landing on the White House lawn. Must have been quite impressive.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

"...there did meet with Fournier, the Frenchman, that hath wrote of the Sea and Navigation, and I could not but buy him, and also bespoke an excellent book, which I met with there, of China."

Charming way to put it. I think every book-lover feels the same way with an exciting author of history or science. I wonder if Sam got to read Pinto's tales of China.

Wonder what the Persian ambassador's opinion of "Aglaura” might have been. No doubt he would have given a smooth and polished praise to his hosts at least... But what a brave man to make such a voyage. If he really was Persian and not Ottoman, I wonder if his Shah was actively seeking British support against the Turks.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

So Pall escapes marriage to Sam's version of a somewhat more successful Casaubon...Phew. Nice to see John Sr. and Roger gave her some support, however little they may have intended to back her wishes in the matter. Still it's interesting that Roger's and John's letters came after Sam's attempt to intervene. It would be nice to think John developed some sympathy for his daughter's plight and backed her against Sam in a small way.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

Alternate Samuelverse... 1678...Samuel Pepys facing execution is visited in his Tower cell by the person who has sealed his fate.

"Paulina...How could you have declared me a Catholique in the open court? Your loving brother..."

"You..." Spits on floor. "The man who drove me love away and married me off to that thing from Hell, Cumberland?! I was overjoyed to do it and know you know that when the horses do pull you apart, I'll be smilin'...Hah, ha!!"

"Oh, pshaw...Cumberland can't be that bad."

"Mrs. Cumberland..." mournful cry from down the Tower hall... "Have you not said your farewells to the worthless traitor? My drool buckets need emptying...And there's six volumes of my notes on Hobbes for you to copy."

Paulina eyes Sam.

Hmmn...Well...

"I have sent away the meat you ordered..." Cumberland's voice, reproachful. "You know I allow only gruel at all meals to curb the animal passions."

"If only I could declare him a Catholique as well..." Paulina sighs.

Terry Foreman  •  Link

“This morning there was a Persian in that country dress, with a turban, waiting to kiss the King’s hand in the Vane-room, against he come out: it was a comely man as to features, and his dress, methinks, very comely.”

L&M note possibly 'Pietro Cisii' a Persian educated and resident at Rome, who was in England this year and helped Evelyn compose his
*The history of the three late, famous impostors, viz. Padre Ottomano, Mahomed Bei and Sabatai Sevi : the one, pretended son and heir to the late Grand Signior, the other, a prince of the Ottoman family, but in truth, a Valachian counterfeit, and the last, the suppos'd Messiah of the Jews, in the year of the true Messiah, 1666 : with a brief account of the ground and occasion of the present war between the Turk and the Venetian : together with the cause of the final extirpation, destruction and exile of the Jews out of the Empire of Persia* In the Savoy : Printed for Henry Herringman ..., 1669 (Wing E3490) http://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Recor…

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"it may be a match proper enough to have her married there"

I.e. in Huntingdonshire.

Eric Walla  •  Link

I'm awfully glad that Sam intends to fill just the two presses with books. After all, who needs all those musty old things from the 17th century. And think of the expense!...

Thanks for violating yet another vow, Sam!

language hat  •  Link

"This morning there was a Persian in that country dress, with a turban, waiting to kiss the King’s hand"

This was an interesting time in Persia; the Safavid dynasty had ruled Iran since 1501 (and established Shi'a Islam as the official religion), and would stagger on for close to another century in one way or another, but the last powerful Safavid shah, Abbas II, had just died in 1666, and his son and successor, Suleiman, was a worthless wastrel. Wikipedia says: "The first year of his reign was markedly unsuccessful. A series of natural disasters, combined with devastating raids by the Cossack Stenka Razin on the coast of the Caspian Sea, convinced court astrologers that the coronation had taken place at the wrong time, and the ceremony was repeated on March 20, 1667. The shah ... had little interest in the business of government, preferring retreat to the harem." It was a good time for a Persian to be visiting Europe.

nix  •  Link

Samuel's problem with bookcases overflowing sounds all too familiar. It seems like every year I think out the shelves, sending several cartons to the library or the Brandeis sale -- and they're still full.

Fern  •  Link

"and there did meet with Fournier, the Frenchman, that hath wrote of the Sea and Navigation,"

"Meet with" presumably means he came across book/s by this author.
The note on Fournier says he was born in 1569 and his chief work "L'Hydrographie" was published in 1663, which makes him 94 at the time. Is this really so?

Terry Foreman  •  Link

George Fournier

L&M note this was Père Georges Fournier, whose *Hydrography* (Paris, 2nd ed.) was a compendious worl on sea matters.

But, as Fern doubts this, THAT Fournier had died in 1652. http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geor…

Ce qui se passe? What gives?

Terry Foreman  •  Link

By the way, I find no entry for "Fournier" in the L&M Index (Vol. XI).

Glyn  •  Link

It must have been great for such a lover of the theatre and salacious stories to get all of this backstage gossip from Mrs Kipp the actress. I bet she found him a great audience, he sounds breathless writing it all down.

Second Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

Evelyn's aforementioned book: The history of the three late, famous impostors, viz. Padre Ottomano, Mahomed Bei and Sabatai Sevi the one, pretended son and heir to the late Grand Signior, the other, a prince of the Ottoman family, but in truth, a Valachian counterfeit, and the last, the suppos'd Messiah of the Jews, in the year of the true Messiah, 1666 : with a brief account of the ground and occasion of the present war between the Turk and the Venetian : together with the cause of the final extirpation, destruction and exile of the Jews out of the Empire of Persia.
Evelyn, John, 1620-1706.
In the Savoy: Printed for Henry Herringman ..., 1669.
Early English Books Online [full text]
http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/t…

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"am satisfied that they do let nothing pass that may save money"

L&M explain: The Treasury was reducing the number of privileged persons (diplomats, officeholders and noblemen) who were allowed annually a quota of wine free of customs-duty. Will Battier was a wine-merchant who had in 1667 succeeded his father as clerk and paymaster of the bills of impost on wine.
(Per L&M note)

Terry Foreman  •  Link

" Lord Brouncker talking about the times, and he tells me that he thinks, and so do every body else, that the great business of putting out some of the Council to make room for some of the Parliament men to gratify and wheedle them is over, thinking that it might do more hurt than good, and not obtain much upon the Parliament either."

L&M: See https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"Thence home and to the Exchange, there to do a little business, where I find everybody concerned whether we shall have out a fleete this next year or no, they talking of a peace concluded between France and Spayne, so that the King of France will have nothing to do with his army unless he comes to us; "

L&M: Peace negotiations had begun, but were not concluded until April. See
https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/… and https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"Order to be observed when His Majesty is present.
"The House taking Notice of the great Disorder by the Crowd of People this Day, when His Majesty was present:

"It is ORDERED, by the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament assembled, That it is referred to the Consideration of the Committee for Privileges, to consider of some Course, how the Order, Dignity, and Respect to this House, may be better observed and preserved, when His Majesty is here; and report their Opinion therein to this House."

Boos? Hisses? Catcalls? I'm sure the English were really excited to hear that they could be pressed again this summer into fighting at sea.

https://www.british-history.ac.uk…

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"But, as Fern doubts this, THAT Fournier had died in 1652. http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geor…

"Ce qui se passe? What gives?"

Terry answers his own question in our Encyclopedia. Father wrote the book ... Pepys met the son; they were both called Georges. But how a Jesuit had a son I'm not altogether clear.

Stephane Chenard  •  Link

Pity that Sam, a curious mind whose next move is to buy a book on China, didn't find a way, or the time or interest, to approach this Persian and seems to have only gaped at his turban. The meeting, however, wasn't all about hand-kissing because Charles and the Persian envoy had quite a lot to discuss in early 1668.

It's hard to see what use either nation could really be in the conflict between the Turk and Venice. The latter have called Christendom to help, but it's far, the forces already involved are massive, the trench warfare has been pretty nasty, and - speaking of Sam - the Turk could retaliate at Tangiers if England got involved.

Soon, however, Charles will declare full and formal control of Bombay, which had been in Catherine's dowry but awaited the Portuguese's current moment of weakness to properly change hands. He will entrust it to the East India Company, who will (a) give him a loan of £50,000 for it, and (b) start an empire of some interest to the Navy. That will be on March 27. On April 1, Charles will then write to the King of Persia, England's new neighbor. Today's meeting may have been to find out how the KoP might react and what kind of chocolates to send with the formal letter. That letter would be interesting to see, unfortunately it's not online (anyone with access to the National Archive can look up record E/3/87 f 83 of the British Library's Asian and African Archive). Sam's brush with the turban in the Vane Room was a glimpse of a pretty big chunk of history being made.

Stephane Chenard  •  Link

Alternatively our turbaned visitor could possibly have been the infamous Mahomed Bei himself, the Valachian crook (and, horror, apostate) that Evelyn will denounce next year, for passing himself for a top Ottoman commander turned defender of Christians. Evelyn's bio of the man is hilarious, for the utter cheek it describes, even for a time when records took a while to check. As of early 1668, the man could still be in Paris, snookering king Louis and the entire French court, or already in London, where, by September, he will be parading in Oriental dress, showing off the gold chain the French queen gave him. In February 1669 Evelyn will burn him for good in England, presenting his "Three Late Famous Impostors" to Charles himself. If it was indeed Pietro Cisij who blew the whistle (Evelyn will have a good meeting with him in September, his diary says), it begs the question why; revulsion at the apostasy? Petty rivalry among expats? Or, if Cisij was at all a Persian envoy, a chance to embarrass those who had been suckered into bogus deals with the Porte? Who knows, but apparently "Mahomed" carried on, and by 1670 he had an impressive portrait (visible at https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/…) to impress the State Council of Portugal.

Terry Foreman  •  Link

The history of the three late, famous impostors, viz. Padre Ottomano, Mahomed Bei and Sabatai Sevi the one, pretended son and heir to the late Grand Signior, the other, a prince of the Ottoman family, but in truth, a Valachian counterfeit, and the last, the suppos'd Messiah of the Jews, in the year of the true Messiah, 1666 : with a brief account of the ground and occasion of the present war between the Turk and the Venetian : together with the cause of the final extirpation, destruction and exile of the Jews out of the Empire of Persia.
Evelyn, John, 1620-1706.
In the Savoy: Printed for Henry Herringman ..., 1669.
Early English Books Online. [Full text]
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo…

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

And we think we've got problems! Thanks again, Stephane, for wonderful periphery information which will enrich our understanding going forward.

Liz  •  Link

I believe this is the first time SP has referred to Deb by her name in this context, rather than “girle”.

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