Sunday 26 January 1667/68

(Lord’s day). Up, and with my wife to Church, and at noon home to dinner. No strangers there; and all the afternoon and evening very late doing serious business of my Tangier accounts, and examining my East India accounts, with Mr. Poynter, whom I employed all this day, to transcribe it fair; and so to supper, W. Hewer with us, and so the girl to comb my head till I slept, and then to bed.

18 Annotations

First Reading

Mary  •  Link

soporific de-lousing.

Just as I should find it impossible to fall asleep whilst someone was fiddling about with my hair, I suspect that Sam, given the chance, would find it impossible to nod off whilst watching "amazing drama" on television.

Tony Eldridge  •  Link

I no longer have enough hair to fiddle about with but if I did, I'm sure I could nod off after a long Sunday afternoon working on the accounts.
Sam doesn't seem to mention a wig any more - has he grown his own hair long so it needs regular combing?

Robert Gertz  •  Link

Sam must have looked so cute when Deb and Bess carried their tuckered little fellow to bed.

Glyn  •  Link

I thought that he had had his head shaved, so that he could wear a wig. Is he now wearing his hair "au naturel"?

(If you ever get to go to the small garden next to Seething Lane, you'll see this bust by a sculptor named Karin Jonzen at about this time in the Diary.)

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/ph…

Glyn  •  Link

Oh, I see Tony has already asked this question. In any case, if any girl wants to comb my hair it would take approximately 30 seconds - 25 of those seconds would be in finding it :-)

cum salis grano  •  Link

Most of the human first cozens doth love to groom, they find it very peaceful, so do lovers, so personnel sharing the little mites.

Australian Susan  •  Link

Accounts, acccounts, accounts - if anyone can make sense of this and ferret out inconsistencies, problems and mistakes, it's Sam.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

I must say it remains one of life's delights to sit in a salon and have a lovely and friendly young lady wash, cut, and comb one's hair.

I mean so I'm told...Ummn...

Fern  •  Link

"Today's special: delousing half-price"

Second Reading

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

Jan. 27. 1668
Paris
[A spy?[ ––– to Joseph Williamson.
The paper enclosed will tell you tell you what I hear of the Lord Chancellor, who says he will himself refute the report of his having been here.
I hear that Lord Sandwich has left Madrid for Portugal, and that the galleons have arrived rich.
The King and Queen [Louis XIV and Maria Theresa] are at St. Germain, and Monsieur and Madam are [at Paris];
it has been reported that the King will shortly go for Burgundy, but the Duke of Loraine's agents are arrived, and he is on his way, which may stop the King's journey.
The King sent for the records of Parliament, and tore out the process against Cardinal Mazarin and the Prince de Conde.
[S.P. Dom., Car., II. 233, No. 80.]

https://www.british-history.ac.uk…

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

Jan. 26. 1668
Portsmouth.
Capt. John Tinker to Sam. Pepys.
The pilferers, by the joint consent of the officers, were publicly punished in the stocks, and the cable, twine, and ropes, set before them, signifying their crime.
The mayor has committed them to gaol till they can get security to answer for their faults at the sessions.
They are to be turned out of the yard, and to have no ticket for their wages, till they can obtain it from the Navy Commissioners.
The Milford will soon be ready to sail, but the men are averse to go to sea before they have their wages.
The Eaglet is ready to sail for London.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 233, No. 70.]
https://www.british-history.ac.uk…

It appears to me the thieves have been put in the stocks, are being kept in gaol, and have lost their livelihoods without pay -- until the Navy Board authorizes such payment.
All this before the trial at the next Assizes.
In short, they have been made an example of.

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

Perhaps Pepys had lunch yesterday with Capt. Minors to discuss the circumstances around the East India Company accounts he tackled today?

L&M: This was about disputed shipping fees owed by the Company to the government for goods to be sent in the King's ships in April 1662-June 1663 to Bombay.
The Navy Board had claimed the Company had broken the contract by returning the ships empty, costing the government an expected £10,000; the Company alleged the officers had illegally engaged in private trade.
Richard Minors had brought the fleet back as an employee of the Company and commanding officer.
Pepys first mentioned the dispute in 1663. http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

Referring to Rev. Josselin's notes today, any ideas what Archippus Col; 4.17 means?

Stephane Chenard  •  Link

The pilferers *were* publicly punished in the stocks? But Sam wanted to go! Why are they telling him after the fact? He had saved a whole crate of rotten vegetables for the Tormenting & Pelting! Why does he always get all the work and none of the fun?

And soon, you'll see, they'll be in his lap, whining until they "obtain it from the Navy Commissioners".

Sigh. Ah well. Let's look at the bright side. The letter doesn't say they got their ears cut off, so maybe Sam didn't miss so much after all. Of course. Setting the example is fine but we need the ropemakers; can't antagonize those who possess the Art. And at least they don't know who Sam is.

Perhaps they could get transported to Tangiers? Once there they'd be rescued by the graceful Lord Pepys, and put to good use in new Tangiers Ropeyards. In five years it would be an empire, our ropes would sell all the way to Tartary.

Nah. Get real. Sam is no Houblon. Let's not be hubristic on Lord's day.

What to do with the veggies now? Take them to the theater maybe. Or feed them to the Boy.

Kew Gardener  •  Link

Re: Archippus Col; 4.17:

Probably reference to the biblical verse, Colossians 4:17. "And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it."

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

Thank you, Kew. I would never have guessed that one.

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