Saturday 21 March 1667/68
Up betimes to the office, and there we sat all the morning, at noon home with my clerks, a good dinner, and then to the Office, and wrote my letters, and then abroad to do several things, and pay what little scores I had, and among others to Mrs. Martin’s, and there did give 20s. to Mrs. Cragg, her landlady, who was my Valentine in the house, as well as Doll Lane … [Here yo did hazer la cosa with Mrs. Martin backward. – L&M] So home and to the office, there to end my letters, and so home, where Betty Turner was to see my wife, and she being gone I to my chamber to read a little again, and then after supper to bed.
8 Annotations
First Reading
Terry Foreman • Link
What the ellipsis hides
"...there did give 20s. to Mrs. Cragg her landlady, who was my Valentine in the house, as well as Doll Lane . Here yo did hazer la cosa with Mrs. Martin backward. So home and to the office,...."
L&M text.
Christopher Squire • Link
‘score, n. OE scoru, . .
. . 11. a. The sum recorded to a customer's debit in a ‘score’ (sense 10); the amount of an innkeeper's bill or reckoning. Also, †a debt due to a tradesman for goods obtained on credit (obs.).
. . 1667 S. Pepys Diary 6 Apr. (1974) VIII. 153 Away‥to the Exchange and mercers and drapers, up and down to pay all my scores.
. . 1886 Contemp. Rev. July 80 The week's score at the public-house is paid up and a fresh one started.’ [OED]
SP was paying these because he was approaching a year's end [= March 31]
Second Reading
San Diego Sarah • Link
March 21. 1668
Rye. Capt. James Welsh to [Williamson].
The Duke of Monmouth has landed here,
and sets out for London tomorrow.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 237, No. 29.]
Monmouth left for Paris on January 16, 1668. What is going on????
'Charles II: March 1668', in Calendar of State Papers Domestic: Charles II, 1667-8, ed. Mary Anne Everett Green (London, 1893), pp. 262-320. British History Online
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/…
San Diego Sarah • Link
March 21. 1668
The Monmouth,
Lizard. [Most southwestern point of Cornwall]
Sir Thos. Allin to Williamson.
Hears that the French are getting what force they can ready for sea;
that 100 sail went from Bordeaux a month since, with provisions for the French fleet, and that the fleet will be ready for sea in a month.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 237, No. 30.]
The Stuart brothers were right; hanging onto the sailors was the right thing to do.
Stephane Chenard • Link
There have been reports for some time of a 100-sail French fleet setting off in the Spring. They're in a total war with Spain, so no surprise. Just 4 days ago on 17 March Thomas Holden had sent from Falmouth: "The James of Dover has arrived with wine and brandy from Nantes. She (...) reports that they [the French] are likely to have a war there with Holland, but nothing is said concerning England; also that the French king will have 120 sail of frigates ready the next spring." If it's any comfort, The Most Christian ("TMC") is also having some recruitment problems, and his seamen "frequently run away after being pressed, although the King has passed a severe law against it; 50 French seamen would have come away in that ship, if the master would have carried them". Yeah, French seamen seeking refuge in England; a scene we're not likely to see again for centuries, if ever. (State Paper No. 175, https://www.british-history.ac.uk…; also at https://play.google.com/books/rea…)
Stephane Chenard • Link
And, ah, young Monmouth in Paris. You could imagine some secret diplomatic mission about peace with Spain or whatnot, but there's professionals like Temple for that. No, the duke did what any young aristocrat with unlimited time and money would do at this time of year, and he went to Gay Paree for the Carnival. Our sources in the salons report he was given his own apartments in the Palais Royal, was showered with honors and has been quite the success there, until he managed to antagonize the duc d'Orléans (brother to TMC, the second-most ill-advised person to antagonize in Paris) by having such a good time with his wife. TMC had to intervene, and so Monmouth is now kindly excusing himself and going home. Carnival is over anyway. Ah, to be young again, and innocent like the gallant duke... Surely nothing sinister can attach to such a harmless little leprechaun. For now the story appears from page 71 of Anna Keay's "The Last Royal Rebel: The Life and Death of James, Duke of Monmouth" (Bloomsbury, 2016, on display in Mr. Google's bookshoppe at https://books.google.fr/books?id=…)
San Diego Sarah • Link
Who am I to dispute Anna Keay, who has undoubtedly done much research on this, BUT ...
Feb. 12. 1668
Like privy seal for 4,000/. to the Duke of Monmouth,
as the King’s special gift.
Minute. [S. P. Dom., Entry Book 30, f. 7.]
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/…
Charles II sent Sandwich 5,000/. for his expenses for his ENTIRE visit to Spain/Portugal and negotiating the treaties ending their war and ensure Spain was on the side of the Triple Alliance. Stephane thought that was adequate for an Ambassador for a year a couple of days ago.
At this time Europe was teetering on the edge of an all-out war, with France on the outs with everyone. If I were to go somewhere to party in Lent, I think I'd go to a friendly place. I'm glad Monmouth got to stay at Aunt Minette's house (the Palais Royal), but that doesn't take 4,000/. (January 26 - March 20).
(Since Pepys never directly refers to the War of Devolution, we do not have a dedicated page for it in our Encyclopedia. My notes on it are under Louis XIV; I'd appreciate anyone else familiar with the issues taking a look and clarifying anything I got materially wrong.) https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…
Bryan Bevan in "James, Duke of Monmouth", Robert Hall, London, 1973, pages 53-54, agrees with Anna Keay, adding that Charles II sent James to Paris to learn manners. Aunt Minette was only 5 years older than Monmouth, and they bonded over dancing and having fun, much to the Duc d'Orleans' chagrin who took her to Villiers-Cotterets to hang out with his lover, the Chevalier de Lorraine, to separate them.
Monmouth wanted to join Louis XIV in the conquest of Franche-Comté, which both Minette and Charles nixed quickly (showing Monmouth was unaware of the delicate politics involved at the time).
Granted the handsome young buck Monmouth partied as any Royal would while in Paris. But that doesn't mean he also didn't pay off someone, deliver whatever was in his luggage, and/or say whatever had to be said to ??? (in January Sir William Temple went to Holland, but that doesn't mean he stayed there). Or maybe his "footman" was busy with Charles' errands while Monmouth was dancing? Room for speculation here.
I thought Henry Jermyn, earl of St. Albans, officially represented England in Paris at this time? Undoubtedly the power to achieve anything lay with Aunt Minette.
I lack anything in the way of proof beyond the very curious timing of this need for etiquette lessons, and Charles II's current need for couriers and intelligence, I still suspect Monmouth's visit to such an unpopular place as being as (1) a spy, or (2) an unconscious emissary or delivery means to someone of something. OR as speculated before, the "footman" was busy elsewhere while we gaze on the spectacle.
Gerald Berg • Link
That's two in a row from the back, but who's counting...