Tuesday 31 March 1668

Up pretty betimes and to the office, where we sat all the morning, and at noon I home to dinner, where uncle Thomas dined with me, as he do every quarter, and I paid him his pension; and also comes Mr. Hollier a little fuddled, and so did talk nothing but Latin, and laugh, that it was very good sport to see a sober man in such a humour, though he was not drunk to scandal. At dinner comes a summons for this office and the Victualler to attend a Committee of Parliament this afternoon, with Sir D. Gawden, which I accordingly did, with my papers relating to the sending of victuals to Sir John Harman’s fleete; and there, Sir R. Brookes in the chair, we did give them a full account, but, Lord! to see how full they are and immoveable in their jealousy that some means are used to keep Harman from coming home, for they have an implacable desire to know the bottom of the not improving the first victory, and would lay it upon Brouncker. Having given them good satisfaction I away thence, up and down, wanting a little to see whether I could get Mrs. Burroughes out, but elle being in the shop ego did speak con her much, she could not then go far, and so I took coach and away to Unthanke’s, and there took up my wife and Deb., and to the Park, where, being in a hackney, and they undressed, was ashamed to go into the tour, but went round the park, and so with pleasure home, where Mr. Pelling come and sat and talked late with us, and he being gone, I called Deb. to take pen, ink, and paper and write down what things come into my head for my wife to do in order to her going into the country, and the girl, writing not so well as she would do, cried, and her mistress construed it to be sullenness, and so away angry with her too, but going to bed she undressed me, and there I did give her good advice and baiser la, elle weeping still … [and yo did take her, the first time in my life, sobra mi genu and did poner mi mano sub her jupes and took su thigh, which did hazer me great pleasure; and so did more, but besando-la went to my bed. – L&M]

18 Annotations

First Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

The beginnings of Samuel Pepys's affair with Deb Willett cut short by Wheatley

"...and the girl, writing not so well as she would do, cried, and her mistress construed it to be sullenness and so was angry, and I seemed angry with her too; but going to bed, she undressed me, and there I did give her good advice and beso la, ella weeping still; and yo did take her, the first time in my life, sobra mi genu and did poner mi mano sub her jupes and toca su thigh, which did hazer me great pleasure; and so did no more, but besando-la went to my bed.".

L&M text.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

"...there took up my wife and Deb., and to the Park, where, being in a hackney, and they undressed, was ashamed to go into the tour, but went round the park, and so with pleasure home..."

Sounds like Sam's ultimate fantasy...Except that Betty Mitchell wasn't there as well.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

Ah, if only Mrs Burroughs had been available...But inevitable, I suppose.

Terry Foreman  •  Link

Ormond to Captain Forster
Written from: Dublin
Date: 31 March 1668

The letter of 17th inst brought to the Duke reflections on the question of his passing into England. ... He will only put himself in a readiness for the voyage, but will not embark, until he conceives it needful, for vindication of his honour, or for preservation of his interest, from which my Lord of Meath's 'Articles' must not fright him. ...

http://www.rsl.ox.ac.uk/dept/scwm…

Jesse  •  Link

"and yo did take her, the first time in my life"

I know it's bad form to blame the victim but Deb might be sneaking a little revenge on the mistress and currying favor con el jefe.

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"Lord! to see how full they are and immoveable in their jealousy that some means are used to keep Harman from coming home, for they have an implacable desire to know the bottom of the not improving the first victory, and would lay it upon Brouncker."

JEALOUS: fearful,suspicious, mistrustful. Also Jealousy. (L&M Select Glossary)

Adam  •  Link

best I can translate - "I put her on my knee and put my hand up her skirt and touched her thigh which gave me great pleasure, and so did no more but kissed her and went to my bed"

language hat  •  Link

"Deb might be sneaking a little revenge on the mistress and currying favor con el jefe."

Since Deb had absolutely zero agency in the matter and was essentially forced to do whatever her boss wanted, such speculation is indeed bad form.

Second Reading

Autumnbreeze Movies  •  Link

'took up my wife and Deb., and to the Park, where, being in a hackney, and they undressed, was ashamed to go into the tour, but went round the park, and so with pleasure home, ' - this is not Sam's fantasy but the embarrassment of having his wife and her maid not dressed elegantly but in house clothes and in a hired cab, in a place where the elegant crowd came to show off and be seen

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"Lord! to see how full they are and immoveable in their jealousy that some means are used to keep Harman from coming home, for they have an implacable desire to know the bottom of the not improving the first victory, and would lay it upon Brouncker."

L&M: On the 19th the House had appointed two members to ask the Duke of York to renew his order to Hartman to hasten home from the W. Indies: CJ, ix. 72. He was in fact already on the way and arrived in the Downs on 9 April. Cf. https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/… and https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

'Charles II: March 1668', in Calendar of State Papers Domestic: Charles II, 1667-8, ed. pp. 262-320.
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/…

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March 31. 1668
Broad Street.
R. Waith to the Navy Commissioners.

I propose, in order to expediting the late Navy treasurer's accounts [CARTERET], and satisfying the remaining debts,
that tickets paid by him belonging to ships or yards for a time of service already paid, which relate to the time payable by the present treasurer [ANGLESEY], may be exchanged for others of like value to be made by the present treasurer, and allowable on the former treasurer's accounts, according to the practice of preceding treasurers,
and which if now disallowed, will occasion irregular proceedings and expense of time in finishing the late treasurer's accounts.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 237, No. 126.]

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March 31. 1668
Whitehall.
Declaration by Charles II.

As the Dutch congregation about Westminster complain that they cannot without difficulty repair to the Dutch church in London, and beg some convenient place in Westminster to hear preaching in their own language,

we hereby permit as many as submit to the Church of England, and use the book of Common prayer in the Dutch language, to meet for worship in any commodious place they can procure in or about Westminster, and to have as many ministers as shall be thought fit, provided their names be first presented by the churchwardens of the Dutch congregation to the Bishop of London;
we appoint Nich. Van Renselaer, to order the congregation and continue his ministry.
[S.P. Dom., Entry Book 27, f. 5.]

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March 31. 1668
Chatham.
Commissioner Thos. Middleton to Sam. Pepys.

A poor hoyman desires his boat, formerly appointed a fire-hoy;
it is fitted for him, but I cannot deliver it without an order, though it lies at the King's wharf, and he will lose the season without it.

The Yarmouth will be out of dock tomorrow,
and 3 ships will be despatched this spring [tide].
The Greenwich only stays for a fair wind.

I bought 50 loads of oak timber at 48s. per load;
I could not get it cheaper, neither know where to find any more so cheap.

The mast-maker is a very rascal, and not fit for employment;
if countenanced, he will do the King great disservice, and is fitter for Tyburn than for and trust;
the master joiner and others in the yard are little better.

Calkers are much wanted, the ablest being in London;
if joiners are not sent down, I know not what we shall do, as 50 for 3 months will not repair the ruin done to the King's ships since they came into port.

I send a copy of a letter about the gunner of the Defiance;
such business being laid to sleep makes others incorrigible;
if 10 or 12 were hanged, it might save the souls of the rest, but were they as bad as the devil, the worst punishment is loss of place.
[3 pages. S.P. Dom., Car. II. 237, No. 125.]

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

THERE ARE MANY PARTIALLY DATED DOCUMENTS AT THE END OF THE MARCH RECORDS. SOME ARE:

March. 1668
Warrant to pay to the keeper of the privy purse
necessary sums of money for angel gold,
for the King's use in healing.
[Docquet, Vol. 23, No. 195.]

CHARLES II GETTING READY FOR A DAY OF KING'S EVIL HEALINGS

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March. 1668
Warrant to pay to the Treasurer of the Navy
171,825l. for the wages for 6 months of 9,875 men,
to be employed on the King's ships,
and for the wear and tear of the ships
[S.P. Dom., Entry Books 30, No. 204.]

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March. 1668
Like warrant
to pay 45,978l. for wages, at 28s. per month each,
of the seamen appointed to serve in the fleet to be sent out for the winter guard, the Straits and West Indies.
[S.P. Dom., Entry Books 30, No. 204.]

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March ? 1668

Petition of Joshua Bowes, prisoner in the Gatehouse, to Lord Arlington.
Is deeply sorry for felonies committed at his lordship's office, for which his life is at stake;
begs him to be moved by the tears of a penitent thief, whose heart is changed by grace, and to give to an old sinner a new life, to be spent in thankfulness and prayer.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 237, No. 128.]

March ? 1668
Petition of Wm. Garfield, citizen and innholder of London, to Lord Arlington,

for reprieve from shameful death to banishment, for his son-in-law, Hen. Godfrey, prisoner in Newgate,
who was persuaded to commit that horrid robbery at Mr. Williamson's lodgings, for which he now stands sentenced to death.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 237, No. 129.]

March ? 1668
Petition of Henry Godfrey, attorney of the King's Bench, to Williamson,

for reprieve for 2 months;
is justly condemned for accompanying Wm. Sherwood in the burglary at his lodgings;
is ashamed of the base action, and will try to procure and restore him all his goods.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 237, No. 130.]
Annexing,
Account by Williamson of money, rings, plate, watch, pistols, &c., stolen from him.
[2 papers. S.P. Dom., Car. II. 237, No. 130I, II.]

——— to [Williamson].
I leave it to you to consider the pains I have been at, employing others to assist, in reference to the robbery at your lodgings, in recovery of which I have spent 4/. 7s. 6d.
Noted, received 82/.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 237, No. 130.II.]

March ? 1668
Petition of Wm. Sherwood, prisoner in Newgate, to Lord Arlington,
for reprieve from death, and leave to serve in foreign plantations.

Is sorry for the crime in the Paper office, for which he is condemned;
has delivered up some things in his custody, and wishes to deliver the remainder.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 237, No. 131.]

March ? 1668
Petition of Elizabeth, wife of Wm. Sherwood, to Williamson,
that her husband, concerned in the late unhappy business, may be reprieved at least, and if possible transported, or have any other sentence rather than this untimely end.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 237, No. 133.]

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

Memoranda [from the Signet books] of warrants, &c., passed during March 1668, the uncalendared portions

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Allowance to [WILLIAM] Godolphin, secretary to the Ambassador Extraordinary to Spain,
of 40s. a day, and 600/. for his equipage.

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Grant to the East India Company
of the port and island of Bombay,
at rent of 10/. a year,
to be paid at the Custom House, London.

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Account of the expenses of the journey of [Rob. Francis] by post,
from London to Dover, thence to Calais, posting to Paris,
and returning the same route;
total, 22/. 15s.
[3 pages. S.P. Dom., Car. II. 237, No. 141.]

Third Reading

Guy de la Bedoyere  •  Link

The shorthand actually reads:

'...but ella being in the shop, ego did speak con her, but she could not then go foras'. Bright turned foras into 'far'. L&M transcribed foras correctly but said it was garbled shorthand. It isn't. None of them seem to have considered it further, probably because some of the other English words in the sentence are in garbled shorthand (extraneous consonants). Foras is the Latin for outside which matches the context perfectly and is obviously what Pepys meant. See also 3 May 1668 for another instance of L&M misunderstanding a word completely.

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

Well done Guy! And you're right not to think L&M is unfallible.

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