Friday 24 April 1668

Up betimes, and by water to White Hall, to the Duke of York, and there hear that this day Hollis and Temple purpose to bring in the petition against Sir W. Coventry, which I am sorry for, but hope he will get out of it. Here I presented Mrs. Pett and her condition to Mr. Wren for his favour, which he promised us. Thence to Lord Brouncker and sat and talked with him, who thinks the Parliament will, by their violence and delay in money matters, force the King to run any hazard, and dissolve them. Thence to Ducke Lane, and there did overlook a great many of Monsieur Fouquet’s library, that a bookseller hath bought, and I did buy one Spanish [work], “Los Illustres Varones.” Here did I endeavour to see my pretty woman that I did baiser in las tenebras a little while depuis. And did find her sofa in the book[shop], but had not la confidence para alter a elle. So lost my pains. But will another time, and so home and to my office, and then to dinner. After dinner down to the Old Swan, and by the way called at Michell’s, and there did see Betty, and that was all, for either she is shy or foolish, and su mardi hath no mind para laiser me see su moher. To White Hall by water, and there did our business with the Duke of York, which was very little, only here I do hear the Duke of York tell how Sir W. Pen’s impeachment was brought into the House of Lords to-day; and spoke with great kindness of him: and that the Lords would not commit him till they could find precedent for it, and did incline to favour him. Thence to the King’s playhouse, and there saw a piece of “Beggar’s Bush,” which I have not seen some years, and thence home, and there to Sir W. Pen’s and supped and sat talking there late, having no where else to go, and my eyes too bad to read right, and so home to bed.

23 Annotations

First Reading

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

Could someone help with translations of Sam's Spancais (or Franish), please? Thanks in advance.

Terry Foreman  •  Link

[Message of King Charles II to both Houses of Parliament, intimating the time & duration of an intended prorogation]
House of Commons Journal Volume 9 - 24 April 1668

Charles R

HIS Majesty, by His former Message, thought fit to acquaint you, that He intended the present Session of Parliament should determine on Monday the 4th of May: But, finding that the Proceedings in many important Businesses, now under Agitation, would be lost, if there should be a Cession; and that many things, not yet foreseen, may happen to induce him to call you together again before Winter; hath now thought fit to acquaint you, that He intends only an Adjournment for about Three Months; and desires you therefore to perfect the Bill for Supplies, and such others as may be made ready by the said 4th of May, so that he may then give His Royal Assent to them before the Adjournment.

http://www.british-history.ac.uk/…

Terry Foreman  •  Link

Methinks both Pepys and Ormond will be glad when parliament is prorogued.

Terry W  •  Link

"Could someone help with translations of Sam’s Spancais (or Franish), please?"

Here did I endeavour to see my pretty woman that I did kiss in the shadows a little while since. And did find her sofa in the book[shop], but had not the confidence to do anything to her.

... for either she is shy or foolish, and her husband hath no mind to let me see his wife.

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"I presented Mrs. Pett and her condition to Mr. Wren for his favour, which he promised us"

"Mr. Christopher Pett’s widow and daughter come to me, to desire my help to the King and Duke of York, and I did promise, and do pity her." http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…

L&M say she claimed many debts and her husband had been owed £500 at his death.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

Uh-oh. I wonder if perhaps Betty Mitchell has spilled a few to su mardi.

"Gentlemen? Have we not met? Are you steady customers of Mr. Mitchell's?"

"We met last night, by the ruins, Mr. Pepys. Though you departed before we could be better acquainted. And close friends of Mr. M. is more like it."

"I see...Well, I'll be..."

"Just a mo, sir...Our friend Mitchell would like to return that gift of a box you made to his wife a while ago."

"Ah. No need, no need..."

"Indeed, our friend will brook no denials, sir. His gift be waiting in our cart. Perhaps a slightly larger box though not so well crafted as the one you bestowed."

Paul Chapin  •  Link

A couple of faults in the erotic polyglossia which are probably the result of mis-scans rather than Sam's linguistic eccentricities: "alter" should be "aller" (to go) and "mardi" should be "mari" (I'm sure Sam knew the difference between husbands and Tuesdays, even if he didn't care).

Michelle Wyllie  •  Link

I think that should translate into "her husband has no mind to let me see his wife."

Mary  •  Link

Sofa?

L&M renders this "did find her sola in the book[shop]" which makes much better sense. Sola = alone.

At this date the sofa had not yet become a normal article of domestic furniture in England, let alone in bookshops.

classicist  •  Link

Betty Mitchell: shy, perhaps, but foolish? Her behaviour seems eminently sensible to me!

martinb  •  Link

Alternatively, "mardi" could be someone's mis-scan of "marido" i.e. the Spanish, rather than the French, for husband.

Terry Foreman  •  Link

The language problems may not be so much mis-scans as transcription difficulties.

L&M read "Here did I endeavour to see my pretty woman that I did besarr in las tenebras a little while despues. And did find her sola in the boutique, but had not la confidence para hablar a ella....After dinner down to the Old Swan, and by the way called at Michell’s and there did see Betty; and that was all, for either she is shy or foolish, and su mardido hath no mind para laisser me see su moher."

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"I do hear the Duke of York tell how Sir W. Pen’s impeachment was brought into the House of Lords to-day; and spoke with great kindness of him: and that the Lords would not commit him till they could find precedent for it, and did incline to favour him."

L&M note the Duke had been present at the debate, which ended with a command that Penn appear before the house at 10 AM 27 April and answer the charges.

The scans of the pertinent pages (232-234) of the House of Lords Journal can be read here:

http://india.british-history.ac.u…

http://india.british-history.ac.u…

http://india.british-history.ac.u…

Second Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"Thence to Ducke Lane, and there did overlook a great many of Monsieur Fouquet’s library, that a bookseller hath bought, and I did buy one Spanish [work], “Los Illustres Varones.” "

L&M : Juan Sedeño, Summa de varones illustres (Toledo, 1590; PL 2149). It bears Fouquet's arms on the back. After Fouquet's disgrace and imprisonment in 1661 -- he had been minister of finance -- most of his superb library of 30,000 volumes was confiscated by the King (and is now in the Bibliotheque Nationale); other items were sold.

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

Arlington's warrant bore fruit:
https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…

April 24. 1668
Roger L'Estrange to Williamson.

I perused all the books and papers sent, and have marked the passages found most liable to censure;
but till I see the examinations of the witnesses, and hear the circumstances of the proofs, I cannot make any judgment of the issue.
Let the messengers that made the seizure, and the persons that made the discovery, be sent to me;
I will then prepare such an information as may serve for a guide to the King's counsel to proceed.
"Felo de se" is undoubtedly Wallis's, but a jury will not make much of it.
The "Queries" will punish most, because they reflect on the present Parliament.
"Omnia concessa a Belo" is a vile libel, of the same quality as "Felo de se".
I can fasten nothing on "The poor Whores' Petition" that a jury will take notice of.
"Liberty of Conscience" is rather to be answered than punished, except as an unlicensed pamphlet.
The "Saints' Freedom" has direct treason in it, and a little patience would have brought it home, but the alarm is now so hot that all are upon their guard.
I send another libel, "Room for the Cobbler," which is "the damnedest thing has come out yet"; but I beg privacy, being in quest of Wallis, who has disguised himself.
It is not easy to govern the licence of the press, and those who serve therein should be rewarded.
If you cannot make sure of destroying the offenders utterly, it will be better to let them alone till an opportunity offers of making them sure;
I am confident you need not long wait for it.
I hope the libel of the Cobblers will be closely and quickly followed up;
if you show it to Lord Arlington, or my Lord of Canterbury, let no words be spoken, as I want to surprise the parties.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 238, No. 202.]

'Charles II: April 1668', in Calendar of State Papers Domestic: Charles II, 1667-8, ed. Mary Anne Everett Green (London, 1893), pp. 320-369. British History Online
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/…

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

However, of more concern ...

March 24. 1668
The Monmouth.
Sir Thos. Allin to Williamson.

A vessel from Rochelle says the French are making great haste with their fleet, and "the King will have 100,000 men in the field, 100 sail of ships at sea, and 100 million of livres into their armies." [LOUIS XIV, THAT IS]

Capt. [Ant.] Langstone met Capt. JNo. Gilliams, a man-of-war of 24 guns, belonging to St. Sebastian's, which had on board Serjeant-Major Don Quante, with 6 captains and 400 men under his command, bound for Ostend;
his consort had 200 men.

He had been out of St. Sebastian's 7 days, and said Don John would be ready to depart after him in 14 days.

I daily meet with Hollanders who report we shall have war, and others the contrary.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 237, No. 48.]

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

SORRY ... Ignore this ... posted in the wrong month

Stephane Chenard  •  Link

Always wash your hands after holding a letter from press censor Roger L'Estrange, here seen still trying to pin down Ralph Wallis, a vitriolic pamphleteer who's been running circles around him for a decade, to Williamson, someone he certainly has no love for but who's now climbed far above him, for a reward please, the poor censor's cross being so heavy to bear. A couple days ago, he was already writing Arlington of being "exposed either to want bread or to live on charity", and of how Williamson owed him "his part of 25L. due".

And of how "the law is so short that unless the very act of printing be expressly proved, the printer will come off"; and of how "the Government will find it hard to reduce the press to that order to which I once brought it, and would have kept it" [S.P. Dom., Car. II. 238, No. 179]. Alas, poor L'Estrange, he says all this but doesn't even seem to expect much anymore, the dissolute government of the present days not having time anymore for the aging reactionary.

Aging, spent, bitter, and not even doing a good job. Apart from Wallis, he can't name any printer or author, he needs more evidence, a jury couldn't use it, and this, and that, and he's ill, and sorry. And, excuse me, he "can fasten nothing on 'The poor Whores' Petition' that a jury will take notice of"? Just weeks ago it was Evidence A in sending four of the rioters to the gallows. Is L'Estrange that unaware of what the court cares about, or does he agree with the petition?

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