Wednesday 13 May 1668

Up, and by water to White Hall, and so to Sir H. Cholmly’s, who not being up I made a short visit to Sir W. Coventry, and he and I through the Park to White Hall, and thence I back into the Park, and there met Sir H. Cholmly, and he and I to Sir Stephen Fox’s, where we met and considered the business of the Excise, how far it is charged in reference to the payment of the Guards and Tangier. Thence he and I walked to Westminster Hall and there took a turn, it being holyday, and so back again, and I to the mercer’s, and my tailor’s about a stuff suit that I am going to make. Thence, at noon, to Hercules Pillars, and there dined all alone, and so to White Hall, some of us attended the Duke of York as usual, and so to attend the Council about the business of Hemskirke’s project of building a ship that sails two feet for one of any other ship, which the Council did agree to be put in practice, the King to give him, if it proves good, 5000l. in hand, and 15,000l. more in seven years, which, for my part, I think a piece of folly for them to meddle with, because the secret cannot be long kept. So thence, after Council, having drunk some of the King’s wine and water with Mr. Chevins, my Lord Brouncker, and some others, I by water to the Old Swan, and there to Michell’s, and did see her and drink there, but he being there je ne baiser la; and so back again by water to Spring Garden all alone, and walked a little, and so back again home, and there a little to my viall, and so to bed, Mrs. Turner having sat and supped with me.

This morning I hear that last night Sir Thomas Teddiman, poor man! did die by a thrush in his mouth: a good man, and stout and able, and much lamented; though people do make a little mirth, and say, as I believe it did in good part, that the business of the Parliament did break his heart, or, at least, put him into this fever and disorder, that caused his death.

16 Annotations

First Reading

Robert Gertz  •  Link

"...there to Michell’s, and did see her and drink there, but he being there je ne baiser la;..." Sounds like our hero may have been busted or is at least under suspicion ala Betty Mitchell.

Mary  •  Link

"did die by a thrush in his mouth"

L&M glosses 'thrush' as "inflammation of the throat and mouth." These days, with the availability of anti-fungal remedies, thrush seldom represents a serious infection in itself, but if left untreated in cases where underlying health problems exist (diabetes, HIV, cancer etc.) it can develop into a more serious problem, affecting other parts of the body.

arby  •  Link

"stuff suit"?

Mary  •  Link

stuff.

This is a term that can be applied at this time to any woven fabric, but in this context is most likely to refer to a woollen cloth.

arby  •  Link

Huh. Thanks Mary.

Second Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"to Westminster Hall and there took a turn, it being holyday [i.e. holiday]"

The law-courts had "risen" for the vacation on 4 May and Parliament had been adjourned on the 9th. (Per L&M note)

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"I think a piece of folly for them to meddle with, because the secret cannot be long kept."

For the project, see http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
The money ws granted this day to van Heemskirk and his partner (John de Moelyn): PRO, PC 2/60, pp. 300-1. (L&M note)

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"Sir H. Cholmly...and I to Sir Stephen Fox’s, where we met and considered the business of the Excise, how far it is charged in reference to the payment of the Guards and Tangier. "

L&M: In May-June a new farm of the Excise was in negotiation. For these payments, see CTB, vol. ii, p. xix.

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

May 13. 1668
Lyme.
Ant. Thorold to Williamson.

The Elizabeth from Cadiz, richly laden, bound for France, has arrived,
and reports that Don John was ready 6 weeks since to take shipping from the Groyne for Flanders, having then a considerable fleet and a good army to carry with him;

also that Tangiers is in a thriving condition, but that the Turks have taken some of our vessels in the Straits, and others are daily chased by them there.

The Elizabeth came out with a good fleet of English merchantmen, which were convoyed by the Nightingale frigate part of the way.
Other vessels named have come in.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 240, No. 4.]

[Groynes in Sitges, Catalonia, Spain is now known as A Coruña. It’s a busy port located on a promontory in the Golfo Ártabro, a large gulf on the Atlantic Ocean.]

'Charles II: May 1668', in Calendar of State Papers Domestic: Charles II, 1667-8, ed. Mary Anne Everett Green (London, 1893), pp. 369-418. British History Online
https://www.british-history.ac.uk…

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

May 13. 1668
Deal.
Rich. Watts to [Williamson].

A ship from Spain reports that the extraordinary drought has parched up all the fruit and corn;
60 sail of merchantmen are in the Downs.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 240, No. 1.]

Stephane Chenard  •  Link

"a ship that sails two feet for one of any other ship, (...) which, for my part, I think a piece of folly for them to meddle with, because the secret cannot be long kept"

Aww, Sam, you have no sense of fun. An arms race! The longest bow, the largest dreadnought, the heaviest missile! No? OK then, stay out of it.

Instead you'll get the letter thus summarized:

******************************
May 13, London. Thos. Lister to Sam. Pepys. Several complaints depending before the Lord Keeper, of the want of water at Bawtry, are to be heard next Saturday. Shall attend and move something in reference to the navigation of the river. Desires a few lines from the Commissioners to his Lordship of the occasion there is for timber, and the prejudice they suffer by not having quick conveyance when desired; doubts not but his Lordship will give such directions to the Commissioners of Sewers and participants of the level as will procure a speedy remedy in it. [S.P. Dom., Car. II. 240, No. 6; https://www.british-history.ac.uk…]
******************************

Mr. Lister complains about river navigation ("the want of water" - the river is too low). You've been quite involved in cleaning out the Medway of sunk ships but how does Bawtry, a town far inland on the little river Idle, concern you? Do you get mail on everything that floats? There is indeed, to deal at least indirectly with the regulation of rivers, a Commission of Sewers, which manages not underground effluents (not for another 130 years) but drainage and flood defence - an all-essential organization in such a semi-submersible country as England (just you wait), but it's not your Commission, and you last met them four years ago, while looking for a place to store masts [https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…] Or is it the timber angle?

And who is "Thos. Lister"? There is a disgraced, regicide former MP of that name on the books, barred from public office and presumably anything like meeting the Lord Keeper, and who will die or has already died sometime in this very year, 1668. Surely you wouldn't know such a man.

Stephane Chenard  •  Link

Duh. How could we miss it. Lister wants Sam et get Navy to tell Keeper they need the wood at Bawtry to build ships, so that Keeper tells Sewers to unstop the river. Crystal clear.

But, Sam, the hot weather slowed your wits as well. If the whole world is soon going to have Helmskirke's fast ships, then England has no choice but to buy them too. Still not interested? OK, OK.

Timo  •  Link

‘ Groynes in Sitges, Catalonia, Spain is now known as A Coruña’
Groynes in Galicia, Spain is now known as A Coruña, surely?

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

Thank you Timo ... I copied what I found on Google ... local info is always better.

And Stephane ... they developed a submarine which stayed submerged for half an hour in the Thames during the time of James I, and lost the technology because no one knew what to do with a submarine. Granted a fast ship is more obvious in its uses, but it's amazing what good ideas have been buried for lack of imagination.
http://www.dutchsubmarines.com/sp…

Pepys can't even see a use for Samuel Moreland's adding machine.
http://history-computer.com/Mecha…

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