Thursday 20 August 1668
Betimes at my business again, and so to the office, and dined with Brouncker and J. Minnes, at Sir W. Pen’s at a bad pasty of venison, and so to work again, and at it till past twelve at night, that I might get my great letter1 to the Duke of York ready against to-morrow, which I shall do, to my great content. So to bed.
8 Annotations
First Reading
Robert Gertz • Link
"Well?" Minnes, hopefully.
"No luck. He took a double helping and it still didn't kill him." Penn sighs.
"Damn. Abby laced that pasty with enough poison to kill ten men." Brouncker shakes head.
Minnes, blinking... I did eat from the right plate?
"The man has the metabolism of a snake crossed with an ox." Penn, frowning. "I should've known medicine wouldn't do the trick after those other two tries...Even the plague missed him."
"Gentlemen...We must prevent that Great Letter from seeing the light of day and His Grace's hand...By any means possible." Brouncker insists. "Blackmail?"
"Pepys covers too well...And has the dirt on us all. Still...I could try Hewer again...A more direct threat than that little matter of Mason and the 30Ls." Penn suggests.
"Oh...No one cares about what a clerk of the Clerk of the Acts does. What about the women?"
"In Charles Stuart's Court?" Penn eyes Brouncker. "The King'd simply ask if he could borrow Pepys' little black book."
"Mrs. P. is the jealous type, I think." Minnes suggests.
"No...If we demanded the Letter from her, she'd believe it all lies against her dear Sam. And if we threaten him with exposure, he'd simply send her to Brampton before we could provide proof. If we could get any of his ladies to talk...They're all devoted to their Sammy." Penn shrugs. "One must admit, the little bug-eyed ferret has something where ladies are concerned. They all get this misty look and start talking about how charming Mr. Pepys is and how empathic, blah, blah, blah, and how he show such interest in them and their miserable little lives."
Hmmn...
"Brouncker, are you sure Abigail really did put the stuff in the pasty? And told us of the right pasty?"
"What?" Brouncker stares. Eyeing his plate...
"Pardon, gentlemen...Methinks I have a rendezvous with some physic." Minnes rises.
Second Reading
San Diego Sarah • Link
'Charles II: August 1668', in Calendar of State Papers Domestic: Charles II, 1667-8, ed. Mary Anne Everett Green (London, 1893), pp. 516-565. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/…
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Aug. 20. 1668
The Leopard, Plymouth Sound.
Sir Daniel Harvey to Sir Wm. Penn.
I have promised to use my interest that the wives and children of my men on
board may receive the money due upon their tickets for support during their
absence;
they expected to receive their arrears at Spithead, but the wind prevented our touching there.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 245, No. 1.]
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Aug. 20. 1668
Treasury Chambers.
Sir George Downing to Sam. Pepys.
I send the exceptions made by several bidders for victualling the Navy, to the conditions proposed by the Navy Office;
you are to communicate them to your brethren, but to none else;
the Treasury Commissioners have appointed to hear both parties on Wednesday.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 245, No. 3.]
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Aug. 20. 1668
Kinsale.
Wm. Penn to the Navy Commissioners.
I send a ledger of the naval stores, and copies of warrants by Capt. Wm. Crispin, with accounts of disbursements and remains of stores.
I desire consideration for my charges, care and pains.
With note that the enclosures were delivered at the Board to Sir John Mennes.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 245, No. 4.]
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Which William Penn is this?
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Aug. 20. 1668
Remonstrance of John Heydon to Lord Arlington.
I have been 18 months detained from my property, books, MSS., instruments,
receipts, bonds, clothes, money, watches, 7c., to my great oppression,
through that wicked pilferer, Capt. Gilbert Thomas, who by false suggestions
has prevented your lordship doing what you would for me;
I entreat speedy justice, or else, after waiting so long, I shall be compelled to
seek remedy some other way, having innocency and a good conscience, able witnesses, and honourable personages to appeal to.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 245, No. 5.]
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Aug. 20. 1668
Temple.
Charles Heydon to Lord Arlington.
I must acquaint you how much our name and family, of which John Heydon is a branch, have suffered in the King’s service.
If Sir John Heydon, my father, were living, we should not have thus to complain.
I entreat the restoration to my cousin, John Heydon, in consideration of his
innocence, persecution, and long imprisonment, of those things which were
taken from him.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 245, No. 6.]
San Diego Sarah • Link
Aug. 20. 1668
Letter Office, London.
James Hickes to Williamson.
I have despatched the letters that were sent from Billing.
A ship from Morlaix reports a great press by the French there for ship
carpenters to send to Brest, where the French King intends building 50 ships of war;
also that the sickness has broken out in Rouen and several parts of Normandy.
I hope consideration of the map [of post roads] is printed, having made the
first draft of it;
but were I Postmaster-General, I would not print it, having strong apprehensions of the great charge it will draw upon the office.
When Parliament sees how all the branches lie, and most of them carried on at the charge of those in the country concerned, they will try to have them
carried through by the Postmaster-General, which will be very chargeable.
The obstructions put upon dispersing the Gazette hinder the printing of full one-half.
I will send your letter to the Bishop of St. David’s.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 245, No. 7.]
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Murlace, Morlaise, aka Morlaix, refer to the port in Brittany 100 miles west
of St. Malo now known as Morlaix.
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Williamson is staying at the Earl of Thurmond’s manor house at Billing,
Northampton.
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Aug. 20. 1668
[Sir N. Armorer to Williamson.]
I am glad you have got safe and sound from Oxford, to the most excellent
Countess, whose goodness, beyond your deserts, will made too much of you;
I hope her excellence will feed you up with venison and other good things, and then return you hither, where there are those can take you down with half the trouble your nursing will cost at Billing.
I hope Lord Thomond is there;
I am miserable not to join you.
There is nothing at Court but crowd, hurry, and business;
one day receiving ambassadors, and another their wives;
one week making private friendships,
and before the month ends, breaking them like glass never to be patched up
again.
When do you return, and where am I to meet you?
San Diego Sarah • Link
To-day the Lord Lieutenant came to the Treasury, as also the great Ossory and Conway, but the business is put off again, or you would have had a sally in Northamptonshire from some of your friends.
But now we must attend the president’s motion, and he must either have a
snip or he will not made the farm worth a chip, whosoever takes it.
It went hot about Court that Tom Gray had gained his point in making a good understanding between his Royal Highness, the Duke of Buckingham, and Lord Arlington;
I think there are some steps made towards it, but not to the degree that is said, but the rest will follow, if not disturbed as formerly.
The commission for Ireland has passed the seal, and Mr. Garraway having
refused to set, Sir Thos. Osborne is put in his stead;
I have fair hopes of a pardon from my brother, Dr. Hampshire(?), and think the best way to gain it is to send him a warrant for a buck.
There is now at your house in the Mews our dearly beloved Hudibras and
Doctor Longer, who with Musgrave, Fidler Watt, and myself salute you and the dowager of Carlow with a glass.
I send the best records I have, which you are to return, or see my face no more.
[4 pages. S.P. Dom., Car. II. 245, No. 8.]
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The “dowager of Carlow” is probably Lady Katherine O’Brien, Williamson’s
hostess at Billing. Carlow Castle in Ireland was also owned by the Earl of Thurmond.
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Aug. 20. 1668
Whitehall.
[Rob.] Francis to [Williamson].
I will not fail to wait on Lord Arlington at Goring House and Whitehall;
where am I to find a letter of Sir Philip Warwick's, relating to some business of the Earl of Norwich, as Lord Arlington will govern himself by it in some particular of that affair?
I send several letters and papers, extracts from foreign letters, &c.
[2 pages. S.P. Dom., Car. II. 245, No. 10.]
Encloses,
Wm. Garret to Williamson.
Where am I to leave a partridge pie, sent as a present to you by
Dr. Joseph Rhodes?
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 245, No. 10i.]
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Aug. 20. 1668
Billing.
J. W[illiamson] to Francis.
I always thought Swaddell's care would not carry him over a fortnight's
diligence;
you will all be one day sorry you had not used your opportunities with better
husbandry.
I send orders about letters, an exact copy to be taken of the Dutch ratification, &c., and exhort you to care and diligent attendance on Lord Arlington.
Compliments to Ladies Anderson and Browne, Mrs. Cave and Mrs. Cox.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 245, No. 11.]
San Diego Sarah • Link
Aug. 20. 1668
Whitehall.
Letter of news [sent by R. Francis to Williamson] directed to Mr. Warner, Winchester.
Extracts from letters calendared above.
Lord Gerard went to Chiswick on the 15th; to take possession of the house of
Duke of Monmouth gave him, in part consideration for the command of the
Life Guards.
There were 70 sail of merchant ships and 16 men-of-war in the Downs on the 12th.
Mynheer Meerman has given an account to his masters of his negotiation, and received their thanks.
The Dutch lost 17 ships in Greenland, which will much impoverish if not ruin
that company.
The Duke of Savoy, by strong ramparts, shut out the river of Vercelli from
prejudicing his fortifications, which being finished, the people of Navarra, in the states of Milan, without any complaint, made an inroad into the Duke’s territories, and demolished all the defences against the waters;
whereupon his Highness sent a captain of his guard, with 200 horse and 300 foot, to countenance the re-edifying of the work, commissioning them to kill and slay all opposers;
6,000 high Dutch have arrived at Milan,
and the Marquis of Montara, the new governor, is gone with 2,000 Spaniards
to Barcelona.
The French King offers to refer his pretences to Flanders to be adjusted by
commission, but conditionally upon their granting him Condé and the Fort Lyncke.
Those of Franche Comte are much dissatisfied, and almost ready to mutiny, that Count Aremberg, a stranger, is made governor, and soldiers garrisoned in their towns contrary to custom;
they were answered that whilst they had strength and fidelity to defend
themselves, Spain did not impose upon them;
but having found the contrary, they ought not to think it strange if the
former course was altered.
Sir Thos. Allin has sailed from Spithead with the Monmouth and 8 others;
the Princess, one of them, will leave the Portugal Ambassador at Lisbon.
The French King, in expectation of what success his Ambassador may have in
England, keeps very fair with Van Beuningen, and tells him that, though he has reasons to expect his right in such places as are due to him by the agreement in the Spanish Netherlands,
he would rather refer them to arbitration, if they will give him Condé and Lyncke, than offer any violence, being resolved to live in peace, that his subjects may wholly bind themselves to commerce.
Notwithstanding these good assurances, the Spanish Ambassador in Holland is still alarming the States with new designs of the French against Flanders, as if they intended to surprise or attack Nieuport;
but till the Spaniards satisfy the Swedes about the subsides, the States will give no ear to them.
San Diego Sarah • Link
Holland is not without jealousy of a rupture;
they have proposed to receive into their service 5,000 or 6,000 Swiss, on condition that they may oblige themselves in the guarantee for the peace
between France and Spain, and have resolved in the meantime to make use of some Swiss companies.
They are much pleased with Mynheer Meerman's report of England; he assures the States not only of a fair correspondence, but of a willingness to enter into a nearer alliance, and to take in Denmark and the cantons of Switzerland, for the uniting the reformed interests.
The French Ambassador had an audience on the 19th;
his servants wear the liveries they wore at Aix-la-Chapelle.
That King, on the complaint of Monsieur Ruvigny — appointed deputy on
behalf of those of the reformed religion –– of the hardships they endure in
seeing their churches demolished, has consented to give them a full hearing,
and has given way in the meantime for the rebuilding of 2 churches near Geneva.
The Italian post having been robbed,
there is no account from Candia.
[2-½ pages. S.P. Dom., Car. II. 245, No. 9.]
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Ambassador Charles Colbert (1625 — 1696). In 1664 he married Françoise
Béraud, daughter of a rich banker, who brought with her the territory of
Croissy, which name he took to be turned into a Marquisate in July 1676.
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Aug. 20. 1668
Edinburgh.
Rob. Mein to Williamson.
The Bishop of Glasgow has been dangerously ill, but is better, and will be at council in September.
The militia exercises every other day, so that 18,000 horse and foot will be ready at 24 hours' warning, and they keep all in order.
There has been a private affray between the Earls Caithness, Sutherland, and Mackay, and the laird of Dunbeath, in the north of Scotland, about restoration of stolen goods;
one was killed and several wounded, but the modelling of the militia keeps the kingdom in good order.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 245, No. 12. see p. 556 infra.]
Scube • Link
Did Sam ever have a decent meal at Sir Pen's? Seems he always complains after his visits there. Maybe the company plays some role here.
San Diego Sarah • Link
"I hope Lord Thomond is there;"
Sir N. Armorer's affection for Williamson is evident.
Personally, I hope Lord Thormond was not there ... it will be another 15-or-so years until Williamson is able to marry Lady Katherine. SPOILER!!! Maybe this is the summer when they fall in love? But the fact Sir Nick is teasing Williamson makes me suspect they have had feelings for each other for quite a while. How romantic.