Monday 19 October 1668
Up, and to my office to set down my Journall for some days past, and so to other business. At the office all the morning upon some business of Sir W. Warren’s, and at noon home to dinner, and thence out by coach with my wife and Deb. and Mr. Harman, the upholster, and carried them to take measure of Mr. Wren’s bed at St. James’s, I being resolved to have just such another made me, and thence set him down in the Strand, and my wife and I to the Duke of York’s playhouse; and there saw, the first time acted, “The Queene of Arragon,” an old Blackfriars play, but an admirable one, so good that I am astonished at it, and wonder where it hath lain asleep all this while, that I have never heard of it before. Here met W. Batelier and Mrs. Hunt, Deb.’s aunt; and saw her home — a very witty woman, and one that knows this play, and understands a play mighty well. Left her at home in Jewen Street, and we home, and to supper, and my wife to read to me, and so to bed.
9 Annotations
First Reading
Terry Foreman • Link
"all the morning upon some business of Sir W. Warren’s"
L&M note Warren's figures for how much was to be deducted (for short length) from his bill for New England masts had recently been challanged by a report from the Deptford yard.
Terry Foreman • Link
"an old Blackfriars play"
"Blackfriars Theatre was the name of a theatre in the Blackfriars district of the City of London during the Renaissance. The theatre began as a venue for child actors associated with the Queen's chapel choirs; in this function, the theatre hosted some of the most innovative drama of Elizabeth and James's reigns, from the euphuism of John Lyly to the stinging satire of Ben Jonson, George Chapman, and John Marston. The theatre eventually passed into the control of the King's Men, who used it as their winter playhouse until the theatres were closed in 1642." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blac…
Don McCahill • Link
> Up, and to my office to set down my Journall for some days past
I wonder if this is a clue to the missing pages. SP may have today filled in the days since the gap, intending to get to the rest later, and never did.
Jesse • Link
"Yet you ne’er could reach my heart;
For we courtiers learn at school
Only with your sex to fool;
You’re not worth the serious part."
See http://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclo… (thanks TF!) Probably worth repeating here to add to the context of our hero's modus operandi.
Karol • Link
The Queene of Arragon is certainly an intriguing play. i had a chance to see it with my husband last year and it definitely made an impression.
Second Reading
San Diego Sarah • Link
The volume of Domestic State Papers covering correspondence from Oct. 1668 to Dec. 1669 is at
https://play.google.com/books/rea…
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Oct. 19 1668.
Weymouth
John Pocock to James Hickes.
Two ships have arrived from Bordeaux, laden with new wines and prunes.
They say that many English ships are loading there, and that the French hold the wines at great price.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 248, No. 11.]
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Oct. 19 1668.
Coventry
Ra. Hope to Williamson.
Samuel Heywood, ironmonger, has been chosen mayor.
He has the repute of an honest man, yet he is as rough and unpolished as his ware.
To revenge himself on the city for choosing him, he threatens them with the want of their customary feast on Allhallows Day, when he is to be sworn.
Edward Lapworth, clothier, and Dan. Shaw, were chosen sheriffs, but the first has run away to avoid the office, and Shaw has paid the fine of 100 marks;
one Warden, a butcher, was chosen in his room, but he also chose to pay the fine rather than serve,
as also did Burne, a fellmonger;
so for the present there are no new sheriffs, the old ones continuing in their places.
Thos. Rogers and Matt. Parker are the new chainberlains, and Rich. Haywood and Henry Cooke, wardens.
The demolished steeple is nearly finished, being already above 40 yards high.
We are also repairing the beautiful and famous monument called the Cross, a
structure which, it is said, yields to none in England for curiosity and gallantry,
though it now wears many badges of the late ruinous times, as well as of age, and will cost no small charge to restore it to its former splendour.
There is much discourse of a strange discovery of witches at Warwick, many
of whom are said to be in hold.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 248, No. 12.]
San Diego Sarah • Link
Oct. 19 1668.
Swansea
Jo. Man to Williamson.
The Peter of Hamburg ran ashore near Llanelly, Carmarthenshire, and split into
pieces; her cargo of tobacco and sugar was all lost, but the men saved.
They saw neither sun, moon, nor stars for 11 days, and so mistook the channel.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 248, No. 14.]
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As The Peter had tobacco and sugar aboard, she probably came from Virginia or the Caribbean. It’s too late for hurricanes, so I guess the darkness was caused by the onset of winter. I am constantly humbled by the courage of early seamen; lousy food, mistreatment, cold and wet, no way of knowing where you are for months at a time … and ending up on the rocks with the total loss of the cargo, so probably no pay.
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Oct. 19 1668.
Jo. Russell to Rob. Francis.
I expected to have seen you before, but Sir John Trevor would not part with me, and made me engage to stop until the spring.
I am glad to hear that Sir John has obtained his long expected place.
I received a letter from that gentleman in Paris who is one of the 24 violins to the King of France, offering to send the last pieces that were played at the great feast at Versailles;
if you like to have them, I will write to him for them.
How has Sir John Trevor disposed of the places under him?
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 248, No. 15.]
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Sir John Trevor is about to be sent to Paris as the Ambassador … since he was with Sir William Temple in promoting the Triple Alliance, he wasn’t popular there.
https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…
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Oct. 19 1668.
Portsmouth
Capt. Ant. Deane to the Navy Commissioners.
The Dartmouth will be ready by Wednesday.
I will enquire where a supply of plank can be had so as not to be tied to Mr. Cole's, but I hear from others that there is not one to serve goods like unto him.
I told them the service should not depend on one man.
They say that several began to serve the yard while they had ready money, in the hopes of which they have run so far in by bills still unpaid, that they cannot trade; but Mr. Cole, having a greater stock than the rest, holds up now the others are laid down.
I have heard him say that unless you pay him 3,000/. owing, he was likely to cease trading with the rest.
Mr. Eastwood gave you notice of the timber felled in Titchfield Park, and bought by private men, and all the best trees docked for buckets, which would grieve anyone to behold such strange destruction to such rare goods, and indeed jewels, as well in this country as others.
Unless you declare how far I may engage, I despair of doing service.
I cannot repair the ships without planks, and find little timber hereabouts, except Col. Norton's in the New Forest, and the late Lord of Southampton's.
[2] pages. [S.P. Dom., Car. II. 248, No. 17.]
Stephane Chenard • Link
Three alternative Pepyses, each sitting in his parallel universe, have arrayed their notes and prepare to fill out those 13 blank pages in their Journall.
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"Up, and..." Pepys I's quill stops indecisively in mid-air. *And what? I sat all morning and did my business? How many hours is it gonna take to write up two weeks? And what's the point of wasting my eyesight on this tripe anyway, nobody will ever read this damn diary. Time I could spend answering the mail, buying a coach, hanging pictures with Bess, tocando cosas... Arrh.* A fat drop of ink falls on the desk and makes a stain. Sam ruins a lace cuff in wiping it, then one of the cardboard tubes from his spectacles falls off. Hewer cracks the door open: "Mr. Pepys? They're starting the staff meeting".
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"Up and..." Pepys II's quill stops indecisively in mid-air. *What can I possibly write of those events that won't get me into the Thames? My lord Sandwich was covertly made a Grand Inquisitor by his Catholick Majestie of Spain. King Charles' secret Jesuit guard took us to Saxham, where at a Sabbath we kissed the arse of the great archdevil Astaroth and pledged to deliver England to the Pope and the French. I saw the King get drunk on the blood of little children.* Hewer cracks the door open: "Mr. Pepys? My lord lieutenant of the Tower is here to get 'those notes', he says. Said you'd understand."
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"Up and..." Pepys III's quill stops indecisively in mid-air. *What was that? Voices again?* He turns around - no one else is there. *What? It sounds like distant laughter.* He can almost make words: "Very funny, Robert"; "I agree, Susan". *Aaaah! It's those people from the future again! Always peeking, reading over his shoulder, commenting!* Is he going madd? Are those the voice of daemons, warming his place in Hell already? Sam flings quill and notebook across the room. "Away!! Leave me alone!" Hewer cracks the door open: "Mr. Pepys? Is everything all right?"
Alev Öncül • Link
Stephane, this was hilarious! While Pepys 1 seems the most probable one, I laughed myself sick on reading the others. You definitely have the same talent as RG.