Wednesday 21 October 1668
Lay pretty long talking with content with my wife about our coach and things, and so to the office, where Sir D. Gawden was to do something in his accounts. At noon to dinner to Mr. Batelier’s, his mother coming this day a-housewarming to him, and several friends of his, to which he invited us. Here mighty merry, and his mother the same; I heretofore took her for a gentlewoman, and understanding. I rose from table before the rest, because under an obligation to go to my Lord Brouncker’s, where to meet several gentlemen of the Royal Society, to go and make a visit to the French Embassador Colbert, at Leicester House, he having endeavoured to make one or two to my Lord Brouncker, as our President, but he was not within, but I come too late, they being gone before: but I followed to Leicester House; but they are gone in and up before me; and so I away to the New Exchange, and there staid for my wife, and she come, we to Cow Lane, and there I shewed her the coach which I pitch on, and she is out of herself for joy almost. But the man not within, so did nothing more towards an agreement, but to Mr. Crow’s about a bed, to have his advice, and so home, and there had my wife to read to me, and so to supper and to bed. Memorandum: that from Crow’s, we went back to Charing Cross, and there left my people at their tailor’s, while I to my Lord Sandwich’s lodgings, who come to town the last night, and is come thither to lye: and met with him within: and among others my new cozen Creed, who looks mighty soberly; and he and I saluted one another with mighty gravity, till we come to a little more freedom of talk about it. But here I hear that Sir Gilbert Pickering is lately dead, about three days since, which makes some sorrow there, though not much, because of his being long expected to die, having been in a lethargy long. So waited on my Lord to Court, and there staid and saw the ladies awhile: and thence to my wife, and took them up; and so home, and to supper and bed.
13 Annotations
First Reading
Robert Gertz • Link
"Cozen Creed..."
"...he and I saluted one another with mighty gravity, till we come to a little more freedom of talk about it."
At which time we can expect to be throughly amused...
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"...out of herself for joy..." Yeah, I can see that...No more standing in the muck for hours trying to flag down a hackney, no longer begging favor of a ride from Penn or Minnes and their wives. And...The freedom of the road when Sam's busy at the office...
"Mrs. Pepys seems very pleased about the new coach, sir."
Hmmn? "Yes, Hewer...Perhaps a tad too pleased..."
"Life is a highway!...I plan to ride it!...All day long!!!"
Go, Bess, Go...
Chris Squire • Link
‘underˈstanding, adj.
1.a. Of persons (or animals): Possessed of understanding; having knowledge and judgement; intelligent. Very common in the 17th century.
. . 1613 G. Wither Abuses Stript ii. ii. sig. O5v, A selected Crew,‥the wisest, The vnderstandingst, yea and the precisest Of a whole Empire.
. . 1634 T. Herbert Relation Trav. 190 An Elephant (an vnderstanding beast).
1681 T. Otway Souldiers Fortune v. i. 67 Aristotle‥was an understanding Fellow.
1711 J. Addison Spectator No. 42. ¶6 The more understanding Part of the Audience immediately see through it and despise it.’ [OED]
Terry Foreman • Link
A coach, a Harley?
L&M note in 1665, Sir Edward Harley paid £38 foe the cheapest coach and harness he could find in London.
Pepys wrote yesterday he shopped for "a coach, and saw many; and did light on one for which I bid 50l., which do please me mightily" -- methinks not a Harley.
Jenny • Link
What a difference from the young man who had to borrow from the office to pay his rent. Well done, Sam, you've made it.
Terry Foreman • Link
"several gentlemen of the Royal Society...go and make a visit to the French Embassador Colbert, at Leicester House, he having endeavoured to make one or two to my Lord Brouncker, as our President, but he was not within [when Colbert had come 'round for a courtesy call]"
"'Wednesday, 21st.—This afternoone the Lord Brounker, President of the Royall Society, together with severall members of that company appointed by the Society, mett at the president's lodgings, and thence went in a body, in the name of the company, to compliment the French ambassador in returne of the civility he had twice made to the company in goeing to visitt the president. They were received with great respects, and the ambassador has desired to be present one day in theire publicke assembly, which is granted him. " *The Bulstrode papers*: Volume I (1667-1675) By Sir Richard Bulstrode, p. 69. http://goo.gl/3D82E (L&M note)
Second Reading
Terry Foreman • Link
"I hear that Sir Gilbert Pickering is lately dead, about three days since, which makes some sorrow there, though not much, because of his being long expected to die, having been in a lethargy long."
L&M: Pickering was Creed's new father-in-law. He died about agee 55 at his house at Tichmarsh, Northants, and had been buried on the 17th.
Liz • Link
‘she is out of herself for joy almost.’
I can imagine how excited EP is - the equivalent of my getting my first car. I was also ‘ outside of myself’.
I love examining the way English changes through the years. When did ‘outside’ become ‘beside’, I wonder?
San Diego Sarah • Link
'Entry Book: October 1668', in Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 2, 1667-1668, ed. William A Shaw (London, 1905), pp. 623-630. British History Online
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/…
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Oct. 21 1668
Warrant for transferring to the Hearth money
Thomas White's 4,000/. charged upon the Poll money
and Sir Dennis Gawden's 30,000/. on same.
Treasury Miscellanea Warrants Early XV. p. 182.
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They do want to pay you, Sir Dennis Gauden, but there's no money in the account, so some nifty bookkeeping is being employed.
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Oct. 21 1668
Same for 41,560/. 4s. 5d.
to Sir Robert Vyner
for divers chains, medals and other gold works and gilt and white plate. Treasury Miscellanea Warrants Early XV. p. 182.
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More nifty bookkeeping?
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Oct. 21 1668
Privy seal for 80/. per an. pension to Robert Swan
for assisting the King's escape after the battle of Worcester.
(Money warrant. dormant, hereon, dated Nov. 6).
Treasury Miscellanea Warrants Early XV. p. 182.p. 201; XVIII. p. 83.
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After the second battle of Worcester, Charles II rode around southern England for about 6 weeks, trying to find his way back to France. He avoided being caught by Cromwell's men, despite an enormous bounty being offered for his capture. Charles' constant guardian in this adventure was Col. Henry Wilmot, later made the 1st Earl of Rochester. Robert Swan was Wilmot's servant, and of course ran the same risks as Charles and Wilmot.
Good to know Charles remembered the trusty Robert Swan in this way, and the money didn't all go to the toffs.
San Diego Sarah • Link
Oct. 21 1668
Same to Auditor Beale
as to allowances of impost wines formerly made to Ambassadors.
Treasury Outletters Miscellaneous I.p. 314.
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L&M: Bartholomew Beale, Auditor of Imprests in the Exchequer, with special responsibility for the navy accounts, c. 1660-89.
https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…
Got to keep M. Colbert in French wine.
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Oct. 21 1668
Signature by the Treasury Lords of orders on the Exchequer in general for
209/. 5s. 3½d. to John Walker, Usher of the Exchequer [Court]:
60/. to John Rose, the King's gardener:
37/. 10s. 0d. to Charles Gifford on his annuity:
460/. to Thomas Thynn, Envoy, &c., to Sweden:
200/. to Sir Robert Long:
100/. to William Wardour:
100/. to Edith Cary.
Treasury Order Book XXXVI. p. 49.
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Thomas Thynne (1640–1714) {later 1st Viscount Weymouth} was invested as a Fellow of the Royal Society on 23 November 1664, and held the office of Envoy to Sweden between November 1666 and April 1669.
He lived at Longleat, and employed Sir Christopher Wren to make improvements, but his main loves were the gardens (modelled after Versailles) and his library.
https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…
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Oct. 21 1668
Money warrant for 200/.
to the Earl of Carbery
for half-a-year for his stables as President of Wales.
Treasury Miscellanea Warrants Early XXII pp. 96–7.
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200/. for multiple stables for six months? Well, they're not in London, so the ground rent would be less ... but this shows me Pepys can afford a one horse stable.
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At the Restoration, Sir Richard Vaughan, 2nd Earl of Carbery was appointed President of the Council of Wales and the Marches in recognition of his status as the leading Welsh peer and of his services as a Royalist leader during the civil wars. He employed Samuel Butler as his secretary and steward at Ludlow Castle, where the first part of Hudibras is said to have been composed.
Carbery was dismissed from the presidency of Wales in 1672 after charges were brought against him of ill-treating his servants and tenants on his estate at Dryslwyn.
http://bcw-project.org/biography/…
San Diego Sarah • Link
'Calendar of State Papers Colonial, America and West Indies: Volume 5, 1661-1668, ed. W Noel Sainsbury (London, 1880), pp. 615-622. British History Online
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/…
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Oct. 21/31. 1668
St. Germain.
#1858. Louis XIV to M. De la Barre, Lieut.-General in the islands of America.
The King commanded him in his Maj. despatch of 17/27th July last to govern himself concerning the restitution to the English of that part of St. Christopher's of which they were in possession on 1st January 1665 as he should hear from the Sieur de Colbert, Ambassador in England, to whom his Majesty gave orders to treat, by exchange or otherwise, for that part of said island with the Commissioners of the English King.
But the Sieur Colbert having sent word that said King cannot hearken in anywise to said exchange, but demands without delay restitution, according to the Treaty of Breda,
his Majesty's [i.e. Louis XIV I think] intention is that effective restitution be made without difficulty or delay on any pretext whatsoever, on pain of rebellion, which his Majesty will severely chastise;
provided that the English who have sold plantations or goods to the French shall not have the same repaid until they have restored the value received.
Annexed,
#1858. I. Louis XIV to M. De Bas, Lieut.-General in America.
Writes this day to Sieur De la Barre concerning St. Christopher's,
and if he shall be in possession of the employment of said De la Barre when this letter arrives, his Majesty desires he will execute all contained therein as punctually as if addressed to himself.
1668, Oct. 21/31.
#1858. II. Louis XIV to the Chevalier de St. Laurent, Governor of St. Christopher's.
To the same effect as the above letter to De la Barre. 1668, Oct. 21/31.
2 pp. [Col. Papers, Vol. XXIII., No. 66.]
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. 21 1668.
Falmouth
Thos. Holden to Williamson.
The fleet of merchantmen for France and the Straits put to sea again on the 19th, but the third time are driven back.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 248, No. 28.]
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Oct. 21 1668.
John Powell to James Hickes.
A ship of Southampton, being several hundred leagues on her way to Virginia,
spent her masts, and has put into Tenby, intending for Bristol for repairs.
Several merchant ships have arrived at Cork from Barbados, with most of their
merchants in them, each bringing his horse, and these are setting forward for
London.
The Crown frigate and another King's ship have also come into Cork.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 248, No. 30.]
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Oct. 21 1668.
Yarmouth
Rich. Bower to Williamson.
Yesterday 200 laden colliers sailed by;
there are here 4 or 5 fly-boats, and a ship laden with lead and red herrings for the Straits;
several ships are fitting for Bordeaux and the Straits, and will sail the end of the week.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 248, No. 32.]
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Oct. 21 1668.
Statement by Counsellor Jos. Ayloffe,
of the case relative to prize ships in Scotland, which were sold to the English, on an order that they should be admitted to free trade in England, on paying
customs as the English ships, if a list were sent by the Scotland Admiralty to the Custom House;
but the Custom House Officers objected to admit them, the list not having been brought in.
Arguments in favour of their naturalization, and suggestion that it should be done by a grant from the King, with a non obstante of the Act of Frauds.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 248, No. 34.]
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Oct. 21 1668.
Ordnance Office
Edw. Sherburne to Sam. Pepys.
Thanks for the list of vessels [sunk, burnt, &c., in the late war); will keep it a secret;
desires, when a perfect list of the whole is stated, to be a participator, as the
Commissioners of Accounts are very earnest for an account of the Ordnance
Stores lost in them, and without that list, he cannot punctually proceed.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 248, No. 36.]
Nicolas • Link
“but he was not within, but I come too late, they being gone before”
“But the man not within”
Pepys is forever going to see someone who is out, so the trip is wasted. So inefficient! No-one could make an appointment? This must’ve been a common practice in the days before telecommunications and just accepted as the cost of doing business.
San Diego Sarah • Link
"No-one could make an appointment?"
We've seen lots of appointments being made, Nicholas.
But then there's the "I'm in the neighborhood and I've got half an hour to spare, and I need to know X from Y, so I'll pop in and maybe I'll be lucky" meetings.
And don't forget the "I hope I'm in time for lunch" spontaneous pop ins.