Monday 23 November 1668

Up, and called upon by W. Howe, who went, with W. Hewer with me, by water, to the Temple; his business was to have my advice about a place he is going to buy — the Clerk of the Patent’s place, which I understand not, and so could say little to him, but fell to other talk, and setting him in at the Temple, we to White Hall, and there I to visit Lord Sandwich, who is now so reserved, or moped rather, I think, with his own business, that he bids welcome to no man, I think, to his satisfaction. However, I bear with it, being willing to give him as little trouble as I can, and to receive as little from him, wishing only that I had my money in my purse, that I have lent him; but, however, I shew no discontent at all. So to White Hall, where a Committee of Tangier expected, but none met. I met with Mr. Povy, who I discoursed with about publick business, who tells me that this discourse which I told him of, of the Duke of Monmouth being made Prince of Wales, hath nothing in it; though he thinks there are all the endeavours used in the world to overthrow the Duke of York. He would not have me doubt of my safety in the Navy, which I am doubtful of from the reports of a general removal; but he will endeavour to inform me, what he can gather from my Lord Arlington. That he do think that the Duke of Buckingham hath a mind rather to overthrow all the kingdom, and bring in a Commonwealth, wherein he may think to be General of their Army, or to make himself King, which, he believes, he may be led to, by some advice he hath had with conjurors, which he do affect.

Thence with W. Hewer, who goes up and down with me like a jaylour, but yet with great love and to my great good liking, it being my desire above all things to please my wife therein. I took up my wife and boy at Unthank’s, and from there to Hercules Pillars, and there dined, and thence to our upholster’s, about some things more to buy, and so to see our coach, and so to the looking-glass man’s, by the New Exchange, and so to buy a picture for our blue chamber chimney, and so home; and there I made my boy to read to me most of the night, to get through the Life of the Archbishop of Canterbury. At supper comes Mary Batelier, and with us all the evening, prettily talking, and very innocent company she is; and she gone, we with much content to bed, and to sleep, with mighty rest all night.

14 Annotations

First Reading

jean-paul  •  Link

I have not find the word "jaylour" in the OED, though I suppose it could be someone in charge of guarding prisoners in a jail?

languagehat  •  Link

It's just one of the many, many early variants of "jailer" (ranging from "gayholer" to "gealer"). Compare from an act of 1530-31 "The sayde Gaylour or Keper of pryson."

Chris Squire  •  Link

‘jailer | jailor | gaoler, n. Forms: α. ME gayholer, ME–15 gailer, ME–16 gayler, ME gaylere, 15 gaylour, gaylor, 15–16 gailor, 16 goaler, 16– gaoler. β. ME iaioler, iaoler(e, iailere, iaylar, ME iaylere, ME–15 iayler, ME–16 iailer, (ME iaylarde, 15 ioyler), 15–16 iaylour, iailour, 16–17 jaylor, jaylour, 16– jailer, jailor. γ. ME geil-, geyl-, geayl-, geyel-, 16 gealer.’
a. One who has charge of a jail or of the prisoners in it; a jail-keeper.
c1290 S. Eng. Leg. I. 98/204 He let nime alle þe gayholers: and tormenti heom ful sore.
c1320 Sir Beues 1652 A wente quik out of prisoun Be þe rop þe gailer com adoun . . ‘ [OED full text]

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"That he do think that the Duke of Buckingham hath a mind rather to overthrow all the kingdom, and...to make himself King, which, he believes, he may be led to, by some advice he hath had with conjurors, which he do affect."

L&M note Buckingham's association with the astrologer, John Heydon http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John… was notorious. Letters had been discovered in Heydon's papers addressing Buckingham as "prince."

Jenny  •  Link

Will Hewer, the son the Pepys never had. An intelligent, worthy companion to the family. Yet Sam boxed his ears as a boy, reprimanded him for his "gallant" cloak, reprimanded him for not going to church, reprimanded him for wearing his hat indoors..... He was his own man and successful in his own right, probably all part of his charm.

The affection and love for Will from both Sam and Elizabeth shines through the diary. It is very heart warming.

languagehat  •  Link

Indeed! But why the "Yet"? Those are all things Sam would have done if he *had* been his son!

Jenny  •  Link

An ungrammatical "yet" and an unnecessary word - I meant it to be an affectionate reminiscence with a wry smile.

languagehat  •  Link

Ah, gotcha! And it works quite nicely, now that I read it correctly.

Australian Susan  •  Link

"...who tells me that this discourse which I told him of, of the Duke of Monmouth being made Prince of Wales, hath nothing in it; though he thinks there are all the endeavours used in the world to overthrow the Duke of York. ..."

The power-mongers who whispered such words in Monmouth's impressionable (and not very bright) ear, hoping to use him, sowed the seeds for the later debacle of rebellion by Monmouth against the D of Y (then JII), the horrible massacre at Sedgemoor and Monmouth's botched execution. Charles's ambiguities over Monmouth fostered thoughts of inheritance in Monmouth's mind, but Charles was always clear that the succession had to pass to his brother.

Australian Susan  •  Link

The biog of William Laud which Sam is having read to him is a pro-Laud work, written by Peter Heylyn (a Royalist cleric who lost his livings under the Commonwealth), to counter Prynne's anti-Laud book. Interesting that Sam is reading this - further indication maybe of his changing views on religious politics. Here's a link to some more information about Heylyn.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pete…

Second Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

" W. Howe...by water, to the Temple; his business was to have my advice about a place he is going to buy — the Clerk of the Patent’s place"

L&M: Howe probably meant to buy the deputy-clerkship (the clerkship being at this time held by Sir Richard Pigott), and may have been consulting Pepys about the purchase price. On 21 March 1669 he asked Pepys for a loan of £500 for what is probably the same purchase: http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1… His brother John held a clerkship there. The Patent Office was part of Chancery.

LKvM  •  Link

"That he do think that the Duke of Buckingham hath a mind rather to overthrow all the kingdom, and bring in a Commonwealth, wherein he may think to be General of their Army, or to make himself King, which, he believes, he may be led to, by some advice he hath had with conjurors, which he do affect."
Shades of "Macbeth." Sam has seen it and liked it, so maybe Buckingham has too.

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