Monday 1 March 1668/69

Up, and to White Hall to the Committee of Tangier, but it did not meet. But here I do hear first that my Lady Paulina Montagu did die yesterday; at which I went to my Lord’s lodgings, but he is shut up with sorrow, and so not to be spoken with: and therefore I returned, and to Westminster Hall, where I have not been, I think, in some months. And here the Hall was very full, the King having, by Commission to some Lords this day, prorogued the Parliament till the 19th of October next: at which I am glad, hoping to have time to go over to France this year. But I was most of all surprised this morning by my Lord Bellassis, who, by appointment, met me at Auditor Wood’s, at the Temple, and tells me of a duell designed between the Duke of Buckingham and my Lord Halifax, or Sir W. Coventry; the challenge being carried by Harry Saville, but prevented by my Lord Arlington, and the King told of it; and this was all the discourse at Court this day. But I, meeting Sir W. Coventry in the Duke of York’s chamber, he would not own it to me, but told me that he was a man of too much peace to meddle with fighting, and so it rested: but the talk is full in the town of the business. Thence, having walked some turns with my cozen Pepys, and most people, by their discourse, believing that this Parliament will never sit more, I away to several places to look after things against to-morrow’s feast, and so home to dinner; and thence, after noon, my wife and I out by hackneycoach, and spent the afternoon in several places, doing several things at the ’Change and elsewhere against to-morrow; and, among others, I did also bring home a piece of my face cast in plaister, for to make a vizard upon, for my eyes. And so home, where W. Batelier come, and sat with us; and there, after many doubts, did resolve to go on with our feast and dancing to-morrow; and so, after supper, left the maids to make clean the house, and to lay the cloth, and other things against to-morrow, and we to bed.

21 Annotations

First Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"the King having, by Commission to some Lords this day, prorogued the Parliament till the 19th of October next: at which I am glad, hoping to have time to go over to France this year."

Commission for proroguing the Parliament.

Parliament prorogued.

http://www.british-history.ac.uk/…

Allen Appel  •  Link

Can someone help us out here? A visor for his poor eyes?

"Archaic or literary, a means of disguise; mask; visor"

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"I do hear first that my Lady Paulina Montagu did die yesterday"

Sandwich's second daughter died of "a consumption". "Dear sweet...Paulina, in her 20th year [ had died at 9 a.m. ] at the upper Chelsey at Mrs Becks house", wrote Sandwich in his *Journal* (L&M note).

Mary  •  Link

"a vizard, for my eyes..."

I have a frivolous picture of Sam wearing the sort of green eye-shade that one sees on gamblers in older films.

Presumably he's looking for some kind of mask that will allow candlelight to fall on his paper without the 'glare' of the candles themselves affecting his eyes. Perhaps fulfilling the same function as a horse's blinkers?

Mary  •  Link

Well, well: that was a lucky chance.

I had no idea that one form of blinker/blinder was actually called a visor, but we live and learn - and that's where this site has been such a joy over the years.

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"the King having...prorogued the Parliament till the 19th of October next: at which I am glad, hoping to have time to go over to France this year"

L&M note Pepys went with his wife and her brother Balty in late August, traveling through Holland and the Spanish Netherlands to Paris [ with guidance from Evelyn http://www.romanbritain.freeserve… ], returning on 20 October, a day after Parliament reassembled.

***
A pity Pepys was not keeping even notes of his travels at that time!

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"Lord Bellassis...tells me of a duell designed between the Duke of Buckingham and my Lord Halifax, or Sir W. Coventry; the challenge being carried by Harry Saville, but prevented by my Lord Arlington, and the King told of it....But I, meeting Sir W. Coventry in the Duke of York’s chamber, he would not own it to me, but told me that he was a man of too much peace to meddle with fighting"

L&M note it was Coventry who was involved in this abortive duel and it led to his disgrace. The quarrel was provoked by Buckingham's plan to ridicule Coventry and his friends in a play ("The country gentleman"), written by himself and Sir Robert Howard. At a Privy Council meeting on the 3rd, the challenge Coventry had sent to Buckingham was construed as a conspiracy to cause the death of a privy councilor, a felony under a statute of 3 Henry VII. Coventry and his second, Henry Savile (his nephew) were imprisoned on the 4th [ see Pepys's account that day of the business http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1… ]; on the 5th Coventry was relieved of his offices. The King was delighted to be rid of him. Coventry 's peaceableness was well-known. [Pepys will visit Coventry daily in the Tower until his release 20 March, then at his house.]

jeannine  •  Link

"I do hear first that my Lady Paulina Montagu did die yesterday; at which I went to my Lord’s lodgings, but he is shut up with sorrow, and so not to be spoken with"

I am sure Lord Sandwich is devasted (as is his wife). For all of the faults that Sam has found with him over the years, one thing has always been clear--Sandwich loved his family and cherished his children. A sad day.

pepfie  •  Link

OED vizard:

†1.c A mask as used to protect the face or eyes.

... 1669 Pepys Diary 25 June [sic, i.e. April], I to my office,‥to write down my journal‥and did it, with the help of my vizard, and tube fixed to it, and do find it mighty manageable, but how helpful to my eyes this trial will show me.

On the same day, SP describes Lead's contraption, slightly more complicated than a blinker with a peep hole:
"...thither comes Lead with my vizard, with a tube fastened within both eyes; which, with the help which he prompts me to, of a glass in the tube, do content me mightily."

pepfie  •  Link

my Lady Paulina Montagu

Jeannine, I share your opinion on Lord Sandwich but SP seems to disagree, perhaps judging by his own yardstick: "...my Lady Paulina, who is desperately sick, and is gone to Chelsey, to the old house where my Lord himself was once sick, where I doubt my Lord means to visit hers more for young Mrs. Beck’s sake than for hers."
http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…

Second Reading

Ivan  •  Link

Why does Sam have so many doubts about going ahead with his dinner party the next day? Is it something to do with the death of Sandwich's daughter? Does he feel it is not an appropriate time to be enjoying himself.

psw  •  Link

I be wondering the same, Ivan.

Terry Foreman  •  Link

The Fundamental Constitutions of Carolina : March 1, 1669

Our sovereign lord the King having, out of his royal grace and bounty, granted unto us the province of Carolina, with all the royalties, properties, jurisdictions, and privileges of a county palatine, as large and ample as the county palatine of Durham, with other great privileges; for the better settlement of the government of the said place, and establishing the interest of the lords proprietors with equality and without confusion; and that the government of this province may be made most agreeable to the monarchy under which we live and of which this province is a part; and that we may avoid erecting a numerous democracy, we, the lords and proprietors of the province aforesaid, have agreed to this following form of government, to be perpetually established amongst us, unto which we do oblige ourselves, our heirs and successors, In the most binding ways that can be devised.
---------------
This form of government was framed by John Locke author of the Essay on the Human Understanding and amended by the Earl of Shaftesbury previously known as Anthony Ashley Cooper. It was only partially put into operation, and it was abrogated by the lords proprietors in April, 1693.
https://avalon.law.yale.edu/17th_…

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

Another thought: as we know, Rochester is about to be sent "in disgrace" (but not in reality) to Paris ... now we find out he's going along with his best friend.

Oh to be in favor and sent to Paris in the springtime. Tough love for naught boys Harry and John. (If this connection escapes you, read our Henry Savile's Encyclopedia entry.)

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

Herbert Croft was made bishop of Hereford in 1661, and was also appointed dean of the Chapel Royal (1668–1669) from which position he preached to Charles II.

So about now, Bishop Croft has becoming disillusioned with court life and is getting ready to return to his Hereford see. What took him so long? Plus Croft was very anti-Catholic ... perhaps he sensed that he didn't have Charles' full attention? Did he discuss his disillusionment with John Evelyn and Henry Bennet over lunch? I wonder why Arlington invited them over together ... no common denominators that I can see. The WHY question opens up so many situations, but not this time.

http://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclo…

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"Is it something to do with the death of Sandwich's daughter? Does he feel it is not an appropriate time to be enjoying himself."

Perhaps the question is how many of the guests are going to be mourning Lady Paulina besides Pepys. A table full of unhappy people for an expensive party is a waste as well as disrespectful. I look forward to seeing the guest list.

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