Friday 28 May 1669
To St. James’s, where the King’s being with the Duke of York prevented a meeting of the Tangier Commission. But, Lord! what a deal of sorry discourse did I hear between the King and several Lords about him here! but very mean methought. So with Creed to the Excise Office, and back to White Hall, where, in the Park, Sir G. Carteret did give me an account of his discourse lately, with the Commissioners of Accounts, who except against many things, but none that I find considerable; among others, that of the Officers of the Navy selling of the King’s goods, and particularly my providing him with calico flags, which having been by order, and but once, when necessity, and the King’s apparent profit, justified it, as conformable to my particular duty, it will prove to my advantage that it be enquired into. Nevertheless, having this morning received from them a demand of an account of all monies within their cognizance, received and issued by me, I was willing, upon this hint, to give myself rest, by knowing whether their meaning therein might reach only to my Treasurership for Tangier, or the monies employed on this occasion. I went, therefore, to them this afternoon, to understand what monies they meant, where they answered me, by saying, “The eleven months’ tax, customs, and prizemoney,” without mentioning, any more than I demanding, the service they respected therein; and so, without further discourse, we parted, upon very good terms of respect, and with few words, but my mind not fully satisfied about the monies they mean. At noon Mr. Gibson and I dined at the Swan, and thence doing this at Brook house, and thence calling at the Excise Office for an account of payment of my tallies for Tangier, I home, and thence with my wife and brother spent the evening on the water, carrying our supper with us, as high as Chelsea; so home, making sport with the Westerne bargees, and my wife and I singing, to my great content.
11 Annotations
First Reading
Terry Foreman • Link
"it will prove to my advantage that it be enquired into."
L&M note we should review the matter of bewpers http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1… and say the Brooke House Committee found that Pepys had received £757 17s. 5 3.4 d. 'for flags and cork' -- an activity quite forbidden.
Terry Foreman • Link
"making sport with the Westerne bargees"
I wonder how many of the passengers on this run did what Pepys has done before: claiming there are willing sirens below the London Bridge. Hazard of the job, I guess. http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
Robert Gertz • Link
Beginning to look like Sam has good reason to take an extended vacation abroad...
"But why must I come with you before the Boroke House Committee?"
"Oh, no special reason, sweetheart...I'd just like them to see my pretty wife and you did want to share more of my office life, right?"
"Hmmn..." frown... "But why are you wearing those green spectacles and why must I guide you into the committee room?"
"Bess, you know I've eye trouble...Tis why we have a wonderful vacation coming at last."
"Yes, but this is a bit overdo, isn't it?"
"Is it too much to ask that you help me here, dear?...Sick and in health, richer...Thanks to my hard labours...Or poorer, you know...And but for my hard labours..." solemn look...
"There's also something about fidelity..." grin stare...
"Bess..."
"Fine, anything if it gets me to France this summer."
"Absolutement, cherie. Oh, and do you think you could tear up a bit just before we go in...Perhaps a few 'Oh, my poor Sam's?"
"You're putting me on..."
"Sweet, if you'd prefer guiding me through Brampton streets, begging for pennies and crusts of bread...And seeing France in the afterlife..."
"Oh, my poor, poor Sam'l..." weeping...
I think she's got it...
Mary • Link
"my mind not fully satisfied about the monies they mean."
A situation familiar to anyone who has tangled with 20th/21st century tax authorities in the UK, who seem to favour this kind of guessing-game. The 'customer' has to guess what the question might be before he tries to provide the relevant answer.
Tony Eldridge • Link
“my mind not fully satisfied about the monies they mean.”
More important, then as now, to know what questions you can ask them without giving anything away.
"So you aren't concerned about the calico flags?"
"Flags, Mr Pepys, what flags?"
Andrew Hamilton • Link
Terry,
I did review the matter of Bewpers, and find that, as he presents it to his diary, he set about to spoil a racket by which the Navy bought overpriced yard goods to the profit of the sellers (Whistler and Young) -- who subsequently sought to bribe him, an offer he refused -- and a storekeeper at Deptford, one "Davis, ... a knave, and shuffling in the business of Bewpers, being of the party with Young and Whistler to abuse the King, but I hope I shall be even with them."
http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
Nelson was the supplier to Whistler and Young, and Pepys proved the price he charged by buying 5 samples from him.
http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
It seems clear that Davis, Whistler and Young were not happy that he had cut them out of a big profit, but I do not find a word in the diary to suggest that that Sam himself began marking up Bewpers. Nor is it clear to me whether the rules of the time allowed officers of the Navy who handled major procurements to take a percent of the deal. (I suspect they did.) But it does seem quite possible that Pepys made enemies in this deal and that somehow they have found a way to get back at him through the Commissioners of Accounts.
Linda F • Link
I love these passages of Sam and Elisabeth singing on the water -- a lovely image as we come to the end.
Second Reading
San Diego Sarah • Link
Cosmo, the future Grand Duke of Turin, left Rochester and returned to London today.
I've standardized the spelling of names I know, corrected scanning errors I could figure out, and increased the number of paragraphs. Sometimes I got confused making the N.S./O.S. date conversions, so I apologize if they are wrong:
His highness rose early on the 28 May/7 June, 1669; and while he was performing his private devotions, the carriages were prepared for his departure, though it seemed likely for rain.
362
He returned towards London by the same road on which he came, gratifying himself with the pleasantness and fertility of the fruit-trees planted in rows through the whole of the country, and of the parks, which in these parts abound with deer;
and turning a little out of the direct road, towards Greenwich, stopped at the villa of Sir William Duff, which stands in that neighborhood, an invitation having been sent beforehand to his highness to that effect.
Before sitting down to table, he visited the lady of the baronet, and then went into the diningroom, where an elegant dinner of fish was prepared.
Besides his own suite, other gentlemen sat down to table, who had come beforehand to pay their respects to and wait upon his highness.
This villa, besides a commodious and well-arranged dwelling-house, contains within its precincts 2 gardens, divided into delightful alleys, compartments, and arbors; and their beauty is much encreased by the groves and thickets, under the shade of whose verdant canopies are most beautiful walks, which do not yield to those of other country-houses of gentlemen of similar rank, among whom the owner of this villa is in great consideration from his riches, being worth 4,000/.s a-year, to which up to that time there was no heir, he having no sons.
Having, in the course of the day, viewed the rest of the house, and gone round the gardens, to the great gratification of the baronet who prided himself on the kindness which his highness had manifested in honoring this his delicious retirement with his presence, be entered his carriage to which he was attended by all the gentlemen; and testifying to them in the most lively planner his gratitude for so much attention,
San Diego Sarah • Link
PART 2
he set out for London, passing through Greenwich, and, continuing his journey with as much haste as possible, arrived in London, and, alighting from his carriage not far from the bridge, took a boat, that he might be the first to reach his apartments.
Taking off his travelling dress, and resuming that which he usually wore, he went to court, to make up for the omissions during his absence, paid his devoirs to their majesties.
He found the Duke of York there; and the whole royal party received him with their usual graciousness, welcoming his return, and expressing the greatest curiosity to hear what tour he had made, and what he had seen to please him at Chatham.
His highness satisfied their wishes, thanking their majesties conjointly for their attention in making so many arrangements for his personal convenience.
He went the same evening to St. James's to the apartments of the Duchess of York, to pay a similar mark of respect to her royal highness,
and at length returned home when he retired into his chamber, and, it being late, ordered supper, which he took alone.
@@@
According to Cosmo's travelogue, Happy Hour seems to have been a regular Court event at Whitehall and St. James’s for the nobility in 1669 (Pepys was never invited that I have seen).
From:
TRAVELS OF COSMO THE THIRD, GRAND DUKE OF TUSCANY,
THROUGH ENGLAND,
DURING THE REIGN OF KING CHARLES THE SECOND (1669)
TRANSLATED FROM THE ITALIAN MANUSCRIPT
https://archive.org/stream/travel…
His highness, Cosmo, must be considered only as a traveler. Under his direction, the narrator of the records was Count Lorenzo Magalotti, afterwards Secretary to the Academy del Cimento, and one of the most learned and eminent characters of the court of Ferdinand II.
Eric the Bish • Link
@Phil, having come late to the party, may I request - please - that you go the third mile and when Samuel puts away his pen; you once more re-run the entire diary from the start?
RM • Link
Yes, let's draw the cork a third time.