Sunday 30 May 1669

(Whitsunday). By water to White Hall, and thence to Sir W. Coventry, where all the morning by his bed-side, he being indisposed. Our discourse was upon the notes I have lately prepared for Commanders’ Instructions; but concluded that nothing will render them effectual, without an amendment in the choice of them, that they be seamen, and not gentleman above the command of the Admiral, by the greatness of their relations at Court. Thence to White Hall, and dined alone with Mr. Chevins his sister: whither by and by come in Mr. Progers and Sir Thomas Allen, and by and by fine Mrs. Wells, who is a great beauty; and there I had my full gaze upon her, to my great content, she being a woman of pretty conversation.

Thence to the Duke of York, who, with the officers of the Navy, made a good entrance on my draught of my new Instructions to Commanders, as well expressing general [views] of a reformation among them, as liking of my humble offers towards it. Thence being called by my wife, Mr. Gibson and I, we to the Park, whence the rain suddenly home.

32 Annotations

First Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"the notes I have lately prepared for Commanders’ Instructions; but concluded that nothing will render them effectual, without an amendment in the choice of them, that they be seamen, and not gentleman above the command of the Admiral, by the greatness of their relations at Court."

A long-standing view now joined with the takeaway from the Court Martial lesson.
http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…

Terry Foreman  •  Link

Nice to end the diary with Pepys framing one of his most lasting contributions to world history: What would the world be now without the Anglophone naval Empire on which the sun never set?

Ron Morse  •  Link

...and so to bed.

jeannine  •  Link

"and so to bed"...we have one more day to enjoy before he pulls up the covers for good.. we'll cherish while we can..

Robert Gertz  •  Link

And nice the diary is ending with the Deb virus apparently under control and a degree of marital harmony restored...

***
Of coure the blessings of the Anglophone naval Empire are still a matter of discussion with its victims undoubtedly holding a differing view from those who benefitted...As with Rome, the USSR, the USA, China in its upcoming global moment and all Empires and/or superpowers... Though there has been progress...We lve after all in a world where a Gorbatchev and a Havel and others could have their moments of triumph and tragedy...Something inconceivable not so long ago...And Sam is a contributor to that progress. While Sam's Navy is of course owed a great debt of gratitude for helping to save Humanity from one of its most despicable tyrants, as well as that rather egotistical if charming at times Corsican guy...I prefer to view the Diary as Sam's great contribution to the human spirit. Even if it did take a while for it to come to light.

Jayne from Delaware  •  Link

To all Annotators & Phil, Thanks for the last 9 years. I never had much time for the 17th century. . . until you all brought it to life. This lover of all things Medieval will be forever grateful. My favorite memory occurs early in the diary. Sam is a young gallant gone to the continent to bring back the King, swaggering about and in the journey back is in charge of the dogs sh*tt*ing in his little boat. Thanks for the memories.

FJA  •  Link

Thank you to Phil, Terry, all the Annotators, those like me who occasionally surfaced, and especially to our dear Sam without whom none of this would have been possible. For many years now I have looked forward each day to my morning Pepys Diary fix. Good luck to all of you. May we meet again.
Frank

Robert Gertz  •  Link

1703...

Deceased Sam, facing post mortum sentence on what he must agree, by his own testimony, are fairly legit charges of adultery and sexual exploitation...Though he's made an impresive defense on corruption charges, as always...

Just a bit annoying that Charles Stuart should be foreman of his Purgatory jury...
"Jury of your temporal peers, eh what Pepys...?" Charles notes to Sam's objection. "Bit egalitarian for me, frankly, but that's the afterlife...Well, old man, you've been found guilty...Incredibly so...On the main charges. Though, good news is you evaded the corruption bit. Bravo, there. But, while we've all enjoyed reading your little opus, we must pass sentence. Anything to say on your behalf?...Though, given my own experience, old boy...Bit of advice, I'd hang head, keep mum. May not help but given my own experience, can’t hurt."

“May I put in a word?...”

“Bess?...” Sam, staring… “Is it really you, after all these years?...Ummn…You look good…”

“You look old…And even more pompous than when I died…”

“True enough…” sigh…“I suppose you’ve come to add your two pence to the testimony?...”

“Having read your Diary…Would you say I’d not have a right to?...”

“Fine…Sure…Is nice to see you, though…”

“Mrs. Pepys?...Bit of a hurry here…Some of us have a bit of punishment to undergo ourselves yet…” Charles… “If you’d like to say anything?...’

“Your honour...when I was in Heaven, and had everything I'd ever dreamed of…”
“Including a certain engineer?...” Sam sighs…
“Quiet you…” Bess, frowning… “Anyway…I suddenly realized that ... this man... this man...
No one ever made me feel like someone…
'Til him…
Life was really nothing but a glum one…
'Til him… “
“Yes, I must agree…” Sam nods…
“Shut up…My existence bordered on the tragic…Always timid, never took a chance…
Then I felt his magic…And my heart began to dance…” twirl…
“Why, Bess...Those lessons did pay off…”
“I was always frightened, fraught with worry...
'Til him….
I was going nowhere in a hurry…
'Til him…
He filled up my empty life…Filled it to the brim…
There could never ever be…Another one...like him …”
“Bess, I ... I never realized ... You're a good singer… Sorry I never let you do ‘Beauty Retire’…“
“You do get that II sang it because n spite of all, I'm your lover and your friend….And all in all…That damned Diary of yours wasn’t all bad…I’m rather glad you didn’t burn it...Much as some parts made me want to…”
“I couldn’t…It’s as much you as me…”
Chorus of Bagwell, Doll, Betty, Diana, Sarah, etc, etc:
“Aaaaaaaahh! “

Bess, frowning: “Don't help, ladies...”

Bess and Sam:
“He/she filled up my empty life
Filled it to the brim …”
Bess:
“Hell…There could never ever be…Another one ... like him…”

Charles sighing… “Well, that’s all well and good and nicely harmonized but…”
“I’ll take him on my personal recognizance…” Bess, firmly… “And this being the afterlife, if Cathy can do that for you…” narrow-eyed stare…
“Oh…Fine…” Charles puts up hands… “Egalitarianism…No wonder Dad insisted on completing his sentence…Pepys, you are remanded to the custody of Mrs. P …Meaning…You’d better behave yourself from here on in…”
“If I can help it…” Sam…
“You know a composer in a few hundred years will have you say exactly that in his musical play…” Bess notes… “And you better help it is my answer…Come along…”
“Composer, you say?...Musical play?...” beam…
“And so to bed…Little sleepy head…” Bess, singing…

Andrew Hamilton  •  Link

Whitsun (also Whitsunday, Whit Sunday or Whit) is the name used in the UK for the Christian festival of Pentecost, the seventh Sunday after Easter, which commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Christ's disciples (Acts of the Apostles chapter 2). In England it took on some characteristics of Beltane, which originated from the pagan celebration of Summer's Day, the beginning of the Summer half-year, in Europe.[1] Whitsuntide, the week following Whitsunday, was one of three vacation weeks for the medieval villein;[2] on most manors he was free from service on the lord's demesne this week, which marked a pause in the agricultural year.[3] Whit Monday, the day after Whitsun, remained a holiday in the UK until 1967

Andrew Hamilton  •  Link

From Wikipedia.

Fauna  •  Link

Thank you all. I'm torn between being happy I found the site and mourning the end.

So the little prince tamed the fox.
And when the hour of his departure drew near—

"Ah," said the fox, "I shall cry."

htom  •  Link

Robert Gertz -- As reliable as our Sam's roving eye (and more.) Thank you for your many, wonderful, hilarious comments. There were days when I wondered if I was coming back for his story, or your annotation of it. Well done.

Pauline  •  Link

" Mrs. Wells, who is a great beauty; and there I had my full gaze upon her, to my great content, she being a woman of pretty conversation. "

Thank you, Sam, for keeping the faith right up to the end.

Stephen Walkley  •  Link

Thanks very much for this Phil.

Has anyone written an extension to the diary. A what might have been.

sue nicholson  •  Link

"Pepys's Later Diaries" ed CS Knighton, Pub. Sutton 2004.
Not a patch on the 1660-9 diary but gives you a sense of what happened next.

Claire Tomalin's biography and Sam's letters to John Evelyn are well worth a read and also give you a broader picture.

Jackie  •  Link

And so in his final diary entry, Sam Pepys shows why he is regarded as one of the people behind what made the British Navy great. The concept of promotion by merit, training and ability, not birth was highly radical in those days but it laid the foundation for a Navy which was highly effective.

jeannine  •  Link

Sam's final entry is coming with tomorrow's entry -May has 31 days, so we have one left to enjoy!

rob van hugte  •  Link

@htom; Robert Gertz — As reliable as our Sam’s roving eye (and more.) Thank you for your many, wonderful, hilarious comments. There were days when I wondered if I was coming back for his story, or your annotation of it. Well done.

I can only agree with you htom, I do not know now what to do during my lunchbreak. No Pepys and no Gertz.

Thanks everybody for making this such an interesting experience.

Peter Last  •  Link

My first daughter was born in London (in the ambulance en route to hospital, as recorded on her birth certificate) on the Whitsun holiday in 1958, so it is evocative for me that the Diary should be coming to an end on a day that I so well remember.

Like so many others, I again express my profound gratitude to Phil Gyfford and all the annotators who have made this site part of my daily life for the last eight years or more. I shall miss it more than I can say, as I have expressed before.

Thank you all again.

mary k mcintyre  •  Link

One more day...

It's been a wonderful nine years: Phil's links, Gertz's daft songs & playlets, Glyn's walking tours, and all. How appropriate that we passionate amateurs have so honoured Sam -- the pluperfect passionate amateur himself, 'with child to see any new thing'.

He would have been astonished to see these annotations, from people all over Great Britain and her former colonies (rock the Commonwealth!).

What he'd have given to have Australian Susan show him a platypus! I'd take him up to Hudson's Bay to see icebergs and polar bears.

One more day -- once more into the breach, dear friends!

LOVE YOU GUYS!!

languagehat  •  Link

"whence the rain suddenly home."

Should read "whence the rain sent us suddenly home."

geoff johnson  •  Link

Longtime reader, first-time annotator. Thanks, everybody.

Linda F  •  Link

About the only thing that would console me at this point would be for someone to walk into the Pepys Library and find tucked into a volume cover, or in a special place in those bookcases, or in an antiquarian bookstore, Pepys's and Elisabeth's notes on their travels abroad. It would just make so much sense that he took, or had Elisabeth take, notes on this experience, and then did not have the heart to write them up after her death.

Since this is not going to happen, looking forward to one more day. What a wonderful time it has been.

Dorothy Willis  •  Link

I don't receive the daily posts by e-mail. I happened on the site and bookmarked it and go to it every morning. I want to be sure I will be kept up to date on whatever happens. Yoo-hoo Powers That Be! That's my e-mail address there. Keep me posted!

Terry Foreman  •  Link

Phil will be posting today a substantial article about Pepys after the Diary by Jeannine, the true Pepys scholar among us (I've seen her library).

She's been quietly writing "The Diary so far" for awhile.

I look forward to Jeannine's article's posting!

Second Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

Why the Diary goes on vacation tomorrow, Whit Monday (this almost fits)

Whitsun (also Whitsunday, Whit Sunday or Whit) is the name used in Britain and Ireland, and among Anglicans throughout the world, for the Christian festival of Pentecost, the seventh Sunday after Easter, which commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Christ's disciples (Acts of the Apostles chapter 2). In England it took on some characteristics of Beltane, which originated from the pagan celebration of Summer's Day, the beginning of the summer half-year, in Europe. Whitsuntide, the week following Whitsunday, was one of three vacation weeks for the medieval villein;[3] on most manors he was free from service on the lord's demesne this week, which marked a pause in the agricultural year. Whit Monday, the day after Whitsun, remained a holiday in the UK until 1978 when the movable holiday was replaced with the fixed Spring Bank Holiday in late May. Whit was the occasion for varied forms of celebration. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whi…

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

Cosmo, the future Grand Duke of Turin, also made his goodbyes to London and our Stuart friends 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:

[the morning of 30 May/9 June, 1669]
There were present many noblemen, invited by my lord [NEWPORT] to do his guest greater honor, Colonel Gascoyne, and the Chevalier Dante. The table was sumptuous and elegantly set out, and enlivened by toasts, according to the custom of the country.

372

After dinner, his highness went in his carriage through the city, to make an end of the visits that yet remained for him to pay, that he might not defer to the very last moment this piece of attention, by which he had conciliated the universal esteem of the nobility, who professed themselves infinitely obliged by the delicacy and polite attention shewn them by his highness.

As it was now night, he ended his ride at Whitehall, and dismounted from his carriage at the door leading into the queen's apartment, who still, in consequence of her pregnancy, confined herself to her bedchamber, and was amusing herself with some of her ladies of honor.

The prince made her his customary obeisance, which was as usual graciously received; and almost at the same moment the king and the duke made their appearance, with whom he continued some time in conversation.

From the queen's apartments, he went to St. James's Palace, to those of the Duchess of York, for the same purpose of paying his respects, and thence home, where he supped alone in his chamber.

@@@

The afternoon visits were often to the wives of noblemen and ambassadors who had already met Cosmo socially. They seem to have kept open houses regularly for this purpose.

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.

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

On the Pepys' Group feed this morning there is an invite from Nick Hedley which sounds like a wonderful once-a-decade idea to me:

On this coming Wednesday, 1st June, when Pepys' last entry in this cycle will be posted, Nick Hedley proposes to mark the occasion by doing a Pepys' Residences (or the site of Residences) walk from Seething Lane / Tower of London to Axe Yard and is wondering whether any member of this group (and anyone else) would care to join him.

His proposed route takes in St Olave's Church, French Ordinary Court, St Paul's Cathedral, Salisbury Square, St Bride's Church, Temple, Covent Garden, Buckingham Street (where Pepys lived post-diary), and Whitehall. He says he is no London Guide or Pepys scholar and the walk will mostly follow the superb "Walk through Westminster" by Glyn Thomas on the diary website with a few elaborations of his own.

The walk is about four or five miles and the going is very easy, although there are some steps. The route passes near to lots of tube stations and bus routes and so it will be possible to bail out if you only want to to do part of the walk.

He plans to start around 10:30 at a meeting point in Trinity Square Gardens by the arcade that forms part of the Merchant Marine war memorial. The Gardens are next to Tower Hill Tube Station. It should finish somewhere around 2:30, with a brief stop for a light lunch (bringing your own is an option).

If you are interested, please respond to this e-mail directly so he knows who (if any) to expect. So far he has 2 takers ... GO FOR IT if you can. I'm there in spirit.

(And if you're not on the Pepys email feed, currently hosted by Terry Foreman, now's the time to join.)

Cliff  •  Link

Hi Phyl,

Just to thank you for this mammoth task of yours.

I have the complete diary along with its companion but all the wonderful erudite - and amusing - contributions from just about everywhere on this small, blue globe have been a fascinating addition to the glory of Samuel's life and times.

Being a Londoner who has always been fascinated by this higgly piggy old town. I get the opportunity often to wander the same back streets, pubs, churches that Sam knew so well.

Nick, I would have come tomorrow, it would have been great to meet up with you and the others who are attending. Unfortunately I'm stuck with other things. Hopefully the weather will hold up and that your walk goes well.

Best wishes to all!

Cliff

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