Friday 30 March 1660

Annotations

• N David Quidnunc on Mon 31 Mar 2003, 12:40am

  Glyn’s seen a letter Pepys wrote ‘today’

  It’s part of an exhibit in London that you can still see. At Glyn’s request, here’s a link to his note (on Phil’s page informing us of the exhibit):

  http://www.pepysdiary.com/about/archive/2003/01/15/203.php#c3400

  Clearly, if you’re anywhere near London and don’t go to see this exhibition at the Public Records office before it closes on May 28, you will regret it bitterly to your dying day. Don’t — don’t! — let that horrible fate happen to you.

  And here’s what Glyn wrote:

  I finally went to the exhibition of documents at the Public Record Office (see website above) which includes on display the earliest known letter from Pepys.

  It is dated 30 March 1660, and was sent to Robert Blackburne, Secretary of the Admiralty, on behalf of Lord Montagu. The letter takes up about half of a sheet that is slightly smaller than a sheet of typing paper, and the ink has faded from black to brown. It is signed:

• N Jenny Doughty on Mon 31 Mar 2003, 02:24am

  ‘My Lord, in his discourse, discovered a great deal of love to this ship.’ I think this usage means ‘revealed’ rather than ‘found’ in this context.
  

• N Keith Wright on Mon 31 Mar 2003, 02:58am

  “every thing was out of order”: this sounds like grounds, rather, for displeasure. The “Shorter Pepys” has it thus, so apparently the reading is correct; what’s wrong with this reader?

• N steve h on Mon 31 Mar 2003, 04:45am

  out of order

  It seems this phrase is equivalent to “extraordinary”.

• N michael f vincent on Mon 31 Mar 2003, 05:00am

  1:”I was saluted ….I had done a favour to, which brought me in each a piece of gold”
  more loot Pay off time :
  2: “After dinner ….was out of order, and a new chimney ..my Lord in his bedchamber…pleased with”
  The ship not ready for the old man, had to make the alterations to suit the new boss

  3:”discovered a great deal of love to this ship” my thought He loved this ship it is big and powerful ,
  this a new style Frigate
  http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/Shores/1258/ships.html
  …..
  Within a decade, the word “frigate” was being used to denote either a ship with a higher than usual keel:beam ratio or one with a good turn of speed. It must be in this sense that the word was used in relation to the 90-gun Naseby.
  ….

• N Pauline on Mon 31 Mar 2003, 07:54am

  “…a great deal of love to this ship…”
  “In October 1655 [Montagu] was appointed an Admiralty commissioner….Oliver directed Montagu’s career in a new direction, appointing him general-at-sea and joint commander, with Blake, of the English battle fleet. This was in January 1656, and he prepared to set sail for the Mediterranean almost at once, with instructions to seek a permanent station there for the English. As a complete novice at sea, he took navigation manuals and models of rigged ships to study in his cabin aboard his flagship, the Naseby. Pepys saw him off from Lambeth when he embarked.”
  Claire Tomalin, Samuel Pepys: The Unequalled Self

  Montagu was very familiar with the Naseby and probably ordered the new chimney in the bedchamber. Everything being out of order could be this kind of remodeling and getting the ship ready. Clearly Montagu is signalling his love of this ship in everything Sam hears him say this day.

• N mw on Mon 31 Mar 2003, 10:36am

  Ah the love for comfort and ease should flight be necessary. I say a well appointed vessel with chimney
  from my quarters in these interesting times. Yes love is just what I could call it.