Sunday 1 April 1660

(Lord’s day). Mr. Ibbott preached very well. After dinner my Lord did give me a private list of all the ships that were to be set out this summer, wherein I do discern that he bath made it his care to put by as much of the Anabaptists as he can. By reason of my Lord and my being busy to send away the packet by Mr. Cooke of the Nazeby, it was four o’clock before we could begin sermon again. This day Captain Guy come on board from Dunkirk, who tells me that the King will come in, and that the soldiers at Dunkirk do drink the King’s health in the streets. At night the Captain, Sir R. Stayner, Mr. Sheply, and I did sup together in the Captain’s cabin. I made a commission for Captain Wilgness, of the Bear, to-night, which got me 30s. So after writing a while I went to bed.

2 Apr 166031 Mar 1660

Temperature: 9°C / 48°F (Apr 1660 avg.)

Also on this day

In Earls Colne, Essex

Diary of Ralph Josselin

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German

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- David Quidnunc on Tue 1 Apr 2003, 11:33pm. Flag this

PEPYS CONSPIRACY EXPOSED!

Don’t tell ME Samuel Pepys Esq. died 300 years ago. That’s what they WANT you to believe!

Compare this portrait of Sam …
http://www.hinchbk.cambs.sch.uk/historical/hinchhistory/spepys/spepys.html

With this picture …
http://us.imdb.com/EGallery?source=ss&group=0120824&photo=Ss/0120824/the_shipping_news_1a.jpg&path=gallery&path_key=0120824

And ask yourself — have you EVER seen these two characters in the same room together?

I will note that the rotten “David Gale” movie involves deception involving a death and that the similarly rotten “K-Pax” involves aliens from space. (Get it? “Spacey” — eh? EH??) Are these two rotten movies simply a detour in a great actor’s career? Or are they REALLY a cry for help, offering clues to what actually happened?
But, you ask, WHY would he do it? Well, when he supposedly “died” the crown owed him thousands of pounds — which were never paid. Seems to me the interest on that is mounting. Means. Motive. Opportunity. It’s all there.

You don’t have to believe me. Walk through life with your eyes closed if you like. But the truth is out there …
- bchan on Tue 1 Apr 2003, 11:38pm. Flag this

More on Anabaptism at
http://www.pepysdiary.com/p/605.php .
- Eric Walla on Wed 2 Apr 2003, 12:47am. Flag this

Now, now, David, you’re just trying …

… to get Phil to dump one of your posts. But it does hit one of my favorite hobbies: picking actors to fill roles in fantasy movies.

Now on topic: would there have been specific ships “infested” with Anabaptists so Sam could make such a conclusion from the list of ships? Did they practice a form of segregation when manning the fleet?

And will Sam’s extra income ever dry up? My Lord but he is putting aside quite a sum each day of service! I can’t wait until he has a chance to start spending it and reveal his change in tastes.
- wkw on Wed 2 Apr 2003, 12:49am. Flag this

Or else, DQ—-Separated at Birth! What political agenda was Wetnurse Nancy furthering when she swapped a Sandwich with a Samuel? Why did Pepys never bathe except for fear of revealing the incriminating birthmark? Who wrote Shakespeare’s plays that Our Man in Axe Yard didn’t like? Deception extends in all directions, and Honi soit qui mal y pense!
- Keith Wright on Wed 2 Apr 2003, 03:15am. Flag this

Monsieur Avril Poisson (may he rest in peace!) translates that Latin motto, once oft-seen on the scutcheon of many a bold knight, as “Dirt is in the eye of the beholder.”
- michael f vincent on Wed 2 Apr 2003, 04:09am. Flag this

Eric Waller..”Did they practice a form of segregation when manning the fleet?”
Only birds of a feether. You bet they did. Except money was better. Thats why the 13 colonies- only way one could rise to the level of ones incompetence.
Anabaptist were considered “anti-social Heritics (C.Hill the century of revolution p.78,p108,p121,p203 for exception)
Poisson,poison are we sure? that the sp’s short hand was up to snuff.
- Pauline on Wed 2 Apr 2003, 05:14am. Flag this

“…ships that were to be set out this summer…”
So how are we reading this? That “set out” means called into the drydock? A typo for “sent” in the opposite direction of the lowlands? As a force, the opposition would be a problem either to have along or to have cooling their heels wherever any possible, in-the-event, who-knows-what-might-be-the-offing landing of Charles might take place.

“to put by as much of the Anabaptists as he can”
I wonder if Sam is using the term more loosely than we are coming up with—to mean the most zealous of the roundheads.
- Michael f vincent on Wed 2 Apr 2003, 05:34am. Flag this

“…ships that were to be set out this summer…”
My guess it means “set up” meaning -get ready, prepare they have just received word that Charles is ready to sign up
Anabaptists-Cromwell only cared for the doers (a types), that was part of his success.

(see his list of men rising from on low to on high)
- Pauline on Wed 2 Apr 2003, 05:48am. Flag this
- kvk on Wed 2 Apr 2003, 06:07am. Flag this

Anabaptists
After Monck announced his intention to oppose Lambert, he began purging ‘Anabaptists’ and Fifth Monarchists from his army. The term Anabaptists is applied somewhat loosely at this point - to General and Particular Baptists, for instance - but it’s not a general term for zealots. It carries implications of extreme radicalism and subversion, primarily because of the lingering memory of the Munster community of the 1530s (Munster was mentioned frequently in civil war pamphlets). The Baptists have not been doing much lately, but in uncertain times Monck and others aren’t willing to extend trust to a group that has been a traditional source of fear.

This Baptist history page mentions some of the suspicions floating around at this time:
http://www.reformedreader.org/ccc/bgc.htm

“Many spoke of what the “Anabaptists” in the Army were about to do. The old stories of M
- Mary on Wed 2 Apr 2003, 11:29am. Flag this

all the ships that were to be set out this summer

OED. SET:149c Set out.
To fit out a ship, fleet, for a voyage, to equip for an expedition.
- Paul Brewster on Wed 2 Apr 2003, 03:40pm. Flag this

Do we have a question of spelling here? Is it “Captain John Wilgress” per entry in the People section or “Captain Wilgness” as the diary entry says?
- Phil on Wed 2 Apr 2003, 03:42pm. Flag this

I imagine it’s a scanning error in the diary entry.
- Emilio on Wed 2 Apr 2003, 04:08pm. Flag this

Religious outsiders
All this talk of Anabaptists today reminds me of the street persecutions of Quakers only a couple of months back (see entries for 7 and 11 Feb). In both cases I’m sure the causes are similar: they’re religious minorities, are critical of contemporary society, and are very public in their refusal to conform. In turbulent times, they’re both seen as unreliable elements and treated accordingly.
The major difference seems to be that Anabaptists have an even worse reputation, due to events from more than a century back. When will it be the Papists’ turn, I wonder?
- Michael on Wed 2 Apr 2003, 04:38pm. Flag this

I’m slightly confused here.

Has the fleet set out on its voyage yet? If not, why are they all on board, are they waiting for fair weather?

(Been reading this excellent version of Pepys’ diary for a while, but this is my first question!)

- Michael
- Paul Brewster on Wed 2 Apr 2003, 05:08pm. Flag this

I guess I should have pointed out that my edition of Wheatley(1892) has the spelling as “Wilgness”. So the problem seems to go deeper …
Does anyone know if any attempt been made to publish all or portions of the original diary in facsimile? I’m curious about the problem of translating the shorthand.
- Pauline on Wed 2 Apr 2003, 06:31pm. Flag this

Michael, to get “slightly” unconfused
see the discussion for the March 18 entry. They lie “a little below Gravesend” in the Thames at present. They are very busy taking over the fleet and getting it organized under its new commanders, Monck and Montagu.
- gerry on Wed 2 Apr 2003, 06:52pm. Flag this

Re Paul,s question, there is an extensive discussion of this and related matters in L&M Vol.1