Tuesday 8 May 1660

All the morning busy. After dinner come several persons of honour, as my Lord St. John and others, for convoy to Flushing, and great giving of them salutes. My Lord and we at nine-pins: I lost 9s. While we were at play Mr. Cook brings me word of my wife. He went to Huntsmore to see her, and brought her and my father Bowyer to London, where he left her at my father’s, very well, and speaks very well of her love to me. My letters to-day tell me how it was intended that the King should be proclaimed to-day in London, with a great deal of pomp. I had also news who they are that are chosen of the Lords and Commons to attend the King. And also the whole story of what we did the other day in the fleet, at reading of the King’s declaration, and my name at the bottom of it. After supper some musique and to bed. I resolving to rise betimes to- morrow to write letters to London.

9 May 1660 7 May 1660

Temperature: 11°C / 52°F (May 1660 avg.)

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N Jenny Doughty on Fri 9 May 2003, 01:07am. Flag this

What a relief it must have been for Sam to hear that Elizabeth is well again. Not that worry seems to have cramped his spirits, if dipping deep into his pocket to pay his losses at ninepins counts - if he has
N David A. Smith on Fri 9 May 2003, 03:28am. Flag this

“And my name at the bottom of it.”
I like Sam’s sense of wonderment that he feels himself on the tides in the affairs of men, that taken at the flood lead on to fortune … and wants his diary to pinch him to prove he’s not dreaming.
N vincent on Fri 9 May 2003, 03:44am. Flag this

wager:—on feb 14th” To Will’s, where like a fool I staid and lost 6d. at cards “… ‘tis 18 times more he lost this day : Progress in all things
N chip on Fri 9 May 2003, 03:50am. Flag this

One wonders if there were any ambivalence in spying his name at the bottom, as there must have been for those who signed the Declaration of Independence (a death warrant had the revolution gone awry) a century plus later. It seems not as he is clearly taken with the moment. Again, he very carefully notes his losses.
N gerry on Fri 9 May 2003, 02:20pm. Flag this

L&M has a footnote regarding his signing; “All the three foregoing items of news are in Faithfull Post no.53 which appeared this day. The fleets declaration is at pp.414-15, subscribed Samuel Pepys, Secretary. Pepys may be referring here to the publication of the declaration as a broadside or in another newsheet.It had been read in both houses of Parliament on May 7. But no other printed version including Pepys’s name has been traced;the larger official newsbooks (eg Parl.Intll.,7 May, p304)omitted it.”
N Grahamt on Fri 9 May 2003, 08:48pm. Flag this

“resolving to rise betimes”:
betimes adv.ME.
1 At an early time, period, or season. ME.
2 spec. Early in the morning. LME.
(Shorter Oxford English Dictionary)
N vincent on Fri 9 May 2003, 10:11pm. Flag this

“my Lord St. John …”: at this time there were two St. Johns; one Viscount Bolingbroke and the other Baron of Bletso: today in the House of Lords there is a Lord St John of Bletso and a Lord Sandwich (Hansard quote 1996 ” Lord St. John of Bletso..my noble friend Lord Sandwich …” )
N vincent on Sun 11 May 2003, 03:57am. Flag this

” lost 9s”.. You need a lawyer? ..”Defendants accused of shoplifting goods worth 5 shillings or more had to be sentenced to death. By reducing the value of the goods below 5 shillings, juries could avoid this statutory penalty.”
http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/history/crime/verdicts.html#partial40shillings
this was in 1712 dec. at the old bailey
N Michael Robinson on Wed 5 Mar 2008, 02:29am. Flag this

“… that the King should be proclaimed to-day in London, …’

A proclamation, of both houses of Parliament, for proclaiming of his Majesty King of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, defender of the faith, &c.
London : printed by John Macock, and Francis Tyton, printers to the House of Lords, 1660.
[With order to print] Die Martis, May 8. 1660. Ordered by the Lords in Parliament assembled, … .
1 sheet ([1] p.) ; 1⁰.

“Though the King’s right was complete by his father’s death, yet since ’Armed Violence’ has deprived them of the opportunity hitherto, the Lords and Commons, with the Lord Mayor, &c., of London and others, proclaim that the kingdom came to him on his father’s death, and that he is King of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, &c.”

There is a variant edition with “God Save the King.” below text
N Michael Robinson on Wed 5 Mar 2008, 02:40am. Flag this

“… that the King should be proclaimed to-day in London, …’”

The Commons version:-

A proclamation. Although it can no way be doubted, but that his majesties right and title to his crowns and kingdoms, is, and was every way compleated by the death of his most royal father of glorious memory, without the ceremony or solemnity of a proclamation, yet since proclamations in such cases have always been used, to the end that all good subjects might upon this occasion testifie their duty and respect; …
London : printed by Edward Husbands and Thomas Newcomb, printers to the Commons House of Parliament, [1660]
1 sheet ([1] p.) ; 1/2⁰.

Ending: “Tuesday May 8, 1660. Ordered by the Commons assembled in Parliament, that this proclamation be forthwith printed and published. Will: Jessop Clerk of the Commons House of Parliament.”.

“Though the Kings right was complete by his father’s death, yet since ’armed violence’ has deprived them of the opportunity hitherto, the Lords and Commons, with the Lord Mayor, &c., of London and others, proclaim that the kingdome came to him on his father’s death, and that he is King of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, &c.”