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Wednesday 7 November 1660

(Office day). This day my father came to dine at my house, but being sent for in the morning I could not stay, but went by water to my Lord, where I dined with him, and he in a very merry humour (present Mr. Borfett and Childe) at dinner: he, in discourse of the great opinion of the virtue—gratitude (which he did account the greatest thing in the world to him, and had, therefore, in his mind been often troubled in the late times how to answer his gratitude to the King, who raised his father), did say it was that did bring him to his obedience to the King; and did also bless himself with his good fortune, in comparison to what it was when I was with him in the Sound, when he durst not own his correspondence with the King; which is a thing that I never did hear of to this day before; and I do from this raise an opinion of him, to be one of the most secret men in the world, which I was not so convinced of before. After dinner he bid all go out of the room, and did tell me how the King had promised him 4000l. per annum for ever, and had already given him a bill under his hand (which he showed me) for 4000l. that Mr. Fox is to pay him. My Lord did advise with me how to get this received, and to put out 3000l. into safe hands at use, and the other he will make use of for his present occasion. This he did advise with me about with much secresy. After all this he called for the fiddles and books, and we two and W. Howe, and Mr. Childe, did sing and play some psalmes of Will. Lawes’s, and some songs; and so I went away. So I went to see my Lord’s picture, which is almost done, and do please me very well. Hence to Whitehall to find out Mr. Fox, which I did, and did use me very civilly, but I did not see his lady, whom I had so long known when she was a maid, Mrs. Whittle. From thence meeting my father Bowyer, I took him to Mr. Harper’s, and there drank with him. Among other things in discourse he told me how my wife’s brother had a horse at grass with him, which I was troubled to hear, it being his boldness upon my score. Home by coach, and read late in the last night’s book of Trials, and told my wife about her brother’s horse at Mr. Bowyer’s, who is also much troubled for it, and do intend to go to-morrow to inquire the truth. Notwithstanding this was the first day of the King’s proclamation against hackney coaches coming into the streets to stand to be hired, yet I got one to carry me home.1

  1. “A Proclamation to restrain the abuses of Hackney Coaches in the Cities of London and Westminster and the Suburbs thereof.” This is printed in “Notes and Queries,” First Series, vol. viii. p. 122. “In April, 1663, the poor widows of hackney-coachmen petitioned for some relief, as the parliament had reduced the number of coaches to 400; there were before, in and about London, more than 2,000.” —Rugge’s Diurnal.

Thursday 8 November 1660Tuesday 6 November 1660

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Parliament on this day

Annotations

  • N vincent on Sat 8 Nov 2003, 03:12am

    1)secrets from one and all about his dealings with CII; very enlightning
    2) his brother-in-laws horse: beat SP to the grass. (not a flanders mare just a nag?)
    3)hackney coaches? waiting at post, limit to 400: Monopolies again(no tax money? for CII to psy off the latest royal acquisition)
    4) no wonder there was no argument( archaic need proof or evidence)over thrupence fee?

  • N Mary on Sat 8 Nov 2003, 07:35am

    Sandwich’s

  • N Peter on Sat 8 Nov 2003, 09:51am

    In my L&M, there is a squiggle near the phrase “which is a thing that I never did hear of to this day before; and I do from this raise an opinion of him, to be one of the most secret men in the world”. I assume this is to reproduce some kind of doodle appearing in the original MS. It looks to me like a drawing of a hand with a pointing finger. I presume all other L&M editions are the same. Does anyone know what it might be? An idle doodle? or something much more significant?

  • N Peter on Sat 8 Nov 2003, 09:56am

    “his brother-in-laws horse: beat SP to the grass”….? Could it be that both Sam and Elizabeth think that Balty is too irresponsible to take this on? Perhaps they foresee that in a few weeks time he will be neglecting the horse, forgetting to pay Bowyer and generally giving Sam and Elizabeth a big headache

  • N Mary on Sat 8 Nov 2003, 05:38pm

    Balty’s horse at grass

    Sam and Elizabeth could well be worried about potential expense. Given the time of year, the horse (if it previously was indeed out at pasture) is soon going to start needing more expensive feed of hay and corn to get it through the winter months. The statement ‘it being his boldness upon my score’ makes it sound as if Balty has been taking Sam’s name in vain with regard to financial arrangements for the animal.

  • N vincent on Sat 8 Nov 2003, 07:41pm

    Lawes, Henry (1596

  • N vincent on Sat 8 Nov 2003, 07:47pm

    “Balty

  • N vincent on Sat 8 Nov 2003, 07:52pm

    Peter: That pointed finger does seem to be significant. He just could not say the words. (such insights to workings of people in or on the way to power.)

  • N language hat on Sun 9 Nov 2003, 06:47pm

    “sing and play some psalmes of Will. Lawes

  • N David Quidnunc on Sun 9 Nov 2003, 08:19pm

    Musicians and the wealthy

    According to a note in L&M for this date, Child taught music to Edward Mountagu. But there might be a lot more to this kind of connection.

    For Child, the benefits of doing this would be not only the pay, but the chance to eat well and otherwise be well-entertained with whatever other guests or resources the wealthy patron had at hand. So Child would naturally want to be around the place even when he wasn’t actually teaching. (Or perhaps he was giving lessons to other members of the family as well).

    For Mountagu there would also be benefits to having Child around, besides the actual lessons. Child could play his instrument at other times, to the entertainment of all. Even a good musician’s practicing would be welcome in an era before recordings and radio as available as tapwater, and if, say, Jemima Mountagu wanted some music in the afternoon and Child was present, she was very likely to get it.

  • N Nix on Mon 10 Nov 2003, 05:03pm

    “discourse of the great opinion of the virtue

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Thursday 8 November 1660Tuesday 6 November 1660