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Tuesday 24 June 1662

(Midsummer day). Up early and to my office, putting things in order against we sit. There came to me my cozen Harry Alcocke, whom I much respect, to desire (by a letter from my father to me, where he had been some days) my help for him to some place. I proposed the sea to him, and I think he will take it, and I hope do well. Sat all the morning, and I bless God I find that by my diligence of late and still, I do get ground in the office every day. At noon to the Change, where I begin to be known also, and so home to dinner, and then to the office all the afternoon dispatching business. At night news is brought me that Field the rogue hath this day cast me at Guildhall in 30l. for his imprisonment, to which I signed his commitment with the rest of the officers; but they having been parliament-men, that he hath begun the law with me; and threatens more, but I hope the Duke of York will bear me out. At night home, and Mr. Spong came to me, and so he and I sat singing upon the leads till almost ten at night and so he went away (a pretty, harmless, and ingenious man), and I to bed, in a very great content of mind, which I hope by my care still in my business will continue to me.

Wednesday 25 June 1662Monday 23 June 1662

15°C / 59°F
(monthly average for June 1662) About

Parliament on this day

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Annotations

  • Why does excessive self-satisfaction suggest, to the modern reader, comeuppance sure to come? Too much novel-reading, no doubt.

  • More background on the Field affair can be found at:
    http://www.pepysdiary.com/archive/1662/02/04/index.php
    where Robert Gertz earns props for his assessment of why Sam gets the original subpoena (agreed to by Sam, above), and
    http://www.pepysdiary.com/archive/1662/04/13/index.php


    Bradford, as to your concern of upcoming comeuppance, could it also be a result of watching too many movies…? :-)

  • Pretty, harmless and ingenious

    I don’t really know how to read this one.

  • my version[ (a pretty, harmless, and ingenious ]pretty: not ugly, harmless : not a threat to life or work [not a tattle tale], ingeniuos: gifted musician.

  • “… they having been parliament-men, that he hath begun the law with me….”

    I’m not near any books now to check to get this right, but at the time of which we’re speaking, I seem to remember that members of Parliament had some sort of immunity in connection with legal proceedings, at least while Parliament was in session. Was it from suit altogether or just from compelled attendance as a witness?

    If this hasn’t been dealt with before and anyone is interested in my pursuing it for them, say so, and I’ll look into it on Monday and report back.

  • Pretty, harmless and ingenious

    Not as diminishing a description as it sounds to our ears. ‘Pretty’ had then much more a sense of commendable, neat, clever; ‘harmless’ a more positive sense of good, innocent, and ‘ingenious’ was also quite high praise. The modern equivalent would be more like ‘Admirable, upright and skilled’

  • I bless God I find that by my diligence of late and still

    For the time being, no more bon vivant Sam of morning draughts, afternoon plays, dalliance and late merriment, but a man who drinks small beer and tends to business. Sir W. Penn smelt out some waywardness in Sam during the visit to Portsmouth and challenged his authority at the office as a way to test his mettle. Now Sam is showing his stuff. He hasn’t worked this hard since he went to sea with Sandwich in ‘60, he knows it, and he is proud of the results.

  • parliament-men’s immunity from suits, unlike Sam

    Fair assumption. See the links provided by Todd Bernhardt as a start.

  • One might wonder if Field has some secret backer in his suit…

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