Daily entries from the 17th century London diary
Up and close at my office all the morning. To the ‘Change busy at noon, and so home to dinner, and then in the afternoon at the office till night, and so late home quite tired with business, and without joy in myself otherwise than that I am by God’s grace enabled to go through it and one day, hope to have benefit by it. So home to supper and to bed.
Friday 29 April 1664Wednesday 27 April 1664
8°C / 46°F
(monthly average for April 1664) About
(Hats off to MR’s close and enlightening analysis of yesterday’s war talk. While many of us throw pasta at the wall, MR does the homework.)
“…that I am by God’s grace enabled to go through it and one day, hope to have benefit by it.”
Amen, Brother Sam. Amen.
“So…What have you prepared for my speech to the Parliament, Jamie?”
“Well, we have a few drafts, Sire…”
Hmmn…Charles looks over proffered sheet…
“Hmmn-hmmn… ‘I want you to know that no poor, dumb b*tard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor, dumb b*tard die for his country.’ Hmmn. ‘All real Britons love…the sting and clash of battle. They love a winner and will not tolerate a loser…’ Hmmn…Scans down page. ‘…Stick your cannon in their rears. Shoot them in the belly…’ Hmmn. ” Eyes York.
“Bit much, isn’t it, Jamie? I mean…Earthy appeal to the groundlings and all, certainly. Barbara?”
“I liked it. But it could use more profanity.” Castlemaine, frowning.
Mnnn… “Not really quite my style. A good effort, Jamie. But…”
“Well, perhaps this, Sire.” York offers second paper.
“Hmmn… ‘We shall fight. We shall fight on the hills and on the beaches. We shall never surrender.’…Ummn. Jamie?”
“Sire?”
“Bit early to mention beaches, hills, and surrendering, isn’t it? We haven’t even begun the war yet.”
“Just invoking that Armada spirit, Sire.”
“Mmmn…Perhaps we should hold it for later. If things go less well than expected?”
“As you wish, Sire.” slight miff…
“I was thinking…Maybe something more along the lines of ‘Give me the money and we will win fast.’ You know, succinct and to the point.”
Hmmn…York quickly looks to manuscript number three…Ah.
“Perhaps this, Sire?”
“Mmmn…Yes. ‘Give us the tools and we will finish the job.’ Yes, that’s more like it. Quick, to the point, and asks for the cash in a bit less sordid way. Very nice, Jamie.”
“Coventry’s idea, Sire. With a little help from our Mr. Pepys.”
“Pepys? Oh, right…Sandwich’s busy little cousin. Yes, I should say it does sound like them. Nose to the grindstone and no nonsense and all that. Yes.”
Power of positive thinking.
Obviously “hung over” from too much work yesterday. But he got through this depressing nothing day, and looks to his future reward. “Jam yesterday, and jam tomorrow, but never jam today.” :-(
Thanks Xjy, my fav, raspberry sums up it up. Where be that thumper, running so fast, trying to keep up.
“and thence we three to the Mum House at Leadenhall, “
Although the background leads to mum, a type of ale, could this be “Mug House?”
“Mug House” was a seventeenth century term for an alehouse, allowed to retail ale, porter, wine and spirits.
Brewer’s Phrase and Fable…
Mug-house An ale-house was so called in the eighteenth century. Some hundred persons assembled in a large tap-room to drink, sing, and spout. One of the number was made chairman. Ale was served to the guests in their own mugs, and the place where the mug was to stand was chalked on the table.
The above annotation should refer to “Fleece mum-house (Leadenhall St)” on the Wednesday 28 May 1662.
Catching me on the opiate Phil’s Latest Encyclopedia topic “Fleece mum-house (Leadenhall St) 29 Apr 2007” has my head overloaded!
“Burnt Out; or, What Profiteth It a Man”—-
subject for an upcoming sermon by a Scottish preacher.
Resolutions of the Lords and Commons, in Parliament, in relation to wrongs and indignities to the Crown of England
Date: 28 April 1664
Shelfmark: MS. Carte 72, fol(s). 42-44
Document type: Two papers. [The second paper or “Estimate of Losses” is endorsed “Rec. 1 May”.
Resolutions of the Lords and Commons, in Parliament, in relation to wrongs and indignities to the Crown of England, alleged to have been committed by subjects of the United Provinces of the Netherlands, in India, Africa, and elsewhere; with a Précis of the complaints made by the Traders in Africa to Parliament, and an Estimate of damages sustained. …
without joy in myself
Perhaps this is Sam’s reaction we’ve been looking for, and not finding, to the news he has received over the last few days about the spendthrift ways and low esteem of his patron, and the fear of losing the larger part of his savings if Sandwich goes to war and does not return?