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Wednesday 28 June 1665

Sir J. Minnes carried me and my wife to White Hall, and thence his coach along with my wife where she would. There after attending the Duke to discourse of the navy. We did not kiss his hand, nor do I think, for all their pretence, of going away to-morrow. Yet I believe they will not go for good and all, but I did take my leave of Sir William Coventry, who, it seems, was knighted and sworn a Privy-Counsellor two days since; who with his old kindness treated me, and I believe I shall ever find [him] a noble friend. Thence by water to Blackfriars, and so to Paul’s churchyard and bespoke severall books, and so home and there dined, my man William giving me a lobster sent him by my old maid Sarah. This morning I met with Sir G. Carteret, who tells me how all things proceed between my Lord Sandwich and himself to full content, and both sides depend upon having the match finished presently, and professed great kindnesse to me, and said that now we were something akin. I am mightily, both with respect to myself and much more of my Lord’s family, glad of this alliance. After dinner to White Hall, thinking to speak with my Lord Ashly, but failed, and I whiled away some time in Westminster Hall against he did come, in my way observing several plague houses in King’s Street and [near] the Palace. Here I hear Mrs. Martin is gone out of town, and that her husband, an idle fellow, is since come out of France, as he pretends, but I believe not that he hath been. I was fearful of going to any house, but I did to the Swan, and thence to White Hall, giving the waterman a shilling, because a young fellow and belonging to the Plymouth. Thence by coach to several places, and so home, and all the evening with Sir J. Minnes and all the women of the house (excepting my Lady Batten) late in the garden chatting. At 12 o’clock home to supper and to bed. My Lord Sandwich is gone towards the sea to-day, it being a sudden resolution, I having taken no leave of him.

29 Jun 166527 Jun 1665

Temperature: 14°C / 57°F (Jun 1665 avg.)

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Annotations

  • Today at Gresham College — from the Hooke Folio Online

    June 28. 1665. (Sr. Rob: moray.Loughneach Stones. [petrified wood?] [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lough_Neagh ] ) orderd that the Curator doe try to dissolue this stone with aqua fortis [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aqua_fortis (nitric acid)] to see whether any minerall be conteined in it, & that he try also whether it will burne
    (Sr. Theo: meyhernes papers to preserue timber from putrefaction. to salt beef well,

    Resolued that the meeting of the Society be Discontinued till summond to meet againe. - mr. Hook was vrged to prosecute his chariots, watches, glasses, during this Recesse.

    http://webapps.qmul.ac.uk/cell/Hooke/hooke_folio.php?id=49&option=both

  • Lough Neach Stones.


    7. Coda

    I

    The lough will claim a victim every year.
    It has virtue that hardens wood to stone.
    There is a town sunk beneath its water.
    It is the scar left by the Isle of Man.

    II

    At Toomebridge where it sluices towards the sea
    They’ve set new gates and tanks against the flow.
    From time to time they break the lost journey
    And lift five hundred stone in one go.

    III

    But up the shore in Antrim and Tyrone
    There is a sense of fair play in the game.
    At two miles out, they coax them one by one,
    These fishermen who’ve never learnt to swim.

    IV

    “We’ll be the quicker going down,” they say -
    And when you argue there are not storms here,
    That one hour floating’s sure to land them safely -
    “The lough will claim a victim every year.”


    Seamus Heaney

    http://poetry.emory.edu/epoet-item-tamino-irishpoet-heaneyCPUE.d0e9270


    ***
    Cranfield Church, Lough Neagh
    The ruins of Cranfield Church are on the north shore of Lough Neagh at Churchtown Point. It was built in the 13th century and nearby is a holy well, which provides spring water and amber coloured crystals. It was believed that if one of these stones was swallowed it would protect women during childbirth, men from drowning and homes from fire and burglary. In the last century emigrants to America believed that, if they swallowed a pebble, they would sail safely across the Atlantic Ocean.
    http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/532866

  • “Resolued that the meeting of the Society be Discontinued till summond to meet againe. - mr. Hook was vrged to prosecute his chariots, watches, glasses, during this Recesse.”

    While many scatter due to the plague Hooke is expected to carry on the experiments. Hooke, Petty and Wilkins took a quantity of experimental equipment and materials to the Durdans estate outside Epsom.


  • John Evelyn’s diary

    “To Lond: to R: Society, the Assembly now prorogued to Michaelmas, according to costome; & the sooner, because the Plague in Lond much increased:”

  • Stone [petrified wood I believe ] objects often ooze from the fen lands {bogs} some are quite large, they that can damage a plough if not seen in time.

  • “…giving the waterman a shilling…”

    I take it that Sam’s tipping the seaman in a navy boat. What with watermen dying in droves later that summer, Moote&Moote, “The Great Plague” write: “…Pepys was fortunate when he could hire a ride (from watermen) at ten shillings instread of the inflated rate of twenty shillings.” p125

  • As the Royal Society prorogues prematurely, the court is drifting apart

    “We did not kiss [the Duke’s] hand, nor do I think, for all their [L&M: the court’s] pretence, of going away to-morrow [ —] yet I believe they will not go for good and all….My Lord Sandwich is gone towards the sea to-day, it being a sudden resolution, I having taken no leave of him.”

  • Terry,

    Thanks for the gloss on a confusing passage.

  • “…thence his coach along with my wife where she would.”

    All right who is this guy and what has he done with our Sam?

  • … and thence his coach

    The 17th century equivalent of the modern big-wig who offers some junior colleague the use of his car and driver when he doesn’t need it for an hour or two.

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