Daily entries from the 17th century London diary
Up, and to the office very busy till 3 o’clock, and then home, all of us, for half an hour to dinner, and to it again till eight at night, stating our wants of money for the Duke, but could not finish it. So broke up, and I to my office, then about letters and other businesses very late, and so home to supper, weary with business, and to bed.
…stating our wants… : ah! hark the beggars tin can doth tinkle, it echos thru the halls of time, down the bread lane into the smokey chambers, Moohlah, more moohlar…. across seas, hitching a ride on the waves, tax payers where be thou, bale out the navy, cheese and bickeys be gone, The Lauds have absconded with the prize money, where be those that be able to help the poor tar.
Fures privitorum in nervo atque incompedipus aetatem agunt; fures publici in auro atque inpurpura
Cato Praeda Militibus Dividenda,XI, 3
he who steals from the bank teller ends up in chains
He who steals the bank gets a knighthood.
“stating our wants of money”
Perhaps like today’s corporate budget requests. Officially ask for more than you need and hope you can live w/the inevitable result. Of course one must never underrun though there’s probably no chance of that happening in the ‘present’ instance.
Quite a lot on the plate for Jamie and Charlie…
Plague disruptions…
War with the Dutch going not so well…
War with the greatest monarchy in Europe now beginning…(though fortunately Louis doesn’t seem to have a real war plan worked out or forces available to hit just now.)
Parliament completely opposed to giving more money, convinced (with some reason) it’ll be down the rat hole (into Lady Castlemaine’s purse)…