Tuesday 8 May 1660
All the morning busy. After dinner come several persons of honour, as my Lord St. John and others, for convoy to Flushing, and great giving of them salutes. My Lord and we at nine-pins: I lost 9s. While we were at play Mr. Cook brings me word of my wife. He went to Huntsmore to see her, and brought her and my father Bowyer to London, where he left her at my father’s, very well, and speaks very well of her love to me. My letters to-day tell me how it was intended that the King should be proclaimed to-day in London, with a great deal of pomp. I had also news who they are that are chosen of the Lords and Commons to attend the King.
And also the whole story of what we did the other day in the fleet, at reading of the King’s declaration, and my name at the bottom of it. After supper some musique and to bed. I resolving to rise betimes to-morrow to write letters to London.
24 Annotations
First Reading
Jenny Doughty • Link
What a relief it must have been for Sam to hear that Elizabeth is well again. Not that worry seems to have cramped his spirits, if dipping deep into his pocket to pay his losses at ninepins counts - if he has £40 to his name then 9s represents nearly 1/80th of his worth. If a civil servant today earned £40,000 a year that would be equivalent to losing nearly £500 in one evening's play - not something most of us could afford to do.
David A. Smith • Link
"And my name at the bottom of it."
I like Sam's sense of wonderment that he feels himself on the tides in the affairs of men, that taken at the flood lead on to fortune ... and wants his diary to pinch him to prove he's not dreaming.
vincent • Link
wager:--on feb 14th" To Will’s, where like a fool I staid and lost 6d. at cards "... 'tis 18 times more he lost this day : Progress in all things
chip • Link
One wonders if there were any ambivalence in spying his name at the bottom, as there must have been for those who signed the Declaration of Independence (a death warrant had the revolution gone awry) a century plus later. It seems not as he is clearly taken with the moment. Again, he very carefully notes his losses.
gerry • Link
L&M has a footnote regarding his signing; "All the three foregoing items of news are in Faithfull Post no.53 which appeared this day. The fleets declaration is at pp.414-15, subscribed Samuel Pepys, Secretary. Pepys may be referring here to the publication of the declaration as a broadside or in another newsheet.It had been read in both houses of Parliament on May 7. But no other printed version including Pepys's name has been traced;the larger official newsbooks (eg Parl.Intll.,7 May, p304)omitted it."
Grahamt • Link
"resolving to rise betimes":
betimes adv.ME.
1 At an early time, period, or season. ME.
2 spec. Early in the morning. LME.
(Shorter Oxford English Dictionary)
vincent • Link
"my Lord St. John ...": at this time there were two St. Johns; one Viscount Bolingbroke and the other Baron of Bletso: today in the House of Lords there is a Lord St John of Bletso and a Lord Sandwich (Hansard quote 1996 " Lord St. John of Bletso..my noble friend Lord Sandwich ..." )
vincent • Link
" lost 9s".. You need a lawyer? .."Defendants accused of shoplifting goods worth 5 shillings or more had to be sentenced to death. By reducing the value of the goods below 5 shillings, juries could avoid this statutory penalty."
http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/hi…
this was in 1712 dec. at the old bailey
Michael Robinson • Link
"... that the King should be proclaimed to-day in London, ...'
A proclamation, of both houses of Parliament, for proclaiming of his Majesty King of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, defender of the faith, &c.
London : printed by John Macock, and Francis Tyton, printers to the House of Lords, 1660.
[With order to print] Die Martis, May 8. 1660. Ordered by the Lords in Parliament assembled, ... .
1 sheet ([1] p.) ; 1⁰.
"Though the King’s right was complete by his father’s death, yet since ’Armed Violence’ has deprived them of the opportunity hitherto, the Lords and Commons, with the Lord Mayor, &c., of London and others, proclaim that the kingdom came to him on his father’s death, and that he is King of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, &c."
There is a variant edition with "God Save the King." below text
Michael Robinson • Link
"… that the King should be proclaimed to-day in London, …’"
The Commons version:-
A proclamation. Although it can no way be doubted, but that his majesties right and title to his crowns and kingdoms, is, and was every way compleated by the death of his most royal father of glorious memory, without the ceremony or solemnity of a proclamation, yet since proclamations in such cases have always been used, to the end that all good subjects might upon this occasion testifie their duty and respect; ...
London : printed by Edward Husbands and Thomas Newcomb, printers to the Commons House of Parliament, [1660]
1 sheet ([1] p.) ; 1/2⁰.
Ending: "Tuesday May 8, 1660. Ordered by the Commons assembled in Parliament, that this proclamation be forthwith printed and published. Will: Jessop Clerk of the Commons House of Parliament.".
"Though the Kings right was complete by his father’s death, yet since ’armed violence’ has deprived them of the opportunity hitherto, the Lords and Commons, with the Lord Mayor, &c., of London and others, proclaim that the kingdome came to him on his father’s death, and that he is King of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, &c."
Second Reading
Terry Foreman • Link
The Tuesday, May 8th, 1660 House of Commons Journal http://www.british-history.ac.uk/…
provides more details of the drafting process involving the two Houses, as follows:
Proclaiming the King.
MR. Turner reports from the Committee appointed to meet with a Committee of the Lords, concerning the Proclaiming of the King, the Form of a Proclamation; which was first read by him, standing in his Place:
Being after brought up by the Reporter to the Table, it was read by the Clerk; and after the inserting of the Words "many Years," instead of these Words "these Twelve Years," the same was agreed; and resolved, upon the Question, to be the Form to be used for Proclaiming his Majesty; the same being as followeth:
Although it can no way be doubted, but that his Majesty's Right and Title to his Crowns and Kingdoms, is and was every way completed, by the Death of his most Royal Father, of glorious Memory, without the Ceremony or Solemnity of a Proclamation; yet, since Proclamations in such Cases have been always used, to the end that all good Subjects might, upon this Occasion, testify their Duty and respect; and since the armed Violence, and other the Calamities, of many Years last past, have hitherto deprived us of any such Opportunity, wherein we might express our Loyalty and Allegiance to his Majesty: We, therefore, the Lords and Commons now assembled in Parliament, together with the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Commons of the City of London, and other Freemen of this Kingdom, now present, do, according to our Duty and Allegiance, heartily, joyfully, and unanimously acknowledge and proclaim; that, immediately upon the Decease of our late Sovereign Lord King Charles, the Imperial Crown of the Realm of England, and of all the Kingdoms, Dominions and Rights belonging to the same, did, by inherent Birthright, and lawful and undoubted Succession, descend and come to His Most Excellent Majesty Charles the Second, as being lineally, justly and lawfully next Heir of the Blood Royal of this Realm; and that, by the Goodness and Providence of Almighty God, he is, of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, the most potent, mighty and undoubted King: And thereunto we do most humbly and faithfully submit, and oblige ourselves, our Heirs and Posterities for ever.
Resolved, That these Words, viz. "God save the King," be inserted in the End of the Proclamation.
Resolved, That the Lords Concurrence be desired herein; and that Mr. Turner go with it to the Lords.
Bill • Link
Upon the same Day (May 8.) which Sir Thomas Clarges presented to the King the Army's Address at Breda, his Majesty was, by a Vote of both Houses, proclaim'd at London with all the usual Ceremonies, but with an Affection that certainly was never so manifested towards any of his Predecessors. In this Solemnity the General [Monck] joyfully assisted, following in his Coach the Coaches of both the Speakers. And such was the publick Festivity of this Day, that it seem'd as the Shadow of the King's Approach, or like the first Light of the Morning that looks over the Mountain's tops, and ushers in the Sun.
---Life of General Monk. T. Skinner, 1773
Dick Wilson • Link
From the glorious to the mundane: Pepys resolved to rise betimes. On board ships they took to ringing bells to tell the passing and changing of the watches. My question is, when did this practice start? Was Pepys resolving to wake up and get to work when he heard 4 bells in the morning watch, or what? Did it begin in the Naval service and transfer to merchant ships or vice versa? Was the Royal Navy the first to adopt it, or did someone else's navy do it first? I am going to google this and see what I can find out.
Dick Wilson • Link
Without too much work I found a reference to a ship's bell aboard the Grace Dieu in 1485, and in 1495 an inventory of the Regent included two "watch bells" so presumably they were being used to measure the watches even at that early date. A century and a half is plenty of time for the practice to spread from one ship to all the major vessels of the fleet. In 1676 there is reference to ships caught in fog ringing their bells (and firing guns and muskets) to avoid collision. That implies that bells were standard equipment on all ships shortly after the diary period. I conclude that a watch bell was being rung every half hour, and that listening for them would be what woke Pepys to duty, betimes.
Bill • Link
I'm suspicious. Ships in 1660 certainly rang bells but did they have the multiple bells every watch that seems to be common now? I think Sam would have commented on it...
Terry Foreman • Link
"And also the whole story of what we did the other day in the fleet, at reading of the King’s declaration, and my name at the bottom of it."
L&M: All the three foregoing items of news are in Faithfull Post (no. 53)which appeared this day. The fleet's declaration (q.v. https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/… and https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
is at pp. 414-15, subscribed 'Samuel Pepys, Secretary'. Pepys may be referring here to the publication of the declaration as a broadside or in another newsheet. It had been read in both houses off Parliament on 7 May. But no other printed version including Pepys's name has been traced; the larger official newsbooks (e.g. Parl. Intell., p. 304) omitted it.
Terry Foreman • Link
"This letter was carried this morning to Sir Peter Killigrew, who came hither this morning early to bring an order from the Lords’ House to my Lord, giving him power to write an answer to the King."
L&M: Cf. https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
The order to Mountagu is in LJ, xi. 61; the letters conveying it are in Sandwich MSS, App., ff. 209, 212, 214, 215. Killegrew ('Peter the Post') was a King's messenger now carrying news to Charles of his proclamation in London.
San Diego Sarah • Link
http://brittlebooks.library.illin…
John Evelyn's Diary – he and Mary Browne Evelyn live at Saye's Court, Deptford.
@@@
8 May, 1660.
This day was his Majesty proclaimed in London, etc.
@@@
Not one of Evelyn's most exciting entries.
I'm guessing he was now recuperating at the family home, Wotton, near Epsom, Surrey, as his notes previously posted said "so as by the 14th I was able to go into the country, which I did to my sweet and native air at Wotton." I presume that was April 14.
Third Reading
MartinVT • Link
From the very first comment in 2003: "if he has £40 to his name then 9s represents nearly 1/80th of his worth. If a civil servant today earned £40,000 a year that would be equivalent to losing nearly £500 in one evening's play - not something most of us could afford to do."
This comparison is not accurate, since one's net worth is not equivalent to one's annual salary. At this time, Sam's net worth is pretty modest at £40. From the page on Pepys's wealth (https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…), this equates to £5,892 in 2016, 1/80th of which comes to £73.65 forked over to my Lord. And he lost 5 more shillings to someone else the other day. The larger loss to my Lord may be attributable to it being hard to say no to my Lord when he suggests another game or two.
LKvM • Link
Very politic of him to lose to My Lord.
Ricadus • Link
9 shillings not so much lost as an invested for future prosperity.
Croakers Apprentice • Link
Current events in the diary are so closely mirroring current events in our own time at the moment - in terms of excitement around the elevation of King Charles - that I’m fully expecting Sam to attend the Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool at the end of the week…Swinging 1660s style, with lots of violas - he does love his Musique!
San Diego Sarah • Link
"he does love his Musique!"
True. And he was a good musician and singer, so he could give pleasure to others by peforming. That was an important contribution to the harmony on board. The tars all over the ship could hear their Admiral and Pepys harmonizing and enjoying themselves, and the happy noise would fill the time otherwise spent complaining about the food and thinking about going home to their wives and children.
“Music has charms to soothe a savage breast.” That famous line was uttered by a character in William Congreve's 1697 play The Mourning Bride.
Stephane Chenard • Link
Venetian ambassador Francesco Giavarina will shortly (on May 21, new style) report on the exuberant euphoria that followed the king's proclamation today, the "immense crowds", the bonfires, "the ringing of all the bells and the roar of the guns", &c. Nice; see it at https://www.british-history.ac.uk….
The embassies, he said, kept up with the usual wine fountains and such, "except France, who, to the general astonishment, showed so much reserve that one may say he did nothing".
Not that Louis XIV would shed many tears for regicides; just a decade ago during the Fronde he had to deal with his own Cromwell (of sorts, the prince de Condé, whom he's just pardoned back in January). But then today's proclamation says "Charles the Second (...) is, of (...) France (...) the most potent, mighty and undoubted King".
So, duh. Imagine the reaction in the Louvre. Louis, turning to his foreign minister: "Brienne, you who know the family... Devons-nous en rire ou en pleurer?"
Should We laugh or cry? The advisers re-read the telex from London and eye each other. "Laughing at such a claim would befit your majesty. For now. But should your majesty care, we do have some good people in Breda..."