Thursday 3 March 1663/64

Up pretty early and so to the office, where we sat all the morning making a very great contract with Sir W. Warren for provisions for the yeare coming, and so home to dinner, and there was W. Howe come to dine with me, and before dinner he and I walked in the garden, and we did discourse together, he assuring me of what he told me the other day of my Lord’s speaking so highly in my commendation to my Lord Peterborough and Povy, which speaks my Lord having yet a good opinion of me, and also how well my Lord and Lady both are pleased with their children’s being at my father’s, and when the bigger ladies were there a little while ago, at which I am very glad. After dinner he went away, I having discoursed with him about his own proceedings in his studies, and I observe him to be very considerate and to mind his book in order to preferring himself by my Lord’s favour to something, and I hope to the outing of Creed in his Secretaryship. For he tells me that he is confident my Lord do not love him nor will trust him in any secret matter, he is so cunning and crafty in all he do.

So my wife and I out of doors thinking to have gone to have seen a play, but when we came to take coach, they tell us there are none this week, being the first of Lent. But, Lord! to see how impatient I found myself within to see a play, I being at liberty once a month to see one, and I think it is the best method I could have taken.

But to my office, did very much business with several people till night, and so home, being unwilling to stay late because of my eye which is not yet well of the rheum that is fallen down into it, but to supper and to bed.

14 Annotations

First Reading

Pedro  •  Link

"and also how well my Lord and Lady both are pleased with their children's being at my father's, and when the bigger ladies were there a little while ago, at which I am very glad."

Out in the sticks Sam's poor father gets an earful from Mrs P...

"Now write a proper letter, send that dog back, and tell your tight-fisted son that entertainment does not come out of the 50 nicker allowance!"

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

"and I hope to the outing of Creed in his Secretaryship"

Really, Sam? This same Creed whom you recently re-befriended?

I'd be careful with Howe, my friend. I'd bet he's been learning at Creed's knee...

Cactus Wren  •  Link

Poor Sam -- finally he's ready to let himself attend a play, but there are none to attend! It's like taking a day off your diet and finding all the restaurants closed and nothing in the house but frozen succotash and Bisquick.

Terry F  •  Link

"a very great contract with Sir W. Warren for provisions for the yeare coming"

Spoiler -

A fateful morning: the alliance that will prosper and later threaten Pepys's career is cemented. (See Pauline's annotation to "W. Warren" for details.)

Michael Robinson  •  Link

a very great contract with Sir W. Warren

Warren's gift a month ago:-

" ... a payre of white gloves for her and forty pieces in good gold, which did so cheer my heart, that I could eat no victuals almost for dinner for joy to think how God do bless us every day more and more, ..."

http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…

Robert Gertz  •  Link

I wonder if Pepys means timber provisioning for the year or if Sir Will W. is branching out. If so he'd shortly be stepping on a few toes of Pepys' other "friends", so I would guess it's strictly timber.

Second Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"my Lord and Lady both are pleased with their children’s being at my father’s, and when the bigger ladies were there a little while ago"

Sandwich's two elder daughters (Lady Jemimah and Lady Paulina) had spent the winter at the Pepys house at Brampton. (L&M footnote)

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"I having discoursed with [W. Howe] about his own proceedings in his studies, and I observe him to be very considerate and to mind his book in order to preferring himself by my Lord’s favour to something, and I hope to the outing of Creed in his Secretaryship."

Pepys first "outed" Creed when, for the Restoration voyage, Moutague designated Pepys to be his secretary "and Creed to be deputy treasurer to the Fleet": http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
Howe had made the trip to Holland as Pepys's aide.

L&M note Howe now hoped to displace Creed as secretary to Sandwich when he sailed as Admiral.

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

William Howe keeps his word -- evidently he did not go on to Hinchingbrooke:

http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
Friday 26 February 1664

"Among others talking with W. Howe, he told me how my Lord in his hearing the other day did largely tell my Lord Peterborough and Povy (who went with them down to Hinchinbrooke) how and when he discarded Creed, and took me to him, and that since the Duke of York has several times thanked him for me, which did not a little please me, and anon I desiring Mr. Howe to tell me upon [what] occasion this discourse happened, he desired me to say nothing of it now, for he would not have my Lord to take notice of our being together, but he would tell me another time, which put me into some trouble to think what he meant by it."

So this story about the "... outing of Creed in his Secretaryship" could date back to 1660 when Montagu took Pepys to sea instead of Creed, or to Creed being Deputy-Treasurer to the fleet in 1660-1663 as we have heard nothing about why Creed lost this position.

RSGII  •  Link

If I remember correctly, there was a falling out over Creeds accounts with The Navy board within the last few months and Pepys had to cover for him.

Bill  •  Link

“I observe him to be very considerate and to mind his book”

To mind (or ply) his book, etudier fort & ferme [Study strong and firm]
---A short dictionary English and French. G. Miège, 1684.

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"... there was a falling out over Creed's accounts ..."

Yes, Creed had prevailed on his friend Pepys to do some time-consuming creative bookkeeping -- one might consider them 'alternative facts' -- which appear to have been accepted partly because it was Pepys presenting them. Creed owed him big time, and Pepys had the sum of one hundred pounds in mind. Creed sent an indian dress for Elizabeth, which Pepys found to be worth much less, and returned it to Creed. After a stand-off of several weeks, Pepys settled for less. see http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…

So the falling out was more about Creed being a cheapskate than the accounts per se. But friends are friends, and Pepys couldn't afford to be on the outs with everyone in the Sandwich household.

Chris Squire UK  •  Link

Re: ’ . . to mind his book . . ’
‘mind, v < Germanic . .
. . II. To attend to, concern oneself with, care for, etc.
4. trans.
a. To think about, turn one's attention to (an activity or task) . . Now rare except in phrases: to mind one's book (arch.): to be diligent in one's studies . .
. . 1611 Bible (King James) Rom. viii. 5 For they that are after the flesh, doe minde the things of the flesh.
. . 1712 J. Addison Spectator No. 383. ¶1 Bidding him be a good Child and mind his Book . . ‘

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