Thursday 23 June 1664

Up, and to the office, and there we sat all the morning. So to the ’Change, and then home to dinner and to my office, where till 10 at night very busy, and so home to supper and to bed.

My cozen, Thomas Pepys, was with me yesterday and I took occasion to speak to him about the bond I stand bound for my Lord Sandwich to him in 1000l.. I did very plainly, obliging him to secrecy, tell him how the matter stands, yet with all duty to my Lord my resolution to be bound for whatever he desires me for him, yet that I would be glad he had any other security. I perceive by Mr. Moore today that he hath been with my Lord, and my Lord how he takes it I know not, but he is looking after other security and I am mighty glad of it.

W. Howe was with me this afternoon, to desire some things to be got ready for my Lord against his going down to his ship, which will be soon; for it seems the King and both the Queenes intend to visit him. The Lord knows how my Lord will get out of this charge; for Mr. Moore tells me to-day that he is 10,000l. in debt and this will, with many other things that daily will grow upon him (while he minds his pleasure as he do), set him further backward. But it was pretty this afternoon to hear W. Howe mince the matter, and say that he do believe that my Lord is in debt 2000l. or 3000l., and then corrected himself and said, No, not so, but I am afraid he is in debt 1000l.. I pray God gets me well rid of his Lordship as to his debt, and I care not.


10 Annotations

First Reading

Terry F  •  Link

A day of toting up debt -- Pepys's bond, Sandwich's security (it's term time, sc., lawyers are at work).

Robert Gertz  •  Link

"I pray God gets me well rid of his Lordship as to his debt, and I care not." Poor Sam, torn between his disgust at Sandwich's foolishly chasing after the Stuart court lifestyle (and potentially at his expense) and his sense of obligation and gratitude toward the cousin who gave him his chance.

Given his strenuous efforts to curb his pleasure-seeking side as well as his hard work to earn the cash, one can understand his repressed anger but Sam never had to sign off on the show trials and executions of old friends and comrades to make his peace with the new regime. Moorings of loyalty, religion, and political beliefs broken, Montagu is clearly drifting off into very dark and uncharted territory. Hopefully the coming war may give him something useful to do to snap himself out of it.

Patricia  •  Link

Pity Sam couldn't have heeded Shakespeare's famous lines: "Neither a borrower nor a lender (nor security for a bond) be", but he owed Sandwich so much gratitude that he could scarcely refuse him. And who was to know My Lord would become so spendthrift?

Robert Gertz  •  Link

...And of course every day in London passing along Sandwich is likely to see the rotting, severed head of his mentor and hero, Cromwell, staring at him. Does it haunt him all the way to Chelsea? In the midst of every wild late night card game with Castlemaine and the favorites? No wonder he runs from poor Jem who must remind him in all her innocence of everything he's betrayed.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

...And yet, Shakespeare was a lender, quite a successful one by all accounts. Though I think he would have found some excuse for turning milord down, at least for such a sum.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

"Sir?"

"Ah, Hewer. How did you find my Lady Jemina?"

"Um...Well, sir...Not as well as I might have hoped. You see, sir..."

"Not well? Was my Lord with her? You didn't broach the delicate subject I entrusted to you too harshly did you, Hewer?"

"Never quite had a chance to, sir. Mr. Pepys, my Lord Sandwich has...Fled, sir."

"Fled? To Chelsea?"

"England, sir."

"England? Fled? Oh, my...My pounds?"

"With him, sir. And, sir..."

"With him...And that slut Becke?! My 700Ls and the 1000 I'm liable for?"

"Ummn...Not with the Becke girl, sir. Mr. Pepys, I'm afraid my Lord Sandwich took Mrs. Pepys with him to France."

"Mrs...My wife?! My pounds?! My wife?! My pounds?! Wait! Hewer, get me my bond for my Lord...The one we spilled wine over, not the fair copy."

"You mean the one with the...Silly clause you and my Lord put in as a joke, sir?"

"That one..."

***
Three months later...Lord Sandwich has returned, easily pardoned by Charles...Though not by all.

"Pepys? You're not really serious about this?" York eyes him.

"He has spit upon my house, shamed me, your Grace and your Grace has promised me...Justice. Sandwich being after all the last powerful Cromwellian left. And I will have my bond."

"Yes, but...Two pounds of flesh, Pepys? That's even more than Shakespeare's fellow wanted."

"Your Grace...Hath not a tailor's son..."

"Yes, yes...I get it, Pepys."

JWB  •  Link

Pepys, Thomas (a, cousin, "The Executor")

Pauline wrote:
"He lent money to Mountagu in 1658"
http://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclo…

Sam looking for consolation &/or insight as to how to be repaid.

pepf  •  Link

Cozen Thomas Pepys lent even more money, viz. £1000, to Mountagu in 1661
( http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1… ) for which, unfortunately, SP stands surety. So probably he's looking for a way out of his bond to cousin Thomas rather than for consolation and/or insight how to get his own £700 back.

Second Reading

Tonyel  •  Link

W. Howe was with me this afternoon, to desire some things to be got ready for my Lord against his going down to his ship, which will be soon; for it seems the King and both the Queenes intend to visit him. The Lord knows how my Lord will get out of this charge;

This sounds as though Sandwich is expected to contribute towards the costs of going to war himself. Anyone know what and how much would have been expected?

James Morgan  •  Link

I think the charge might just be the high cost of entertaining royalty to the expected standard. I understand that when Queen Elizabeth I visited nobles, the whole court came, and the nobles and towns had to pay dearly for the privilege of entertaining her.

Log in to post an annotation.

If you don't have an account, then register here.