Friday 9 December 1664

Up betimes and walked to Mr. Povy’s, and there, not without some few troublesome questions of his, I got a note, and went and received 117l. 5s. of Alderman Viner upon my pretended freight of the “William” for Tangier, which overbears me on one side with joy and on the other to think of my condition if I shall be called into examination about it, and (though in strictness it is due) not be able to give a good account of it.

Home with it, and there comes Captain Taylor to me, and he and I did set even the business of the ship Union lately gone for Tangier, wherein I hope to get 50l. more, for all which the Lord be praised.

At noon home to dinner, Mr. Hunt and his wife with us, and very pleasant. Then in the afternoon I carried them home by coach, and I to Westminster Hall, and thence to Gervas’s, and there find I cannot prevail with Jane to go forth with me, but though I took a good occasion of going to the Trumpet she declined coming, which vexed me. ‘Je avait grande envie envers elle, avec vrai amour et passion’.

Thence home and to my office till one in the morning, setting to rights in writing this day’s two accounts of Povy and Taylor, and then quietly to bed.

This day I had several letters from several places, of our bringing in great numbers of Dutch ships.


22 Annotations

First Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

More orders from Coventry to Sandwich from the Carte Calendar (in lieu of Dirk)

William Coventry to Sandwich
Written from: [St James's]

Date: 9 December 1664

Shelfmark: MS. Carte 75, fol(s). 267
Document type: Holograph

Captain Sheldon has been ordered to proceed to Guernsey with 100 men. Lord Sandwich is therefore desired to appoint a fitting ship for the passage.
http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/dept/s…

A. De Araujo  •  Link

"avec vrai amour et passion"
Lust more likely.

Nate  •  Link

‘Je avait grande envie envers elle, avec vrai amour et passion' --> Babel Fish --> 'I great desire towards it had, with true love and passion'

Right! Substitute 'lust' for 'love'.

Paul Chapin  •  Link

"my pretended freight"
This might not be as bad as it sounds. Although our modern interpretation of 'fictitious, counterfeit, feigned' was also current in Sam's time, there was also an alternative gloss of 'intended, proposed' which is now obsolete.

OED: pretended, ppl.a.
[...]
†4. Intended, designed, purposed, proposed. Obs.
1573 New Custom i. i. in Hazl. Dodsley III. 13 For the better accomplishing our subtlety pretended, It were expedient that both our names were amended. 1597 A. M. tr. Guillemeau's Fr. Chirurg. Author's Pref. 2 Therbye to attayne vnto his pretended intente. 1600 Hakluyt Voy. (1810) III. 86 Two small barks+wherein he intended to complete his pretended voyage. 1691 T. H[ale] Acc. New Invent. p. lxxiii, The suffering Populace, whose pretended Forfeitures were granted before Conviction. 1703 De Foe Reas. agst. War w. France Misc. 194 That we should+be Insulted by the French in the Article of the pretended New King [of Spain].

cape henry  •  Link

"This might not be as bad as it sounds." Povy seems to think so. Even Pepys admits he is loath "to think of my condition if I shall be called into examination about it, and (though in strictness it is due) not be able to give a good account of it."

Michael L  •  Link

"Je avait grande envie envers elle, avec vrai amour et passion" -- more exactly, it is: "I had a great desire for her, with true love and passion."

This is the third woman this week (not counting his wife) that he has demonstrated a 'great love and passion' (or whatever you want to call it) for, by my count.

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"'my pretended freight' -- This might not be as bad as it sounds.”

But it might be as bad as it sounds, for other reasons: L&M explain that Pepys was presumably using the Williams to ship for Vyner, goldsmith and banker, pieces-of-eight to the garrison in Tangier -- they needed cash for the garrison's economy, to buy stuff from the neighbors, no? and Pepys was on the Committee responsible for the welfare of the post at Tangier --, but the subterfuge is that the coins were being represented as payment for a charge for freight, since the payment would not be authorized until next March 29, 1665. http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…

No wonder our Hero is, ah, squirming and perspiring a tad.

Mary  •  Link

Pretended.

Also means 'claimed' cf. The Old Pretender and the Young Pretender (Bonnie Prince Charlie).

Robert Gertz  •  Link

Ah, that useful fool Povy bumbling and stumbling his way into exposing our hero's little racket.

jeannine  •  Link

"This is the third woman this week (not counting his wife) that he has demonstrated a ‘great love and passion’ (or whatever you want to call it) for, by my count."

Well Michael R-this song's for you because it's the first thing that came to mind when I read your entry--a Samified version of Willie Nelson's "For all the girl's I've loved before"

FOR ALL THE GIRLS I'VE LOVED THIS WEEK

To all the girls I've loved this week
Under whose skirts I’d like to peek
I'm glad they came along
I dedicate this song
To all the girls I've loved this week
To all the girls I would caress
I fantasize about the best
For them I write in French
Of how I love each wench
To all the girls I've loved this week
The winds of change are always blowing
And every time I try to stay
Another beauty walks by me
And they just carry me away
To all the girls who shared my life
Jane, Mrs. Lane and Bagwell’s wife
I'm glad they came along
I dedicate this song
To all the girls I've loved this week
To all the girls who tolerated me
Filling my Diary with ecstasy
They live within my heart
I'll always be a part
Of all the girls I've loved this week
The winds of change are always blowing
And every time I try to stay
Another beauty walks by me
And they just carry me away
To all the girls I’ve loved this week
Into alehouses we would sneak
I’m glad they came along
I dedicate this song
To all the girls I’ve loved this week
To all the girls I've loved this week
In my old black suit I look so sleek
I’m glad they came along
I dedicate this song
To all the girls I’ve loved this week

steveh  •  Link

"Je avait grande envie envers elle..."

The question is why does Pepys switch to (broken) French here. Not to hide his dark thoughts -- the cipher already does that, and he has been frank about sexual matters before without switching tongues. Some displaccd guilt having to do with deceiving his (French) wife? Some thought of French as the language of love (lust)?

A. De Araujo  •  Link

BRAVO or should I say BRAVA, Jeannine.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

12/8/1664...

"Oh, come on."

"What?"

"Sam'l...The stuff about Diana Crisp, Betty Lane, Elisabeth Pierce...Not to mention this 'Bagswell'..."

"Bagwell...So...?"

"Fun's, fun, and I appreciate your wanting to spice things up with a little fantasy but..."

"Bess, you said you wished I'd indulge my talent after the first time I read you the uncensored version of 'Love, A Cheat'."

"Oh, that was good..."

"Thank you. And if you recall, someone kept saying 'Oh, darling. After all the exciting times we've had...Things mustn't get dull. Oh, if only we had a little spice in our lives...Like in my French novels.'"

"But I never said to use people from our real lives..."

"Oh, come now...You said it was nearly as good as 'Adventure of Five Hours'. Besides...We're the only ones who have seen or ever will see it. And come on, girl...I'm nearly burnt to a Crisp, trod a well-worn Lane, careful avoid being Battened down, almost getting Pierced in the process, achieve a Bagwell, and get turned down by Gervais' barber assistant. And I remind you, I switch to French when things get hot. Now who among our friends wouldn't get the hint that it's all nonsensical...If somewhat lewdy nonsensical...?"

"But somebody, someday...It might reach the world and people might think..."

"Please...Bess, what kind of people would ever take their pleasure reading such stuff? If my Diary ever sees the world, for its historical value, they'll edit those parts out..."

"I dunno..."

"...though perhaps the young editor, if male, may allow himself a modest grin."

"Great. I end up the put-upon dupe of the randiest little bugger in Restoration London."

"Madame. That title can only belong...to His Majesty."

Robert Gertz  •  Link

"You forgot to mention your plans to storm the Castle maine."

"So I did... Well then,'achieve a Bagwell, dream of storming the Castle maine, and get turned down by Gervais’ barber assistant."

"Good ole Jane. Though actually I think she likes you...Say, hows about I start a Diary and do something about me and Billy Hewer and that idiot Wight and..."

"I think not... Ummn, what was that about Jane?"

Maurie Beck  •  Link

To all the girls I’ve toused,
Though I swear I am no louse,
I’ve had your treasure
With so much pleasure
To all the girls I’ve loved this week

Robert Gertz  •  Link

Lovely, Jeannine and Maurice. I would imagine Signor Pedro Iglasius (ancestor of Julio) seconding Sam.

Ghost of Bess counters with Alanis Morisette...(But I'm saving that for 1669).

Michael Robinson  •  Link

This song's for you ...

Much as I appreciate being a 'muse,' and I was away on the road again, however Jeannine, the credit for the annotation should go to "Michael L".

Second Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"This day I had several letters from several places, of our bringing in great numbers of Dutch ships."

Prizes brought into Dover, Plymouth and Portsmouth: CSPD and The Newes, 8 December. (Per L&M footnote)

Chris Squire UK  •  Link

Re: ’ . . my pretended freight of the “William” . . ’

‘pretended, adj. . .
1. b. gen. Falsely alleged; invalid, non-existent.
. . a1684 J. Evelyn Diary anno 1679 (1955) IV. 187 Shewing with how little reason the Papists applied those words..to maintaine the pretended Infallibility they boast of . .

. . c. Put forward as a defence, excuse, or pretext; professed falsely or insincerely. Now rare.
. . 1643 Milton Doctr. Divorce 17 The pretended reason of it [is] as frigid as frigidity it self . .

2. Feigned; spurious; counterfeit, forged.
. . 1666 R. Boyle Let. 9 Mar. in Corr. (2001) III. 100 If the pretended Miracles of Pyrrhus & Vespasian had bin watchd & considerd by Mr Stubbe as narrowly as those of Mr Greaterick have bin, you would have found at least as much reason to ascribe Their Cures, as His, to Phisicall causes. . .

3. Intended, proposed. Obs.

4. Put forward for consideration or acceptance. Obs.
1646 T. Gataker Mistake Removed To Rdr. 1 A bush sufficient of itself to invite to such pretious pretended liquor . . ‘

(OED)

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

I find it curious that Pepys never mentions the Regicides who were shipped off to Tangier in 1664, most never to be heard of again. Perhaps their destinies were state secrets at the time? Perhaps nobody cared, since seeing elderly men being put aboard doesn't have the theatrical appeal of an execution? Maybe people were bored of the Regicide conversation by now? Their detention must have been part of the budget.

Terry Foreman  •  Link

Among the Regicides only George Fleetwood is named as one who may have been transported to Tangier. Pepys does not track the fate of every one of the 59 Commissioners (judges) who signed the death warrant.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/L…

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

I’ve been meaning to get this list together for a while. According to the British Civil War Project, the following prisoners were sentenced to serve in Tangier – there may be more, people who do not have their biographies at http://bcw-project.org/ :

Although he supported the mayor of York in proclaiming Charles II in May 1660, George Fleetwood was brought to trial as a regicide. He claimed that he had been appointed to the High Court of Justice against his will and that Cromwell had intimidated him into signing the King's death warrant. With favorable testimony from Monck and others, Fleetwood's life was spared. He was imprisoned in the Tower until 1664 when a warrant was issued for his transportation to Tangier. According to some accounts, Fleetwood's wife Hester successfully pleaded for his release and he was allowed to emigrate to America. However, according to a report published in the London Gazette, Fleetwood died at Tangier in November 1672.

Augustine Garland MP was arrested and brought to trial as a regicide in October 1660. He was accused of having spat in King Charles' face as he was led away after being sentenced, a charge which Garland strenuously denied. Although he was condemned to death, the sentence was commuted. A warrant for his transportation to Tangier was issued in 1664, but it is not known whether this was ever carried out.

Sir Henry Mildmay attempted to escape abroad at the Restoration, but was arrested at Rye in Sussex in May 1660 and brought to trial for his part in the regicide. His plea that he had attended the High Court of Justice in the hope of saving the King's life was rejected. He was stripped of his knighthood and his estates, and sentenced to imprisonment for life. In March 1664, he was ordered to be transported to Tangier, but died before the order could be carried out.

More men served in Jersey, Plymouth and the Tower of London.

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