Thursday 6 April 1665

At the office sat all the morning, where, in the absence of Sir W. Batten, Sir G. Carteret being angry about the business of tickets, spoke of Sir W. Batten for speaking some words about the signing of tickets, and called Sir W. Batten in his discourse at the table to us (the clerks being withdrawn) “shitten foole,” which vexed me.

At noon to the ’Change, and there set my business of lighters buying for the King, to Sir W. Warren, and I think he will do it for me to very great advantage, at which I am mightily rejoiced. Home and after a mouthfull of dinner to the office, where till 6 o’clock, and then to White Hall, and there with Sir G. Carteret and my Lord Brunkerd attended the Duke of Albemarle about the business of money.

I also went to Jervas’s, my barber, for my periwigg that was mending there, and there do hear that Jane is quite undone, taking the idle fellow for her husband yet not married, and lay with him several weeks that had another wife and child, and she is now going into Ireland.

So called my wife at the ’Change and home, and at my office writing letters till one o’clock in the morning, that I was ready to fall down asleep again. Great talke of a new Comett; and it is certain one do now appear as bright as the late one at the best; but I have not seen it myself.

16 Annotations

First Reading

Martin  •  Link

As we shall see by and by, all these comets whizzing around are not just of scientific interest, but will be viewed with apprehension as portents of disaster.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

Poor Jane...Undone by her two-timing fiddler. Though hopefully not pregnant.

And when she could have had an even longer entry into Diary immoral...er immortality. Still, at least she will forever remain the clever girl with the tragically demented sense of foredoomed destiny who gave Sam a delightful roundaround.

One interesting point...Sam never hinted any suspicion that her employer Gervais ever had anything but fatherly and kindly feelings for her, both the Gervais' in fact innocently seeking Sam's help in getting Jane to see reason about her beau. Odd that Sam can ignore that example of upright behavior and solemnly refer to Jane's ruining herself with the other fellow but never see any harm whatsoever in his own pursuit. Apart from the strange but not uncommon moral obtuseness, it suggests Sam now feels he need have little fear of getting his girlfriends pregnant (thanks to Hollier's slip of the wrist?) and so can feel free to do as he likes.

Spoiler...

Though he will have one very bad moment in the future...

CGS  •  Link

do not use to light a fag.
Lighter [ Loiters lyghter] : OED Du. lichter of equivalent formation.
A boat or vessel, usually a flat-bottomed barge, used in lightening or unloading (sometimes loading) ships that cannot be discharged (or loaded) at a wharf, etc., and for transporting goods of any kind, usually in a harbour.
1487 ’

Ruben  •  Link

Today, because of street light, etc., most of Humanity lost the wonderful spectacle of the night sky, so a comet will be seen only by the astronomers.

A fast in case of pestilence, war or a comet has become an anachronism in our day, but were usual not many years ago.
I intended to annotate afew words about fasting, but it would be a reiteration of the Wikipedia...

AussieRene  •  Link

"Today, because of street light, etc., most of Humanity lost the wonderful spectacle of the night sky, so a comet will be seen only by the astronomers."
We still get fairly good views in Australia of the comets that decide to grace the southern hemisphere sky's.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

Too bad we don't get more specifics from Sam on the Carteret-Batten controversy. Since, based on their appearance in Diary entries, it's hard to believe either Sirs Will B. or George C. would concern himself with the sufferings of the common sailor, one tends to assume it's not with regard to the terrible effects of the ticket system on its victims but more of a wrangle over who gets the more generous rake-off from that corrupt system. On the other hand, both have led men in their careers and it's not impossible we might be pleasantly surprised with more info.

In a sane world...

"So we will need 1000000Ls per year for the minimal war necessities plus a large sum in rake-offs, kickbacks and outright bribes for the King's friends and various officials. And after kidnapping much of our fleet's personnel and dragging them from their homes we will not actually pay them but hand them tickets which will vaguely offer some promise for payment in the future so that the King's friends and various moneylenders can make simply colossal profits lending to the men at insane and cruel rates. That concludes my report, gentlemen." Sam gives airy wave of hand, sits.

Members of Parliament eye each other...Hmmn.

"Mr. Pepys, this is true you say? And all for a war over cutting the Dutch merchants out of world trade?"

"Could there be a more noble cause, sir?" Prince Rupert shakes fist from his seat. Duke of York firmly seconding him.

"Yes. And I should emphasize, gentlemen, we will be cutting them out of the lucretive slave trade." Sam notes.

"Right. Well, we have another idea...Just a bit less costly, we think." the Speaker smiles.

Cut to shot of Charles, Rupert, York, Sandwich, with our boys of the Naval Office in support on leaky frigate being towed toward the Dutch fleet. Minnes desperately trying to summon up an appropriate Shakespearian quote.

"Best of luck gents! Give 'em bloody hell!" sailor cutting tow rope waves.

Oh, well...One can still hope for the day when any politician anywhere in the world calling for violence and war gets carted off to a mental health institution for a good long rest but...

JWB  •  Link

Lake Alster

If you use your browser to magnify the print I linked to above, you will see resemblance to Van Gogh's 'Starry Night'. Also, I was struck by the Lake itself and view of Hamburg, in that am currently reading Kieth Lowes "Inferno, the Fiery Destruction of Hamburg" and would recommend it though it is very tough going, not because of the skill of the author but for its content & that, my father's 2d cousin named 'True' was killed,crashing in England, on return from bombing Germany.

CGS  •  Link

Batten vs. Carteret : it is the money trail, all about leaving damning evidence of graft, not the heart and souls of the poorer sought,their position in life is to provide sustenance to the better sort. The Ticket scheme is the honest way [legal] to get the poorer sort to participate in enriching the better group, not unlike telling people that they can have this mortgage for so little then jack up the ante when the original lenders agent cannot be found.
Man enriches himself by getting others to share their talents and lives for schemes to enrich the organizer.

It was said that every one wants freedom then they want dominion [over all].

Hobbes I believe.

Education maybe able to improve the mind but it allows some Homo 'erectus'[known as alphas ]to get control of the other minds [omegas] to bring in the "pork"

Carl in Boston  •  Link

Sam can ignore that example of upright behavior and solemnly refer to Jane’s ruining herself with the other fellow but never see any harm whatsoever in his own pursuit (of Jane).
The uppers seem to think there is one law for the lower classes, and another more latitudinous law for themselves, properly considered. Sam can think his own lechering has nothing to do with ruining a poor little mouse who can't afford to play high and lose. So Leona Helmsley thought, so thought Martha Stewart, and then they went to jail. Now comes Elliot Spitzer, who enforced the laws on others, but was above it all for himself. Now he crashes and burns. Doom upon them all, Doom I say. The Spirit of 1776 yet lives.

dirk  •  Link

Evelyn's diary entry for today:

"In the afternoone I saw acted "Mustapha," a tragedy written by the Earle of Orrery."

Sam & Elizabeth saw the play on 3 April:
http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…

language hat  •  Link

"The Ticket scheme is the honest way [legal] to get the poorer sort to participate in enriching the better group, not unlike telling people that they can have this mortgage for so little then jack up the ante when the original lenders agent cannot be found."

Now this is a perfect example of enlightening comparison that helps us understand the musty corruptions of the seventeenth century by reference to the fresh ones we are all familiar with. Bravo.

Second Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"my business of lighters’ buying for the King, to Sir W. Warren, and I think he will do it for me to very great advantage, at which I am mightily rejoiced."

This apparently isn't Pepys initiative: On the 4th Coventry had written to Pepys from Harwich about the need for lighters: CSPD 1664-5, p. 292. On the 8th Pepys lent £100 for the purchase of one: Further Corr., p. 40.
(Per L&M footnote)

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"Great talke of a new Comett; and it is certain one do now appear as bright as the late one at the best"

Dr. D.J. Schove writes: 'This comet was not nearly as bright as the great comet of 1664-5. The perihelion passage was on 14 April (by the English calendar); the orbit quite distinct from that of its predecessor. See Mundy, v. 168-9; Diary Sam. Newton (ed. Foster), p. 12. For continental accounts, see Philos. Trans. i (for 1665-6) 17+. 16+.; Philipp Carl, Repert. der cometenasronomiue, pp. 76-7. For the previous comet, see https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/… and https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…

Matt Newton  •  Link

The comet sighting remarks got me a thinking....
Where can I find sun rise and sun set times for Pepys days?

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