Monday 5 March 1665/66

I was at it till past two o’clock on Monday morning, and then read my vowes, and to bed with great joy and content that I have brought my things to so good a settlement, and now having my mind fixed to follow my business again and sensible of Sir W. Coventry’s jealousies, I doubt, concerning me, partly my siding with Sir G. Carteret, and partly that indeed I have been silent in my business of the office a great while, and given but little account of myself and least of all to him, having not made him one visitt since he came to towne from Oxford, I am resolved to fall hard to it again, and fetch up the time and interest I have lost or am in a fair way of doing it.

Up about eight o’clock, being called up by several people, among others by Mr. Moone, with whom I went to Lumbard Streete to Colvill, and so back again and in my chamber he and I did end all our businesses together of accounts for money upon bills of Exchange, and am pleased to find myself reputed a man of business and method, as he do give me out to be. To the ’Change at noon and so home to dinner. Newes for certain of the King of Denmarke’s declaring for the Dutch, and resolution to assist them.

To the office, and there all the afternoon. In the evening come Mr. James and brother Houblons to agree upon share parties for their ships, and did acquaint me that they had paid my messenger, whom I sent this afternoon for it, 200l. for my friendship in the business, which pleases me mightily. They being gone I forth late to Sir R. Viner’s to take a receipt of them for the 200l. lodged for me there with them, and so back home, and after supper to bed.

12 Annotations

First Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"In the evening come Mr. James and brother Houblons to agree upon share parties for their [two] ships, and did acquaint me that they had paid my messenger, whom I sent this afternoon for it, L200 for my friendship in the business, which pleases me mightily."

The deal was hatched on 22 January: "I did also give a good step in a business of Mr. Hubland’s, about getting a ship of his to go to Tangier, which during this strict embargo is a great matter, and I shall have a good reward for it, I hope." http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…

L&M noted there that "since the beginning of the war, ships had been forbidden, by a proclamation of 1 March 1665, to go to sea except under licence".

jeannine  •  Link

"I was at it till past two o’clock on Monday morning, and then read my vowes, and to bed with great joy and content that I have brought my things to so good a settlement" Now that Sam has his accounts in good order I'm surprised that he is not running wild with the ladies and drinking wine as he checks off a vow from his list!

cgs  •  Link

"...They being gone I forth late to Sir R. Viner’s to take a receipt of them for the 200l. lodged for me there with them,..."

Always get a valid provable signature, when it comes to your deposit of the good stuff.
Having been ripped off lately by not getting a valid receipt, so now I be whispering....
but not Samuell.

Viner was one time pronounced winner.

adamw  •  Link

Jeannine, my reading of the last few days is that Sam's overindulgence with Betty Lane left him with some self-disgust and a real determination to change his ways. There has been a much more determined and business-like air to recent entries. It won't last for ever (we know that even if he doesn't, yet), but previous episodes suggest his self-control often lasts a couple of months before the pleasure-seeking creeps back in.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

An honest or clueless messenger...Good fellow to keep on in either case, Sam.

But how does one receive such "gifts" from the Houblons, a family whose almost instinctive elegance leaps off the Diary pages even to us in the present...

The fabulously elegant offices of the Houblon firm...
Thomas Povey's home a nice little cottage by comparison..

"Yes..." clerk in clothes equal to the finest Sam has ever worn...Camelot? Oh...Please, monsieur...

Not a question...Merely a...Very politely put...Statement...As in "Yes, you are in the offices of the incredibly elegant and sophisticated Houblon family..."

"What may We do for you...Young man...?"

"Here for a delivery to Mr. Samuel Pepys, esquire, Clerk of the Act of the King's Royal..."

"Yes...I...See...Well, have a seat on the finest piece of imported furniture you are ever likely to see in your lifetime." waves hand.

"Bit dusty from the road, sir."

"Non important. We would have it replaced tomorrow in any case. Please..."

"Messenger from Mr. Pepys of the Navy for his ill-gotten gains!!!" call to upper level.

"Water, coffee from the farthest regions of Turkey, the fabulous new drink, tea from Asia, or chocolate?" a lovely young lady addresses the nervously seated messenger...Sitting indeed in the most fabulous chair he is ever likely to see.

"Uh..."

"A boy like you should try chocolate." she beams, pouring. Eyes him... "You work for Monsieur Peeps?"

"Ay."

Whisper... "Please to tell him I cannot meet him next Tuesday after all in zee Westminster Hall. Perhaps Thursday..."

"Ay, miss."

"Issac...?"

"James?"

"Which ill-gotten gains, do you remember?...The illegal trading licenses, perhaps?"

Hmmn...Pepys...Navy...Yes...

"Yes, the illegal licenses..." Issac nods.

"That would 200Ls, right? For licenses?"

"I believe so...Adding in war-time, possible accusation of treason risk."

"Right. Send Mr. Pepys 200Ls for his ill-gotten gains on the sale of illegal licenses, Crawford!!!." James calls down. "And get a receipt signed, with copy."

"Petty cash?!!" Crawford, below, calls to another clerk. "200Ls for Mr...Is that Samuel, young man?...Yes, Samuel Pepys of the Navy's ill-gotten gains for sale of illegal trading licenses."

"Please sign or make a mark here." hands messenger a receipt.

"Tell Mr. Peeps definitely Thursday at 2..." the maid hisses as the messenger leaves.

"Pardon me..." man sitting in nearby chair, in darkened corner, rises.

"Yes, sire...er sir." Crawford notes rather obvious "disguise"...One which Charles had only, chuckling, agreed to wear at Castlemaine's insistence.

"Was that Mr. Pepys' boy?"

"I believe so, sir."

"200 pounds? I only recieved 150 last time." Charles notes.

"I believe that includes a potential risk of imprisonment and death fee for a commoner, sire...er, sir."

"I see...Hmmn...Lucky thing to be a commoner at times, eh lad?"

Robert Gertz  •  Link

"Your Majesty...uh..." the maid hesitates as Charlie waves gloved hand.

"Jack Jones, here, dear."

"Ah...Well..." whisper... "I just wanted you to know 'Jacques'...I have cleared Tuesday."

Laura  •  Link

Maybe he should read his marriage vows instead!

Second Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"sensible of Sir W. Coventry’s jealousies, I doubt, concerning me, partly my siding with Sir G. Carteret, and partly that indeed I have been silent in my business of the office a great while, and given but little account of myself and least of all to him, having not made him one visitt since he came to towne from Oxford, I am resolved to fall hard to it again, and fetch up the time and interest I have lost or am in a fair way of doing it."

L&M: Pepys this day wrote to Coventry about the business of the office. Coventry's 'jealousies' soon disappeared (cf. http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1… ) and Pepys's letters to him resumed their frank and easy tone.

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"Sam's over-indulgence with Betty Lane left him with some self-disgust and a real determination to change his ways."

It was Ash Wednesday last week, so Lent is upon him, and the King, Duke, Coventry, Penn, Carteret, Batten et al including Elizabeth and Mr. Milles are home, some looking for scapegoats. Combined, the message is to get back to work, and to act very confident.

I suspect his digust was reserved for Mrs. Lane for stooping so low as to accommodate him. As to a real determination to change -- why should he? In order to be like his "betters" the message is to party on with lots of women; his desire for profit dictates that he should be sober in order to recognize and take advantage of whatever God/fate sends his way, and avoid being implicated in the recent prize scandle which is still playing out. Most of the time his desire to rent coaches has overtaken his pleasure in hangovers. The theaters have not been open recently, so that temptation hasn't raised its head. But soon they will be ...

Tonyel  •  Link

£200! That takes the total to £4800 - so close to £5000! You can imagine a throbbing rhythm in Sam's mind as he goes about his business:

"Nearly there, nearly there..."

LKvM  •  Link

Impromptu tours of a residence can have unpleasant results. It's lucky for Sam and everyone in Sam's household that the place was shipshape and looking good that day!

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