Thursday 8 November 1666
Up, and before I went to the office I spoke with Mr. Martin for his advice about my proceeding in the business of the private man-of-war, he having heretofore served in one of them, and now I have it in my thoughts to send him purser in ours. After this discourse I to the office, where I sat all the morning, Sir W. Coventry with us, where he hath not been a great while, Sir W. Pen also, newly come from the Nore, where he hath been some time fitting of the ships out. At noon home to dinner and then to the office awhile, and so home for my sword, and there find Mercer come to see her mistresse. I was glad to see her there, and my wife mighty kind also, and for my part, much vexed that the jade is not with us still. Left them together, designing to go abroad to-morrow night to Mrs. Pierces to dance; and so I to Westminster Hall, and there met Mr. Grey, who tells me the House is sitting still (and now it was six o’clock), and likely to sit till midnight; and have proceeded fair to give the King his supply presently; and herein have done more to-day than was hoped for. So to White Hall to Sir W. Coventry, and there would fain have carried Captain Cocke’s business for his bargain of hemp, but am defeated and disappointed, and know hardly how to carry myself in it between my interest and desire not to offend Sir W. Coventry. Sir W. Coventry did this night tell me how the business is about Sir J. Minnes; that he is to be a Commissioner, and my Lord Bruncker and Sir W. Pen are to be Controller joyntly, which I am very glad of, and better than if they were either of them alone; and do hope truly that the King’s business will be better done thereby, and infinitely better than now it is.
Thence by coach home, full of thoughts of the consequence of this alteration in our office, and I think no evil to me. So at my office late, and then home to supper and to bed.
Mr. Grey did assure me this night, that he was told this day, by one of the greater Ministers of State in England, and one of the King’s Cabinet, that we had little left to agree on between the Dutch and us towards a peace, but only the place of treaty; which do astonish me to hear, but I am glad of it, for I fear the consequence of the war. But he says that the King, having all the money he is like to have, we shall be sure of a peace in a little time.
7 Annotations
First Reading
Terry Foreman • Link
"the House is sitting still (and now it was six o’clock), and likely to sit till midnight; and have proceeded fair to give the King his supply presently"
Supply.
The House then resumed the Debate of the King's Supply.
The Question being put, That Part of the One million Eight hundred thousand Pounds Supply for his Majesty shall be raised by a Post-charge of a monthly Assessment;....Part...by a Post-charge of Eleven Months Assessment:
Part...shall be raised on a Poll Bill.
Part...shall be raised by an Imposition on sealed Paper { a stamp duty ] .
The Question being put, That Candles be brought in : Yeas 136, Nays 109.
Part of the One million Eight hundred thousand Pounds Supply for his Majesty shall be raised by an Imposition upon Foreign Commodities;
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/…
Finis.
Robert Gertz • Link
"...and so home for my sword, and there find Mercer come to see her mistresse."
"So...You are back, are you?"
"Yes, Mrs. Pepys...Just wishing to make a friendly call."
"Leave us, girls..." wave... "Oh, God, dearest Mary..." Raptuous embrace...
"Oh, Bessie, Bessie...I'm so sorry to break my promise not to return."
"Oh, I am so glad you did, my beloved...Whatever shame may fill my heart at it's betrayal of my poor..."
"He was making rather free with my breasts, you know." Mary frowns.
"Frustration..." Bess sighs. "The poor dear man senses my heart is elsewhere...Oh, Mary, joyful as I am to see you again I..."
"Bess!! Forgot my new sword!!!"
Uh-oh...The ladies detach from their embrace...
"The silver-handled...Oh..." Sam eyes Mercer, desperately adjusting her clothes. "Why, Mercer? Pon my soul, tis good to see you here."
"Just a friendly call, Sam'l." Bess, hastily taking a seat. "I've decided to accept her gracious apology so that we may all part on friendly terms, despite the cruelty..." sad glance Mercerward... "...With which my harsh nature forced me to part with one so dear..." longing looks exchanged as Sam complacently beams at the pair... "...er, to you, dear."
"Yes, Mr. P. Mrs. P.'s been most kind. Truly." Mercer nods. The ladies eyeing each other...
"Oh,no...I have been savagely cruel and brutal for the sake of...ummn...My hot Gallic temper..." Bess. insistent.
"So hot..." Mercer sighs... Ummn... "I mean, so not...True. No, it is I who must again apologize for my behavior the day of the fire."
"Now, now girls...My girls..." Sam, benevolently. "Lets put this all to rights..." Places their hands on each other...
"Bess, I do believe you're coming down with a fever. Now, girls...I want you two to put aside old passions and..."
"Never!" Bess, suddenly...
"Bess..." Sam, annoyed... "That temper of yours...I thought you just said..."
"Sorry...I..."
"Now I want you two to take an outing together somewhere...Bess, why don't you take Mercer dancing at the Pierces tomorrow night, in case I can't make it at all, you have someone."
"No, no...I wouldn't, Sam'l...Never..."
"Bess?..."
"I mean...Only if you come...To keep us...Calm... I'd be afraid...Of losing my temper again."
"Well, I shall try...But you surely can manage an evening with the Pierces and their company. Not likely you'll be trapped alone together very much."
"No...I suppose not..." Bess, longing look at Mercer... "It probably would be safe..."
"Yes, chance to renew your friendship and put the rest aside."
"I'd like to..." Mercer nods.
"For you, Sam'l...I'll try." Bess nods...Pensive look.
"That's my girl. And you know how much we both admire Betty Pierce."
"Oh, yeah..." Bess nods, a bit too eagerly for a suddenly glaring Mercer...
"Now where the devil be that sword of mine?" Sam, frowning as he pokes around the room.
"Here..." Mercer hands it to him. Bess glancing...
Robert Gertz • Link
Whoops, too fast and my corrections were too slow.
Second Reading
Terry Foreman • Link
"about Sir J. Minnes; that he is to be a Commissioner, and my Lord Bruncker and Sir W. Pen are to be Controller joyntly,"
L&M note: The reorganization of the comptrollership in the following January turned out slightly differently: http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
The attempt to shunt Mennes into a commissionership failed both now and in 1668.
Terry Foreman • Link
"we had little left to agree on between the Dutch and us towards a peace, but only the place of treaty"
L&M: In fact much manoeuvering about terms followed: cf. Clarendon, Life, iii. 210+; Feiling, pp. 209-10. The question of venue was really part of the issue of whether the peace was to be a separate treaty with Dutch or a joint treaty with the Dutch and the French. The Dutch government favoured a joint treaty negotiated on neutral soil; the English were pressing for a separate treaty negotiated on Dutch or English territory. .
San Diego Sarah • Link
Pepys' second try to earn his hefty hemp commission:
Friday 25 May 1666
"Then out to the ‘Change to speak with Captain [Cocke], who tells me my silver plates are ready for me, and shall be sent me speedily; and proposes another proposition of serving us with a thousand tons of hemp, and tells me it shall bring me 500l., if the bargain go forward, which is a good word."
L&M: Cocke is promising hemp futures WAY beyond his ability to deliver, and refers us to 27 July, 1666 http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1… etc.
L&M: Cocke was asking an inflated price of £57 per ton for this, making the whole deal worth £57,000.
https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
San Diego Sarah • Link
"... But he says that the King, having all the money he is like to have, we shall be sure of a peace in a little time."
The Hon. Thomas Grey is not a Member of Parliament, having lost his first try in 1665. But he is a pal of George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, and has cousins in the Commons (I gleaned that from the House of Commons site).
So the cynical common gossip is that Charles II is delaying agreeing to a peace treaty until after the Commons gives him the most amount of money possible to prepare for continuing the war. Charles, Pepys and I wish that had been the case.