Thursday 16 July 1668

Up, and to the office, where Yeabsly and Lanyon come to town and to speak with me about a matter wherein they are accused of cheating the King before the Lords’ Commissioners of Tangier, and I doubt it true, but I have no hand in it, but will serve them what I can. All the morning at the office, and at noon dined at home, and then to the office again, where we met to finish the draft of the Victualler’s contract, and so I by water with my Lord Brouncker to Arundell House, to the Royall Society, and there saw an experiment of a dog’s being tied through the back, about the spinal artery, and thereby made void of all motion; and the artery being loosened again, the dog recovers. Thence to Cooper’s, and saw his advance on my wife’s picture, which will be indeed very fine. So with her to the ’Change, to buy some things, and here I first bought of the sempstress next my bookseller’s, where the pretty young girl is, that will be a great beauty. So home, and to supper with my wife in the garden, it being these two days excessively hot, and so to bed.


7 Annotations

First Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

The Royal Society today at Arundel House — from the Hooke Folio Online

Iuly. 16. 1668. stenos Expt. tryd by Dr King)

The curator produced a new kind of Leuell diused by himself with a peice of glasse bent into a curue hauing this aduantage aboue other Leuells that it is of a true figure other Leuells made wth glasse canes [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reed… ] not being soe . but because the bubble water & bubble of air in the water is subiect to Rarefaction & Condensation it was thought necessary that an other liquor should be imployd that is not soe [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spir… ], it was orderd that one of those Leuells should be made for the Repository and a description thereof brought in for the register.

(wallis's paper commendation [In margin]q of mercators Logarithmo technia
[ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merc… ]) Sr. R moray. Walllis paper about Borellj Expt. in De vi percussionis [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giov… ]) . . The iournall book was found in Ian 25. 1664. to confirm what the curator affirmd Last meeting -

The curator produced some petrifyd bodys vitrolated which he affirmd were the teeth of sharks. the same affirmd to haue found many shells in portland stones, and at this time it might be seen in such stones lying about the Exchange, others as Dr Ball & mr. Skippon took notice of shells plentiful to be found at the tops of hill particularly on the Appenines and here also in England which was conceiud by some could not be solued but by earthquakes though others thought it might be by the Deluge.

The Curator vpon occasion intimated that he thought Alcalys being Exposd to the air would arrest the Volatill salt that is in the air and turne it into niter. mr Cox added to the consideration of the Company whether the air added that nitrous substances to Alcalys or Extricated it out of them. It was conceiued this might be best decided by weight e.g. to weigh a quantity of salt of tartar before exposd to the air & after. mr. Cox said he had a way of fermenting vegetable wthout additamt. that being distilld they shall yeald in the form of a Volatill salt, which if the herbs were burnt
would be an Alcali. -

http://webapps.qmul.ac.uk/cell/Ho…

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"I doubt it [is] true" = I fear it [is] true [that they cheated the King]

Chris Squire  •  Link

Re: ' . . I have no hand in it, . . ':

'b. Part or share in the doing of something: esp. in phrase, to have a hand in .
1600 Shakespeare Henry IV, Pt. 2 v. ii. 139 In which you father shall haue formost hand.
1625 Bacon Ess. (new ed.) 110 His Queen, had the principall hand in the Deposing and Murther of her Husband.
1766 O. Goldsmith Vicar of Wakefield I. i. 6 We had two romantic names in the family; but I solemnly protest I had no hand in it.' [OED]

JWB  •  Link

Vivisection aside, I'll have a go at the chemisty.

1) Alcalys=KOH,CaOH,NaOH...
+
Ammonia from sublimation of 'Volatill salt' (ammonium carbonate)
= no reaction.
2) Mr. Cox's suggestion would give misleading result, in that, salt of tartar (potassium carbonate) is hygroscopic, meaning that it takes up water from the air, and thus would add weight, but not from nitrous substances.

Terry Foreman  •  Link

N.B. the Hooke Folio Online excerpts posted above and elsewhere, are not the minutes of the Royal Society, but are the curator's working notes -- mostly what he has dome, accomplished, promised, been entrusted with and the upcoming experiments he will need to prepare for.

This is not the first time "stenos Expt." -- described by Pepys -- has been tried; so what this tag refers to is well-known within the RS. The minutes of today's meeting also assume this familiarity:

July 16. At a meeting of the Society,

The experiment of Mr. Steno was tried, according to his method, before the society by Dr. King, and succeeded, so as the dog, upon whom it was made, was seen to be deprived of all motion below the part, where the descending artery was tied, which was upon the top of the spine by a needle passed through between the 8th and 9th ribs. http://goo.gl/jhPsb

Second Reading

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

'Charles II: July 1668', in Calendar of State Papers Domestic: Charles II, 1667-8, ed. Mary Anne Everett Green (London, 1893), pp. 469-516.
https://www.british-history.ac.uk…

@@@
July 16. 1668
Victualling office.
Sir Denis Gauden to the Navy Commissioners.

I lately left an account of the provisions made in prosecution of the declaration of 1 Dec. 1666, and remaining in stores 28 Nov. 1667;
with the issues since and present remains, for all which I have disbursed a considerable sum to my very great prejudice.

I pray a speedy order, to prevent further loss to his Majesty if the provisions are not suddenly disposed of;
I know no other way than by sending them to the Barbados.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 243, No. 49.]

@@@
July 16. 1668
The Mary, Portsmouth
Capt. Rob. Clark to the Navy Commissioners.

I cannot understand why my writing about tickets could displease you into sending me such sharp and severe lines;
however, as I have formerly done, I shall take care of discontent arising amongst my men, and am sure you have never had any trouble by my ignorance or unmindfulness of instructions;

I asked you and Mr. Hayter, before leaving London, for some tickets, but could not obtain any, being answered that as I was going abroad, it was needless;
I am not concerned for other men's neglect.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 243, No. 50.]

@@@
July 16. 1668
Hull.
Jos. Blaydes to the Navy Commissioners.

I have been arrested 3 times for money.
I hope that, as I and my father were careful about the King's ships, you will let me have the money due, having 3 orphan brothers to support.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 243, No. 51.]

@@@
July 16. 1668
The King to the Treasury Commissioners.

The footmen have petitioned for 100/., interest on 4,000/. assigned for them in October last in the Treasury of the Chamber, but which they cannot procure without a great interest;
the Duke of Buckingham, to whom their petition was referred, reports that the late Lord Treasurer allowed them 100/. for interest in 1666.

We require therefore a similar payment to them now, in addition to the 1,000/. assigned for their wages.
[S.P. Dom., Entry Book 26, f. 33.]

@@@
July 16. 1668
The King to Sir Stephen Fox.

The plan adopted of your paying the troops, with a deduction from the pay agreed on by them, has been very useful, and saved much interest;

but a dispute having arisen thereon, we declare our pleasure that you use your utmost endeavors to pay the forces quartered in and about London weekly,
and those in the garrisons monthly,
and to clear them off every muster, or at least 3 times a year,
deducting 1s. out of every 20s. paid, till the assignments are paid early enough to prevent your having to borrow moneys at great interest.
[S.P. Dom., Entry Book 26, f. 34.]

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

@@@
July 16. 1668
Portsmouth.
Hugh Salesbury to Williamson.

The Monmouth and Mary are launched, so Sir Thos. Allin's squadron will soon be ready for sea.
Next week the Royal Sovereign will be ready to go to Spithead for the Downs.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 243, No. 55.]

@@@
July 16. 1668
Portsmouth.
B.J. [Ben. Johnson] to Williamson.

The Monmouth and Mary are hoisting their guns and provisions aboard;

the Slothany hulk has come in to be strengthened, but was too big to enter the dock-head till one of the gates was removed.

When the day's labour was ended, the workmen of the yard received a month's pay, which was in arrear of their weekly pay.

Money is provided, and more is expected by several assignments to pay off the ships laid up in harbour.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 243, No. 54.]

Log in to post an annotation.

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