Tuesday 3 November 1668
Up, and all the morning at the Office. At noon to dinner, and then to the Office, and there busy till 12 at night, without much pain to my eyes, but I did not use them to read or write, and so did hold out very well. So home, and there to supper, and I observed my wife to eye my eyes whether I did ever look upon Deb., which I could not but do now and then (and to my grief did see the poor wretch look on me and see me look on her, and then let drop a tear or two, which do make my heart relent at this minute that I am writing this with great trouble of mind, for she is indeed my sacrifice, poor girle); and my wife did tell me in bed by the by of my looking on other people, and that the only way is to put things out of sight, and this I know she means by Deb., for she tells me that her Aunt was here on Monday, and she did tell her of her desire of parting with Deb., but in such kind terms on both sides that my wife is mightily taken with her. I see it will be, and it is but necessary, and therefore, though it cannot but grieve me, yet I must bring my mind to give way to it. We had a great deal of do this day at the Office about Clutterbucke, —[See note to February 4th, 1663-64]— I declaring my dissent against the whole Board’s proceedings, and I believe I shall go near to shew W. Pen a very knave in it, whatever I find my Lord Brouncker.
7 Annotations
First Reading
Robert Gertz • Link
Seems the sensible thing Sam and kudos to Bess for handling the interview in classy style rather than understandably losing it with the aunt.
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Heaven...
"Any chance...?"
"Mrs. Pepys will not be joining us for tea today." sigh. "This will be another bad day in a bad week, Will..." Sam shakes head. "Always tis..."
"It was going a bit far calling Willet 'poor wretch', sir...Begging your pardon, sir. That was crossing a line, sir."
"How was I to know she'd read the damned thing one day...?"
Terry Foreman • Link
"We had a great deal of do this day at the Office about Clutterbucke "
L&M clarify: Thomas Clutterbuck, Consul at Leghorn [ Livorno ], had taken it upon himself to provision ships and now presented an invoice to the Navy Board. Pepys made note in a memo-book of "foule play...lately observed by mee" by Penn and Brouncker in the management of accounts related to Clutterbuck.
Terry Foreman • Link
"[See note to February 4th, 1663-64] "
Here Wheatley refers to Lord Braybrooke's footnote to 2/4/1663-64, which Phil Gyford used a link in the text to inform readers of: "Probably Alderman [ Richard ] Clutterbuck, one of the proposed knights of the Royal Oak for Middlesex. There was a Sir Thomas Clutterbuck of London, circiter 1670. B.": http://goo.gl/vx0oP
In 1674, SP, Secretary to the Admiralty Commission, writes the Navy Board a letter concerning a vexed contract for Mediterranean victualing with Sir Thomas Clutterbuck. http://goo.gl/qqaOI
Second Reading
San Diego Sarah • Link
The volume of Domestic State Papers covering correspondence from Oct. 1668 to Dec. 1669 is at
https://play.google.com/books/rea…
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Nov. 3 1668.
Portsmouth
Hugh Salesbury to Williamson.
There is no news.
Sir P. Honeywood informs me of the death of your Barb colt.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 248, No. 181.]
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So sorry, Williamson. And you never even saw him.
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Nov. 3 1668.
John Badcock, carpenter of the Edgar, to the Navy Commission
Has made Fras. Baylie a certificate, but by reason of a fair wind he has not had time to finish all his work on the Edgar;
much glass is wanting, but he will allow as much money as will glaze her over
again.
Particulars of other things wanting.
Has been upon the ship as surveyor from 7 Feb. 1667 to 8 Aug. 1668.
With marginal notes of the cost of the things wanting, total 14/. 10s. Od.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 248, No. 185.]
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Nov. 3 1668.
Chatham
John Moore and Edw. Moorcock to the Navy Commissioners.
Last spring [tide], brought the third wreck out of the middle of the channel on
to shore, where she now ebbs dry.
The channel is now so well open about Gillingham that the 3 frigates which
came up last night had the advantage to take the best of it where they lay.
Intend to weigh the flyboat on which the Helverstone was sunk, which broke
her down to her floor. She was a large vessel, and one of Sir Wm. Warren's.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 248, No. 186.]
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Nov. 3 1668.
Woolwich
William Hannam, master attendant, to the Navy Commissioners.
Capt. Poole with the Crown is at Purfleet; she draws 16 ft. 4 in. of water, and would have come up to Erith, but there was no room, from so many ships riding there.
Has sent down lighters for her guns, and sent to the Ordnance officers to take
out the ammunition.
Is afraid all will be too little to lighten her 2 ft. 4 in., as the most water here is 14 ft. at low water;
also there are as many ships here as can ride with safety.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 248, 187.]
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1668. Nov. 3.
Portsmouth
Capt . John Tinker to Pepys.
Sent for Tovey and gave him all encouragement;
he is very willing to undertake what he promised [as a look-out], but desires a warrant to authorise him, and money, as he and his fellow ropemakers have little work and their trade spoiled.
Has persuaded him to go and seize all that he knows of, saying that if he be
diligent, their Honours will be kind to him.
He will go to Hampton today; will give them an account how he acts.
The boatswain of the new ship is not come down.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 248, No. 188.]
San Diego Sarah • Link
Nov. 3 1668.
Queen’s College, Oxford.
Dr. Thos. Barlow to Williamson.
I received your letter and the rich and excellent present you sent your aged
mother, now 328 years old.
The college is overjoyed to see your prosperity and gratitude.
At the Sunday dinner, your bason and ewer were set upon the high table, when
everyone commended the great munificence and charity of the giver, and the congruity of the gift.
Though the matter was rich and massive, yet materiam superabat opus; the ingenuous and artificial plainness of the make was more.
We filled the ewer full of good sack, which was at your kindness and cost too,
and drank your health round the hall;
all sat bare-headed while your health went quite round.
The gift is the talk of the town, and a comfort and credit to your old college,
which returns thanks and blessing.
Thanks for the Pope's bull, which is guilty of such a gross piece of false Latin as never could or did fall from an infallible pen.
Mr. Clifford is so constant at his prayers and study as to be quoted as an example of civility and steadiness.
Endorsed [by Williamson]:
"My poor duty to the college, for which God's providence be ever praised.”
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 248, No. 182.]
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Nov. 3 1668.
Queen’s College, Oxford.
John Beebey to Williamson.
To same effect.
Your present was Queen's College, weighed by Mr. Wilkins, the college goldsmith, and found to weigh 233 ounces;
it was presented next day to the high table, andreceived with much commendation.
The Provost, that he might show himself no changeling in his captious humours, after many encomiums of the giver and the gift, was altogether against the ewer's being filled with sack, and told Halton the night before that it was very incongruous they should drink and wash out of the same vessel, and that he would satisfy you concerning it.
I told him it was the donor's will that it should go round the hall, and that a dozen bottles of sack were provided;
so he bade me do what I liked, but that it was against his judgment;
whereupon it went round, and then he seemed pleased, and the young men drunk in it baro [headed].
We could not prevail with the Tutor to dine with us, it being Sunday,
and he engaged to his charge at Charleton.
Mr. Clifford is now a perfect Senior, having gone round the fire in the Hall upon All Hallows' Eve.
He is a civil, hopeful youth, and he and Colthorp are great companions.
At All Souls the 13 candidates for 2 places are expecting their sentence;
I fear Langbain will scarce be one.
They talk very big against mandamuses;
I wish there was no such thing imposed upon the University, yet I cannot see any reason why the King may not rather command that such a person should
have a fellowship freely according to statute, than that any particular Fellow or head of a house should sell it for 200/. or 300/. , contrary to law and reason.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 248, No. 183.]
San Diego Sarah • Link
Mandamus is a judicial remedy in the form of an order from a court to any government, subordinate court, corporation, or public authority, to do some specific act which that body is obliged under law to do, and which is in the nature of public duty, and in certain cases one of a statutory duty. -- Wikipedia
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As we have seen, many totally unqualified members of the Court were awarded degrees, and members of the clergy who had served King Charles' armies during the Civil Wars were given Doctorates.
Interesting to note that Fellows and heads of house were doing the same thing for profit.
And how interesting John Beebey should mention the practice to Williamson.
Gerald Berg • Link
Lucky Deb, away from the perverse desires of our SP. So sad for Liz.