Tuesday 16 February 1668/69
Up, and to the office, where all the morning, my head full of business of the office now at once on my hands, and so at noon home to dinner, where I find some things of W. Batelier’s come out of France, among which some clothes for my wife, wherein she is likely to lead me to the expence of so much money as vexed me; but I seemed so, more than I at this time was, only to prevent her taking too much, and she was mighty calm under it. But I was mightily pleased with another picture of the King of France’s head, of Nanteuil’s, bigger than the other which he brought over, that pleases me infinitely: and so to the Office, where busy all the afternoon, though my eyes mighty bad with the light of the candles last night, which was so great as to make my eyes sore all this day, and do teach me, by a manifest experiment, that it is only too much light that do make my eyes sore.
Nevertheless, with the help of my tube, and being desirous of easing my mind of five or six days journall, I did venture to write it down from ever since this day se’nnight, and I think without hurting my eyes any more than they were before, which was very much, and so home to supper and to bed.
4 Annotations
First Reading
Terry Foreman • Link
Ormond to Ossory
Written from: Whitehall
Date: 16 February 1669
On the evening of 13th instant, the writer had notice that the King intended the next day, at a committee for foreign affairs, to declare his intention to change the Government of Ireland; the Lord Privy Seal [John, Lord Robartes] to succeed. Without any stop or hesitation (which sometimes happens to him in discourse), his Majesty declared himself well satisfied with the Duke's thirty years service to his father & himself. The charge now made was not out of any distrust or displeasure; as would appear by admitting him to the most secret parts of his affairs. ... The Duke's reply was with all submission to his Majesty's pleasure ...
He knows that Lord Ossory will understand it to be his duty to be so far from murmuring, ... as to suppress all who shall presume to disapprove, or to speak disrespectfully of the person chosen ...
_____
Arlington to Ossory
Written from: [London]
Date: 16 February 1669
Describes what passed, in Council, upon the King's declaration concerning a new arrangement for the government of Ireland. ... and the advice which the writer has presumed, through Sir George Carteret [In MS.: "Mr Vice-Chamberlain"], to give to the Duke of Ormond, as to his not at present going into Ireland ... to live upon his lands ...
http://www.rsl.ox.ac.uk/dept/scwm…
Terry Foreman • Link
"h another picture of the King of France’s head, of Nanteuil’s, bigger than the other which he brought over"
Was this one of them?
Louis XIV by Robert Nanteuil (1664)
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki…
Andrew Hamilton • Link
Some writers like to complain that writing is painful, and here is a case when it really was:
"with the help of my tube, and being desirous of easing my mind of five or six days journall, I did venture to write it down from ever since this day se’nnight, and I think without hurting my eyes any more than they were before, which was very much"
We're in your debt, Sam.
Second Reading
Sam Ursu • Link
"among which some clothes for my wife, wherein she is likely to lead me to the expence of so much money as vexed me; but I seemed so, more than I at this time was, only to prevent her taking too much, and she was mighty calm under it."
Sounds like Bess needs her own credit card and Amazon account.