Sunday 2 May 1669

(Lord’s day). Up, and by water to White Hall, and there visit my Lord Sandwich, who, after about two months’ absence at Hinchingbroke, come to town last night. I saw him, and very kind; and I am glad he is so, I having not wrote to him all the time, my eyes indeed not letting me. Here with Sir Charles Herbert [Harbord], and my Lord Hinchingbroke, and Sidney, we looked upon the picture of Tangier, designed by Charles Herbert [Harbord], and drawn by Dancre, which my Lord Sandwich admires, as being the truest picture that ever he’s saw in his life: and it is indeed very pretty, and I will be at the cost of having one of them.

Thence with them to White Hall, and there walked out the sermon, with one or other; and then saw the Duke of York after sermon, and he talked to me a little; and so away back by water home, and after dinner got my wife to read, and then by coach, she and I, to the Park, and there spent the evening with much pleasure, it proving clear after a little shower, and we mighty fine as yesterday, and people mightily pleased with our coach, as I perceived; but I had not on my fine suit, being really afeard to wear it, it being so fine with the gold lace, though not gay. So home and to supper, and my wife to read, and Tom, my Nepotisme, and then to bed.


10 Annotations

First Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"the picture of Tangier, designed by Charles Herbert [Harbord], and drawn by Dancre, which my Lord Sandwich admires, as being the truest picture that ever he’s saw in his life:"

See pepsie's 18 Jan 1669 post about such ventures:
http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…

The drawings of Tangier by Wenceslaus Hollar in the British Museum show why he was sent to do them later in 1669 (see the one linked by peopsie, then click forward for more to get a sense of the terrain there).

Peter Easton (PHE)  •  Link

Entries of today and yesterday show the unique charm of Sam's diaries. His concerns about looking too flashy or 'gay' in his new suit and coach again show his honest self-reflection. They are feelings most of us have had when buying something a bit flashy (clothes / new hair cut / car). We want to show off; but worried people will think us vain or ridiculous; but irritated if no-one seems to notice!

Australian Susan  •  Link

I wonder if Sam thought his rich attire might attract thieves or beggars?

Robert Gertz  •  Link

I think there's a dollop of practical career fear here too. Sam is likely concerned lest the Duke or the "Cabal" members see him sporting his wealth...Let alone some of the angrier members of Parliament. It could make Jamie wonder, give Buckingham's new people in the Navy something to hit at Sam with, or make him the subject of criticism in Parliament. All devoutly not to be wished, just as modern politicians fear being seen living too high a style. ("I am proud to be the husband of the originator of the new household economy for millionaires..." FDR to Eleanor Roosevelt after a disasterous New York Times article during WWI.} We still see Sam occasionally nervous to be seen at a play by Jamie or Charles, though less so these days.

Claire  •  Link

"...though not gay." Heaven help me, my 21st c. knee-jerk reaction was, "Not that there's anything wrong with that!"
I mourn the loss of the original meaning of the word.

Claire  •  Link

And I now must correct myself. It nagged at me that, almost certainly, "happy or cheerful" was NOT the meaning of gay in Pepys' time.
In 1637, the Oxford English Dictionary defined “gay” as being addicted to the pursuit of physical and social pleasures.
Sam does well to worry.

Don McCahill  •  Link

I wonder what Sandwich thinks. 10 years ago, Sam was his assistant, barely grubbing by. Now he attracts the attention of the King's brother!

And does Sandwich still own Sam money?

How things change.

Andrew Hamilton  •  Link

:Gay"

By "not gay" I think Sam means not too showy. See OED, gay, adj. 4.

Second Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"the picture of Tangier, designed by Charles Herbert [Harbord], and drawn by Dancre, which my Lord Sandwich admires, as being the truest picture that ever he’s saw in his life:"

A view of the town from the south-west: in the royal collection.
Hendrick Danckerts (c. 1625-c. 1685)
A View of Tangier Signed and dated 1669
https://www.royalcollection.org.u…
Dankerts is not known to have visited Tangier and may have based his view on drawings by Sir Charles Harbord. The version commissioned by Lord Sandwich, formerly at Hinchingbrooke, is also signed and dated 1669: O. Millar, Tudor, Stuart, and early Georgian pictures in coll. of H.M. Queen, no. 401. (L&M note)

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

Today Cosmo, the future Grand Duke of Turin, concluded his visit to Cambridge and left, bound for Oxford.
I've standardized the spelling of names I know, corrected scanning errors I could figure out, and increased the number of paragraphs. I apologize if I guessed incorrectly:
@@@

244
On the morning of 2/12 May, 1669 the weather being very fine, his highness, having heard mass privately, left Cambridge, taking the road to Northampton, over an open plain, divided into arable and pasture land, and for the most part rather wet as far as Stow, a village of a few houses, where his highness stopped to dine.

As he continued his journey, the country was of a better description, spreading out into an uneven champain, almost all under the plough. They met with thickly-scattered villages, which gave an interest to the journey, amongst which those of St. Neot's, belonging to the county of Cambridge, and of Highham Ferrers, were the best, though these were much surpassed by Wellingborough, a borough containing a great number of houses, all built of stone, and a considerable population; besides other places situated on each side of the road along which they travelled, and of which they enjoyed the view as they passed along.

From Wellingborough, the remainder of the country was either clothed with trees, or devoted to tillage or pasture, all the way to Northampton, the chief town of the county, called by the English Northamptonshire.

FOR THE REST OF COSMO’S DAY, SEE
NORTHAMPTON and HOLDENBY HOUSE = https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…
ALTHORPE, see SPENCER, ROBERT, 2nd Earl of Sunderland = https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…

@@@

From:
TRAVELS OF COSMO THE THIRD, GRAND DUKE OF TUSCANY,
THROUGH ENGLAND,
DURING THE REIGN OF KING CHARLES THE SECOND (1669)
TRANSLATED FROM THE ITALIAN MANUSCRIPT
https://archive.org/stream/travel…

His highness, Cosmo, must be considered only as a traveler. Under his direction, the narrator of the records was Count Lorenzo Magalotti, afterwards Secretary to the Academy del Cimento, and one of the most learned and eminent characters of the court of Ferdinand II.

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