Friday 6 July 1660

In the morning with my Lord at Whitehall, got the order of the Council for us to act.

From thence to Westminster Hall, and there met with the Doctor that shewed us so much kindness at the Hague, and took him to the Sun tavern, and drank with him.

So to my Lord’s and dined with W. Howe and Sarah, thinking it might be the last time that I might dine with them together.

In the afternoon my Lord and I, and Mr. Coventry and Sir G. Carteret, went and took possession of the Navy Office, whereby my mind was a little cheered, but my hopes not great.

From thence Sir G. Carteret and I to the Treasurer’s Office, where he set some things in order. And so home, calling upon Sir Geoffry Palmer, who did give me advice about my patent, which put me to some doubt to know what to do, Barlow being alive.

Afterwards called at Mr. Pim’s, about getting me a coat of velvet, and he took me to the Half Moon, and the house so full that we staid above half an hour before we could get anything. So to my Lord’s, where in the dark W. Howe and I did sing extemporys, and I find by use that we are able to sing a bass and a treble pretty well. So home, and to bed.

18 Annotations

First Reading

Paul Brewster  •  Link

Afterwards called at Mr. Pim's, about getting me a coat of velvet
L&M: “William Pym, of the Strand, was Sandwich’s tailor (and Clarendon’s) and this was Pepys’s first velvet coat.”

Paul Brewster  •  Link

we are able to sing a bass and a treble pretty well
per L&M: "Pepys would be the bass. Music MSS in the PL have songs transposed for Pepys to bass pitch."

vincent  •  Link

Strange? J. Evelyn does mention on 6th july 1660 "..His Majestie began first to Touch for Evil according to costome:...description ... 'He put his hands upon them, & he healed them', ...." did SP missed this piece of popish (laying of hands) history.
Being the cynic that I am, the gold coin(angel gold on white white ribbon) helped.

chip  •  Link

How wonderful to imagine a time before recorded music, when people got together and just improvised song! Makes one ponder what a silly notion, this progress! Sam is sure collecting the wardrobe. No longer does he mention the bill.

Grahamt  •  Link

Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose:
"...the Half Moon, and the house so full that we staid above half an hour before we could get anything."
After 343 years, pubs still don't have enough staff to serve everyone during busy times!

Paul Brewster  •  Link

there met with the Doctor that shewed us so much kindness at the Hague
Any speculation about who this may be? L&M point back to the entry of the 17th of May. http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1660/05/17/ I found three Drs. in the entry: Dr. Clerke, Dr. Cade, and Dr. Fullers.

Eric Walla  •  Link

Again, singing in the dark ...

... was there a special significance in this? I imagine that darkness could be seen to give the ear a truer representation of tone, or perhaps singing "in the dark" could actually be a metaphor for improvisation. Most likely they just enjoyed it.

vincent  •  Link

Eric, I think you have good point. It could possibly mean no instruments and no sheet music. Just letting goe and enjoying the moment.

vincent  •  Link

Paul : Dr Cade was not known to to SP until this moment(may 17th) as he was enjoying the Charles' ear in the Hague and he did show SP some of the good sites, so I elect Dr Cade as the man in question. Fuller goes back to feb 15th, and Dr Clerke(clark) was written up many times. Just my take.

Pauline  •  Link

singing in the dark
Eric and vincent, I think it happened by chance the first time. He went up to his old room and it was empty and provided an echo chamber to sing in and he liked it. No light because he hadn't brought one up with him. This time he takes Howe with him and they harmonize. No light this time because he enjoyed it last time. As Eric says, reduces the other senses and concentrates the voice and ear. (I'm guessing they sing rather than play instruments.)

Kevin Peter  •  Link

Vincent, There was something about the King touching for evil back on June 23rd as well as a footnote regarding the tradition.

http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1660/06/23/

Charles probably has been doing a lot of this in recent days.

vincent  •  Link

Kevin .Thanks, forgot about that episode:
Evelyn says this day was the first time, yet as you point out CII 'pose to have done it back last month on the 23rd: as noted by SP.

Second Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"So to my Lord’s and dined with W. Howe and Sarah, thinking it might be the last time that I might dine with them together."

Who is Sarah? Who is she to W. Howe? Where will she go while he remains? (pun unintended) The L&M text, Index and Companion are no help, alas.

HRW  •  Link

Would SPs velvet coat be of silk? Very expensive at this time?

Dick Wilson  •  Link

The new Navy Board has taken possession of their offices. One wonders if they found clerks at work there, or a janitor, or what. Next they have to take possession of their houses, which are next to or adjoin the offices. Who has been living in them? Will they have to eject squatters? Is Barlow lurking under the stairs? Or maybe they have been standing empty since the Old Navy Board members decided to stop work.

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

No, Kevin Peter, this was Charles II's first outing as a healer.

John Evelyn's Diary – he and Mary Browne Evelyn live at Saye's Court, Deptford.

http://brittlebooks.library.illinois.edu/brittleb…

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6th July, 1660.

His Majesty began first to TOUCH FOR THE EVIL! according to custom, thus: his Majesty sitting under his state in the banqueting house, the chirurgeons cause the sick to be brought, or led, up to the throne, where they kneeling, the King strokes their faces, or cheeks with both his hands at once, at which instant a chaplain in his formalities says, "He put his hands upon them, and he healed them." This is said to everyone in particular.

When they have all been touched, they come up again in the same order, and the other chaplain kneeling, and having angel gold[63] strung on white ribbon on his arm, delivers them one by one to his Majesty, who puts them about the necks of the touched as they pass, while the first chaplain repeats, "That is the true light who came into the world."

Then follows, an Epistle (as at first a Gospel) with the Liturgy, prayers for the sick, with some alteration; lastly the blessing; and then the Lord Chamberlain and the Comptroller of the Household bring a basin, ewer, and towel, for his Majesty to wash.
[Footnote 63: Pieces of money, so called from the figure of an angel on them.]

The King received a congratulatory address from the city of Cologne, in Germany, where he had been some time in his exile; his Majesty saying they were the best people in the world, the most kind and worthy to him that he ever met with.

I recommended Monsieur Messary to be Judge Advocate in Jersey, by the Vice-Chamberlain's mediation with the Earl of St. Albans;

and saluted my excellent and worthy noble friend, my Lord Ossory, son to the Marquis of Ormonde, after many years' absence returned home.

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The King's Evil
https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1669/04/30/?c=55…

Thomas Butler, 6th Earl of Ossory
https://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclopedia/5825/#c53…

M. Messary -- no idea. Anyone?

Henry Jermyn, 1st Earl of St. Albans - At the Restoration he became Lord Chamberlain, and received other appointments. He supported the policy of friendship with France, and he contributed largely to the close secret understanding between Charles II and Louis XIV, arranging the preliminaries of the Treaty of Dover in 1669.
https://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclopedia/1618/#c53…
In 1628 Jermyn had been sent to Jersey to train the militia, as his family had traditionally been Governors there.
https://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/…

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