Thursday 29 November 1660
In the morning seeing a great deal of foul water come into my parlour from under the partition between me and Mr. Davis, I did step thither to him and tell him of it, and he did seem very ready to have it stopt, and did also tell me how thieves did attempt to rob his house last night, which do make us all afraid.
This noon I being troubled that the workmen that I have to do my door were called to Mr. Davis’s away, I sent for them, when Mr. Davis sent to inquire a reason of, and I did give him a good one, that they were come on purpose to do some work with me that they had already begun, with which he was well pleased, and I glad, being unwilling to anger them.
In the afternoon Sir W. Batten and I met and did sell the ship Church for 440l.; and we asked 391l., and that being done, I went home, and Dr. Petty came to me about Mr. Barlow’s money, and I being a little troubled to be so importuned before I had received it, and that they would have it stopt in Mr. Fenn’s hands, I did force the Doctor to go fetch the letter of attorney that he had to receive it only to make him same labour, which he did bring, and Mr. Hater came along with him from the Treasury with my money for the first quarter (Michaelmas last) that ever I received for this employment. So I paid the Dr. 25l. and had 62l. 10s. for myself, and 7l. 10s. to myself also for Will’s salary, which I do intend yet to keep for myself.
With this my heart is much rejoiced, and do bless Almighty God that he is pleased to send so sudden and unexpected payment of my salary so soon after my great disbursements. So that now I am worth 200l. again.
In a great ease of mind and spirit I fell about the auditing of Mr. Shepley’s last accounts with my Lord by my Lord’s desire, and about that I sat till 12 o’clock at night, till I began to doze, and so to bed, with my heart praising God for his mercy to us.
15 Annotations
First Reading
A. De Araujo • Link
"also for Will's salary,which I intend yet to keep for myself........,with my heart praising God for his mercy to us." God helps those who help themselves!!!
Lawrence • Link
I hope he see's Will good "Regard's Money"
Mary House • Link
What would this "foul water" pouring into his parlour most likely be... sewage?
Jackie • Link
Sam's alterations to his property - extra doors, accesses onto his roof space etc., really shows how there were next to no regulations before the Great Fire made people think about things like fire regulations.
Building at this time seemed to be whatever people could get away with without annoying the neighbours too much. Why do I get the feeling that the Courts in those days had a large number of cases about people taking umbrage about extra doors into each other's homes and similar?
George • Link
"and do bless Almighty God that he is pleased to send so sudden and unexpected payment of my salary so soon after my great disbursements". He doesn't seem to be an overly religious man, but God gets the credit when things go well
Pauline • Link
"I being a little troubled ... that they would have it stopt in Mr. Fenn's hands…”
Sounds like Dr. Petty heard that the Navy’s quarterly pay was available before Sam received it, and that Sam didn’t want the debt demanded directly from the paymaster. So he stalls Petty (“I did force the Doctor to go fetch the letter of attorney that he had to receive it only to make him same [some?]labour”) and sends Hater for the pay.
Peter • Link
Some L&M notes in this entry:
"and I glad, being unwilling to anger them"... L&M have changed "them" to "him", (although they say the MS reads "them").
Regarding Will Hewer's salary they note that "Pepys kept the money since Will Hewer was boarding with him". No nights on the tiles (or the leads) for Will, then.
David Quidnunc • Link
him/them
It seems reasonable to me that Sam would say "them" meaning both Mr. and Mrs. Davis. The 29 & 31 October entries indicate that Mrs. Davis is someone you just don't want to tussle with, although we aren't told why:
"So home, where I was told how my Lady Davis is now come to our next lodgings, and has locked up the leads door from me ..."
http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1660/10/29/
"... the rest of the principal officers, who are unwilling to meddle in anything that may anger my Lady Davis."
http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1660/10/31/
Perhaps she has influential relations. Maybe she's able to be such a pest that it's well worth it not to set her off. Or is it that she can incite her husband? That's all speculation. But it's not speculative to say that there must be something formidable about her for the principal officers to have that reaction. And she certainly locked that leads door, potentially starting a fight.
You could argue that the principal officers are just diplomatic men, but why is it that they mention not wanting to anger *Lady* Davis and not her husband?
vincent • Link
Why? David 'tis wise, never tussle with the lioness when protecting her Turf.
"Them" Is also being more impersonal way of talking about outsiders. Only in this Era does one speak of strangers in a personal way [ the exceptions are the Quakers who act and believe every one is on the same level despite titles and the gold attachments]. Now every one is a friend, such a misuse of the condition just like love. It looses its true value.
Jenny Doughty • Link
Vincent - we Quakers are a very friendly bunch :-)
Second Reading
Terry Foreman • Link
"[we] did sell the ship Church "
L&M say the Church was a 5th-rate, 20-6 gun prize 1653; a hulk at Harwich 1659.
Newcomer • Link
Is there an English teacher aboard who can explain the grammar of the "did/do" construction ("I did step thither," "he did seem very ready . . . did also tell me how thieves did attempt to rob, which do make us all afraid")? There must be one in this erudite group.
Something like it exists in modern English for particular uses ("I really did read the whole book" or "I do love Shakespeare"). But I don't see any such special meaning for it in Pepys, where "did" seems to be just another form of the simple past or present tense, such as survives today in archaic legalese ("defendant did feloniously . . .").
Please forgive me if this topic has been raised and discussed before. I actually have vague recollection of a related discussion, but can't find it now.
Gillian Bagwell • Link
Yes, just an older form of past tense, I think, very commonly used then.
Tonyel • Link
In the afternoon Sir W. Batten and I met and did sell the ship Church for 440l.; and we asked 391l.,
This sounds like an auction where the reserve price was £391 - or am I misreading something?
Terry Foreman • Link
Tonyl maybe even an auction by the candle in whicj the final bids can escalate exponentially -- L&M say according to a letter from the Duke of York to the Board (3 December) she fetched £510: PRO, Adm. 2/1745, f.17v.