Saturday 10 May 1662

By myself at the office all the morning drawing up instructions for Portsmouth yard in those things wherein we at our late being there did think fit to reform, and got them signed this morning to send away to-night, the Duke being now there.

At noon to the Wardrobe; there dined. My Lady told me how my Lady Castlemaine do speak of going to lie in at Hampton Court; which she and all our ladies are much troubled at, because of the King’s being forced to show her countenance in the sight of the Queen when she comes. Back to the office and there all afternoon, and in the evening comes Sir G. Carteret, and he and I did hire a ship for Tangier, and other things together; and I find that he do single me out to join with me apart from the rest, which I am much glad of. So home, and after being trimmed, to bed.


17 Annotations

First Reading

Bob T  •  Link

because of the King's being forced to show her countenance in the sight of the Queen when she comes.

I think that I saw this same sort of thing in a movie once.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

"By myself at the office all the morning drawing up instructions for Portsmouth yard in those things wherein we at our late being there did think fit to reform..."

What, our Navy Board boys actually did some business while partying in Portsmouth?

Hmmn..."By myself", eh? Not only does he get to set the instructions as he sees fit but something nice to show both the Duke and new Commissioner (and Secretary to the Boss, York) Coventry as testimony to one Samuel Pepys' diligence in the King's service.

And Carteret singles him out, eh?

"There they are...That Pepys and Carteret. Always sitting by themselves now, putting their little heads together, sending ships off on their own. Bastards!" an fuming Sir W Penn notes to Sir W. Batten.

"And our little Pepys got off his own set of instructions for Portsmouth this morning." Batten eyes his colleague.

"God...D...His eyes!" Penn chokes. "I
was to present the new instructions to York myself tomorrow!"

Still, Carteret is a slippery operator, Sam is heading for trouble if he stays to close with him, I fear.

Alan Bedford  •  Link

"...my Lady Castlemaine do speak of going to lie in at Hampton Court..."

As Pauline commented about 3 months ago http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1… , Lady Castlemaine is pregnant by the King, and she clearly plans to deliver the child, attended by the royal medical staff, while the King and the new Queen are in residence.

It's clearly the talk of the town. Wonder how some of the modern London tabloids would handle it.

Pauline  •  Link

" our Navy Board boys actually did some business while partying in Portsmouth?"
Indeed he did, many many hours of being at the pay house. Look back to those entries; morning and aftenoon, paying away. What he neglected to impart in the diary was what it meant to him financially, as he appears to either have come home flush with funds or, coincidentally, have opened one of his money bags (as vincento, aka 'him of assorted monikers', has said).

Ruben  •  Link

To Robert Gertz:
Please rewrite your dramatization of events and include something like "the nearer Montagu, the more arrogant his little taylor gets"

Cumgranissalis  •  Link

"...was what it meant to him financially, as he appears to either have come home flush with funds..."
I read somewhere that he got paid a few pence for using the skulls and a few coppers for the Coach and horses. If this be the case, then there be the jolly old Expense account for these trips away from the desk. So I be a wondering who doth pay for the bed and breakfast, and the rest of the daily usage of coin. In the good old days of daily expenses, they be quite liberal , including getting paid for treating the client. It has been known that many careful lad or lass could profit from these little trips enough to pay a mortgage.
There be a name for this unaccounted set aside monies. It never be spoke, but the hand be out to ensure that the pocket be refilled [plus alittle reward for the pain]

Pedro  •  Link

"...my Lady Castlemaine do speak of going to lie in at Hampton Court..."

I think we may be jumping the gun here. I would think that "to lie in Hampton Court" would be to take up the promise, made to her some time ago by Old Rowley, to make her First Lady of the Bedchamber. In order to do this he had raised Roger to be the Earl of Castlemaine. The punters on the street will no doubt be backing the King as the father, but Roger Palmer will still have a say in this matter. At this time Charlie is trying to renege on this, and according to Rau, "the Lady" threatens to give birth in Whitehall if he does not honour his promise.

Jeannine  •  Link

Roger's "Promotion to Earl"
When Charles made Roger Palmer the Earl of Castelmaine he did so in a manner where the title would flow through the children of Barbara (thus covering for the children that Charles would father, and cutting out any that Roger may go on to have in the future in the event that Barbara died). It was well known that he only got the title because of Barbara's relationship with the King and although this added insult to injury to Roger, he indignantly took the title. Barbara needed the title of "Lady" in order to have the status to be an attendant to the Queen. The irony of the whole thing, of course, is calling Barbara a "lady" when she is anything but by character.
Barbara clearly was planning her path to remain as chief mistress and would not be ursurped. She also understood that Charles had such an avoidance to anything that didn't go "smoothly" that her threats, etc. were her way of manipulating and controlling the situation. If she set up a scenario where his discomfort at the stress would be released by giving into her then she knew she could get her way. Not to add spoilers, but her antics remain consistent throughout her lifetime.
As we see this unfold, from a character point of view, this seedy and shifting behavior of Charles is also a constant --he would always take the "easy" way out of things and where Barbara had such a strong will it was easier for him to succumb to her than to bear the stress.

Pauline  •  Link

"'the Lady' threatens to give birth in Whitehall if he does not honour his promise”
Pedro, “to lie in” means to give birth. Thank you for the background that this is a threat and what she hopes to gain.

Australian Susan  •  Link

Genteel childbirth
In those days, and indeed for many years afterwards, leisured women towards the end of their pregnancies would confine themselves to one place - they would "lie-in" until the birth took place about two months hence. So Lady C's action would be a very public one and drawing attention to her condition. Some royal mistresses discreetly took themselves off to country estates to lie-in so the event could be ignored if necessary in gossipy London. This practice could also be used to conceal a pregnancy altogether by removing oneself to the country before any bump showed (but it didn't usually stop gossip). The subsequent baby, if it survived, could be put to nurse with a village wet nurse, and the royal mistress could return to London after a "holiday" in the country. And then see how the land lay with getting her child noticed and rewarded by its royal progenitor. Lady Castlemaine had the option of doing this, no doubt, but this route is not for her. One can admire her audacity, but will it backfire and thoroughly exasperate her royal protector?

Pedro  •  Link

"and I find that he do single me out to join with me apart from the rest, which I am much glad of."

Sam someone is putting a good word in for you?
From Ollard's Biography of Sandwich we learn that Lord and Lady Sandwich get on really well, as a couple, with Carteret and his wife.

Second Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"instructions for Portsmouth yard in those things wherein we at our late being there did think fit to reform,"

The Principal Officers expressed concern about the number and inefficiency of the boys employed as servants to boatswains and gunners, and directed that in future they should be over 15 and bound by indentures. (L&M note)

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"my Lady Castlemaine do speak of going to lie in at Hampton Court;"

She did not go there. Her first son by the King (Charles Palmer, afterwards Fitzroy, cr. Duke of Southampton, 1675; d. 1730) was born in her house in King St, Westminster and was baptised at St. Margaret's on 18 June. (L&M note)

Sasha Clarkson  •  Link

The relationship between Pepys and Carteret prospers, as will, perhaps as a consequence, that between Carteret and Sandwich.

Louise Hudson  •  Link

Her position at Court was Lady of the Bedchamber--a ftting position. She had one child, supposedly but not definitely by her husband, Lord Palmer, before her liaison with the King and five more whom the King acknowledged as his. She remained married to Lord Palmer.

Interesting article here:

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ba…

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"Back to the office and there all afternoon, and in the evening comes Sir G. Carteret, and he and I did hire a ship for Tangier"

L&M: Several ships were now hired for the transport of soldiers and provisions to Tangier and Lisbon: PRO, Adm. 20/3, p. 339.

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"I think we may be jumping the gun here. I would think that "to lie in Hampton Court" would be to take up the promise, made to her some time ago by Old Rowley, to make her First Lady of the Bedchamber"

According to Racing Questions:

Strictly speaking, ‘Old Rowley’ was the nickname of a favorite hack, or hunter, belonging to Charles II. Horse racing in Britain was revived following the Restoration in 1660 and Charles II became passionate about the sport, especially in Newmarket, which he visited frequently and even rode in races from time to time. ...

Old Rowley, the stallion, had a reputation for being libidinous and was known to have sired many fine colts. Consequently, ‘Old Rowley’ became a popular, if not altogether flattering, sobriquet for Charles II himself, as he was a notorious philanderer with multiple mistresses and 14 acknowledged illegitimate children. ..."

https://racingquestions.co.uk/who…

HOWEVER, Sir Thomas Urquhart of Cromarty (1611–60), a pal of Charles I, in 1653 translated from the French ‘The Works of Master Francois Rabelais doctor in physick … now faithfully translated into English’. In this "masterpiece" he uses Old Rowley as a euphemism for the penis from hell. Charles must have liked that for some reason!

For more slang -- which makes Pepys' euphemisms look downright tame! -- see https://www.salon.com/2014/10/05/…

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