Tuesday 8 July 1662
At the office all the morning and dined at home, and after dinner in all haste to make up my accounts with my Lord, which I did with some trouble, because I had some hopes to have made a profit to myself in this account and above what was due to me (which God forgive me in), but I could not, but carried them to my Lord, with whom they passed well. So to the Wardrobe, where alone with my Lord above an hour; and he do seem still to have his old confidence in me; and tells me to boot, that Mr. Coventry hath spoke of me to him to great advantage; wherein I am much pleased. By and by comes in Mr. Coventry to visit my Lord; and so my Lord and he and I walked together in the great chamber a good while; and I found him a most ingenuous man and good company. He being gone I also went home by water, Mr. Moore with me for discourse sake, and then parted from me, Cooper being there ready to attend me, so he and I to work till it was dark, and then eat a bit and by daylight to bed.
15 Annotations
First Reading
Bradford • Link
The more carefully books are kept, the harder it is to cook them. (Viz. keeping one's Expenses within one's Income at month's end.) No matter how much one deserves it.
Cumgranissalis • Link
Well well: sounds like some mod org."...because I had some hopes to have made a profit to myself in this account and above what was due to me (which God forgive me in), but I could not, but carried them to my Lord, with whom they passed well..."
Robert Gertz • Link
"Pepys!" Sandwich bursts from the room to which he had retired to review the accounts, an enraged look on his face as he eyes the miserable excuse for a poor relation...The worthless menial raised to an exalted spot through his generousity...The...The...
Sam trembles, sensing milord's well-concealed disapproval.
Busted...No doubt about it. Damn my eyes for listening to Shepley and Creed the other night with all their talk of "My lord never notices a little off the top here and there." Bastards!
"Pepys! How dare you, you vile wretch! After my manifold kindnesses you would steal from me, would you?!!"
Hemmina-hemmina-hemmina...(and no kindly Jemmina in sight to cool her Lord's wrath) Sam writhes in terror as Sandwich gets in his personal space. Every inch the hero of the Civil War...
"Explain yourself, sir!" Sandwich waves a sheet in his face. Violence definitely impending.
"My...My...My...Lord...I..." Sam falls to his knees. Sandwich clearly a moment away from calling for guards.
Hmmn. Sam eyes the sheet.
There is without doubt a God. One who is very fond of his Samuel.
"That, my most redoubted lord...Is one of Creed's accountings."
"Creed?!"
"Indeed, my lord." Sam makes a fast recovery... "I must admit I do remember there was some...Very minor...Uncertainty in my mind the other night about Creed's accounts."
"Creed!!!" the cry rings out.
A confident and beaming Creed, ignorant of the impending doom, enters.
Ah, my lord must have been exceptionally pleased with our care and diligence in the accounts to summon me so quickly, Creed happily thinks as he strides forward to receive milord's thanks. He is sadly too busy giving Sam a "in your face, Pepys" grin to Sam's noncommital stare to see the look on the Earl's face.
A. De Araujo • Link
No Robert, I don't think it was that dramatic! They are English you know.
Xjy • Link
Money money money
Modern US practice shows us how book-keeping should be done. Enron, for instance, and for gory detail re public service check this out:
http://www.lrb.co.uk/v27/n13/harr…
Stolzi • Link
Not sure God forgives
a sin which you woulda committed if only you coulda!
" to work till it was dark, and then eat a bit and by daylight to bed."
Thought this was curious, but maybe it means they worked until it was too dark to read well, but it still was twilight when Sam went to bed. The sun still sets late this time of year, even here far south of London. Surely he doesn't mean that he only went to bed in the wee hours when the sun was peeking out again next morning.
Mary • Link
"to work till it was dark"
Perhaps it just grew too dark to work comfortably in a gloomy office (facing north?)even though there was still eneough light in the sky to speak of going to bed by daylight.
Robert Gertz • Link
Parliamentary commission procedings, 1663...
A grim faced commissioner eyes the summoned Sandwich sitting in the witness chair. "Now my lord, regarding your last year's accounts in your office as Master of the Wardrobe. You state that you have no idea of what was entered as a charge to the King in your own accounts in your name...Signed by you?"
A breezy shrug from Sandwich... "Sir, I am a naval commander, not a bookkeeper, sir. I had no idea what my minions"...Brief, hard glance at the minions-Creed, Shepley, Moore, and a sad-faced Pepys-sitting on the hard bench reserved for the accused..."were charging to the King in my name."
Hmmn...The stupidity defense, several commissioners...Including a beaming Sir William Penn...Nod to each other. Always a good fall-back.
Maurie Beck • Link
Parliamentary commission procedings, 1663--
Richard Scrushy used exactly this defense in his acquittal of raiding the company coffers of HealthSouth of billions. Somehow the jury bought it and acquitted him, while his minions went to jail.
A. Hamilton • Link
Mr. Coventry hath spoke of me to him to great advantage; wherein I am much pleased. By and by comes in Mr. Coventry to visit my Lord; and so my Lord and he and I walked together in the great chamber a good while; and I found him a most ingenuous man and good company.
The office politics thread, continued. A new alliance is abuilding. Coventry wanted to drop Sandwich as top admiral, but Sandwich has the King's favor and survives, and Coventry finds that his man Pepys is just the clean broom the Duke is looking for to shake up the Navy and stir up the dust.
Second Reading
Tonyel • Link
" I found him a most ingenuous man and good company."
Should this not be "ingenious" ? Whatever else Coventry was, no-one would describe him as naïve.
Bill • Link
"and tells me to boot, that ..."
Boot, bote.
Or thus. As, what will you give me to boot? que me donnerez vous de retour? You shall have this to boot, vous aurez ceci davantage, ou par dessus. Tis to no boot, il ne fert de rien.
---A short dictionary English and French. G. Miège, 1684.
Bill • Link
To BOOT, Aid, Help, Succour. It is now used for Advantage, or Overplus.
---An Universal Etymological English Dictionary. N. Bailey, 1724.
[OVERPLUS, an exceeding, or something over and above.]
Chris Squire UK • Link
OED has:
‘boot, n.1 < Common Germanic: Old English bót . .
I. Good, advantage, profit, use.
1. a. Good: in phrase to boot: ‘to the good’, to advantage, into the bargain, in addition; besides, moreover.
. . 1660 S. Pepys Diary 13 Feb. (1970) I. 54 For two books that I had and 6s. 6d to boot, I had my great book of songs . . ‘
Mary Ellen • Link
to boot, meaning ALSO.