Wednesday 23 November 1664
Up and to my office, where close all the morning about my Lord Treasurer’s accounts, and at noon home to dinner, and then to the office all the afternoon very busy till very late at night, and then to supper and to bed.
This evening Mr. Hollyard came to me and told me that he hath searched my boy, and he finds he hath a stone in his bladder, which grieves me to the heart, he being a good-natured and well-disposed boy, and more that it should be my misfortune to have him come to my house.
Sir G. Carteret was here this afternoon; and strange to see how we plot to make the charge of this warr to appear greater than it is, because of getting money.
16 Annotations
First Reading
A. De Araujo • Link
"and he finds he hath a stone in his bladder"
No description of the signs and symptoms,but because of his young age I have my doubts regarding the diagnosis.
cape henry • Link
I agree with A.D.A and also note without comment the following,"...and more that it should be my misfortune to have him come to my house."
Robert Gertz • Link
I assume Sam means that he fully accepts the obligation of Tom's care though like anyone he could wish not to have such a duty imposed upon him. Just letting off a little normal steam to the Diary, not plotting to toss poor Tom to the wolves.
"Ah, Pepys. We're here about the 'little matter'." pleasant tone
"Oh...Yes." Ummn... "One moment. Tom, boy?!"
"Sir?"
"Ah...Tom, good. Yes. Uh...The men I told you of are here, Tom. Mr. Creed and Mr. Howe, Tom Edwards."
"My dear boy." "Young man."
"So I am to go with Mr. Creed and Mr. Howe, sir?"
"Uh...Yes, Tom."
"And they will be bringing me to a better place, sir? For my condition?"
Ummn... "Uh, yes, Tom. Much better."
"Indeed, lad...A far better place." Creed, Howe nodding in solemn agreement. Much better.
"We can't wait for Mrs. Pepys, sir? I should like to say good-bye."
"Uh. No, Tom."
"But I may write her, sir? From my new place?"
Ummn...
"Why, of course, my boy."
"Yes, young lad. Now time we were off. Time...And tide...Waiting for no man." Creed, benevolently.
"Particularly the tide at the Thames...Mr. Pepys." Howe, polite nod.
"Will we be taking a boat, sir?" Tom's voice reaching Pepys as they head out the door, Creed likewise nodding politely to Pepys.
"For a short time, my boy."
***
Paul Chapin • Link
The finagle eternal
"strange to see how we plot to make the charge of this warr to appear greater than it is, because of getting money."
A practice that continues unabated to the present day (can you say Halliburton?)
Martha Wishart • Link
Isn't that always the way with government spending-that you have to ask for more than you want to get what you need?
cgs • Link
The old loss on the way to the needed place, so much ends up in the blacke market. so double the amount neede so that some of the request ends up in the correct location.
When I needed parts to keep my little group in contact with civilization, I always requested more than needed because I got only half what I needed, the rest was in the bazaar. so I sent the scrounger to make the required purchases, to complete my needs.
Churchill was mad as hell when he went to Cairo and when taken on a tour of the souks [markets] and found the equipment needed for El Alamein being flogged for a fraction of the value.
andy • Link
Martha's right, in urban regeneration we call it overprogramming. We put in bids for work that we can't possibly do in the time so that we get cut back to work we can do.
Government is savvy enough to assess the cost/benefit ratio (eg they have an idea about how much it costs to create a job in a deprived neighbourhood) so that we don't breach the going rate for the work we do do.
Sam is overprogramming for the war on the assumtion he'll get less than he's asking for. In the event of his getting more capital than he can spend directly on this war he'll spend it on victuals and timber etc, in preparation for the next one.
Pedro • Link
"and more that it should be my misfortune to have him come to my house.”
To be fair to Sam, after his grief, he suddenly thought of the cost.
Xjy • Link
"he suddenly thought of the cost"
Ah yes, wives, children and slaves all like machines never running for more than a day or two without needing costly repairs...
Michael Robinson • Link
"... it should be my misfortune to have him come to my house."
"I couldn't be fonder of you if you were my own son. But, well, if you loose a son it is possible to get another. ..."
Michael Robinson • Link
" ... we plot to make the charge of this warr to appear greater than it is, because of getting money."
" ... Ten thousand? We were talking about a lot more money than this. ... Yes, sir, we were, but this is genuine coin of the realm. With a dollar of this, you can buy ten dollars of talk. ..."
Robert Gertz • Link
"...And there's only one Maltese Falcon." Poor ole Gutman. Seventeen years dreaming to come up empty.
"Mr. Pepys...This is the second time you've laid hands on me!."
"Maes, when you're slapped you'll take it and like it."
Robert Gertz • Link
Surely there's no parent here who never thought for a second in his or her heart of hearts...$#@%&^! $5000 for that damned kid's tonsilectomy (or whatever)?! Only human to blow off a little in a private moment...Despite the sad fate of his poor niece, Sam gives no sign as yet that Tom is to be ushered promptly out the door.
Pedro • Link
Sam’s stone.
Looking in the background much has been said about the medical side, but here is a summary of what Tomalin says about the arrangements…
Pepys chose as his surgeon Thomas Hollier of St Thomas and St Bart's… the operation was not to take place in what was called the “cutting ward” of the hospital however. Pepys was to be a private patient and was happy enough to find himself an ideal arrangement. His cousin Jane nee Pepys and now Turner, his friend since boyhood visits to her father at Ashtead, offered to nurse him in her house at Salisbury Court. Her husband was a successful lawyer, she had one or two small children, and she was an active, cheerful and generous woman. Unhesitatingly she put herself and her house at his disposal. Her offer meant that he would be near his anxious parents. Pepys’ father went about mobilizing as many members of the family as he could to pay for Sam during his ordeal; the prayer as of one maternal aunt a "poor, religious, well-meaning, good humble soul", “did do me good among the many good souls that did my father's desires pray for me when I was cut of the stone, and which God did hear."
(290 years later good souls introduced the concept of a health service from cradle to grave.)
Second Reading
arby • Link
Sam wasn't all that much older than his boy when he had his stone removed, so it's possible the diagnosis may be right.
Sasha Clarkson • Link
"Surely there's no parent here who never thought for a second in his or her heart of hearts...$#@%&^! $5000 for that damned kid's tonsilectomy (or whatever)?"
In Britain we still have a National Health Service (despite the efforts of our Govt to wreck it), so thoughts of that nature do not arise.