Friday 26 January 1665/66

Up, and pleased mightily with what my poor wife hath been doing these eight or ten days with her owne hands, like a drudge in fitting the new hangings of our bed-chamber of blue, and putting the old red ones into my dressing-room, and so by coach to White Hall, where I had just now notice that Sir G. Carteret is come to towne. He seems pleased, but I perceive he is heartily troubled at this Act, and the report of his losing his place, and more at my not writing to him to the prejudice of the Act. But I carry all fair to him and he to me. He bemoans the Kingdom as in a sad state, and with too much reason I doubt, having so many enemys about us and no friends abroad, nor money nor love at home. Thence to the Duke of Albemarle, and there a meeting with all the officers of the Navy, where, Lord! to see how the Duke of Albemarle flatters himself with false hopes of money and victuals and all without reason. Then comes the Committee of Tangier to sit, and I there carry all before me very well. Thence with Sir J. Bankes and Mr. Gawden to the ’Change, they both very wise men. After ’Change and agreeing with Houblon about our ships, D. Gawden and I to the Pope’s Head and there dined and little Chaplin (who a rich man grown). He gone after dinner, D. Gawden and I to talke of the Victualling business of the Navy in what posture it is, which is very sad also for want of money. Thence home to my chamber by oathe to finish my Journall. Here W. Hewer came to me with 320l. from Sir W. Warren, whereof 220l. is got clearly by a late business of insurance of the Gottenburg ships, and the other 100l. which was due and he had promised me before to give me to my very extraordinary joy, for which I ought and do bless God and so to my office, where late providing a letter to send to Mr. Gawden in a manner we concluded on to-day, and so to bed.

18 Annotations

First Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"Sir G. Carteret is come to towne. He seems pleased, but I perceive he is heartily troubled at this Act, and the report of his losing his place, and more at my not writing to him to the prejudice of the Act."

Cf. the annotation to 6 November 1665: "The Act for an Additional Aid of £1 1/4 m. (17 Car. II c.i passed on 31 October) would be “a new venture in English public finance” (L&M) in which bills would be paid by the Exchequer on credit, bypassing the Treasury, denying Carteret his poundage and other profits." http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"Thence home to my chamber by oathe to finish my Journall."

14 January we first read of "my vow to finish my journall and other things before I kiss any woman more or drink any wine" http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…

Robert Gertz  •  Link

"...nor money nor love at home."

Oh, surely there's still love, Sam. And, as no doubt Louis XIV, your new adversary, would insist...All you need is l'amour.

Patricia  •  Link

"...pleased mightily with what my poor wife hath been doing these eight or ten days with her owne hands, like a drudge in fitting the new hangings of our bed-chamber..."
I wonder if Mrs. P feels like a drudge? Surely, sewing has always been done by women of her class, even of the upper classes. What a drag it would be to have no employment whatsoever, and hubby out till all ours!

Patricia  •  Link

Hours! No, I'm not illiterate, just tired. Sorry, folks!

cgs  •  Link

No one likes a moan, Oh! dear
"...He bemoans the Kingdom as in a sad state, and with too much reason I doubt, having so many enemys about us and no friends abroad, nor money nor love at home...."

Where be all the Printers boys to put this news to bed for to-morrows 'anging at Duck lanes finest establishment for imbibing of Mocca beans.

PS I am the only illiterate 'aloud'

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"He bemoans the Kingdom as in a sad state, and with too much reason I doubt"

Here "doubt" means "suspect," methinks.

Mary  •  Link

"doubt" in this kind of context can also mean "fear".

Robert Gertz  •  Link

"Here W. Hewer came to me with 320l. from Sir W. Warren, whereof 220l. is got clearly by a late business of insurance of the Gottenburg ships, and the other 100l. which was due and he had promised me before to give me to my very extraordinary joy, for which I ought and do bless God..."

Surely Sam's bubbling enthusiasm for cold, hard cash appears in his talks with Sir Will..."Oh and let me thank you, Sir Will..." which might cause one to wonder if a fellow like Warren finds Sam a bit too "easy".

By the way, Sam...You might also bless God for an honest clerk.

***

"Of course to truly thank God, with 320L extra, I could do something incredibly generous to thank my poor wretch Bess for all her hard work and her patient forebearance during this plague year." Sam ponders.

Hmmmn...Nah. Heck, I mean the way the girl drudges about these days, it would be embarassing to take her anywhere. "Yes, another camelot suit and a night out with Mrs. Knipp would be a far wiser investment."

Robert Gertz  •  Link

"Well, take that off to Mr. Pepys, Mr. Hewer. Hmmn...You know, I cannot remember if I just gave you 400Ls or 320. Well, Mr. Pepys surely won't mind the lesser sum...If that's what I gave you." Warren eyes Hewer.

"Oh, no, Sir Will...It was 400L. See, I've counted it very carefully."

"Young man. You are a credit to your master's training but you are sadly missing the point here."

"Oh..."

JKM  •  Link

Robert, thanks for the laugh at the beginning of the day (as the papers bemoan our naiton as in a sad state, and with too much reason I doubt)

cgs  •  Link

Now was that coin of the realm [i.e. gold and/silver that jingles] or be it some form of IOU Ticket, a ticket that gets discounted when cashed in by the boys in the Office, or does Samuell adds this tit bit to his "little" bag of coins.
"...Here W. Hewer came to me with 320l. from Sir W. Warren, ..."

Now Samuell do not buy that carriage [Hackney model 767] and four with latest in glass windows and a flunky too, to keep the rifraf from tossing in bouquets of turd, as the Tars be looking for cash on their tickets after winning all those rubies from the Hollanders.

.

Michael Robinson  •  Link

"D. Gawden and I to talke of the Victualling business of the Navy in what posture it is, which is very sad also for want of money. ..."

Kasper Gutman: You're a close-mouthed man?
Sam Spade: Nah, I like to talk.
Kasper Gutman: Better and better. I distrust a close-mouthed man. He generally picks the wrong time to talk and says the wrong things. Talking's something you can't do judiciously, unless you keep in practice.
[sits back]
Kasper Gutman: Now, sir. We'll talk, if you like. I'll tell you right out, I am a man who likes talking to a man who likes to talk.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt00338…

Second Reading

Robert Harneis  •  Link

"Here W. Hewer came to me with 320l. from Sir W. Warren..." 'By the way, Sam...You might also bless God for an honest clerk.'
Yes, I noticed that too. Surely a tribute to both men who remained friends through thick and thin until the end. The gift of knowing who to trust and being trustworthy are not that common.

Gerald Berg  •  Link

Awful lot of name dropping these last few days!

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"Awful lot of name dropping these last few days!" -- yup. I'm wondering if pride goes before a fall after all this.

He appears to have skated out of the prize debacle undetected. He's raking in the money even if the Treasury is bankrupt. People of consequence are inviting him to ride in their carriages. Charles II and James are both fans. I'm surprised his wig still fits on his head.

And he finally seems to be back on good terms with Elizabeth. It's been 18 months of tension at home. Maybe absence made the heart grow fonder.

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