Tuesday 15 May 1666
Up and to the office, where we met and sat all the morning. At noon home to dinner, and after dinner by coach to Sir Philip Warwicke’s, he having sent for me, but was not within, so I to my Lord Crew’s, who is very lately come to towne, and with him talking half an houre of the business of the warr, wherein he is very doubtful, from our want of money, that we shall fail. And I do concur with him therein. After some little discourse of ordinary matters, I away to Sir Philip Warwicke’s again, and was come in, and gone out to my Lord Treasurer’s; whither I followed him, and there my business was, to be told that my Lord Treasurer hath got 10,000l. for us in the Navy, to answer our great necessities, which I did thank him for; but the sum is not considerable. So home, and there busy all the afternoon till night, and then home to supper and to bed.
9 Annotations
First Reading
Robert Gertz • Link
"...and there my business was, to be told that my Lord Treasurer hath got 10,000l. for us in the Navy, to answer our great necessities, which I did thank him for; but the sum is not considerable."
Wouldn't pay Castlemaine's debts I imagine. What did Wriothesley do, rummage among the cushions for loose change left after one of Charlie's grander orgies?
Carl in Boston • Link
10,000l. for us in the Navy, to answer our great necessities, .... but the sum is not considerable.
Exactly so, Robert, exactly so. That's Big Money talking, What with all the little nippings from every side, "for the government", there's not much left over when all have had their share.
Michael Robinson • Link
" ...my Lord Treasurer hath got 10,000l. for us in the Navy, to answer our great necessities, which I did thank him for; but the sum is not considerable."
On the basis of prior estimates sufficient to cover 44 hours of all costs for active wartime fleet operation.
" ... and anon we come to my Lord, and there did lay open the expence for the six months past, and an estimate of the seven months to come, to November next: the first arising to above 500,000l., and the latter will, as we judge, come to above 1,000,000l ... "
cape henry • Link
"...my Lord Treasurer hath got 10,000l. for us in the Navy..." And how much of that will be skimmed in one way or another as it trickles through the process?
Terry Foreman • Link
L&M note the Navy Board had written 3 days earlier to the Duke of York that its immediate needs for cash were £167,000 (for bills outstanding) and a weekly supply thereafter at £20,000.
Paul Chapin • Link
"he is very doubtful" = he suspects strongly (that we shall fail)
Lawrence • Link
" After some little discourse of ordinary matters"
Well they would have got a little fed up of talking doom and gloom for the Kingdom, perhaps they discussed the weather? and how delightfull that's been of late?
Robert Gertz • Link
"I don't suppose anyone would buy that I'm actually a fanatical lover of peace, deliberately sabotaging my own fleet to end this dreadful war forced upon me?" Charles asks the gloomy Wriothesley.
"Not really, sire."
A. De Araujo • Link
"of the business of the warr,wherein he is very doubtful,from our want of money"
Yes Sam, war can get to be very expensive;a nation can go broke or start printing money.