Monday 30 September 1667

By water to White Hall, there to a committee of Tangier, but they not met yet, I went to St. James’s, there thinking to have opportunity to speak to the Duke of York about the petition I have to make to him for something in reward for my service this war, but I did waive it. Thence to White Hall, and there a Committee met, where little was done, and thence to the Duke of York to Council, where we the officers of the Navy did attend about the business of discharging the seamen by tickets, where several of the Lords spoke and of our number none but myself, which I did in such manner as pleased the King and Council. Speaking concerning the difficulty of pleasing of seamen and giving them assurance to their satisfaction that they should be paid their arrears of wages, my Lord Ashly did move that an assignment for money on the Act might be put into the hands of the East India Company, or City of London, which he thought the seamen would believe. But this my Lord Anglesey did very handsomely oppose, and I think did carry it that it will not be: and it is indeed a mean thing that the King should so far own his own want of credit as to borrow theirs in this manner. My Lord Anglesey told him that this was the way indeed to teach the Parliament to trust the King no more for the time to come, but to have a kingdom’s Treasurer distinct from the King’s. Home at noon to dinner, where I expected to have had our new girle, my wife’s woman, but she is not yet come. I abroad after dinner to White Hall, and there among other things do hear that there will be musique to-morrow night before the King. So to Westminster, where to the Swan … [and there I did fling down the fille there upon the chair and did tocar her thigh with my hand; at which she begin to cry out, so I left off – L&M] and drank and away to the Hall, and thence to Mrs. Martin’s, to bespeak some linen, and there je did avoir all with her, and drank, and away, having first promised my goddaughter a new coat-her first coat. So by coach home, and there find our pretty girl Willet come, brought by Mr. Batelier, and she is very pretty, and so grave as I never saw a little thing in my life. Indeed I think her a little too good for my family, and so well carriaged as I hardly ever saw. I wish my wife may use her well. Now I begin to be full of thought for my journey the next week, if I can get leave, to Brampton. Tonight come and sat with me Mr. Turner and his wife and tell me of a design of sending their son Franke to the East Indy Company’s service if they can get him entertainment, which they are promised by Sir Andr. Rickard, which I do very well like of. So the company broke up and to bed.


22 Annotations

First Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

The rest of the story according to Pepys per L&M

"I abroad after dinner to White-hall and there, among other things, do hear that there will be Musique to-morrow night before the King. So to Westminster, where to the Swan ; and there did fling down the fille there upon the chair and did tocar her thigh with my hand; at which she began to cry out, so I left off and drank, and away to the Hall and thence to Mrs. Martin's to bespeak some linen, and there yo did hazer algo with ella and drank and away, having first promised my goddaughter a new coat, her first coat."

Terry Foreman  •  Link

Ormond to Anglesey
Written from: Kilkenny
Date: 30 September 1667

... Had the writer known the state of the Treasury in England, he would not have been so importunate to draw relief from it for the necessities that have to be contended with here. Now, he will lament the one, and get through the other, as well as he can, with the assistance allotted. ... That of the Prizes will fall far short of the expectation. ... There is danger that some of the principal ones will be recovered by the efforts of merchants and the mediation of D'Isola [ the Emperor's Ambassador ]. And the estimate of value sinks from £20,000 to £9,900. ...

http://www.rsl.ox.ac.uk/dept/scwm…

Bradford  •  Link

"I wish my wife may use her well."

Ditto your wife's husband.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

"...and there did fling down the fille there upon the chair and did tocar her thigh with my hand; at which she began to cry out, so I left off and drank..."

Deb, you realize this is all your fault.

***

Interesting that the Council actually speaks of trying to please the seamen rather than shooting down the mutinuous dogs.

***

"If I can get leave..."

Also interesting...Sam can sneak off to a play and ... for an afternoon but otherwise is expected to keep regular hours. I assume he is at the pleasure of the Duke to call on him.

Christopher Squire  •  Link

Brampton is in Cambridgeshire, more than day's journey so SP is intending to be away from his office 2 nights at least, I think.

Though he does go to the theatre in the afternoon, he usually [but not today] returns to the office afterwards to [I guess] sign the letters that he has dictated in the morning so that they can go out that night.

Claire  •  Link

Anticipating the inevitable...How long, do you think, until he has his way with the pretty "new girle"?

Michael Robinson  •  Link

"My Lord Anglesey told him that this was the way indeed to teach the Parliament to trust the King no more for the time to come, but to have a kingdom’s Treasurer distinct from the King’s ..."

Spoiler -- Over 300 years later still an evolving relationship:

Revealed: The secret deal that changed the monarchy
Sovereign's debt crisis sparked 2006 agreement surrendering ultimate financial autonomy
http://www.independent.co.uk/news…

Mary  •  Link

"I think her a little too good for my family.."

Can this mean that Sam might (and I do say, "might") have qualms about paying her his customary attentions? His usual prey clearly belongs to a class that he considers decidedly inferior to himself and hence fair game. If Deb Willett appears to be distinctly ladylike ..... well, that could be a different kettle of fish.

Tony Eldridge  •  Link

a design of sending their son Franke to the East Indy Company’s service if they can get him entertainment, which they are promised by Sir Andr. Rickard
Any one know what "entertainment" means here? I am guessing sponsorship or perhaps a character reference.

Christopher Squire  •  Link

‘Entertainment . . 2.b. Provision for the support of persons in service (esp. soldiers); concr. pay, wages. Obs.
1535 Act 27 Hen. VIII, c. 11 §1 The kings clerks..haue for their enterteinements and their clerkes, no fees nor wages certaine for those offices.
. . 1612 DAVIES Why Ireland, etc. (1787) 24 The Earl of Stafford's entertainment was, for himself six shillings and eight pence per diem.
. . 1709 STRYPE Ann. Ref. Introd. ii. 16 Granting him 20s. a day..towards the entertainment of an hundred horsemen serving there under him.’ [OED]

So in this context it means if they can get him a salaried post rather than [in modern parlance] an unpaid internship or [as used to happen n many professions] a trainee post for which the family would have to pay a premium to his employers.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

Franke Turner...Actually sounds like an entertainer.

"Now, right here on our stage in Calcutta...Sir Andy Rickart presents...Franke! Turner!!!"

Phoenix  •  Link

"and there did fling down the fille there upon the chair..."

Like a rag doll I suppose. Perhaps it's the same with all of his women: money,influence and violence. Perhaps the turn-on is simply the power to do so.

cum salis grano  •  Link

Sorry state of affairs, the physical power begets abuse unless there is a counter power, like money.

Rational behaviour is the result of realizing that there are horrid consequences for instant gratification using evil behaviour.
The fear factor, keeps many from being horrid.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

Unless it's all a lie and just Sam's wishful thinking... "And then I took her and ..." "Sam'l! What are you doing up there?!"

Does seem rather unbelievable at times...At least that none of the relatives or spouses of the lovely ladies ever takes a poke at our hero's face. But, different times of course and Sam had money, power, and charm at a time when there weren't many other options for a bored woman seeking any kind of entertainment.

Thirty years from now...

"Mr. Pepys, sir..."

"Hewer..."

"Sir, I wanted to ask...Have long wondered in fact, but didn't really consider it any of my business...But now that we're old friends..."

"How'd I manage to land all those lovely ladies back in the 60's?, bug-eyed little fellow that I am?"

"Well...I realize you had money and power, sir."

"A part of it, Hewer...But only a part. You see, Hewer, the real secret of my success was..." Pause for a look about him to ensure that She Who Must Never Know is nowhere in attendance...

Cut to shot of Sam in tavern, tearfully on knees clasping desperately at hand of tavern maid...

"Oh, Sarah, Sarah...You know since my operation I've lived on..." solemn look... "Borrowed time..." pulls clasped hand to heart.

"Oh, Mr. Pepys..."

"Sarah, don't let me die without once more knowing what Love is...My dear Bess does her best but..." downcast look...

"Always thought she might be a little lackin' in that depart..." Sarah notes.

"And, as you know, I've never been able to father a child...My operation has clearly let me...Berifit...So, you've nothing to worry about in that regard."

"Really?"

"I have the certified testimony of my surgeon right here..." pats chest.

Oh? "Well, in that case..." throws Sam over chair...

"That was it, sir? You used your stone cut as excuse?"

"I've always taught you to make use of all tools, Will. And of course I always was careful to chose women leading dull, hopelessly wearisome lives of grinding poverty or at least dull, hopelessly wearisome lives...With spouses or intendeds to match. You remember I never got anywhere serious with Betty Pierce?"

"Yes, indeed...It was the common talk of the office..."

"What?!"

"Sir, we had no other entertainment in the office but to place bets on how you'd do with your latest try. I should say Mr. Hayter always did believe you'd win her over one day."

Paul Chapin  •  Link

Mary, that's an interesting thought, and you may be right, but I read it a little differently. I took it that her appearance and her demeanor and her apparent competence were significantly above all of Elizabeth's previous ladies-in-waiting, and Sam was worried that they may not be able to keep her in the conditions that defined the lives of the other servants. From what little we know about her so far, her social station seems comparable to Mercer's, and we know that Sam had no qualms about dallying with Mercer.

Don O'Shea  •  Link

When I read about Sam's wanderings in the Londontown, I recalled of an iPhone app (http://www.tuaw.com/2010/10/01/fi…) that that I saw earlier today. It contains the maps of London for 1862, 1830, 1799, and 1746 along with 750 points of interest, photos, and audio guides for visitors to London. Wouldn't it be nice to have a map of 1667 London (before and after the Great Fire) and to be able to follow Sam's perambulations for that day? I often wonder how far apart all these places are and what they looked like as I read the diary. Perhaps, some enterprising soul will create and iPad app that would provide a diary entry like this site does along with the map marked with the Sam's visitations for that day.

A. De Araujo  •  Link

"Too good for my family"
In other words,overqualified.

Second Reading

Marquess  •  Link

Thus we see the first appearance of Deb Willet and what trouble she will cause the Pepys household.

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"... So to Westminster, where to the Swan and there did fling down the fille there upon the chair and did tocar her thigh with my hand; at which she began to cry out, so I left off and drank
and away to the Hall,
and thence to Mrs. Martin’s, to bespeak some linen, and there yo did hazer algo with ella and drank, ..."

Has Ms. Willet's impending arrival caused Pepys to throw away the vows again? What exactly was he drinking??????????????????

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"... I went to St. James’s, there thinking to have opportunity to speak to the Duke of York about the petition I have to make to him for something in reward for my service this war, ..."

Ah, reading the accounts on Lord Ashley's desk the other day did give you an idea!

"After dinner, ..., we were put into my Lord’s room before he could come to us, and there had opportunity to look over his state of his accounts of the prizes; and there saw how bountiful the King hath been to several people and hardly any man almost, Commander of the Navy of any note, but hath had some reward or other out of it; and many sums to the Privy-purse, but not so many, I see, as I thought there had been: but we could not look quite through it. But several Bedchamber-men and people about the Court had good sums; and, among others, Sir John Minnes and Lord Bruncker have 200l. a-piece for looking to the East India prizes, while I did their work for them."
https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…

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