Tuesday 26 November 1667
Up, all the morning at the office, and then home to dinner, where dined Mr. Clerke, solicitor, with me, to discourse about my Tangier accounts, which I would fain make up, but I have not time. After dinner, by coach as far as the Temple, and there saw a new book, in folio, of all that suffered for the King in the late times, which I will buy, it seems well writ, and then back to the Old Exchange, and there at my goldsmith’s bought a basin for my wife to give the Parson’s child, to which the other day she was godmother. It cost me; 10l. 14s. besides graving, which I do with the cypher of the name, Daniel Mills, and so home to the office, and then home to supper and hear my wife read, and then to bed.
This afternoon, after dinner, come to me Mr. Warren, and there did tell me that he come to pay his debt to me for the kindness I did him in getting his last ship out, which I must also remember was a service to the King, though I did not tell him so, as appeared by my advising with the board, and there writing to Sir W. Coventry to get the pass for the ship to go for it to Genoa. Now that which he had promised me for the courtesy was I take it 100 pieces or more, I think more, and also for the former courtesy I had done for the getting of his first ship out for this hemp he did promise me a consideration upon the return of the goods, but I never did to this day demand any thing of him, only about a month ago he told me that now his ship was come, and he would come out of my debt, but told me that whereas he did expect to have had some profit by the voyage, it had proved of loss to him, by the loss of some ships, or some accidents, I know not what, and so that he was not able to do what he intended, but told me that he would present me with sixty pieces in gold. I told him I would demand nothing of his promises, though they were much greater, nor would have thus much, but if he could afford to give me but fifty pieces, it should suffice me. So now he brought something in a paper, which since proves to be fifty pieces. But before I would take them I told him that I did not insist on anything, and therefore prayed him to consult his ability before he did part with them: and so I refused them once or twice till he did the third time offer them, and then I took them, he saying that he would present me with as many more if I would undertake to get him 500l. paid on his bills. I told him I would by no means have any promise of the kind, nor would have any kindness from him for any such service, but that I should do my utmost for nothing to do him that justice, and would endeavour to do what I could for him, and so we parted, he owning himself mightily engaged to me for my kind usage of him in accepting of so small a matter in satisfaction of all that he owed me; which I enter at large for my justification if anything of this should be hereafter enquired after.
This evening also comes to me to my closet at the Office Sir John Chichly, of his own accord, to tell me what he shall answer to the Committee, when, as he expects, he shall be examined about my Lord Sandwich; which is so little as will not hurt my Lord at all, I know. He do profess great generousness towards my Lord, and that this jealousy of my Lord’s of him is without ground, but do mightily inveigh against Sir Roger Cuttance, and would never have my Lord to carry him to sea again, as being a man that hath done my Lord more hurt than ever he can repair by his ill advice, and disobliging every body. He will by no means seem to crouch to my Lord, but says that he hath as good blood in his veins as any man, though not so good a title, but that he will do nothing to wrong or prejudice my Lord, and I hope he will not, nor I believe can; but he tells me that Sir E. Spragg and Utber are the men that have done my Lord the most wrong, and did bespatter him the most at Oxford, and that my Lord was misled to believe that all that was there said was his, which indeed it was not, and says that he did at that time complain to his father of this his misfortune. This I confess is strange to me touching these two men, but yet it may well enough as the world goes, though I wonder I confess at the latter of the two, who always professes great love to my Lord.
Sir Roger Cuttance was with me in the morning, and there gives me an account so clear about Bergen and the other business against my Lord, as I do not see what can be laid to my Lord in either, and tells me that Pen, however he now dissembles it, did on the quarter deck of my Lord’s ship, after he come on board, when my Lord did fire a gun for the ships to leave pursuing the enemy, Pen did say, before a great many, several times, that his heart did leap in his belly for joy when he heard the gun, and that it was the best thing that could be done for securing the fleet. He tells me also that Pen was the first that did move and persuade my Lord to the breaking bulke, as a thing that was now the time to do right to the commanders of the great ships, who had no opportunity of getting anything by prizes, now his Lordship might distribute to everyone something, and he himself did write down before my Lord the proportions for each man. This I am glad of, though it may be this dissembling fellow may, twenty to one, deny it.
14 Annotations
First Reading
Terry Foreman • Link
Arlington to Ormond
Written from: Whitehall
Date: 26 November 1667
The Earl of Clarendon has found means to ask his Majesty to approve of his plan of withdrawing himself, but unsuccessfully; the King "detesting the proposition & the manner of it; having discovered it was artificially made, to take advantage by it of the free conference he allowed of. Perhaps, the House of Commons may be induced to bring up special matter, which will be followed by the Earl of Clarendon's confinement". ...
http://www.rsl.ox.ac.uk/dept/scwm…
Terry Foreman • Link
Ormond to Orrery
Written from: Dublin
Date: 26 November 1667
... The purpose, or at least the threat, to make the writer's quartering of troops an article of criminal charge against him, has for a long time been no secret. He hopes - for Lord Orrery's sake - that he is well able to answer it. He found a regiment quartered here (as he supposes most of the Army was elsewhere) by just the same warrants from his Lordship & his colleagues [as Lords Justices] as those since issued for the like purpose. ...
... Notices the differences between the two Houses of Parliament, in England, concerning the method of proceeding against Lord Clarendon. ...
_____
Ormond to Anglesey
Written from: Dublin
Date: 26 November 1667
Has received the Earl's letters of 16th inst. Dering is now upon passing his Patent. Wishes he would buy out the incumbent, that the King might have the present advantage of his, Dering's, service. ...
... It is said, out of [meaning "from"] England, that the Adventurers will endeavour to overthrow all that has been a-doing these [in MS.: "this"] seven years, towards the Settlement of this Kingdom by petitioning the Parliament for the benefit of the Acts of 17 and 18 of the last King, which, they suppose, no Acts passed in this Kingdom could alter or repeal. But, it is hoped, there are many there who are concerned to represent the disorder such a proceeding would produce. "I pray God", adds the writer, "the Lords stick to their just resolutions not to depart from the right they have, from God and the King. If they should give ground, even those Lords who would persuade them to it, may live to feel the smart of it." ...
http://www.rsl.ox.ac.uk/dept/scwm…
Australian Susan • Link
It would be wonderful if the Christening gift mentioned here had survived over time, but I suppose it did not.
Lloyd's book sounds rather like Foxe's Book of Martyrs, but does not seem to have been such a best seller, maybe because it was not quite so gruesome in detail.
Sam is very careful to write down here exactly what passed between him and Warren. All this meticulousness and his head for detail and painstaking way of getting all the facts and stats together will stand him in good stead for the much more serious time he is called to account at the time of the Titus Oates' accusations.
Phoenix • Link
10 pounds 14 shillings. Not bad.
But then earlier this year wasn't he grumbling about honouring a child's valentine? Hmmm. Sweet baby I suppose.
Mary • Link
It's a handsome gift indeed, the more so in view of all those deadly dull sermons of Mills's that Sam has sat through over the years.
Terry Foreman • Link
To follow on Australian Susan's points, Pepys's care here -- apropos esp. his transactions with Thomas Warren (brother of Sir William Warren) -- is devoted to record the ways he ensures there had never been and are now no tit-for-tat, not the sort to extort by use of his office: that he is not a profiteer.
This is preemptive in anticipation of his examination by the Committee on Miscarriages, but will have value for his defense in investigations none can foresee at this time -- the Public Accounts Committee (1668-69), the House Brooke Committee (1667-69) http://is.gd/hSyjq and the 1678-1683 Shaftesbury investigation that frames "‘The Plot Against Pepys’" by James Long and Ben Long, Reviewed by Jeannine Kerwin http://www.pepysdiary.com/indepth…
cum salis grano • Link
10 pounds 14 shillings.
3 maydes worth, or worth three maydes.
A years rent for the working class.
Larry Bunce • Link
The handy currency converter gives 10 lb. 14 s. as 15,400 pounds for 2008, the last year they have. At current exchange rates, that is US $24,000. Current Federal minimum wage in the US is around $15,000 per year. Average apartment rent is $1,000/mo.
Second Reading
Terry Foreman • Link
"[ Sir John Chichly] tells me also that Pen was the first that did move and persuade my Lord to the breaking bulke, as a thing that was now the time to do right to the commanders of the great ships, who had no opportunity of getting anything by prizes, now his Lordship might distribute to everyone something, and he himself did write down before my Lord the proportions for each man."
Sir John Chichely offers Pepys important testimony in defending Lord Sandwich when he is accused of pilfering the cargo of a ship his captured.
Terry Foreman • Link
"Sir Roger Cuttance was with me in the morning, and there gives me an account so clear about Bergen and the other business against my Lord,"
L&M note in 1665 Cuttance had been in command of Sandwich's flagship (the Prince) at the Bergen fiasco and at the ill-fated capture of the two E. Indiamen which followed: re the Bergen fiasco see
http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
Re the two E. Indiamen see:
http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
Terry Foreman • Link
"Now that which [Thomas Warren] had promised me for the courtesy was I take it 100 pieces or more, I think more, and also for the former courtesy I had done for the getting of his first ship out for this hemp."
L&M: See https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/… and https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
Terry Foreman • Link
"This evening also comes to me to my closet at the Office Sir John Chichly, of his own accord, to tell me what he shall answer to the Committee, when, as he expects, he shall be examined about my Lord Sandwich; which is so little as will not hurt my Lord at all, I know."
L&M: Cf. https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/… and https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
San Diego Sarah • Link
"... at my goldsmith’s bought a basin for my wife to give the Parson’s child, to which the other day she was godmother. It cost me; 10l. 14s. besides graving, which I do with the cypher of the name, Daniel Mills, ..."
https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
Thursday 21 November 1667
"... my wife not very well, but is to go to Mr. Mills’s child’s christening, where she is godmother, Sir J. Mennes and Sir R. Brookes her companions. ..."
Young Daniel's basin is engraved so everyone knows it belongs to him, not the parents. It is a reminder to an older Daniel that Mrs. Pepys stood for him in arguably exalted company, who would also give expensive gifts. Pepys honor and standing in society will be judged by the generosity of his gift.
According to our encyclopedia, Rev. Milles was tutor to Sir R. Brookes many years ago ... he who is now heading the committee looking into the mal-administration of the war. Therefore Milles will probably at some point show Brookes the Pepys gift.
I suspect Pepys agonized over this choice. He couldn't look mean without losing face. And he couldn't look extravagant without risking making people question where the money came from for such extravagance.
On the other hand ... perhaps the goldsmith owed Pepys money, and this was a sale item as a way of cashing in the loan? Or maybe it was a way of establishing credit with a new vendor, just in case? He doesn't tell us everything.
San Diego Sarah • Link
Phil hasn't identified "my goldsmith", but I think we can guess he was Humphrey Stokes, a goldsmith of Lombard Street, husband of pretty Mrs. Stokes, referred to as “my goldsmith” five times in 1666 and 1667, and no one is called that in 1668 or 1669.
Lombard Street and the “old” Royal Exchange were very close … the Exchange burned in the Great Fire, so Pepys must have walked/taken a coach to the Exchange and walked around the corner onto the goldsmiths’ street.
https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
Mrs. Stokes must have hidden when she saw him coming, so no mention of her. And Pepys had a lot more to confide to Dear Diary today -- like the cost of the bowl, **gasp** -- and forgot to lament missing her for us.