Thursday 25 June 1668

Up, and to the office all the morning, and after dinner at home to the office again, and there all the afternoon very busy till night, and then home to supper and to bed.

10 Annotations

First Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

The Royal Society today at Arundel House — from the Hooke Folio Online

Iune. 25. 1668. The curator brought in a microscopicall Obseruation concerning the texture of wood tending to shew the manner of the Iuices ascending to the top of tall trees by a kind of Values but the company not being satisfyd wth the Observation made this day by a microscope of a peice of wood It was orderd that It should be referred to a cleerer day, and that a better microscope should be prouided for that purpose as also that the curator should look on a Bulrush to obserue how the texture of that appears to be -

The Prest. Related that he had made an Expt. wth [mercury] & water. in a tube after the torrecellian way and found that the proportion of [mercury] to water was not as 14 to 1. but as 9 to 1. his Lp. was desired to obserue whether in this case there were not a bubble of air at the top of the Barometer.

There was made an Expt in the Rarefying engine with a sloworme which vpon exsuccion did swell (earth instead of soap)
Description of the Ruines of Ariconium. [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aric… ]
Ludus Helmonty [ http://goo.gl/Dd3Lc and http://goo.gl/bdLDu ]

Heuelius [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joha… ] Letter about his cometography. which he submitted to their Iudgment, this Letter conteining some exceptions [In margin]Vz. to what had been formerly communicated to the said mr Heuelius by mr Hook about telescope sights as much better then the common ones for quadrants sextants Leuells, and especially for all kinds of celestiall obseruations It was orderd that a Coppy of that part of the Letter should be giuen to mr Hook to declare himself further about it.

http://webapps.qmul.ac.uk/cell/Ho…

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"Description of the Ruines of Ariconium."

Thomas Dudley Fosbroke. Ariconensia, or, Archaeological sketches of Ross and Archenfield : illustrative of the campaigns of Caractacus, the station Ariconium, &c, with other matters never before published http://www.ebooksread.com/authors…
.

language hat  •  Link

"Up, and to the office all the morning, and after dinner at home to the office again, and there all the afternoon very busy till night, and then home to supper and to bed."

Just think, if he'd been a lazier man when it came to writing, virtually all the entries could be variants of this! Thanks, Sam, for being the chatty fellow you normally were.

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"The curator brought in a microscopicall Obseruation concerning the texture of wood tending to shew the manner of the Iuices ascending to the top of tall trees by a kind of Values"

Plant valves again. Would these be regarded as primarily mechanical as they are today? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valve and the controlling metaphor a mechanism? or would organism be primary as here?:
valve
late 14c., "one of the halves of a folding door," from L. valva "section of a folding or revolving door," lit. "that which turns," related to volvere "to roll" (see vulva). Sense extended 1610s to "membranous fold regulating flow of bodily fluids;" 1650s to "mechanical device that works like a valve;" and 1660s in zoology to "halves of a hinged shell." http://www.etymonline.com/index.p…

Second Reading

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

'Charles II: June 1668', in Calendar of State Papers Domestic: Charles II, 1667-8, ed. Mary Anne Everett Green (London, 1893), pp. 418-468. British History Online
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/…

June 25. 1668
Dr. Jenkins to Williamson.

My notes do not afford anything worth remark, and all that I have of the Venice decision is out of a French book by Vigner, which states that de Vargas — being Ambassador at Venice for Charles V and Philip his son, and in possession of precedence in the Emperor's right — had his place contested by the French Ambassador in 1557, after the news came of the Emperor's laying down his sceptre, the French alleging that Vargas did not now represent the Emperor, but Philip II. only.

The difference was referred to the Senate, which being loth to interpose, did nothing in it that year;
the next year a fiercer Frenchman, the Bishop of Arques, came Ambassador from France, and, at his instance, the Senate pronounced downright for France, Antonio Priuli being Doge.

The Spaniards, not dissembling their resentments, as having more dominions in number, wealth, and extent, were answered that the Senate took not upon them to determine from the present balance and state of affairs, but having found in their registers that the French had anciently enjoyed the precedence, they saw no reason to debar them from it.

The Frenchman quotes [St. Lawrence] Justiniani's Venetian history;
[Filippo] Paruta, who writes of those years accurately enough, says nothing of the kind.

I conceive, if there was any such decision, that they went on the safest ground in law in those cases, which is usage and prescription.

[Nicholas] Vignier also pretends that the French carried it at a Diet at Warsaw;
but it was when a French Prince, Henry III, fairest of all others to be king.

I have seen in a book called "Les Lettres d'un Francois" that in a chapter on St. George's Eve, 1555, it was voted by our Knights of the Garter that the King of France should hold his place still at the Sovereign's right hand, and the Queen's husband, as they called Philip, and the left.

But any such capitular Act would signify no more than a regard to seniority in the order.

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

The Spaniards, in their own dominions, are proud of a great deference such as Charles V paid Francis, his prisoner, at Madrid, and Philip III gave our Prince of Wales;
but the French make their arrows of every wood, arguing not only from the ancientness of their monarchy, the primitiveness of their religion, their merits towards St. Peter's Chair and in the Holy War — which are the best topics — but also from the bombast compliments of the Turk and Persian;
from the affrays that Belli—vre made at the Grisons, de Thou at the Hague, and d'Estrades in England in 1661.

We disputed our case with them at the Council of Constance, and I am not satisfied we did not carry it, as it is clear we had the first place on the left hand, which undoubtedly is more honourable than the second on the right;
that they were on the right is clear, because they say the Castilians sat next after them, as the Sicilians did after the English, and probably either the Emperor or the King of the Romans' Ambassador sat above the French on the right hand; I cannot say positively, never having seen the Acts;
of that Council, nor read Howell's book, who cannot have passed by so considerable an instance of the English grandeur.

When this Council sat, our Henry V was in France, and there was a time when Charles VII was reputed only King of Berry.

I refer you to Jas. Gothfred and Albericus Gentilis.

I think the point can be proved from the antiquity of the English monarchy;
the place of the English in the Councils of Constance, Sienna, and Basle;
the ceremonial of the Church of Rome;
and the decision of Julius II for our Henry VII against Ferdinand of Castile, that on Henry VIII's accession, we had the next place to the French in all public assemblies.
Endorsed "Precedency."
[2 pages. S.P. Dom., Car. II. 242, No. 22.]

This must be a discussion about diplomatic protocol ... maybe it makes sense to you, Stephane?

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

[June 25.] 1668
Petition of Isaac Called to the King,
for a patent for 14 years, to make needlework points as good and fashionable as any made in Venice, France, or any other parts beyond the seas, which will introduce the manufacture, and save vast sums of money yearly exported for lace.

In consideration thereof, he will instruct as many as shall desire to learn it gratis, and pay them reasonably for their work, provided they make for nobody but himself and partners.

Also for a prohibition to all others not to draw away any employed by him during the time privileged, and for a grant of such a sum yearly as will equalise his expenses.

With draft reference thereon to the Attorney-General.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 242, No. 26A.]

@@@
June 25. 1668
Commissioner Peter Pett to Sam. Pepys.

I have received some of my goods without interception,
but my great dial, garden pots and figures, and marble table, and 2 brewing vessels, which are as much my own as the coat on my back — as Lord Brouncker can testify, having seen my books — were stopped by Capt. Rand, on order from Col. Middleton.

Pray move the Board for an order for delivery of the rest,
and for an order to the Clerk of the cheque at Chatham to make out my son Warwick's ticket, as also my Quarter's bill till Christmas.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 242, 29.]

@@@
June 25. 1668
Thos. Lewis to Sam. Pepys.

Sir Denis [Gauden] has directed his agent at Portsmouth to send him an account of the stores,
and to provide for victualling Sir Thos. Allin's squadron.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 242, 30.]

Adm. Allin will be so happy to hear about food coming soon!

Stephane Chenard  •  Link

Now, why did Williamson require all this research on the precedence of English vs. French kings and ambassadors? Of course who sits where matters a great deal to diplomats (just have a look at the group engravings from the recent G7 summit in Wales), and 'tis an Age when sea-captains risk starting the next war by shooting between each other's masts when they feel the other guy didn't lower his flag enough - why, 'tis not so long that the escorts of two Ambassadors slaughtered each other on the question of whose Excellency's coach should go first through a narrow street in Madrid (or was it Cracow, 'twas in the Gazette).

There is a lot to unpack in Dr. Jenkins' treatise, and the subtle implications which could be made from seating arrangements on the broader rights of all these intermarrying dynasties are beyond our immediate ability to puzzle, so we'll just remark on the context in which the doctor was sent to dust off his Albericus Gentilis. Monsieur Colbert is about to visit London, could this be part of the preparations? If so, how come the protocol needs to be researched, given all the routine, high-level contact between France and England? Are Charles and Louis planning a summit?

Interesting also that the Venetians are mentioned at length. Lodged as they are between the French and the Spaniards (in Naples), it's understandable that they won't pick sides in such quarrels, but note that, at this very time, France is making a big show of sending troops and money to help Venice and Christendom at Candia; on this background it would be piquant if the French made Turkish compliments part of their case (the Turks also might consider the left-hand seat insulting). England is, in deeds if not in words, rather pro-Turk, and so perhaps not in as good a posture in discussions on Candia, especially if it turns to whose religion is best or oldest.

By coincidence, and speaking of Ambassadors, the Gazette (No. 268, page 1) just reported that, on May 26, as part of making nice to the pope, the French Ambassador bringing notice of the late peace with Spain also informed His Holiness that "the King his Master hath conſented that the Pillar of Igominy erected in the late Popes time in memory of the affront offered by the Corſick soldiers to the then Ambassador the Duke de Crequy, ſhall be ſpeedily ſemolished". Crequy, who in 1662 had come to mediate in a nasty dispute between the Alexander VII's Corsican guards and those of a cardinal, had been rewarded with bullets in his coach, several servants killed and his house pulled down, in a bad case of an inter-guard tavern brawl spiralling out of control (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cor…). The gentry may be well-behaved enough, but then there's all these mercenaries in their entourage, ready to seize the least pretext to prove their loyalty and settle their own scores.

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

Pepys' terse entry may reflect the amount of pending projects which awaited him on his return, which Arthur Annesley, 1st Earl of Anglesey had not known how to tackle. That'll teach him to leave the office for more than a few hours.

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