Sunday 1 November 1668
(Lord’s day). Up, and with W. Hewer at my chamber all this morning, going further in my great business for the Duke of York, and so at noon to dinner, and then W. Hewer to write fair what he had writ, and my wife to read to me all the afternoon, till anon Mr. Gibson come, and he and I to perfect it to my full mind, and so to supper and to bed, my mind yet at disquiet that I cannot be informed how poor Deb. stands with her mistress, but I fear she will put her away, and the truth is, though it be much against my mind and to my trouble, yet I think that it will be fit that she should be gone, for my wife’s peace and mine, for she cannot but be offended at the sight of her, my wife having conceived this jealousy of me with reason, and therefore for that, and other reasons of expense, it will be best for me to let her go, but I shall love and pity her. This noon Mr. Povy sent his coach for my wife and I to see, which we like mightily, and will endeavour to have him get us just such another.
12 Annotations
First Reading
Robert Gertz • Link
Heaven...
"'...perfect it to my full mind...'? But, sir...You said I had done a perfect..."
"Hewer..."
***
"Well, well...Some coach, eh, Bess? Thank God for Tom Povy, eh, sweetheart? Yes, indeed...That is some coach..."
"Deb...Tomorrow...Gone..." Bess, coolly.
***
Ralph Berry • Link
"and other reasons of expense"
Sam, this is the bottom of the barrel. You have stuffed up this girls life, put her in an invidious position, you came on to her not her on to you. You are now trying to justify to yourself not standing up for her on "reasons of expense"! So you should be troubled.
Tony Eldridge • Link
"that, and other reasons of expense,"
I'm not sure Sam is talking about money here. Could he be thinking of his emotional capital with Elizabeth? Whatever the case, at least he is concerned about Deb and not shrugging and casting her into the snow like some Victorian melodrama.
Not that this excuses his behaviour of course. Like many men before and since, his brain spends far too much time in his breeches.
john • Link
"Indeed I think her a little too good for my family, and so well carriaged as I hardly ever saw." 30 Sep 1667
"[My wife], I perceive, is already a little jealous of my being fond of Willet, but I will avoid giving her any cause to continue in that mind, as much as possible" 12 Oct 1667
"I perceive [my wife] is already jealous of my kindness to [Willet], so that I begin to fear this girle is not likely to stay long with us." 15 Oct 1667
So it began -- less than a month after being taken in.
Robert Gertz • Link
Whatever else she is, Bess is clearly not indifferent to Sam...
Terry Foreman • Link
Recall Lord's Days past, when Pepys's life was simpler
He's take his family to church twice a day, record a sermon's text and its preacher's quality (perhaps remark on who else was or was not there, especially if she was attractive or if he was of some rank); and after Supper -- before bed -- he'd lead family prayers.
He might even lift up the liturgical season's observance, e.g. today's All Saints' http://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclo…
Second Reading
San Diego Sarah • Link
"and other reasons of expense"
I read this more in the vein of expediency.
If Pepys was going to some expense, he should be finding Deb. alternative employment, and a replacement, older companion for Elizabeth.
Leaving things in Elizabeth's hands in dodging the issue.
San Diego Sarah • Link
Dom. State Papers with correspondence from Oct 1668 - Dec 1669 is
https://play.google.com/books/rea…
@@@
Nov. 1 1668.
Letter Office
James Hickes to Williamson.
I fear to be unable to come, having a cold, but we hope that you will the next
meeting will come to this end, and that you will stand for us, about renewing our commission.
Sir Reynold Foster promised me and other Archers to present our petition and the commission to your hands.
If this is done in a week, I will give you a new petition and copy of the
commission.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 248, No. 160.]
@@@
Nov. 1 1668.
Oxford
M. de Breval to [Williamson].
I must apologise for not having used your permission to write before.
I have seen in your letter to Dr. Barlow, your kind mention of me;
I thank you for your services to a stranger, and still more for your care for my
establishment, without my having been recommended to you.
I dine with Dr. Barlow tomorrow, and we will then drink the health of a man who makes us pour our washing water into silver basons and ewers. [See 3 Nov.]
I hope someday, through your means, to be no longer a burden to anyone.
I will not presume to dictate to you, but hear that you have influence with 3
persons by whom it could be done.
I am assured by Dr. Jenkins that there will be no obstacle from the Court.
The Vice-Chancellor says that, seeing how I have lived here for 2 years, nobody will oppose my advancement.
I leave all to you and to Providence.
[French. 3 pages. S.P. Dom., Car. II. 248, No. 163.]
---
According to this book, M. de Breval and his lady were known to Robert Boyle in 1668. https://www.google.com/books/edit…
@@@
Nov. 1 1668.
Portsmouth
Ant. Deane to the Navy Commissioners.
Will let them know when he has made sure of the Tichfield timber.
Is offered 50 or 60 loads of good timber at Fareham, fit for the great ship, at 32s. a load, ready money, with leave to pick it, which is a good bargain.
Also 12 loads at Palesgrove; asks a speedy reply.
Elm boards and timber are wanted, and 2 parcels are offered for ready money.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 248, No. 166.]
@@@
Nov. 1 1668.
Chatham
Sir John Mennes and Commissioner Tippetts to the Navy Commissioners.
The Mary Rose, Greenwich, and Antelope are detained at Oakham Ness by foul
weather, but have sent up their ordnance and ammunition.
The Mary Rose will be serviceable when cleaned and repaired.
Have nearly paid the yard and ropeyard, and will have enough for the Greenwich.
The Antelope will take 6,000/.
Ask leave to send her men to bring up the 2 ships, and prevent growing charge.
The third wreck is weighed, and lies dry.
She seems to have been a man-of-war, but is only fit to break up.
Will send the examinations about Mr. Pett and the master attendant.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 248, No. 167.]
Stephane Chenard • Link
For the record, an article has just appeared in PLoS One: "Batavia shipwreck timbers reveal a key to Dutch success in 17th-century world trade" (open access at https://journals.plos.org/plosone…). The timber in VOC shipwrecks is dated and analyzed with all the skill of this Age. It is found to have been sourced in Northern Europe from rather more diverse locations than England has access to (no big surprise there) and to have been selected with "Masterly" and "profound knowledge about the soft and perishable nature of sapwood (the outermost part of the wood, just beneath the bark), and its susceptibility to insect attack". All this, together with "Innovative ship design" of the sort Charles presently hopes to be buying from Laurens van Heemskerck, was "key to Dutch success in world-wide trade". The ships thus put under the microscope were all built decades ago in the 1620s but we think Sam would still find the article quite relevant given the hard time he has sourcing good timber from England's dwindling forests.
Gerald Berg • Link
Not to forget the Windmill sawmill:
We've seen how being able to effectively split wood was important to earlier societies that aimed to build ships. Both riving and pit-sawing were effective ways to turn logs into the needed boards, but they were also highly time-consuming and laborious. For a country to win the naval race, they'd need a radical new production technology, something that would blow the competition away.
"Blow" is the right word, as it turns out. In 1594, an ingenious Dutchman invented something amazing: A wind-powered sawmill. Cornelis Corneliszoon, who described himself as "a poor farmer with wife and children" figured out that he could harness the power of the wind and attach it to a whipsaw to make it go up and down. He then added another gear to the crankshaft that would advance the material by means of what looks to be a rack and pinion. Here is the drawing from the patent granted to Corneliszoon in 1597:
The result of Corneliszoon's invention was much faster sawing, without the calorie-burning. Men were still needed to maintain the machine's operation, of course, but the merits of the design were so obvious that others immediately began copying it (leading Corneliszoon to finally apply for a patent three years later).
The importance of the the wind-powered sawmill taking off in the Netherlands cannot be understated. Wood production didn't double, triple or quadruple; it grew by a factor of thirty, or 3,000%. It was all in the time savings: Using the pit-saw method, sawyers could process 60 logs over a span of 120 days. Using a wind-powered sawmill, they could break down 60 logs in four or five days. What used to take four months now took less than a week.
Mary K • Link
Would love to see the drawing of the wind-powered sawmill, but there doesn't seem to be any link to it.
Gerald Berg • Link
https://www.google.com/search?q=C…