Thursday 6 June 1667

Up, and to the office all the morning, where (which he hath not done a great while) Sir G. Carteret come to advise with us for the disposing of 10,000l., which is the first sum the new Lords Treasurers have provided us; but, unless we have more, this will not enable us to cut off any of the growing charge which they seem to give it us for, and expect we should discharge several ships quite off with it. So home and with my father and wife to Sir W. Pen’s to dinner, which they invited us to out of their respect to my father, as a stranger; though I know them as false as the devil himself, and that it is only that they think it fit to oblige me; wherein I am a happy man, that all my fellow-officers are desirous of my friendship. Here as merry as in so false a place, and where I must dissemble my hatred, I could be, and after dinner my father and wife to a play, and I to my office, and there busy all the afternoon till late at night, and then my wife and I sang a song or two in the garden, and so home to supper and to bed. This afternoon comes Mr. Pierce to me about some business, and tells me that the Duke of Cambridge is yet living, but every minute expected to die, and is given over by all people, which indeed is a sad loss.

13 Annotations

First Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

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

Iune: 6. 1667. Dr. Popes paper to mr Hooke of Grout ale [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gruit ] read and orderd to be filed. the sowernes of this liquor caused Discourse of sowerness in Generall & of curing sower liquors. some said vintners restored sower wines by quick lime & calcined substance which by precipitating the sowerness restore such wines. Ropy wines past Recouery. Red Led sweetens vinegar. to be made next day.

Oculi Cancrorum [ Crabs' eyes http://bit.ly/cYBSkf ] oyster shell crabs claws chalk &c. the curator to take care of this expt.
(mr Hoskins that grape husks turne wine into vinegar.)

Balls obseruation of weather) The curator mentiond that 6 or 7 howres before the beginning of yesterdays storme of wind the quicksiluer in the wheel barometer had falln very considerably almost a quarter of the Circle. mr Colwall seconded this by his own obseruation)

(kings account of bleeding dog into sheep) Sheep wth calues blood after 3 week dyed.

mr Hoskins about muscovy stone. [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musc… ]

the curator to measure earth in Park next munday. also to perfect reflecting box he intimated that this way of telescopes would serue for a helioscope to looke vpon the sun without offence to the eye. - -

http://webapps.qmul.ac.uk/cell/Ho…

Glyn  •  Link

Is there something pathological about Pepys's "hatred" for Sir William Penn and his family? Even when they are going out of their way to be nice to his elderly father he still thinks that that proves he is "as false as the devil himself". He's beginning to remind me of Iago in "Othello" which Pepys has also seen.

Offhand I can't think of anything really bad that Penn has done to our man, except for routine office politics.

Glyn  •  Link

And I can't believe that Sir William Penn realises the depth of Pepys's hatred for him, or he wouldn't be inviting him and his family around for a party. He might understand they're not bosom buddies but surely he doesn't realise the depth of the enmity.

On second thoughts, maybe Penn does think that Pepys is some sort of friend - after all, they worked very well together during the Great Fire. Perhaps Penn thought that that had forged some sort of bond between them - if so, wow was he mistaken.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

Penn was actually quite the kindly mentor to young Pepys in their first days at the office. It was only when Penn slapped Sam down in that fracas over Sam's right to draw up a contract that Sam began to develop his "deadly hatred". I suspect Sam took it as an attempt to make his clerk's and only clerk's status clear. What's perhaps most interesting is that Sam didn't accept a title's right to do so, at least in his heart and mind...And has never accepted it, even to, mildly at least, challenging the Admiral Sir Will on numerous occasions to the point of angering him. Can't imagine him doing it to say, Sandwich, even if he has gradually emancipated himself from his previous automatic servility to the Montagus. I think Sam felt, owing nothing to Penn and having won some favor from Coventry and York, he could risk making a stand and using it to declare more or less his independent position in the office. Batten or even Minnes might have done eventually if Penn hadn't been the one to directly challenge his status.

JWB  •  Link

"Red Led sweetens vinegar. to be made next day."

Lead acetate (sugar of Lead) was used as a sweetener, especially the Romans. Today can still be found in some balsamic vinegars.

Andrew Hamilton  •  Link

Glyn, I think I agree. It is a remarkable thing that Sam seemingly can't mention any kindness done or him or his family by the Penns without a ritual denunciation of Sir William.

Second Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"the curator to measure earth in Park next munday. also to perfect reflecting box he intimated that this way of telescopes would serue for a helioscope to looke vpon the sun without offence to the eye. - -"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hel…

Batch  •  Link

Made me think of Iago too

Tonyel  •  Link

I think Sam felt, owing nothing to Penn and having won some favor from Coventry and York, he could risk making a stand and using it to declare more or less his independent position in the office. Batten or even Minnes might have done

I agree with the office politics - and it's quite exciting to have an enemy of higher status, especially one who doesn't know he's an enemy.

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"... but, unless we have more, this will not enable us to cut off any of the growing charge which they seem to give it us for, and expect we should discharge several ships quite off with it."

Hurry up boys ... you are running out of time!

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"Balls obseruation of weather) The curator mentiond that 6 or 7 howres before the beginning of yesterdays storme of wind the quicksiluer in the wheel barometer had falln very considerably almost a quarter of the Circle. mr Colwall seconded this by his own obseruation)"

Mr. Ball’s experiments with the early barometer explained:
https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…

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