Saye is a woollen cloth woven in the west and south of England in and around the 15th and 16th centuries.
91-432: On 21 June 1661 the diary of Samuel Pepys recorded purchasing "green Say ... for curtains in my parler". In 1541 Cecily Aylmer, the daughter of Richard Aylmer , Mayor of Norwich , leaves Mother Manfold 'my best petticoat and an apron of saye', while Mother Plank gets 'my worst petticoat and my worst apron.' A related sort of cloth was serica, which was finer, since it also contained silk. This article about textiles
182-524: A Whitechapel butcher. His great uncle Talbot Pepys was Recorder and briefly Member of Parliament (MP) for Cambridge in 1625. His father's first cousin Sir Richard Pepys was elected MP for Sudbury in 1640, appointed Baron of the Exchequer on 30 May 1654, and appointed Lord Chief Justice of Ireland on 25 September 1655. Pepys was the fifth of 11 children, but child mortality was high and he
273-461: A coffee house or tavern , only to discover that the person whom he was seeking was not there. These occasions were a constant source of frustration to Pepys. Pepys' diary provides a first-hand account of the Restoration , and includes detailed accounts of several major events of the 1660s, along with the lesser known diary of John Evelyn . In particular, it is an invaluable source for the study of
364-448: A condition from which his mother and brother John also later suffered. He was almost never without pain, as well as other symptoms, including "blood in the urine" ( haematuria ). By the time of his marriage, the condition was very severe. In 1657, Pepys decided to undergo surgery; not an easy option, as the operation was known to be especially painful and hazardous. Nevertheless, Pepys consulted surgeon Thomas Hollier and, on 26 March 1658,
455-455: A detailed primary source of Sandwich's career in the 1660s. They had a serious quarrel in 1663, when Pepys reprimanded Sandwich for living openly with his mistress, Elizabeth Becke, at her "mean house" in Chelsea . Pepys was concerned at the damage to their family's reputation, Sandwich's neglect of his official duties (thus risking the loss of any remaining influence he had at Court) and also at
546-626: A document published in 1667 which led to the expansion of the Royal Africa Company . In the Second Anglo-Dutch War of 1665 to 1667 he fought at the Battle of Lowestoft , an English victory, but defeat at the Battle of Vågen led to him being removed from active service. His reputation suffered another serious blow when he failed to prevent his sailors from plundering a number of Dutch VOC prize ships, loaded with precious spices from
637-529: A fortune (in fact he seems to have taken less than he was entitled to), and the public, who were still enduring the horrors of the Great Plague of London , reacted with such unexpected fury that a minor mishap became a national affair: "the Prize Goods Scandal". Although Clarendon wrote that Sandwich was too likeable to have any personal enemies, he did have political opponents, including his own superior at
728-459: A great future for Tangier as an international trade centre, and he commanded the fleet which took possession of the city in January 1662, purchasing a house there. Returning to England, in his capacity as Ambassador, he escorted the new Queen, Catherine of Braganza , from Lisbon . Montagu was a signatory to The Several Declarations of The Company of Royal Adventurers of England Trading into Africa ,
819-685: A holiday to France and the Low Countries in June–October 1669; on their return, Elisabeth fell ill and died on 10 November 1669. Pepys erected a monument to her in the church of St Olave's, Hart Street, London. Pepys never remarried, but he did have a long-term housekeeper named Mary Skinner who was assumed by many of his contemporaries to be his mistress and sometimes referred to as Mrs. Pepys. In his will, he left her an annuity of £200 and many of his possessions. In 1672, he became an Elder Brother of Trinity House and served in this capacity until 1689; he
910-611: A million words long and is often regarded as Britain's most celebrated diary. Pepys has been called the greatest diarist of all time due to his frankness in writing concerning his own weaknesses and the accuracy with which he records events of daily British life and major events in the 17th century. Pepys wrote about the contemporary court and theatre (including his amorous affairs with the actresses), his household, and major political and social occurrences. Historians have used his diary to gain greater insight and understanding of life in London in
1001-560: A practice which would reveal the details to any casual reader. He did intend for future generations to see the diary, as evidenced by its inclusion in his library and its catalogue before his death along with the shorthand guide he used and the elaborate planning by which he ensured his library survived intact after his death. The women he pursued, his friends, and his dealings are all laid out. His diary reveals his jealousies, insecurities, trivial concerns, and his fractious relationship with his wife. It has been an important account of London in
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#17332022849821092-456: A private tutor and used models of ships to make up for his lack of first-hand nautical experience, and ultimately came to play a significant role in the board's activities. In September 1660, he was made a Justice of the Peace ; on 15 February 1662, Pepys was admitted as a Younger Brother of Trinity House ; and on 30 April, he received the freedom of Portsmouth . Through Sandwich, he was involved in
1183-562: A solemn oath about abstaining from plays and wine…" The following months reveal his lapses to the reader; by 17 February, it is recorded, "Here I drank wine upon necessity, being ill for the want of it." Pepys was one of the most important civil servants of his age, and was also a widely cultivated man, taking an interest in books, music, the theatre, and science. Aside from English, he was fluent in French and read many texts in Latin . His favourite author
1274-523: A very little time it got as far as the Steeleyard, while I was there. Everybody endeavouring to remove their goods, and flinging into the river or bringing them into lighters that layoff; poor people staying in their houses as long as till the very fire touched them, and then running into boats, or clambering from one pair of stairs by the water-side to another. And among other things, the poor pigeons, I perceive, were loth to leave their houses, but hovered about
1365-471: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Diary of Samuel Pepys Samuel Pepys FRS ( / p iː p s / ; 23 February 1633 – 26 May 1703) was an English writer and Tory politician. He served as an official in the Navy Board and Member of Parliament , but is most remembered today for the diary he kept for almost a decade. Though he had no maritime experience, Pepys rose to be
1456-462: Is no direct evidence for this, as he was childless before the operation. In mid-1658 Pepys moved to Axe Yard, near the modern Downing Street . He worked as a teller in the Exchequer under George Downing . On 1 January 1660 ("1 January 1659/1660" in contemporary terms ), Pepys began to keep a diary . He recorded his daily life for almost 10 years. This record of a decade of Pepys' life is more than
1547-538: Is not yet come in to the Parliament; nor is it expected that he will, without being forced to it. The entries from the first few months were filled with news of General George Monck's march on London. In April and May of that year, he encountered problems with his wife, and he accompanied Montagu's fleet to the Netherlands to bring Charles II back from exile. Montagu was made Earl of Sandwich on 18 June, and Pepys secured
1638-546: Is people, not literary effects, that matter." In early 1665, the start of the Second Anglo-Dutch War placed great pressure on Pepys. His colleagues were either engaged elsewhere or incompetent, and Pepys had to conduct a great deal of business himself. He excelled under the pressure, which was extreme due to the complexity and underfunding of the Royal Navy. At the outset, he proposed a centralised approach to supplying
1729-566: The 1667 Treaty of Madrid . When the Second Anglo-Dutch War began in 1665, he commanded a naval squadron but was later suspended in a dispute over prize money . Restored to command when the Third Anglo-Dutch War began in May 1672, he was killed at the Battle of Solebay in June. Montagu is one of the best-known characters of the 1660s, being a central figure in the diaries of his distant cousin,
1820-790: The Dutch Republic on 24 May. Two months later, on 12 July 1660, he was created Baron Montagu of St Neots , Viscount Hinchingbrooke , and Earl of Sandwich . King Charles also made him a Knight of the Garter and appointed him Master of the Great Wardrobe , Admiral of the narrow seas (the English Channel and southern North Sea ), and Lieutenant Admiral to The Duke of York , Lord High Admiral of England. He carried St. Edward's staff at Charles' subsequent coronation. Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon , who liked and admired Sandwich, wrote that
1911-479: The East Indies , which he had brought in. By long-standing custom the sailors could take any goods they found between the decks, but they were strictly forbidden to "break the bulk" i.e. ransack the ship's hold; yet this is just what Sandwich, an easy-going man with a notoriously poor understanding of money matters, permitted. When this became widely known, the rumour spread that Sandwich had unlawfully helped himself to
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#17332022849822002-676: The House of Lords , Manchester and Essex were automatically removed, since unlike MPs they could not resign their titles. Montagu's regiment was incorporated into the New Model, taking part in the June 1645 Battle of Naseby , followed by the capture of Bristol . In October, he resigned from the army as required by the Ordinance when was appointed MP for Huntingdonshire , a seat formerly held by his father who died in September 1644. Montagu played no part in
2093-708: The Parliamentarian army, and was a Member of Parliament at various times between 1645 and 1660. Under The Protectorate , he was also a member of the English Council of State and General at sea . In the political infighting that followed the death of Oliver Cromwell in 1658, he played an important role in bringing about the Stuart Restoration in May 1660. Created Earl of Sandwich by Charles II , he served as Ambassador to Portugal from 1661 to 1662. Appointed Ambassador to Spain in 1666, he helped negotiate
2184-680: The Second Anglo-Dutch War of 1665–7, the Great Plague of 1665, and the Great Fire of London in 1666. In relation to the Plague and Fire, C. S. Knighton has written: "From its reporting of these two disasters to the metropolis in which he thrived, Pepys's diary has become a national monument." Robert Latham , editor of the definitive edition of the diary, remarks concerning the Plague and Fire: "His descriptions of both—agonisingly vivid—achieve their effect by being something more than superlative reporting; they are written with compassion. As always with Pepys it
2275-589: The Second English Civil War and retired from Parliament after Pride's Purge in December 1648 to live quietly at home. He returned to politics in 1653 when his neighbour Oliver Cromwell nominated him to the Barebones Parliament as MP for Huntingdonshire, a seat formerly held by his father who died in September 1644. He was also appointed to the English Council of State , an office he held until it
2366-707: The Secret Treaty of Dover between her brother and Louis XIV . Of the existence of the Treaty's secret clauses, notably that by which Charles II pledged to convert to the Roman Catholic faith, Sandwich, like the general public, was quite unaware. In the same year he was appointed President of the Privy Council Committee on Foreign Plantations; he had always had a keen interest in international trade, despite his notorious inability to keep his own finances in order. He
2457-512: The Stuart Restoration . It provides a combination of personal revelation and eyewitness accounts of great events, such as the Great Plague of London , the Second Anglo-Dutch War and the Great Fire of London . Pepys was born in Salisbury Court, Fleet Street , London , on 23 February 1633, the son of John Pepys (1601–1680), a tailor, and Margaret Pepys ( née Kite; died 1667), daughter of
2548-648: The University of Cambridge , having received two exhibitions from St Paul's School (perhaps owing to the influence of George Downing , who was chairman of the judges and for whom he later worked at the Exchequer) and a grant from the Mercers' Company . In October, he was admitted as a sizar to Magdalene College ; he moved there in March 1651 and took his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1654. Later in 1654 or early in 1655, he entered
2639-566: The 'Change. Jealous of every door that one sees shut up, lest it should be the plague; and about us two shops in three, if not more, generally shut up. He also chewed tobacco as a protection against infection, and worried that wig-makers might be using hair from the corpses as a raw material. Furthermore, it was Pepys who suggested that the Navy Office should evacuate to Greenwich , although he did offer to remain in town himself. He later took great pride in his stoicism. Meanwhile, Elisabeth Pepys
2730-723: The 1644 campaign fought at Marston Moor , the Siege of York and Second Newbury . Despite his family relationship, Montagu supported those in Parliament who expressed dissatisfaction with the conduct of the war by Manchester and Essex . This resulted in the creation of the New Model Army in February 1645 and the passing of the Self-denying Ordinance , requiring those holding military commissions to resign from Parliament. As members of
2821-479: The 1660s. The juxtaposition of his commentary on politics and national events, alongside the very personal, can be seen from the beginning. His opening paragraphs, written in January 1660, begin: Blessed be God, at the end of the last year I was in very good health, without any sense of my old pain but upon taking of cold. I lived in Axe yard, having my wife and servant Jane, and no more in family than us three. My wife, after
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2912-399: The 17th century. Pepys wrote consistently on subjects such as personal finances, the time he got up in the morning, the weather, and what he ate. He wrote at length about his new watch which he was very proud of (and which had an alarm, a new accessory at the time), a country visitor who did not enjoy his time in London because he felt that it was too crowded, and his cat waking him up at one in
3003-599: The Admiralty, James, Duke of York , and James' influential secretary Sir William Coventry , who were happy to exploit the scandal. He felt obliged to obtain a royal pardon : the King, mindful of his good services at the Restoration, willingly granted it. During his absence from battle, Sandwich served as England's ambassador to Spain, replacing Sir Richard Fanshawe . This is further evidence that despite his unpopularity, he retained
3094-548: The Chief Secretary to the Admiralty under both Charles II and James II through patronage , diligence, and his talent for administration. His influence and reforms at the English Admiralty were important in the early professionalisation of the Royal Navy. The detailed private diary that Pepys kept from 1660 until 1669 was first published in the 19th century and is one of the most important primary sources of
3185-793: The Commissioners of Accounts at that period. He also kept a diary for a few months in 1683 when he was sent to Tangier as the most senior civil servant in the Navy, during the English evacuation . The diary mostly covers work-related matters. On the Navy Board, Pepys proved to be a more able and efficient worker than colleagues in higher positions. This often annoyed Pepys and provoked much harsh criticism in his diary. Among his colleagues were Admiral Sir William Penn , Sir George Carteret , Sir John Mennes , and Sir William Batten . Pepys learned arithmetic from
3276-460: The King's confidence, although his political fortunes, like those of his friend and patron Clarendon, were in decline. Sandwich himself had told Pepys the previous year not to put too much reliance on the friendship of any "great man". After the Great Fire of London Sandwich downplayed the damage to the Spanish King, claiming that London's slums were the only thing in ashes. This slant on the events
3367-505: The Navy's treasury in London. Pepys made a long speech at the bar of the Commons on 5 March 1668 defending this practice. It was, in the words of C. S. Knighton, a "virtuoso performance". The commission was followed by an investigation led by a more powerful authority, the commissioners of accounts. They met at Brooke House, Holborn and spent two years scrutinising how the war had been financed. In 1669, Pepys had to prepare detailed answers to
3458-529: The Republican faction led by John Lambert . Montagu resumed command of the navy and was returned as MP for the important port of Dover when elections were held for a Convention Parliament in April. This placed him in a powerful position during negotiations for the Restoration ; when Parliament resolved to proclaim Charles king and invited him to return to England, Montagu commanded the fleet that brought him from
3549-609: The absence of her terms for seven weeks, gave me hopes of her being with child, but on the last day of the year she hath them again. The condition of the State was thus. Viz. the Rump , after being disturbed by my Lord Lambert , was lately returned to sit again. The officers of the army all forced to yield. Lawson lie[s] still in the River and Monke is with his army in Scotland. Only my Lord Lambert
3640-464: The acquisition of English Tangier in 1661. In February 1657, he was one of the so-called "New Cromwellians" who supported the Humble Petition and Advice , inviting Cromwell to declare himself king and advocating the re-establishment of a national church. The measure was opposed by army radicals including Charles Fleetwood and John Lambert and ultimately rejected. In June 1658 he commanded
3731-661: The administration of the short-lived English colony at Tangier . He joined the Tangier committee in August 1662 when the colony was first founded and became its treasurer in 1665. In 1663, he independently negotiated a £3,000 contract for Norwegian masts, demonstrating the freedom of action that his superior abilities allowed. He was appointed to a commission of the royal fishery on 8 April 1664. Pepys' job required him to meet many people to dispense money and make contracts. He often laments how he "lost his labour" having gone to some appointment at
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3822-466: The bodies of girls and women. Kate Loveman of Cambridge University describes this belief: "[In his diary] Pepys's sexual language of being ‘kind’, ‘touching’, and ‘tumbling’ emphasized his indulgence and playfulness, while masking coercion and violence; meanwhile, [his victim] Lane's claims of assault he regarded as exemplifying a woman's ‘falseness’, not because he thought there had been no violence, but because she had no moral right to protest." The diary
3913-470: The committee's eight "Observations" on the Navy Board's conduct. In 1670, he was forced to defend his own role. A seaman's ticket with Pepys' name on it was produced as incontrovertible evidence of his corrupt dealings but, thanks to the intervention of the king, Pepys emerged from the sustained investigation relatively unscathed. Outbreaks of plague were not unusual events in London; major epidemics had occurred in 1592, 1603, 1625 and 1636. Furthermore, Pepys
4004-478: The conferring of these honours caused much resentment among those Royalists who had gone into exile with their King, and regarded Sandwich as a "diehard" Cromwellian; yet adds that his charm of manner made it almost impossible to dislike him. He was appointed Ambassador to Portugal in 1661, and strongly favoured the Portuguese marriage, through which England obtained Mumbai and Tangier . Sandwich, like others, saw
4095-549: The dancing master). Pepys was an investor in the Company of Royal Adventurers Trading to Africa , which held the Royal monopoly on trading along the west coast of Africa in gold , silver , ivory , and slaves . Propriety did not prevent him from engaging in a number of extramarital liaisons with various women that were chronicled in his diary, often in some detail when relating the intimate details. The most dramatic of these encounters
4186-566: The early years of the Restoration , such as the coronation of Charles II, the Great Plague , the Great Fire of London , and the Anglo–Dutch Wars . Pepys did not plan on his contemporaries ever seeing his diary, which is evident from the fact that he wrote in shorthand and sometimes in a "code" of various Spanish , French , and Italian words (especially when describing his illicit affairs). However, Pepys often juxtaposed profanities in his native English amidst his "code" of foreign words,
4277-507: The era, he found the cost of running an embassy ruinous (he had never had a good head for business) and on his return to England in the autumn of 1668 one of his first actions was to borrow money from his cousin Samuel Pepys. On his way back from Spain, he again visited Tangier to report on the condition of the garrison there. In 1670 he escorted the King's sister Henrietta of England , Duchess of Orleans , from France to England to negotiate
4368-544: The fire overtakes us faster than we can do it." At noon, he returned home and "had an extraordinary good dinner, and as merry, as at this time we could be", before returning to watch the fire in the city once more. Later, he returned to Whitehall, then met his wife in St James's Park . In the evening, they watched the fire from the safety of Bankside . Pepys writes that "it made me weep to see it". Returning home, Pepys met his clerk Tom Hayter who had lost everything. Hearing news that
4459-469: The fire was advancing, he started to pack up his possessions by moonlight. A cart arrived at 4 a.m. on 3 September and Pepys spent much of the day arranging the removal of his possessions. Many of his valuables, including his diary, were sent to a friend from the Navy Office at Bethnal Green . At night, he "fed upon the remains of yesterday's dinner, having no fire nor dishes, nor any opportunity of dressing any thing." The next day, Pepys continued to arrange
4550-608: The fleet in 1666. However, these demands were actually quite desirable for him, as tactical and strategic mistakes were not the responsibility of the Navy Board. The Board did face some allegations regarding the Medway raid, but they could exploit the criticism already attracted by Commissioner of Chatham Peter Pett to deflect criticism from themselves. The committee accepted this tactic when they reported in February 1668. The Board was, however, criticised for its use of tickets to pay seamen. These tickets could only be exchanged for cash at
4641-570: The fleet. His idea was accepted, and he was made surveyor-general of victualling in October 1665. The position brought a further £300 a year. Pepys wrote about the Second Anglo-Dutch War: "In all things, in wisdom, courage, force and success, the Dutch have the best of us and do end the war with victory on their side". And King Charles II said: "Don't fight the Dutch, imitate them". In 1667, with
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#17332022849824732-439: The happiest years of his life. He worked very hard that year, and the outcome was that he quadrupled his fortune. In his annual summary on 31 December, he wrote, "I have never lived so merrily (besides that I never got so much) as I have done this plague time". Nonetheless, Pepys was certainly concerned about the plague. On 16 August he wrote: But, Lord! how sad a sight it is to see the streets empty of people, and very few upon
4823-592: The house in which he had had his bladder stone removed. Despite all this destruction, Pepys' house, office, and diary were saved. The diary gives a detailed account of Pepys' personal life. He was fond of wine , plays, and the company of other people. He also spent time evaluating his fortune and his place in the world. He was always curious and often acted on that curiosity, as he acted upon almost all his impulses. Periodically, he would resolve to devote more time to hard work instead of leisure. For example, in his entry for New Year's Eve, 1661, he writes: "I have newly taken
4914-447: The household of one of his father's cousins, Sir Edward Montagu , who was later created the 1st Earl of Sandwich . When he was 22, Pepys married 14-year-old Elisabeth de St Michel , a descendant of French Huguenot immigrants, first in a religious ceremony on 10 October 1655 and later in a civil ceremony on 1 December 1655 at St Margaret's, Westminster . From a young age, Pepys suffered from bladder stones in his urinary tract —
5005-453: The insult to Sandwich's wife, to whom Pepys was deeply attached. Following a brief estrangement, friendly relations were resumed, although the two men were probably never as close again as they had been (Pepys, for example, is not mentioned in Sandwich's last will). For Pepys to raise the issue at all took considerable courage, considering how much he owed to his patron, and his Diary shows that he
5096-576: The kennels, and people working therewith from one end to the other; the fire coming on in that narrow streete, on both sides, with infinite fury. Sir W. Batten not knowing how to remove his wine, did dig a pit in the garden, and laid it in there; and I took the opportunity of laying all the papers of my office that I could not otherwise dispose of. And in the evening Sir W. Pen and I did dig another, and put our wine in it; and I my Parmazan cheese, as well as my wine and some other things. Pepys had taken to sleeping on his office floor; on Wednesday, 5 September, he
5187-508: The king that homes be pulled down in the path of the fire in order to stem its progress. Accepting this advice, the king told him to go to Lord Mayor Thomas Bloodworth and tell him to start pulling down houses. Pepys took a coach back as far as St Paul's Cathedral before setting off on foot through the burning city. He found the Lord Mayor, who said, "Lord! what can I do? I am spent: people will not obey me. I have been pulling down houses; but
5278-464: The loose pages bound into six volumes, catalogued them in his library with all his other books, and is likely to have suspected that eventually someone would find them interesting. This tree summarizes, in a more compact form and with a few additional details, trees published elsewhere in a box-like form. It is meant to help the reader of the Diary and also integrates some biographical information found in
5369-597: The mistress of Pepys"—or at least "she granted him a share of her favours". Scholars disagree on the full extent of the Pepys/Knep relationship, but much of later generations' knowledge of Knep comes from the diary. Pepys first met Knep on 6 December 1665. He described her as "pretty enough, but the most excellent, mad-humoured thing, and sings the noblest that I ever heard in my life." He called her husband "an ill, melancholy, jealous-looking fellow" and suspected him of abusing his wife. Knep provided Pepys with backstage access and
5460-403: The morning. Pepys' diary is one of a very few sources which provides such length in details of everyday life of an upper-middle-class man during the 17th century. The descriptions of the lives of his servants like Jane Birch provide a valuable detailed insight into their lives. Aside from day-to-day activities, Pepys also commented on the significant and turbulent events of his nation. England
5551-473: The naval official Samuel Pepys . Montagu was born on 25 July 1625, only surviving son of Sir Sidney Montagu ( c. 1572-1644) and his first wife Paulina Pepys (died 1638), great-aunt of Samuel Pepys . On 7 November 1642, Montagu married Jemima Crew, daughter of John Crew, 1st Baron Crew and Jemima Waldegrave, whom Pepys in his Diary refers to with great affection as "My Lady". The couple had ten children: Paulina's death in February 1669, aged only twenty,
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#17332022849825642-492: The naval squadron that blockaded Dunkirk and when Cromwell died in September, Montagu remained loyal to his son and appointed successor Richard Cromwell . During his brief and disastrous rule as Lord Protector , Montagu remained at sea and in early 1659 was sent to mediate between Sweden and Denmark ; however, he was suspected of secret communication with the exiled Charles II and the republicans Algernon Sidney and Sir Robert Honywood were sent to monitor his activity. He
5733-459: The operation took place in a bedroom in the house of Pepys' cousin Jane Turner. Pepys' stone was successfully removed and he resolved to hold a celebration on every anniversary of the operation, which he did for several years. However, there were long-term effects from the operation. The incision on his bladder broke open again late in his life. The procedure may have left him sterile, though there
5824-642: The position of Clerk of the Acts to the Navy Board on 13 July. As secretary to the board, Pepys was entitled to a £350 annual salary plus the various gratuities and benefits that came with the job—including bribes. He rejected an offer of £1,000 for the position from a rival and soon afterward moved to official accommodation in Seething Lane in the City of London . Pepys stopped writing his diary in 1669. His eyesight began to trouble him and he feared that writing in dim light
5915-490: The removal of his possessions. By then, he believed that Seething Lane was in grave danger, so he suggested calling men from Deptford to help pull down houses and defend the king's property. He described the chaos in the city and his curious attempt at saving his own goods: Sir W. Pen and I to Tower-streete, and there met the fire burning three or four doors beyond Mr. Howell's, whose goods, poor man, his trayes, and dishes, shovells, &c., were flung all along Tower-street in
6006-442: The same sources. Pepys' health suffered from the long hours that he worked throughout the period of the diary. Specifically, he believed that his eyesight had been affected by his work. He reluctantly concluded in his last entry, dated 31 May 1669, that he should completely stop writing for the sake of his eyes, and only dictate to his clerks from then on, which meant that he could no longer keep his diary. Pepys and his wife took
6097-430: The very stones of churches, and among other things the poor steeple by which pretty Mrs.———— lives, and whereof my old school-fellow Elborough is parson, taken fire in the very top, and there burned till it fell down... The wind was driving the fire westward, so he ordered the boat to go to Whitehall and became the first person to inform the king of the fire. According to his entry of 2 September 1666, Pepys recommended to
6188-547: The war lost, Pepys helped to discharge the navy. The Dutch had defeated England on open water and now began to threaten English soil itself. In June 1667, they conducted their Raid on the Medway , broke the defensive chain at Gillingham , and towed away the Royal Charles , one of the Royal Navy's most important ships. As he had done during the Fire and the Plague, Pepys again removed his wife and his gold from London. The Dutch raid
6279-435: The windows and balconys till they were, some of them burned, their wings, and fell down. Having staid, and in an hour's time seen the fire: rage every way, and nobody, to my sight, endeavouring to quench it, but to remove their goods, and leave all to the fire, and having seen it get as far as the Steele-yard, and the wind mighty high and driving it into the City; and every thing, after so long a drought, proving combustible, even
6370-551: Was Virgil . He was passionately interested in music; he composed, sang, and played for pleasure, and even arranged music lessons for his servants. He played the lute , viol , violin , flageolet , recorder , and spinet to varying degrees of proficiency. He was also a keen singer, performing at home, in coffee houses, and even in Westminster Abbey . He and his wife took flageolet lessons from master Thomas Greeting . He also taught his wife to sing and paid for dancing lessons for her (although these stopped when he became jealous of
6461-443: Was Master of Trinity House in 1676–1677 and again in 1685–1686. In 1673, he was promoted to Secretary of the Admiralty Commission and elected MP for Castle Rising in Norfolk. Edward Montagu, 1st Earl of Sandwich Edward Montagu, 1st Earl of Sandwich , 27 July 1625 to 28 May 1672, was an English military officer, politician and diplomat from Barnwell, Northamptonshire . During the First English Civil War , he served with
6552-715: Was a conduit for theatrical and social gossip. When they wrote notes to each other, Pepys signed himself "Dapper Dickey", while Knep was " Barbry Allen " (a popular song that was an item in her musical repertory). Pepys' reference to purchasing the pornographic book L'Escole des Filles appears to be the first English reference to pornography. He writes in his diary that it was a "mighty lewd book," and burned it after reading it. Much of Pepys' behavior towards women, which he cataloged himself in his diary, would today be considered sexual harassment, sexual assault, and rape. Despite his kindness and emotional loyalty towards some women in his life, Pepys ultimately believed men were entitled to
6643-579: Was a great source of grief to her father. Pepys, who called her "a peevish lady", called to pay his condolences, but found him "shut away for sorrow". Although his father was a Royalist , when the First English Civil War began in August 1642, Montagu served in the Eastern Association army led by his Parliamentarian cousin, the Earl of Manchester . He raised a regiment of infantry which during
6734-412: Was a major concern in itself, but Pepys was personally placed under a different kind of pressure: the Navy Board and his role as Clerk of the Acts came under scrutiny from the public and from Parliament. The war ended in August and, on 17 October, the House of Commons created a committee of "miscarriages". On 20 October, a list was demanded from Pepys of ships and commanders at the time of the division of
6825-550: Was also practised by England's ambassadors throughout Europe. As Ambassador his most notable achievement was the Anglo-Spanish Commercial Treaty of 1667 , which laid the foundations for a prosperous trading relationship between the two countries which lasted for over a century. He also acted as mediator in the peace negotiations between Spain and Portugal which resulted in the Treaty of Lisbon . Like all Ambassadors of
6916-424: Was awakened by his wife at 2 a.m. She told him that the fire had almost reached All Hallows-by-the-Tower and that it was at the foot of Seething Lane. He decided to send her and his gold — about £2,350 — to Woolwich. In the following days, Pepys witnessed looting, disorder, and disruption. On 7 September, he went to Paul's Wharf and saw the ruins of St Paul's Cathedral, of his old school, of his father's house, and of
7007-469: Was characteristically filled with remorse, but (equally characteristically) continued to pursue Willet after she had been dismissed from the Pepys household. Pepys also had a habit of fondling the breasts of his maid Mary Mercer while she dressed him in the morning. Pepys may also have dallied with a leading actress of the Restoration period, Mary Knep . "Mrs Knep was the wife of a Smithfield horsedealer, and
7098-417: Was damaging his eyes. He did imply in his last entries that he might have others write his diary for him , but doing so would result in a loss of privacy and it seems that he never went through with those plans. In the end, Pepys lived another 34 years without going blind, but he never took to writing his diary again. However, Pepys dictated a journal for two months in 1669–70 as a record of his dealings with
7189-683: Was dissolved in 1659, and was re-elected to the First Protectorate Parliament in 1654, then the Second Protectorate Parliament in 1656. During the Anglo-Spanish War (1654–1660) , he was appointed joint General at Sea with Robert Blake , taking part in an expedition into the Mediterranean . This experience made him a leading advocate of establishing a British naval base in the region, an ambition realised with
7280-531: Was in disarray when he began writing his diary. Oliver Cromwell had died just a few years before, creating a period of civil unrest and a large power vacuum to be filled. Pepys had been a strong supporter of Cromwell, but he converted to the Royalist cause upon the Protector's death. He was on the ship that returned Charles II to England to take up his throne and gave first-hand accounts of other significant events from
7371-499: Was landed at Westminster at about 5 pm and carried to the Abbey in a grand procession. Sandwich on his mother's side was the first cousin of John Pepys, the father of Samuel Pepys . Pepys started his career as a minor member of the Sandwich household and owed his appointments first to the Wardrobe and then as Clerk of the Acts to the Navy Board to Sandwich's influence. Pepys' diary provides
7462-448: Was not among the group of people who were most at risk. He did not live in cramped housing, he did not routinely mix with the poor, and he was not required to keep his family in London in the event of a crisis. It was not until June 1665 that the unusual seriousness of the plague became apparent, so Pepys' activities in the first five months of 1665 were not significantly affected by it. Claire Tomalin wrote that 1665 was, to Pepys, one of
7553-453: Was recalled and investigated by the newly installed Rump Parliament ; although no evidence was found, he was dismissed from command. By the end of 1659, England appeared to be drifting into anarchy, with widespread demands for new elections and an end to military rule. In February 1660, George Monck , military commander in Scotland, marched into London and declared his support for the Rump against
7644-558: Was sent to Woolwich . She did not return to Seething Lane until January 1666 and was shocked by the sight of St Olave 's churchyard, where 300 people had been buried. In the early hours of 2 September 1666, Pepys was awakened by Jane the maid, his servant, who had spotted a fire in the Billingsgate area. He decided that the fire was not particularly serious and returned to bed. Shortly after waking, his servant returned and reported that 300 houses had been destroyed and that London Bridge
7735-450: Was soon the oldest survivor. He was baptised at St Bride's Church on 3 March 1633. Pepys did not spend all of his infancy in London; for a while, he was sent to live with nurse Goody Lawrence at Kingsland , just north of the city. In about 1644, Pepys attended Huntingdon Grammar School before being educated at St Paul's School , London, c. 1646 –1650. He attended the execution of Charles I in 1649. In 1650, he went to
7826-436: Was strongly tempted to let the matter lie. Even when he did raise it he chose to write rather than confront Sandwich face to face. In 1668 Pepys was somewhat perturbed when his wife Elizabeth , during one of the violent quarrels which followed the discovery of his affair with her companion Deb Willet , told him that Sandwich had asked her to be his mistress. Since Pepys was in no doubt that she had refused, he decided to treat
7917-521: Was subsequently reappointed to a naval command, and by 1672 at the start of the Third Anglo-Dutch War , he was Vice-Admiral of the Blue with the Royal James as his flagship. At the Battle of Solebay on 28 May, his ship was attacked by a group of fire ships and was destroyed with the loss of many lives, including Sandwich himself. His body was washed ashore a week later, recognisable only from his clothing; it
8008-519: Was threatened. Pepys went to the Tower of London to get a better view. Without returning home, he took a boat and observed the fire for over an hour. In his diary, Pepys recorded his observations as follows: I down to the water-side, and there got a boat and through bridge, and there saw a lamentable fire. Poor Michell's house, as far as the Old Swan, already burned that way, and the fire running further, that in
8099-520: Was unmarked and he appeared to have drowned. Sandwich opposed the war and is said to have predicted his own death. Certainly, he told his friend John Evelyn , just before he sailed, that "he would see him no more". On Wednesday 3 July 1672 he was buried in Westminster Abbey after a state funeral that started with a procession along the River Thames of five decorated barges from Deptford. The body
8190-429: Was with Deborah Willet , a young woman engaged as a companion for Elisabeth Pepys. On 25 October 1668, Pepys was surprised by his wife as he embraced Deb Willet; he writes that his wife "coming up suddenly, did find me imbracing the girl con [with] my hand sub [under] su [her] coats; and endeed I was with my main [hand] in her cunny. I was at a wonderful loss upon it and the girl also...." Following this event, he
8281-422: Was written in one of the many standard forms of shorthand used in Pepys' time, in this case called tachygraphy , and devised by Thomas Shelton . It is clear from its content that it was written as a purely personal record of his life and not for publication, yet there are indications that Pepys took steps to preserve the bound manuscripts of his diary. He wrote it out in fair copy from rough notes, and he also had
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