Written by Dave Bonta on Oct 19, 2019 05:57 pm
(Fast-day for the fire). Up with Sir W. Batten by water to White Hall, and anon had a meeting before the Duke of York, where pretty to see how Sir W. Batten, that carried the surveys of all the fleete with him, to shew their ill condition to the Duke of York, when he found the Prince there, did not speak one word, though the meeting was of his asking — for nothing else. And when I asked him, he told me he knew the Prince too well to anger him, so that he was afeard to do it. Thence with him to Westminster, to the parish church, where the Parliament-men, and Stillingfleete in the pulpit. So full, no standing there; so he and I to eat herrings at the Dog Taverne. And then to church again, and there was Mr. Frampton in the pulpit, they cry up so much, a young man, and of a mighty ready tongue. I heard a little of his sermon, and liked it; but the crowd so great, I could not stay. So to the Swan, and ‘baise la fille‘, and drank, and then home by coach, and took father, wife, brother, and W. Hewer to Islington, where I find mine host dead. Here eat and drank, and merry; and so home, and to the office a while, and then to Sir W. Batten to talk a while, and with Captain Cocke into the office to hear his newes, who is mighty conversant with Garraway and those people, who tells me what they object as to the maladministration of things as to money. But that they mean well, and will do well; but their reckonings are very good, and show great faults, as I will insert here. They say the king hath had towards this war expressly thus much
Royal Ayde
2,450,000l.
More
1,250,000
Three months’ tax given the King by a power of raising a month’s tax of 70,000l. every year for three years
0,210,000
Customes, out of which the King did promise to pay 240,000l., which for two years comes to
0,480,000
Prizes, which they moderately reckon at
0,300,000
A debt declared by the Navy, by us
0,900,000
5,590,000
The whole charge of the Navy, as we state it for two years and a month, hath been but
3,200,000
So what is become of all this sum?
2,390,000
He and I did bemoan our public condition. He tells me the Duke of Albemarle is under a cloud, and they have a mind at Court to lay him aside. This I know not; but all things are not right with him, and I am glad of it, but sorry for the time. So home to supper, and to bed, it being my wedding night, but how many years I cannot tell; but my wife says ten.
I am a dog and you a crow
we find dead things
that we will eat
as customs ate us
as we become this sum of a cloud
and our wedding night
Erasure poem derived from The Diary of Samuel Pepys, Wednesday 10 October 1666.
