The Diary · Chapter
November 1668 explained
Pepys navigates political turmoil at court, including the suspension of Lord Anglesey and the potential removal of Sir William Penn from the Navy Office, while dealing with domestic tensions over his maid Deb Willet and the arrival of his n
What happens
Pepys navigates political turmoil at court, including the suspension of Lord Anglesey and the potential removal of Sir William Penn from the Navy Office, while dealing with domestic tensions over his maid Deb Willet and the arrival of his new coach.
Themes in this chapter
Political Intrigue and Restoration
Pepys details the power struggles at court, including Buckingham's machinations, the Duke of York's submissive posture, and the fall of Lord Ormond and Lord Anglesey.
Naval Administration and Corruption
Pepys deals with Navy Office business, including the Duke of York's letter, the loss of a tally, and the replacement of Sir William Penn, highlighting administrative challenges and corruption.
Marriage, Gender, and Sexuality
Pepys's vow to avoid looking at other women and his strained relationship with his wife over Deb Willet reflect domestic tensions around fidelity and gender roles.
Daily Life and Domesticity
Pepys records mundane details such as the arrival of his new coach, dinner with Mr. Povy, and his wife reading to him, illustrating everyday life in Restoration London.
Characters to notice
- Samuel Pepys
Pepys records his daily activities, political anxieties, and domestic struggles, including his vow to avoid looking at other women and his relief at Deb's return.
- Elizabeth Pepys
Elizabeth is silent about Deb's absence but later discusses parting with her; she reads to Pepys in the evenings and manages the household.
- Roger Pepys
Cousin Roger visits Pepys, dines with him, and seals a mortgage; Pepys trusts his integrity without reading the document.
- Sir William Penn
Penn is rumored to have resigned his Navy Office place to become a partner with Gawden in the Victualling; Pepys is glad of his departure.
- Mr. Povy
Povy dines with Pepys and advises him to become a Parliament-man in the next Parliament.
- Mr. Hewer
Hewer loses a tally of £1,000 but later recovers it; he assists Pepys with accounts.
- Edward Montagu, Earl of Sandwich
Mentioned indirectly through Sir John Talbot's talk of Lord Ormond; not directly present.
- Lord Brouncker
Brouncker is absent from the Office, causing Pepys to delay delivering the Duke of York's letter.
Key passages
“I carried Roger Pepys to Holborn Conduit, and there left him going to Stradwick’s, whom we avoided to see, because of our long absence, and my wife and I to the Duke of York’s house, to see The Duchess of Malfy, a sorry play, and sat with little pleasure, for fear of my wife’s seeing me look about, and so I was uneasy all the while, though I desire and resolve never to give her trouble of that kind more.”
Pepys took Roger Pepys to Holborn Conduit and then went with his wife to see a disappointing play, The Duchess of Malfy, but he was anxious about his wife catching him looking at other women, despite his resolution to avoid causing her distress.
Pepys's vow to avoid looking at other women reflects his attempt to maintain marital harmony.
“I got Sir Richard Ford to give me leave to set my coach in his yard.”
Pepys secured permission from Sir Richard Ford to park his new coach in Ford's yard.
The arrival of Pepys's new coach is a sign of his rising social status.
“W. Hewer’s losing of a tally of £1,000, which I sent him this day to receive of the Commissioners of Excise.”
William Hewer lost a tally worth £1,000 that Pepys had sent him to collect from the Excise Commissioners.
The loss of the tally causes Pepys financial anxiety, though it is later recovered.
“He tells me that he would, by all means, have me get to be a Parliament-man the next Parliament, which he believes there will be one, which I do resolve of.”
Mr. Povy strongly advised Pepys to become a Member of Parliament in the upcoming Parliament, and Pepys decided to pursue this goal.
Pepys's ambition to enter Parliament reflects his social and political aspirations.
“The Duke of York did tell me himself, that if he had not carried it privately when first he mentioned Penn’s leaving his place to the King, it had not been done; for the Duke of Buckingham and those of his party do cry out upon it, as a strange thing to trust such a thing into the hands of one that stands accused in Parliament.”
The Duke of York confided in Pepys that Sir William Penn's resignation from the Navy Office was only possible because he kept it secret from the King initially, as Buckingham's faction opposed appointing someone accused in Parliament.
This reveals the intense political maneuvering and factionalism at court.
