This is a translation of the 'Memoires of Jacques du Clercq', published in 1823 in two volumes, edited by Frederic, Baron de Reissenberg. In his introduction Reissenberg writes: 'Jacques du Clercq tells us that he was born in 1424, and that he was a licentiate in law and a counsellor to Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, in the castellany of Douai, Lille, and Orchies. It appears that he established his residence at Arras. In 1446, he married the daughter of Baldwin de la Lacherie, a gentleman who lived in Lille. We read in the fifth book of his Memoirs that his father, also named Jacques du Clercq, had married a lady of the Le Camelin family, from Compiègne. His ancestors, always attached to the counts of Flanders, had constantly served them, whether in their councils or in their armies.' The Memoires cover a period of nineteen years beginning in in 1448, ending in in 1467. It appears that the author had intended to extend the Memoirs beyond that date; no doubt illness or death prevented him from carrying out this plan. As Reissenberg writes the 'merit of this work lies in the simplicity of its narrative, in its tone of good faith, and in a certain air of frankness which naturally wins the reader’s confidence.' Du Clercq ranges from events of national and international importance, including events of the Wars of the Roses in England, to simple, everyday local events such as marriages, robberies, murders, trials and deaths, including that of his own father in Book 5; one of his last entries.
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Samuel Pepys' Diary. 13th February 1664. Up, and after I had told my wife in the morning in bed the passages yesterday with Creed my head and heart was mightily lighter than they were before, and so up and to the office, and thence, after sitting, at 11 o'clock with Mr. Coventry [aged 36] to the African House, and there with Sir W. Ryder by agreement we looked over part of my Lord Peterborough's [aged 42] accounts, these being by Creed and Vernaty.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 26th March 1664. Up very betimes and to my office, and there read over some papers against a meeting by and by at this office of Mr. Povy [aged 50], Sir W. Rider, Creed, and Vernaty, and Mr. Gauden about my Lord Peterborough's [aged 42] accounts for Tangier [Map], wherein we proceeded a good way; but, Lord! to see how ridiculous Mr. Povy is in all he says or do; like a man not more fit for to be in such employments as he is, and particularly that of Treasurer (paying many and very great sums without the least written order) as he is to be King of England, and seems but this day, after much discourse of mine, to be sensible of that part of his folly, besides a great deal more in other things.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 31st March 1664. Up betimes, and to my office, where by and by comes Povy [aged 50], Sir W. Rider, Mr. Bland, Creed, and Vernaty, about my Lord Peterborough's [aged 42] accounts, which we now went through, but with great difficulty, and many high words between Mr. Povy and I; for I could not endure to see so many things extraordinary put in, against truthe and reason. He was very angry, but I endeavoured all I could to profess my satisfaction in my Lord's part of the accounts, but not in those foolish idle things, they say I said, that others had put in. Anon we rose and parted, both of us angry, but I contented, because I knew all of them must know I was in the right.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 16th April 1664. Up and to the office, where all the morning upon the dispute of Mr. Wood's masts, and at noon with Mr. Coventry [aged 36] to the African House; and after a good and pleasant dinner, up with him, Sir W. Rider, the simple Povy [aged 50], of all the most ridiculous foole that ever I knew to attend to business, and Creed and Vernaty, about my Lord Peterborough's [aged 42] accounts; but the more we look into them, the more we see of them that makes dispute, which made us break off, and so I home, and there found my wife and Besse gone over the water to Half-way house, and after them, thinking to have gone to Woolwich, Kent [Map], but it was too late, so eat a cake and home, and thence by coach to have spoke with Tom Trice about a letter I met with this afternoon from my cozen Scott, wherein he seems to deny proceeding as my father's attorney in administering for him in my brother Tom's [deceased] estate, but I find him gone out of town, and so returned vexed home and to the office, where late writing a letter to him, and so home and to bed.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 19th April 1664. Up and to St. James's, where long with Mr. Coventry [aged 36], Povy [aged 50], &c., in their Tangier accounts, but such the folly of that coxcomb Povy that we could do little in it, and so parted for the time, and I to walk with Creed and Vernaty in the Physique Garden in St. James's Parke; where I first saw orange-trees, and other fine trees.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 21st April 1664. Up pretty betimes and to my office, and thither came by and by Mr. Vernaty and staid two hours with me, but Mr. Gauden did not come, and so he went away to meet again anon.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 3rd May 1664. Up, and being ready, went by agreement to Mr. Bland's and there drank my morning draft in good chocollatte, and slabbering my band sent home for another, and so he and I by water to White Hall, and walked to St. James's, where met Creed and Vernaty, and by and by Sir W. Rider, and so to Mr. Coventry's [aged 36] chamber, and there upon my Lord Peterborough's [aged 42] accounts, where I endeavoured to shew the folly and punish it as much as I could of Mr. Povy [aged 50]; for, of all the men in the world, I never knew any man of his degree so great a coxcomb in such imployments. I see I have lost him forever, but I value it not; for he is a coxcomb, and, I doubt, not over honest, by some things which I see; and yet, for all his folly, he hath the good lucke, now and then, to speak his follies in as good words, and with as good a show, as if it were reason, and to the purpose, which is really one of the wonders of my life.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 15th May 1664. In the evening came Mr. Vernaty to see me and discourse about my Lord Peterborough's [aged 42] business, and also my uncle Wight [aged 62] and Norbury, but I took no notice nor showed any different countenance to my uncle Wight, or he to me, for all that he carried himself so basely to my wife the last week, but will take time to make my use of it. So, being exceeding hot, to bed, and slept well.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 20th May 1664. By and by comes Povy [aged 50], Creed, and Vernaty, and so to their accounts, wherein more trouble and vexation with Povy.
This is a translation of the 'Memoires of Jacques du Clercq', published in 1823 in two volumes, edited by Frederic, Baron de Reissenberg. In his introduction Reissenberg writes: 'Jacques du Clercq tells us that he was born in 1424, and that he was a licentiate in law and a counsellor to Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, in the castellany of Douai, Lille, and Orchies. It appears that he established his residence at Arras. In 1446, he married the daughter of Baldwin de la Lacherie, a gentleman who lived in Lille. We read in the fifth book of his Memoirs that his father, also named Jacques du Clercq, had married a lady of the Le Camelin family, from Compiègne. His ancestors, always attached to the counts of Flanders, had constantly served them, whether in their councils or in their armies.' The Memoires cover a period of nineteen years beginning in in 1448, ending in in 1467. It appears that the author had intended to extend the Memoirs beyond that date; no doubt illness or death prevented him from carrying out this plan. As Reissenberg writes the 'merit of this work lies in the simplicity of its narrative, in its tone of good faith, and in a certain air of frankness which naturally wins the reader’s confidence.' Du Clercq ranges from events of national and international importance, including events of the Wars of the Roses in England, to simple, everyday local events such as marriages, robberies, murders, trials and deaths, including that of his own father in Book 5; one of his last entries.
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Samuel Pepys' Diary. 29th August 1666. To St. James's, and there Sir W. Coventry [aged 38] took Sir W. Pen [aged 45] and me apart, and read to us his answer to the Generalls' letter to the King [aged 36] that he read last night; wherein he is very plain, and states the matter in full defence of himself and of me with him, which he could not avoid; which is a good comfort to me, that I happen to be involved with him in the same cause. And then, speaking of the supplies which have been made to this fleete, more than ever in all kinds to any, even that wherein the Duke of Yorke [aged 32] himself was, "Well", says he, "if this will not do, I will say, as Sir J. Falstaffe did to the Prince, 'Tell your father, that if he do not like this let him kill the next Piercy himself,'"1 and so we broke up, and to the Duke, and there did our usual business. So I to the Parke and there met Creed, and he and I walked to Westminster to the Exchequer, and thence to White Hall talking of Tangier matters and Vernaty's knavery, and so parted, and then I homeward and met Mr. Povy [aged 52] in Cheapside, and stopped and talked a good while upon the profits of the place which my Lord Bellasses [aged 52] hath made this last year, and what share we are to have of it, but of this all imperfect, and so parted, and I home, and there find Mrs. Mary Batelier, and she dined with us; and thence I took them to Islington [Map], and there eat a custard; and so back to Moorfields [Map], and shewed Batelier, with my wife, "Polichinello", which I like the more I see it; and so home with great content, she being a mighty good-natured, pretty woman, and thence I to the Victualling Office, and there with Mr. Lewes and Willson upon our Victualling matters till ten at night, and so I home and there late writing a letter to Sir W. Coventry, and so home to supper and to bed. No newes where the Dutch are. We begin to think they will steale through the Channel to meet Beaufort. We think our fleete sayled yesterday, but we have no newes of it.
Note 1. "King Henry IV"., Part I, act v., sc. 4.
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Samuel Pepys' Diary. 29th August 1666. Up betimes, and there to fit some Tangier accounts, and then, by appointment, to my Lord Bellasses [aged 52], but about Paul's thought of the chant paper I should carry with me, and so fain to come back again, and did, and then met with Sir W. Pen [aged 45], and with him to my Lord Bellasses, he sitting in the coach the while, while I up to my Lord and there offered him my account of the bills of exchange I had received and paid for him, wherein we agree all but one £200 bill of Vernaty's drawing, wherein I doubt he hath endeavoured to cheate my Lord; but that will soon appear.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 22nd October 1666. After dinner I carried him and my wife towards Westminster, by coach, myself 'lighting at the Temple [Map], and there, being a little too soon, walked in the Temple [Map] Church, looking with pleasure on the monuments and epitaphs, and then to my Lord Bellasses [aged 52], where Creed and Povy [aged 52] by appointment met to discourse of some of their Tangier accounts between my Lord and Vernatty, who will prove a very knave.
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 27th October 1666. Up, and there comes to see me my Lord Bellasses [aged 52], which was a great honour. He tells me great newes, yet but what I suspected, that Vernatty is fled, and so hath cheated him and twenty more, but most of all, I doubt, Mr. Povy [aged 52].
Samuel Pepys' Diary. 11th February 1667. So home to dinner, and after dinner by coach to Lord Bellasses [aged 52], and with him to Povy's [aged 53] house, whom we find with Auditor Beale and Vernatty about their accounts still, which is never likely to have end. Our business was to speak with Vernatty, who is certainly a most cunning knave as ever was born.