MRP: April 1667, Letter from Humphry Gyffard to Sir GO

April 1667, Letter from Humphry Gyffard to Sir GO

BL, MS. XX,XXX, ff. ??

Editorial history

17/02/09, CSG: Completed transcription
14/12/11, CSG: Created page & posted transcription to wiki

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Abstract & context

This is an unusual and lengthy letter to Sir George Oxenden.

Many of the letters sent to Sir George Oxenden in the December 1666 to April 1667 period contain accounts of the plague of 1665 and the fire of London in September 1666. These letters conflate plague, fire and war, and rue the miserable economic conditions.

However, Giffard’s letter is more evocative. It is highly personal and is marked by its tone, which is self-confessedly melancholic. In contrast to several other of George Oxenden’s correspondents, who had experienced the fire second hand, Giffard had been in London and had lost his home, library and household goods. In his letter he expresses a deep sense of loss, that he and others have sinned against God, and that he has lost hope in the future.

Humphrey Giffard was a former merchant, who had been in the East Indies. However, at the time of writing this letter he was the keeper of the Poultry Counter. This was one of two debtors prisons in the City of London, and was situated in Poultry. It was destroyed in the fire, as evidently were Giffard’s home and possessions.

Giffard evidently recovered his composure after writing to Oxenden, and in 1670 published a pamplet A Second Accompt of what Progress Hath Been Hitherto Made with Such Other Particulars as are Conceived Necessary for the Advancement and Prefecting of a Publick Design for the Accommodation, Relief, and Benefit of the Prisoners of the Compter in the Poultry, Upon the Intending Re-building Thereof. In this pamphlet or tract Giffard provides a description of the pre-1666 London fire prison

Giffard’s son, Philip, was in Surat with George Oxenden at the time of the fire. There seems to be a family connection, or at least close friendship between Philip Giffard and the young George Master, George Oxenden’s nephew, who has recently died in England. Philip went on to become Deputy Governor of Bombay under George Oxenden’s successor to the Surat Presidency, Gerald Aungier.

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Suggested links

See 19th March 1662/63, Letter from Humphrey Gyffard, Poultry Counter
See 25th March 1663, Letter from Humfry Gyffard to Sir GO, London

See The Poultry counter

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To do

(1) Check transcription against physical manuscript in BL

(2) Explore Giffard/Oxenden family connection

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Transcription

This transcription has been completed, but needs to be checked

[f. 106]

Most kinde S:r George

ffor sor yo:w are & soe Ime obliged to yo:e Worp: to acknowledge w:t to write to lres; in y:e multitude & mid of yo:e other grand

[f. 107]

important affaires & imploym:t, & to me, soe inconsiderable & unworthy, who never deserved nor ever can hope to be able to requite, & at time too, when in good earnest yo:e Genius was as a low ebb, & yo:e fancie dull & out of order, how great was yo:e Goodness & yo:r kindnesse y:n to me; & how infinite my happinness & engagem:ts; & had it been to me alone; I would have deputed my sonn, all my sons, my daughters I conceave I need not engage, youle have little occation of y:m & talke will be butt trouble to yo:w, espetially if you habbit yo:u selfe w:th y:e same melanchholly humber & discontent, I finde yo:w were in, w:n yo:w writt, & w:t can y:e boyes doe, Phillip yo:w have superengaged beyond his every expectation of a capability to balance; & w:t are y:e other boys like to ad, y:e next is but a young atturnie, & I hope yo:w will ever be soe happy as never to persue or bee persued by y:e law, & since y:e rexxxxing fire, I know not whether y:e rest can be promoted into any degree of abillitie; soe y:e hono:e yo:e owne noble kindnesse & free Charity, & y:e blessing of God Almighty there upon, is like to be yo:e best & only requittal & reward, may y:t be 70 times 70 [OR 10 times 10 fold?] fold, innumerable; to eternity, to yo:eselfe, & y:e familie of y:e Oxindens, & Masculine, & ffeminine,

And now pray S:r, pray give me privilege to dispute w:th yo:w why soe very much out of ord:e & discomposed, yo:e designes, ambitions, & actings have beene highly good, & comendable; will yo:u disturbe yo:eselfe, & affront Gods wisdom & providence, for countermanding & xxossing [COULD BE “erasing”?] yo:e intentions expectations, be free to doe yo:e pt, & lett God be free to do his pleasure, tis o:e duty & o:e interest, to obay & fitt to be honoured & fflourish, will y:n Contribute to his power, & Crown yo:e design & advancemen:ts of y:e India trade & factories w:th his effectuall blessings of peace & prosperity, to yo:e content & satisfaction, for y:e hono:ble benefitt of y:e King, Kingdom & all psons

[f. 108]

interessed & concerned, in y:e intxxxx , y:e clearness of yo:e actings is a sufficient testimony to yo:eselfe, & vindication to God Almighty yo:e Conscience is a continuall feast, & w:t will y:e mistakes murmors or scandals of ignorant fools, covetious knaves, or envious madmen signifie, w:n wither wise honest & juditious men, or God comes to judge yo:w may very well & justly content yo:selfe, in y:e answer mentiond by yo:w well doe my good & faithfull servant, & in y:e hono:e & joy with yo:e sheare most certainly be, but why doe I presume to plead & pswaid yo:w w:th prudentials, who I know to be soe wise & Religious, pardon me S:r as twas a fitt on yp:w; evensoe in me.

Yett I wish I could purge out y:e grounds of y:e mellancholly, by a Comfortable lre; of a Conquist or victory, & xxxialies yo:w w:th y:e news of a well settled peace, all I contribute is, y:t there is preparation for a treaty, & if we are not so lowe yet we have condesended so low as in 14 daies Comiss:rs are to goe from heare to treat y:m in there owne Terito:ries, at breada, w:ch shews o:e willingness to a peace, if no more, & would be God we were soe happy as oure more to injoy it, not upon too disadvantageous termes, we shall y:n surely swallow it so, as not to fume or vapor o:eselves out of it; till forced, & y:n to minde o:e hitts & not thinke wee are to warr w:th pigmys, it hath beene o:e inconsiderate ness & overconfidence, y:t hath preserved y:m from ruine & strengthned & increast their ships spiiiets & ?alite & weakned us for if I am not grossly misstaken, if we had made it o:e sole business at first to have warred w:th all o:e strength & power of ships & men, under God we had Conquered & reduced y:m speedily to o:e owne termes, & advantage, at home & abroad, in y:e west & east Ind:es, & King & Country, yo:w & I had not occation for Complaints, or feares as things now are one both sides, I wish y:e disadvantage were not o:side, for y:e pollowcy & industry of y:e Dutch hath been great, are now heared, & ?barkt by y:e ffrench king, who hath an exceeding treasure, vast Armies, hath by purchase & building encreased

[f.109]

his shipping to a considerable nomb:r, very well enforced [OR “enforted?] & provided, is an ambitious resolute Prince of good Councell & conduct, who knowes his interest & advantage, to be, in ?oterizing a warr betweene y:e Dutch & us y:t he may pick y:e bone & gett y:e marrow, & y:e addition of Danes is not inconsiderable, how pfectly nessesary & freed trade is from those parts & y:e East Country for us, for y:m in order to shiping, & advantage, as pitch tarr cordage hemp flax masts & other meterialls yo:w very well know, & I am not satisfied y:e sweed will ?beforesb, Time sure for y:m selves, they are a[XXX] OF Latrones [OR, Latrenes?], mercenarie & y:e seeme ready & able to pay for y:e purchase, & prosecuts his designe of a Generall trade eagerly & hansomly, & poore wee are a lone  ?starte united in polliticks, & pray God not soe much divided as in Religion, & there be some feare bribery & treachery amongst o:eselves, mony y:e sinnes of warr is very starte [OR, starce?]. trade littlel, y:e plague hath weakned us, y:e late dredfull fire hath ruined many much damaged most , & consumed to ashes o:e grand metropolis, y:e generall supporture; & succour:e of both king & kingdom in all straits & exignecies, y:e great boddy o:e seamen are by sufferance gone & but late by tradeing voyages to smirna west Indias & other long voyages, most of o:e greatest ships yet in y:e dockes, & tis well if o:e ?lesser be fitted , stored & mand fitt for service by midsom:e moone, w:t thinke yo:w now, & not take y:e encrease of all sins & ?XXXiresin, will it be lessy:n a miracle to fight a boate; soe many soe potent enmies, confederated & joind, or will it be easier feizable to outwit, or over[XXXX] such united heads, in a treatie against their knowme interest, but this is not to trouble yo:w tis onely y:e weake opinions of an inconsiderable pson, to apt to jelousies & fearr who looks into & knowes littell of y:e world, lesse of y:e polliticks, & now I am to hearten yo:w w:th y:e [XX]lazed confidences of a more knowing partie, whoe tell for trueth, y:t at Court they are merry frollick & please’d, y:t all y:e designes & plotts of o:e Enemies are well

[f. 110]

understood & counter plotted, & y:t a peace is not only like to be, but is agreed & y:t theis Comiss:res are onely sent over to conferme it, in modo & forma, & this & more to their knowledg, this is affirmatine positive; mine meer supposition, ayer, words, & pray God in heaven conferme it by his power & goodness, That o:e Noble brave King & kingdome may flourish in a lasting peace & prosperity, the East India trade, & all be advanced to y:e height of yo:e Ambition shipps of Golde flow in daylie from Affrica, silver from America, silks from Italie, ?sackes from Canaries, Clarets from ffrance, suger from Portugall, etc from etc, & nothing from Holland, y:t o:e Byshops & Priests may sing te Deums, pray to God in y:e language of y:e Church & all y:e people ?flock & agree in volleys of Gloria Patri:s, & Amens.

Nor can I tell yo:w as others may be will, y:t tis likely o:e Cittie will be speedillie rebuilt, confidence & words contribute little, tis true y:e King Plim:t & Cittie have beene very intentive, & designed things as well as can be in order to it, but he y:t will Considers all Circomstances, cannnot but know y:e Vastness of y:e devastation, y:e numb: of houses halls Churches, y:t it will require noe small time to disroubish it, to separate, & ascertaine to each proprietor his demands & ground, to his satisfaction; to judge & resolve y:e intrigues of grand land lords, tenn:ts, & subtenn:ts; so as to proportion each his just sheare in y:e loss, & towards y:e rebuilding, to set out y:e due widening of y:e streets as ordered for Grandour, safety, & convenience, & most are in y:e mind; y:te require quantities of timber, brick, stone, & other materialls, are not easily or soone to begotten, & prepare, twill require an infinet number of workmen, Carpinters bricklayers, stonecuters, smiths, glaziers, plumers, plaisterers, & other handycrafts men, & labourers, & all meterials & workemen will be very scarce, & exceeding deere mainye ruined, most impoverisht, mony very scarce, trade little, & yet war, & how or how soone it will, it can be rebuilt, I humbly referr to yo:selfe to judge, & besides buildings, is not to be

[f. 111]

imagined how infinitely y:e fire consumed wares, household goods, monys, accounts, Jewells, & all things to an incredible vallue, beyond expectations, or feare, men were amazed, ?h[azed], infatuated, & first careless, w:th expectations of a quenching, before it came neere y:m some came to pilfer & steale, others to helpe & were weried out, others to see & stare on, till at last all thought it unconquerable, & best to shift for y:mselves & save w:t they could of their owne, carts not to be had but at expensive rates, 5:ll – 10:8; 50: ll a load, & y:e poores prest, forced a way by y:e commands or bribes of y:e grandees, & y:e x[ith] [?], y:e streets pestered & clogd up soe as to be unpassible, either w:th carts, packs, howshold goods, men, woen; Children; yo:w may Judge, y:e fire began on satterday night & consumed not o:e dwellings in y:e poultrey till monday yett I saved but one cartload & a little by hand carage of all ye goods in my howse & ye prison, burnt: 26 bedstieds beds bedinge & sheats w:ch in y:e Country, a great pt of my howshold goods, my whole Closet of rarities, w:ch were very many & of a good vallue, being good & of all sorts, stones, shells meddalls pictures prints & w:t not, naturall & artificiall, my beloved books in three studdies to y:e vallue of 300:ll cost more, & none of all this saved, when packt up, for want to begett reflections in us for w:t; from where, to w:t ends all this, & I wish we did sitt to purpose; see o:e sins trewly, repent of y:m heartily & amend sincerely resolve & doe; live a more Godly life w:thout offence to God, to men, or scandal & certainty to o:selves, families & kingdome , y:t God might once againe bless us, w:th peace prosperity, & hono:e; to be loved or feard, but in w:t kings reigne, Ime sorry I cannot divine

And now hono:ed S:r having said so much of y:e condition of y:e Cittie & kingdome, yo:e generall Melancholly considered, w:ch y:e unexpected newes of yo:e Nephews death, before yo:w had heard of his being sick, & knowing (as yo:w say) xxofes & losses come not singly, alone, & being very sensible, how unwellcome news yo:w will have from yo:e deare relations here, in pitty in charitie I come to y:e other pasage in yo:e

[f. 112]

lres, concerning my sone Philip ?etc, & first yo:e servant thanks yo:w for y:e news of my sonne Phillips being well in health y:e Dutch being Mastes of those seas, by their over number of ships, & soe spoiling yo:e correspondence, & vissits, by sending downe ships thither as accustomed, is y:e reason I conceave, why I had not a lre: from him by y:e Affrican, & y:e news was y:e more wellcome, because in my last from him overland, he writ y:t y:n viz:t in January 1665, he had a feaver:e upon him, & appeared soe by his writing, for I could scarce read it, or conceave it to be his owne hand writing, in it was u:e lamentation of y:e Nephews death, & of his great friend, & asured me his own sickness was contrasted by his exceeding griefe for y:e loss of him, w:th his good nature & pticular affection of yo:e kindsman pleased me not a little & mittigated my sorrowes & feare of his recovery, his ffather Masters being y:n in London, & hearing of my letter, came one purpose to see it, but I unhappily was y:n from home, but his sone came afterwards & tooke some notes out of it, to send to his ffather who was y:n returned into y:e Country agane sence confirming my sone as theise ads to his & my obligation, as tis yo:e special love & kindness, & hope there is some mixture of his owne merritt , & hope yo:w will please to pardon this my ffatherly indullgence to his reputation to his creddit & hono:e my owne joy & happines being soe neerly concernd & wrapt up in his well doeinge & well being, & pray kind S:r if at any time he doth any other y:n w:t is good & comendable, be soe kind as to lett me know it, y:t I may y:n better tell how to check, instruct, & Comand hi, to avoyd & abandon w:t arrise, & by all care & resoluti:on to dispose & fix him to w:t good comendable & advantagious, yo:w S:r have been a father to him, & soe pray continue, I pfectly depute yo:w & state yo:w w;th my full comession & power; imagin him an Oxinden, yo:w have in yo:e love, & pray doe in yo:e ffatherly care & ?cure, charge Check & chastize, as yo:w

[f.113]

thinke fitt & best, as myselfe woul dor could doe, if w:th yo:w in place & power, & if by reason of y:e danger to their psone & y:e Comp:a concernes, yo:e thoughts come to resolutions of removing him from Carwar to Surat, I hooly comend & submit him to yo:e head heart & hand, & y:e happiness of it will be an ease confort & joy to me, my hopes will exceed my feare, for I alwaise reason there is more difficulties, hazzards & dangers in being theire, y:n under under a Comand & obsedience, & youth is unable & unfitt to rule, Y;e insuckcessfull acts of y:e greater are generally made Crimes, & least Crimes treasons, & every boddyes foot is lifted up against, & trips y:m into a fall of ten times an inreversable rueine, such is y:e [xxxx] & fate of many, in this blind covetous, ill natured Age, from w:ch good lord deliver yo:w & all good men,

The token I sent, was yo:e merrits, & soe my obligation & duty, & therfore yo:e returnd thakes I justly returne yo:w againe, The pretious inestimable treasure in it & its never sufficiently to be esteemed vallue of it, as yo:w worthyly & Christianly words it, is in itselfe, w:thout any contribution of mine, y:e dead lett:e paper & binding is all ?Downe [OR, Towne ?], & y:t soe inconsiderable & meane, as to afford & in a manner deine, its owne worth, & yo:e deserts, if my abillity had beene equall to my sense & ambition, it should have beeb virgin parchm:t large ultra=marine letters, coverd w:th imbost Gold, & garnisht w:th y:e best largest diamonds, rubies, pearles & other pretious stones of Vallue; but it was w:t I had, w:t I could, & yo:e acceptance is my satisfaction & happiness, & being y:e minist:e & y:e rest of y:e Gent: are soe thankfull & just as to put y:m in to y:e [x]om librarie though I saved but 50 bookes great & small, of my whole large library, yet tis 50 to one but ille pick out one or tow of y:e best & fittest, & send y:m for to increase their stock, & in absence & ?mortality of y:e person, God in heaven give ablessing to y:e reader.

[f. 114]

And now I conceave I have wearied yo:w w:th my tedious gouty letter for now I am possest & tormented w:th it, & y:e first time in my great toe & y:t had been happie for yo:e ease if it had been in my thumbe, but my good intents makes me hope yo:e goodness & Nobleness will pardon my imperfections, all my designe & ambition is, y:t yo:w may know, I am sensible of yo:e great merrit, King & parlim:t would but enable me by enacting a monthly tax to my use I would out ?vie y:e Comp:a, load more ships y:n owne to touch at Canaries & Guiney to theare yo:e heart & enrich yo:w to a capacity of purchasing y:e Dutch out of their beloved India; that I might soe manufest y:t I am

[LH SIDE]
Alg:t Compter y:e 15:th of Aprill: 67

[RH SIDE]
yo:e real Gratefull frind & serv:t
Humphry Giffard

[LH SIDE, UNDER ADDRESS AND DATE]
My wife presents all soe her huge sence & thankes for yo:e kinde remembrance, & yo:e ex[xxxxxd] love & care of her son Phillip
The pres:t to y:e librarie cant nowe be sent, soe crave pdon till another opportunity.

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