Saturday 4 January 1661/62
At home most of the morning hanging up pictures, and seeing how my pewter sconces that I have bought will become my stayres and entry, and then with my wife by water to Westminster, whither she to her father’s and I to Westminster Hall, and there walked a turn or two with Mr. Chetwin (who had a dog challenged of him by another man that said it was his, but Mr. Chetwin called the dog, and the dog at last would follow him, and not his old master, and so Chetwin got the dog) and W. Symons, and thence to my wife, who met me at my Lord’s lodgings, and she and I and old East to Wilkinson’s to dinner, where we had some rost beef and a mutton pie, and a mince-pie, but none of them pleased me. After dinner by coach my wife and I home, and I to the office, and there till late, and then I and my wife to Sir W. Pen’s to cards and supper, and were merry, and much correspondence there has been between our two families all this Christmas. So home and to bed.
11 Annotations
First Reading
A. De Araujo • Link
"and so Chetwin got the dog"
not the first instance of dognapping in the diary so far!
Stolzi • Link
Twelve Days of Christmas - Dec. 25-Jan 5
Notice that for Pepys this whole season has been a time for mince-pies and other amusements.
" much correspondence there has been between our two families all this Christmas. "
But alas, it seems to have been a terrible dinner - none of the dishes pleasing him! Poor Sam.
Pedro. • Link
"Dognapping"
True, Sam was not so lucky on last 8th August...
http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
"and I would fain have stolen a pretty dog that followed me, but I could not,"
JWB • Link
"...whither she to her father's”
Even @ Christmas Sam keeps his distance.
john lauer • Link
So the traps acquired on the first likely included sconces to illumine the stayres and entry.
vicenzo • Link
sconces pewter: candle holders made from pewter. From the little that I do I read: esconce [MF]screened lantern leading from escondre to hide; leading to a nice soft candle light for the trip to bed. many modern versions for sale.
upper_left_hand_corner • Link
Vincenzo, re modern sconces --
Oh, but some of those modern ones are made to look old, and so cost ever so much more!
Kevin Peter • Link
Chetwin steals a dog and Pepys tries to steal a dog last August? There's dog-thievery aplenty going on here. Are dogs particularly valuable or something?
There doesn't seem to be any ethical consideration of this either. It's as if it's normal back then to go around stealing peoples' dogs from them.
vicenzo • Link
It was fine, as long it was not a spaniel with royal attributes.
Ian • Link
The dog gets to choose who it wants for a master! PETA would love this. It's strangely fair.
Second Reading
Bill • Link
"and much correspondence there has been between our two families all this Christmas"
CORRESPONDENCE, holding mutual Intelligence, Commerce, and Familiarity with; also an answering, fitting, agreeing, or Proportion of one Thing with another.
---An Universal Etymological English Dictionary. N. Bailey, 1675.