Sunday 30 November 1662

(Lord’s day). To church in the morning, and Mr. Mills made a pretty good sermon. It is a bitter cold frost to-day. Dined alone with my wife to-day with great content, my house being quite clean from top to bottom. In the afternoon I to the French church here in the city, and stood in the aisle all the sermon, with great delight hearing a very admirable sermon, from a very young man, upon the article in our creed, in order of catechism, upon the Resurrection. Thence home, and to visit Sir W. Pen, who continues still bed-rid. Here was Sir W. Batten and his Lady, and Mrs. Turner, and I very merry, talking of the confidence of Sir R. Ford’s new-married daughter, though she married so strangely lately, yet appears at church as brisk as can be, and takes place of her elder sister, a maid.

Thence home and to supper, and then, cold as it is, to my office, to make up my monthly accounts, and I do find that, through the fitting of my house this month, I have spent in that and kitchen 50l. this month; so that now I am worth but 660l., or thereabouts. This being done and fitted myself for the Duke to-morrow, I went home, and to prayers and to bed. This day I first did wear a muffe, being my wife’s last year’s muffe, and now I have bought her a new one, this serves me very well.

Thus ends this month; in great frost; myself and family all well, but my mind much disordered about my uncle’s law business, being now in an order of being arbitrated between us, which I wish to God it were done.

I am also somewhat uncertain what to think of my going about to take a woman-servant into my house, in the quality of a woman for my wife. My wife promises it shall cost me nothing but her meat and wages, and that it shall not be attended with any other expenses, upon which termes I admit of it; for that it will, I hope, save me money in having my wife go abroad on visits and other delights; so that I hope the best, but am resolved to alter it, if matters prove otherwise than I would have them.

Publique matters in an ill condition of discontent against the height and vanity of the Court, and their bad payments: but that which troubles most, is the Clergy, which will never content the City, which is not to be reconciled to Bishopps: the more the pity that differences must still be.

Dunkirk newly sold, and the money brought over; of which we hope to get some to pay the Navy: which by Sir J. Lawson’s having dispatched the business in the Straights, by making peace with Argier,1 Tunis, and Tripoli (and so his fleet will also shortly come home), will now every day grow less, and so the King’s charge be abated; which God send!

28 Annotations

First Reading

Robert Gertz  •  Link

My God, Sam! You bought something for Bess and took her old one?! Worlds tremble!

Hey, wait a minute...Did milady by any chance suddenly realize you were a little too eager about her new companion's coming?

***
"Hope to get some to pay the Navy"?

"Why of course." Jamie, straight-faced.

"Certainly, certainly." Charles, equally straight-faced.

The boys head out, closing the Council door. Bwah-hah-ha-hah! sounds from the other side.

dirk  •  Link

"It is a bitter cold frost to-day."

Confirmed by the Rev. Josselin :

"A calm, hard, freezing weather, the first Sabbath here above, the lord good to me in my liberty, and peace, the lord accept of me in mercy and do me good"

in Aqua Scripto  •  Link

"...and takes place of her elder sister, a maid...." has A man, now preemps the pecking order.

in Aqua Scripto  •  Link

"...monthly accounts, and I do find that, through the fitting of my house this month, I have spent in that and kitchen 50l. this month; so that now I am worth but 660l., or thereabouts..."
Thereabouts? cannae find a farthing for a faggot. Sam missing his abacus,or be it that ruler not yet fixed?.

Pauline  •  Link

"...takes place of her elder sister, a maid...."
"Place" as in precedence or rank. Sisters take their place by age, but marriage can move a sister ahead of an unmarried older sister. (Lydia triumphing over Jane and Elizabeth.) That she marries before an older sister may have played a part in her not receiving consent--"married so strangely lately".

Terry F  •  Link

"fit" -- again; in two senses

1a. To be the proper size and shape for: These shoes fit me. b. To cause to be the proper size and shape: The tailor fitted the trousers by shortening them. c. To measure for proper size: She fitted me for a new jacket. 2. To be appropriate to; suit: music that fits your mood. 3. To be in conformity or agreement with: observations that fit the theory nicely. 4. To make suitable; adapt: fitted the shelves for large books. See synonyms at adapt. 5. To make ready; prepare: Specialized training fitted her for the job. 6. To equip; outfit: fit out a ship. 7. To provide a place or time for: You can’t fit any more toys in the box. The doctor can fit you in today. 8. To insert or adjust so as to be properly in place: fit a handle on a door.

"the fitting of my house" - perhaps 8. or 6.?

"fitted myself for the Duke to-morrow" - surely 5.

Miss Ann  •  Link

"... with great content, my house being quite clean from top to bottom"
Pity he isn't as conscientious about keeping himself clean from top to bottom - it may have alleviated some of his problems post-operation.

"... takes place of her elder sister, a maid."
How unfortunate for the older sister that she is usurped just because she hasn't got a bloke, which can be a questionable addition to any woman's life (some are good, but some are also anything else but!).

in Aqua Scripto  •  Link

"Fit" The Word was used also as in Shop Fitter [was a main trade up to the 1950's], one who outfited a shops /Stores with new frontages and fixtures, a makeover for a new business more than just a facard. [for the house a make over and setting it up]
Then for the Prince it be I dothe think, it be in best bib and tucker.
The RAF had a nice career path for fitter riggers. I.e. fix, repair, provision with supplies a Combat Aircraft and get back it into the air, fully combat ready.

A. Hamilton  •  Link

I am fit to be tied

ie am having a fit
but it is hardly fit for me to show it

Australian Susan  •  Link

"married so strangely"
In those days the word strange was more usually associated with foreign rather than being odd. Maybe it meant she was married away from her parish.
Or it could just mean it was hurried through for the usual reason and everyone in church will be doing adding up in their heads when she is away from church because she is having a baby!
Wish Sam had given more details about *why* he found the sermon so admirable. The phrases in the Creed to do with the Resurrection are "And the third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures" and "And I look for the Resurrection of the dead." The catechism was what had to be learnt before you could be confirmed by the Bishop. It was a series of questions and answers printed in the new Book of Common Prayer. Curates were commanded to gather and instruct the young persons of the Parish in this catechism. One of the answeres is to say the Apostles' Creed (the brifer creed used in Morning and Evening Prayer and in the Bapstims Service) which mentions Resurrection briefly. Not sure what the sermon would have been on. Exposition of how to instruct young persons in this section of the catechism?

Terry F  •  Link

"I to the French church here in the city" in Threadneedle St.

L&M note: "Pepys was fond of practising his French by attending these services."

A modest project in experiential learning: the service is liturgical, ergo predictable, and there are few arcane subjects the straightforward homily will address.

In that respect he and I both know this can reaffirm a learner's confidence from personal experience; in my case it was "German" Catholic and Protestan churches in Germany and the Czech Republic.

In Pepys' case the clerics' job was to conform and avoid controversial issues. But my experience was in 1993, a time of great transition for both countries involved; and to the credit of the clergy homulies/sermons drew from the Lecttionaries (the appointed Scripture readings) lessons for how Christians should deal with the pressing social issues of the day.

In this respect his experience and mine couldn't be more different.

Terry F  •  Link

Of course one of the serious social issues most avoided by the clerics in London during the recent months of 1662, at the pain of the threat of another ready show of force by Monck at the King's behest, is the perilous status of the church itself.

Joe  •  Link

"my monthly accounts"

Absent here, it seems to me, from today's far-ranging accounting, is any mention of those solemn vows. Has he just gotten so busy that he forgot, or does he only pay them mind quarterly?

A. Hamilton  •  Link

"the French church"

I wonder what denomination. Probably not Catholic, because of the prevailing prejudice. More likely, I think, to be Huegenot. If so Sam gets a chance -- perhaps because this church is outside the perview of the Bishops and conducts services in a language most Englishmen avoided -- to worship in the presbyterian manner so beloved (he suggests) of the City, escaping the recent ban on nonconformist Calvinist clergy.

JohnT  •  Link

Presumably Sam thinks ( or has been promised ) that having a genteel companion at home will keep Bess indoors and away from spending opportunities -or worse. In a modern context this seems inherently unlikely. Shopping or other amusements might be much more fun with a constant companion who is not seen as being as threatening as a complete peer. Any reason it would be different then ?

language hat  •  Link

French Church in Thredneedle St.
A. Hamilton, you should add that to the background page (linked in the entry) -- and Phil, you should delete what's there now, since it has nothing to do with the church.

Gerry  •  Link

Terry F another fit, although a couple of the catergories above would fit.
"The cops fitted the suspect up for the crime".

Glyn  •  Link

Has he reached some kind of financial plateau? He seems to have had about 600 pounds for a long time now.

Ramona Higer  •  Link

I seem to recall that his salary or his net worth at the beginning of the diary was 50 pounds. Now, just 2, almost 3 short years later to be spending that sum on alterations to his home.

in Aqua Scripto  •  Link

Interesting, Two French Churches one for the Popish Queen Mother and one for her enemies.
A great idea to keep up in Language and in religious deviations without getting hauled away for for practicing deviant ideas.

Australian Susan  •  Link

Interesting site, A.H.! Thanks. I noted that although the French Church which Sam attended would have had Calvinist services in his day (and no doubt a Presbyterian organisation)in the history section it is noted that by 1760 the Church had aligned itself with Anglican conformity. I think it is noteworthy that, with all the "fanatiques" as Sam calls them causing religious disturbances, there does not seem to have ever been a link with the Huguenots, nor does there seem to have been xenophobic attacks on their church or worship or places of business. Continued rumblings though about the French *Catholic* services provided for the QM and her courtiers. The site also tells us that the word refugee came into being with the Huguenots coming to England from France.

Terry F  •  Link

"Sir J. Lawson’s having dispatched the business in the Straights, by making peace with Argier, Tunis, and Tripoli"

and more than ever incurring Sandwich's envy!

Pedro  •  Link

"which by Sir J. Lawson's having dispatched the business in the Straights, by making peace with Argier,"

For the Peace Treaty see...

http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/…

Second Reading

Clark Kent  •  Link

The New York Times motto since 1896: All the news that's fit to print.

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