Todd Bernhardt

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Todd Bernhardt has posted 946 annotations/comments since 8 January 2003.

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First Reading

About Wednesday 10 January 1665/66

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

Whilst pragmatism resides on the side of our boy Sam, Terry, who knows how little real money there is to pay any of these tickets...?

And Aussie Sue, I think it less conspicuous consumption on Sam's part, and more a desire to impress his "little goldsmith’s wife"!

About Wednesday 10 January 1665/66

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

“the damned Duchesse”

Jesse, I believe Sam is talking about the Duke of Albemarle's wife, not James'. This is not the first time she's talked Sandwich down.

That said, she was right when "she cried mightily out against the having of gentlemen Captains with feathers and ribbands, and wished the King would send her husband to sea with the old plain sea Captains" ... Sam will help implement this later in life.

A reminder to everyone to vote for Pepys and Phil and, well, *us*! Only a few more days left -- get on it!!

http://2008.weblogawards.org/poll…

About Tuesday 9 January 1665/66

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

"All this put together makes me very sad, but yet I hope I shall do pretty well among them for all this, by my not meddling with either of their matters."

Our Sam, the level-headed pragmatist. And indeed, as evidenced by his interaction with Gauden (and his willingness to let his "wife [be] mighty full of her worke she hath to do in furnishing her bedchamber"), he's doing very well indeed.

About Tuesday 9 January 1665/66

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

Excuse the frantic tone in my typing -- I haven't even had a chance to read today's entry, but I just found out that the 2008 Weblog Awards are once again up and running, and once again Neil Gaiman's Journal is in the lead. Are we going to let that happen? What would Sam and Elizabeth say? And, my Lord! What would "my Lord" say?

http://2008.weblogawards.org/poll…

You can vote once a day on each computer you own or can access (it tallies by IP address, I presume) until the polls close Tuesday, January 13, 10:00 p.m. GMT / 5:00 p.m. EST / 2:00 p.m. PST. So can your friends, family, co-workers, enemies, pets, etc.

Come one, come all, my Pepys. Let's get it on. We're already 9 days behind, and only have a few days to go!

And so to vote...

About Awards and an interview

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

The 2008 Weblog Awards are once again up and running, and once again Neil Gaiman's Journal is in the lead. Are we going to let that happen? What would Sam and Elizabeth say? And, my Lord! What would "my Lord" say?

http://2008.weblogawards.org/poll…

You can vote once a day on each computer you own or can access (it tallies by IP address, I presume) until the polls close Tuesday, January 13, 10:00 p.m. GMT / 5:00 p.m. EST / 2:00 p.m. PST. So can your friends, family, co-workers, enemies, pets, etc.

Come one, come all, my Pepys. Let's get it on. We're already 9 days behind!!

And so to vote...

About Monday 8 January 1665/66

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

"considering the uselessness of laying out so much money upon my wife’s closett"

This doesn't mean, I think, that Sam has decided not to spend the money -- he's just thinking about ("considering") what benefit will derive from it, and whether it will be useful or not. Spending money on clothes for himself, for example, has a direct benefit for him and his business dealings, because it's important to project the right image, especially when one is dealing with lords and ladies.

About Sunday 7 January 1665/66

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

Sam's hard work has paid off -- although he notes, with heavy heart, that now he has to stand on "his own legs," at least he's able to, due to his diligence and networking.

About Saturday 6 January 1665/66

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

>But wouldn’t signing the letter “Barbary Allen” have been a put-down that Sam misread?<

Not if it was "their song"...

I wonder if this passage was something Sam winced at, when reading it years later. Ah well, happens to us all.

That said, I do like Sam's little bit of fun with Cocke and the clove.

About Friday 5 January 1665/66

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

Makes you wish Mrs. Knipp had been around, eh? Sheesh.

I know others have written otherwise, but I keep wishing that Mrs. Tooker was somehow older than has been reported -- maybe she was physically precocious or something, I dunno. I'm usually good at stepping out of my 21st century mores as I read the Diary, but this relationship always gets me.

About Sunday 31 December 1665

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As usual, I am impessed by Sam's orderly mind -- wrapping up a hectic year by cleaning up his accounts, planning for the future and giving us this fantastic summary.

Best wishes for a happy, healthy and prosperous new year to all...

About Friday 29 December 1665

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

"my regularity in all I did and spent do helpe me"

At least Sam can trust himself! Not by any means true of a lot of people...

About Thursday 28 December 1665

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

Looks as if Sam might have set himself an end-of-year deadline to get those accounts made up, and so we suffer from a short entry as a result...

About Sunday 24 December 1665

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

Best wishes for safe and happy travels Jeannine! And of course, here's to a safe, happy and healthy 2009/1666 to all assembed here!

About Wednesday 20 December 1665

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"it was a very fine frosty walke"

I don't have the time and inclination at this hour to prove it with references, but if memory serves, such "fine and frosty" walks almost always make Sam horny.

About Friday 15 December 1665

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What goes around comes around, eh Michael?

What does "pretty" mean in this context? Is Sam giving Bunce a compliment for "getting" him?

About Saturday 9 December 1665

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"This made me mad, and I believed she perceived my countenance change, and blushed herself very much. I was in hopes others had not minded it, but my Lord Bruncker, after we were come away, took notice of the words to me with displeasure."

Fantastic, evocative writing -- gives you a real flavor of the scene, of societal/political/business expectations, etc. At least Brouncker's with Sam, but Sam of course is right to worry that he let his emotions and allegiances show.

About Friday 8 December 1665

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

Mary, I think it's the latter, given Sam's assessment of him as an "ill, melancholy, jealous-looking fellow." Sounds like a nice dinner-party guest, eh?

Thanks, Paul and Terry.