Todd Bernhardt

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

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First Reading

About Tuesday 14 April 1663

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

As the most junior member of the crew, Sam is also the most idealistic, and so in addition to being a pragmatist about such gatherings (he realizes there's very little chance of actually getting noticed), he'd rather keep his head down and get some work done, rather than being a suck-up. Or being perceived as one.

About Thursday 16 April 1663

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

"both public and private"

Or, perhaps, between the public part of his office (presumably where the clerks work and perhaps where the files are kept, etc.), and his own private office (you know, the one with the peephole that he drilled a little while ago)?

About Thursday 16 April 1663

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Political Sam:
"I dare not oppose it alone for making an enemy and do no good, but only bring a review upon my Lord Sandwich"

Meet Public Servant Sam:
"but God knows it troubles my heart to see it, and to see the Comptroller, whose duty it is, to make no more matter of it"

I hope you can come to a meeting of the minds.

Would love to know more about the "strangely irregular" demands ... what exactly constituted expense-account padding in the 1600s?

About Monday 13 April 1663

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

"which all took ill, though nothing said but only by the Duke of Albemarle, who said that we ought to settle things as they ought to be, and if he will not go upon these terms another man will, no doubt"

That Gen'l Monk, always the pragmatist.

A full day for Sam today, after yesterday's 12-hour day...

About Saturday 11 April 1663

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

I think Mr. Hamilton was confused by the multiple dots, which at first look like ellipses ... but in fact it looks as if the abbreviation for pound (l) is always followed by a period, even when it falls at the end of sentence.

As for Sam's father, it's so interesting to me that social protocol and lodgings could be so fluid. That would rarely happen today, in my neck of the woods, anyway. I guess family ties and social obligations were strong enough that Pepys senior could simply go with the flow and bed for the night wherever he ended up.

About Thursday 9 April 1663

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

Minnes and Batten ... what, no Penn?

Interesting to see how the other Sir William has been absent from Sam's diatribes about his co-workers' foolishness, laziness, etc. And just a while ago, Sam was threatened by Penn's hard work!

Susan, FWIW, a friend of mine from Oz knows Murray (the red Wiggle) quite well (Murray was best man at my friend's wedding), and those guys all do have a pretty deep background in childhood education ... so, it's not too far a stretch that they've been given honorary masters degrees (I know my kids wouldn't complain).

About Sunday 5 April 1663

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"still no mention of Ashwell's fetching beauty"

I dunno, Robert ... on April 1st, Sam wrote: "Ashwell and I dined below together, and a pretty girl she is..."

Now, "pretty" might not have the connotations it does today (can anyone with an OED help?), but I remember being struck by this as a possible mention of attractiveness...

About Monday 6 April 1663

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

"to Sir G. Carteret’s to pass his accounts there"

Are we sure this is the Navy budget we're talking about? My first inclination upon reading this was that Carteret was getting the other officers to balance his books for him, which would also explain the need to summon Sam twice.

About Saturday 28 March 1663

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

I see your point, Gary, but he already says that he took Creed "by land" to Deptford (his "common walk"), so that covers the going part. (I assume the wind was at their backs on the way there.) It's only on the way back that he talks about walking "forwards and backwards." Plus, I don't remember him ever using those words as substitutes for going and returning, so that's why I took the phrase literally.

About Saturday 28 March 1663

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

"and so home again walking both forwards and backwards"

Great image -- Sam and Creed walking backwards to protect themselves from the "high wind." Certainly they followed the street to avoid the even colder and windier conditions on the water, rather than to avoid the cost of the transport...?

About Friday 27 March 1663

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

Nothing like thinking about debts ("only we [Sam and his father, I assume] have the worst of it in having so much money to pay") to help keep one from financial temptation.

As you imply, Terry, watch the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves...

About Monday 23 March 1662/63

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

Today's entry is a great example of what attracts me to Sam and his Diary. First, the admission and self-chastisement involved in "being fearful almost, so poor a spirit I have, of meeting Major Holmes." (What a relief it must have been for him to make things up with Holmes.) Then, the admission that he is "little able to do" the task of bringing in laws for the governance of Tangiers, but that he looks forward to the challenge and the opportunity to "learn something."

This candor is wonderful to behold, and Sam's curiosity and desire to learn -- confessed here to no one but himself -- is a huge part of what makes him an interesting, successful man.

I also enjoyed the glimpse in this entry of the burden of unexpected social obligations -- first for dinner, and later for supper and sleeping arrangements. Looks as if both Sam and Elizabeth handled it well.

About Thursday 19 March 1662/63

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

What a day! Anyone have any idea how far Sam walked today? No wonder he went to bed "weary."

As for his vexation, I'm sure many of us can empathize -- every team is only as strong as its weakest link, and how many of us have been frustrated in our jobs by some slacker who's just doing time rather than carrying their own weight?

About Wednesday 18 March 1662/63

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"our Ashwell, who is a merry jade"

As opposed to Balty's wife, whom on Feb. 17 Sam decided was "a very subtle witty jade, and one that will give her husband trouble enough as little as she is, whereas I took her heretofore for a very child and a simple fool."

More discussion of the word here:
http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…

About Tuesday 17 March 1662/63

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"a talking, bragging Bufflehead ... [whom] no man almost in the City cares a turd for"

Gosh, Sam, why not tell us how you *really* feel?

Great stuff -- can't you just *see* my Lord Mayor drinking and bragging, while the others roll their eyes?

About Thursday 12 March 1662/63

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

"and in getting the warrants signed drawn by my clerks, which I was afeard of"

He lost me there ... why was Sam "afeard"?

On another note, so begins the saga of Mary Ashwell. Fingers crossed...