Todd Bernhardt

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

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First Reading

About Thursday 27 December 1660

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

re: The strange lord

Yes, George, that's exactly as I read it -- that this person (presumably a lord) was a stranger, not that he was strange (though this also may have been the case!)

About Tuesday 25 December 1660

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A Quiet Christmas.

Interesting that the day involved no gift-giving at all, but that it's essentially treated as a Sunday, at least by Sam & Co.

And ... though it's been said, many times, many ways, thank you Gyford, for Pepys.

And to all a good night.

About Turkey

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

re: The defunctness of Mike the Headless Chicken's Web site.

Yeesh! Say it ain't so, David. We can't let sleeping chickens lie ... or die, for that matter. Here's the correct/updated link:
http://www.miketheheadlesschicken…

Remember, "Mike's spirit is celebrated the third weekend in May.
(May 14th & 15th 2004) in Fruita, Colorado. Don't miss it!"

About Monday 3 December 1660

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On drinking in London:

Barbara's point ("drinking every day has long been traditional in the City of London - those working there recoiled in horror at the mostly American idea of a glass of milk with their lunch") reminded me of this bit from Ben Franklin's autobiography, in which he is speaking of his time as a young man in London, working at a printer's shop:

"At my first admission into this printing-house I took to working at press, imagining I felt a want of the bodily exercise I had been us'd to in America, where presswork is mix'd with composing. I drank only water; the other workmen, near fifty in number, were great guzzlers of beer. On occasion, I carried up and down stairs a large form of types in each hand, when others carried but one in both hands. They wondered to see, from this and several instances, that the Water-American, as they called me, was stronger than themselves, who drank strong beer!"

It all depends on the type of strength you're looking for, I suppose...

Also, let's not forget my favorite Latin lesson:
http://www.mwscomp.com/movies/bri…

'People called Romanes they go the house'?

About Saturday 24 November 1660

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

re: Wormwood wine

Well, I'd better do it before someone else does ... I wonder if absinthe made their hearts grow fonder?

(I once had absinthe while in Poland, and it gave me the worst hangover I've ever had. It was positively reptilian, I tell you -- my brain-stem hurt.)

About Monday 19 November 1660

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re: "Two peoples separated by a common language"

Peter, not to worry — the first time my mother and father went to London, they had just finished a big dinner with some friends in a fancy restaurant when the waiter came by with the dessert cart, to ask if she’d like some. “Oh, I couldn’t,” she exclaimed. “I’m stuffed!” As you say, much hilarity and embarassment ensued…

And, as for differences in language and perception, the whole Paris thing is a good example of how this can happen even when the words have similar meaning on both sides of the Atlantic … LH, I assumed the Paris painting was a cityscape, and Elizabeth had wanted it sent back because it was poorly done. After all, she knows what the city looks like, while Sam doesn’t …

About Sunday 21 October 1660

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"Today at noon (God forgive me) I strung my lute, which I had not touched a great while before."

What, no music on Sundays? Is it permitted only in church?

About Saturday 20 October 1660

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

re: Sam the Gentleman

Hopefully I won't step into a great heap of turds by reminding everyone of Sam's pride on 25 March, when he was first addressed as " S.P. Esq., of which God knows I was not a little proud." If I read the annotations correctly, the term meant something back then, and was an indication that Sam had joined The Gentlemen's Club. True? Not true?

http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…

The entries of the last couple of weeks have been, to me, particularly compelling -- so much is going on, so many shifts in the political landscape and in personalities ... the diary entries truly are a revelation. Such a clear, unfettered style for the time. He's a brilliant writer.

About Tuesday 9 October 1660

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re: The trip to Deptford

Even so, that's a full morning! I was surprised by all the two P's had managed to do by noon: business (not too much, I assume); travel to Whitehall; a visit to Montagu; back to Whitehall; travel to Redriffe by water; then a walk to Deptford (full of merry discourse and bawdy songs), where they find Batten, Birch and Prin; then lunch at noon. Whew.

About Sunday 7 October 1660

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"A poor cold sermon of Dr. Lamb's, one of the prebends, in his habit, came afterwards…”

Could someone help parse this for me? I looked up “prebend” at dictionary.com, and found this:

1) A stipend drawn from the endowment or revenues of an Anglican cathedral or church by a presiding member of the clergy; a cathedral or church benefice.

2) The property or tithe providing the endowment for such a stipend.

3) A prebendary.

Doesn’t help me much … perhaps someone with access to the OED can help? Also, is he referring to Dr. Lamb, or to another person who “came afterwards”? It looks like the latter, but given the strange sentence structure and unknown word I can’t be sure.

Great diary entry, btw … full of fashion notes, gossip and intrigue, and disillusionment. Life in the big city, eh?

About Tuesday 2 October 1660

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re: "So I see that religion, be it what it will, is but a humour, and so the esteem of it passeth as other things do."

What a lovely bit of observation from our boy. I collect quotes that I find particularly enlightening/funny/etc., and as soon as I read this sentence, I copied and pasted it into that file.

If only we could get the various people around the world who are fighting over religion to buy into Sam’s point of view…

About Monday 20 August 1660

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Annotation link for "My Lord"

"After the House was up, I spoke to *my Lord*, and had order from him to come to him at night." I'm pretty sure this refers to the Lord Chancellor, not Montagu, as the link currently suggests.

But, we get a chance to link to Montague in the next sentence: "This morning Mr. Creed did give me the Papers that concern *my Lord's* sea commission, which he left in my hands and went to sea this day to look after the gratuity money.” That one is obviously about Montagu.

About Join the discussion forum!

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

Problem solved.

I've since subscribed at two different, non-Yahoo addresses, and the digest option works fine. Hmmmm ... could this be because SmartGroups compete with Yahoo Groups? Nah...

They say a cynic is a disappointed romantic.