"he hopes that the kingdom will escape ruin in general, notwithstanding all our fears, and yet I find he do seem not very confident in it"
Hearing the worsening news in the UK over the past week and particularly today with tier 4 to be substantially expanded, I can't help feeling these words echoing today.
Merry Christmas everyone. Let's look forward to a much better year in 2021.
And as ever, thanks so much for providing this great site to us Phil.
"Jonathan Freedland looks at the huge backlog of legal cases caused by this year's COVID pandemic and compares it to the backlog caused by the Great Fire of London in 1666."
"It must have been very difficult to really understand what was going on in the world, even for someone in Pepys' elevated position in the government."
This immediately made me think of what's been going on in the US over the past couple of weeks.
Thanks SDS, it looks like what I was missing was an understanding of all the different components of the trip. I had a look elsewhere to convert 20l into something more graspable and it looks like it's around 2 years' wages for a labourer.
"evened with W. Hewer for my expenses upon the road this last journey, and do think that the whole journey will cost me little less than 18l. or 20l., one way or other; but I am well pleased with it"
Am I missing something or is that a considerable amount of money for 1667? If it's as large as it appears, it shows that travelling as a leisure activity really was a thing only for the most very privileged.
By the time we got to "so W. Hewer and I out again about midnight" I was *howling* at this. In the past I've accused Sam of not doing humour but he's (inadvertently) proved me wrong here.
"that would have sold his King and country for 6d"
It's interesting to see the phrase "would have sold X for sixpence" being used by Sam. It's still occasionally used these days although is on the way out.
As an echo of the discussion in the annotations about Elisabeth and the whitster, I'm reading "The Mirror & the Light" and my eyes lit up at the chapter "The Bleach Fields" and particularly this exchange between Cromwell and his daughter Jenneke:
"They went out to the fields ... I mean the ... raamhoven - the bleach fields?"
"Ah," he says, "not bleach fields, you mean the tenter-grounds. Where they pin out the cloth to dry."
Before anyone asks, the ellipses do not signify any rudery.
Another reference to people in the rising middle classes enjoying pastoral roleplay. They're nicely ahead of trend, apparently it's going to be a big thing in the following century:
"One thing extraordinary was, this day a man, a Quaker, came naked through the Hall, only very civilly tied about the privities to avoid scandal"
Here's the Coronavirus version:
"A man has been spotted strutting down Oxford Street in London wearing a face mask fashioned into a teeny G-string. Mate, I don't think that's how you're supposed to wear them."
"but *why* is Peg Pen doing what she does? She has a reputation to lose. Most odd. And I don't think any of us regard Sam as Adonis Personified and Irresistible to the ladies, which makes her behaviour seem to me even more strange."
"Good RG entry on Peg et al. He's just an charmer." I agree with Robert Gertz on this point too. Sam does seem to be attractive to a wide range of women for whatever reason(s). Even though he clearly has a predatory side. I suspect it might be part of his genuine general curiosity, if he was able to show interest in the lives of the women as he was chasing, that might have added to his charm. If you look through the diary you'll find many examples of him engaging in conversations with women (often with an agenda). I do wonder if this was rather atypical of his time.
It's tempting to split people, and men, into nice ones vs bad ones, but it's seldom that simple.
Pepys is like a dog with a bone over Carcasse isn't he? The Pepys of the diary isn't a particularly courageous sort but he seems to be going out on a limb over this. Maybe Pepys is so confident of the case, and that friends of Carcasse won't fight hard enough on his behalf, that he sees he's onto a winner and there will be credit for dealing with a rogue. Or maybe he's doing damage limitation for the Board, and for himself, naturally.
"I do still see that he is a man of good wit but most strange experience, and acquaintance with all manner of subtleties and tricks, that I do think him not fit for me to keep any acquaintance with him, lest he some time or other shew me a slippery trick"
I find this revealing of the character of Pepys, at least insofar as he sees himself. In the words of Tony Blair "I'm a pretty straight sort of guy".
Comments
Second Reading
About Monday 23 December 1667
mountebank • Link
"he hopes that the kingdom will escape ruin in general, notwithstanding all our fears, and yet I find he do seem not very confident in it"
Hearing the worsening news in the UK over the past week and particularly today with tier 4 to be substantially expanded, I can't help feeling these words echoing today.
Merry Christmas everyone. Let's look forward to a much better year in 2021.
And as ever, thanks so much for providing this great site to us Phil.
About Sunday 24 November 1667
mountebank • Link
BBC Radio 4 are currently broadcasting a programme giving a historical perspective on the Fire Courts:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/…
"Jonathan Freedland looks at the huge backlog of legal cases caused by this year's COVID pandemic and compares it to the backlog caused by the Great Fire of London in 1666."
About Sunday 17 November 1667
mountebank • Link
That fits nicely James Morgan.
"It must have been very difficult to really understand what was going on in the world, even for someone in Pepys' elevated position in the government."
This immediately made me think of what's been going on in the US over the past couple of weeks.
About Thursday 24 October 1667
mountebank • Link
I came back to this entry to make exactly that comment William Mearns!
I've been trying to get to see SSAI for ages. Looks like I'll be waiting a while longer.
About Thursday 24 October 1667
mountebank • Link
That youtube link clarifies to me Pepys' comment "it do so far outdo a trumpet". It is certainly a trumpet-like sound.
About Sunday 13 October 1667
mountebank • Link
Thanks SDS, it looks like what I was missing was an understanding of all the different components of the trip. I had a look elsewhere to convert 20l into something more graspable and it looks like it's around 2 years' wages for a labourer.
About Sunday 13 October 1667
mountebank • Link
"evened with W. Hewer for my expenses upon the road this last journey, and do think that the whole journey will cost me little less than 18l. or 20l., one way or other; but I am well pleased with it"
Am I missing something or is that a considerable amount of money for 1667? If it's as large as it appears, it shows that travelling as a leisure activity really was a thing only for the most very privileged.
About Thursday 10 October 1667
mountebank • Link
By the time we got to "so W. Hewer and I out again about midnight" I was *howling* at this. In the past I've accused Sam of not doing humour but he's (inadvertently) proved me wrong here.
About Friday 30 August 1667
mountebank • Link
For anyone able to access BBC radio or iPlayer, this was broadcast earlier today (Sunday):
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/…
It can be listened to again on the BBC iPlayer. Or if you're quick, it will be re-broadcast this evening at 8pm.
About Thursday 29 August 1667
mountebank • Link
"that would have sold his King and country for 6d"
It's interesting to see the phrase "would have sold X for sixpence" being used by Sam. It's still occasionally used these days although is on the way out.
About Wednesday 14 August 1667
mountebank • Link
As an echo of the discussion in the annotations about Elisabeth and the whitster, I'm reading "The Mirror & the Light" and my eyes lit up at the chapter "The Bleach Fields" and particularly this exchange between Cromwell and his daughter Jenneke:
"They went out to the fields ... I mean the ... raamhoven - the bleach fields?"
"Ah," he says, "not bleach fields, you mean the tenter-grounds. Where they pin out the cloth to dry."
Before anyone asks, the ellipses do not signify any rudery.
About Sunday 11 August 1667
mountebank • Link
Another reference to people in the rising middle classes enjoying pastoral roleplay. They're nicely ahead of trend, apparently it's going to be a big thing in the following century:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ham…
About Monday 29 July 1667
mountebank • Link
A mega entry indeed.
"One thing extraordinary was, this day a man, a Quaker, came naked through the Hall, only very civilly tied about the privities to avoid scandal"
Here's the Coronavirus version:
"A man has been spotted strutting down Oxford Street in London wearing a face mask fashioned into a teeny G-string. Mate, I don't think that's how you're supposed to wear them."
https://www.ladbible.com/news/new…
About Wednesday 19 June 1667
mountebank • Link
Did anyone else laugh out loud at the telling of the burying of the gold?
About Tuesday 18 June 1667
mountebank • Link
"but *why* is Peg Pen doing what she does? She has a reputation to lose. Most odd. And I don't think any of us regard Sam as Adonis Personified and Irresistible to the ladies, which makes her behaviour seem to me even more strange."
"Good RG entry on Peg et al. He's just an charmer." I agree with Robert Gertz on this point too. Sam does seem to be attractive to a wide range of women for whatever reason(s). Even though he clearly has a predatory side. I suspect it might be part of his genuine general curiosity, if he was able to show interest in the lives of the women as he was chasing, that might have added to his charm. If you look through the diary you'll find many examples of him engaging in conversations with women (often with an agenda). I do wonder if this was rather atypical of his time.
It's tempting to split people, and men, into nice ones vs bad ones, but it's seldom that simple.
About Friday 7 June 1667
mountebank • Link
I would imagine that Pepys is still perceived as Sandwich's creature by many.
About Thursday 16 May 1667
mountebank • Link
Pepys is like a dog with a bone over Carcasse isn't he? The Pepys of the diary isn't a particularly courageous sort but he seems to be going out on a limb over this. Maybe Pepys is so confident of the case, and that friends of Carcasse won't fight hard enough on his behalf, that he sees he's onto a winner and there will be credit for dealing with a rogue. Or maybe he's doing damage limitation for the Board, and for himself, naturally.
About Wednesday 15 May 1667
mountebank • Link
"hath given her [presumably Margaret Lowther] the pox, but I hope it is not so"
Looking at this interaction with Pepys and Margaret Lowther:
https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
and uncertainty about how the pox is transmitted, Pepys might be worried about his health.
About Wednesday 8 May 1667
mountebank • Link
"I do still see that he is a man of good wit but most strange experience, and acquaintance with all manner of subtleties and tricks, that I do think him not fit for me to keep any acquaintance with him, lest he some time or other shew me a slippery trick"
I find this revealing of the character of Pepys, at least insofar as he sees himself. In the words of Tony Blair "I'm a pretty straight sort of guy".
About Wednesday 17 April 1667
mountebank • Link
The annotators' squabble was more entertaining than the diary entry today.