Website: https://twitter.com/Cataplinth
James Wood
Annotations and comments
James Wood has posted four annotations/comments since 13 July 2013.
The most recent first…
Daily entries from the 17th century London diary
Website: https://twitter.com/Cataplinth
James Wood has posted four annotations/comments since 13 July 2013.
The most recent first…
Comments
Second Reading
About Thursday 15 December 1664
James Wood • Link
"to try the charge"
I suspect this should be read as "to try the change". Pepys is making a change from tallow candles which offend him, to wax, likely bee's wax, which when burned give off the odor of fine honey.
About Tuesday 5 November 1661
James Wood • Link
'seeing the boys in the streets flying their crackers'
I checked Wheatley to be convinced 'flying' was correct, and not 'firing'. We are discussing fire-crackers, are we not? The OED gives 'to fly' a meaning of 'to discharge in the air as a missile.
About Tuesday 18 December 1660
James Wood • Link
I read 'without stirring at all' in the sense of staying indoors (to keep an eye on the workmen), not stirring outside the house at all. Am I alone in this?
About Seething Lane
James Wood • Link
Why is Seething Lane so named? Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable is silent on the subject. The OED offers no explanation. I do not have access to Britannica, and to date no one has volunteered an opinion among these annotations.