Annotations and comments

Chris Squire UK has posted 896 annotations/comments since 16 February 2013.

Comments

Second Reading

About Monday 26 January 1662/63

Chris Squire UK  •  Link

OED has:

‘pasquil . . 2. = pasquinade . .
. . 1612 T. James Iesuits Downefall 38 They blame others for Libells and verie vnpriestly Pasquils, and yet write themselues.
1698 Protestant Mercury 18–23 Feb. 1/1 A certain Pasquil, which was sometime since affixed up at the Town-House, against the Government.
1709 R. Steele Tatler No. 92. ⁋1 All the Pasquils, Lampoons and Libels, we meet with now-a-days.
1767 T. Percy Reliques (ed. 2) II. ii. 118 Many a pasquil was discharged at the Romish priests, and their enormous encroachments on property . . ‘

‘pasquinade, n. < French pasquinade (Originally) a lampoon posted in a public place; (later) any circulated or published lampoon or libel.
1658 E. Phillips New World Eng. Words Pasquinade, a Satyrical Invective or Libel, savoring of the Pasquin at Rome.
1705 D. Defoe Writings Author True-Born Englishman II. 70 Some in Pasquinades affront the State . . ‘

About Sunday 25 January 1662/63

Chris Squire UK  •  Link

OED has:

‘wind n. < Old English wind . . < *ἄϝησι) blows, ἀήτης wind, Sanskrit vāti blows, vāta wind.
. . 19. down (the) wind.
. . b. fig. Towards decay or ruin; into or (commonly) in a depressed or unfortunate condition, in evil plight; to go down the wind, to ‘go down’, decline. Obs.
1600 P. Holland tr. Livy Rom. Hist. xxxiv. 867 When they saw him downe the wind and fortune to frowne upon him.
1671 tr. Machiavelli Marriage of Belphegor in tr. F. G. de Quevedo y Villegas Novels 141 Though [he] was of one of the noblest Families.., yet he was look'd upon as down the winde [It. poverissimo].
1673 W. Cave Primitive Christianity ii. vi. 147 In the time of Constantine when Paganism began to go down the wind . . ‘

and

‘challenge, v. < Middle English chalange, < Old French . .
5. To assert one's title to, lay claim to, demand as a right . .
a. with simple object. arch.
. . 1634 T. Herbert Relation Some Yeares Trauaile 1, I challenge no thankes for what I publish.
. . 1699 R. Bentley Diss. Epist. Phalaris (new ed.) 329 A Gentleman that challenges the Title of Honourable . . ‘

So it is Montague, whose claim is denied and whose status is declining, who goes down the wind.

About Friday 23 January 1662/63

Chris Squire UK  •  Link

OED has:

‘send, v.1 < Old English sęndan . . Phrasal verbs
. . 9. send for —— v.
b. With adv. qualifying ‘to come’ or ‘be brought’ understood.
. . 1727 Swift Horace Imitated in Swift Misc. Last Vol. ii. 34 Send for him up, take no Excuse.
1753 J. Collier Art Tormenting i. ii. 62, I shall not send for you back . .

c. Of a sovereign: To command the attendance of . .
1744 T. Birch Life R. Boyle 154 He was then by his Majesty's order sent for to Whitehall . . ‘

‘Up’ = ‘up to London’.

About Bread

Chris Squire UK  •  Link

Some = ship's biscuit:

‘bread, n. < Old English bréad . .
. . 6. Extended to various preparations of the composition or nature of bread.
. . †b. Sea-biscuit. Obs.
1651 Severall Proc. Parl. No. 84. 1289 We have taken..2 casks of Bread, and one barrel of Pease in one Vessel.
1746 in W. Thompson Royal Navy-men's Advocate (1757) 18 The Bread..is all good, but..it has been..long aboard . . ’

[OED]

About Thursday 22 January 1662/63

Chris Squire UK  •  Link

OED has:

‘bear, v.1 < Common Germanic, and Aryan:
. . Phrasal verbs
to bear out . . to support, back up, corroborate, confirm . .
. . 1801 M. Edgeworth Forester in Moral Tales I. 204 You think, I suppose, that your friends..will bear you out . . ‘

‘bread, n. < Old English bréad . .
. . 6. Extended to various preparations of the composition or nature of bread.
. . †b. Sea-biscuit. Obs.
1651 Severall Proc. Parl. No. 84. 1289 We have taken..2 casks of Bread, and one barrel of Pease in one Vessel.
1746 in W. Thompson Royal Navy-men's Advocate (1757) 18 The Bread..is all good, but..it has been..long aboard . . ’

‘cul-de-sac, n < French = sack-bottom.
1. Anat. A vessel, tube, sac, etc. open only at one end, as the cæcum or ‘blind gut’; the closed extremity of such a vessel, etc.
1738 Med. Ess. & Observ. (ed. 2) IV. 92 An Infundibuliform Cul de Sac or Thimble-like cavity . .
2. A street, lane, or passage closed at one end, a blind alley . .
1800 A. Paget Let. 10 May in Paget Papers (1896) I. 201 This [i.e. Palermo] is such a cul de sac that it would (be) ridiculous to attempt sending you any news . . ’

About Monday 19 January 1662/63

Chris Squire UK  •  Link

OED has:

‘way, n.1 and int.1 < Cognate with Old Frisian wei . . < Indogermanic *wegh . . found in Sanskrit vah, Latin vehĕre to carry, Greek ϝοχος, ὄχος vehicle . .
. . Prepositional phrases.
In the way . . e (f) Of a person: near at hand and not otherwise occupied, so as to be available to do something, esp. to help, or be at the disposal of, another. Obs.
. . 1642 T. Matthew tr. St. Teresa of Avila Flaming Hart xxix. 410 When the Sub-Rectour was not in the way, to heare me.
. . 1696 Tryal & Condemnation Sir W. Parkyns 8, I did it as soon as I could: The Keeper was not always in the way. It was Execution day, and he was not at home that day.
1745 Swift Direct. to Servants 1 When your Master or Lady call a Servant by Name, if that Servant be not in the Way, none of you are to answer . . ‘

About Sunday 18 January 1662/63

Chris Squire UK  •  Link

Australian Susan : ‘The Bill of Rights is an Act of the Parliament of England that . . lays out certain basic civil rights. Passed on 16 December 1689, . . [it] . . sets out certain rights of individuals including the prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment and reestablished the liberty of Protestants to have arms for their defence within the rule of law:

‘That the subjects which are Protestants may have arms for their defence suitable to their conditions and as allowed by law;’

. . Along with the Act of Settlement 1701, the Bill of Rights is still in effect in all Commonwealth realms . . ’

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bil…

About Friday 16 January 1662/63

Chris Squire UK  •  Link

A cup of coffee costing 1d = £1/240 in 1663 had a ‘real’ [inflation adjusted] cost = 120 d = 50 pence sterling - cheap. Note however its ‘labour value’ [how long it took to earn the price of a coffee] = £2100/240 = £8.75 - pricey!

http://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclo…

StanB: I am one of the ‘original annoters’ of parts of the diary so I have had and will have again in several years’ time the singular pleasure of reading my posts and judging how well, or not, they have stood the test of time. I think we may be confident that this wonderful resource created by the esteemed Phil Gyford will delight and inform ‘Student of our sweet English tongue’ [even if Mandarin is their mother tongue] for centuries to come:

‘To A Poet A Thousand Years Hence"

I who am dead a thousand years,
And wrote this sweet archaic song,
Send you my words for messengers
The way I shall not pass along.

I care not if you bridge the seas,
Or ride secure the cruel sky,
Or build consummate palaces
Of metal or of masonry.

But have you wine and music still,
And statues and a bright-eyed love,
And foolish thoughts of good and ill,
And prayers to them who sit above?

How shall we conquer? Like a wind
That falls at eve our fancies blow,
And old Maeonides the blind
Said it three thousand years ago.

O friend unseen, unborn, unknown,
Student of our sweet English tongue,
Read out my words at night, alone:
I was a poet, I was young.

Since I can never see your face,
And never shake you by the hand,
I send my soul through time and space
To greet you. You will understand.

By James Elroy Flecker (1884-1915)

http://www.blupete.com/Literature…

About Thursday 15 January 1662/63

Chris Squire UK  •  Link

OED has:

‘call, v. . . < Old Norse kalla . .
. . call-book n. (a) a muster-roll (obs.) . .
1663 S. Pepys Diary 15 Jan. (1971) IV. 15 To examine the proof of our new way of the Call-bookes.
1803 Naval Chron. 15 57 Are copies of the muster or call book sent to the Navy Board? . . ’

About Jack

Chris Squire UK  •  Link

OED has:

‘Jack, n.1 < A pet-name or by-name, used as a familiar equivalent of John; in Middle English Jakke,
. . II. Applied to things which in some way take the place of a lad or man, or save human labour; also more vaguely to other things with which one has to do.
. . 7. A machine for turning the spit in roasting meat; either wound up like a clock or actuated by the draught of heated air up the chimney (smoke-jack).
. . 1660 S. Pepys Diary 23 Oct. (1970) I. 273 After supper we looked over..his Wooden Jack in his Chimny that go with the Smoak; which indeed is very pretty . . ‘

About Tuesday 13 January 1662/63

Chris Squire UK  •  Link

OED has:

‘Jack, n.1 < A pet-name or by-name, used as a familiar equivalent of John; in Middle English Jakke,
. . II. Applied to things which in some way take the place of a lad or man, or save human labour; also more vaguely to other things with which one has to do.
. . 7. A machine for turning the spit in roasting meat; either wound up like a clock or actuated by the draught of heated air up the chimney (smoke-jack).
. . 1660 S. Pepys Diary 23 Oct. (1970) I. 273 After supper we looked over..his Wooden Jack in his Chimny that go with the Smoak; which indeed is very pretty . . ‘

About Prices

Chris Squire UK  •  Link

Here are the price indices for converting between 1660 and 2014:

Commodity:
real price = RPI/GDP deflator = 120
labour value = average earnings = 2,100
income value = per capita GDP = 5,200
…………..
Income or Wealth
historic standard of living = real price = RPI/GDP deflator = 120
economic status value = income value = per capita GDP = 5,200
economic power value = share of GDP = 29,000
……………
Project
historic opportunity cost = real price = RPI/GDP deflator = 120
labour cost = labour value = average earnings = 2,100
economic cost = share of GDP = 29,000

Taken from https://www.measuringworth.com/uk… which explains which index to use for different purposes. The important thing to grasp and remember is that using ‘real price’ by itself vastly understates the status and power that came with what seem to us quite modest sums of money in the pre-industrial society of 1660.

Example: Pepys’ net worth = £650 at 31 December 1662
http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…

Measured by historic standard of living = real price = 120 x £650 = £78,000

Measured by economic status value = income value = per capita GDP = 5,200 x £650 = £3.4 mn.

Measured by economic power value = share of GDP = 29,000 x £650 = £19 mn.

I have rounded these amounts to 2 significant figures as they are only estimates.

About Monday 12 January 1662/63

Chris Squire UK  •  Link

Here are the price indices for converting between 1660 and 2014:

Commodity:
real price = RPI/GDP deflator = 120
labour value = average earnings = 2,100
income value = per capita GDP = 5,200
…………..
Income or Wealth
historic standard of living = real price = RPI/GDP deflator = 120
economic status value = income value = per capita GDP = 5,200
economic power value = share of GDP = 29,000
……………
Project
historic opportunity cost = real price = RPI/GDP deflator = 120
labour cost = labour value = average earnings = 2,100
economic cost = share of GDP = 29,000

Taken from https://www.measuringworth.com/uk… which explains which index to use for different purposes. The important thing to grasp and remember is that using ‘real price’ by itself vastly understates the status and power that came with what seem to us quite modest sums of money in the pre-industrial society of 1660.

RSGII’s example above of Sandwich’s £8,000 income makes the point well.

I’ll post this in the Encyclopedia under Prices: http://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclo…

About Monday 12 January 1662/63

Chris Squire UK  •  Link

OED has:

‘baste, v.3 < Of uncertain origin . . might be from a present bas , base , to be compared with Swedish basa ‘to baste, whip, beat, flog.’ . . Possibly . . a figurative use of baste v.2: compare anoint in sense of thrash. trans. To beat soundly, thrash, cudgel.
. . 1660 S. Pepys Diary 1 Dec. (1970) I. 307, I took a broom and basted her till she cried extremely . . ‘

‘roger, v.1 < Roger n.2 coarse slang (chiefly Brit.). trans. Usually of a man: to have sexual intercourse with (a person, esp. a woman). Also intr. Cf. Roger n.2 4. . . ‘

‘Roger < From a proper name. . . 2. 4. coarse slang. The penis. Cf. roger v.1 Now rare.
. . 1694 P. A. Motteux et al. tr. Rabelais Wks. I. i. xi. 44 And some of the other Women would give these Names, My Roger, my Cockatoo, my Nimble-wimble, Bush-beater, Claw-buttock..my lusty Live Saucage.
. . c1800 R. Burns in Merry Muses of Caledonia (1959) 147 Bonie lassie, braw lassie, Will ye hae a soger? Then she took up her duddie sark, An' he shot in his Roger.
. . 2002 New Yorker 18 Nov. 94/1 The best of many droll ripostes is Nanny's bedtime anatomy lesson. ‘Boys have Rogers. Girls have Suzies.’

About Friday 9 January 1662/63

Chris Squire UK  •  Link

DNB on how the diaries were deciphered:

‘ . . The seemingly impenetrable shorthand of the six volumes marked ‘journal’ discouraged examination until, it seems, the successful publication of Evelyn's diary (1818) prompted Magdalene to have Pepys's manuscript deciphered. An impecunious undergraduate of neighbouring St John's College, John Smith, was hired, and learned the characters by comparing Pepys's shorthand of Charles II's escape story with the longhand version. He did not know that the manual for the system, Thomas Shelton's Tutor to Tachygraphy (1642), was in the library . . ‘

http://www.oxforddnb.com/

About Shorthand

Chris Squire UK  •  Link

DNB on how the diaries were deciphered:

‘ . . The seemingly impenetrable shorthand of the six volumes marked ‘journal’ discouraged examination until, it seems, the successful publication of Evelyn's diary (1818) prompted Magdalene to have Pepys's manuscript deciphered. An impecunious undergraduate of neighbouring St John's College, John Smith, was hired, and learned the characters by comparing Pepys's shorthand of Charles II's escape story with the longhand version. He did not know that the manual for the system, Thomas Shelton's Tutor to Tachygraphy (1642), was in the library . . ‘

http://www.oxforddnb.com/

About Sunday 4 January 1662/63

Chris Squire UK  •  Link

OED has:

‘lazy, adj. Of obscure etymology . .
. . 2. a. . . Formerly of literary style . . : Languid, having little energy.
a1568 R. Ascham Scholemaster (1570) ii. f. 37v, Melancthon..came to this low kinde of writyng, by using over much Paraphrasis in reading: For studying therebie to..make everie thing streight and easie, in smothing and playning all things to much, never leaveth, whiles the sence it selfe be left, both lowse and lasie . . ‘

About Thursday 1 January 1662/63

Chris Squire UK  •  Link

OED has:

‘gadding, n.2 < gad v.2 The action of gad v.1 Also gadding-about.
. . 1663 S. Pepys Diary 1 Jan. (1971) IV. 2 Willing to make an end of my gaddings and to set to my business . . ’

‘gad, v.2 < Of obscure origin. The common view, that it is < gad n.2 (the supposed primary sense being ‘to rush about like an animal stung by gad-flies’) is possible, but does not appear to be favoured by our quots.; the few passages which in any degree countenance it are collected under 1b . .

1. a. intr. To go from one place to another, to wander; esp. to wander about with no serious object, stopping here and there, to rove idly. Also to gad about, abroad, out.
. . 1605 W. Camden Remaines ii. 39 He was alwayes gadding vp and downe the world, and had little rest . .

†b. Rarely used for: To rush madly about. (In Dryden said of cattle, with distinct etymological reference to gad n.2) Obs.
. . 1580 J. Stow Chrons. of Eng. 39 Women gadding vp & down frantickly in mourning weedes, their haire hanging about their eares, & shaking firebrands . . ‘

About Wednesday 31 December 1662

Chris Squire UK  •  Link

This was the main established meaning of ‘ingenuous’ in Pepys’ world:

‘ingenuous, adj. < Latin ingenuus native, inborn, free-born, having the qualities of a freeman, noble, frank
. . 2. a. Noble in nature, character, or disposition; generous, high-minded. (Of persons, or their dispositions, actions, etc.) Obs. or arch.
. . 1616 J. Bullokar Eng. Expositor Ingenuous, gentleman-like.
1619 J. Denison Heauenly Banquet 178 They scoffe him; an iniury hardly indured by any ingenuous man.
a1661 T. Fuller Worthies (1662) Chesh. 180 His having a Princes mind imprison'd in a poor mans purse, rendred him to the contempt of such who were not ingenuous . . ‘ [OED]

This is the sense SP intended; but it was transmuting via:

‘4. a. Honourably straightforward; open, frank, candid.
1610 Bp. J. Hall Common Apol. against Brownists xxv. 63 You beginne to be ingenuous; while you confesse a reformation in the Church of England.
1616 [implied in: 1616 B. Jonson Every Man in his Humor (rev. ed.) iv. v, in Wks. I. 51 Tell me, ingenuously, dost thou affect my sister Bridget, as thou pretend'st? (at ingenuously adv. 1)].
1621 H. Elsynge Notes Deb. House of Lords (1870) 21 Yf he wyll make an ingenuous confession.
1649 Milton Εικονοκλαστης xxi. 184 The Damsell of Burgundie, at sight of her own letter, was soon blank, and more ingenuous then to stand outfacing . . ‘

into:

‘4. b. Innocently frank or open; guileless, innocent; artless. (= French ingénu)
a1662 P. Heylyn Cosmographie (1674) iv. ii. 142/1 The People generally of a modest and ingenuous countenance.
1751 T. Gray Elegy xviii. 8 To quench the blushes of ingenuous Shame . . ‘

Which is the current sense.

About Wednesday 31 December 1662

Chris Squire UK  •  Link

I think ‘wedded’ = ‘weeded’; OED has:

‘weed, v. < Old English wéod ,
. . 3.c. fig. To eradicate (errors, faults, sins, etc.); to remove (things or persons) as noxious or useless. Also with away, out.
. . a1568 R. Ascham Scholemaster (1570) i. f. 16, If wise fathers, be not as well waare in weeding from their Children ill thinges.
1598 Shakespeare Love's Labour's Lost v. ii. 833 To weede this wormewood from your fructfull braine.
. . a1616 Shakespeare Measure for Measure (1623) iii. i. 526 Twice trebble shame on Angelo, To weede my vice, and let his grow.
. . 1690 J. Locke Some Thoughts conc. Educ. §147 Where you may..gently correct and weed out any Bad Inclinations, and settle in him good Habits . . ‘

which fits the context very well.