Annotations and comments

Paul Chapin has posted 849 annotations/comments since 17 January 2003.

Comments

First Reading

About Tuesday 8 November 1664

Paul Chapin  •  Link

I wonder ...
When I checked the voting tally this morning, Pepys was ahead of Gaiman by a hundred or so votes. Three hours later Gaiman had added over a thousand votes. Is that possible by legitimate (or even quasi-legitimate) means for a "literary website"? I guess we'll never know, but it was a fun little diversion. Thanks to Jeannine for the music-and-dancing interludes.

About Friday 4 November 1664

Paul Chapin  •  Link

Warmest congratulations to Australian Susan Junior on her forthcoming nuptials!

A.S., I survived it twice (and also twice with my two sons, which was much easier), and I promise you will come away with mostly happy memories.

About Monday 31 October 1664

Paul Chapin  •  Link

"I will be even with them"

OED lists at least three different definitions of "even" that might apply here. I don't know which one Sam intended.

†4. Of a path: Straight, direct. Of movements or speech: Direct, straightforward. Of a visible object: Directly in front. Obs.
c1200 Ormin 9214 Þær shulenn beon+effne & smeþe weŠŠess. c1325 Metr. Hom. 48, I bid you mac the gates euin To Crist. c1470 Harding Chron. lxii. v, Constantyne sawe a crosse+full euine. 1594 Hooker Eccl. Pol. i. viii. (1611) 17 As the straight way is most acceptable to him that trauaileth+so in action that which doth lye the euenest betweene vs and the end we desire. 1599 Shakes. Hen. V, iv. viii. 114 In plaine shock, and euen play of Battaile. 1602 I Ham. ii. ii. 298 Be euen and direct with me, whether you were sent for or no.

10. a. Of accounts, affairs, a reckoning: Having no balance or debt on either side; ‘square.’
1551 T. Wilson Logike (1567) 2b, Arithmetik by nomber can make Reckenynges to be euen. 1596 Harington Metam. Ajax Pref. (1814) 14 For a man to make even his reckonings. 1605 Bp. Hall Medit. & Vows B. 2 §4 It hath beene an olde and true Proverbe, Oft and even reckoninges make long friends. 1712 Arbuthnot John Bull (1755) 14 How is it possible for a man of business to keep his affairs even in the world at this rate? a1716 South (J.), Even reckoning makes lasting friends.

b. to be even: to be square or quits; to have settled accounts. †to make even: to square accounts. †to make even for: to compensate for.
1511 Plumpton Corr. p. cxviii, Memor. That Sir Robert Plompton+is even for every thing to this present day of August. 1594 R. Haydocke tr. Lomazzo To Rdr., I haue bettered mine, or at the least made even for such other imperfections, as can hardly escape the best translators. 1618 Bolton Florus iv. ix. (1636) 308 By the slaughter of Pacorus, wee were even for Crassus overthrow. 1622 S. Ward Christ All in All (1627) 36 When he had distributed all he had to the poore, and made euen with his reuenues, etc. 1637 Rutherford Lett. No. 113 (1862) i. 283, I know that Christ and I shall never be Even: I shall die in His debt. 1661 Pepys Diary 25 June, I made even with my father and the two drapers for the cloths I sent to sea lately. 1780 Johnson Let. to Mrs. Thrale 21 June, I wish I had been with you to see the Isle of Wight; but I shall perhaps go some time without you, and then we shall be even.

c. to be even (†evens) with: to be quits with; to have one's revenge upon.
14+ Merch. & Son in Halliw. Nugæ Poet. 32 My fadur ys evyn wyth all the worlde. 1589 Hay any Work Aijb, Ile be euen with them to. 1626 Buck. Imp. (1889) 63 Wherre uppon hee vowed to bee even with our Inglish. 1655–60 Stanley Hist. Philos. (1701) 111/1, I will be even with you for this scorn. a1719 Addison (J.), The publick is always even with an author who has not a just deference for them. 1752 A. Breck Stewart in Scots Mag. July (1753) 339/1 He would be evens with him. 1794 Mrs. Radcliffe Myst. Udolpho xxvii, I was determined to be even with Barnardine for refusing to tell me the secret. 1831 Lytton Godolph. 9 Come out, and I'll be even with you, pretty one. 1875 Jowett Plato (ed. 2) III. 264 Verily I would be even with thee, if I had the power.

About Saturday 29 October 1664

Paul Chapin  •  Link

Of course, if he had had an invitation like Evelyn's to dine at the Guildhall with the grandees, he would have probably put on his new suit and hied himself over there, cold or no cold.

About Saturday 29 October 1664

Paul Chapin  •  Link

"strange that Sam did not want to go and see the festivities"
I believe that if I had a nasty cold in my head, I wouldn't want to go out in a "very foule, rainy day" to stand and watch a parade, either.

About Thursday 27 October 1664

Paul Chapin  •  Link

"and there met with a rub at first"
OED re "rub", n.1:
3. An obstacle, impediment, hindrance, or difficulty, of a non-material nature: †a. With addition of in (or on) one's way, course, etc. Obs.
Very common from c 1590 to c 1775.
1590 Nashe Pasquil's Apol. i. Wks. (Grosart) I. 214 Some small rubs, as I heare, haue been cast in my way to hinder my comming forth, but they shall not profit. 1599 Shakes. Hen. V, ii. ii. 188 We doubt not now, But euery Rubbe is smoothed on our way. 1621 Burton Anat. Mel. iii. ii. vi. v. (1651) 580 They are well inclined to marry, but one rub or other is ever in the way. 1641 Sir R. Baker Apol. 115 The Clergie man hath+many Imployments which are as rubs in his course of Learning. 1697 J. Sergeant Solid Philos. 62 Some Rubs I have put in the way of this Pretence. 1728 Vanbr. & Cib. Prov. Husb. ii. i. 49 If it is not too far gone; at least it may be worth one's while to throw a Rub in his way. 1790 Bystander 25 If the sister throws any rub in my way, so much the worse for her.

b. In general use. Now rare or Obs.
Very common during the 17th and 18th centuries.
1607 Middleton Michaelmas Term iv. iii, I have no sense to sorrow for his death, whose life was the only rub to my affection. 1640 Sir K. Digby in Lismore Papers Ser. ii. (1888) IV. 135 Your father+is at euery rubb called vpon by the King, as yf nothing could be well done, that he did not dictate. 1686 Goad Celest. Bodies i. xviii. 116 We must look for some Rubs in pursuit of Natural Knowledge. 1724 Swift Drapier's Lett. iv. Wks. 1751 VIII. 354 Which is a great Smoother of Rubs in publick Proceedings. 1793 Smeaton Edystone L. §176 These unexpected rubs were not however insuperable. 1806 Scott 11 Feb. in Lockhart II. iii. 93 Notwithstanding some little rubs, I have been able to carry through the transaction. 1814 Lady Burghersh Lett. (1893) 179 We had then just heard of the rub which Sacken's corps, under Blücher, had received.

About Tuesday 25 October 1664

Paul Chapin  •  Link

"which I singly did move to His Royall Highness, and did obtain it for him, to the value of twenty pieces"

Anybody understand what happened here? My first shot: Pepys bought an expensive piece of silver (probably a platter or something else of simple design) to present to the king (or Duke of York?) on Christopher Pett's behalf on the occasion of the launching of the Royal Katherine, for which Pett was inordinately grateful. Alternative interpretations are most welcome.

About Thursday 20 October 1664

Paul Chapin  •  Link

Lurker, I think you're referring to the third sentence. My reading: Sam is offering the good words and the promises, and Mrs. Bagwell is more and more (forth-)coming (with her affections).

About Wednesday 19 October 1664

Paul Chapin  •  Link

"sorry to see that the fashion is worth so much, and the silver come to no more"
Sam is thinking of these flagons as capital rather than as home decor, but as capital they're not very liquid, one would have to sell them to realize their monetary value. If the silver were a greater proportion of their total value, it might make sense to melt them down if one needed the money for some reason, but with workmanship constituting half to two-thirds of their value, that would be wasteful.

About Tuesday 18 October 1664

Paul Chapin  •  Link

"for a speech of forty words, the wittiest man that ever he knew in his life, but longer he is nothing"
I love this characterization.

About Tuesday 18 October 1664

Paul Chapin  •  Link

"About the size of a ..."
A single bed that is 6 1/4 feet (75 inches) long, 4 feet wide, and 2 feet high, occupies 50 cubic feet.

About Saturday 15 October 1664

Paul Chapin  •  Link

galling = chafing or rubbing.
OED re "gall," v.1.:
1. trans. To make sore by chafing or rubbing.
c1440 Promp. Parv. 185/1 Gallyn, or make gallyd, strumo. 1530 Palsgr. 560/1, I galle a horse backe with sadell or otherwyse, je refoulle. Ibid., I gall, as one dothe his buttockes with rydyng, je me escorche les fesses. 1602 Shakes. Ham. v. i. 153 The toe of the Pesant comes so neere the heeles of our Courtier, hee galls his Kibe. 1696 tr. Du Mont's Voy. Levant 34 My Horse, who was gall'd under the Saddle-Bow. 1703 Moxon Mech. Exerc. 201 The Pole+may draw+your Thigh against the underside of the Cheek of the Lathe, and+Gawl, and also tire your Thigh. 1782 Cowper Gilpin 76 The snorting beast began to trot, Which gall'd him in his seat. 1821 J. Baillie Met. Leg., Columbus xlii, Base irons his noble pris'ner gall. 1844 Alb. Smith Adv. Mr. Ledbury lv. (1886) 168 [His] feet were somewhat galled with the hard walking of the previous days.

I can imagine a nice soft rabbit fur would help a lot.

About Saturday 15 October 1664

Paul Chapin  •  Link

I can sympathize with Margaret. I always want all four of my adult children to get along well with each other, and when they don't, it disturbs me.

About Saturday 15 October 1664

Paul Chapin  •  Link

OED offers no help re "ora." Some specific anatomical usages it lists all seem to relate to the 'edge, rim, boundary' gloss Terry found.

About Sir Charles Sedley

Paul Chapin  •  Link

Michael, it seems to follow from your note that the baronetcy carried with it the privilege of being called "Sir ___." If so, I've learned something. I have always thought that the Sir-title (sorry) came only with knighthood, which was conferred on individuals and not inheritable, unlike a peerage, which would carry the epithet "My Lord ___." Am I right that I am wrong?

About The General (Roger Boyle, Earl of Orrery)

Paul Chapin  •  Link

Actually, the orrery (the astronomical instrument) was named for Roger Boyle's grandson Charles, the 4th Earl of Orrery.

Wikipedia:
The first modern orrery was built circa 1704 by George Graham. Graham gave the first model (or its design) to the celebrated instrument maker John Rowley of London to make a copy for Prince Eugene of Savoy. Rowley was commissioned to make another copy for his patron Charles Boyle, 4th Earl of Orrery, from which the device took its name.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orre…

About Sir Charles Sedley

Paul Chapin  •  Link

The knight is young

Sedley is 6 years younger than Sam, and already in 1663, when Sedley was 24, Sam referred to him as Sir Charles. None of the sources I could find stated when he was knighted. The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography may do so, but unfortunately I don't have the necessary subscription to find out.