About Monday 25 December 1665

Robert Watson on 26 Dec 2018  •  Link

Sorry, couldn't get that right the first time with my ancient English spelling :

_Christemasse_

About Monday 25 December 1665

Robert Watson on 26 Dec 2018  •  Link

This entry is especially funny for me. I am single and after some heart-breaking events in my younger life, I am content to be alone on Christmas Day. (I am 58.) Merrie Chritemasse to all Pepysians both far and near. :-)

About Wednesday 14 December 1664

Robert Watson on 15 Dec 2017  •  Link

X rated. Pardon me. But Mr Caesar is mentioned in this bawdy catch by Henry Purcell--link provided below.
"No less than a Caesar..." I have a CD which has a footnote that explains that he was a musician/lutenist of that era.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v…

About Wednesday 23 April 1662

Robert Watson on 24 Apr 2015  •  Link

What is a "chyrurgeon"? A surgeon? Why such an odd spelling, if so?

About Thursday 10 May 1660

Robert Watson on 11 May 2013  •  Link

There are some distant relatives of mine with the surname Hoare: Pronounced in the same way as "whore" --- to rhyme with oar and bore. Of course the spelling was not Pepys's spelling, but the transcription from his phonetical shorthand.

About Saturday 5 May 1660

Robert Watson on 6 May 2013  •  Link

Re: "Ivan the Terrible", or "Ivan the Dread" -- "Terrible" didn't have its modern meaning back then, either.

A few quotations from the *Authorised Version* of the Bible (1611):

Psalm 66 verse 3---> "Say unto God, How terrible art thou in thy works! through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee."

Psalm 99 verse3---> "Let them praise thy great and terrible name; for it is holy."

Maybe "Ivan the Terrible" is a perfectly good translation.