Paul, I believe you have it exactly. So Pepys has writ in distress, that the Committee have decided "we are the least able to serve the Company, because we would not be obliged to attend the business when we can, but when we list."
We don't usually hear of this tradesman because he was usually a subcontractor:
"Booksellers seem to have got the upper hand of printers as well as of authors; and Christopher Barker, in his report of 1582, complains that booksellers were able to drive such good bargains that printers were mostly but small gainers and ofttimes losers. George Wither cannot be cited as an impartial witness, since his embittered controversy with the stationers, about the privilege which he obtained in 1623 ordering his Hymns and Songs of the Church to be appended to every copy of the Psalms in metre, no doubt surcharged his ink with gall. He himself says that he goes not about to lay a general imputation upon all stationers, but there is no reason to question the general truth of the statement which he makes in his *Schollers Purgatory*, when he says that 'the Bookeseller hath not onely made the Printer, the Binder, and the Claspmaker a slave to him: but hath brought Authors, yea the whole Commonwealth, and all the liberall Sciences into bondage.'" The Cambridge History of English and American Literature, XVIII. The Book-Trade, 1557-1625. http://catterall.net/CHEL/IV/1815…
"I dare not reckon myself sure of it, till I have it, in my mind."
So L&M transcribe, and remark on how much better this would read had Pepys ended with "till I have it." The 1893 text tries to unwind the awkward syntax by reading "mind" as "main." Hard work, theirs.
O for a Scapula to trim book costs (and keep peace at the Pepys's)!!
"John Scapula was on the staff of the author and printer, Henri Estienne, whose great Greek Thesaurus was published at Geneva in 1572. Estienne had spent twelve years of his life in research on this work and in consequence it had to be very costly. Scapula decided to leave the firm and on doing so 'lifted' much of Estienne's material, which he incorporated into his own great lexicon, first published at Basel in 1580, at a cheap price. Scapula's work went through edition after edition, whereas the real author's work 'hung fire' and he was practically ruined" (Maggs Catalogue 891, item 382). "The two editions of 1652 are the most esteemed, and sell at a very high price - from their extraordinary rarity" (Dibdin). http://www.antiqbook.com/boox/rul…
"the day's outing on the Thames, visiting the fleet and the king's pleasure boat."
A perennially odd and poignant scene, it strikes me: a fleet of warships prepare to sally forth for God-knows-what possible military encounter. Their brave crews are fêted by the beauties of the Court aboard the Royal Katherine and companies of sundry citizenry aboard a collacion of other ships, boats and barges -- there to see the warriors off in style and be seen, perhaps, by the admiral, the captains, the sailors. Bunting all a-flutter; anchovies, gammon, & other delectanles and potables enjoyed; salutes exchanged. We need a band! A pity it is too early for Europeans to copy the style of the "Turkish" janissary bands then deployed by the Ottomans in the Austrian theatre. Combat at cards a fit recreation for this festive review of the armed forces off to glorious war!
Ah that Elizabeth Pearce, whatever else may be true of her or her housekeeping, "She holds her complexion still,..." (16 May 1664) http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
Mistresses Clarke, Pearse and Pepys do tend to hang out and tend to necessary businesses together. (If Bess has buds, Frances and Elizabeth are they, no?)
"Also Mrs. Clerke's kinswoman sings very prettily, but is very confident in it;"
confident
4. In bad sense: Over-bold, unduly self-reliant; forward, presumptuous, impudent. Obsolescent.
1597 SHAKES. 2 Hen. IV, II. i. 121 It is not a confident brow, nor the throng of wordes, that come with such more then impudent sawcines from you, can thrust me from a leuell consideration. 1664 PEPYS Diary (1879) III. 4 Mrs. Clerke's kinswoman sings very prettily, but is very confident in it. 1688 SHADWELL Sqr. of Alsatia III. 65 Oh, she's a confident Thing. 1749 FIELDING Tom Jones IV. xii, A confident slut. 1754 RICHARDSON Grandison I. xxxvii. 267 If he should take so confident a liberty....(OED Online)
(Sir) Edward Gregory, jun. Clerk employed by the committee investigating the Chatham Chest, 1663-4; purser of the ship Sovereign, 1664; Clerk of the Cheque, Chatham, 1665-89; Navy Commissioner at Chatham, 1689-1703. Kt. 1689. (L&M Companion, etc.)
Chartered like other companies (East India, &c.) to compete with the Dutch by mirroring them organizationally, The Royal Fishery Company was reorganized in 1677, dissolved in 1690 and revived in 1692. (*Industrializing English Law: Entrepreneurship and Business Organization, 1720-1844.* By Ron, Harris. Cambrdege University Press, 2000. p 184, n. 45.)
Comments
First Reading
About Mr Cheswicke
Terry F • Link
_____ Cheswicke
Musician: "a maister who plays very well upon the Spinette" (Pepys)
About Capt. Edward Witham
Terry F • Link
Capt. Edward Witham
Army officer with the Tangier regiment.
About John Tooker
Terry F • Link
John Tooker
River-agent to the Navy Board. (L&M)
About Saturday 9 July 1664
Terry F • Link
Paul, I believe you have it exactly. So Pepys has writ in distress, that the Committee have decided "we are the least able to serve the Company, because we would not be obliged to attend the business when we can, but when we list."
About Saturday 9 July 1664
Terry F • Link
"The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth...." John 3:8 (KJV)
Just so inscrutable will be the attendance of the members of the Fishery Commission.
About Saturday 9 July 1664
Terry F • Link
"but now against her going into the country."
Is it agreed that this means tonight they *are* sleeping together?
About Friday 8 July 1664
Terry F • Link
"the clasp-maker"
We don't usually hear of this tradesman because he was usually a subcontractor:
"Booksellers seem to have got the upper hand of printers as well as of authors; and Christopher Barker, in his report of 1582, complains that booksellers were able to drive such good bargains that printers were mostly but small gainers and ofttimes losers. George Wither cannot be cited as an impartial witness, since his embittered controversy with the stationers, about the privilege which he obtained in 1623 ordering his Hymns and Songs of the Church to be appended to every copy of the Psalms in metre, no doubt surcharged his ink with gall. He himself says that he goes not about to lay a general imputation upon all stationers, but there is no reason to question the general truth of the statement which he makes in his *Schollers Purgatory*, when he says that 'the Bookeseller hath not onely made the Printer, the Binder, and the Claspmaker a slave to him: but hath brought Authors, yea the whole Commonwealth, and all the liberall Sciences into bondage.'" The Cambridge History of English and American Literature, XVIII. The Book-Trade, 1557-1625.
http://catterall.net/CHEL/IV/1815…
About Friday 8 July 1664
Terry F • Link
"I dare not reckon myself sure of it, till I have it, in my mind."
So L&M transcribe, and remark on how much better this would read had Pepys ended with "till I have it." The 1893 text tries to unwind the awkward syntax by reading "mind" as "main." Hard work, theirs.
About Henry Mordaunt (2nd Earl of Peterborough)
Terry F • Link
Henry Mordaunt, 2nd Earl of Peterborough
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henr…
About Thursday 7 July 1664
Terry F • Link
O for a Scapula to trim book costs (and keep peace at the Pepys's)!!
"John Scapula was on the staff of the author and printer, Henri Estienne, whose great Greek Thesaurus was published at Geneva in 1572. Estienne had spent twelve years of his life in research on this work and in consequence it had to be very costly. Scapula decided to leave the firm and on doing so 'lifted' much of Estienne's material, which he incorporated into his own great lexicon, first published at Basel in 1580, at a cheap price. Scapula's work went through edition after edition, whereas the real author's work 'hung fire' and he was practically ruined" (Maggs Catalogue 891, item 382). "The two editions of 1652 are the most esteemed, and sell at a very high price - from their extraordinary rarity" (Dibdin). http://www.antiqbook.com/boox/rul…
About Thursday 7 July 1664
Terry F • Link
"the company generally so ill fitted for so serious a worke that I do much fear it will come to little"
And to little it came. NO OATH?? Pepys surely has some extras....
About Wednesday 6 July 1664
Terry F • Link
"the day's outing on the Thames, visiting the fleet and the king's pleasure boat."
A perennially odd and poignant scene, it strikes me: a fleet of warships prepare to sally forth for God-knows-what possible military encounter. Their brave crews are fêted by the beauties of the Court aboard the Royal Katherine and companies of sundry citizenry aboard a collacion of other ships, boats and barges -- there to see the warriors off in style and be seen, perhaps, by the admiral, the captains, the sailors. Bunting all a-flutter; anchovies, gammon, & other delectanles and potables enjoyed; salutes exchanged. We need a band! A pity it is too early for Europeans to copy the style of the "Turkish" janissary bands then deployed by the Ottomans in the Austrian theatre. Combat at cards a fit recreation for this festive review of the armed forces off to glorious war!
About Wednesday 6 July 1664
Terry F • Link
(Ah, Mrs. Pearse, or Pierce, as SP has it.)
About Wednesday 6 July 1664
Terry F • Link
Ah that Elizabeth Pearce, whatever else may be true of her or her housekeeping, "She holds her complexion still,..." (16 May 1664)
http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
About Wednesday 6 July 1664
Terry F • Link
Mistresses Clarke, Pearse and Pepys do tend to hang out and tend to necessary businesses together. (If Bess has buds, Frances and Elizabeth are they, no?)
About Wednesday 6 July 1664
Terry F • Link
"Also Mrs. Clerke's kinswoman sings very prettily, but is very confident in it;"
confident
4. In bad sense: Over-bold, unduly self-reliant; forward, presumptuous, impudent. Obsolescent.
1597 SHAKES. 2 Hen. IV, II. i. 121 It is not a confident brow, nor the throng of wordes, that come with such more then impudent sawcines from you, can thrust me from a leuell consideration. 1664 PEPYS Diary (1879) III. 4 Mrs. Clerke's kinswoman sings very prettily, but is very confident in it. 1688 SHADWELL Sqr. of Alsatia III. 65 Oh, she's a confident Thing. 1749 FIELDING Tom Jones IV. xii, A confident slut. 1754 RICHARDSON Grandison I. xxxvii. 267 If he should take so confident a liberty....(OED Online)
About Tuesday 5 July 1664
Terry F • Link
RG: How much do you get per Premium plus subscriber to Nature you recruit?
About Edward Gregory (jun.)
Terry F • Link
(Sir) Edward Gregory, jun.
Clerk employed by the committee investigating the Chatham Chest, 1663-4; purser of the ship Sovereign, 1664; Clerk of the Cheque, Chatham, 1665-89; Navy Commissioner at Chatham, 1689-1703. Kt. 1689. (L&M Companion, etc.)
About Michiel Adriaanszoon de Ruyter
Terry F • Link
Michiel Adriaenszoon de Ruyter website
Admiral of the Fleet of 17th century Holland
http://www.deruyter.org/ENGLISH_S…
About Royal Fishery
Terry F • Link
The Royal Fishery Company
Chartered like other companies (East India, &c.) to compete with the Dutch by mirroring them organizationally, The Royal Fishery Company was reorganized in 1677, dissolved in 1690 and revived in 1692. (*Industrializing English Law: Entrepreneurship and Business Organization, 1720-1844.* By Ron, Harris. Cambrdege University Press, 2000. p 184, n. 45.)