Annotations and comments

Terry Foreman has posted 16,447 annotations/comments since 28 June 2005.

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First Reading

About Biographies of related people

Terry F  •  Link

GEORGE FOX
An Autobiography
His journal of his life, 1624-1691, in XX Chapters.
Of especial relation to Pepys's Diary are Chapter XIII. In the First Year of King Charles, 1660.
Chapter XIV. Labors, Dangers and Sufferings, 1661-1662.
Chapter XV. In Prison for not Swearing, 1662-1665.
Chapter XVI. A Year in Scarborough Castle, 1665-1666.
Chapter XVII. At the Work of Organizing, 1667-1670.
With THE TESTIMONY OF WILLIAM PENN [the younger] CONCERNING THAT FAITHFUL SERVANT GEORGE FOX.
Edited with an Introduction and Notes by Rufus M. Jones, M.A., Litt. D., Professor of Philosophy in Haverford College
http://www.strecorsoc.org/gfox/ti…

About Saturday 25 June 1664

Terry F  •  Link

"excellent company he is, that is the truth of it, and a most cunning man."

Why SP tolerates from Creed what he wouldn't put up with from others! Creed's temperament when in Pepys's company is evidently a rarity, and to be prized.

About Southwark

Terry F  •  Link

"From the 16th century until the outbreak of the Civil War Southwark was...famous as...a pleasure ground of the citizens of London, a character for which, with its privileged places and its exclusion from regulations which bound the City, it was peculiarly fitted. It contained in the 16th century rings for the baiting of bears and bulls and bowling alleys. Several famous theatres were erected in the Clink and Paris Garden Liberties after play-actors had, in 1575, been formally expelled from the City by the Corporation.

"In the period after the Restoration the town, true to its disorderly tradition, was a stronghold of faction and dissent. (fn. 81) A reason urged in 1664 in favour of a bridge from Westminster to Lambeth was that it would provide for soldiers better access to Southwark, 'the nest of fanatics' (fn. 82) ; and in 1665 most of the sectaries about London were said to be lodged in the borough. (fn. 83) " http://www.british-history.ac.uk/…

"By the 17th century, Southwark was the second largest urban area in England. The riverfront became increasingly important as overseas and domestic trade expanded. Landing places near the City were at a premium and new wharves and warehouses were built to accommodate the growing trade." http://www.southwark.gov.uk/Disco…

Southwark theatre district of the Borough of Southwark in 1746: http://www.motco.com/map/81002/Se…

Civic and jurisprudential center of the Borough of Southwark in 1746: here were located the courts, prison (counter) http://www.motco.com/map/81002/Se…

About Friday 24 June 1664

Terry F  •  Link

"the City...stores of all sorts, for piles for the bridge, and for pipes..."

The bushels, the piling and the water-pipes are among the stock of the municipal supply-yard, which Pepys hadn't seen before (not on his beaten paths).

About Friday 24 June 1664

Terry F  •  Link

In this entry we have Pepys the observer. He also registers an early discovery of The City's provisions for disaster-relief (much observed in the breach or in non-regulation ways, say L&M) and a late suspicion of Creed, his rambling sidekick, with whom he has an *extremely* complicated relationship.

Those lace gowns are a puzzle.

About Thursday 23 June 1664

Terry F  •  Link

A day of toting up debt -- Pepys's bond, Sandwich's security (it's term time, sc., lawyers are at work).

About Tuesday 21 June 1664

Terry F  •  Link

Michael, I think your Dec 15 1663 citation, your last one, may have solved the puzzle of "the Wardrobe business.". http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
The notorious footnote in my copy of L&M (© 1995) has a question-mark in it, reading "1. ? Sandwich's accounts: cf. above, p. 132." -- which was, as you show, not, per se, Wardrobe business.

About Tuesday 21 June 1664

Terry F  •  Link

"the Wardrobe business"

L&M are puzzled (they note "?"). I can only imagine that, since Sandwich was the Master of the Great Wardrobe and Moore his man-of-businesses, this phrase refers to yesterday's encounter: "I to Mr. Townsend at the Wardrobe, and received kind words from him to be true to me against Captain Ferrers his endeavours to get the place from my father as my Lord hath promised him." I'm not terribly surprised that Moore's not forthcoming: How's he's supposed to know what's on Silent Samuel's mind?

About Monday 20 June 1664

Terry F  •  Link

"Vieux Pen;"

L&M note Penn was only 43, and suggest "'vieux' in the sense of 'old enemy'."

About Tuesday 21 June 1664

Terry F  •  Link

"my [mind] eased of some trouble I lay under for fear of his thinking ill of me from the bad successe in the setting forth of these crew men to Tangier."

Are we to understand that Pepys *finally* succeeded in the hasslesome business of getting Taylor & Fudge off to Tangier, certainly later than hoped, and so/or that the Duke is giving Pepys a pass?!

"the bad successe" -- provocative phrase.

About Monday 20 June 1664

Terry F  •  Link

"After dinner came in Sir Thomas Crew and Mr. Sidney, lately come from France, who is...not so improved as [M. De Prata] did give him out to be, but like a child still."

Sandwich has some distractions. Sir Thomas Crew is My Lady's father, and pet (second) son Sidney is, so far, not maturing.

About Monday 20 June 1664

Terry F  •  Link

"Sir H. Bennet did look after her."

The priest was a button man for the Catholic mafia.

About Saturday 18 June 1664

Terry F  •  Link

Sir W. Penn's "Irish business with my Lord Ormond"

The King to the Lords Justices of Ireland
Written from: Whitehall

Date: 28 October 1661

Shelfmark: MS. Carte 42, fol(s). 509
Document type: Original

Sir William Penn to have a lease for a term of years of certain lands, in the county of Cork, in reprisal for other lands late in his possession, and now yielded to the Earl of Clancarty. http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/dept/s…

About Friday 12 February 1663/64

Terry F  •  Link

"I think"

This is the first time in the Diary that this phrase occurs. It is one with this odd entry's reflexive quality: and this is Creed, companion on week-long rambles about the countryside.

The entry's theme seems to be weighing or evaluating, in monetary and non-monetary terms: what's a friendship worth?! 'Tis an artifact of the emergence of the bourgeoisie in full.

About Saturday 27 February 1663/64

Terry F  •  Link

"the best oysters I have seen this year, and I think as good in all respects as ever I eat in my life"

FWIW, the first time Pepys qualifies "ever in my life" with "I think."

About Sunday 19 June 1664

Terry F  •  Link

"I think"

In February this year Pepys first used this phrase at all. This is the 25th time he has used it.
http://www.gyford.com/cgi-bin/mt/…

In the "ever in my life" context only 27 February 1663/64 (while I was in hospital, so I missed it, cape henry):
"the best oysters I have seen this year, and I think as good in all respects as ever I eat in my life"

And I found this:
15 May 1664
"my wife lying from me to-night, the first time she did in the same house ever since we were married, I think (unless while my father was in town, that he lay with me)." http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1… -- which speaks to that issue.

About Sunday 19 June 1664

Terry F  •  Link

"the greatest and most continued thunder that ever I heard I think in my life."

Is this the first time Pepys has been so tentative? When I was a teenager and given to making dogmatic statements (even more than now), my father counseled me (several times) to qualify my opinings with "I think."