Annotations and comments

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

Comments

First Reading

About Sunday 15 May 1664

Terry F  •  Link

"cleansing the innards from time to time"

"For reasons which I think are well known the population of seventeenth-century England was far less healthy than that of England today; malaria of course was endemic, people suffered more or less regularly from fly- and water-borne diseases, they endured torments of toothache, rheumatism, bronchial infections, gout and the consequences of dietary rashness. They suffered too from the teachings of an ancient theory that the body is a machine in unstable equilibrium that requires constant tinkering to be kept in balance. Only the very greatest could employ daily professional attendance. Others dosed themselves." A. R. Hall, "English Medicine in the Royal Society's Correspondence: 1660-1677," Med Hist. 1971 April; 15(2): 112. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/…

About Tuesday 7 June 1664

Terry F  •  Link

Good narrative and source, Andrew. The English will take New Netherland first this coming 29 Aug - 9 Sept.

About Tuesday 7 June 1664

Terry F  •  Link

"where all the morning"

I realized that we have seen this phrase before! How many times? A search shows this is the 25th time, and all within the past 15 months. On Saturday 28 March 1663, Pepys first wrote what became a catchphrase. Surely there are other catchphrases besides this one and "and so to bed.". We all use them.

About Monday 6 June 1664

Terry F  •  Link

"[Mr Prynne] did declare himself ... for mixt communion against the Presbyterian examination."
Does anyone have a clear idea on what this is about?

JonTom, the Presbyterians of the time favored giving communion only to those who, among those formally examined by the ruling elders, were found to be among the righteous. Mr. Prynne evidently favored communion for the "mixt" lot of the righteous and those who would conform, confessing their sinfulness and asking for forgiveness. He 's declaring himself a Latitudinarian with his hat on.

The (Puritan) examination for fitness to receive communion was a tool of social boundary-marking and control, notoriously in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

About Monday 6 June 1664

Terry F  •  Link

Absent Dirk

Hinchinbroke [Edward Mountague] to Sandwich
Written from: Saumur

Date: 6 June 1664
Shelfmark: MS. Carte 223, fol(s). 127

Describes the incidents of the writer's journey from Paris, by way of Orleans, to Saumur, and the notable things seen on the road.

French.
http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/dept/s…

About Monday 6 June 1664

Terry F  •  Link

"What is the position Carteret & Harrison were up for?"

Good Q, Patricia. To be Master of Trinity-House. As Deputy-Master for 1662-63, "Captain Harrison...by succession ought to have been it".

R.Gertz, take care of yourself!

About Monday 6 June 1664

Terry F  •  Link

"to fright the younger Brethren by requiring them to set their hands"

I.e., the second vote was not by a show of hands, but by signing their names ('setting their hands'). L&M.

About Sunday 5 June 1664

Terry F  •  Link

"my wife....is taken with great gripings, a looseness, and vomiting"

A good thing they did NOT sleep together this night. Well-intended of Sam'l to give her some attention, but having been sick like that from reaction to a med, I wonder how much she treasures his cuddling. A good day to check on her from time to time, caress her forehead and cheek, then retire.

About Saturday 4 June 1664

Terry F  •  Link

Meanwhile, in France.... (In Dirk's absence: )

De Prata ["nanny" to Sandwich's teenaged sons] to Sandwich
Written from: Saumur

Date: 4...June 1664

Shelfmark: MS. Carte 223, fol(s). 90

Document type: Holograph

Narrates some incidents of the travels, along the Loire, of the Earl's sons, who have seen many remarkable places, and are in good health.

At Saumur, they intend to make some considerable stay.
http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/dept/s…

About Saturday 4 June 1664

Terry F  •  Link

"when they expected to fight with Warwick"

L&M explain that this was in late July 1648, when Rupert's royalist ship met Warwick's parliamentary ship in the mouth of the Thames. Warwick's evasion and a storm precluded a battle. Batten was said to have failed to attack a small squadron on its way from Portsmouth at night, but was later cleared of any charges.

About Thursday 2 June 1664

Terry F  •  Link

Very helpful, Pedro. The story Childs tells of how the rara avis, Henry Mordaunt, Earl of Peterborough, came to have command at Tangier and a regiment there instances the non-standing of the army at the time AND how difficult it would be to provide for continuity in command and manpower for the English settlement there; Sir Tobias Bridge was not Peterborough and had not raised the regiment.

About Friday 3 June 1664

Terry F  •  Link

What Pepys intends by "as it is, so as" is, methinks, key.

He seems to intend a hypothetical mode here, attempting to find a way to say the Tangier Committee had been conducted as confusedly "as if" or "as though" he, Pepys, were -- for example -- not to buy any of what the sensible Duke of York and Mr. Coventry would own to, which would be evidence of confusion indeed!

Language Hat or others knowledgeable in such matters might shed light on how English has become more modally expressive.

"things of so great weight managed in so confused a manner as it is, so as I would not have the buying of an acre of land bought by the Duke of York and Mr. Coventry, for ought I see, being the only two that do anything like men;"

About Friday 3 June 1664

Terry F  •  Link

"for aught I see" have L&M

Pepys's spell-Czech is working, getting copy ready for Dr. Johnson.

About Thursday 2 June 1664

Terry F  •  Link

Thanks for the recommendation, Dave. Other Pepys scholars also observed his lack of journaling zest ib later years.

SPOILER: In 1683 SP was 50 a widower, still childless and no longer on his way up, though Tangier was a novelty to him.

Our Canadian friends are also not with us, yet.