?? "...pleased at nothing all the day but Mrs. Jaggard playing on the Vyall...."
Nothing?! Has Samuel forgot his morning study of the 'Change, how keenly he listened to the "several excellent examples of men raised upon the 'Change by their great diligence and saving" -- men (he seems to have thought) whose practise of virtues he too prizes led to their wealth? (and why not I?)
Inspiration for "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"?!
Called up to the office and much against my will I rose, my head aching mightily, and to the office, where I did argue to good purpose for the King, which I have been fitting myself for the last night against Mr. Wood about his masts, but brought it to no issue.
Today Samuel Pepys's life on display for him from his end to his beginning
"I...shall bring myself to some settlement for her sake, by making a will as soon as I can....and all the afternoon first looking out at window and seeing the boys playing at many several sports in our back yard...which reminded me of my own former times"
Does this latter occur to him because of Elizabeth's discussion of the former with him earlier? Christmas occasions such glaces forward and back, when families gather, as Charles Dickens knew. God bless us every one!!
Mr. Bland (wonderful name!), Mr. Custis, his "antagonist", and Mr. Clerke, his arbitrator must be the "they" who turn the matter over to Sir W. Rider, today's attempt ending the same as the last.
The first go-'round was Wednesday 16 December - "So...to our arbitration of Mr. Bland's business, and at it a great while, but I found no order like to be kept in our inquiry, and Mr. Clerke, the other arbitrator, one so far from being fit...to inquire and to take pains in searching out the truth on both sides, that we parted without doing anything, nor do I believe we shall at all ever attain to anything in it." http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
"Edward Dering was granted, August, 1660, "the office of King's merchant in the East, for buying and providing necessaries for apparelling the Navy" ("Calendar," Domestic, 1660-61, p. 212)." Note to 12 Dec 1663 by Henry B. Wheatley. When that office became disused, Dering continued to trade in navy stores from the Baltic.
L&M give "gally, galley" as alternates for a large open rowing boat that plied the Thames. Michael, is it possible that "galley" referred to more than one kind of vessel?
Mrs. Russell as an instance of "The Independent Businesswoman" - *The Making of the English Middle Class: Business, Society and Family Life in London, 1660-1730* by Peter Earle, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS, 1999. Chap. 6, Part iii. http://content.cdlib.org/xtf/view…
"a book I bought yesterday, being a discourse of the state of Rome under the present Pope, Alexander the 7th"
L&M identify this from the Pepys Library holdings as Angelo Corraro [pseudonym of Charles de Ferrare du Tot, , d. 1694] *Rome exactly describ'd, as to the present state of it, under Pope Alexandre the Seventh : in two curious discourses* [written originally in Italian, and translated into English by J(ohn) B(ulteel). London : Printed by T. Mabb, for Mich. Young ..., and J. Starkey ..., and J. Playfere ...,] licensed 30 September & 9 November 1663; dated 1664. http://lis.wwu.edu:2082/search/aC…
All the details - so typical - - the duration of the conversation- "I sat an houre talking" - the duration of the dying - "of the suddennesse of his death within 7 days" [more sudden than "a week"?} - the manner of the dying anatomized - "and how by little and little death came upon him, neither he nor they thinking it would come to that. He died after a day's raveing, through lightness in his head for want of sleep." - how it affected his wife - "His lady did not know of his sickness, nor do they hear yet how she takes it." remind me of a similar scene in *The Death of Ivan Ilyich* http://www.online-literature.com/…
Mr. Wood had been the exclusive client of Sir W. Batten, a relationship that Pepys had believed corrupt - due to the poor quality/cost of the merchandise Wood had purveyed. Pepys has now acquired ammunition in his defense against Sir W. Batten's attacks on his having favored the competing bids of Sir W. Warren (the "trouble"). I wonder what it was? Shall we find out at some future date?
Comments
First Reading
About Saturday 20 February 1663/64
Terry F • Link
For more about the gaily=gally see http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
About Friday 19 February 1663/64
Terry F • Link
?? "...pleased at nothing all the day but Mrs. Jaggard playing on the Vyall...."
Nothing?! Has Samuel forgot his morning study of the 'Change, how keenly he listened to the "several excellent examples of men raised upon the 'Change by their great diligence and saving" -- men (he seems to have thought) whose practise of virtues he too prizes led to their wealth? (and why not I?)
About Thursday 18 February 1663/64
Terry F • Link
Or better....
Called up to the office and much against my will
I rose,
my head aching mightily,
and to the office,
About Thursday 18 February 1663/64
Terry F • Link
Inspiration for "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"?!
Called up to the office and much against my will I rose,
my head aching mightily,
and to the office,
where I did argue to good purpose for the King,
which I have been fitting myself for the last night against Mr. Wood about his masts,
but brought it to no issue.
Precocious, Samuel Pepys! Simply precocious.
About Wednesday 17 February 1663/64
Terry F • Link
"He being gone,...more money. And out of an impatience...."
So L&M, reading a "full stop" in the MS where Wheately had none.
About Tuesday 16 February 1663/64
Terry F • Link
"I to my Vyall a little, which I have not done some months, I think"
The last time SP recorded having taken his Vyall up seems to be 2 November 1663:
http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
About Tuesday 29 December 1663
Terry F • Link
L&M fill in the elipsis
"their discourse so free about clap and other foul discourse that I was weary of them."
About Saturday 26 December 1663
Terry Foreman • Link
"good discourse...concerning the Roman Empire"
Robert, thanks for the tip-off
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rome…
About Friday 25 December 1663
Terry Foreman • Link
Rex, that's another one for the Encyclopedia!
http://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclo…
About Friday 25 December 1663
Terry Foreman • Link
Today Samuel Pepys's life on display for him from his end to his beginning
"I...shall bring myself to some settlement for her sake, by making a will as soon as I can....and all the afternoon first looking out at window and seeing the boys playing at many several sports in our back yard...which reminded me of my own former times"
Does this latter occur to him because of Elizabeth's discussion of the former with him earlier? Christmas occasions such glaces forward and back, when families gather, as Charles Dickens knew. God bless us every one!!
About Saturday 19 December 1663
Terry F • Link
Wikipedia's detailed article on Boxing Day
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boxi…
About Saturday 19 December 1663
Terry F • Link
Mr. Bland (wonderful name!), Mr. Custis, his "antagonist", and Mr. Clerke, his arbitrator must be the "they" who turn the matter over to Sir W. Rider, today's attempt ending the same as the last.
The first go-'round was Wednesday 16 December - "So...to our arbitration of Mr. Bland's business, and at it a great while, but I found no order like to be kept in our inquiry, and Mr. Clerke, the other arbitrator, one so far from being fit...to inquire and to take pains in searching out the truth on both sides, that we parted without doing anything, nor do I believe we shall at all ever attain to anything in it." http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
About Edward Dering
Terry F • Link
"Edward Dering was granted, August, 1660, "the office of King's merchant in the East, for buying and providing necessaries for apparelling the Navy" ("Calendar," Domestic, 1660-61, p. 212)." Note to 12 Dec 1663 by Henry B. Wheatley. When that office became disused, Dering continued to trade in navy stores from the Baltic.
About Friday 18 December 1663
Terry F • Link
L&M give "gally, galley" as alternates for a large open rowing boat that plied the Thames. Michael, is it possible that "galley" referred to more than one kind of vessel?
About Thursday 10 December 1663
Terry F • Link
Mrs. Russell as an instance of "The Independent Businesswoman" - *The Making of the English Middle Class: Business, Society and Family Life in London, 1660-1730* by Peter Earle, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS, 1999. Chap. 6, Part iii.
http://content.cdlib.org/xtf/view…
About Friday 18 December 1663
Terry F • Link
"a book I bought yesterday, being a discourse of the state of Rome under the present Pope, Alexander the 7th"
L&M identify this from the Pepys Library holdings as Angelo Corraro [pseudonym of Charles de Ferrare du Tot, , d. 1694]
*Rome exactly describ'd, as to the present state of it, under Pope Alexandre the Seventh : in two curious discourses* [written originally in Italian, and translated into English by J(ohn) B(ulteel). London : Printed by T. Mabb, for Mich. Young ..., and J. Starkey ..., and J. Playfere ...,] licensed 30 September & 9 November 1663; dated 1664.
http://lis.wwu.edu:2082/search/aC…
About Friday 18 December 1663
Terry F • Link
Instead of "gaily" L&M read "gally" (a large open rowing boat)
About Thursday 17 December 1663
Terry F • Link
Talking of the dying of Edward Pepys
All the details - so typical -
- the duration of the conversation-
"I sat an houre talking"
- the duration of the dying -
"of the suddennesse of his death within 7 days" [more sudden than "a week"?}
- the manner of the dying anatomized -
"and how by little and little death came upon him, neither he nor they thinking it would come to that. He died after a day's raveing, through lightness in his head for want of sleep."
- how it affected his wife -
"His lady did not know of his sickness, nor do they hear yet how she takes it."
remind me of a similar scene in *The Death of Ivan Ilyich* http://www.online-literature.com/…
About Wednesday 16 December 1663
Terry F • Link
Sir W. Batten vs. Mr. Pepys
Mr. Wood had been the exclusive client of Sir W. Batten, a relationship that Pepys had believed corrupt - due to the poor quality/cost of the merchandise Wood had purveyed. Pepys has now acquired ammunition in his defense against Sir W. Batten's attacks on his having favored the competing bids of Sir W. Warren (the "trouble"). I wonder what it was? Shall we find out at some future date?
About Wednesday 16 December 1663
Terry F • Link
"met with Mr. Wood by design and got out of him, to my advantage, a confession which I shall make good use of against Sir W. Batten"
This transcription by L&M changes the sense of what transpired, but leaves it as mysterious as does Wheatley's.