Annotations and comments

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

Comments

First Reading

About Saturday 17 October 1663

Terry F  •  Link

To parse it using L&M's punctuation

"Here happened something concerning my Will; which Sir W. Batten would fain charge upon him, and I heard him (Batten) mutter something against him (Hewer) of complaint for his (Hewer's) often receiving people's money to Sir G. Carteret, which displeased me much -- but I will be even with him (Batten)[for alleging this about Hewer in a stage whisper in the presence of a full board and Mr. Gauden]."

About Encyclopedia is updated

Terry F  •  Link

Phil,
When I saw that layout, its convenience for 'editors' (or monitors) was exactly what I saw. Excellent idea!!

About Saturday 17 October 1663

Terry F  •  Link

"my house being got mighty clean to my great content from top to toe"

Again the irresistible reading of this as a simile of Pepys's recently costive soma now purged, and the "great fitt of the Collique" now at a happy end.

About Friday 16 October 1663

Terry F  •  Link

"does [Elizabeth] have a wardrobe for her wardrobe too?

Bradford, after today's visit with Elizabeth to her tailor's it would be a surprise if she won't.

About Synagogue (Creechchurch Lane)

Terry F  •  Link

A better suggestion by Glyn on Sun 15 Oct 2006, 9:55 http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
Following on from Terry F's comment,the synagogue that Pepys went to today (14 October, 1663) was on the junction of Berry Street (nowadays spelt 'Bury') and Cree Church Lane, leading north off Leadenhall Street, on the right-hand side of this map which dates from 1746:
http://www.motco.com/Map/81002/Se…
It was almost next to the church. Intrigued by today's discussion, I strolled around there this afternoon and while there is nothing left of the building, there is a plaque there which reads: "Site Of First Synagogue After The Restoration 1657 - 1701'
and if you look on the above map just north of that (less than a minute's walk) you'll see that there is a Jewish synagogue marked on Bevis Mark (now known as Bevis Marks) which replaced this first synagogue in the final years of Pepys' life and which is still there today. It's a very fine purpose-built building that people should certainly visit if they have the time and opportunity, and was built once the Jewish community was large enough and prosperous enough to be able to afford it.

About Thursday 15 October 1663

Terry F  •  Link

L&M fill in as usual

"; and going to enjoy my wife this morning, I had a very great pain in the end of my yard when my yard was stiff, as if I strained some nerve or vein, which was great pain to me."

Very graphic insight into this marriage and perhaps previous entries concerning morning "enjoyments" (if that's a word).

About Wednesday 14 October 1663

Terry F  •  Link

Clarifying Simkat Torah

My pleasure. The notation "14 October, 1663 - Samuel Pepys visits the Synagogue on Simchat Torah" I ran across several months ago in "A Chronology of the Jews in Britain" of the Jewish Virual Library (a huge and wonderful website) - http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.o…

About Wednesday 14 October 1663

Terry F  •  Link

Judaism 101 Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah

"Simchat Torah means 'Rejoicing in the Torah.' This holiday marks the completion of the annual cycle of weekly Torah readings. Each week in synagogue we publically read a few chapters from the Torah, starting with Genesis Ch. 1 and working our way around to Deuteronomy 34 [the last chapter of the fifth scroll of the Pentateuch]. On Simchat Torah, we read the last Torah portion, then proceed immediately to the first chapter of Genesis, reminding us that the Torah is a circle, and never ends.

"This completion of the readings is a time of great celebration. There are processions around the synagogue carrying Torah scrolls and plenty of high-spirited singing and dancing in the synagogue with the Torahs. Drinking [of ritual wine symbolizing life] is also common during this time; in fact, a traditional source recommends performing the priestly blessing earlier than usual in the service, to make sure the kohanim [priests by lineage] are not drunk when the time comes! As many people as possible are given the honor of an aliyah (reciting a blessing over the Torah reading); in fact, even children are called for an aliyah blessing on Simchat Torah. In addition, as many people as possible are given the honor of carrying a Torah scroll in these processions. Children do not carry the scrolls (they are much to heavy!), but often follow the procession around the synagogue, sometimes carrying small toy Torahs (stuffed plush toys or paper scrolls)." http://www.jewfaq.org/holiday6.htm

About Wednesday 14 October 1663

Terry F  •  Link

The Pepyses visit the Synagogue on the festival of Simchat Torah

To provide a slight gloss on the Diary's take on the event - "my wife and I, by Mr. Rawlinson's conduct, to the Jewish Synagogue: where the men and boys in their vayles [prayer shawls], and the women behind a lattice out of sight; and some things stand up, which I believe is their Law, in a press [the Ark containing the Pentateuch, < Gk for the "five scrolls" of the Torah] to which all coming in do bow; and at the putting on their vayles do say something, to which others that hear him do cry Amen, and the party do kiss his vayle. Their service all in a singing way, and in Hebrew. And anon their Laws that they take out of the press are carried by several men, four or five several burthens in all, and they do relieve one another; and whether it is that every one desires to have the carrying of it, I cannot tell, thus they carried it round about the room while such a service is singing. And in the end they had a prayer for the King, which they pronounced his name in Portugall [i.e. in Portuguese, as these Sephardic, sc. Iberian, lit. "Spanish", Jews from Portugal would ]; but the prayer, like the rest, in Hebrew. But, Lord! to see the disorder, laughing, sporting, and no attention, but confusion in all their service, more like brutes than people knowing the true God, would make a man forswear ever seeing them more and indeed I never did see so much, or could have imagined there had been any religion in the whole world so absurdly performed as this."

Prayer shawl (Tallit) http://www.ajudaica.com/item/259_…

Samuel Pepys needn't consider forswearing further attendance -: L&M note that visits to this Synagogue by even pre-screened Gentiles like Mr. Rawlinson's party would be banned in 1664.