Annotations and comments

john has posted 352 annotations/comments since 14 March 2013.

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Third Reading

About Saturday 4 August 1660

john  •  Link

Vincent wrote of Royal Mail finding him with his house's name. About 15y ago, Canada Post officially abandoned Rural-Route numbers for Fire-Code numbers. The former included dozens of places but the latter is unique to a single residence.

About Tuesday 31 July 1660

john  •  Link

"[...] and had a great discourse about raising of money for the Navy, which is in very sad condition, and money must be raised for it."

Is this when P. realises how bad things are and the enormous task in front of him?

About Thursday 19 July 1660

john  •  Link

"[...] I took Mr. Michell and his wife, and Mrs. Murford we sent for afterwards, to the Dog Tavern, [...] and did talk of our old discourse when we did use to talk of the King, in the time of the Rump, privately; "

Pepys writes of being a closet royalist and admitting to dangerous private talk.

About Sunday 17 June 1660

john  •  Link

I beg to differ with Sasha's remark a decade past. There were many activities forbidden by the Puritans that the average people would care more about than his characterization of authoritarian rule.

About Saturday 26 May 1660

john  •  Link

Sorry, I write corrected on my assumption of rope ladders. Here is a Getty image titled "Cornelis De Wael (1592-1667), Troops Embarking on a Galley in the Port of Genoa. Genoa Pegli, Civico Museo Navale (Boat Museum)": https://www.gettyimages.ca/detail…

The troops are embarking via wooden ladders between boat and galley. So the question of means of ingress remains.

About Saturday 26 May 1660

john  •  Link

@Stephane Chenard -- A most interesting image of embarkation as they would have used rope ladders then.

About Wednesday 23 May 1660

john  •  Link

Why cheer the restoration? It may well have been that after so many mirthless years of the Protectorate, people wanted to be able to sing, dance, and drink again. So not so much as pro-rex as anti-puritan.

About Guidelines for annotations

john  •  Link

HHomboy wrote: "having been a respected and popular radio commentator on the CBC [...]"

I feel bound to defend the CBC here. Yes, they have had their share of pompous prats (who believe themselves respected) but overall, their commentators tend to be polite and succinct.

About Sunday 26 February 1659/60

john  •  Link

Apologies if the following on the Tripos is too recent.

From https://www.maths.cam.ac.uk/under…
Wooden spoons
At the end of the 19th century and the start of the 20th century a wooden spoon was presented to the student at the bottom of the examination class list of the Mathematical Tripos. Examinations were tough in those days. In one year, there were 36 hours of examinations. The Senior Wrangler scored 16,368 out of a possible 33,541, and the candidate who received the wooden spoon scored a princely 247. Fortunately, the heroic era of the Tripos is long gone.

About Saturday 4 February 1659/60

john  •  Link

As a child, I often witnessed my maternal grandmother dispatching chickens on the farm. I can understand Jane's refusal.

About Wednesday 25 January 1659/60

john  •  Link

I note the friendly consortation with the butler. Pepys came from humble origins and rarely had qualms speaking to the "working classes".

Second Reading

About Wednesday 5 May 1669

john  •  Link

"And by and by he and I to talk, and the company very merry at my defending Cambridge against Oxford" and it was always thus. (I am reminded of Sir Humphrey's comment: "The universities -- both of them".)

About Monday 26 April 1669

john  •  Link

Let me add to the winking confusion (from the OED). I offer no opinion on interpretation.

wink, v.1
(wɪŋk)
[...]
1. a. intr. To close one's eyes. (Also in fig. context: cf. 5, 6.) Obs.
[...]
6. a. to wink at. (a) To ‘shut one's eyes to’ (an offence, fault, defect, impropriety, or irregularity); to connive at.

   1537 Cromwell in Merriman Life & Lett. (1902) II. 108 Persons that‥by‥wynkyng at his preparacions‥encoraged hym to be the bolder.    1540 Elyot Image Gov. xxxiii. (1541) 76 b, Ye secretely winkyng at the sayd faultes.    1644 Milton Judgm. Bucer xlvii. 24 When as all kind of unchastity is tolerated, fornications and adulteries winkt at.    a 1708 T. Ward Eng. Ref. i. (1710) 112 If I this saucyness in you, Shou'd seem to wink-at or allow.    1775 Sheridan Rivals iii. iii, Suppose you were to wink at her corresponding with him for a little time.    1815 Scott Guy M. xxxiv, You had the price of half a cargo for winking at our job.    1861 Trollope La Beata I. ix. 250 A very evident tendency‥to wink at the shortcomings of their friends.
[...]

†b. (a) to wink on, upon: = a (a), above. Obs.

   1546 J. Heywood Prov. (1867) 19 She can wynke on the yew, and wery the lam.    1591 Shakes. Two Gent. ii. iv. 98 Vpon a homely obiect, Loue can winke.    1634 Milton Comus 401 You may as well‥bid me hope Danger will wink on Opportunity.    1824 Landor Imag. Conv. I. Cromwell & Noble 59, I acknowledge his weaknesses, and cannot wink upon his crimes.    1835 Lytton Rienzi i. v, Justice must never wink upon great offenders.

About Thursday 18 March 1668/69

john  •  Link

"and thence to Hyde Park, the first time we were there this year, or ever in our own coach, where with mighty pride rode up and down, and many coaches there; and I thought our horses and coach as pretty as any there, and observed so to be by others."

To be seen and see others admire. I imagine both Samuel and Elizabeth positively glowing with pride.

About Monday 8 March 1668/69

john  •  Link

"He tells me that Mr. Shepley is upon being turned away from my Lord’s family, and another sent down, which I am sorry for; but his age and good fellowship have almost made him fit for nothing."

Sad and sober reminder of the discarding of servants in those days (and more recently).