We have an encyclopedia page for MEAD -- that sadly only has the Wiki article (with lots of citations) -- which says this about SACK:
Sack mead: This refers to a mead that is made with more honey than is typically used. The finished product contains a higher-than-average ethanol concentration (meads at or above 14% ABV are generally considered to be of sack strength) and often retains a high specific gravity and elevated levels of sweetness, although dry sack meads (which have no residual sweetness) can be produced. According to one theory, the name derives from the fortified dessert wine sherry (which is sometimes sweetened after fermentation) that, in England, once bore the nickname "sack".[91] In another theory is that the term is a phonetic reduction of "sake", the name of a Japanese beverage that was introduced to the West by Spanish and Portuguese traders.[92] However, this mead is quite sweet and Shakespeare referenced "sack" in Henry the V, "If sack and sugar be a fault, God help the wicked!" as well as 18th-century cookbooks that reference "sack mead" by authors unlikely to have known nor tasted "sake".
91^ Sack Archived 26 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine in the Oxford Companion to Wine
92^ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Saké" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 24 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 54. https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…
What you say about the model, JB, is no doubt correct.
But when you start talking about HMS Royal James proper, I think you're talking about the second or, even more likely, the third one which sailed during Pepys' tenure with the Navy.
✹ dirk on 6 Oct 2004 says in our Encyclopedia page on the subject: Royal James:
Actually there were three navy ships with the name "Royal James" in the 17th c. The annotation above refers to ..., not the one Sam is referring to in his entry for 5 October [1661].
1. "Richard" (Second Rate) built by Christopher Pett (Woolwich 1658), renamed "Royal James" after the Restoration, burnt by the Dutch in 1667. [THIS IS THE ONE WHICH EXISTED IN 1661, AND HAS THE WRONG BUILDER]
2. "Royal James" (100-Gun Ship) built by Deane (Portsmouth 1671), burnt during action in 1672.
3. "Royal James" (First Rate) built, on Pepys' instructions, by Deane (Portsmouth 1675), renamed "Victory" in 1691; then rebuilt in 1695. [MY VOTE FOR YOUR ROYAL JAMES] https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…
Among the survivors, the vast majority did not become professional singers because their voice was not of sufficiently high quality. J.S. Jenkins writes: "Boys were castrated between the ages of 7 and 9 years, and underwent a long period of voice training. A small number became inter- national opera stars, of whom the most famous was Farinelli, whose voice ranged over 3 octaves."
Obviously the boys were not old enough to give informed consent.
Castrati were first used: Late 1550s in the chapel choir of the Duke of Ferrara. 1574 in the court chapel at Munich. 1599 in the Sistine Chapel. 1610 in Württemberg. 1637 in Vienna. 1640's in Dresden.
Pope Sixtus V issued a Papal Bull in 1589 which approved the recruitment of castrati for the choir of St. Peter's Basilica. Castrati were later widely employed by opera companies. http://www.religioustolerance.org…
And Wikipedia: The practice reached its peak in 17th and 18th century opera. In Naples it is said that several barbershops had a sign that castration was performed there. However, this cannot be confirmed.
The male heroic lead would often be written for a castrato singer (E.G. in Handel's operas). When these operas are performed today, a woman (cross-dressing in a so-called trouser role) or a counter-tenor takes the roles. However, some Baroque operas with parts for castrati are so complex they cannot be performed today.
Castration was by not a guarantee of a promising career. During the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries approximately 1% of fully or partially castrated boys developed into successful singers.
In the 17th century, Queen Christina of Sweden was so enamored of the voices of the castrati that she temporarily halted a war with Poland so she could borrow the castrato Ferri from the Polish king for a 2-week command performance.
The Catholic Church's position on castrati: According to Rotten.com, in the late 16th century: Pope Clement VIII became smitten with the sweetness and flexibility of their voices. ... While some Church officials suggested it would be preferable to lift the ban on women singers than to continue endorsing the castration of little boys, the Pope disagreed, quoting St. Paul, ... since it was illegal to perform castrations, ... all castrati presenting themselves for the choir claimed to have lost their genitals through tragic 'accident'.
After the Pope’s official acceptance of castrati, the number of these 'accidents' increased dramatically. Parents seeking upward mobility towed their little lads down to a barber/butcher who separated them from their testicles for a fee. The church simultaneously created a market for castrati by hiring them for its church choirs. By about 1789, there were more than 200 castrati in Rome's chapel choirs alone.
Prohibited women from speaking or singing in church had truly inhumane results.
The biblical instruction for the silencing of women in church comes from the New Testiment: 1 Corinthians and 1 Timothy: The apostle Paul's famous dictum "Mulier taceat in ecclesia" (women are to be silent in church). This instruction is found at: I Corinthians 14:34-35: "Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. And if they will learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church. I Timothy 2:11-12: "Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence."
The "market" for castrati was created by the need for young male choiristers to sing those inspiring high notes, which is competently fulfilled by women today But St. Paul and St. Timothy clearly said women must be silent, and in the 17th century that was the law.
Furthermore, a woman should “be busy at home … and … be subject to their husband, so that no one will malign the word of God” (Titus 2:4-5). This makes sense, because “the husband is the head of the wife” (Ephesians 5:23). While the woman “rises while it is yet night, and provides food for her household … her husband is known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land.” (Proverbs 31:15-23). [SO ELIZABETH MISSING SUNDAY MORNING SERVICES IS FOLLOWING BIBLICAL TEACHINGS! - SDS]
Back to the castrati:
A castrato is a male singer with a soprano, mezzo-soprano, or alto voice. From about 1550 to the late 19th century, most were created by castrating boys before they reached puberty. This prevented their vocal cords from lengthening and their voice from deepening. With the lung capacity and muscular strength of an adult male and the vocal range of a prepubescent boy: ... his voice develops a range, power and flexibility quite different from the singing voice of the adult female, but also markedly different from the higher vocal ranges of the uncastrated adult male. Some castratos were males who were born with an endocrinological condition that prevented them from sexually maturing. The term castrato was often used to indicate the high register created by the young men who sang the castrato style. The typical register of a castrato was above that of a 'normal' soprano or alto voice, resulting in the creation of a temporary range in Italian music.
In Italy, where most of the castrations occurred, boys were generally drugged with opium. They were soaked in a hot tub until barely conscious before the operation. One source estimates that the fatality rate due to the amputation procedure was about 80%. Another estimates a death rate of 10% to 80% depending upon the skill of the practitioner.
LKvM, you are combining Martha Batten and Peg Penn -- no doubt friends, as they are both currently unmarried teenage girls living in the Navy compound. Martha was Pepys' Valentine, and Peg had the satin suit.
@@@
"a little old lady in the audience was moved enough by the Spirit, to call out "Amen!" ... I don't think this would have happened in a high Anglican church, ..."
You're right, it would not have happened. Women were not permitted to speak (or sing) in an Anglican church at this time. Women who did were Nonconformists -- and, worse, Quakers, who are being imprisoned by the hundreds by Charles II's regime at this time -- and even they got into trouble with the Nonconformist men in the New World (where they had gone to supposedly enjoy the freedom of religion) for expressing opinions. An example of an inspired New England preacher is Anne Hutchinson, who was excommunicated in Boston for holding services and having (inconvenient) opinions about the universality of God's love. See https://www.britannica.com/biogra…
I'm sure there are 1660 English examples, but I haven't remembered one to post about right now.
"... in the evening I went to my Valentine, her father and mother being out of town, to fetch her to supper to my house, ..."
That's a better attitude then Pepys had at the time:
"So up I went and took Mrs. Martha for my Valentine (which I do only for complacency), and Sir W. Batten he go in the same manner to my wife, and so we were very merry."
Which made me question just how merry 'very merry' really was.
The emergence of the Dutch school of painting in the early 17th century is one of the most extraordinary phenomena in the history of the visual arts.
The collection of Dutch 17th-century paintings in the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC includes works by well-known masters of the period, including Rembrandt van Rijn, Johannes Vermeer, Frans Hals, and Aelbert Cuyp.
Now numbering more than 150 paintings, the collection comprises examples of the portraits, genre scenes, landscapes, marine paintings, still lifes, and biblical and mythological scenes that have made this school of painting one of the most beloved and admired in the history of European art.
Their award-winning online catalog of the Gallery’s collection (first launched in 2014), unites authoritative, peer-reviewed content with the flexibility of online publishing. As works are added to the collection, new entries are added to the catalog. The newest entries include the following: Jan Asselijn, The Tiber River with the Ponte Molle at Sunset, c. 1650 Jan van Goyen, View of Rhenen, 1646 Meindert Hobbema, Wooded Landscape with Figures, c. 1658 Thomas de Keyser, Portrait of a Gentleman Wearing a Fancy Ruff, 1627 Aert van der Neer, Winter in Holland: Skating Scene, 1645 Jan Steen, Ascagnes and Lucelle (The Music Lesson), 1667
They invite you to explore this catalog and delve into the the Gallery’s 17th-century Dutch paintings.
The emergence of the Dutch school of painting in the early 17th century is one of the most extraordinary phenomena in the history of the visual arts.
The Netherlands had only recently become a political entity and was still suffering from the effects of a long and arduous war against Spain. Yet the small republic’s success in gaining independence from a powerful adversary resulted in an enormous sense of self-esteem. The Dutch were proud of their achieve- ments, proud of their land, and intent upon creating a form of government that would provide a lasting foundation for the future. They expressed pride in their unique social and cultural heritage in many ways, but most famously in their rich artistic traditions.
The collection of Dutch 17th-century paintings in the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC includes works by well-known masters of the period, including Rembrandt van Rijn, Johannes Vermeer, Frans Hals, and Aelbert Cuyp. Now numbering more than 150 paintings, the collection comprises examples of the portraits, genre scenes, landscapes, marine paintings, still lifes, and biblical and mythological scenes that have made this school of painting one of the most beloved and admired in the history of European art.
This award-winning online catalog of the Gallery’s collection first launched in 2014, uniting a tradition of authoritative, peer-reviewed content with the flexibility of online publishing. As works are added to the collection, new entries are added to the catalog. The newest entries include the following: Jan Asselijn, The Tiber River with the Ponte Molle at Sunset, c. 1650 Jan van Goyen, View of Rhenen, 1646 Meindert Hobbema, Wooded Landscape with Figures, c. 1658 Thomas de Keyser, Portrait of a Gentleman Wearing a Fancy Ruff, 1627 Aert van der Neer, Winter in Holland: Skating Scene, 1645 Jan Steen, Ascagnes and Lucelle (The Music Lesson), 1667
Additional entries devoted to new acquisitions are forthcoming.
"Another night out with Penn... All in all the old sea dog seems to like the eager little clerk, perhaps the shared interest in music?"
I agree, LKvM and Robert Gertz, that Pepys was charming and good company, and a good musician, but I also think Penn and Batten had decided to keep him foxed and busy anywhere but in the office for as long as they could. They also knew him to be smart, and quite capable of figuring out their scams and kick-backs, and when that day came he would presumably want his cut.
The Tragical Death of a Apple-Pye, Who Was Cut in Pieces and Eat by Twenty Five Gentlemen: With Whom All Little People Ought to Be Very Well Acquainted. London: Printed by John Evans, 42, Long-lane, West-smithfield, c.1800:
A Apple Py B Bit it C Cut it D Dealt it E Eat it F Fought for it G Got it H Had it I/J Join’d for it [THEY STILL HADN'T DECIDED THESE WERE A VOWEL AND CONSONANT] K Kept it L Longed for it M Mourn’d for it N Nodded at it O Open’d it P Peep’d in it Q Quarter’d it R Run for it S Stole it T Took it U/V View’d it [AGAIN, NO VOWEL/CONSONANT DEFINITION] W Wanted it X, Y, Z, and &, they all wilh’d for a piece in hand. [WITHHELD? IDEAS?]
At last they every ore agreed. Upon the Apple Pye to feed; But as there seem’d fo be so many, These who were last might not have any. Unless some method there were taken. That every one might have their bacon, They all agreed to stand in order Round the Apple Pye’s £1 border; Take turn as they in hornbook [ORDER] stand, Fiom great A, down to &, For equal parts the pye divide, As you may see on t’other side.
"The Tragical Death of an Apple Pie" is an alphabet rhyme first published in 1671.
The Bryn Mawr College's copy of 'The Tragical Death' is part of the Ellery Yale Wood Collection of Books for Young Readers. It has been digitized and is available on the Internet Archive at https://specialcollections.blogs.…
“A is for Apple. B is for Ball,” we say these days. But for 200 years, English children learning the alphabet grappled instead with apple pie, greed, and interpersonal conflict.
No one knows when the first ABC poem meant for the youngest readers was created, but 'Apple Pie' was current in England in the 17th century.
Abusing preachers stretch their sermons by elaborating on each letter in a word (REPENT – Readily Earnestly, Presently, Effectually…) John Eachard, satirist and doctor of divinity, reported on this in a humorous criticism of sermons in the Church in 1671. He says, “And also why not A Apple-pasty, B bak’d it, C cut it, D divided it, E eat it, F fought for it, G got it, &c.?”
The poem next appears in print in 1743, when it was included in 'The Child’s New Play-thing', a spelling book that began with several alphabets and ABC poems. It was printed frequently after that in the frenzy of the new market for children’s books.
Many of those “books” were the tiny publications called chapbooks – a single sheet of paper printed on both sides, and folded to make a little 16-page pamphlet smaller than the palm of your hand.
Bryn Mawr College's 'Apple Pye' is one of these, roughly 3-1/2 inches tall and 2-1/4 inches wide. It was published around 1800 and the miniature might not have survived, except that it was bound with 14 other chapbooks around the 1810s. ...
John Evans, the printer/publisher, then inserted an advertisement for his other books for “little readers,” complete with his shop address. Evans still had 3 small pages to fill, so he added a woodcut of the imaginary old woman who made the pie in the poem, and stated she would supply a similar treat to good children. Since good people always pray before meals, he included a grace for the children to learn – to demonstrate that they deserved a pie. On the final page, he printed a postprandial grace and the Lord’s Prayer.
In this much-expanded second edition of his "My Ancestor was an Agricultural Labourer" book, genealogist Ian Waller provides a wealth of information to help you discover your ag lab ancestors.
He explains what life was like for this impoverished and now largely forgotten section of society, gives us details of all the skills they needed and describes the country calendar of events, including ploughing, sowing and harvesting.
He also outlines records that tell is more about the lives of farm labourers: quarter sessions, tithe schedules, manorial records, estate records and trade union records.
There are chapters on casual farm labourers, dairy maids, child labour, thatchers, riots, wills, migration records, game keepers and changes in agricultural practice, as well as a useful bibliography and list of Parliamentary Bills that affected the lives of agricultural labourers.
A handy guide to researching your ancestry, the book is also an impressive work of social history that is even more fascinating and comprehensive than the original edition.
Manufacturer/Publisher: Society of Genealogists Binding: Paperback Author: Ian H Waller SKU: 9781907199592
The medical profession had as much influence on the lives of our ancestors as it does on our lives today. It occupied an extraordinary range of individuals - surgeons, doctors, nurses and specialists of all kinds.
Despite burgeoning interest in all aspects of history and ancestry, medicine has rarely been considered from the point of view of a family historian. This is the main purpose of Michelle Higgs’s accessible and authoritative introduction to the subject.
Assuming the reader has little prior knowledge of how or where to look for such information, she traces the development of medical practice and patient care. She describes how attitudes to illnesses and disease have changed over time. In particular, she looks at the parts played in the system by doctors and nurses - at their role, training and places of work and she also looks at the patients and their experience of medicine in their day.
Each section identifies the archives and records that the family historian can turn to, and discusses other potential sources including the Internet.
The book is an invaluable guide to all the information that can give an insight into the experience of an ancestor who worked in medicine or had a medical history.
Manufacturer/Publisher: Pen & Sword Binding: Paperback Author: Michelle Higgs SKU: 9781848842779 https://shop.nationalarchives.gov… Sadly, no hint of the centuries covered.
Katharine Cockin’s handbook provides a fascinating introduction for readers searching for information about ancestors who had clearly defined roles in the world of the theatre and performance as well as those who left only a few tantalizing clues behind.
The wider history of public performance is outlined, from its earliest origins in church rituals and mystery plays through periods of censorship driven by campaigns on moral and religious grounds up to the modern world of stage and screen.
Case studies, which are a special feature of the book, demonstrate how the relevant records and be identified and interpreted, and they prove how much revealing information they contain.
Information on relevant archives, books, museums and websites make this an essential guide for anyone who is keen to explore the subject.
This concise guide to naval history and naval records is essential reading and reference for anyone researching the fascinating story of Britain’s navy and the men and women who served in it. Whether you are interested in the career of an individual seaman, finding out about a medal winner or just want to know more about a particular ship, campaign or operation, this book will point you in the right direction.
Simon Fowler assumes the reader has little prior knowledge of the navy and its history. His book shows you how to trace an officer, petty officer or rating from the 17th century up to the 1960s using records at the National Archives and elsewhere.
The book also covers the specialist and auxiliary services associated with the navy among them the Royal Marines, the Fleet Air Arm, the naval dockyards, the WRNS and the Fleet Auxiliary. In each section he explains which records survive, where they can be found and how they can be used for research. He also recommends resources available online as well as books and memoirs.
This handbook is a valuable research tool for anyone who is keen to find out about the career of an ancestor who served in the Royal Navy or was connected with it.
How interesting I mentioned HRE Charles V as a gout sufferer, because months later I discovered he treated it by taking China Root:
Chobchini is an Ayurvedic herb, made famous in the treatment of the gout of King Charles V. Roots are the most commonly used part. Stems are equally beneficial. The rhizome of Chobchini can be used in the form of powder or paste, cooked or raw. The daily intake should not exceed 10 grams, as more may result in nausea and vomiting. The most important medicinal properties of Chobchini are its ability to fight psoriasis, syphilis and leprosy. It is a preferred herbal treatment for psoriasis.
It is found wild in China and much of Asia, but it was the Chinese who cultivated and exported it to the rest of the world, hense the name.
After further research, it appears China Beer was probably brewed from the Chobchini root which was exported from China ... hense the name. It has many medicinal values: https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
* I'm guessing this is the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V (1500 – 1558) and not the 14th century king of France. His bio has some nuggets affecting Pepys' world: "Charles V's sack of Rome (1527) and virtual imprisonment of Pope Clement VII in 1527 prevented the Pope from annulling the marriage of Henry VIII of England and Charles' aunt, Catherine of Aragon, so Henry eventually broke with Rome, thus leading to the English Reformation." and "During the 1541 expedition of Algiers, the invading force lost 150 ships, plus many sailors and soldiers. A Turkish chronicler confirmed that the Berber tribes massacred 12,000 invaders. Leaving war materiel, including 100 to 200 guns which would be recovered to furnish the ramparts of Algiers, Charles' army was taken prisoner in such numbers that the markets of Algiers were filled with slaves." and "The most famous – and only public – abdication took place on 25 October 1555, when Charles announced to the States General of the Netherlands (reunited in the great hall where he was emancipated 40 years before by Emperor Maximilian) his abdication of those territories in favour of his son, Philip, as well as his intention to step down from all of his positions and retire to a monastery. During the ceremony, the gout-afflicted Emperor Charles V leaned on the shoulder of his advisor William the Silent, crying ..."
So this Charles V had terrible gout, and if he could get China Root in 1555, Pepys could get it in 1660. And Charles V knew William III's grandfather. This was before the Protestants divided The Netherlands by breaking away from Spain.
He's a fascinating man, who had a large influence on the world Pepys is dealing with -- as well as the guns Sandwich and Lawson are now facing. This site also has a helpful map: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cha…
China beer -- Dirk posted what I bet is the right answer in 2004:
Chobchini or China root is native to China, Korea, Taiwan, Japan (including Ryukyu and Bonin Islands), Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar and Assam.
The plant is scientifically known as Smilax China, and is traditionally used in tribal and folk medicine. Chobchini is hailed as a wonder drug in Ayurveda and Unani.
China cultivates this plant, and exports to many countries. Hence it is usually called China Root. It is in the genus Smilax and Smilacaceae (Catbrier family). Other common names are Chinese smilax and Bamboo Briar Root.
It is an Ayurvedic herb, made famous in the treatment of the gout of King Charles V. * [SEE NEXT POST]
Roots are the most commonly used part. Stems are equally beneficial. The rhizome of Chobchini can be used in the form of powder or paste, cooked or raw. The daily intake should not exceed 10 grams, as more may result in nausea and vomiting. The most important medicinal properties of Chobchini are its ability to fight psoriasis, syphilis and leprosy. It is a preferred herbal treatment for psoriasis.
China root is a hard tendril climbing vine that grows up to 5 meter long. It is found in shrub thickets in hills and mountains, forests, hillsides, grassy slopes, and shaded places in valleys or by streams at near sea level. It prefers moist, well-drained soil for better growth.
The plant has hard, large, knotty, uneven rhizome, blackish externally, pale colored internally. The stem is woody, sparsely prickly, and 1–5 m (3 ft. 3 in. to 16 ft. 5 in.) long.
Ayurveda and Unani doctors recommend China Root for leucorrhea in women.
China Root contains several medicinal properties including control of swellings (anti-inflammatory), removal of pus from wounds, promotion of urine (diuretic), bringing down high body temperature, removing gas (flatulence) and clearing bowels.
Comments
Third Reading
About Wine
San Diego Sarah • Link
We have an encyclopedia page for MEAD -- that sadly only has the Wiki article (with lots of citations) -- which says this about SACK:
Sack mead: This refers to a mead that is made with more honey than is typically used. The finished product contains a higher-than-average ethanol concentration (meads at or above 14% ABV are generally considered to be of sack strength) and often retains a high specific gravity and elevated levels of sweetness, although dry sack meads (which have no residual sweetness) can be produced.
According to one theory, the name derives from the fortified dessert wine sherry (which is sometimes sweetened after fermentation) that, in England, once bore the nickname "sack".[91]
In another theory is that the term is a phonetic reduction of "sake", the name of a Japanese beverage that was introduced to the West by Spanish and Portuguese traders.[92]
However, this mead is quite sweet and Shakespeare referenced "sack" in Henry the V, "If sack and sugar be a fault, God help the wicked!" as well as 18th-century cookbooks that reference "sack mead" by authors unlikely to have known nor tasted "sake".
91^ Sack Archived 26 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine in the Oxford Companion to Wine
92^ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Saké" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 24 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 54.
https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…
About Saturday 5 October 1661
San Diego Sarah • Link
What you say about the model, JB, is no doubt correct.
But when you start talking about HMS Royal James proper, I think you're talking about the second or, even more likely, the third one which sailed during Pepys' tenure with the Navy.
✹ dirk on 6 Oct 2004 says in our Encyclopedia page on the subject:
Royal James:
Actually there were three navy ships with the name "Royal James" in the 17th c. The annotation above refers to ..., not the one Sam is referring to in his entry for 5 October [1661].
1. "Richard" (Second Rate)
built by Christopher Pett (Woolwich 1658), renamed "Royal James" after the Restoration, burnt by the Dutch in 1667.
[THIS IS THE ONE WHICH EXISTED IN 1661, AND HAS THE WRONG BUILDER]
2. "Royal James" (100-Gun Ship)
built by Deane (Portsmouth 1671), burnt during action in 1672.
3. "Royal James" (First Rate)
built, on Pepys' instructions, by Deane (Portsmouth 1675), renamed "Victory" in 1691; then rebuilt in 1695.
[MY VOTE FOR YOUR ROYAL JAMES]
https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…
About Sunday 6 October 1661
San Diego Sarah • Link
Fastinating, Stephane. And Dorset Richrd -- that hadn't even occurred to me! 8-)
About Sunday 6 October 1661
San Diego Sarah • Link
CONCLUSION:
Among the survivors, the vast majority did not become professional singers because their voice was not of sufficiently high quality.
J.S. Jenkins writes: "Boys were castrated between the ages of 7 and 9 years, and underwent a long period of voice training. A small number became inter- national opera stars, of whom the most famous was Farinelli, whose voice ranged over 3 octaves."
Obviously the boys were not old enough to give informed consent.
Castrati were first used:
Late 1550s in the chapel choir of the Duke of Ferrara.
1574 in the court chapel at Munich.
1599 in the Sistine Chapel.
1610 in Württemberg.
1637 in Vienna.
1640's in Dresden.
Pope Sixtus V issued a Papal Bull in 1589 which approved the recruitment of castrati for the choir of St. Peter's Basilica. Castrati were later widely employed by opera companies.
http://www.religioustolerance.org…
And Wikipedia:
The practice reached its peak in 17th and 18th century opera. In Naples it is said that several barbershops had a sign that castration was performed there. However, this cannot be confirmed.
The male heroic lead would often be written for a castrato singer (E.G. in Handel's operas). When these operas are performed today, a woman (cross-dressing in a so-called trouser role) or a counter-tenor takes the roles. However, some Baroque operas with parts for castrati are so complex they cannot be performed today.
Castration was by not a guarantee of a promising career. During the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries approximately 1% of fully or partially castrated boys developed into successful singers.
In the 17th century, Queen Christina of Sweden was so enamored of the voices of the castrati that she temporarily halted a war with Poland so she could borrow the castrato Ferri from the Polish king for a 2-week command performance.
The Catholic Church's position on castrati:
According to Rotten.com, in the late 16th century:
Pope Clement VIII became smitten with the sweetness and flexibility of their voices. ... While some Church officials suggested it would be preferable to lift the ban on women singers than to continue endorsing the castration of little boys, the Pope disagreed, quoting St. Paul, ... since it was illegal to perform castrations, ... all castrati presenting themselves for the choir claimed to have lost their genitals through tragic 'accident'.
After the Pope’s official acceptance of castrati, the number of these 'accidents' increased dramatically. Parents seeking upward mobility towed their little lads down to a barber/butcher who separated them from their testicles for a fee. The church simultaneously created a market for castrati by hiring them for its church choirs. By about 1789, there were more than 200 castrati in Rome's chapel choirs alone.
Prohibited women from speaking or singing in church had truly inhumane results.
About Sunday 6 October 1661
San Diego Sarah • Link
Now I remember -- filed under the castrati.
The biblical instruction for the silencing of women in church comes from the New Testiment: 1 Corinthians and 1 Timothy:
The apostle Paul's famous dictum "Mulier taceat in ecclesia" (women are to be silent in church).
This instruction is found at:
I Corinthians 14:34-35: "Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. And if they will learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.
I Timothy 2:11-12: "Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence."
The "market" for castrati was created by the need for young male choiristers to sing those inspiring high notes, which is competently fulfilled by women today But St. Paul and St. Timothy clearly said women must be silent, and in the 17th century that was the law.
Furthermore, a woman should “be busy at home … and … be subject to their husband, so that no one will malign the word of God” (Titus 2:4-5).
This makes sense, because “the husband is the head of the wife” (Ephesians 5:23).
While the woman “rises while it is yet night, and provides food for her household … her husband is known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land.” (Proverbs 31:15-23).
[SO ELIZABETH MISSING SUNDAY MORNING SERVICES IS FOLLOWING BIBLICAL TEACHINGS! - SDS]
Back to the castrati:
A castrato is a male singer with a soprano, mezzo-soprano, or alto voice. From about 1550 to the late 19th century, most were created by castrating boys before they reached puberty. This prevented their vocal cords from lengthening and their voice from deepening. With the lung capacity and muscular strength of an adult male and the vocal range of a prepubescent boy:
... his voice develops a range, power and flexibility quite different from the singing voice of the adult female, but also markedly different from the higher vocal ranges of the uncastrated adult male. Some castratos were males who were born with an endocrinological condition that prevented them from sexually maturing.
The term castrato was often used to indicate the high register created by the young men who sang the castrato style. The typical register of a castrato was above that of a 'normal' soprano or alto voice, resulting in the creation of a temporary range in Italian music.
In Italy, where most of the castrations occurred, boys were generally drugged with opium. They were soaked in a hot tub until barely conscious before the operation. One source estimates that the fatality rate due to the amputation procedure was about 80%. Another estimates a death rate of 10% to 80% depending upon the skill of the practitioner.
About Sunday 6 October 1661
San Diego Sarah • Link
LKvM, you are combining Martha Batten and Peg Penn -- no doubt friends, as they are both currently unmarried teenage girls living in the Navy compound. Martha was Pepys' Valentine, and Peg had the satin suit.
@@@
"a little old lady in the audience was moved enough by the Spirit, to call out "Amen!" ... I don't think this would have happened in a high Anglican church, ..."
You're right, it would not have happened. Women were not permitted to speak (or sing) in an Anglican church at this time.
Women who did were Nonconformists -- and, worse, Quakers, who are being imprisoned by the hundreds by Charles II's regime at this time -- and even they got into trouble with the Nonconformist men in the New World (where they had gone to supposedly enjoy the freedom of religion) for expressing opinions.
An example of an inspired New England preacher is Anne Hutchinson, who was excommunicated in Boston for holding services and having (inconvenient) opinions about the universality of God's love. See
https://www.britannica.com/biogra…
I'm sure there are 1660 English examples, but I haven't remembered one to post about right now.
About Sunday 6 October 1661
San Diego Sarah • Link
"... in the evening I went to my Valentine, her father and mother being out of town, to fetch her to supper to my house, ..."
That's a better attitude then Pepys had at the time:
"So up I went and took Mrs. Martha for my Valentine (which I do only for complacency), and Sir W. Batten he go in the same manner to my wife, and so we were very merry."
Which made me question just how merry 'very merry' really was.
https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
About History resources
San Diego Sarah • Link
The emergence of the Dutch school of painting in the early 17th century is one of the most extraordinary phenomena in the history of the visual arts.
The collection of Dutch 17th-century paintings in the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC includes works by well-known masters of the period, including Rembrandt van Rijn, Johannes Vermeer, Frans Hals, and Aelbert Cuyp.
Now numbering more than 150 paintings, the collection comprises examples of the portraits, genre scenes, landscapes, marine paintings, still lifes, and biblical and mythological scenes that have made this school of painting one of the most beloved and admired in the history of European art.
Their award-winning online catalog of the Gallery’s collection (first launched in 2014), unites authoritative, peer-reviewed content with the flexibility of online publishing.
As works are added to the collection, new entries are added to the catalog. The newest entries include the following:
Jan Asselijn, The Tiber River with the Ponte Molle at Sunset, c. 1650
Jan van Goyen, View of Rhenen, 1646
Meindert Hobbema, Wooded Landscape with Figures, c. 1658
Thomas de Keyser, Portrait of a Gentleman Wearing a Fancy Ruff, 1627
Aert van der Neer, Winter in Holland: Skating Scene, 1645
Jan Steen, Ascagnes and Lucelle (The Music Lesson), 1667
They invite you to explore this catalog and delve into the the Gallery’s 17th-century Dutch paintings.
Subjects:
Landscapes
https://www.nga.gov/collection-se…
Genre Paintings – e.g. ice skating
https://www.nga.gov/collection-se…
Historical https://www.nga.gov/collection-se…
Still Life
https://www.nga.gov/collection-se…
Portraits
https://www.nga.gov/collection-se…
About Art
San Diego Sarah • Link
The emergence of the Dutch school of painting in the early 17th century is one of the most extraordinary phenomena in the history of the visual arts.
The Netherlands had only recently become a political entity and was still suffering from the effects of a long and arduous war against Spain. Yet the small republic’s success in gaining independence from a powerful adversary resulted in an enormous sense of self-esteem. The Dutch were proud of their achieve- ments, proud of their land, and intent upon creating a form of government that would provide a lasting foundation for the future. They expressed pride in their unique social and cultural heritage in many ways, but most famously in their rich artistic traditions.
The collection of Dutch 17th-century paintings in the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC includes works by well-known masters of the period, including Rembrandt van Rijn, Johannes Vermeer, Frans Hals, and Aelbert Cuyp. Now numbering more than 150 paintings, the collection comprises examples of the portraits, genre scenes, landscapes, marine paintings, still lifes, and biblical and mythological scenes that have made this school of painting one of the most beloved and admired in the history of European art.
This award-winning online catalog of the Gallery’s collection first launched in 2014, uniting a tradition of authoritative, peer-reviewed content with the flexibility of online publishing. As works are added to the collection, new entries are added to the catalog. The newest entries include the following:
Jan Asselijn, The Tiber River with the Ponte Molle at Sunset, c. 1650
Jan van Goyen, View of Rhenen, 1646
Meindert Hobbema, Wooded Landscape with Figures, c. 1658
Thomas de Keyser, Portrait of a Gentleman Wearing a Fancy Ruff, 1627
Aert van der Neer, Winter in Holland: Skating Scene, 1645
Jan Steen, Ascagnes and Lucelle (The Music Lesson), 1667
Additional entries devoted to new acquisitions are forthcoming.
We invite you to explore this catalog and delve into the the Gallery’s 17th-century Dutch paintings.
Subjects:
Landscapes
https://www.nga.gov/collection-se…
Genre Paintings – e.g. ice skating
https://www.nga.gov/collection-se…
Historical https://www.nga.gov/collection-se…
Still Life
https://www.nga.gov/collection-se…
Portraits
https://www.nga.gov/collection-se…
About Saturday 5 October 1661
San Diego Sarah • Link
"Another night out with Penn... All in all the old sea dog seems to like the eager little clerk, perhaps the shared interest in music?"
I agree, LKvM and Robert Gertz, that Pepys was charming and good company, and a good musician, but I also think Penn and Batten had decided to keep him foxed and busy anywhere but in the office for as long as they could. They also knew him to be smart, and quite capable of figuring out their scams and kick-backs, and when that day came he would presumably want his cut.
About Christ's Hospital of Abingdon, Oxfordshire
San Diego Sarah • Link
CONCLUSION:
The Tragical Death of a Apple-Pye, Who Was Cut in Pieces and Eat by Twenty Five Gentlemen: With Whom All Little People Ought to Be Very Well Acquainted. London: Printed by John Evans, 42, Long-lane, West-smithfield, c.1800:
A Apple Py
B Bit it
C Cut it
D Dealt it
E Eat it
F Fought for it
G Got it
H Had it
I/J Join’d for it [THEY STILL HADN'T DECIDED THESE WERE A VOWEL AND CONSONANT]
K Kept it
L Longed for it
M Mourn’d for it
N Nodded at it
O Open’d it
P Peep’d in it
Q Quarter’d it
R Run for it
S Stole it
T Took it
U/V View’d it [AGAIN, NO VOWEL/CONSONANT DEFINITION]
W Wanted it
X, Y, Z, and &, they all wilh’d for a piece in hand. [WITHHELD? IDEAS?]
At last they every ore agreed.
Upon the Apple Pye to feed;
But as there seem’d fo be so many,
These who were last might not have any.
Unless some method there were taken.
That every one might have their bacon,
They all agreed to stand in order
Round the Apple Pye’s £1 border;
Take turn as they in hornbook [ORDER] stand,
Fiom great A, down to &,
For equal parts the pye divide,
As you may see on t’other side.
You can see the original and woodcuts at
https://search.yahoo.com/search?f…
About Christ's Hospital of Abingdon, Oxfordshire
San Diego Sarah • Link
"The Tragical Death of an Apple Pie" is an alphabet rhyme first published in 1671.
The Bryn Mawr College's copy of 'The Tragical Death' is part of the Ellery Yale Wood Collection of Books for Young Readers. It has been digitized and is available on the Internet Archive at
https://specialcollections.blogs.…
“A is for Apple. B is for Ball,” we say these days. But for 200 years, English children learning the alphabet grappled instead with apple pie, greed, and interpersonal conflict.
No one knows when the first ABC poem meant for the youngest readers was created, but 'Apple Pie' was current in England in the 17th century.
Abusing preachers stretch their sermons by elaborating on each letter in a word (REPENT – Readily Earnestly, Presently, Effectually…) John Eachard, satirist and doctor of divinity, reported on this in a humorous criticism of sermons in the Church in 1671. He says, “And also why not A Apple-pasty, B bak’d it, C cut it, D divided it, E eat it, F fought for it, G got it, &c.?”
The poem next appears in print in 1743, when it was included in 'The Child’s New Play-thing', a spelling book that began with several alphabets and ABC poems. It was printed frequently after that in the frenzy of the new market for children’s books.
Many of those “books” were the tiny publications called chapbooks – a single sheet of paper printed on both sides, and folded to make a little 16-page pamphlet smaller than the palm of your hand.
Bryn Mawr College's 'Apple Pye' is one of these, roughly 3-1/2 inches tall and 2-1/4 inches wide. It was published around 1800 and the miniature might not have survived, except that it was bound with 14 other chapbooks around the 1810s. ...
John Evans, the printer/publisher, then inserted an advertisement for his other books for “little readers,” complete with his shop address.
Evans still had 3 small pages to fill, so he added a woodcut of the imaginary old woman who made the pie in the poem, and stated she would supply a similar treat to good children.
Since good people always pray before meals, he included a grace for the children to learn – to demonstrate that they deserved a pie.
On the final page, he printed a postprandial grace and the Lord’s Prayer.
About History resources
San Diego Sarah • Link
Available from the National Archives:
In this much-expanded second edition of his "My Ancestor was an Agricultural Labourer" book, genealogist Ian Waller provides a wealth of information to help you discover your ag lab ancestors.
He explains what life was like for this impoverished and now largely forgotten section of society, gives us details of all the skills they needed and describes the country calendar of events, including ploughing, sowing and harvesting.
He also outlines records that tell is more about the lives of farm labourers: quarter sessions, tithe schedules, manorial records, estate records and trade union records.
There are chapters on casual farm labourers, dairy maids, child labour, thatchers, riots, wills, migration records, game keepers and changes in agricultural practice, as well as a useful bibliography and list of Parliamentary Bills that affected the lives of agricultural labourers.
A handy guide to researching your ancestry, the book is also an impressive work of social history that is even more fascinating and comprehensive than the original edition.
Manufacturer/Publisher: Society of Genealogists
Binding: Paperback
Author: Ian H Waller
SKU: 9781907199592
https://shop.nationalarchives.gov…
About History resources
San Diego Sarah • Link
Available from the National Archives:
The medical profession had as much influence on the lives of our ancestors as it does on our lives today. It occupied an extraordinary range of individuals - surgeons, doctors, nurses and specialists of all kinds.
Despite burgeoning interest in all aspects of history and ancestry, medicine has rarely been considered from the point of view of a family historian. This is the main purpose of Michelle Higgs’s accessible and authoritative introduction to the subject.
Assuming the reader has little prior knowledge of how or where to look for such information, she traces the development of medical practice and patient care. She describes how attitudes to illnesses and disease have changed over time. In particular, she looks at the parts played in the system by doctors and nurses - at their role, training and places of work and she also looks at the patients and their experience of medicine in their day.
Each section identifies the archives and records that the family historian can turn to, and discusses other potential sources including the Internet.
The book is an invaluable guide to all the information that can give an insight into the experience of an ancestor who worked in medicine or had a medical history.
Manufacturer/Publisher: Pen & Sword
Binding: Paperback
Author: Michelle Higgs
SKU: 9781848842779
https://shop.nationalarchives.gov…
Sadly, no hint of the centuries covered.
About History resources
San Diego Sarah • Link
Available from the National Archives:
Katharine Cockin’s handbook provides a fascinating introduction for readers searching for information about ancestors who had clearly defined roles in the world of the theatre and performance as well as those who left only a few tantalizing clues behind.
The wider history of public performance is outlined, from its earliest origins in church rituals and mystery plays through periods of censorship driven by campaigns on moral and religious grounds up to the modern world of stage and screen.
Case studies, which are a special feature of the book, demonstrate how the relevant records and be identified and interpreted, and they prove how much revealing information they contain.
Information on relevant archives, books, museums and websites make this an essential guide for anyone who is keen to explore the subject.
SKU: 9781526732057
https://shop.nationalarchives.gov…
About History resources
San Diego Sarah • Link
Available from the National Archives:
This concise guide to naval history and naval records is essential reading and reference for anyone researching the fascinating story of Britain’s navy and the men and women who served in it. Whether you are interested in the career of an individual seaman, finding out about a medal winner or just want to know more about a particular ship, campaign or operation, this book will point you in the right direction.
Simon Fowler assumes the reader has little prior knowledge of the navy and its history. His book shows you how to trace an officer, petty officer or rating from the 17th century up to the 1960s using records at the National Archives and elsewhere.
The book also covers the specialist and auxiliary services associated with the navy among them the Royal Marines, the Fleet Air Arm, the naval dockyards, the WRNS and the Fleet Auxiliary. In each section he explains which records survive, where they can be found and how they can be used for research. He also recommends resources available online as well as books and memoirs.
This handbook is a valuable research tool for anyone who is keen to find out about the career of an ancestor who served in the Royal Navy or was connected with it.
Manufacturer/Publisher: Pen & Sword
Binding: Paperback
Author: Simon Fowler
SKU: 9781848846258
https://shop.nationalarchives.gov…
About Gout
San Diego Sarah • Link
How interesting I mentioned HRE Charles V as a gout sufferer, because months later I discovered he treated it by taking China Root:
Chobchini is an Ayurvedic herb, made famous in the treatment of the gout of King Charles V.
Roots are the most commonly used part. Stems are equally beneficial. The rhizome of Chobchini can be used in the form of powder or paste, cooked or raw.
The daily intake should not exceed 10 grams, as more may result in nausea and vomiting. The most important medicinal properties of Chobchini are its ability to fight psoriasis, syphilis and leprosy. It is a preferred herbal treatment for psoriasis.
It is found wild in China and much of Asia, but it was the Chinese who cultivated and exported it to the rest of the world, hense the name.
Pepys drank China Beer, presumably made from the China Root/Chobchini in 1661:
https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
About Ale
San Diego Sarah • Link
After further research, it appears China Beer was probably brewed from the Chobchini root which was exported from China ... hense the name. It has many medicinal values:
https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
About Friday 4 October 1661
San Diego Sarah • Link
CONCLUSION:
* I'm guessing this is the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V (1500 – 1558) and not the 14th century king of France. His bio has some nuggets affecting Pepys' world:
"Charles V's sack of Rome (1527) and virtual imprisonment of Pope Clement VII in 1527 prevented the Pope from annulling the marriage of Henry VIII of England and Charles' aunt, Catherine of Aragon, so Henry eventually broke with Rome, thus leading to the English Reformation."
and
"During the 1541 expedition of Algiers, the invading force lost 150 ships, plus many sailors and soldiers. A Turkish chronicler confirmed that the Berber tribes massacred 12,000 invaders. Leaving war materiel, including 100 to 200 guns which would be recovered to furnish the ramparts of Algiers, Charles' army was taken prisoner in such numbers that the markets of Algiers were filled with slaves."
and
"The most famous – and only public – abdication took place on 25 October 1555, when Charles announced to the States General of the Netherlands (reunited in the great hall where he was emancipated 40 years before by Emperor Maximilian) his abdication of those territories in favour of his son, Philip, as well as his intention to step down from all of his positions and retire to a monastery. During the ceremony, the gout-afflicted Emperor Charles V leaned on the shoulder of his advisor William the Silent, crying ..."
So this Charles V had terrible gout, and if he could get China Root in 1555, Pepys could get it in 1660.
And Charles V knew William III's grandfather. This was before the Protestants divided The Netherlands by breaking away from Spain.
He's a fascinating man, who had a large influence on the world Pepys is dealing with -- as well as the guns Sandwich and Lawson are now facing.
This site also has a helpful map:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cha…
About Friday 4 October 1661
San Diego Sarah • Link
China beer -- Dirk posted what I bet is the right answer in 2004:
Chobchini or China root is native to China, Korea, Taiwan, Japan (including Ryukyu and Bonin Islands), Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar and Assam.
The plant is scientifically known as Smilax China, and is traditionally used in tribal and folk medicine. Chobchini is hailed as a wonder drug in Ayurveda and Unani.
China cultivates this plant, and exports to many countries. Hence it is usually called China Root.
It is in the genus Smilax and Smilacaceae (Catbrier family). Other common names are Chinese smilax and Bamboo Briar Root.
It is an Ayurvedic herb, made famous in the treatment of the gout of King Charles V. * [SEE NEXT POST]
Roots are the most commonly used part. Stems are equally beneficial. The rhizome of Chobchini can be used in the form of powder or paste, cooked or raw.
The daily intake should not exceed 10 grams, as more may result in nausea and vomiting. The most important medicinal properties of Chobchini are its ability to fight psoriasis, syphilis and leprosy. It is a preferred herbal treatment for psoriasis.
China root is a hard tendril climbing vine that grows up to 5 meter long. It is found in shrub thickets in hills and mountains, forests, hillsides, grassy slopes, and shaded places in valleys or by streams at near sea level. It prefers moist, well-drained soil for better growth.
The plant has hard, large, knotty, uneven rhizome, blackish externally, pale colored internally. The stem is woody, sparsely prickly, and 1–5 m (3 ft. 3 in. to 16 ft. 5 in.) long.
Ayurveda and Unani doctors recommend China Root for leucorrhea in women.
China Root contains several medicinal properties including control of swellings (anti-inflammatory), removal of pus from wounds, promotion of urine (diuretic), bringing down high body temperature, removing gas (flatulence) and clearing bowels.
For pictures of the plant and more info., see
https://www.healthbenefitstimes.c…