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San Diego Sarah has posted 9,736 annotations/comments since 6 August 2015.

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Second Reading

About Robert Waith

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

Saturday 15 February 1661/62

"With the two Sir Williams to the Trinity-house; ... and after dinner I was sworn a Younger Brother; Sir W. Rider being Deputy Master for my Lord of Sandwich; ... and so to Sir Wm. Batten’s all three, and there we staid till late talking together in complaint of the Treasurer’s instruments. Above all Mr. Waith, at whose child’s christening our wives and we should have been to-day, but none of them went and I am glad of it, for he is a very rogue."

So Mr. and Mrs. Waith were young, and Pepys didn't like him.

About Sunday 24 January 1663/64

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

I'm guessing "Apaffi; gets many places from the Emp: submitting to him all Germany and Italy in all amaze, the northern kingdoms quiet." refers to:

"Michael Apafi (1632 – 15 April 1690) was a Hungarian Prince of Transylvania.

"He was elected by the nobles of Transylvania on 14 September 1661, with the support of the Ottoman Empire, as a rival to the Habsburg-backed ruler John Kemény. Kemény died in 1662 in the battle of Nagyszőllős, leaving Apafi as uncontested ruler of Transylvania.

"Opposed to the Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I, he supported the Ottomans and Hungarian rebels until the Ottoman defeat at the Battle of Vienna on 12 September 1683. ..."

for more information, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mic…

About Sunday 24 January 1663/64

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

Thank you all for unraveling some of Rev. Josselin's comments.

Now "the Turkish pirates harsh to our traders in the midland seas(,) "

I'm guessing the "midland seas" are/is the Mediterranean, and the Turkish pirates are actually the Barbary pirates.

If this is correct, why is Rev. Josselin upset about them today? They have been taking slaves and terrorizing the Mediterranean cities, Europe or Britain for centuries -- what specifically happened in 1663/64?

About Sunday 31 January 1663/64

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

Last night it occurred to me that we hadn't heard anything recently about visiting Tom, and hoped Sam and Elizabeth would do it today, Sunday. Of course, they might be snowed in -- I note there are no visitors today.

About James Turner ("Col.")

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

It would be interesting to find out how Col. Turner knew Charles II, and why he was so certain a King's pardon would be forthcoming. As a goldsmith, perhaps he had loaned the crown some money -- in which case, Charles benefited by not having to repay the loan. Perhaps, as a Lt. Col. of the City militia, Turner had performed some personal service, so Charles was happy the information would die with him ... after 400 years, my musings will [probably] never be answered.

About Peter Pett (Commissioner of the Navy)

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"... taking Commissioner Pett with me, and all alone dined together. He told me many stories of the yard, but I do know him so well, and had his character given me this morning by Hempson" http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…

Pepys noted Hempson's views in his Navy White Book, p. 11. According to Hempson, Pett was a miser, prone to charge all expenses to Charles II (even for the banquet he gave for the King at his Restoration), and was disliked by the gentry of the county as 'false-hearted'. (L&M footnote)

About Tuesday 26 January 1663/64

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

This fire would have been to great concern to Sandwich, as Lady C lives next door to him. No wonder he took the initiative in reviewing the fire fighting provisions.

About Tuesday 12 January 1663/64

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

Hi Gerald ... click through on William Wight to the Encyclopedia. On the right hand side of the bar under the heading is WIKIPEDIA - TEXT - ANNOTATIONS - REFERENCES.

Click on REFERENCES, and go down the page passed the graph. You will find a list of every mention of Uncle Wight, and you can click through to any date to see what happened, before or after the date we are working on.

Happy independent research!

About Sunday 24 January 1663/64

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

Thanks, Terry, I would never have guessed this one. Sultan Mehmed IV has just turned 22, so Josselin was correct.

Am I right with my guess that Savoy equals Spain? Apart from Pope Alexander VII (born 1599), the king of Spain seems to be the only one missing from this chess set.

About Sunday 24 January 1663/64

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

I don't recall anything in this year's vows about not going to church, and working in the office on his memoirs instead. Perhaps his conscience was troubling him, and he didn't want it disturbed further by either preachers or Elizabeth? Rev. Josselin mentions snow. Last week Pepys said it was mild. Maybe a new snowfall explains this excuse.

About Sunday 24 January 1663/64

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

Anyone want to help unravel the Rev. Josselin entry?

I'll start with "the great princes young. Turk about 21. or 22. France. 25. Emp. 23. Swede a boy. Savoy very young."

I have no idea who the Turkish sultan was, and have spent two hours poking around with no success.
France was of course ruled by Louis XIV, now about 25
The Holy Roman Emperor was Leopold I, aged 23
The Boy Kind of Sweden was Charles XI - aged 8
Savoy - not sure who this refers to. If it's Carlos II, the last of the Hapsburgs in Spain, he was 2 at this time.
Charles II, born in 1630, is the mature one of the group. Hummmm. Good luck with that.

About Tuesday 17 November 1663

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

Apparently Elizabeth's problem is more common than I knew. In 1685 Louis XIV had similar, but better documented, problems. For the complete story, and the origins of the British national anthem, see:
https://omgfacts.com/when-anal-fi…

Briefly (because these links often get disconnected):

Louis XIV, who ruled France from 1638–1718 brought haute couture fashion to France  —  and was responsible for making anal fistulas "stylish."

In 1685 Louis XIV's butthole started to hurt. Within a year, the pain had become so great Louis was unable to sit down comfortably. Pooping became agonizing; no amount of profusely-slathered apothecary lotions provided relief.

There were things that probably didn’t help: Louis’ aversion to bathing (reportedly he bathed twice in his life) and “constant treatments [to his leaky butthole] with a red-hot iron.”

After months of tortuous attempts to make his sphincter feel better, Louis XIV was diagnosed with an anal fistula (an infected cavity between the anus and the skin). Google Image page if you are brave.

Charles-Francois Felix was a French barber-surgeon: in those days in Paris physicians didn’t cut people — that was always done by barbers. M. Felix agreed to operate, and was given 6 months to custom-build the proper instruments and to find some poor people to practice on (up to 75, by some accounts).

The operation lasted about 3 hours — and was a success: On Nov. 18, 1686, His Majesty emerged from the operating room, fistula-free. Louis XIV was walking well within days, and a few months later he was back in the saddle, literally.

All of France celebrated! 1686 was declared L’anne de la Fistule (“The Year of the Fistula”) as courtiers at Versailles walked around with their butts in a swaddle — fistula-afflicted or not.

Charles-Francois Felix successfully convinced Louis XIV to elevate surgical medicine to a recognized skill. France soon became known for having outstanding surgeons; people traveled from all over the world to have operations in Paris.

So when you shave your head in support of someone undergoing chemo, it's not an original idea!

About Saturday 23 January 1663/64

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

December 22, 1663: "I did go to Westminster Hall, and there met Hawley, and walked a great while with him. Among other discourse encouraging him to pursue his love to Mrs. Lane, while God knows I had a roguish meaning in it."

I wonder what the subject of this luncheon with John Hawley was: we know Betty Lane isn't interested, but Pepys has to break the news, I guess.

About Friday 22 January 1663/64

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

I think the warm weather has continued, or Pepys wouldn't be riding in a galley down the Thames in January, and reading a book on the way home. He's be wearing his new velvet robe, sitting by the fire in his office, and keeping his innards toasty.

About Wednesday 20 January 1663/64

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"Sandwich is declaring his resolve to join the court." -- I don't see it that way, Terry. This is leaving the court again.

Sandwich's apartment in Whitehall was in a prime location at Whitehall, next to the new Tennis Court and Lady Castlemaine's. Consequently Sandwich was privy to much of Charles II's private activities. We know the apartments were old, so possibly entertaining was a challenge.

I recall Lady Sandwich had set up her headquarters at the Wardrobe, so he had complete freedom at Whitehall, just across the garden from the office.

By moving into a big house at Lincoln's Inn Fields, Sandwich has declared himself more interested in what exactly? He lost prestige by being absent from Court so much last year, so it would seem to be a time to "double down" on face time with Charles and James as they prepare for war, and I'm sure Sandwich wants a command when the time comes.

Sandwich is also spending a fortune on Hinchingbrooke around now. The children are too young to be introduced at Court. No doubt all will be explained in the future, but this sounds like a bad move to me.

About Wednesday 20 January 1663/64

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"That the King do not openly disown my Lady Castlemaine, but that she comes to Court; but that my Lord FitzHarding and the Hambletons,1 and sometimes my Lord Sandwich, they say, have their snaps at her."

Am I right in thinking this means that Charles II maintains an outwardly cordial relationship with Lady C. and that she is still seen at Court, but that Berkeley (Lord FitzHarding), the three Habletons and Sandwich are also rumored to be having affairs with her. I never heard the word "snaps" before.

Then "... my Lord Sandwich will lead her from her lodgings in the darkest and obscurest manner, and leave her at the entrance into the Queen’s lodgings, that he might be the least observed."

They are neighbors at Whitehall, and so far as I know she is still a Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Catherine of Braganza. So when she goes to work and it is dark out, Sandwich is gallantly if discreetly escorting her through the gardens.

Why is he buying a house at Lincoln's Inn? This set-up sounds too good to walk away from.