I have just successfully scraped and 'emended' a small area (6-letter word) of common-or-garden, modern, 100gsm writing-paper and imagine that a paper of greater quality and weight would be even easier to treat in this way.
The lettering (both original and second version) was done with ink. A light polishing of the scraped area, using the bone handle of a table-knife) probably helped to prevent bleeding when the 'corrected' word was written.
This method thus works on small areas of text, but would be laborious to extend over longer texts.
In the particular instance noted here, spacing could have proved to be the main problem, as 'Mr. Pepys' occupies a shorter linear space than 'Mr. Tooker.' Perhaps Sam was lucky and found his name at the end of a line.
He may have provoked a small measure sympathy in Pepys, but clearly went away without gaining any material help for his losses. Sam's attitude seems to be "Well, he's hardly destitute, so he'll just have to get on with it."
According to the L&M Companion, this boy (Harry) is not Pen's personal boy, but is Harry Kembe, the Navy Office messenger, who lived in Boar's Head Yard, Westminster.
According to Liza Picard (Restoration London) the fashionable hair-colour of the time was dark - brunette - so Elizabeth is unlikely to have been bleaching her hair. However, if she had been using ceruse ( a cosmetic based on white lead) to lighten and smoothe her complexion, it is possible that she could have suffered a depilatory effect on her eyebrows and hairline.
In this particular case I should have thought that over-use of ceruse was unlikely; the only comments that Sam has ever made on 'painting' have been less than complimentary.
"going abroad and staying out late and painting in the absence of her husband"
This is all of a piece. Mrs. St. Michel is accusing her daughter-in-law of conduct that is altogether unbecoming for the grass-widow of a husband who is commendably doing his duty in this time of war. The painting, I am sure, refers to the use of cosmetics.
Mother-in-law may have a completely valid point, but it is also possible that her view is coloured by the lack of financial assistance that the young couple (according to Elizabeth) are providing, even though Balty himself has been helped to a promising position by Sam.
In a house where there are several live-in servants, the marital bedroom is often one of the very few places where a confidential discussion between husband and wife can be held without fear of a third party intruding.
According to the L&M edition this refers to the area between Limehouse and Wapping on the north bank of the Thames. The ['s] is spurious; this is nothing to do with either Thomas Shadwell (Clerk to the Auditor of the Receipt in the Exchequer) or the other Thomas Shadwell (dramatist and Restoration wit).
The metropolitan Bills of Mortality maintained a special column for plague deaths until the year 1703. However, in 1667 only 35 persons were listed as having died of plague, followed by 14 in 1668 and just 2 in 1669.
During the next decade only occasional outbreaks and rare plague deaths occurred in southern England, and the last plague death listed in the metropolitan bills was recorded in a remote downstream parish in 1679.
I've just looked at Ralph Josselin's diary entry for this week and see that he notes that the great fire began in a *French* baker's shop! No mention of a foreign plot, but the half-truth shows how rumour has spread like a Chinese whisper.
And besides, the fire didn't get as far as the Navy Office. Sam was very lucky that it broke out in a street west of his home/office and that the strong, easterly wind kept it travelling away from Seething Lane and towards Westminster for the duration.
L&M Companion makes all clear. This gate guarded the access from the river to the south-eastern end of Tower Wharf (and thus to the Tower itself). It was cited at the downstream end of the Crown's property.
Irongate Stairs were the landing stairs for the foot of Little Tower Hill.
In addition to its drama, what this account reaffirms for us is the fact that Pepys had a very orderly mind. He had something very important to record and he recorded it brilliantly.
Both Hippocrates and Celsus associated hiccups with inflammation of the liver, so this might be a source of concern in the 17th century, when medical theory was still based on classical models.
On a more 'modern' level, persistent hiccups can occur in cases of cancer where severe distension of the stomach is involved.
Why assume this pronunciation? I can find no convincing argument for such a shortening of the original long vowel in this word. Monosyllabic 'one' shows a different phonetic development from disyllabic 'only.'
See E.J. Dobson: English Pronunciation 1500-1700 (passim).
I suppose that 'washed' could mean 'lime-washed' - but surely you would arrange for that to be done before the beautiful, new presses were installed, rather than after. You won't want the paint to splash on that lovely wood.
Presumably the girl, who is employed as a maid of all work. Sam would be the person least likely to take a hand in this. His position is purely supervisory in this menial task.
Comments
First Reading
About Monday 24 September 1666
Mary • Link
scraping paper.
I have just successfully scraped and 'emended' a small area (6-letter word) of common-or-garden, modern, 100gsm writing-paper and imagine that a paper of greater quality and weight would be even easier to treat in this way.
The lettering (both original and second version) was done with ink. A light polishing of the scraped area, using the bone handle of a table-knife) probably helped to prevent bleeding when the 'corrected' word was written.
This method thus works on small areas of text, but would be laborious to extend over longer texts.
In the particular instance noted here, spacing could have proved to be the main problem, as 'Mr. Pepys' occupies a shorter linear space than 'Mr. Tooker.' Perhaps Sam was lucky and found his name at the end of a line.
About Saturday 22 September 1666
Mary • Link
... comes Anthony Joyce to see me ....
He may have provoked a small measure sympathy in Pepys, but clearly went away without gaining any material help for his losses. Sam's attitude seems to be "Well, he's hardly destitute, so he'll just have to get on with it."
About Friday 21 September 1666
Mary • Link
According to the L&M Companion, this boy (Harry) is not Pen's personal boy, but is Harry Kembe, the Navy Office messenger, who lived in Boar's Head Yard, Westminster.
About Tuesday 18 September 1666
Mary • Link
hair colour.
According to Liza Picard (Restoration London) the fashionable hair-colour of the time was dark - brunette - so Elizabeth is unlikely to have been bleaching her hair. However, if she had been using ceruse ( a cosmetic based on white lead) to lighten and smoothe her complexion, it is possible that she could have suffered a depilatory effect on her eyebrows and hairline.
In this particular case I should have thought that over-use of ceruse was unlikely; the only comments that Sam has ever made on 'painting' have been less than complimentary.
About Thursday 20 September 1666
Mary • Link
"going abroad and staying out late and painting in the absence of her husband"
This is all of a piece. Mrs. St. Michel is accusing her daughter-in-law of conduct that is altogether unbecoming for the grass-widow of a husband who is commendably doing his duty in this time of war. The painting, I am sure, refers to the use of cosmetics.
Mother-in-law may have a completely valid point, but it is also possible that her view is coloured by the lack of financial assistance that the young couple (according to Elizabeth) are providing, even though Balty himself has been helped to a promising position by Sam.
About Sunday 16 September 1666
Mary • Link
"in bed talking with my wife"
In a house where there are several live-in servants, the marital bedroom is often one of the very few places where a confidential discussion between husband and wife can be held without fear of a third party intruding.
About Wednesday 12 September 1666
Mary • Link
Shadwell.
According to the L&M edition this refers to the area between Limehouse and Wapping on the north bank of the Thames. The ['s] is spurious; this is nothing to do with either Thomas Shadwell (Clerk to the Auditor of the Receipt in the Exchequer) or the other Thomas Shadwell (dramatist and Restoration wit).
About Alderman Samuel Starling
Mary • Link
The gentleman was a brewer with premises in Seething Lane according to the L&M Companion.
About Friday 7 September 1666
Mary • Link
The disappearance of the plague.
The metropolitan Bills of Mortality maintained a special column for plague deaths until the year 1703. However, in 1667 only 35 persons were listed as having died of plague, followed by 14 in 1668 and just 2 in 1669.
During the next decade only occasional outbreaks and rare plague deaths occurred in southern England, and the last plague death listed in the metropolitan bills was recorded in a remote downstream parish in 1679.
About Wednesday 5 September 1666
Mary • Link
News of the fire reaches Earl's Colne.
I've just looked at Ralph Josselin's diary entry for this week and see that he notes that the great fire began in a *French* baker's shop! No mention of a foreign plot, but the half-truth shows how rumour has spread like a Chinese whisper.
About Wednesday 5 September 1666
Mary • Link
heated wine?
And besides, the fire didn't get as far as the Navy Office. Sam was very lucky that it broke out in a street west of his home/office and that the strong, easterly wind kept it travelling away from Seething Lane and towards Westminster for the duration.
About Tuesday 4 September 1666
Mary • Link
Irongate and Irongate Stairs.
L&M Companion makes all clear. This gate guarded the access from the river to the south-eastern end of Tower Wharf (and thus to the Tower itself). It was cited at the downstream end of the Crown's property.
Irongate Stairs were the landing stairs for the foot of Little Tower Hill.
About Monday 3 September 1666
Mary • Link
Sunrise would have been closer to 5 a.m.
About Sunday 2 September 1666
Mary • Link
In addition to its drama, what this account reaffirms for us is the fact that Pepys had a very orderly mind. He had something very important to record and he recorded it brilliantly.
About Sunday 2 September 1666
Mary • Link
"being unused to such fires as followed"
This must count as the understatement of the 17th century.
About Friday 31 August 1666
Mary • Link
the bindings, the presses, the gilding ....
Sam is not just shelving his books elegantly because he loves them, he is following the gentlemanly pursuit of building his private library.
About Sunday 26 August 1666
Mary • Link
the sinister hiccup.
Both Hippocrates and Celsus associated hiccups with inflammation of the liver, so this might be a source of concern in the 17th century, when medical theory was still based on classical models.
On a more 'modern' level, persistent hiccups can occur in cases of cancer where severe distension of the stomach is involved.
About Monday 27 August 1666
Mary • Link
WUN-ly?
Why assume this pronunciation? I can find no convincing argument for such a shortening of the original long vowel in this word. Monosyllabic 'one' shows a different phonetic development from disyllabic 'only.'
See E.J. Dobson: English Pronunciation 1500-1700 (passim).
About Saturday 25 August 1666
Mary • Link
I suppose that 'washed' could mean 'lime-washed' - but surely you would arrange for that to be done before the beautiful, new presses were installed, rather than after. You won't want the paint to splash on that lovely wood.
About Saturday 25 August 1666
Mary • Link
Who does the washing of the closett?
Presumably the girl, who is employed as a maid of all work. Sam would be the person least likely to take a hand in this. His position is purely supervisory in this menial task.
in washing = a-washing = being washed.