I suppose Sam means that, once the varnish has been wiped off, the paper becomes 'a very sponge.' i.e. it soaks up the ink as only cheap and nasty paper can and the outlines become blurred.
The fact that the theatres have been closed because of the plague would probably not have affected the playing of 'Punchinello.' It appears to have been an itinerant entertainment like its successor, "Punch and Judy," being set up in places of popular resort such as Moorfields and Covent Garden Piazza.
L&M quote a 1663 description of Reeves's picture box given by one Monconys.
"une lanterne sourde qui a un demi-globe tout entier de crystal, d'environ 3 poulces de diametre, & qui porte bien loin la representation des objects qu'il met entre la lumiere & ce crystal par le moyen d'une feuille de verre sur laquelle ces objets sont peints..."
i.e the dark lantern projects images that have been painted onto a sheet of glass. The painted glass is placed between the source of light and the half-sphere of crystal.
No explanation of the "frame with closes on" though.
It's so easy to lose track of one (or more) of the irons that Sam has in the fire at any given time, and this drawing-of-the-threads-together is very helpful.
An L&M footnote tells us that the Bank of Amsterdam was the most important in Europe at this time.
In the mid-17th century its activities were limited to exchange and deposit banking. It normally paid no interest to depositors, but they were offered full security for their money and the bank further guaranteed to offer full value for coins that had been clipped. Importantly the bank offered transferability of funds.
A recent BBC TV programme on UK rivers, presented by Griff Rhys Jones, showed excellent views of The New River and demonstrated how it still supplies 22.5 million gallons of water to London each day.
The programme should be available for UK viewers to see on BBC i-player for several days yet.
Now, that is a very interesting question; a complete set of 17th century woodworking tools, especially if they were of good quality and fitted into a purpose-built tool-box, would fetch a goodly sum in today's market.
The piece of clothing that Kate describes sounds rather more like a partlet.
By the early 18th century a pinner was a cap (could well be adorned with lace) worn high on the head and which sported long lappets (streamers) a few inches wide that hung, one on each side of the face, down onto the upper breast. These lappets could also be adorned with lace or could be embroidered (or both, I suppose).
Perhaps the late 17th century pinner was rather similar.
The recent information that Sam is assessing the possibility of retirement to the country shows why he thinks twice about laying out substantial sums of money on the Navy Office house. He thinks that he may need his considerable savings to provide the income for his country living for many years to come.
However, he is quite good at persuading himself that expenditure is worthwhile when it comes to something that he really wants. Lace handkerchiefs and pinners are quite a different matter.
If Bacon is the cunning knave, then who is Sam talking with in the garden?
He clearly regards Bacon as a wise man and, if he accepts B's definition of 'cunning,' is unlikely to apply that epithet to the writer of Faber Fortunae. Nor is he likely to refer to him as a 'knave.'
The 'knave' most likely to be in the garden is, as RG suggests, Penn.
England was never revisited by plague in any major way after 1666, though there were occasional reports of sailors arriving in British ports bearing signs of the plague. These did not lead to significant outbreaks.
Within 100 years plague had pretty well died out in Europe following outbreaks in Vienna (1670s), Marseilles (1720s) and Russia (1770s). The most recent major plague spread from China in the mid 19th century but was largely confined to Asian lands.
The word was used both literally (to mean bent in form) and figuratively from an early date. However, before the 18th century it seems much more commonly to have been used in the literal sense when referring directly to persons, so Elizabeth is presumably accused of having described Mrs. Pierce as being physically deficient in some way.
Earlier citations in OED refer to crooked will, crooked opinion, implying an intended, rather than accidental, deviation from the norm.
So it wasn't Pepys himself who rubbed Brouncker up the wrong way the other day, it was just that he had called at the Covent Garden house at a most inconvenient time when B. was dealing with a jealous and hysterical maitresse en titre.
"hath cost them 5,000 men, as they themselves do report"
If reports from the Low Countries are no more accurate than the varying reports that are circulating in London, then the fog of war is hardly dispersing.
Comments
First Reading
About Monday 20 August 1666
Mary • Link
Impatient.
Ric Jerrom says that he has no evidence for his interpretation, and I can't find any.
About Thursday 23 August 1666
Mary • Link
"a very sponge."
I suppose Sam means that, once the varnish has been wiped off, the paper becomes 'a very sponge.' i.e. it soaks up the ink as only cheap and nasty paper can and the outlines become blurred.
About Thursday 23 August 1666
Mary • Link
"and so the King's work is like to be well done."
A rare example of Pepys employing irony? L&M don't think so and supply [not] between 'is' and 'like.'
About Wednesday 22 August 1666
Mary • Link
Polichinello
The fact that the theatres have been closed because of the plague would probably not have affected the playing of 'Punchinello.' It appears to have been an itinerant entertainment like its successor, "Punch and Judy," being set up in places of popular resort such as Moorfields and Covent Garden Piazza.
About Sunday 19 August 1666
Mary • Link
the lantern with pictures in glass.
L&M quote a 1663 description of Reeves's picture box given by one Monconys.
"une lanterne sourde qui a un demi-globe tout entier de crystal, d'environ 3 poulces de diametre, & qui porte bien loin la representation des objects qu'il met entre la lumiere & ce crystal par le moyen d'une feuille de verre sur laquelle ces objets sont peints..."
i.e the dark lantern projects images that have been painted onto a sheet of glass. The painted glass is placed between the source of light and the half-sphere of crystal.
No explanation of the "frame with closes on" though.
About Saturday 18 August 1666
Mary • Link
Thank you, MR.
It's so easy to lose track of one (or more) of the irons that Sam has in the fire at any given time, and this drawing-of-the-threads-together is very helpful.
About Friday 17 August 1666
Mary • Link
Dutch banking practices.
An L&M footnote tells us that the Bank of Amsterdam was the most important in Europe at this time.
In the mid-17th century its activities were limited to exchange and deposit banking. It normally paid no interest to depositors, but they were offered full security for their money and the bank further guaranteed to offer full value for coins that had been clipped. Importantly the bank offered transferability of funds.
The bank was managed by the city of Amsterdam.
About Friday 17 August 1666
Mary • Link
"our victuallers are all come in to the fleete, which is good news"
Especially good news for the ships' companies.
About Water
Mary • Link
The New River.
A recent BBC TV programme on UK rivers, presented by Griff Rhys Jones, showed excellent views of The New River and demonstrated how it still supplies 22.5 million gallons of water to London each day.
The programme should be available for UK viewers to see on BBC i-player for several days yet.
About Tuesday 14 August 1666
Mary • Link
the stash of tools.
Now, that is a very interesting question; a complete set of 17th century woodworking tools, especially if they were of good quality and fitted into a purpose-built tool-box, would fetch a goodly sum in today's market.
About Sunday 12 August 1666
Mary • Link
the pinner.
The piece of clothing that Kate describes sounds rather more like a partlet.
By the early 18th century a pinner was a cap (could well be adorned with lace) worn high on the head and which sported long lappets (streamers) a few inches wide that hung, one on each side of the face, down onto the upper breast. These lappets could also be adorned with lace or could be embroidered (or both, I suppose).
Perhaps the late 17th century pinner was rather similar.
About Sunday 12 August 1666
Mary • Link
"if I.... can spare or get money to furnish it"
The recent information that Sam is assessing the possibility of retirement to the country shows why he thinks twice about laying out substantial sums of money on the Navy Office house. He thinks that he may need his considerable savings to provide the income for his country living for many years to come.
However, he is quite good at persuading himself that expenditure is worthwhile when it comes to something that he really wants. Lace handkerchiefs and pinners are quite a different matter.
About Friday 10 August 1666
Mary • Link
If Bacon is the cunning knave, then who is Sam talking with in the garden?
He clearly regards Bacon as a wise man and, if he accepts B's definition of 'cunning,' is unlikely to apply that epithet to the writer of Faber Fortunae. Nor is he likely to refer to him as a 'knave.'
The 'knave' most likely to be in the garden is, as RG suggests, Penn.
About Wednesday 8 August 1666
Mary • Link
"but all honest .... but still honest"
As opposed to criminal conversation.
About Tuesday 7 August 1666
Mary • Link
Plagues,
England was never revisited by plague in any major way after 1666, though there were occasional reports of sailors arriving in British ports bearing signs of the plague. These did not lead to significant outbreaks.
Within 100 years plague had pretty well died out in Europe following outbreaks in Vienna (1670s), Marseilles (1720s) and Russia (1770s). The most recent major plague spread from China in the mid 19th century but was largely confined to Asian lands.
About Tuesday 7 August 1666
Mary • Link
crooked.
The word was used both literally (to mean bent in form) and figuratively from an early date. However, before the 18th century it seems much more commonly to have been used in the literal sense when referring directly to persons, so Elizabeth is presumably accused of having described Mrs. Pierce as being physically deficient in some way.
Earlier citations in OED refer to crooked will, crooked opinion, implying an intended, rather than accidental, deviation from the norm.
About Monday 6 August 1666
Mary • Link
So it wasn't Pepys himself who rubbed Brouncker up the wrong way the other day, it was just that he had called at the Covent Garden house at a most inconvenient time when B. was dealing with a jealous and hysterical maitresse en titre.
About Thursday 2 August 1666
Mary • Link
"very angry with me"
Why? Is it because Sam has not taken care to inform Batten of the true situation earlier that this?
First Batten, then Brouncker: Sam seems to be rubbing people up the wrong way this morning.
About Wednesday 1 August 1666
Mary • Link
"hath cost them 5,000 men, as they themselves do report"
If reports from the Low Countries are no more accurate than the varying reports that are circulating in London, then the fog of war is hardly dispersing.
About Monday 30 July 1666
Mary • Link
Poor Elizabeth - blessed with a tin ear, it would seem.