The lying-in comes after the birth of a child, not before. According to L&M notes this boy, called Vincent, was baptised on 9th July. We don't have his birth-date, but Mrs. P. has been lying-in for about 3 weeks already and will, if all goes well, be up and about again in another week or so.
Mrs. P. may have been taking things a bit easy in the month before the child was born, but would only have begun lying-in after having been brought to child-bed.
Certainly in danger of living beyond her husband's means. I take it that she is behaving as though she belongs to a more prosperous and more important level of society than in fact she does. Sam sounds quite piqued.
We English are irredeemably class-conscious, I think.
Comment on Barkeshire's slovenly appearance, surely. Grimy shirt? Soupstains on waistcoat-front? Dirty, ill-dressed wig? Ladders in stockings? Who can tell?
Spiced mead. Could be flavoured with different spices according to taste. A Cornish version uses root ginger; other versions include such ingredients as coriander seeds, cinnamon etc.
lunch (as a colloquial form of 'luncheon') only enters general use in the 19th century.
'Lunching' (noun) is cited by the OED as equivalent to 'luncheon' in the second half of the 16th century, but the sparsity of citations before the 19th century would indicate that the -ing form disappeared early and was overtaken by the -eon form, Neither form is much cited much before the 19th century, largely because people habitually ate breakfast, dinner and then a late supper before bed-time.
During the course of the 19th century, the time for dinner moved later and later in the day and finally became established as a formal evening meal, encouraged by the development of artificial lighting. At the same time 'luncheon' developed from a light, mid-morning snack into a set meal, though one lighter in content that dinner.
By the later part of the 19th century 'luncheon' was regarded as a very formal term and the abbreviated 'lunch' came into wider use.
I wonder whether Hugh May or Pepys had ever read Francis Bacon's 1625 essay "Of Gardens"? Perhaps something written 40 years previously would have seemed old-fashioned to them.
Indoor bowling alleys were a feature of inn/pub life in England from the 14th century onwards and I believe that one still exists in London. We had a discussion about this some years ago on the Pepys site, but I'm bothered if I can rediscover the links now. Glyn?
Perhaps worth noting that during the years of the Commonwealth blaspheming and the utterance of idle oaths were regarded very gravely indeed and could attract serious punishment. Pett may well feel more offended by such behaviour than we immediately appreciate.
Yes, Protestants can have crucifixes today, though there are still some Protestant communities who prefer to display a plain cross rather than a crucifix.
In Restoration England the Church of England was not the very broad church that we know today and the crucifix (not cross) carried a whiff of Roman Catholicism.
Indeed, we appreciate that effect, but our (great)grandfathers considered that it was the general bouncing about that shook the system back into working order.
I tend to agree with Clement's view of Sam's judgment. In addition to having a naturally orderly mind where matters professional are involved, his whole education will have schooled him in the arts of constructing and presenting a convincing argument. Hence his impatience with the 'sorry' and 'silly.'
Reminds me of the old-fashioned belief that a good day's hunting after a boozy night was an excellent remedy for hob-nailed liver. All that jogging about gets the natural juices flowing again.
Nice of Pen to afford Pepys a late evening joggle in his coach, though.
Remembering that Sam has, on occasion, thoroughly enjoyed and suffered no ill effects from a dish of cream, I had been inclined to discount the idea of lactose intolerance. However, a bit of superficial research indicates that cream made by traditional (rather than modern, dairy/industrial) methods is very low in lactose, so this remains a possible theory.
Sam has also mentioned drinking whey, but this should not present any problem to the lactose-intolerant, as it contains almost no milk solids.
So Mr. Gunning may well have a point worth considering.
Comments
First Reading
About Sunday 29 July 1666
Mary • Link
Mr. Spong and Reeves dined with me by invitation.
As opposed to all those casual dinner-time guests that Pepys and others seem to take for granted.
About Saturday 28 July 1666
Mary • Link
"put six horses into his coach"
A coach and six represents conspicuous consumption. Must have been quite a handful for the coachman to manage in the narrow London streets.
About Thursday 26 July 1666
Mary • Link
Lying-in.
The lying-in comes after the birth of a child, not before. According to L&M notes this boy, called Vincent, was baptised on 9th July. We don't have his birth-date, but Mrs. P. has been lying-in for about 3 weeks already and will, if all goes well, be up and about again in another week or so.
Mrs. P. may have been taking things a bit easy in the month before the child was born, but would only have begun lying-in after having been brought to child-bed.
About Thursday 26 July 1666
Mary • Link
The 'great' Mrs. Pierce.
Certainly in danger of living beyond her husband's means. I take it that she is behaving as though she belongs to a more prosperous and more important level of society than in fact she does. Sam sounds quite piqued.
We English are irredeemably class-conscious, I think.
About Wednesday 25 July 1666
Mary • Link
in that dirty pickle.
Comment on Barkeshire's slovenly appearance, surely. Grimy shirt? Soupstains on waistcoat-front? Dirty, ill-dressed wig? Ladders in stockings? Who can tell?
About Wednesday 25 July 1666
Mary • Link
metheglin
Spiced mead. Could be flavoured with different spices according to taste. A Cornish version uses root ginger; other versions include such ingredients as coriander seeds, cinnamon etc.
About Wednesday 25 July 1666
Mary • Link
twatling.
From the verb 'to twattle' = to indulge in idle talk or chatter.
OED invites comparison with tattle, tittle-tattle, twaddle.
About Tuesday 24 July 1666
Mary • Link
lunch (as a colloquial form of 'luncheon') only enters general use in the 19th century.
'Lunching' (noun) is cited by the OED as equivalent to 'luncheon' in the second half of the 16th century, but the sparsity of citations before the 19th century would indicate that the -ing form disappeared early and was overtaken by the -eon form, Neither form is much cited much before the 19th century, largely because people habitually ate breakfast, dinner and then a late supper before bed-time.
During the course of the 19th century, the time for dinner moved later and later in the day and finally became established as a formal evening meal, encouraged by the development of artificial lighting. At the same time 'luncheon' developed from a light, mid-morning snack into a set meal, though one lighter in content that dinner.
By the later part of the 19th century 'luncheon' was regarded as a very formal term and the abbreviated 'lunch' came into wider use.
About Tuesday 24 July 1666
Mary • Link
Nightly trill with Mercer?
No, no. This one was after dinner, and dinner is taken in the middle of the day.
About Sunday 22 July 1666
Mary • Link
our business here being ayre ...
I wonder whether Hugh May or Pepys had ever read Francis Bacon's 1625 essay "Of Gardens"? Perhaps something written 40 years previously would have seemed old-fashioned to them.
About Sunday 22 July 1666
Mary • Link
Indoor bowling.
For related matters, go to http://www.londonskittles.co.uk
About Sunday 22 July 1666
Mary • Link
Indoor bowling alleys were a feature of inn/pub life in England from the 14th century onwards and I believe that one still exists in London. We had a discussion about this some years ago on the Pepys site, but I'm bothered if I can rediscover the links now. Glyn?
About Saturday 21 July 1666
Mary • Link
"nothing but swearing and cursing"
Perhaps worth noting that during the years of the Commonwealth blaspheming and the utterance of idle oaths were regarded very gravely indeed and could attract serious punishment. Pett may well feel more offended by such behaviour than we immediately appreciate.
About Friday 20 July 1666
Mary • Link
Yes, Protestants can have crucifixes today, though there are still some Protestant communities who prefer to display a plain cross rather than a crucifix.
In Restoration England the Church of England was not the very broad church that we know today and the crucifix (not cross) carried a whiff of Roman Catholicism.
About Friday 20 July 1666
Mary • Link
under parish-clerke
My reading concurs with MR's. Pepys pities Hawly for his reduction to a nugatory role within the parish hierarchy.
About Tuesday 17 July 1666
Mary • Link
oxygen levels.
Indeed, we appreciate that effect, but our (great)grandfathers considered that it was the general bouncing about that shook the system back into working order.
About Sunday 15 July 1666
Mary • Link
the poor, silly sermon.
I tend to agree with Clement's view of Sam's judgment. In addition to having a naturally orderly mind where matters professional are involved, his whole education will have schooled him in the arts of constructing and presenting a convincing argument. Hence his impatience with the 'sorry' and 'silly.'
About Tuesday 17 July 1666
Mary • Link
"jogging in a coach would do me good"
Reminds me of the old-fashioned belief that a good day's hunting after a boozy night was an excellent remedy for hob-nailed liver. All that jogging about gets the natural juices flowing again.
Nice of Pen to afford Pepys a late evening joggle in his coach, though.
About Sunday 15 July 1666
Mary • Link
Lactose intolerance.
Remembering that Sam has, on occasion, thoroughly enjoyed and suffered no ill effects from a dish of cream, I had been inclined to discount the idea of lactose intolerance. However, a bit of superficial research indicates that cream made by traditional (rather than modern, dairy/industrial) methods is very low in lactose, so this remains a possible theory.
Sam has also mentioned drinking whey, but this should not present any problem to the lactose-intolerant, as it contains almost no milk solids.
So Mr. Gunning may well have a point worth considering.
About Sunday 15 July 1666
Mary • Link
"all the way home ..... abundance of wind"
What joy, to travel four up in a coach with a flatulent Sam on a warm afternoon.