Thus she is eighteen or nineteen at this point in 1665; a highly marriageable age.
With (apparent) wealth, position and breeding she looks a desirable match from almost every point of view. A minor problem with her neck is not likely to stand in the way of a suitable marriage. These are not sentimental times.
Perhaps the wages of the musicians were included in the price. One would expect there to be some sort of charge for professional entertainment. I take "at my direction" to mean that it was Pepys who prompted the provision of music to accompany the meal.
Of course they are shipyard workers and will be applying more than a ha'porth of tar. See if the FREE DICTIONARY does any better with 'caulk, caulker'.
Tobacco early gained a reputation for specific medicinal use (notably as a 'cure' for gonorrhoea) and in 1603 physicians complained to James I that it was being purchased without a prescription.
L&M note that by the middle of the 17th century, tobacco had come to be regarded as a useful prophylactic against the plague and there arose a belief that no tobacconist in London died of the Great Plague.
If addressing the King, I think that "your Majesty" would be a more likely form of address than "your Highness."
Our present queen is addressed as 'Your Majesty' in the first instance and thereafter as 'Ma'am' in any ensuing remarks. ("ma'am" rhymes with "jam" in this case, and not with "farm.")
Just imagine how thrilled Pepys would have been a couple of years ago if he had been provided with the opportunity to visit Lady C's lodgings. He'd have been all a-flush at being so close to her love-nest. Now he has overshadowing, weightier issues on his mind.
That 2 a.m. supper: poor servants! I presume they didn't just leave a plate of bread and cheese and a mug of ale on the table for him, but were obliged to wait for his coming. Just time to snatch 3 or 4 hours' sleep before they're up again with the sun.
Persistence of long-term memory is no proof of the absence of dementia; it's loss of short-term memory that tends to be one of the earlier markers for the state.
However, let's not get into the whole dementia/no dementia debate yet again. We don't have enough evidence to judge Mama's state of mind definitively and perhaps we never shall have.
But think how very awkward, even dangerous, it would be to lose one! Sam would then have lost the prime official record of the sums of money approved. The whole point about tallies is that one has to tally with another. Sam could swear as much as he liked that he was giving a true account of his dealings, but if he couldn't produce his corroborating tally then he wouldn't have a leg to stand on. What price his career then?
feminine input into the choice of the the male wardrobe
Is this a typically English practice? My husband refuses ever to buy anything like formal clothing without my presence; it's not the choice of fabric that comes into question, but fit and hang, especially of jackets. Salesmen have been known to be less than totally honest about the way that the back of a jacket sets. Failing eyes in the back of the head, a wife serves a useful purpose.
OED Doating: weak-minded, foolish, stupid imbecile.
I think that we can discount 'imbecile', otherwise Margaret would scarcely have been capable of travelling to London and finding her way to the Pepys's house by herself.
Pepys's description of her discourse may mean no more than that she is wittering on about concerns that he considers to be minor, irrelevant and feather-brained.
Sam mentioned the problem of sourcing good varnish a couple of years ago:-
"Thence back by water to Greatorex's, and there he showed me his Varnish which he hath invented, which appears every whit as good, upon a stick which he hath done, as the Indian, though it did not do very well upon my paper rules with Musique lines, for it sunk in and did not shine."
An L&M note on this mentions The Royal Society having gathered information on 'China varnish' (for varnishing and/or japanning) in October and November 1661.
Is Sam looking to finish a durable template for the ruling/spacing of lines (whether for music or accountancy) to act as a guide for ruling other papers? This would chime with Dirk's suggestion.
Probably best known these days for the Texel sheep that were first bred there in the early 19th century; heavily muscled animals with only small amounts of fat on the carcass. The breed has since travelled widely both within Europe and farther afield.
Thank you for fixing the link, Terry. The picture exactly illustrates my point: the lobster is shown with expensive artefacts and the kinds of fruit (apricots, peach, melon) that were only available to the well-to-do or the well-connected.
The inclusion of the images of lobsters in 17th Century still-life paintings, associated with various 'high-class' foods, fine silverware etc. would seem to indicate that lobsters were 'special occasion' food. Perhaps not as fearsomely expensive as they currently are in England (the equivalent of US$40-$50 per piece in London recently) but certainly not everyday fare.
"which is very much" is indeed the L&M reading. Sam is guilty of an elliptical expression here. I think that the 'which' refers back to 'what my cash and debts do really make me worth.' His relative clauses are sometimes rather loosely attached to their referends.
Comments
First Reading
About Recent Activity and spam
Mary • Link
It's great to have the 'Recent Activity' function back again: we really missed it. Many thanks, Phil.
About Saturday 24 June 1665
Mary • Link
Mrs. Jemima was born in 1646.
Thus she is eighteen or nineteen at this point in 1665; a highly marriageable age.
With (apparent) wealth, position and breeding she looks a desirable match from almost every point of view. A minor problem with her neck is not likely to stand in the way of a suitable marriage. These are not sentimental times.
About Friday 23 June 1665
Mary • Link
"hackney coach, which is become a very dangerous passage nowadays...."
Perhaps more dangerous than Sam realises, if any upholstery harbours fleas.
About Tuesday 20 June 1665
Mary • Link
Our club...
Perhaps the wages of the musicians were included in the price. One would expect there to be some sort of charge for professional entertainment. I take "at my direction" to mean that it was Pepys who prompted the provision of music to accompany the meal.
About Sunday 18 June 1665
Mary • Link
calkers.
Of course they are shipyard workers and will be applying more than a ha'porth of tar. See if the FREE DICTIONARY does any better with 'caulk, caulker'.
About Wednesday 7 June 1665
Mary • Link
medicinal tobacco
Tobacco early gained a reputation for specific medicinal use (notably as a 'cure' for gonorrhoea) and in 1603 physicians complained to James I that it was being purchased without a prescription.
L&M note that by the middle of the 17th century, tobacco had come to be regarded as a useful prophylactic against the plague and there arose a belief that no tobacconist in London died of the Great Plague.
About Tuesday 30 May 1665
Mary • Link
forms of address.
If addressing the King, I think that "your Majesty" would be a more likely form of address than "your Highness."
Our present queen is addressed as 'Your Majesty' in the first instance and thereafter as 'Ma'am' in any ensuing remarks. ("ma'am" rhymes with "jam" in this case, and not with "farm.")
About Friday 2 June 1665
Mary • Link
Lady Castlemayne's lodgings.
Just imagine how thrilled Pepys would have been a couple of years ago if he had been provided with the opportunity to visit Lady C's lodgings. He'd have been all a-flush at being so close to her love-nest. Now he has overshadowing, weightier issues on his mind.
That 2 a.m. supper: poor servants! I presume they didn't just leave a plate of bread and cheese and a mug of ale on the table for him, but were obliged to wait for his coming. Just time to snatch 3 or 4 hours' sleep before they're up again with the sun.
About Tuesday 30 May 1665
Mary • Link
memory lane.
Persistence of long-term memory is no proof of the absence of dementia; it's loss of short-term memory that tends to be one of the earlier markers for the state.
However, let's not get into the whole dementia/no dementia debate yet again. We don't have enough evidence to judge Mama's state of mind definitively and perhaps we never shall have.
About Friday 19 May 1665
Mary • Link
Worries about losing tallies.
But think how very awkward, even dangerous, it would be to lose one! Sam would then have lost the prime official record of the sums of money approved. The whole point about tallies is that one has to tally with another. Sam could swear as much as he liked that he was giving a true account of his dealings, but if he couldn't produce his corroborating tally then he wouldn't have a leg to stand on. What price his career then?
About Wednesday 17 May 1665
Mary • Link
feminine input into the choice of the the male wardrobe
Is this a typically English practice? My husband refuses ever to buy anything like formal clothing without my presence; it's not the choice of fabric that comes into question, but fit and hang, especially of jackets. Salesmen have been known to be less than totally honest about the way that the back of a jacket sets. Failing eyes in the back of the head, a wife serves a useful purpose.
About Sunday 14 May 1665
Mary • Link
bird's-eye
"spotted fabric of muslin or silk" according to the L&M footnote.
Generous hoods were fashionable items of women's wear at this point. Nothing to do with the sinister-looking plague-masks.
About Saturday 13 May 1665
Mary • Link
A selection of 17th century watches at -
http://www.costumes.org/history/r…
I guess that the Pepys watch may not have been quite as fancy as these.
About Wednesday 10 May 1665
Mary • Link
doating again in her discourse.
OED Doating: weak-minded, foolish, stupid imbecile.
I think that we can discount 'imbecile', otherwise Margaret would scarcely have been capable of travelling to London and finding her way to the Pepys's house by herself.
Pepys's description of her discourse may mean no more than that she is wittering on about concerns that he considers to be minor, irrelevant and feather-brained.
About Friday 5 May 1665
Mary • Link
varnishing.
Sam mentioned the problem of sourcing good varnish a couple of years ago:-
"Thence back by water to Greatorex's, and there he showed me his Varnish which he hath invented, which appears every whit as good, upon a stick which he hath done, as the Indian, though it did not do very well upon my paper rules with Musique lines, for it sunk in and did not shine."
http://www.pepysdiary.com/archive…
An L&M note on this mentions The Royal Society having gathered information on 'China varnish' (for varnishing and/or japanning) in October and November 1661.
Is Sam looking to finish a durable template for the ruling/spacing of lines (whether for music or accountancy) to act as a guide for ruling other papers? This would chime with Dirk's suggestion.
About Texel, Netherlands
Mary • Link
Texel.
Probably best known these days for the Texel sheep that were first bred there in the early 19th century; heavily muscled animals with only small amounts of fat on the carcass. The breed has since travelled widely both within Europe and farther afield.
About Tuesday 2 May 1665
Mary • Link
van Beyeren still life.
Thank you for fixing the link, Terry. The picture exactly illustrates my point: the lobster is shown with expensive artefacts and the kinds of fruit (apricots, peach, melon) that were only available to the well-to-do or the well-connected.
About Tuesday 2 May 1665
Mary • Link
Expensive lobsters?
The inclusion of the images of lobsters in 17th Century still-life paintings, associated with various 'high-class' foods, fine silverware etc. would seem to indicate that lobsters were 'special occasion' food. Perhaps not as fearsomely expensive as they currently are in England (the equivalent of US$40-$50 per piece in London recently) but certainly not everyday fare.
About Monday 1 May 1665
Mary • Link
John Evelyn.
Vice versa. It was Pepys who initiated the correspondence on 27th April and this is Evelyn's reply.
About Sunday 30 April 1665
Mary • Link
"which is very much" is indeed the L&M reading. Sam is guilty of an elliptical expression here. I think that the 'which' refers back to 'what my cash and debts do really make me worth.' His relative clauses are sometimes rather loosely attached to their referends.