Boiled smoked/cured ham or gammon is far from awful and very far from bland. You really wouldn't want to tackle a joint of it uncooked and it's often too salty to eat roast. Simmer long and gently and you have a delicious dinner.
According to "Inns and Taverns of Old London" by Henry C. Shelley. (published Boston 1909) King Street in Westminster appears to have been well supplied with taverns, though the only two specifically named in the 17th Century are The Leg and The Bell. The Bell had quite a long history and its existence was documented as early as the mid-15th Century.
That Pepys calls it a cabaret is surely just part of this attempt at franglais obfuscation. The Bell becomes La Cloche, King Street the route du roy. As for privacy, being an ancient establishment it may well have had one or several dark little corners where any amount of hanky-panky might be pursued in late afternoon without too much fear of being observed.
The above publication has a wealth of information about taverns and inns in all parts of London proper and the surrounding areas (e.g. Westminster).
"A pair of stairs" generally referred to a stairway which doubled-back on itself half-way up: a necessary arrangement in smaller houses where one full-height stairway would have occupied too much ground-floor space. Thus one effectually had two, short flights of stairs divided by a small 'landing' where one turned through 180 degrees to complete one's ascent.
Chapter 9 of Claire Tomalin's Samuel Pepys: the Unequalled Self answers these questions for you (she answers many other questions too) - but the information is also here in the Pepys blog if you look for it. For really useful background reading try Liza Picard's Restoration London. Both books are well-regarded. As SDS says, good hunting.
If you go back to the beginning of the diary, read all the relevant annotations, click on all the highlighted links, consult the Encyclopedia section, read the In-depth articles etc. you will find that many /most of your questions have already been answered and explored by readers/annotators who have been participating in this blog for the last 15 years or so. It is now on its second run-through of the diary.
L&M show the same text. So what is Pepys saying here? Has the weather suddenly turned warm? Or is this just the sort of evening that one might enjoy in summer - a visit to the playhouse, a glimpse of some attractive acquaintances and a companionable walk home with a colleague?
I think that Phil should be proposed for an MBE. He's done more to bring the wonderful world of Samuel Pepys and England in the turbulent mid-17th century to a whole, world-wide community than many a more orthodox teacher of history and more than several other MBEs that I can think of.
for Pretend = claim cf. also The Old Pretender (James Edward Stuart) and the Young Pretender (Bonnie Prince Charlie) claimants to the crown in the Stuart Succession after the Glorious Revolution of 1688.
That combination of Betty Martin's boldness with Samuel's lack of exhilaration (defessus) sounds as if our hero would prefer a little less up-front readiness to "oblige' in his doxy. Is the excitement going out of the liaison? The risk of being caught out in a coach when one's wife is close by must add a certain titillation to an encounter.
Does this mean that she reached through the side-slit in her own petticoat (the slit through which ladies of the time normally reached for their own pockets/purses) in order to guide Samuel's had to its destination? Sounds like it.
Surely this took place in the darkened coach on the way home ("so set her at home") rather than in the candlelit theatre. Samuel's accounts of theatre visits show that members of the audience could be quite as interested in observing one another as they were in watching the actors.
Equally vexing for the reluctant hostess is the vagueness about numbers. "Some of the players" could be two, three or a whole handful. Should she start baking pies now or can she leave that till next week?
Much as I like the suggestion that Mr. Isaac's Maggot may explain the reference to Isaac's balls in this version of the song, we really need to see text of the earliest citation of the song's existence (1661) to know whether or not that was in the earliest known version. Clearly the reversal of stanza's five and six in the later version indicates some later editing of the text (and not a very happy edit in terms of the thematic flow of the song). It's therefore possible that the reference to Isaac in the 1668 text may indicate a later change, perhaps a contemporary reference to the dancing master's burgeoning reputation after 1675. There is a fairly common tendency for 'contemporary' allusions to be grafted onto existing popular songs/ditties over the years. Modern comedians/satirists often resort to this trick.
I suspect that Pembroke actually said, "no an please your Majesty..." An = if (as in the old rhyme "If ifs and ans were pots and pans, there'd be no work for tinkers."
Comments
Second Reading
About Thursday 9 May 1667
Mary K • Link
"lie down" just reminded me of the old term for a maternity hospital; a "lying-in hospital".
About Saturday 8 June 1667
Mary K • Link
Boiled smoked/cured ham or gammon is far from awful and very far from bland. You really wouldn't want to tackle a joint of it uncooked and it's often too salty to eat roast. Simmer long and gently and you have a delicious dinner.
About Thursday 9 May 1667
Mary K • Link
A rather course (coarse?) way of saying .......
Not necessarily coarse. Pepys may be using "looks to" in the sense of "expects to."
e.g. "I look to receive an answer by return of post"
About Saturday 16 January 1663/64
Mary K • Link
According to "Inns and Taverns of Old London" by Henry C. Shelley. (published Boston 1909) King Street in Westminster appears to have been well supplied with taverns, though the only two specifically named in the 17th Century are The Leg and The Bell. The Bell had quite a long history and its existence was documented as early as the mid-15th Century.
That Pepys calls it a cabaret is surely just part of this attempt at franglais obfuscation. The Bell becomes La Cloche, King Street the route du roy. As for privacy, being an ancient establishment it may well have had one or several dark little corners where any amount of hanky-panky might be pursued in late afternoon without too much fear of being observed.
The above publication has a wealth of information about taverns and inns in all parts of London proper and the surrounding areas (e.g. Westminster).
About Sunday 21 April 1667
Mary K • Link
pairs of things.
"A pair of stairs" generally referred to a stairway which doubled-back on itself half-way up: a necessary arrangement in smaller houses where one full-height stairway would have occupied too much ground-floor space. Thus one effectually had two, short flights of stairs divided by a small 'landing' where one turned through 180 degrees to complete one's ascent.
About Wednesday 9 July 1662
Mary K • Link
SDS - San Diego Sarah - who has been offering you encouraging advice.
About Wednesday 9 July 1662
Mary K • Link
Chapter 9 of Claire Tomalin's Samuel Pepys: the Unequalled Self answers these questions for you (she answers many other questions too) - but the information is also here in the Pepys blog if you look for it.
For really useful background reading try Liza Picard's Restoration London.
Both books are well-regarded. As SDS says, good hunting.
About Friday 12 April 1667
Mary K • Link
Indeed, within living memory it was not unknown for the local bobby to administer a quick clip round the ear to a young miscreant.
About Wednesday 9 July 1662
Mary K • Link
If you go back to the beginning of the diary, read all the relevant annotations, click on all the highlighted links, consult the Encyclopedia section, read the In-depth articles etc. you will find that many /most of your questions have already been answered and explored by readers/annotators who have been participating in this blog for the last 15 years or so. It is now on its second run-through of the diary.
About Saturday 30 March 1667
Mary K • Link
a most summer evening.
L&M show the same text. So what is Pepys saying here? Has the weather suddenly turned warm? Or is this just the sort of evening that one might enjoy in summer - a visit to the playhouse, a glimpse of some attractive acquaintances and a companionable walk home with a colleague?
About Saturday 23 March 1666/67
Mary K • Link
I think that Phil should be proposed for an MBE. He's done more to bring the wonderful world of Samuel Pepys and England in the turbulent mid-17th century to a whole, world-wide community than many a more orthodox teacher of history and more than several other MBEs that I can think of.
About Monday 18 March 1666/67
Mary K • Link
for Pretend = claim
cf. also The Old Pretender (James Edward Stuart) and the Young Pretender (Bonnie Prince Charlie) claimants to the crown in the Stuart Succession after the Glorious Revolution of 1688.
About Monday 25 February 1666/67
Mary K • Link
Lay long in bed etc.
However, it may be a somewhat different tale the next time that Elizabeth's kitchen accounts fail to tally.
About Saturday 16 February 1666/67
Mary K • Link
That combination of Betty Martin's boldness with Samuel's lack of exhilaration (defessus) sounds as if our hero would prefer a little less up-front readiness to "oblige' in his doxy. Is the excitement going out of the liaison? The risk of being caught out in a coach when one's wife is close by must add a certain titillation to an encounter.
About Tuesday 5 February 1666/67
Mary K • Link
So Betty gave Samuel her hand "very frankly"
Does this mean that she reached through the side-slit in her own petticoat (the slit through which ladies of the time normally reached for their own pockets/purses) in order to guide Samuel's had to its destination? Sounds like it.
Surely this took place in the darkened coach on the way home ("so set her at home") rather than in the candlelit theatre. Samuel's accounts of theatre visits show that members of the audience could be quite as interested in observing one another as they were in watching the actors.
About Sunday 27 January 1666/67
Mary K • Link
"All was in the dust"
Charles II died in February 1685. Dust to dust, ashes to ashes........
About Tuesday 22 January 1666/67
Mary K • Link
Equally vexing for the reluctant hostess is the vagueness about numbers. "Some of the players" could be two, three or a whole handful. Should she start baking pies now or can she leave that till next week?
About Friday 4 January 1666/67
Mary K • Link
Much as I like the suggestion that Mr. Isaac's Maggot may explain the reference to Isaac's balls in this version of the song, we really need to see text of the earliest citation of the song's existence (1661) to know whether or not that was in the earliest known version. Clearly the reversal of stanza's five and six in the later version indicates some later editing of the text (and not a very happy edit in terms of the thematic flow of the song). It's therefore possible that the reference to Isaac in the 1668 text may indicate a later change, perhaps a contemporary reference to the dancing master's burgeoning reputation after 1675. There is a fairly common tendency for 'contemporary' allusions to be grafted onto existing popular songs/ditties over the years. Modern comedians/satirists often resort to this trick.
About Friday 9 November 1666
Mary K • Link
Samuel.
Could you please post author, ISBN etc. for the book on sign language?
About Saturday 4 April 1668
Mary K • Link
I suspect that Pembroke actually said, "no an please your Majesty..." An = if (as in the old rhyme "If ifs and ans were pots and pans, there'd be no work for tinkers."