Bill

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Bill has posted 2,777 annotations/comments since 9 March 2013.

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Second Reading

About Saturday 19 May 1660

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Nay, I've made Herod Innocent,
For Rhiming to long Parliament.
Now to conclude, we are all damn'd ho
For nothing but a Game at Crambo.
And for a little jingling pleasure,
Condemn'd to Torments without measure.
---The Visions. Roger L'Estrange, 1696.

About Patches, Black

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An interesting sentence in a review of a book about the history of syphilis in the Guardian (5/18/2013):

"Even court fashion is part of the story, with pancake makeup and beauty spots as much a response to recurrent attacks of syphilis as survivors of smallpox."

Perhaps Black Patches were a response to face-disfiguring disease?

About Friday 18 May 1660

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A translation of the complete epitaph for Trump/Tromp can be found in his encyclopedia entry http://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclo…

The translator agrees with Mark Hazard above and translates the Latin as "he at last in the war against the English, nearly victor but certainly not beaten ... has ceased to live and to conquer."

About Maarten Harpertszoon Tromp

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MAARTEN HARPERTSZOON TROMP
Lieutenant-Admiral of Holland.
(1598-1653)
...
The English translation of this epitaph runs thus:
For an eternal memorial.
You, who love the Dutch, virtue and true labour, read and mourn.
The ornament of the Dutch people, the formidable in battle, lies low, he who never lay down in his life and taught by his example, that a commander should die standing, he, the love of his fellow citizens, the terror of his enemies, the wonder of the ocean.
Maarten Harpertszoon Tromp, a name comprehending more praise than this stone can contain, a stone truly too narrow for him, for whom East and West were a school, the sea the occasion of triumph, the whole world the scene of his glory, he, a certain ruin to pirates, the successful protector of commerce; useful through his familiarity, not low; after having ruled the sailors and the soldiers, a rough sort of people, in a fatherly and efficaciously benignant manner; after fifty battles in which he was commander or in which he played a great part; after incredible victories, after the highest honours though below his merits, he at last in the war against the English, nearly victor but certainly not beaten, on the 10th of August 1653 of the Christean era, at the age of fifty six years, has ceased to live and to conquer.
The fathers of the United Netherlands have erected this memorial in honour of this highly meritorious hero.
---Description of the Principal Tombs in the Old Church at Delft. G.Morre, 1907.

About Friday 18 May 1660

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Blake after this defeat drew his shattered Fleet into the River of Thames to be repaired, and it is said Trump triumphantly sail'd through the Channel with a Broom on his main Topmast, pretending to sweep the Channel of all English Shipping.
---Chronicle of the Kings of England. R. Baker, 1670.

About Anne Hyde (Duchess of York)

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The Duchess of York was a very extraordinary woman. She had great knowledge and a lively sense of things. She soon understood what belonged to a Princess; and took state on her rather too much. ... She was bred to great strictness in religion, and practised secret confession. Morley told me, he was her confessor. She began at twelve years old, and continued under his direction, till, upon her father's disgrace, he was put from the Court. She was generous and friendly; but was too severe an enemy.
---History of His Own Time. G. Burnet, 1724

About Sir Edward Hyde (Earl of Clarendon, Lord Chancellor 1658-67)

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[at the restoration:]

But he [Charles] did then so entirely trust the Earl of Clarendon, that he left all to his care, and submitted to his advices as to so many oracles. The Earl of Clarendon was bred to the Law, and was like grow eminent in his profession when the wars began. He distinguished himself so in the House of Commons, that he became considerable, and was much trusted all the while the King was at Oxford. He stayed beyond sea following the King's fortune till the Restoration; and was now an absolute favourite, and the chief or the only Minister, but with too magisterial a way. He was always pressing the King to mind his affairs, but in vain. He was a good Chancellour, only a little too rough, but very impartial in the administration of justice. He never seemed to understand foreign affairs well: And yet he meddled too much in them. He had too much levity in his wit, and did not always observe the decorum of his post. He was high, and was apt to reject those who addressed themselves to him with too much contempt. He had such a regard to the King, that when places were disposed of, even otherwise than as he advised, yet he would justify what the King did, and disparage the pretensions of others, not without much scorn; which created him many enemies. He was indefatigable in business, tho' the gout did often disable him from waiting on the King: Yet, during his credit, the King came constantly to him when he was laid up by it.
---History of His Own Time. G. Burnet, 1724

About Elizabeth Creed (b. Pickering)

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Elizabeth, married to John Creed, of Oundle, Gent. (mother of the famous Major Richard Creed, who attended King William in all his wars, and never more himself than when he looked an enemy in the face: at the glorious battle of Blenheim, 1704, he commanded one of those squadrons that began the attack; in two several charges he received no hurt, but in the third, many wounds, still valiantly fighting, he was shot through the head, and his dead body brought off by his brother, at the hazard of his own life;)
---The Baronetage of England. T. Wotton, 1771.

About John Pickering

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Sir John Pickering, Bart, eldest son and heir of Sir Gilbert, was born 1640, and married Frances, daughter of Sir Thomas Alston, of Odell, in Bedfordshire, Bart, ..., and by her had issue, 1. Sir Gilbert, his eldest son and successor, who was born 1670, and was eleven years of age at the visitation, 1681; and 2. John, who died an infant.
---The Baronetage of England. T. Wotton, 1771

About Anne Monck (Duchess of Albemarle)

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Monk was ravenous, as well as his wife, who was a mean contemptible creature. They both asked, and sold all that was within their reach, nothing being denied them for some time; till he became so useless, that little personal regard could be paid him.
---History of His Own Time. G. Burnet, 1724