Bill

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

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Second Reading

About Friday 11 April 1662

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In the Ethiopian, the black colour does not reside in the cutis, or true skin, but in a texture superficial to, and between it and the cuticle. This texture, the rete muscorum, in which the dark pigment is situate, may be readily dissected off, along with the cuticle, from the true skin, which is then exposed, and is of a whitish colour. When the body of a negro has long been immersed in water, such a dissection is, as it were, performed by the putrefactive process; and the surface of the body being thus deprived of its two outer investments, does really look while.— Ex inform. Alexander Melville M'Whinnick, F.R.C.P.
---Diary and correspondence of Samuel Pepys, the diary deciphered by J. Smith. 1854.

About Thomas Windsor (7th Baron Windsor)

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Thomas Windsor, Baron Windsor, Lord Lieutenant of Worcestershire; advanced to the Earldom of Plymouth, 1682. Ob. 1687.
---Diary and correspondence of Samuel Pepys, the diary deciphered by J. Smith. 1854.

About Spital Square

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Christ's Hospital, where the 'Spital Sermons are still preached annually, on Easter Monday and Tuesday
---Diary and correspondence of Samuel Pepys, the diary deciphered by J. Smith. 1854.

Spital Sermon. The sermon takes its name from the Priory or Hospital of St Mary Without Bishopgate, better known as St Mary Spital, founded in 1197. It has been preached every year since the late 14th Century. http://www.stlawrencejewry.org.uk…

About Rule a Wife and Have a Wife (John Fletcher)

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This Comedy was the sole production of Fletcher, and one of the last written by him. According to Sir William Herbert's office-book, it was licenced for exhibition the 19th of October, 1624, about a year before the poet's death. The first edition was printed in quarto, in the year 1640, with the following title: "Rule a Wife and Have a Wife. A Comedy. Acted by his Majesties Servants. Written by John Fletcher, Gent. Oxford, Printed by Leonard Lichfield, Printer to the University. Anno 1640."
---The works of Beaumont and Fletcher. 1812.

About Friday 7 February 1661/62

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"where a civitt cat, parrot, apes, and many other things are come from my Lord"

An APE, a Monkey. Also an Imitator or Mimick.
---An Universal Etymological English Dictionary. N. Bailey, 1675.

About Wednesday 5 February 1661/62

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"and drank some Rhenish wine and sugar"

From the Merchant of Venice:

There is more difference between thy flesh and hers than between jet and ivory; more between your bloods than there is between red wine and rhenish.

Therefore, for fear of the worst, I pray thee, set a deep glass of rhenish wine on the contrary casket, for if the devil be within and that temptation without, I know he will choose it.

About Tuesday 4 February 1661/62

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"speaking of the tarantula ... there are fidlers go up and down the fields every where, in expectation of being hired by those that are stung"

TARANTATI, those that are bit by the Tarantula.
TARANTISM, a Distemper arising from the Bite of a Tarantula.
TARANTULA, a venomous Ash-coloured Spider, speckled with little white and black, or red and green Spots, whose Bite is of such a Nature, that it is said to be cured by Musick.
---An Universal Etymological English Dictionary. N. Bailey, 1675.

About Sasse

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SASSE, in some of our statutes, denotes a kind of wear with flood-gates, commonly used in navigable rivers for the damming, and loosing the stream of water, as occasion requires for the better passing of boats and barges to and from. This in the west of England is called a Lock; in the river Lee, a Turn-pike, and in other places a Sluice.
---Cyclopaedia, Or an Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences. E. Chambers, 1743.

About Queenhithe

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Queenhithe, in Upper Thames Street, a short distance west of Southwark Bridge, a common quay for the landing of corn, flour, and other dry goods from the west of England,—originally called "Edred's hithe" or bank, from "Edred, owner thereof,"—but known, from a very early period as Ripa Reginae, the Queen's bank or Queenhithe, because it pertained unto the Queen. King John is said to have given it to his mother, Eleanor, Queen of Henry II. It was long the rival of Billingsgate, and would have retained the monopoly of the wharfage of London had it been below instead of above bridge. In the 13th century it was the usual landing-place for wine, wool, hides, corn, firewood, fish, and indeed all kinds of commodities then brought by sea to London, and the City Records afford minute details as to "the Customs of Queen-Hythe," and the tolls ordered to be taken there by Edward I.
---London, Past and Present. H.B. Wheatley, 1891.

About Wednesday 29 January 1661/62

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MISS [contracted of Mistress] a young Gentlewoman; also a kept Mistress, a Lady of Pleasure.
---An Universal Etymological English Dictionary. N. Bailey, 1675.

About Tuesday 28 January 1661/62

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"I found to be very silly as to matter of skill in shadows"

SILLY, simple, foolish.
---An Universal Etymological English Dictionary. N. Bailey, 1675.

About Tower Hill

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Tower hill, a very spacious area to the north, east and west of the Tower ditch, divided into Great and Little Tower hill. The west end extending much farther to the north is called by the former name, and the east end, in which is the victualling office, by the latter. It must be confessed that Tower hill has many handsome buildings, particularly among the row of houses which bound it to the west; but, though this great area might be rendered extremely beautiful, it is quite the reverse, in almost every other part besides that just mentioned, we find it ill built, and the ground a mere dunghill; particularly in little Towerhill, where we see either the backs of the houses next this fine area, or mean edifices in ruins. But as the hill is now improved and rendered more safe by placing strong wooden rails on the outside of the ditch, it is to be hoped that the ground will be completely levelled, and laid out to greater advantage, and that some care will be taken to rebuild the houses that are falling down, particularly as this is a place visited by all strangers.
---London and Its Environs Described. R. Dodsley, 1761.

About Hemp

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HEMP, a plant of great use in the arts and manufactories; furnishing thread, cloth, cordage, &c. Hemp, by naturalists called cannabis, bears a near analogy to flax; both in respect of form, culture, and use.
The plant is annual; that is, must be sown afresh every year. It rises quick, into a tall, slender sort of shrub, whose stem however is hollow, and big enough to be charr'd, and thus used in the composition of gunpowder. Its leaves arise by fives or sixes from the same pedicle, and are a little jagged; yielding a strong smell, which affects the head [!].
...
Hemp is of two kinds; male, popularly called karl; and female, or fimble. It is the male alone that produces seed, to perpetuate the kind; from the seed of the male arises both male and female.
---Cyclopaedia, Or an Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences. E. Chambers, 1743.

About Monday 3 March 1661/62

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FUMAGE, Hearth Money
---An Universal Etymological English Dictionary. N. Bailey, 1675.

About Monday 17 February 1661/62

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the derivation of "Convertine":
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This ship [the Convertine], originally the Destiny, built for Sir Walter Ralegh [sic] before his last voyage, and afterwards bought or confiscated into the navy (E.H.R. vii. 486, n.63), and thus 'converted,' appears in the navy lists and the State Papers as the 'Convertive,' 500 tons and 30 guns. In 1648 she sailed to Holland with the rest of the ships that revolted against the Parliament (Cal. S.P. Dom. 1648-9, p.124). In the Commonwealth lists, however, there appears a 40-gun ship of 500 net and 666 gross tonnage named the Convertine, a prize of 1651 (E.H.R. xi. 46), probably the same ship retaken, but there is no doubt that the two names were used indifferently long before Commonwealth times. 'Convertine' is written in a State Paper as early as 1629 (S.P. Dom. vol.cxxxv. No.32).
---Publications of the Navy Records Society, v.7, p.379-380, 1896.

About Monday 17 February 1661/62

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the derivation of "Convertine":
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In September, 1892, the following notice appeared in the journal "Notes and Queries." Although respondents mentioned Pepys' diary, the question received no answer.

Convertine : Convertive. - In the seventeenth century we had a ship of war whose name appears as Convertiue but whether the last letter but one is a u or an n is doubtful. It is printed indiscriminately v or n; Convertive or Convertine. Can some friendly reader suggest a meaning of the name which may perhaps determine the spelling? J.K. Laughton.
---
British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/ has many entries for ships with both names in the 17th century though "Convertive" appears almost exclusively in the early 1600s and the two names do not seem to overlap. Were they somehow related/linked? See my next note.

About Saturday 25 January 1661/62

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"Sir W. Pen came to me, and did break a business to me about removing his son from Oxford to Cambridge to some private college."

Having left college, at his return home to the vice-admiral his father, instead of kneeling to ask his blessing, as is the custom with the English, he went up to him with his hat on, and accosted him thus; "Friend, I am glad to see thee in good health." The vice-admiral thought his son crazy; but soon discovered he was turned Quaker.
---The Works of M. de Voltaire. T.G. Smollett, 1762.

About Friday 24 January 1661/62

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"there bought me a pair of scissars and a brass square"

A SQUARE, an Instrument used by Masons, Carpenters, &c. for squaring.
---An Universal Etymological English Dictionary. N. Bailey, 1675.