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Bill
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Bill has posted 2,777 annotations/comments since 9 March 2013.
Daily entries from the 17th century London diary
Website: https://www.facebook.com/william.…
Bill has posted 2,777 annotations/comments since 9 March 2013.
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Second Reading
About Thursday 26 December 1661
Bill • Link
WASSAIL, WASSEL, a Custom, still used in some Places, on twelfth Day, at Night, of going about with a great Bowl of Ale, drinking of Healths.
WASSELLERS, A Company of People, who make merry and drink together; also Wenches that go about from House to House singing at Christmas.
---An Universal Etymological English Dictionary. N. Bailey, 1675.
About Mince pies
Bill • Link
To make a Mince Pie. Boil a neat's tongue two hours, then skin it, and chop it as small as possible. Chop also very small three pounds of beef suet, three pounds of good baking apples, four pounds of currants, clean washed, picked, and well dried before the fire, a pound of jar-raisins stoned and chopped small, and a pound of powder sugar. Mix them all together with half a pound of mace, as much nutmeg, a quarter of an ounce of cloves, the same quantity of cinnamon, and a pint of French brandy. Make a rich puff-paste, and as you fill up the pie, put in a little candied citron and orange cut into small pieces.
---The Accomplished Housekeeper, and Universal Cook. T. Williams, 1717.
About Sunday 22 December 1661
Bill • Link
"to fall out with my wife and my maid for their sluttery"
SLUT
1 A dirty woman.
2 A word of slight contempt to a woman.
---A Dictionary Of The English Language. Samuel Johnson, 1756.
About Sunday 10 November 1661
Bill • Link
Wines are distinguished with regard to their quality ... of which last some are exceedingly sweet, others sweet and poignant, all chiefly used by way of dram after meals, &c. Such are French Frontigniac, Madera, the Canary, the Hungary, Tokay, the Italian Montesiascone, the Persian Schiras, the Malmsey wines ...
---Cyclopaedia, Or an Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences. E. Chambers, 1743.
About Saturday 9 November 1661
Bill • Link
LACE
1 A string; a cord
2 A snare; a gin
3 A platted string, with which women fasten their clothes
4 Ornaments of fine thread curiously woven
5 Textures of thread with gold or silver
6 Sugar. A cant word
---A Dictionary Of The English Language. Samuel Johnson, 1756.
About Friday 8 November 1661
Bill • Link
If Adam should refuse to dig, and now
If Gentry hold it scorn to hold the plow,
If Eve should gad abroad and leave the Spindle,
If Ladies do refuse to use the Thimble,
Sure, then that question would not be your notes
Amongst us all sure none would bear good Coats,
For it is industry that gains us Riches,
And Riches gains us Honour, Coat and Briches
Virtue and Learning, and honest Parents, can,
With Spade and Spindle, make a Gentleman.
---The Sphere of Gentry. Sylvanus Morgan, 1661.
About Friday 20 December 1661
Bill • Link
"he is still a coxcomb"
COXCOMB, a conceited Fool, a Fop
---An Universal Etymological English Dictionary. N. Bailey, 1675.
About Friday 8 November 1661
Bill • Link
Update: The comments of 8 January 1661 suggest Middleton wrote 2 plays with the word "widow" in the title and that the play I've indicated is the other one...
About The Widow (Thomas Middleton)
Bill • Link
From Wikipedia: The Puritan, or the Widow of Watling Street, also known as The Puritan Widow, is an anonymous Jacobean stage comedy, first published in 1607. It is often attributed to Thomas Middleton, but also belongs to the Shakespeare Apocrypha due to its title page attribution to "W.S.".
About Friday 8 November 1661
Bill • Link
Our Sam saw this play on 8 January 1661: http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
The Widow (Thomas Middleton): http://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclo…
About Friday 8 November 1661
Bill • Link
Sasha, a good question. But it seems not to be so.
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Pieboard: Troth, and for mine own part, I am a poor gentleman and a scholar...
From: The puritaine: or, The widow of Watling Street
From Wikipedia: The Puritan, or the Widow of Watling Street, also known as The Puritan Widow, is an anonymous Jacobean stage comedy, first published in 1607. It is often attributed to Thomas Middleton, but also belongs to the Shakespeare Apocrypha due to its title page attribution to "W.S.".
About Sunday 1 December 1661
Bill • Link
"who should have brought his mistress"
MISTRESS, the Mistress of an House, a sweetheart or kept Mistress.
---An Universal Etymological English Dictionary. N. Bailey, 1675.
About Saturday 30 November 1661
Bill • Link
"I am this day in very good health, only got a little cold"
se Morfondre, To take cold, catch cold, get a cold.
---A French and English dictionary. R. Cotgrave, 1673.
Prendre froid, to catch cold.
---A new dictionary, french and english. G. Miège, 1677.
About Friday 29 November 1661
Bill • Link
"I was forced to study a lie"
To STUDY, to apply the Mind to, to contrive.
---An Universal Etymological English Dictionary. N. Bailey, 1675.
About Thursday 21 November 1661
Bill • Link
"A mistake. According to the journals, 1,200,000l."
To paraphrase an American senator: A million here, a million there and pretty soon you're talking real money. (Well, perhaps he said it: http://www.dirksencenter.org/prin… )
About Thursday 21 November 1661
Bill • Link
Glyn said: "I'd just like to say how great this page's search engine is. For example, if you remember [someone] made a good comment but you forget on what day."
This iteration of the diary doesn't seem to have a search engine, at least I haven't found it, perhaps because the entire diary is now available. But Google will substitute. Just enter "pepysdiary" with the quote marks and no space as part of the search.
About Saturday 2 November 1661
Bill • Link
"he seems a good fair condition man, and one that I am glad hath the office"
They [the Western Britains] have not, saies Diodorus Siculus, the craft and subtilty of other Nations, but are fair Condition'd People, of a plain and upright Dealing.
---Britannia antiqua illustrata. A. Sammes, 1676
Good or fair condition'd, De bon naturel, de bonne humeur. Ill-conditioned, De mauvais naturel, de mauvaise humeur.
---The Royal Dictionary. A. Boyer, 1728.
About Thursday 31 October 1661
Bill • Link
I think it's early days. He'll get around to it.
About Friday 1 November 1661
Bill • Link
"looked over some medals that they shewed us"
MEDAL, A Piece of Metal like Money stamped upon some extraordinary Occasion.
---An Universal Etymological English Dictionary. N. Bailey, 1675.
About Sunday 27 October 1661
Bill • Link
"and them in appearance, though I do not believe it"
APPEARANCE, the external Aspect or Surface of a Thing ... which nevertheless, according to the Distance, Situation, or other Accident, may convey to the Conception something very much differing from what it in reality is.
---An Universal Etymological English Dictionary. N. Bailey, 1675.