"the decay of my memory" Sam's various responsibilities mean he has to keep a lot of balls in the air at the same time. It sounds as though he has a nagging fear of forgetting something, or someone, important which many of us can identify with.
The attitude towards infant mortality was common many years later. In the 1911 census my grandparents' entry shows two children plus seven deceased children. The fact that they were required to list the number of dead children shows the official attitude that still applied and which was, presumably, accepted as normal.
For UK listeners, a new series of extracts from the diary starts next week on BBC Radio 4. Unfortunately, judging by the trailer, the readings are in a quiet, rather dull voice. My mental image of Sam's speech is that it would be lively and amusing as befits a man who was obviously very popular and sociable.
MarkS, I don't disagree about the relevance of religion in the 17thC. However, I was merely using the line about the meek as a familiar cliché in the 21stC. Just because David was not a Christian doesn't make it irrelevant - although it's getting less and less amusing. Perhaps we should not take up any more annotation space on this.
In the afternoon Sir W. Batten and I met and did sell the ship Church for 440l.; and we asked 391l., This sounds like an auction where the reserve price was £391 - or am I misreading something?
Grazing rights to some land in the Mendip hills in Somerset, UK are still auctioned annually by candle in a local pub. There was a great uproar a few years back when the candle went out almost immediately it was lit and someone got a bargain.
"Lady" Davis. From the later references to her, Sam was being sarcastic here - she was plain Mrs Davis but, by the sound of it, not the best neighbour to have. She certainly seems to have scared the Comptroller.
'she having been abroad today to buy more furniture for her house.' The entry a few days ago referred to Bess buying a bed for "her" chamber which I took to mean her separate private room. This sounds as though Sam has given her responsibility for furnishing the whole house which he now sees as her domain.
"In the evening my wife being a little impatient" I'll bet that Sam has been unable to resist boasting about his new-found wealth until Bess has suggested he might spread some of it around.
Some years ago I pumped out the flooded cellar of an 18c farmhouse and found a channel in the stone floor which allowed spring water to trickle across. (This had got blocked - hence the flood). Judging by the hooks in the ceiling beams, this was the recognised way of preserving large amounts of food - and it was certainly damned cold, even in summer.
Fifty six pounds of butter in mid-summer would go off quite quickly unless they had a very cold cellar. Perhaps Elisabeth and "the girl" would have to be busy making cakes, etc to preserve it.
When I was a lad (some considerable time ago) I often heard the expression " All my eye and Betty Martin" used to describe a fanciful, unlikely story. I would love to think that it was already three hundred years old.
There is a memorial in a church in Devizes, Wiltshire to five young people who drowned while rowing on a pond in 1751. While regretting this, it also makes clear that it was their fault for going rowing on a Sunday.
" he had a project for all us Secretaries to join together, and get money by bringing all business into our hands." Middle management wasting no time in organising some mutual nest-feathering. 'Twas ever thus - and still is, of course.
" where I received 500l. for my Lord, by appointment of the Treasurer, and went afterwards down with Mr. Luddyard and drank my morning draft with him and other officers. " This does seem to confirm that Sam has no fears about carrying a large amount of gold into the pub - although, when he collects the plate, he takes the precaution of hiring a coach.
It's worth reading the Wikipedia entry on Sir Samuel Morland - a fascinating character, credited amonst many other things with inventing the first internal combustion engine. I wonder if Sam's slightly dismissive "prating" was due to his not being included in the conversation.
Comments
Second Reading
About Friday 18 January 1660/61
Tonyel • Link
"the decay of my memory"
Sam's various responsibilities mean he has to keep a lot of balls in the air at the same time. It sounds as though he has a nagging fear of forgetting something, or someone, important which many of us can identify with.
About Tuesday 1 January 1660/61
Tonyel • Link
The attitude towards infant mortality was common many years later. In the 1911 census my grandparents' entry shows two children plus seven deceased children. The fact that they were required to list the number of dead children shows the official attitude that still applied and which was, presumably, accepted as normal.
About Tuesday 4 December 1660
Tonyel • Link
For UK listeners, a new series of extracts from the diary starts next week on BBC Radio 4.
Unfortunately, judging by the trailer, the readings are in a quiet, rather dull voice. My mental image of Sam's speech is that it would be lively and amusing as befits a man who was obviously very popular and sociable.
About Tuesday 27 November 1660
Tonyel • Link
MarkS, I don't disagree about the relevance of religion in the 17thC. However, I was merely using the line about the meek as a familiar cliché in the 21stC. Just because David was not a Christian doesn't make it irrelevant - although it's getting less and less amusing.
Perhaps we should not take up any more annotation space on this.
About Tuesday 27 November 1660
Tonyel • Link
Thanks Mark, but perhaps I should have made it clearer that this was a mild joke. I don't take any sort of superstition very seriously.
About Thursday 29 November 1660
Tonyel • Link
In the afternoon Sir W. Batten and I met and did sell the ship Church for 440l.; and we asked 391l.,
This sounds like an auction where the reserve price was £391 - or am I misreading something?
About Tuesday 27 November 1660
Tonyel • Link
Excellent précis, Gerald. Whether it's Nabal or the drayman, the idea of the meek inheriting the earth has never really caught on, has it?
About Tuesday 6 November 1660
Tonyel • Link
Grazing rights to some land in the Mendip hills in Somerset, UK are still auctioned annually by candle in a local pub. There was a great uproar a few years back when the candle went out almost immediately it was lit and someone got a bargain.
About Wednesday 31 October 1660
Tonyel • Link
"Lady" Davis. From the later references to her, Sam was being sarcastic here - she was plain Mrs Davis but, by the sound of it, not the best neighbour to have. She certainly seems to have scared the Comptroller.
About Wednesday 3 October 1660
Tonyel • Link
'she having been abroad today to buy more furniture for her house.'
The entry a few days ago referred to Bess buying a bed for "her" chamber which I took to mean her separate private room. This sounds as though Sam has given her responsibility for furnishing the whole house which he now sees as her domain.
About Sunday 16 September 1660
Tonyel • Link
“And is there any evil in the city and the Lord hath not done it?”
Seems a little unfair to blame God for everything - or am I missing the point?
About Thursday 6 September 1660
Tonyel • Link
"his solicitor are falling out, one complaining of the other for taking too great fees, which is too true."
Some things don't change.
About Wednesday 5 September 1660
Tonyel • Link
"In the evening my wife being a little impatient"
I'll bet that Sam has been unable to resist boasting about his new-found wealth until Bess has suggested he might spread some of it around.
About Saturday 1 September 1660
Tonyel • Link
Some years ago I pumped out the flooded cellar of an 18c farmhouse and found a channel in the stone floor which allowed spring water to trickle across. (This had got blocked - hence the flood). Judging by the hooks in the ceiling beams, this was the recognised way of preserving large amounts of food - and it was certainly damned cold, even in summer.
About Tuesday 14 August 1660
Tonyel • Link
Fifty six pounds of butter in mid-summer would go off quite quickly unless they had a very cold cellar. Perhaps Elisabeth and "the girl" would have to be busy making cakes, etc to preserve it.
About Sunday 12 August 1660
Tonyel • Link
When I was a lad (some considerable time ago) I often heard the expression " All my eye and Betty Martin" used to describe a fanciful, unlikely story. I would love to think that it was already three hundred years old.
About Sunday 22 July 1660
Tonyel • Link
There is a memorial in a church in Devizes, Wiltshire to five young people who drowned while rowing on a pond in 1751. While regretting this, it also makes clear that it was their fault for going rowing on a Sunday.
About Thursday 5 July 1660
Tonyel • Link
" he had a project for all us Secretaries to join together, and get money by bringing all business into our hands."
Middle management wasting no time in organising some mutual nest-feathering. 'Twas ever thus - and still is, of course.
About Wednesday 4 July 1660
Tonyel • Link
" where I received 500l. for my Lord, by appointment of the Treasurer, and went afterwards down with Mr. Luddyard and drank my morning draft with him and other officers. "
This does seem to confirm that Sam has no fears about carrying a large amount of gold into the pub - although, when he collects the plate, he takes the precaution of hiring a coach.
About Sunday 1 July 1660
Tonyel • Link
It's worth reading the Wikipedia entry on Sir Samuel Morland - a fascinating character, credited amonst many other things with inventing the first internal combustion engine. I wonder if Sam's slightly dismissive "prating" was due to his not being included in the conversation.