jeannine

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jeannine has written 14 articles:

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jeannine has written summaries for eight topics:

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jeannine has posted 1,236 annotations/comments since 16 June 2004.

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First Reading

About Friday 30 December 1664

jeannine  •  Link

“Journal of the Earl of Sandwich” edited by R.C. Anderson

30th. Friday. I saw the Blazing Star in the head of the whale, distant from Os Baleni 9°43’, from the 3rd star in Ore Baleni 9° 13’, about 6 oclock at night. His stream was yet weaker than formerly, directed to a small star right above Os Baleni about 8 degrees from the comet.

About Thursday 29 December 1664

jeannine  •  Link

“Journal of the Earl of Sandwich” edited by R.C. Anderson

29th. Thursday. I saw the Blazing Star a little above the Whale’s eye, having Right Ascension 33° 00’, Declination North 6° 30’. The stream was towards the Bull’s eye, but neither star nor stream seemed so large as formerly. This was about ¼ after 6 oclock. At 8 distant from Os Baleni 8° 05’, from the 3rd star in Ore Baleni 8° 05’.

This night Sir William Berkeley and his squadron came into the road.

About Wednesday 28 December 1664

jeannine  •  Link

“Journal of the Earl of Sandwich” edited by R.C. Anderson

28th Wednesday. Mr Pickering and Mr Creed came hither on board. In the evening I saw the Blazing Star again in the Eye of the Whale, Cor Leonis being about 7 degrees high. He was then distant from Upper Horn of Aries - 18°33’, Aldebaran - 30° 28’, Pleiades - 23° 37’, Os Baleni - 5° 53’, 2d. Star in Ore Baleni - 3° 50’. His stream of light was almost right upon the Bull’s Eye, 12° 00’ towards it, reaching unto 2 small stars that stand close together at that distance from the Comet. Methought this night he looked as pale a colour as any of the other stars.

About Tuesday 27 December 1664

jeannine  •  Link

Thanks all for the explanation of gambolls-sounds like Elizabeth is at least having some fun with the servants.

About Thursday 29 December 1664

jeannine  •  Link

Odd to me that he doesn't really say why he skipped the party -just to go home and work on his year end record keeping???? (how drab!) I wonder if wives were expected to go to this event and Elizabeth is probably still black and blue. Hmm, just not sure today.

About Saturday 24 December 1664

jeannine  •  Link

“Journal of the Earl of Sandwich” edited by R.C. Anderson

24th Saturday. After sunset I saw the Blazing Star again the Whale’s Mouth (being in Stokes Bay by Portsmouth, where I have rid all this while) and observed his distance – from Aldebaran - 24° 26’, Head of Eridanus - 28° 12’, Whale’s Mouth 8° 00’. The stream of his light like a brush besom stretched out towards Orion’s head above 10° 00’ in length. The Little Dog was just even with the horizon at the time of my observation.

About Friday 23 December 1664

jeannine  •  Link

“Journal of the Earl of Sandwich” edited by R.C. Anderson

23rd. Friday. About 6 at night or 5 minutes sooner I saw the Blazing Star again between the Whale’s Mouth and the River Eridanus, but his stream could not be seen because the full moon shone bright. Observed him then from Aldebaran - 24°03’, Whale’s Mouth - 14° 00’ Head of Erindanus - 23°00’, from Orion’s left shoulder - 27° 10’. Cooper observed his Meridian Altitude about 8 oclock at night, 34° 40’. In the Meridian Cooper found him from the Head of Erindanus - 23° 10’, from Orion’s Shoulder - 27° 18’, Aldebaran 23° 40’, Whale’s Mouth - 13° 15’. At 12 oclock from Caput Eridani -24° 00’, Orion’s Shoulder -27° 40’, Whale’s Mouth - 12°12’ , Aldebaran - 23° 35’.

About Thursday 22 December 1664

jeannine  •  Link

Jeannine, is this a reference to slavery do you know?

Tony, there are no references or editor's notes accomanying this particular letter in the book, so I don't know exactly what this reference it to.

I know that Pedro has read a lot about the background of these sea transactions, etc. so perhaps he can add something here to help us out (or anyone else who may know).

About Thursday 22 December 1664

jeannine  •  Link

Sam to Lord Sandwich (from “Further Correspondence of Samuel Pepys” edited by Tanner)

…Yesterday came the ill news we have long expected from Guinny of De Ruyter’s retaking all the Dutch had lost, and that in the most advantageous circumstances to themselves they could have wished. First, to the possessing themselves of all our wealth (landed and then upon delivering) there, to the utter ruin of our Company's stock of above 100,000£., and leaving them in debt 100,000£. more, and defeating them in their great contract with Spain for blacks. Next, to the foulest reproach of cowardice that hath ever been found due to so many English ships as we had there, under the protection too of two forts, there being not the least show of opposition made by us, but all (and more than was asked) calmly surrendered to them. Lastly, to a too seeming justification of themselves among people willing to find fault with his Majesty's proceedings towards the Dutch, for they have not only forborne any violent act towards his Majesty's officers and effects there, but done the same to every private man for continuing him in quiet possession of whatever he said was his, to the value of 6d. Only where they found the Royal Company's mark could prove that anything did belong to them, they seized it and hold it, giving our men and ships (all but one that was our Company's) liberty of disposing of themselves [as] they pleased, and our masters' bills of exchange for their freight upon their own West India Company, the ship that brings the news having a bill in that manner for 700£. 'Tis hard to say whether this news be received with more anger or shame, but there is reason enough for both.
This day was launched (present the King and Duke) Sir Wm. Petty's new double boat; how she proves your Lordship shall hear hereafter, but wagers are laid of all sizes in her defence.

About Tuesday 20 December 1664

jeannine  •  Link

A little off track, but… over the past few days we have (hopefully) seen Sam at his worst. In today’s terms he’d technically be called ‘wife beater’ and a ‘rapist’ under the laws of many countries. His biographers (Tomalin and Ollard) and Elizabeth’s biographer (Astin) all state plainly that he was a bully and tyrant. These past few days, however painful to read, have exemplified many of his character flaws. He has recorded his actions which have included deceit, premeditation, bullying, hitting and forcing himself sexually on a woman. Ungentlemanly, despicable, criminal acts (even in his time) he abuses his power over those who are ‘weaker’ than him. Although his taking of graft is less than ‘ethical’ it’s a lot easier to brush over as he doesn’t inflict such pain along the way.

To sidestep for comparison, Ollard, who wrote extensively of the time, also wrote a bio about Lord Sandwich, whom he clearly saw as a man of ‘good’ character, in spite of his flaws. And just to clear things up if there is any doubt for readers here, never in Sandwich’s biographies (Harris/Ollard) were there any indications that he ‘pushed’ Elizabeth or any other woman into any type of sexual relationship, as perhaps some of the annotators may portray. He earned his position but never abused the power that he had, as Sam clearly abuses his.

There is no defense of Sam’s actions. The only thing that will ‘save’ him over time is that as he grows and matures, and gets ‘kicked around’ by what life has coming his way, that he will become the man that made him famous (ie. Savior of the Navy, etc.). His success will be due to opportunity, history and among other things those other personality characteristics (organizational abilities, diligence, networking, etc.) that will kick in and move him along. His characteristics are what make him a fascinating person to read about. His Diary offers us a segment of his life with a unique honestly and frankness, that is incomparable.

In spite of his successes, he will never be ‘easy’ to live with, and clearly lacks the characteristic of empathy. Tomalin chose wisely when she subtitled her biography of Sam with the words, ‘the unequalled self’ as ‘self’ is what dominated his Diary and his life. One can only imagine that Elizabeth knew that ‘making friends’ was always a ‘good strategy’ for her long term ‘survival’. God bless Elizabeth for putting up with him, and hopefully, in some other world Mrs. Bagwell (and any of Sam’s other ‘victims’) will find peace.

About Monday 19 December 1664

jeannine  •  Link

"Alehouse Sam"

(Jethro Tull’s “Aqualung”)

Sitting in an ale house --
eyeing Mrs B. with bad intent.
After he has come to blows --
bloodied fingers smear his old black clothes.
Oh alehouse Sam--
Drying in the cold sun --
Watching as the frilly panties run.
Acting like a dead duck --
spitting out pieces of his broken luck.

Sun streaking cold --
a bold man wandering Mooregate.
To the fields
the only way he knows.
Hand hurting bad,
as he bends to pick her bodice --
off to another alehouse
and tries again….

Then left alone --
the office’s up the road
Taylor to his house seems to
cross Batten.
Alehouse Sam my friend --
don't start away uneasy
you poor old sod, the Diary shows, the real you…..

(for those not familiar with the song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qq… )

About Monday 19 December 1664

jeannine  •  Link

Spoiler: In her biography about Sam, Tomalin says that in 1692 Sam told people he was going into the country and instead stayed in his library for over 3 months, to ‘deal with papers’. She also explains, that based on Sam’s organizational skills and the poor condition of his ‘papers’ after this stay, that it is a good ‘guess’ that he spent much of the time reading his Diary and in that process allowed it to survive. He renumbered the volumes in the new catalogue he made in 1693 (Tomalin, page 352-253). We will never really know what caused him to make the decision to keep them.

One can only imagine how painful it would be for an older, and hopefully wiser Sam to get to today’s page and read of the horrible pain inflicted on his wife, and his foolish pursuit of another man’s wife.

About Saturday 17 December 1664

jeannine  •  Link

"and then come the looking-glass man to set up the looking-glass I bought yesterday"

Probably important to check out how looks for his secret tryst he's planning for next Monday!

About Saturday 17 December 1664

jeannine  •  Link

“Journal of the Earl of Sandwich” edited by R.C. Anderson

17th. Saturday. Capt Spragg and his squadron set sail for Beachy from St Helens Road. This morning about 3 oclock I saw the Blazing Star again in the mail topsail of the Argo Navis, distant from the Great Dog - 29° 00’, the Scorpion’s Heart - 26° 00’. The body of the star was dusky, not plain to see his figure or dimensions, but seemed 4 or 5 times bigger than the Great Dog, of a more red colour than Mars. The tail of him streamed in the fashion of a birchen besom towards the Little Dog on one half of the distance between them. Capt. Teddiman coming from the Canaries said he saw the star there and the first time it appeared was about October 20th.