Sunday 17 June 1660
(Lord’s day). Lay long abed.
To Mr. Mossum’s; a good sermon. This day the organs did begin to play at White Hall before the King.1
Dined at my father’s. After dinner to Mr. Mossum’s again, and so in the garden, and heard Chippell’s father preach, that was Page to the Protector.
And just by the window that I stood at sat Mrs. Butler, the great beauty.
After sermon to my Lord. Mr. Edward and I into Gray’s Inn walks, and saw many beauties.
So to my father’s, where Mr. Cook, W. Bowyer, and my coz Roger Wharton [L&M say “Joyce Norton”. P.G.] supped and to bed.
15 Annotations
First Reading
Pauline • Link
"So to my father's…supped and to bed”
I take it that Sam and his wife haven’t reestablished their household yet—that they (or only he?) are staying with his parents.
chip • Link
One can only imagine what it was to hear those great beasts, the pipe organs, roar again about the city. The best propaganda there could be. I wonder if the instruments were truly removed or just the consoles. It seems too quick to have reinstalled the pipes and chests. If no one pumped, there was no sound. As for EP, Pauline, I would guess you are right. It still appears to me odd he has not mentioned her more since his return.
vincent • Link
His services are needed elswhere, I do beleive, reading between these short and to the miniscule point notes, on (yellow Postits of the day) sheets not encased in a cover or leather Briefcase. 'tis the learning on the run.
Larry Bunce • Link
The Puritans did not believe in organs at church, or in having fun in any form, it seems. During the Civil War, some organs were stripped of their metal pipes, which were melted down for bullets. It is nice to hear that some organs had survived both vandalism and neglect during the previous decade.
The pipe organ in recognizably modern form was already 200 years old in 1660.
Would it be a plot spoiler to mention that these London organs were to last only 6 more years, until the Great Fire?
Frank G. • Link
Are you sure of that, Larry? If the King was listening to the organ at Whitehall then there seems to me to be no reason to think it was burned during the Fire, which never spread that far.
Paul Brewster • Link
Whitehall Organs
L&M say "[The organ] was recovered through John Playford's efforts and erected in its old place soon after the Restoration. 'Father' Bernard Smith's new organ there built under John Hingston's supervision, was apparently completed by October 1662."
If I'm reading this note correctly the 1660 organ only had two years to go. The 1662 organ had another 26 years of life. It apparently was destroyed in the Whitehall fire in 1698. Again 'Father' Smith appears to have had a hand in its replacement.
“Four days after the fire, Sir Christopher Wren was given instructions to fit up the Banqueting House as a Chapel Royal to replace the destroyed Tudor chapel. Although he promised to complete the work within three weeks, it was not until Christmas Day 1698 that William III attended a service there. In the following year, a new organ, made by "Father Smith, His Majesty's Musicall Instrument Maker", was installed on a panelled balcony against the west wall opposite the pulpit… from a Banqueting Hall web site.
The 1698 organ apparently lives on - sort of.
"When the Banqueting House was turned into a military museum in 1890, and on Queen Victoria’s instructions, the organ was installed in St. Peter’s Chapel in the Tower. Most of the original instrument had already been removed and the organ was enlarged to accommodate a pedal division. The case of this instrument is a very fine example of its type, dating from 1699, with carving attributed to the master-craftsman of his age, Grinling Gibbons. 300 years later the case was refurbished and restored to capture its original elegance and now houses a new instrument built by the Canadian firm Orgues L'tourneau." from Choir of the Chapel’s Royal, HM Tower of London web site.
helena murphy • Link
The freedom,ease and security of the new Restoration London are here conveyed by the stupendous organ music, the flattering portrait of Mrs Butler, the garden and of course the image of the beauties, imitating perhaps the style of the court beauties such as Barbara Villiers,help to illustrate the confidence of a society freed from militant puritanism,civil war, the mob, and authoritarian rule.
Second Reading
Sasha Clarkson • Link
An end to authoritarian rule? After 350 years, do we really need to refight the battles of the 1600s with crude and inaccurate propaganda! Most of us are intelligent enough to know some of the facts and check the rest!
What he get instead of militant puritanism is militant Anglicanism, tithes, the Test Act, Act of Uniformity, more religious persecution than for two decades, etc etc etc. As for Barbara Palmer (nee Villiers), although her time would come soon, I'm not sure whether she was ensconced in court yet. But, beauty or not, her influence on Charles and his court was thoroughly malign. The diarist John Evelyn described her as "The curse of the nation". Others, even Pepys, were more crude!
http://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclo…
Third Reading
San Diego Sarah • Link
"I take it that Sam and his wife haven’t reestablished their household yet—that they (or only he?) are staying with his parents."
We only know what Pepys tells us, Pauline. I read it as he's been sleeping at his parent's for a couple of days.
MartinVT • Link
"And just by the window that I stood at sat Mrs. Butler, the great beauty."
Sam has only got time these days to jot down a few notes, but he doesn't miss anything important.
San Diego Sarah • Link
"After sermon to my Lord. Mr. Edward and I into Gray’s Inn walks ..."
For those of you not familiar with London, My Lord is currently staying at Lincoln's Inn Fields, which is right around the corner from Grey's Inn and the Middle Temple. Well worth a visit and a wander around when you are next in town.
Scube • Link
"To Mr. Mossum’s; a good sermon." Sam often remarks on the quality of the sermon. I wonder how many times through the entire diary? Also, as time goes on, it seems he was less enthralled by sermons, and often characterized them as "dull." Or perhaps that is just my impression.
San Diego Sarah • Link
As you say, Scube, Pepys has a lot of opinions. Sunday sermons were one community point of mental and moral stimulation. Mr. Mossum must be addressing the issues of the day which are worrying people, and this is keeping Pepys engaged.
As some people are reading the Diary for the first time, I'm not going to share my theory of why Pepys didn't always find church so engaging. My theory is there when they get to it.
john • Link
I beg to differ with Sasha's remark a decade past. There were many activities forbidden by the Puritans that the average people would care more about than his characterization of authoritarian rule.
San Diego Sarah • Link
I'm tempted to ask you what part of militant Anglicanism, tithes, the Test Act, the Act of Uniformity, and more religious persecution than for 2 decades, etc. that you disagree with, John, but we're not there yet, so let's hold those debates for later.
And as for Mrs. Palmer, she's living close to Whitehall with her husband, Roger Palmer MP.
SPOILER: Nine months from now she will be delivered of a child, and 3 men are suspected of being the father -- none of them her husband. She writes a letter to Charles reminiscing about the night they spent together on May 29 -- his 30th birthday and the day of his entry into London.
But there I go again -- we've got 9 months to get through before then.