Saturday 22 September 1660
This morning I called up my boy, and found him a pretty, well-looked boy, and one that I think will please me.
I went this morning by land to Westminster along with Luellin, who came to my house this morning to get me to go with him to Capt. Allen to speak with him for his brother to go with him to Constantinople, but could not find him. We walked on to Fleet street, where at Mr. Standing’s in Salsbury Court we drank our morning draft and had a pickled herring. Among other discourse here he told me how the pretty woman that I always loved at the beginning of Cheapside that sells child’s coats was served by the Lady Bennett (a famous strumpet), who by counterfeiting to fall into a swoon upon the sight of her in her shop, became acquainted with her, and at last got her ends of her to lie with a gentleman that had hired her to procure this poor soul for him. To Westminster to my Lord’s, and there in the house of office vomited up all my breakfast, my stomach being ill all this day by reason of the last night’s debauch. Here I sent to Mr. Bowyer’s for my chest and put up my books and sent them home. I staid here all day in my Lord’s chamber and upon the leads gazing upon Diana, who looked out of a window upon me. At last I went out to Mr. Harper’s, and she standing over the way at the gate, I went over to her and appointed to meet to-morrow in the afternoon at my Lord’s. Here I bought a hanging jack. From thence by coach home (by the way at the New Exchange I bought a pair of short black stockings, to wear over a pair of silk ones for mourning; and here I met with The. Turner and Joyce, buying of things to go into mourning too for the Duke, which is now the mode of all the ladies in town), where I wrote some letters by the post to Hinchinbroke to let them know that this day Mr. Edw. Pickering is come from my Lord, and says that he left him well in Holland, and that he will be here within three or four days.
To-day not well of my last night’s drinking yet. I had the boy up to-night for his sister to teach him to put me to bed, and I heard him read, which he did pretty well.
21 Annotations
First Reading
Paul Brewster • Link
hanging jack
L&M Select Glossary: "turnspit for roasting meat".
Paul Brewster • Link
To bed, not well of my last night's drinking yet.
L&M substitute “To bed” for “To-day”
J Callan • Link
the Lady Bennett (a famous strumpet)
Presumably not that famous, I would guess this is the first time Pepys has heard of her - otherwise why would he add the explanation of who she is? Or is he consciously writing a document for posterity?
And do I detect a hint of "damn, I could have hired Lady Bennett to procure that pretty woman"... anyway perhaps whetted his appetite to arrange a rendezvous with Diana later on.
Mary • Link
the 'Lady' Bennett
Certainly famous/notorious in later years. See Background notes.
Brian G McMullen • Link
'To-day not well of my last night’s drinking yet.'
I read yesterday's entry again and must express some confusion. I realize that diary entries may not be written contemporaneous to the events of the day but SP appears to be lucid in his writings and doing it at the conclusion of his day. Is he complaining of a hangover due to drunkeness or an upset stomach due to bad wine?
Paul Brewster • Link
"To bed not well of my last night's drinking yet.”
He doesn’t seem to blame yesterday’s wine but clearly identifies the past night as being something out of the ordinary. I for one would have had trouble keeping up with him. The morning herring would have set me off.
21st:
“we drank off two or three quarts of wine, which was very good”
“eat above 200 wallnutts”
“did give me a barrell of Samphire” Maybe he sampled some.
22nd:
“we drank our morning draft and had a pickled herring”
“vomited up all my breakfast, my stomach being ill all this day by reason of the last night's debauch”
“To bed not well of my last night's drinking yet.”
He still seems to be remembering this quite vividly when he writes this down tomorrow.
23rd:”I up and set down my Journall for these 5 days past”
Glyn • Link
Pepys the hen-pecked Husband
Re Paul Brewster's comment about the hanging jack, this continues the saga of Elizabeth Pepys' new oven (see the entry for July 19th: http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1… )
Either something else has been broken on her top-of-the-range range, or more likely she's sent him out to buy yet another add-on to it. And since Samuel seems to have no interest in cookery he presumably is just being told to buy what Elizabeth has already selected. Hopefully, he'll stay at home more frequently from now on, if she ever learns to cook!
Glyn • Link
and there in the house of office vomited up all my breakfast,
The "house of office" would be a good addition to The Glossary. It's been discussed before and means the latrine, toilet, rest room etc - it's an old play on words, i.e. the "house of office" is where you went to "do your business".
Perhaps he just had a mild form of food poisoning - it's a miracle it didn't occur more often.
helena murphy • Link
Today's entry is one of the most memorable to date for its elements of shear Restoration melodrama regarding Lady Bennet's comportment, the London ladies all in black ,and Pepys' preplanned lecherous encounters. It is a stark contrast to the dying days of the commonwealth when the tone was one of cautious sobriety against a background of uncertainty and political disturbance.
Pepys here conveys the mood of Restoration London in which we glimpse that sense of personal and social freedom from puritan restriction.
Jenny Doughty • Link
"To-day not well of my last night's drinking yet."
It reads to me firmly like a hangover. He did drink about a quart of wine by his own account - unless anybody knows better I assume that’s a British quart, or about 40 fluid ounces, or about a litre. The last time I drank that much I felt decidedly ill all the following day, and I didn’t even eat a pickled herring for breakfast.
vincent • Link
"To-day not well of my last night's drinking yet”
Nay ‘tis the walnuts, been there, done that.
vincent • Link
Glyns "Hopefully, he'll stay at home more frequently from now on, if she ever learns to cook”
how can that be said? the Goddess of love is in the air.
“…I staid here all day in my Lord's chamber and upon the leads gazing upon Diana, who looked out of a window upon me. …”
Daniel Baker • Link
The link here says that the "Captain Allen" that Pepys was looking for is John Allen, clerk of the Ropeyard at Chatham. But the reference to going to Constantinople would seem to suggest that he was actually looking for Captain Thomas Allin, who was then preparing to bring Lord Winchelsea to Constantinople as consul. It doesn't seem very likely that they would send the clerk of the Ropeyard to Turkey also.
Pedro • Link
Hi Daniel
You are quite correct, try an email to Phil and he will no doubt change it.
Regards Pedro
Second Reading
Bill • Link
JACK [from Scullion Boys, commonly called Jack, used to be Turnspits] an Engine, to roast Meat
---An universal etymological English dictionary. N. Bailey, 1675.
Phil Gyford • Link
Four years on, and I've fixed the link to Captain Allen.
Bill • Link
"there in the house of office vomited up all my breakfast,"
The DRAUGHT. a House of Office, Necessary, or Bog house.
An EASEMENT. a Privy, or House of Office
PRIVY. an House of Office.
---An Universal Etymological English Dictionary. N. Baily, 1675.
Chris Squire UK • Link
OED has:
‘house of office n. now hist. . . (b) a privy, latrine.
. . ?1560 H. Rhodes Bk. Nurture (new ed.) sig. Aiii, If he ly in a strange place se his shetes be cleane, then folde down his bed, and warme his night kercher, and se his house of office be cleane.
1613 S. Purchas Pilgrimage 292 They..goe first to the house of office, and there purge their bodie.
. . 1764 D. Garrick Let. 5 Aug. (1963) II. 422, I..have regal'd Myself with a good house of Office..the holes in Germany are..too round, chiefly owing..to the broader bottoms of the Germans . . ‘
Terry Foreman • Link
"To Westminster to my Lord’s, and there in the house of office vomited up all my breakfast, my stomach being ill all this day by reason of the last night’s debauch. Here I sent to Mr. Bowyer’s for my chest and put up my books and sent them home."
L&M: See https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
Third Reading
San Diego Sarah • Link
"I staid here all day in my Lord’s chamber and upon the leads gazing upon Diana, who looked out of a window upon me."
This tells us how close, as the birds fly, Axe Yard (where Diana lives) is to the Palace of Whitehall,
A perfect place for the King's wine celler keeper to live.
Pepys always made it sound like he walked miles to see the young Jemima Montagu.
This gazing must have reassured Pepys of Diana's intentions towards him. "The talk" might be pleasant after all ... but where can he take her now?
Stephane Chenard • Link
Quick check on My Lord, from Capt. Teddiman his journall (at https://archive.org/details/journ…) He's got the princess. She came onboard on Thursday morning, after which the Resolution "fell down as low as Goree" - surely not Goree in Senegal to pick up slaves, but Goeree-Overflakkee across the Haringvliet from Hellevoetsluis, whence her escort returned to The Hague. Then things got slightly complicated because of the wind, and as Sam gets his news from Pickering the Resolution is wallows in the shallows, after being "struck 5 or 6 times upon a sand". And not just any old sand but the redoubtable Kentish Knock, devourer of ships (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken…) Oh no! Princess in Peril!