Wednesday 31 October 1660

Office day. Much troubled all this morning in my mind about the business of my walk on the leads. I spoke of it to the Comptroller and the rest of the principal officers, who are all unwilling to meddle in anything that may anger my Lady Davis. And so I am fain to give over for the time that she do continue therein.

Dined at home, and after dinner to Westminster Hall, where I met with Billing the quaker at Mrs. Michell’s shop, who is still of the former opinion he was of against the clergymen of all sorts, and a cunning fellow I find him to be. Home, and there I had news that Sir W. Pen is resolved to ride to Sir W. Batten’s country house to-morrow, and would have me go with him, so I sat up late, getting together my things to ride in, and was fain to cut an old pair of boots to make leathers for those I was to wear.

This month I conclude with my mind very heavy for the loss of the leads, as also for the greatness of my late expenses, insomuch that I do not think that I have above 150l. clear money in the world, but I have, I believe, got a great deal of good household stuff.

I hear to-day that the Queen is landed at Dover, and will be here on Friday next, November 2nd.

My wife has been so ill of late of her old pain that I have not known her this fortnight almost, which is a pain to me.

42 Annotations

First Reading

Paul Miller  •  Link

"My wife has been so ill of late of her old pain that I have not known her this fortnight almost, which is a pain to me".

The word "know" is used to connote a sexual relationship 17 times in the King James version of the bible.

Genesis 4
1 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.

1 Kings 1
4 And the damsel was very fair, and cherished the king, and ministered to him: but the king knew her not.

Genesis 19
5 And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them.

ellen  •  Link

Someone please explain what the leads problem is. Is he upset because he can no longer use them/it?

vincent  •  Link

He[SP] is in a bit of tither. He cannot have a night out on the tiles..no cat awalling.. 'Tis a bit chilly I Know, but he cannot see Ursa Major or the other star of the nite, Venus or the little dipper?
Must be a real loss?"...Much troubled all this morning in my mind about the business of my walk on the leads....
"...I spoke of it to the Comptroller and the rest of the principal officers, who are all unwilling to meddle in anything that may anger my Lady Davis. And so I am fain to give over for the time that she do continue therein...."
Madame Davis must really scare these old sea dogs even the Dutch never had this much power:
[Big Bear = ursa major]
the Leads Nice area of roof for relaxing away from the maddening crowd and ahem! the s****s.

vincent  •  Link

"...as also for the greatness of my late expenses, insomuch that I do not think that I have above 150l. clear money in the world, but I have, I believe, got a great deal of good household stuff:..." There is an expression for SP, 10 months past, He did not have a *** to **** i*. And now he is upset. He should read Rev Joslyns Diary for comfort.

john lauer  •  Link

Was the bolt on the chamber door (now broken open) to the leads keeping Sam off the leads? Now it's open ...

Or is its being now broken open exposing his chambers to anyone on the leads? ...

I don't get it at all. Was the bolt on the inside (chamber), or the outside (leads)?

Paul Brewster  •  Link

but I have, I bless God, a great deal of good Household stuffe
L&M: replace "I believe, got" with "I bless God,". Looks like shorthand confusion.

Paul Brewster  •  Link

a pair of old bootes to make leathers for those that I was to wear. To bed.
Wheatley removes the "To bed" that seems out of place in the chronological narrative. In the process, however, one loses some of the sense of an after the fact month-end summing up.

Paul Brewster  •  Link

I hear today that the Queen is landed at Dover
L&M quibble: "The Queen[Mother] had landed at Dover on the 30th."

Paul Brewster  •  Link

Locked Leads?
Reading ahead I can't find another mention of the problem. Odd that this would seem so severe this month and then disappear.

Pauline  •  Link

The leads - entries to date

"Friday, 13 July: I got leave to have a door made me into the leads.

Wednesday, 18 July: This morning the carpenter made an end of my door out of my chamber upon the leads.

Sunday 26 August: on the leads at night

Monday 29 October: So home, where I was told how my Lady Davis is now come to our next lodgings, and has locked up the leads door from me, which puts me into so great a disquiet

Tuesday 30 October: ...my mind being so troubled that I could not mind nor do anything till I spoke with the Comptroller to whom the lodgings belong. I am told Mr. Davis’s people have broken open the bolt of my chamber door that goes upon the leads, which I went up to see and did find it so, which did still trouble me more and more. And so I sent for Griffith, and got him to search their house to see what the meaning of it might be, but can learn nothing to-night. But I am a little pleased that I have found this out."

Sounds like Lady Davis may have discovered that her new lodgings previously had exclusive access to the leads and now she wants that re-established.

Breaking open the bolt of Sam's chamber door may indicate somehow disabling his bolt?

Same has invested money to have a door made from his chamber out unto the leads, with an official OK to do that. So he is understandably upset, on the one hand; but more seems involved. Perhaps a sense that he does not have the inherited standing in any disagreement with a "Lady Davis." He is much a product of the "merit" sense that was voiced in the Commonwealth years. Those years are over, things are back to rank and birthright, but two steps forward and one step back--and Sam is on that step that does not get pulled back?

Paul Brewster  •  Link

Another set of leads
I thought Pauline might have missed a quote from 22 September 1660 in her excellent history of the lead issue until I reread the entry. I found that I had been confusing two sets of leads, those at his current home (the subject of this week's annoyance) and those at his Lord's lodgings. The latter gives rise to that wonderful quote, "I staid here all day in my Lord's chamber and upon the leads gazing upon Diana". I realized that this confusion lead me to the mistaken belief that SP was most concerned that Lady Davis may have discovered his secret lead-based relationship but obviously not so.
http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…

vincent  •  Link

no more leads

vincent  •  Link

"... My wife has been so ill of late of her old pain that I have not known her this fortnight almost, which is a pain to me...." SP! strange thinking? A Pun or self concern, missing the the night life? Really quite strange thinking, is my take.

Mary  •  Link

Sam is upset about the leads problem

because he finds that the house that he thought would provide him with a roof-terrace, in modern terms, now seems to have had that amenity removed.

For city-dwellers, flat, leaded roofs provided useful space, especially in the warmer weather, for recreation away from the smell of the streets and the heat of the house itself. Sam had plans for using the leads, but it looks as if they are going to be put on hold, for a while at least.

A. De Araujo  •  Link

"to cut an old pair of boots to make leathers for those I was to wear" Is he recycling? Does he have a corn? I didn't quite get it.

Mary  •  Link

... to make leathers for those I was to wear..

Sam wants to wear a smart, new or newish pair of boots for the trip; but riding is likely to stain and mark the leather of these boots from ankle to knee; horses sweat and leave a sticky deposit (look at your hands, the next time you stroke a horse), the stirrup-leathers rub and so on. He therefore cuts up the old boots in order to making gaiters that he can wear over the new boots and so protect them from damage.

language hat  •  Link

Thank you all
for the explanations of the questions that popped into my mind regarding the leads, the boots, &c. -- the sort of everyday thing not likely to be addressed in the footnotes of learned commentaries. And thanks again, Phil, for the site.

helena murphy  •  Link

In my experience many a drama has taken place on a rooftop,not least of people toppling over!Knowing Sam's penchant for pretty ladies it could also be the perfect rendez'vous as it probably was for servants, and still is in certain parts of the world. What really interests me is how Lady Davis gets the officials not to interfere and thereby take her part. Does she make out her own security is at risk and therefore they feel obliged to lent her an ear and even be protective?
She clearly feels uncomfortable with the idea of Pepys prowling about up there and incidentally is her husband behind this as well?

David Quidnunc  •  Link

Celebrating Halloween -- Pepys didn't

American and Canadian readers may wonder whether Pepys ever celebrated Halloween, since the holiday is ancient. In Pepys's time, the Irish would have celebrated on this date, but the Reformation had long since put a stop to the holiday in England. In a familiar pattern (something like the history of Christmas), the English Protestants came up with a very similar holiday and moved it forward by several days to Nov. 5, Gunpowder Plot Day.

Gunpowder Plot Day page:
http://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclo…

Grahamt  •  Link

Considering that Hallowe'en was when witches were said to be abroad, and witches were still being burnt at the stake in the 17th century, then no, Samuel wouldn't have celebrated All Hallows Eve, but he might have celebrated All Hallows (Saints) Day on the 1st November. Traditionally,it is when one remembers the deceased by putting fresh flowers on the graves.

deepfatfriar  •  Link

Gen 19:5

Whether this is an instance of "know" has a sexual connotation is widely disputed among scholars and theologians, which dispute is in part the source of a schism-in-progress.

vincent  •  Link

Gen 19:5....And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are
the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto
us, that we may know them.

Glyn  •  Link

the Queen is landed at Dover

The technical term for this is TRANSFRETATION: "The action of crossing a strait, especially the crossing of the English Channel by a monarch". The source is The New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary which, because it is only 3,767 long obviously has to exclude the really obscure words. (See if you can use this word in conversation.)

language hat  •  Link

transfretation:
What a great word! Oddly, the full OED defines it less specifically:

transfre'tation. Obs. [ad. late L. transfreta

Pauline  •  Link

TRANSFRETATION
Just to be silly at this: the base word here seems to be "fret," not unreasonable for these royals fleeing and returning cross-channel.

Glyn, you wryness in the face of the obscure is appreciated.

Birdie  •  Link

Glyn, my greatest fret is that transfretation onboard the Concorde is no longer possible.

stewart Cavalier  •  Link

Fret is the French for freight

languagehat  •  Link

True but irrelevant; the French word is from Dutch vracht 'freight,' whereas transfretation is from Latin fretum 'a strait, channel.'

Second Reading

Sasha Clarkson  •  Link

Witches were not burned at the stake in England, where the penalty for witchcraft was hanging. Nor did juries always convict. Even in the Pendle Witch trial. one of the defendants was acquitted.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pen…

I have my own doubts about some historical judgements in the Wiki article, but Robert Neill's novel, 'Mist over Pendle' is excellently researched and gives a very plausible narrative about what might have happened.

The law in Scotland was different, and the persecutions were generally more frequent and ferocious.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wit…

Terry Foreman  •  Link

Today's 40th birthday: 1620 John Evelyn, diarist

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.

TMN  •  Link

Perhaps Pepys wife suffered with Endometriosis
it Is painful and can make women sterile

Third Reading

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"Office day. Much troubled all this morning in my mind about the business of my walk on the leads. I spoke of it to the Comptroller and the rest of the principal officers, who are all unwilling to meddle in anything that may anger my Lady Davis. And so I am fain to give over for the time that she do continue therein."

Office Day means that the Navy Board sat and discussed business today.
I imagine when the official agenda was finished, Pepys sent the clerks out of the conference room, and asked his fellow Commissioners for guidance on how to handle the problem of the door and the leads. Slingsby probably said that he would get the broken door fixed, and that now it was winter, the Pepys should stay off the leads anyways for the time being.

That Griffith had searched their home would have put the Davis family on notice that this was unacceptable. Let the matter sit for a while, and in the Spring when the weather is better, we'll see what happens.

Presumably Jane and John Davis have children -- most people did. Suppose Mrs. Davis has been fuming for a while about the Pepys parading around, making noise on "their" roof. One of her teenagers might have heard about her escapade locking/blocking the door, and in his/her eagerness to please the "lady" tyrant, independently went and broke the door?

It's not something an adult would do -- blocking their entrance, yes. Breaking the door, no.

The first thing "Lady Davis" knows about this is when Griffith turns up on the doorstep, demanding to search her house. Dumbfounded, she lets him in -- and after he's gone, there's a General Meeting with the kids, and maybe a beating or two.

John Davis must be worried he'll lose his housing, possibly even his job. He's not a Commissioner, so this is a very uncomfortable situation for him, too.

Pepys understandably sees this as the Commissioners being "unwilling to meddle in anything that may anger my Lady Davis," but maybe that's a paranoid overstatement intended only for his Diary.

Adm. Penn's invitation for a ride into the country sounds like a good idea. Gives everyone some breathing space. Penn has extended himself a lot to Pepys this last 6 months.

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

I forgot: The Rev. Ralph told us on Sunday that it's snowing in Essex. Too cold for walking safely on the leads now anyways.

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

Sorry -- I misread the Rev. Ralph entry -- it's linked to last Sunday because he says he started feeding the animals on that day. It snowed on November 11, which is the date his Diary entry was made.

Still, London in November is cold, wet and occasionally wild.

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"This month I conclude with my mind very heavy for the loss of the leads, as also for the greatness of my late expenses, insomuch that I do not think that I have above 150/. clear money in the world, but I have, I believe, got a great deal of good household stuff."

Plus he's been paying for a lot of drinks for his friends! Returning hospitality is important.

But it's true -- Pepys' has depleated his nest egg by about 50/., this month -- one of the few months he loses money during the Diary years.
See https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…

Neville  •  Link

The leads. I'm assuming it is so called because the roof is lead covered, not because it led anywhere? The roof presumably would be flat and someone pacing up and down would no doubt disturb those below. I read Sam's comments to mean that no-one occupying the building had a right to be up there.

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

Hi Neville -- Evidently the Controller Slingsby, who had to sign off on having Pepys' door installed in the first place representing the landlord, thought he had every right to walk on the leads.

Pauline gave a good explanation of the word at
https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…

David G  •  Link

The commentators 20 years ago noted that Sam dropped the discussion of the dispute with Lady Davis about the leads after today, which is true, but a word search of the Diary reveals that he mentioned the leads in 105 diary entries, spread evenly over the diary period, and will have new disputes about the leads later on.

Song Of Autumn  •  Link

"My wife has been so ill of late of her old pain that I have not known her this fortnight almost, which is a pain to me."

Interesting to get more perspective on this, as it turns out *her* diary makes note of this issue the next day:

"The great chafe I am in, for last night my husband does make to baste me – by reason that I am ill! And does he count the days since we did lie together and demand his dues soon, else he does claim as ’tis his right to put his pintle in some other. Which does bring out the very deep anger in me; and no way to win me to him it is. And will I observe where his pintle does go (and I do have my ways) and the price he should pay if it should find other accommodation."

One must imagine a chill went up Mr. Pepys' spine when she wrote the last bit.

Bryan M  •  Link

Just to clarify, if Elizabeth Pepys kept a diary it did not survive.
The Diary of Elizabeth Pepys by Dale Spender is a work of fiction from a feminist perspective.

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