Friday 18 October 1661
To White Hall, to Mr. Montagu’s, where I met with Mr. Pierce, the purser, to advise about the things to be sent to my Lord for the Queen’s provision, and was cleared in it, and now there is all haste made, for the fleet’s going.
At noon to my Lord’s to dinner, and in the afternoon, leaving my wife there, Mr. Moore and I to Mrs. Goldsborough, who sent for a friend to meet with us, and so we were talking about the difference between us till 10 at night. I find it very troublesome, and have brought it into some hopes of an agreement, I offering to forgive her 10l. that is yet due according to my uncle’s accounts to us. So we left her friend to advise about it, and I hope to hear of her, for I would not by any means go to law with a woman of so devilish a tongue as she has.
So to my Lady’s, where I left my wife to lie with Mademoiselle all night, and I by link home and to bed. This night lying alone, and the weather cold, and having this last 7 or 8 days been troubled with a tumor … [in one of my stones – L&M] which is now abated by a poultice of a good handful of bran with half a pint of vinegar and a pint of water boiled till it be thick, and then a spoonful of honey put to it and so spread in a cloth and laid to it, I first put on my waistcoat to lie in all night this year, and do not intend to put it off again till spring. I met with complaints at home that my wife left no victuals for them all this day.
20 Annotations
First Reading
Louis • Link
Can a possessor of L&M supply the exact term Pepys uses? (This entry not in the "Shorter.") His description suggests perhaps a swelling in the epididymis, a "little sack" atop the testicle which can be painful if swollen, a condition that usually abates of itself and is unlikely to cause permanent trouble. ---More than anyone likely wants to know, but why not? No doubt a Google maven can point us to a Web-page with the pertinent illustration from "Gray's Anatomy," next.
RexLeo • Link
"...I would not by any means go to law with a woman of so devilish a tongue as she has."
Is Sam worried about her caustic tongue or what she has to say about his uncle? My reading is that it is the latter - he may be worried about the family honour.
Stolzi • Link
It's nothing that sleeping in your waistcoat won't cure :)
Pauline • Link
all of us and "a possessors of L&M"
This appears to be two things: possession of the L&M edition volumes and their illuminating footnotes; and possession of the "Companion" and its alphabetical entries for people (and a few other topics) appearing in the diary. Both important to our reading.
vicente • Link
Oh! wot a scene this doth cunger up. My little grey matter doth com alive with so many scenes of nere do well.
"to forgive her 10l.[quid] that is yet due according to my uncle's accounts to us.” For wot was this loan to our goldey locks? that she should not want give over [plus interest for how long].
vicente • Link
Water, water every where, but not a drop to drink. Mrs? Mrs? "...I met with complaints at home that my wife left no victuals for them all this day...." Not even hart, deer or even left over porkburgers.[porkpasties between two ends of crusts of day old bread.]
vicente • Link
Doth ye think it be, the [vestcot]one with gold or tabby???"...I first put on my waistcoat to lie in all night this year..." just recently he talks of that garment for girding the loins , now he is getting prepared for the cold spell, reminds of the good old days when I kept my unspeakables under the pillow, then putting them on before 'opping [h]off the paliasse to light the [***************] fire.
Mary • Link
L&M edition.
"troubled with a tumour in one of my stones"
Mary • Link
Provisions for a queen.
(per L&M footnote). These provisions had included neats' tongues, bacon, oil, anchovies, pickled oysters, Cheshire cheese and butter. One can see where the rumours about the future queen's improving appetite sprang from.
Mary • Link
Mrs. Goldsborough's debt.
L&M edition gives a figure of £16, not the £10 cited here. £10 loan plus interest due?
Firenze • Link
Underwear under the pillow: ah, that brings it all back! The cold kiss of lino on the bare feet, getting dressed under your nightie, thawing your hands on your morning mug of coffee...
Nevertheless, I am puzzled by this reference to sleeping in a waistcoat. I thought the norm was either a)naked b) in a nightshirt/shift c) in your clothes. When he says 'not putting it off until spring', is this analogous to children being sewn into flannel for the winter? Is he going to take it off at all?
David A. Smith • Link
"not by any means go to law with a woman of so devilish a tongue"
I think the explanation is simpler -- for all his diligent bustle, Sam has no love of confrontation, still less of hostility, or irresolution. Here he is stuck cleaning up an estate, based on second-hand information. Such disputes can be endless and enervating. Settling, even for an inferior result is much preferable -- a point that the shrewish often consciously exploit.
Mary • Link
"I met with complaints ..... all this day."
L&M edition makes it clear that this was an afterthought, crowded in at the end of the line.
Peter • Link
Horrible thought, but ..... Sam could have offered them his poultice!
Lawrence • Link
"Madamoiselle"
Mlle le Blanc, the governess. Per L&M.
Orrin • Link
The Wikipedia entry for epididymis is at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epid… which has a clear illustration
Second Reading
Bill • Link
"been troubled with a tumor"
TUMOUR, a kind of swelling, caused by the settling of Humours in any Part of the Body
---An Universal Etymological English Dictionary. N. Bailey, 1675.
This dictionary defines many different kinds of tumours: natural, bastard, encysted, critical, malignant, pestilential, venereal.
Chris Squire UK • Link
OED has:
‘tumour . . 3. a. An abnormal or morbid swelling or enlargement in any part of the body of an animal or plant; an excrescence; a tumefaction. Now usually in restricted sense: see 3b.
. . 1601 J. Marston et al. Iacke Drums Entertainm. ii. sig. C3, The Gout causeth a great tumor in a mans legges.
. . 1758 B. Gooch Cases Surg. 17 A Species of tumor called by the common people the Mumps . . ‘
b. spec. A permanent circumscribed morbid swelling, consisting in a new growth of tissue, without inflammation.
1804 J. Abernethy Surg. Observ. 6, I shall restrict the surgical signification of the word ‘Tumour’ to such swellings as arise from some new production . . ‘
Third Reading
San Diego Sarah • Link
From Sandwich's log, in the bay of Tangier:
October 18. Friday.
In the morning early Sir John Lawson with the Swiftsure, Mary, Fairfax, Hampshire and Colchester sailed for the Straits.
Copied from
The Journal of Edward Mountagu,
First Earl of Sandwich
Admiral and General-at-Sea 1659 - 1665
Edited by RC Anderson
Printed for the Navy Records Society
MDCCCCXXIX
Section III - Mediterranean 1661/62
@@@
Sir John Lawson
https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…
The Swiftsure
https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…
The Mary, last mentioned on October 3, 1661
https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
The Fairfax, by now I think Sandwich has the name right, and it's a nod to Gen. Sir Thomas, for being an honorable person -- the ship:
https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
The Hampshire, also last mentioned on October 3
https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
The Colchester was last heard of yesterday
https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
The Straits of Gibraltar
https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…
Why is Adm. Sir John off to the Straits? Could it be related to:
"On Saturday night there came in a Newfoundland ship ... He also gave me the first advice that de Ruyter with 14 sail of ships was gone up the Straits, 4 sail having been sent in many days before."
https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
5 ships can monitor de Ruyter's 18 ships, but that's about it.
Stephane Chenard • Link
"The Queen's provision"; ah yes, maybe it's about time to worry about that, eh? The fleet to fetch her up has been wallowing at anchor for months, to everyone's puzzlement, and is supposed to sail any day. Sam at the Office's Department of Cheese and Biscuits isn't the only one to get busy, as we saw on October 14 in the State Papers a "warrant to pay to the Earl of Sandwich (...) £1,920 on account, for making provision of bedding, sheets, and other necessaries, for fitting the ship that is to bring over the Infanta of Portugal".
On this day however, Venetian ambassador Giavarina also sends in his weekly report a rather less glamorous update on the pre-nuptials: "There is said to be some difficulty about the letters of exchange" sent by Portugal to pay the dowry, "so that for some days the preparations for the marriage seem to have slackened". More reason to favor durables like Cheshire cheese and pickles - we suggest Long Keeping cheese, good for 6-12 months (details at https://www.cheeseshopnantwich.co…)
And one consequence: "The earl of Peterborough [Henry, Lord Mordaunt, bio at https://www.queensroyalsurreys.or…] was all ready to start for Tangier, but waited because he had not received cash to pay the men he has enlisted and was to take for the garrison there. They assigned to him some of the money which the Portuguese are to pay on account of the dowry, but with a glance at the difficulties and fearing that it will be impossible for the duke of Braganza to fulfil his promises, he will not move before he is paid." You don't get quality soldiers in such conditions, either, so "he has got together 1,000 foot here, but all inexperienced country men who will die fast", plus a bunch of stray Irishmen.
We've seen, should add, a multitude of told-you-so reports in Paris and Venice tut-tutting on how wretchedly poor Portugal would never make good on the dowry. Various Spanish operatives have been happy to confirm. Up to Portugal to dispel the rumors, and get past the panicky "what do you mean my card's rejected" moment, to fishing out another one that doth work.
Meanwhile, in the quiet of her Lisbon palace the Infanta is re-re-reading the menu. Neats' tongues and anchovies for a month? "On odd days your majesty could switch to oysters and cheese".