Thursday 6 February 1661/62
At my musique practice, and so into my cellar to my workmen, and I am very much pleased with my alteracon there.
About noon comes my uncle Thomas to me to ask for his annuity, and I did tell him my mind freely. We had some high words, but I was willing to end all in peace, and so I made him dine with me, and I have hopes to work my end upon him. After dinner the barber trimmed me, and so to the office, where I do begin to be exact in my duty there and exacting my privileges, and shall continue to do so.
None but Sir W. Batten and me here to-night, and so we broke up early, and I home and to my chamber to put things in order, and so to bed. My swelling I think do begin to go away again.
17 Annotations
First Reading
vicenzo • Link
interesting words::...ask for his annuity, and I did tell him my mind freely. We had some high words, but I was willing to end all in peace, and so I made him' dine with me, and I have hopes to work my end upon him…”
see lost in ‘graverly’? http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
Australian Susan • Link
A good day for Sam!
He enjoys his music, his workmen have done work which meets his standards, he stands his ground with Uncle T,gets spruced up, is pleased with his office duty and ensuring they all apreciate his status, he tidies things up in his room and finally examines his swelling and it seems to be going down! Now, if only he can stop Elizabeth screeching at the servants.........
Robert Gertz • Link
Most agreeable work hours, a good dinner, a successful bout with Uncle Tom, alterations about the house going well, privileges asserted at the office...
Requires only a "lay long in bed this morning with my wife with much pleasure..." to make it a perfect day.
David A. Smith • Link
"to be exact in my duty there and exacting my privileges"
Interesting ....
No more the arriviste, Sam is now feeling himself a proper incumbent and man of property, laying out the law with his annuitized uncle, getting his hair trimmed to look the part, and resolving to be 'exact' in duty and 'exacting' in privileges.
Mary • Link
A hint of relief?
With the delivery of the formal instructions Sam now knows exactly where he (and others) stand and will feel confident in acting accordingly.
vicenzo • Link
So he has established the right to put behind bars a person that creates a disturbance in the office, that maybe asks " where is my redundancy money? "
"...commit to prison the other day for some ill words he did give the office...." "****** ********"
http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
BradW • Link
where I do begin to be exact in my duty there and exacting my privileges, and shall continue to do so.
Didn't we hear awhile back that Sam and other officeholders in this era received fees for sealing, notarizing, signing, etc.? Could those be the privileges he refers to? Somehow I sensed a thread between Uncle Thomas' demands for an annuity, and Sam vowing to "exact" (in the sense of charging for or collecting for) his privileges, throwing in a pun on "exact" just for kicks. Maybe by partying so much he's missing out on that important source of income?
vicenzo • Link
Remember, Sam be offered 'much quids' for his job, many times the stated Salary. It is always the perks that run a publick Hoffice. TIPS be always needed whether it be the derivative or that that is derived.
annuity 'a payment of a fixed sum of money at regular intervals of time', typically annually like Lady's day which be April [?] So I do think Unc wants his sweetner 'a we bit' early [the income from money loaned]
Australian Susan • Link
Lady Day - March 25th - end of financial year, day when rents, annuities, tithes were due. One of the quarter days (Michaelmas, Christmas Day & end of June being the others).
Pauline • Link
"... begin to be exact in my duty there and exacting my privileges..."
BradW, I was thinking that this reflected his pleasure at having the instructions from the Duke of York to his liking and his recent resolve to carouse less and be more serious about his career. As for the privileges, he has written (and obviously thinking a great deal) about standing up for his rank in the office, about being treated as equal with the Sir Wms. To be taken seriously. He is really getting his teeth into his work and has a fine sense of the status he can insist upon.
vicenzo • Link
There were very special privileges for the members of the Laudly group and their hirees,[naturally called the privileged class or aristocratic mob] and some of these rights have trickled down to the esteemed persons of importance in the Monarchy, of course through varies revolting parliaments from year 1213, these perks have been wittled down a bit. But like most of us, we doth like to have priveledges that separate us from the common herd. The reserved table for two, out of prying eyes are some that have not been legislated against, others have like "rights of seignior" have hit the dust.
Second Reading
Terry Foreman • Link
"into my cellar to my workmen, and I am very much pleased with my alteracon there."
Pepys told us about the project on 20 January: "This day the workmen began to make me a sellar door out of the back yard, which will much please me." http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
Bill • Link
"comes my uncle Thomas to me to ask for his annuity"
ANNUITY, a yearly Rent to be paid for Term of Life or Years.
---An Universal Etymological English Dictionary. N. Bailey, 1675.
Sasha Clarkson • Link
Today is one of the most important entries in the diary.
According to Encyclopaedia Britannica: "... early in 1662 there came a change. The colleagues whose bacchanalian habits and social position had made them so attractive began to prove irksome, and their insistence on their superior experience and status galled Pepys's pride. In his isolation, he sought for ways by which he could show himself their equal. He had not far to look, for his fellow officers were anything but attentive to business. "So to the office," Pepys wrote, "where I do begin to be exact in my duty there and exacting my privileges and shall continue to do so." He had found his vocation."
The Britannica article was written by the historian Sir Arthur Bryant (1899 - 1985), author of a three-volume biography of Pepys, and other contemporary histories.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arth…
arby • Link
Thanks Sasha, interesting.
Louise Hudson • Link
alteracon: presumaby Sam's idiosyncratic spelling of alteration. Nothing to get excited about. i doubt there is anything more to it than that.
john • Link
It is unfortunate that Pepys only comments on the appearances of the various renovations done over the years and not on the actual mechanics. i.e. how was the cellar wall shored up during construction, what sort of lintels were used, framing, and so on, as well what informal building codes were followed.