Sunday 6 July 1662
(Lord’s day). Lay long in bed to-day with my wife merry and pleasant, and then rose and settled my accounts with my wife for housekeeping, and do see that my kitchen, besides wine, fire, candle, sope, and many other things, comes to about 30s. a week, or a little over.
To church, where Mr. Mills made a lazy sermon. So home to dinner, where my brother Tom dined with me, and so my wife and I to church again in the afternoon, and that done I walked to the Wardrobe and spent my time with Mr. Creed and Mr. Moore talking about business; so up to supper with my Lady [Sandwich], who tells me, with much trouble, that my Lady Castlemaine is still as great with the King, and that the King comes as often to her as ever he did, at which, God forgive me, I am well pleased.
It began to rain, and so I borrowed a hat and cloak of Mr. Moore and walked home, where I found Captain Ferrer with my wife, and after speaking a matter of an hour with him he went home and we all to bed.
Jack Cole, my old friend, found me out at the Wardrobe; and, among other things, he told me that certainly most of the chief ministers of London would fling up their livings; and that, soon or late, the issue thereof would be sad to the King and Court.
20 Annotations
First Reading
Michael Robinson • Link
"chief ministers of London would fling up their livings"
Perhaps a reference to the consequence of the passage of the "Act of Uniformity, 1662," requiring among other things the adoption of the Prayer Book of 1662. The "ejection" of the non-conforming took place on August 24th. 1662.
Australian Susan • Link
"lazy sermon"
Wonder what constitutes a lazy sermon to Sam? To me, it means a priest who obviously has glanced through the gospel reading for the day on Saturday afternoon, gets on the net and looks at some commentaries on the passage, downloads a few,does a bit of cut and paste, adds a few connecting sentences and prints it off. Maybe Mr Mills just read from a commentary or a published homily.
The rumblings over the Act of Uniformity have now become public knowledge. Nearly 2000 clergy will resign their livings on St Bartholomew's Day, only a few weeks away now.
dirk • Link
"my kitchen ... comes to about 30s. a week, or a little over"
For what it's worth:
this would (approximately) amount to
£122.81 now - using
http://eh.net/hmit/ppowerbp/
Or £526.33 for a month (divide 122.81 by 7 and multiply by 30)
Jenny Doughty • Link
'settled my accounts with my wife for housekeeping, and do see that my kitchen, besides wine, fire, candle, sope, and many other things, comes to about 30s. a week, or a little over'
I was interested in this one too. I was first married in 1971 and we were hard-up students so I kept an account book where I wrote down every penny we spent so as to keep track of it all. My housekeeping money was £5 a week then, rising to £6 the next year. The rent on our flat was also £5 a week. Now admittedly Sam is supporting a larger household, but that still seems to be quite a lot to spend, relatively speaking.
Australian Susan • Link
Sam's kitchen expenses
The way he phrases it implies (to me anyway) that this is just food that costs 30 shillings, which seems a great deal.
Mary • Link
kitchen expenses.
Some provisions could have cost a great deal more in Pepys' time than in ours. Water from the carrier, perhaps, plus spices and also sugar, which was then very expensive. If the household ever takes to drinking tea, then the kitchen bills are likely to shoot up,
Mary K McIntyre • Link
Know this is off topic, but have spent the last year getting to know everyone on this lovely site. So:
Terrible news from London this morning.
Whomever is responsible, they have made a bad miscalculation. As history has shown, bombing the British will not frighten them. It will only piss them off, and then they will go sort out the villains.
I am thinking of all my fellow Pepys fans in England, and holding you all in my heart.
xo Mary in Toronto
Nix • Link
30s. a week --
It doesn't surprise me that his food bill runs so high. For one thing, even without children he has a sizable establishment to feed. And food is one of those things (clothing is another) that has become much, much less expensive over the centuries, due to vastly higher productivity in cultivation, transportation and preservation. I have found it a really interesting conversation starter to contrast how little of our income (American professional class) we spend on food in comparison with most others in the world and most others throughout history. Dining out (well) has perhaps gotten more expensive, because it is so labor intensive, but the food itself is incredibly cheap.
Wim van der Meij • Link
Perhaps the wages of the kitchen maid are also included in the 30s. a week.
Is not it telling that Sam is pleased that the King is often coming to Lady Castlemaine.
Rex Gordon • Link
To Phil, Glyn & Londoners Everywhere ...
Joan and I visited London in September 2001, flying there on the first day flights resumed after the World Trade Center attacks. We will always remember with gratitude and affection the kindness and sympathy with which we, as Americans, were received. We know how you must feel today and our thoughts and prayers are with you all.
JWB • Link
Fanatiques
Sam took up sword & pistol in Jan '61 to stand in his door & protect his bit of England from fanatiques.
Australian Susan • Link
Hitler bombed London and the IRA too: London has a long history of coping with terrorist explosions - I have been in the Underground when there has been IRA-induced panic because of a bomb scare - it's very frightening because of the unknown, but Londoners survive and are not defeated by any of this. The IRA bombed Victoria Station in February 1991, killing one person and injuring many others including a work colleague of my husband's who lost a leg. I had planned to take my children into London for a last trip before we left for Australia.I decided to carry on with my expedition. I made the trip coming in on the train into the still blackened platform where the bomb had gone off. London had got back to normal very quickly and we had our final trip to the Tower of London.
In Sam's London, there would be folk memories of the near-successful attempt to blow up Parliament in 1605: the Catholics and "fanatiques" were feared, but Sam still trots around the City and Westminster getting on with things. A true Londoner.
E • Link
I expect that Pepys is sufficiently careful with his accounts to include the kitchen maid's wages. Sadly they do not amount to much per week.
I thought we had discussed domestic wages somewhere, but can't find it.
Pedro • Link
"God forgive me, I am well pleased."
What would Jemima think if she knew Sam's real feelings? As Vincente says on the 5th "Any politico worth his "salt of epsom" never reveals his true self to any other person" Another example of how Sam knows when to keep his mouth shut!
Cumgranissalis • Link
Days wage be easy, it be the monies paid to the wench that brings the clucking boiler and spuds and pease for shucking. Like Sam I'm be thinking the wenches tell me that old witch she charges 9d for a 1lb pound of bangers and the change of 4 farthings be in the hidden purse as it be expected they are rewarded for choosing freshest bangers or a nice plump pullet, now they don't go over to the coote or hen shed to get a lazy hen [or skinny pigeon] that be not a laying.
Prices it be on page 166 of E. Lizard Restoration London; e.g. for a tanner you gets a leg of beef or a cauliflower. [or in 1940's the front row of the flickers[ {not in Leicester Sq., it be robbery of 2 quid}.
1d bought 3 raw kippers un-smoked.
The wages be for the youngest wench It be 8 farthings a day, + , it be all found, and me ladies le'f over clothes for ones back. the Senior Maide gets 13 farthin's a day and the lad be getting a few fart[h]ings for running to bottom of the street. 'Tis always watch ye olde farthings [even on ones phone bill one must watch the slip ins.] The senior lad [clerk,] he be getting his from the Navy and Sam gives over less his Take. 'tis why the mint put on the cerated edge, always follow the money trail. Money like HONEY be sticking.
Pauline • Link
"God forgive me, I am well pleased."
So, guys, can you explain this to us?
Again we have Jemima telling Sam scandalous stuff “with much trouble”. Hard for her to talk about such a topic with Sam? Or much troubled with the king’s behavior? Reads as the former.
Mary • Link
"with much trouble"
It pains the virtuous Lady Jem that the King's behaviour shows no evidence of reform from his bachelor days. Sam, on the other hand, is pleased that Lady Castlemaine remains in favour; were she to be dropped and excluded from court circles, he might be denied the opportunity of gazing upon her (at the theatre, for example) and being titillated by glimpses of her pretty underwear hanging out to dry at Whitehall.
A. Hamilton • Link
Sam, on the other hand, is pleased
May be two motives at work: beauty's effect on Sam (and his star-struck fascination with Lady C.), and an English preference, as Vincent has remarked, that royalty choose Nordic beauties over those from Southern climes.
A. Hamilton • Link
"I decided to carry on."
(from Australian Susan's post)
That's why the fanatiques will fail.
Second Reading
Chris Squire UK • Link
OED has:
‘trouble, n. < Middle English < Old French truble . .
1. a. Disturbance of mind or feelings; worry, vexation; affliction; grief; perplexity; distress.
. . 1611 Bible (King James) Job v. 7 Man is borne vnto trouble, as the sparkes flie vpward.
1667 Milton Paradise Lost v. 96 The trouble of thy thoughts..in sleep . . ‘