Saturday 27 September 1662
Up betimes and among my workmen, and with great pleasure see the posts in the entry taken down beyond expectation, so that now the boy’s room being laid into the entry do make my coming in very handsome, which was the only fault remaining almost in my house.
We sat all the morning, and in the afternoon I got many jobbs done to my mind, and my wife’s chamber put into a good readiness against her coming, which she did at night, for Will did, by my leave to go, meet her upon the road, and at night did bring me word she was come to my brother’s, by my order. So I made myself ready and put things at home in order, and so went thither to her. Being come, I found her and her maid and dogg very well, and herself grown a little fatter than she was. I was very well pleased to see her, and after supper to bed, and had her company with great content and much mutual love, only I do perceive that there has been falling out between my mother and she, and a little between my father and she; but I hope all is well again, and I perceive she likes Brampton House and seat better than ever I did myself, and tells me how my Lord hath drawn a plot of some alteracions to be made there, and hath brought it up, which I saw and like well. I perceive my Lord and Lady have been very kind to her, and Captn. Ferrers so kind that I perceive I have some jealousy of him, but I know what is the Captain’s manner of carriage, and therefore it is nothing to me. She tells me of a Court like to be in a little time, which troubles me, for I would not willingly go out of town.
28 Annotations
First Reading
Terry F • Link
"She tells me of a Court like to be in a little time, which troubles me, for I would not willingly go out of town."
L&M note: "A manorial court at Brampton: see [30 September, 14 October]."
Again reluctance to leave town...
A. De Araujo • Link
"and herself grown a little fatter than she was"
So what else is new?! Hope he did not point it out to her.
dirk • Link
"there has been falling out between my mother and she, and a little between my father and she"
Trouble with the in-laws? Nothing new under the sun - said the cynic :-)
Pauline • Link
"...with great pleasure see the posts in the entry taken down beyond expectation...
Is he saying that we have posted with insight beyond his expectations?
My, my.
Terry F • Link
"I perceive she likes Brampton House and seat better than ever I did myself, and tells me how my Lord hath drawn a plot of some alteracions to be made there, and hath brought it up, which I saw and like well."
A puzzling sentence; methinks this isn't Pepys admiring Sandwich's design for "alteracions" for the Pepys's "Brampton House"; but to Hinchbrooke, Sandwich's own place at Brampton, the "seat" in question.
This view seems to be supported by the gist of an unncharacteristically confusing L&M note:
"Nothing appears to be known of any such alterations. Sandwich had probably had a hand in designing the alterations to Hinchingbrooke; see [Monday 4 March 1660/61 http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1… ]. His MS journals (now at Mapperton, Dorset) are embellished with many sketches of buildings, fountains etc."
Australian Susan • Link
If this is "alteracions" to Hinchinbroke, rather than Brampton, why has Montagu given Elizabeth a copy of these plans for Sam to look at? Or is Sam to be involved in organising proposed improvements at Hinchinbroke? The phrasing seems a bit ambiguous.
Pauline • Link
alterations to Brampton House
Pretty clear as stated. And Sandwich and 'my lady' were very kind to her; Sandwich amid his own renovations had room for a thought or two to Brampton House or to entertaining Elizabeth stuck there with the ageing Pepyses and the ongoing turmoil we saw them in before they left London.
Australian Susan • Link
No mention of Wayneman..... (yet!)But obviously Elizabeth was not backward in coming forward with her problems with the in-laws! Must have been a great relief for her to get home. The reference to her being "fatter" is not necessarily a criticism by Sam. In those days, being fat was often taken to be a sign of health, of good country living and having enough to eat. Think of all those Reubens beauties - who would be queueing to get into Jenny Craig nowadays, but who were thought to be the norm for female attractiveness at that time.
Robert Gertz • Link
What, no immediate wide-eyed tour of the new digs?
Attentive Capt Ferrer...Very kind Lord (and Lady)...
Nothing, I said nothing...
Dave Bell • Link
"and after supper to bed, and had her company with great content and much mutual love"
I rather doubt that Sam thought there was anything wrong with how Elizabeth looked.
Erna D'haenen • Link
Re the alteracions
I was browsing in an AA tourist guide and read that Lord "Sandwich added to the west side of the court" at Hinchingbrooke.
Clement • Link
Re: "No mention of Wayneman"
He returned Sept 17th.
We have not yet read what handling he earned with the rogueishness reported by Elizabeth.
Jeannine • Link
"and tells me how my Lord hath drawn a plot of some alteracions to be made there, and hath brought it up, which I saw and like well"
In Sandwich's biography improvements and major renovations to Hitchingbrooke were ongoing. "On March 4th, 1660 Sandwich "went to Hitchingbrooke taking his building contractor with him. The remodelling of the house was extensive:two storeys were added to one wing, a new kitchen was built; and other various changes made which cannot be exactly idenitified since no architect's drawing survive and the house was altered again after Edward's time. That he himself had a hand in the designs in highly probable as he certainly did in the ornament and laying out of the garden and grounds. The journals he kept while Ambassador to Madrid are full of scale drawings of fountains, statuary, walls, gates, railings and suchlike even down to the detail of the door knockers and latches. The eagerness and pride with which he showed Pepys his improvements in September 1663 are those of an artist as much as a proprietor. Pepys on this and other occasions admired the taste of his patron but deplored the imprudence of the expense". (p 98, Ollard, "Cromwell's Earl).
These improvements were ongoing for several years, so most likely Sandwich had sent via Elizabeth some of the drawings, etc. that Sandwich was contemplating. Of note, like Sam, Sandwich had a very curious mind but he was also somewhat of an artist so his journals are full of sketches of diverse things like lampstands, watering plans, instruments, a jewel for his wife, etc. in exacting detail and complexity. Although his diary/journals lack the pizazz (and gossip) of Sam's he was a keen observer of everything around him and took great pleasure at recording and drawing things that he found interesting.
Pauline • Link
Yes, Sandwich has been making alteractions to his estate for some time now. The evidence that his journal was filled with sketches and plans fits right in with his having sketched out an idea of two for Brampton House and given it to Elizabeth. The entry seems to say this. As for his own "plots" for his own renovations, they are well underway and "some alteracions" to them might not be of such interest to Elizabeth. She has probably seen much of what is being done to Hitchingbrooke--the whole thing of greater interest.
Araucaria • Link
Remodeling, then and now
I'm not surprised Sandwich has showed plans to Elizabeth, even if she is never able to participate in home design herself. "How's your remodel going?" is possibly the most universal of conversation openers, at least among homeowners. If there's no remodel, you can simply ask about the house -- there's always something to brag/complain about. If the person rents, you can ask about the landlord or landlady. If they farm or garden, you can ask about their land. It transcends most nationalities, religions and cultures.
And since Sam and Elizabeth don't have and are unlikely to be able to have kids, it is an even safer topic.
Pedro • Link
Elizabeth stuck at Brampton.
I don't read it like that. On the 9th July she had been talking to Sam while he was boring holes-"she was talking to me about her going to Brampton, which I would willingly have her to do but for the cost of it". After all Hinchingbrooke is only a spit away from Brampton, with Jemima, Sam's Lord and his dashing master of the horse Ferrer, it cannot be that bad! Tomalin says of the visit that both Ferrer and Sandwich had both been attentive to her.
Robert Gertz • Link
"...my wife's chamber put into a good readiness..."
He's cute when he's anxious to please. Say something nice about the work, Bess...The poor guy's been knocking himself out.
***
Brampton...
"So..." Margaret looks round. "Where be that nice Captain Ferrers who's been coming by to pay milord's respects, this is his usual time, isn't it? And that fine Mr. Creed who always comes along and says such nice things about our Sam?"
Paulina says nothing, looking sulky...Somehow knowing neither the gallant Captain nor the velvetly sarcastic Creed will be dropping by for courtesy calls in the near future. Not to mention that it's unlikely milord will be inviting her to "discuss remodeling plans for Hinchingbrooke" anytime soon...
Peter • Link
Jeannine, that's very interesting about Sandwich's journals. Do you know if they ever cross-reference items in the diary? Indeed, does Sandwich ever mention Sam, or pass any opinion on him?
Jeannine • Link
Gee Pedro and Robert--if Sam doesn't get some good feedback from Elizabeth for all of his work at Brampton pretty soon, maybe he'll give up in the major renovations department and go back to the simpler renovation of boring holes --at least that way if he picks the right place for a peep hole he'll have the satisfaction of looking at some pretty girls when he's done!"
Jeannine • Link
Sandwich's Journal's-most of my information on the subject is from Sandwich's biograpaher Richard Ollard ("Cromwell's Earl") -see the background --http://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclopedia/2433/
Sandwich's journals and Sam's were different, as Ollard explains," The Journal that he kept, mostly in his own beautifully legible hand, though it covers even fewer years than that of his famous cousin and has none of the uninhibited forthright judgements on himself and everybody else that makes Pepys such stimulating company, is in its way not less revealing. The light it sheds comes through cracks in the shutters where Pepys draws the curtain back with a florish to admit the rising sun. Both have universal curiosity, the appetite, the zest for life that make the reader ashamed of his own sluggish imperception" (p 13)
Ollard includes Sandwich's illustrations of things like a lunar eclipse (fascinating), a dustpan with measurements, a map of Cape Tresforcas on the Meditterranean coast, assorted tools, etc. in great detail. Where Sam tended to comment more on people, gossip, himself, etc. Sandwich was of a different nature and tended to note with little judgement attached the difference of nations, interesting scientific, mechanical items, etc. therefore he doesn't seem to gravitate towards noting things about people as Sam does.
Jeannine • Link
Peter--the above was meant to answer your question-forgot to note that.
Australian Susan • Link
Sir John Vanbrugh is an example of someone who took up architecture and designed magnificant buildings (eg Blenheim and Castle Howard). See http://www.archinform.net/arch/37… but was originally a dramatist - and a good one. People seemed to have trusted him, with no qualifications, with much more than just "alteracions". Quite an amazing man. Not sure if Sam ever met him or saw his plays.
Cumgranissalis • Link
lost his room ?"...so that now the boy's room being laid into the entry do make my coming in very handsome, which was the only fault remaining almost in my house…”
For the gram marian’s , it be nit pick setance?
Cumgranissalis • Link
Wine and roses, "...had her company with great content and much mutual love..." fade out.
erratta" nit pick setance S/B knit picking sentence. [hit the wrong keys???]
Cumgranissalis • Link
"Think of all those Reubens beauties"
Not for the bashful or modest.
Peter Paul Reuben's paintings
the three graces,
http://gallery.euroweb.hu/html/r/…
and possible other contenders, remember when there was a purchase of paintings for the new digs, and the goods were returned.
Venus at a Mirror, union of earth and water.
Robert Gertz • Link
Jeannine, I'm not suggesting Bess was doing wrong at Brampton while Sam sweated back in London...
Just that Capt. Ferrers and certain other gentlemen may have been attempting to do wrong...(I'm getting periliously close to losing a bet here)
Though I do hope she shows some appreciation for all his work, he being so anxious to please her. And, as I said before, I think she will...She usually does.
Jeannine • Link
Robert--Just having fun with my reply to you above-actually I don't think that Elizabeth was doing ANYTHING wrong at all when away from Sam, although I would bet that her gentlemen callers may have wished she were inclined to as she was quite beautiful.
What is interesting to note--we're all waiting to hear her comments about the house and the renovations--did it occur to anyone that perhaps she was just so glad to get back to see Sam that the house was secondary in her thoughts? Maybe she only had eyes for him????
dirk • Link
Letter from Thomas Beckman to "My Lord" Sandwich
Written from: Tangier
Date: 27 September 1662
Lord Peterborough found, on his return to Tangier, but little progress with the new fortifications. There are many engineers here, but none, except Lord Peterborough himself, really know what fortification is. They have built what they call a "redoubt", but it is more like a Tower for prisoners.
Source:
Bodleian Library
http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/dept/s…