Wednesday 17 December 1662

This morning come Mr. Lee, Wade, and Evett, intending to have gone upon our new design to the Tower today; but it raining, and the work being to be done in the open garden, we put it off to Friday next. And so I to the office doing business, and then dined at home with my poor wife with great content, and so to the office again and made an end of examining the other of Mr. Holland’s books about the Navy, with which I am much contented, and so to other businesses till night at my office, and so home to supper, and after much dear company and talk with my wife, to bed.

6 Annotations

First Reading

Robert Gertz  •  Link

Odd way of phrasing given his praise for Sarah the vengeful snoop yesterday. I wonder if he'd had a change of heart about Sarah's gossip or simply decided while he appreciated the doggedly faithful spying and snooping, Beth's crimes were not serious, even rather touching. Kudos at least for not humiliating our girl with a performance as Captain Queeg, Sam.

"Last month I told you I found the household accounts 6s short, did I not, Mrs. Pepys? Just as they'd been 5s the month before. And three the month before that."

"Thank God for my painstaking accuracy in keeping accounts. It was just like at St. Paul's, when Christmas stole the strawberries...Yes, and only I was clever enough to have counted the strawberries beforehand and noted he was red-lipped on the days when they weren't served in Commons. Oh, yes..."

Uh...Sam?

"And now I have heard tell of a certain sum delivered to your brother...Borrowed of Will Hewer. 50s or so I hear tell."

"Who would have said? I...Sam'l, I did nothing improper. It was only to help..."

"Money taken from me, Mrs. Pepys, earned by the sweat of my brow. Money falsely borrowed from my chief clerk who should not really be able to afford it, actually. Yes, the strawberries all over again..."

"Sam'l, dearest I..."

"Money robbed from us both. Given to your worthless brother and to maintain the pretensions of your fondly foolish father."

"Sam, it was just a little I saved to keep food in their mouths..."

"Foul strumpet! Have ye prayed today Elisabeth? I would not condemn thy immortal soul."

"Sam'l?"

"Ummn...Pepys." An embarassed Coventry, who'd finally managed to make dinner cuts in.

"A bit harsh over such a trivial sum, my young friend."

in Aqua Scripto  •  Link

The Treasure Hunt again? in rain and the ground be cold too.
'...intending to have gone upon our new design to the Tower today; but it raining, and the work being to be done in the open garden, we put it off to Friday next..."

JohnT  •  Link

This treasure hunt moving to the open ground seems doubtful. The Tower of London is big but no Treasure Island. If you were hiding treasure you might be able to get away with putting it in a basement. But somewhere exposed to the elements ? They are beginning to hunt the Snark, not the grail.

jeannine  •  Link

"my POOR wife".... interesting adjective choice and no further description, so it leaves only room for speculation, but with the household staff changes (Sarah and Gosnell no longer there) Sam seems to be spending a little more time at home with Elizabeth, and perhaps (?) seems more understanding of or at least sympathetic towards her. It's nice to see that Gosnell's departure didn't take away any incentive to spend time at home.

dirk  •  Link

John Evelyn's diary today -- also a theatre lover -- actually (considering his wide interests) a character not unlike Sam...

"I saw acted before the King The Law against Lovers."
[Note: By Sir William Davenant, a hotch-potch out of Measure for Measure and Much Ado about Nothing.]

Second Reading

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