Tuesday 21 April 1663

Up betimes and to my office, where first I ruled with red ink my English “Mare Clausum,” which, with the new orthodox title, makes it now very handsome. So to business, and then home to dinner, and after dinner to sit at the office in the afternoon, and thence to my study late, and so home to supper to play a game at cards with my wife, and so to bed. Ashwell plays well at cards, and will teach us to play; I wish it do not lose too much of my time, and put my wife too much upon it.

12 Annotations

First Reading

Robert Gertz  •  Link

"I wish it do not lose too much of my time, and put my wife too much upon it."

One year later...

"That will be all." Pepys nods at a servant to take the tray on the marble table of his fabulous study at the former Montagu estate of Pepysbroke. Lost by the Earl in high-stakes card play, he now living at Brampton with ever-devoted wife and somewhat less-devoted children on the kindness of their cousin Samuel. Despite the Earl's occasional grumbling that he could never have lost honestly to a mere woman.

"Will Mrs. Pepys be at home for dinner, sir?"

"I expect so and you may expect her ravenous. She's playing the King and his Council today and my lionness always likes to gorge herself after a kill." Sam beams.

And to think I didn't want Bess to take up cards, Sam reflects.

jeannine  •  Link

"and put my wife too much upon it"

As the Court of Charles II will be infamous for all of the gambling activity surrounding card games, setting limits will actually be a very wise thing! Over time, some of Charles' mistresses will lose thousands at a sitting and Charles will cover those losses in stride....with money from...who knows what fund (perhaps the Navy from time to time!)

in Aqua Scripto  •  Link

Pepys studied these two volumes of Selden and Grotious epistles after an office discussion of how the lesser sailin' nation should dip [the flag and pay homage to thy ...]like others do for the king and his representation on Land. It started 29 dec '61, and then purchased and read over the next 3 weeks, it appears that he did this so that he could write a treatise for HRH, and thus it be why he buys the upgraded version Seldens work. for the presentation?
He be using the books for justification of dipping thy [feriegn] ensign, to our THE navy, not yet the Navy royal or royal navy or His majesty's Navy, no HMS blank quite yet, yet I'll be sure there be some 'witts' in the rush coated floors of the dripping corridors of power, were already saying."Capt. Seadog of HMS Salt Biscuit"
This period of time was not about democracy,it be just old fashion I'm bigger and stronger than thou rule.

Pauline  •  Link

"...first I ruled with red ink ..."
Any ideas about this?

in Aqua Scripto  •  Link

A guess would be That Samuell is indexing all the important points that be reqired for his dissertation on the subject of when, how, why, who, and the wot of getting thy ferriegn ships to PAY the rite amount of 'omage.

in Aqua Scripto  •  Link

This Famous treatise has been crux of many of the disputes between sailing nations. Who be a pirate or brigand, or law abiding Merchant. It be all about thou not steal except when I Have a bigger cannon than thee. From 16xx to 1914, this Maritime law book will be the basis to argue the toss about "Are the seas open for all or does one pay a fee for going thy way. Open season for highway men or be gentlemen and not interfere and take a share."
The book be so important that thee has to pay top dollar to get peek at the workings of the Naval Lawyers, there be not common mans edition.
The dispute of the High seas still goes on to this very day.

Mary  •  Link

Ruled with red ink

L&M explain that this (extant) copy shows red lines ruled around the edges of the margins and also underneath words of the frontispiece, title-page and preface. These ruled lines and underlinings do not appear at all in the body of the text. Pure embellishment, in other words.

Michael Robinson  •  Link

Ruled with red ink

A not uncommon embellishment for mid/late C 17th. printed Prayer Books, Metrical Psalms and favorite devotional texts, and only found very occasionally in copies of works in other genres. Might Pepys be making a semi-conscious gesture of equivalence to show his "devotion" to this text of Maritime Law?

matthew newton  •  Link

'to my office'
i have a mental image of Sam strolling across a court-yard from his house to the office. Am I wrong? How long would it have taken Sam from door to door?

TerryF  •  Link

matthew newton, there was some indication Mennes claimed front-entry room that had been shared, forcing Penn and Pepys both to exit at the rear and circle round to the front and to the office -- but even IF this were so, for a youth like Sam I'd think 2-3 minutes max. door to door.

Bradford  •  Link

This unwillingness of Sam's to let others have their pleasures too . . . "Dost thou think, because thou art virtuous, there shall be no more cakes and ale?"

Log in to post an annotation.

If you don't have an account, then register here.