Tuesday 1 September 1663
Up pretty betimes, and after a little at my viall to my office, where we sat all the morning, and I got my bill among others for my carved work (which I expected to have paid for myself) signed at the table, and hope to get the money back again, though if the rest had not got it paid by the King, I never intended nor did desire to have him pay for my vanity.
In the evening my brother John coming to me to complain that my wife seems to be discontented at his being here, and shows him great disrespect; so I took and walked with him in the garden, and discoursed long with him about my affairs, and how imprudent it is for my father and mother and him to take exceptions without great cause at my wife, considering how much it concerns them to keep her their friend and for my peace; not that I would ever be led by her to forget or desert them in the main, but yet she deserves to be pleased and complied with a little, considering the manner of life that I keep her to, and how convenient it were for me to have Brampton for her to be sent to when I have a mind or occasion to go abroad to Portsmouth or elsewhere. So directed him how to behave himself to her, and gave him other counsel; and so to my office, where late.
18 Annotations
First Reading
TerryF • Link
L&M include clauses omitted by Wheatley -
"when I have a mind or occasion to go abroad to Portsmouth or elsewhere about pleasure or business, when it will not be safe for me to leave her alone.".
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Wheatley's omission this day, like those of the last few, does not seem to be clearly bowdlerizing; but isn't this juicy!
Joe • Link
"...and for my peace"
I love how this phrase is so short, as though mumbled or spoken quickly and softly.
Robert Gertz • Link
"...though if the rest had not got it paid by the King, I never intended nor did desire to have him pay for my vanity..."
But...As long as everybody's doing it.
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"...considering the manner of life that I keep her to..."
Hmmn?
The crack of the whip as drudge Bess slinks to her chores...
"You slunk very gracefully, wretch." Sam calls. "Oh, thank ye, milord."
"But too much spirit in your step!...Cut her gruel ration by half a bowl, Hewer!!"
***
"...and how convenient it were for me to have Brampton for her to be sent to when I have a mind or occasion to go abroad to Portsmouth or elsewhere."
"I mean, brother John...Half French."
They eye Bess as she strolls by...
"I see your point, brother Sam." John nods. Continuing to eye Bess as she turns to bestow a slight, wry smile.
"Yes...Well, John. John?"
"Hmmn?" Still eyeing where Bess had passed through a door.
Hmmn...Time for my brother to catch the first carriage back to his studies, me thinks...Sam notes to himself grimly.
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Robert Gertz • Link
"...how imprudent it is for my father and mother and him to take exceptions without great cause at my wife, considering how much it concerns them to keep her their friend..."
Imprudent? John stares. Concerns us to keep her our...Friend?
But we are your flesh and blood, Sam'l.
Mental vision of scales-John, John Jr.,Tom, Margaret, Pall on the left...Bess with winsome, gently appealing look on the right.
Loud plop to right...
Slight, wry smile from a passing Bess in new dress.
Jesse • Link
"So directed him how to behave himself"
Quite so. While I tend to agree that brother John does "not do any great credit to his elder" http://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclo… (and I hope this quote isn't from someone "who became a Nazi" http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1… , it's interesting how Pepys establishes his pecking order if you will, placing blood (including parents) rather (justifiably?) close to the bottom treating them almost like children. Would this be the norm when the mix includes ambition and (rising) social class or an exception in that day and age?
TerryF • Link
"In the evening...it will not be safe for me to leave her alone."
The main sentence of this day's entry, 180 words long, encompasses the family Pepys's politics and its economics - the subtext being - "humor Elizabeth, for the sake of the family's welfare, since it all depends on me, and do that" - and the phrase Joe so rightly highlight, "for my peace"...
Aqua • Link
Lots of protocol and the understanding of pecking order and who commands the coin of realm : [John who pays thy Tab.]
Nice insight into the perks of Office."...Then and I got my bill among others for my carved work (which I expected to have paid for myself) signed at the table, and hope to get the money back again, though if the rest had not got it paid by the King, I never intended nor did desire to have him pay for my vanity..."
Oh! how we love those rewards from a job well done.
George R • Link
Sam seems to have run up against the perrenial in-law problem, where the families must be considered but Spouse must be number one. But how to convince them? Methinks the gentle but firm approach is being taken.
Bradford • Link
"when I have a mind or occasion to go abroad to Portsmouth or elsewhere about pleasure or business, when it will not be safe for me to leave her alone."
Chorus of Whispering Voices: (Offstage)
" . . . Pembleton, Pembleton, Pembleton . . . "
Australian Susan • Link
"not be safe for me to leave her alone"
Never seems to occur to him that Brampton might not be safe?
So where was Pembleton for all those weeks when he did not turn up at church?
serafina • Link
OK, so what have I missed here... what/how exactly has Bess been upsetting the family? I had thought her quarrels were directed at her companion, not at the family.
Second Reading
Terry Foreman • Link
Bill for the joiners work at Pepys lodgings submitted this day was £21 15s 4d; his colleagues' bills are probably those for £55 spent on the Navy Office in July and other bills on the National Archives. Pepys had paid 40s. to joiners 25 August. Penn seems to have been the first to propose they get their work paid for by the King: http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
(Per L&M footnote)
Terry Foreman • Link
More text omitted by the Gutenberg edition (by Minors Bright. ergo Wheatley?)
"At noon to the Exchange, where among many merchants abut provisions for the navy; and so home to dinner, where I met Mr. Hunt, his wife and child, and dined with us very merry. And after dinner I to my office with Captain Hickes, who brought my wife some shells, very pretty. He gives me great informacion against the officers and men at Deptford; I find him a talking fellow, but believe much of what he says is true." (L&M)
Terry Foreman • Link
" Captain Hickes, who brought my wife some shells, very pretty."
On 9 September Hicks wrote to Pepys promising to ' plunder abroad for more rarities' to share with Pepys' wife. The letter is in the National Archives. (L&M note)
San Diego Sarah • Link
The Navy owns the property, and Pepys authorized something special done to a prominent fixture, like a fireplace or staircase ... it's not as if he authorized some removable statue. By having all these renovations done at the same time, the Navy saved money. So I judge his discomfort to be a sign Pepys does not yet feeling completely comfortable in his elevated status on a par with these old Admirals, much as he might fancy those fashionable hats and periwigs ... It's a matter of self-esteem.
San Diego Sarah • Link
I wonder what Capt. William Hickes wants. He's going to a lot of trouble to butter Sam up for something.
Terry Foreman • Link
"I wonder what Capt. William Hickes wants. He's going to a lot of trouble to butter Sam up for something."
Further and more munificent employment? Hicks -- perhaps now Captain of the ship Flying Greyhound, lent to Pepys, Batten and Penn as a privateer --, would have been an employee of the Navy Board combine who sent her out and rewarded her officers and crew.
Third Reading
Ruslan • Link
A little more context.
Australian Susan: "So where was Pembleton for all those weeks when he did not turn up at church?"
Pembleton, the dancing-master, made Pepys very jealous...
https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…
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More text omitted by the Gutenberg edition: "At noon to the Exchange, where among many merchants abut provisions for the navy; and so home to dinner, where I met Mr. Hunt, his wife and child, and dined with us very merry. And after dinner I to my office with Captain Hickes, who brought my wife some shells, very pretty..."
Capt. William Hickes: https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…