Friday 4 September 1663

Up betimes, and an hour at my viall, and then abroad by water to White Hall and Westminster Hall, and there bought the first newes-books of L’Estrange’s writing; he beginning this week; and makes, methinks, but a simple beginning. Then to speak to Mrs. Lane, who seems desirous to have me come to see her and to have her company as I had a little while ago, which methinks if she were very modest, considering how I tumbled her and tost her, she should not.

Thence to Mrs. Harper, and sent for Creed , and there Mrs. Harper sent for a maid for me to come to live with my wife. I like the maid’s looks well enough, and I believe may do well, she looking very modestly and speaking so too. I directed her to speak with my wife, and so Creed and I away to Mr. Povy’s, and he not being at home, walked to Lincoln’s Inn walks, which they are making very fine, and about one o’clock went back to Povy’s; and by and by in comes he, and so we sat and down to dinner, and his lady, whom I never saw before (a handsome old woman that brought him money that makes him do as he does), and so we had plenty of meat and drink, though I drunk no wine, though mightily urged to it, and in the exact manner that I never saw in my life any where, and he the most full and satisfied in it that man can be in this world with any thing.

After dinner done, to see his new cellars, which he has made so fine with so noble an arch and such contrivances for his barrels and bottles, and in a room next to it such a grotto and fountayne, which in summer will be so pleasant as nothing in the world can be almost.

But to see how he himself do pride himself too much in it, and command and expect to have all admiration, though indeed everything do highly deserve it, is a little troublesome.

Thence Creed and I away, and by his importunity away by coach to Bartholomew Fayre, where I have no mind to go without my wife, and therefore rode through the fayre without ’lighting, and away home, leaving him there; and at home made my wife get herself presently ready, and so carried her by coach to the fayre, and showed her the monkeys dancing on the ropes, which was strange, but such dirty sport that I was not pleased with it. There was also a horse with hoofs like rams hornes, a goose with four feet, and a cock with three. Thence to another place, and saw some German Clocke works, the Salutation of the Virgin Mary, and several Scriptural stories; but above all there was at last represented the sea, with Neptune, Venus, mermaids, and Ayrid on a dolphin, the sea rocking, so well done, that had it been in a gaudy manner and place, and at a little distance, it had been admirable.

Thence home by coach with my wife, and I awhile to the office, and so to supper and to bed. This day I read a Proclamation for calling in and commanding every body to apprehend my Lord Bristoll.

38 Annotations

First Reading

TerryF  •  Link

"Ayrid on a dolphin"

L&M transcribe this as "Cupid on a Dolphin" but note that "Cupid" should be Arion, legendary poet and musician, whose song, before he hurled himself into the sea to escape execution by rivals, charmed a dolphin to let him ride it to safety. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arion

Bradford  •  Link

Lay your bets, lay your bets now, on when we shall next meet with Mrs. Lane.

Aqua  •  Link

"...such contrivances for his barrels and bottles..." The bottles must be stoppered surely , but how?

dirk  •  Link

Sam's previous visit to Povy's wine cellar: "he bid me go down into his wine-cellar, where upon several shelves there stood bottles of all sorts of wine".
http://www.pepysdiary.com/archive…

From mere "shelves" on 19 January to "so fine with so noble an arch and such contrivances for his barrels and bottles" today... I wonder what these contrivances looked like.

dirk  •  Link

The bottles must be stoppered surely , but how?

"The 17th. and 18th. Century bottles were known as "shaft and globe" or "onion" because of the shape of the body and neck and these were stoppered with a tapered cork bound with wax linen. They stood upright on the shelf."
http://www.bacchus-antiques.com/h…

From: http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…

dirk  •  Link

"Historic Jamestowne Archaeologists Discover 300-Year-Old Wine Cellar" (4 August 2004)

This cellar contained only a mere * 30 * bottles...
http://www.apva.org/pressroom/pre…

TerryF  •  Link

"the monkeys dancing on the ropes"

Swift puts this common fayre attraction to good use in *Gulliver's Travels*, "Voyage to Lilliput"

"In relating these and the following laws, I would only be understood to mean the original institutions, and not the most scandalous corruptions, into which these people are fallen by the degenerate nature of man. For, as to that infamous practice of acquiring great employments by dancing on the ropes, or badges of favour and distinction by leaping over sticks and creeping under them, the reader is to observe, that they were first introduced by the grandfather of the emperor now reigning, and grew to the present height by the gradual increase of party and faction." http://xahlee.org/p/Gullivers_Tra…

Methinks Pepys saw it aright, in reporting that the show "was strange, but such dirty sport that I was not pleased with it."

Robert Gertz  •  Link

"Then to speak to Mrs. Lane, who seems desirous to have me come to see her and to have her company as I had a little while ago, which methinks if she were very modest, considering how I tumbled her and tost her, she should not."

Not quite as fun as "not as good as she should be" but hilarious in its way. Indeed, Sam, I too am shocked, shocked at this woman's licentiousness. Why it's as if she doesn't know Bess is home and her services are no longer required.

Australian Susan  •  Link

"expect to have all admiration"

Oh, yes! haven't we all been there - forced to admire (and listen to *all* the details)of someone's home improvements. Groan.

"a horse with hoofs like rams hornes"

The poor creature. This happens if you leave a horse (or a donkey) on something soft and don't attend to their feet. They can only hobble and gradually sit more and more back on their hoofs till the fetlocks scrape on the ground. Still 300 years till the RSPCA comes into being (originally founded to improve the lot of cab horses; the children's story - Black Beauty - was written to highlight this work and all proceeds went to the RSPCA)

TerryF  •  Link

This day an APB for George Digby, aka the Earl of Bristol

11 August - "This day I am told that my Lord Bristoll hath warrants issued out against him, to have carried him to the Tower; but he is fled away, or hid himself."
http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…

Aqua  •  Link

Small monkeys have habits that shock virgin maiden ladies, a memory [Preteen] of Regents Park Zoo with a group of preteen girls, where we all got a lesson in biology and laws of cohabitation. "...showed her the monkeys dancing on the ropes, which was strange, but such dirty sport that I was not pleased with it..."

Aqua  •  Link

Interregnum enjoyed a freedom of informtion, now back to censure and seditious laws, must learn again to write and speak in riddles."...there bought the first newes-books of L’Estrange’s writing..."
I wonder if this was the beginning of rhyming Cockney slang, to fool the over zealous ears.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

"Sammm'l...Thought you'd never get home..."

"Mrs. Pepys? What the devil are you doing with those ropes...? And where are your..."

"Wanna go dancin', my always hoppin' monkey?" grin...

Knock at the door some time later.

"Hewer?" a rather weary-looking Sam at the door...

"Sir, that Mrs. Lane from Whitehall sent a boy with a note...Wanted to know if you'd be needing any linen? She's got something special in, just for you if you'd care to stop by. Shall I tell her boy you'd be coming tomorrow?"

"Uh..."

"Sammmmuelll...."

"Uh, no, no, Hewer. You can tell Mrs. Lane I don't think I'll be needing her...Linens for quite some time."

***

Robert Gertz  •  Link

Closes door...

"By the way, Bess? Where the devil is my viall? I know I left it here by the bed this morning when I did my 3am hour's practice."

"Yeah..." slight grimace, followed by sweetly seductive smile as Sam looks up from where he's bending under bed. "I haven't the slightest idea, darling. Now come on back here..."

Cut to shot of monkeys at Bartholomew Fair smashing viall on each other.

MissAnn  •  Link

Well done Robert, as usual. I can see so clearly the situation you ellude to.

Poor Betty Lane - used and dumped. Somethings never change.

Loved the sites for "And so to bed" - wonderful to know that Keith Michell made his musical debut in that show (one of our favourite sons here in Aus., Hugh Jackman is not our only multi-talented lad); people just don't name their sons Vivien any more, maybe it will make a comeback as so many of the old names have.

The site for Bartholomew Fair that was cited the other day was wonderful, I spent what seemed like hours reading it. Pity it took so long for animals to be treasured for what they are and not what they can be coerced to do. All power to the RSPCA and other like organisations.

Pedro  •  Link

The Law of the Land.

"At this time the army was as much a part of the accepted Royal Prerogative as the King's Household...by operating under the prerogative law the army formed itself into a separate class outside of the known law of the land, undermining the authority of the Lords and the Commons.

With such a diversity of opinion, a compromise had to be reached. On the 4th September 1663 Sir Orlando Bridgeman wrote to Clarendon concerning two army officers that had resisted the civil power when accused of felony, claiming that it had no power to arrest them. Bridgeman, always an advocate of the dominance of common law, remarked that such a principle would be very damaging to the King."

(Childs...The Army of Charles II)

J A Gioia  •  Link

...which was strange, but such dirty sport that I was not pleased with it.

i, like squire aqua, was wondering if the 'entertainment' here was just to watch what monkies are pleased to do in public without shame, maybe even dressed in, ahem, upper-class costume?

far more edifying are the clockwork displays of the annunciation, and vision of neptune.

Bradford  •  Link

Do other echo Pepys's critique of Povy after Sam tells them tales of his Perpetual Renovations?

Aqua  •  Link

Ideal Situations, after being the Male of the species having young nubile slave [sleppers anyone], an Old codger having the most desirable lass in the realm, in ones collection, is to have a most grateful lass with money to burn. [Beauty is not always skin deep?]
"...whom I never saw before (a handsome old woman that brought him money that makes him do as he does), ..."
Age old problem, not to see thyself as others see thee thou thru their filter'd specks.

TerryF  •  Link

"I wonder if this was the beginning of rhyming Cockney slang" asks the Water One.

The National Geographic site says "The origins of the Cockneys' distinctive rhyming slang date back to the 15th century, though it's thought to have really taken hold in the 1800s, when street traders and criminals developed it as a means of covert communication to conceal illicit practices." http://news.nationalgeographic.co…

Michael Robinson  •  Link

"to see how he himself do pride himself ... though indeed everything do highly deserve it is a little troublesome."

A note of self awarenes, perhaps; or the Puritan conscience of the adolescent Pepys reasserting itself.

Roger  •  Link

'Up betimes, and an hour at my viall,'

'Jeez, it's that Pepys bloke practicing again......' My neighbour is learning to play, er, 'percussion', but not at daybreak! Was this sort of thing common?

Joe  •  Link

"and in a room next to it such a grotto and fountayne, which in summer will be so pleasant as nothing in the world can be almost"

...if you're a toad (S. Johnson)

dirk  •  Link

Today Lord & Lady Fanshawe arrived back in England from Portugal

"Upon the 19th of August my husband and I took our leaves of the Queen-Mother, at her house ... Upon the 20th, my husband took his leave of Don Pedro, his Majesty's brother ... On the 23rd of August 1663, we, accompanied by many persons of all sorts, went on board the King of England's frigate, called the Reserve, commanded by Captain Holmes, where, as soon as I was on board, the Conde de Castel Melhor sent me a very great and noble present, a part of which was the finest case of waters that ever I saw, being made of Brazil wood, garnished with silver, the bottles of crystal, garnished with the same, and filled with rich amber-water.

On ... August 25th, 1663,we set sail for England. On the 4th of September, our style, being Friday, we landed at Deal, all in good health, God be praised."

From the same source, a lovely description of Lisbon:

"Lisbon with the river is the goodliest situation that ever I saw; the city old and decayed; but they are making new walls of stone, which will contain six times their city. Their churches and chapels are the best built, the finest adorned, and the cleanliest kept, of any churches in the world. The people delight much in quintas, which are a sort of country houses, of which there are abundance within a few leagues of the city, and those that belong to the nobility are very fine, both houses and gardens. The nation is generally very civil and obliging. In religion divided, between Papists and Jews. The people generally not handsome."

From:
"Memoirs of Lady Fanshawe"
http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/ete…

Australian Susan  •  Link

Lady Fanshawe's writings are amazing - you forget what a long time ago she was writing.

dirk  •  Link

"the monkeys dancing on the ropes, which was strange, but such dirty sport that I was not pleased with it"

Just a thought: maybe this is not what we think it is! At the time there was a common form of entertainment, where a monkey was tied to a pole with a rope that gave him some freedom to move, but not too much. Subsequently stones were thrown at the monkey, and the animal had to use all its agility and wits to avoid them (some apparently became quite good at it), or -- in some cases even catch them in flight and throw them back at the "players". The first one to score a hit on the monkey could win a prize...

Might this explain the "dirty sport" Sam is referring to?

Australian Susan  •  Link

Good point, dirk. Maybe also the monkeys learnt to throw excrement back at their tormentors (I have had that happen to me from chimps)(not that I was tormenting the chimp - just looking at it) - this would certainly be dirty too. Do we have evidence that Sam used the adjective dirty in the scatalogical sense that we do( "having a dirty mind") ?? I know Sam has used the adjective in connection with bedding, when we would say unwashed or unclean, and with roads when muddy.

Aqua  •  Link

Some OED: dirt/dirty for the enquiring mind
metathesis from ME. drit, not known in OE. and prob. a. ON. drit neuter, excrement (mod. Icel. dritr masc., Norw. dritt); cf. also MDu. drete, Du. dreet, Fl. drits, drets excrement: see DRITE v.]
1. Ordure; = EXCREMENT 2b.
a1300 Cokaygne 179 in E.E.P. (1862) 161 Seue If durt enough be thrown, some will stick.

1590 SPENSER F.Q. II. vi. 41 All his armour sprinckled was with blood, And soyld with durtie gore.
1621 BURTON Anat. Mel. I. ii. III. x. (1651) 106 Taking up some of the durty slime.
2. a. Morally unclean or impure; ‘smutty’. Spec. dirty book, a pornographic book; so dirty bookshop; dirty joke, story, a ‘smutty’ joke or story; dirty weekend, a sexually illicit weekend.
1599 SANDYS Europæ Spec. (1632) 20 No such blaspheming nor dyrtie speaking as before.
1637 B. JONSON Sad Sheph. II. i, Foul limmer, dritty lown!
b. That stains the honour of the persons engaged; dishonourably sordid, base, mean, or corrupt; despicable. Colloq. phr. dirty work at the crossroads.
c. Earned by base or despicable means.
3. An epithet of disgust or aversion: repulsive, hateful, abominable, despicable.
1611 SHAKES. Cymb. III. vi. 55 Those Who worship durty Gods. 1618 BP. HALL Serm. v. 111 To scorn this base and..dirty god of this world, and to aspire unto the true riches
4. Of the weather: Foul, muddy; at sea, wet and squally, bad.
1660 JER. TAYLOR Duct. Dubit. II. 168 (L.) When this snow is dissolved, a great deal of dirty weather will follow.
5. a. Of colour: Tinged with what destroys purity or clearness; inclining to black, brown, or dark grey.
1665 HOOKE Microgr. 74 The fouler the tincture be, the more dirty will the Red appear
b. Prefixed, as a qualification, to adjectives of colour. (Usually hyphened with the adj. when the latter is used attributively.) 1694
1663 KILLIGREW Parson's Wed. in Dodsl. O. Pl. (1780) XI. 392 She looks like a dirty-soul'd bawd.
Verb 1. a. trans. To make dirty or unclean; to defile or pollute with dirt; to soil. Also fig. (sometimes const. up).
1591
1672-3 MARVELL Reh. Transp. I. 212 The passage..being so dirtyed with the Nonconformists thumbs.
fig. a1661 FULLER Worthies, London (R.), He rather soyled his fingers, then dirtied his hands in the matter of the Holy Maid of Kent

Michael Robinson  •  Link

" ... there bought the first newes-books of L’Estrange’s writing; he beginning this week; and makes, methinks, but a simple beginning. ..."

Per L&M footnote:

The production of government newspapers was now taken over by Roger L’Estrange ( http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/S…'Estrange ) from Henry Muddiman ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henr… ). The ‘Intelligencer' appeared on Mondays, beginning on 31 August, and ‘The Newes’ (sic) on Thursdays, beginning on 3 September. The titles were new. The first number of ‘The Intelligencer' (to which Pepys presumably refers) was published at ½ d. and contained little more than a prospectus about the danger of publishing any news at all, and a few random items of foreign intelligence. There was only one small piece of home news.

*Spoiler* It ran till 29 January 1666. …”

Second Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"Povy’s...lady, whom I never saw before (a handsome old woman that brought him money that makes him do as he does)"

She was Mary, daughter of John Adderly and widow of John Agard of King's Bromley, Staffordshire. Povey had married her in 1657. (L&M footnote)

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"a Proclamation for calling in and commanding every body to apprehend my Lord Bristoll."

Dated 25 August. (Per L&M footnote)

Bill  •  Link

"a Proclamation for calling in and commanding every body to apprehend my Lord Bristoll."

Dated 25th August, 1663. A copy of it is in the British Museum.
---Diary and correspondence of Samuel Pepys, the diary deciphered by J. Smith. 1854.

Bill  •  Link

“Ayrid on a dolphin”

Harry Goldingham represented "Arion on a dolphin's back " in the pageantry exhibited at Kenilworth in honour of Queen Elizabeth (see Thoms's "Anecdotes and Traditions," 1839, p. 28).
---Wheatley, 1893.

Where, like Arion on the dolphin's back,
I saw him hold acquaintance with the waves
So long as I could see.
---Twelfth Night. W, Shakespeare.

Arion was a legendary kitharode in ancient Greece, a Dionysiac poet credited with inventing the dithyramb. The islanders of Lesbos claimed him as their native son, but Arion found a patron in Periander, tyrant of Corinth. Although notable for his musical inventions, Arion is chiefly remembered for the fantastic myth of his kidnapping by pirates and miraculous rescue by dolphins, a folktale motif.
---Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository. (With images)
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wik…

Louise Hudson  •  Link

"Mrs. Harper sent for a maid for me to come to live with my wife. I like the maid’s looks well enough, and I believe may do well,"

Glad to see she measures up to his exacting standard for a maid. I wonder if she has any other qualifications. Would it matter to Sam?

Chris Squire UK  •  Link

Re: ‘ . . so we had plenty of meat and drink .. . and in the exact manner that I never saw in my life any where . . ’

‘exact, adj.1 < Latin . .
I. Perfected, consummate, ‘finished’.
1. Of qualities, conditions, attainments, etc.: Consummate, finished, refined, perfect. Rarely in bad sense. Obs.
. . a1659 F. Osborne QueriesEpist. (1673) S s iv b, The imployment of Children in their exactest Innocencie, being to make Houses and raise Pies of Dirt.
1661 R. Lovell Πανζωορυκτολογια Isagoge sig. B2v, The hearing is most exact in the hare . . '

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