Sunday 3 January 1663/64
(Lord’s day). Lay long in bed, and then rose and with a fire in my chamber staid within all day, looking over and settling my accounts in good order, by examining all my books, and the kitchen books, and I find that though the proper profit of my last year was but 305l., yet I did by other gain make it up 444l., which in every part of it was unforeseen of me, and therefore it was a strange oversight for lack of examining my expenses that I should spend 690l. this year, but for the time to come I have so distinctly settled all my accounts in writing and the particulars of all my several layings out, that I do hope I shall hereafter make a better judgment of my spendings than ever. I dined with my wife in her chamber, she in bed, and then down again and till 11 at night, and broke up and to bed with great content, but could not make an end of writing over my vows as I purposed, but I am agreed in every thing how to order myself for the year to come, which I trust in God will be much for my good. So up to prayers and to bed.
This evening Sir W. Pen came to invite me against next Wednesday, being Twelfth day, to his usual feast, his wedding day.
15 Annotations
First Reading
Robert Gertz • Link
"Proper profit?" Lets see...350L per annum unless Coventry's awarded him a generous raise minus 100Ls to Mr. Barlow who presumably still annoyingly clings to life else we'd've have a muted but ecstatic mention in some entry...That leaves 250Ls honorably earned in the King's service. Where's the 55L, let alone the 444 presumably not so honorably earned. ("other gain"...Don't you love it?)
Also, if he's spent 690L how the heck did he end up with 800L in ye piggy bank?
"Oh...Well, that was from my pimping Bess out to Lord Sandwich. Did I fail to mention that in my Diary?"
Ruben • Link
all my books, and the kitchen books
?
My books: Where Samuel wrote
Kitchen books: where the Lady of the House wrote?
Ruben • Link
"I dined with my wife in her chamber, she in bed"
Did they sleep in different rooms? Did they have a common bedroom and one more bed in their own chamber?
Mary • Link
"could not make an end of writing over my vows.."
Does this imply that Sam draws up a whole series of vows for conduct during the coming year, not just the vows about play-going that we have been given sight of? Those (at least, as drafted in yesterday's entry) would not appear to take a great deal of time in the writing.
It would be good to know what his other undertakings are. Obligations to family, perhaps? Treatment of his wife? Policy towards gratuities and 'gifts'? Conduct of office politics?
Rob • Link
"my books" & "kitchen books" refers to the accounts....eg a record of all the household expenses.
JonTom Kittredge • Link
"...not just the vows about play-going?"
Mary, as I recall, Pepys has mentioned that vows that apply to drink. I think they require him to avoid "strong drink," i.e. distilled liquor.
assem illum custodi • Link
"...that I do hope I shall hereafter make a better judgment of my spendings than ever..."
Sam keeps notes on all of his fiscal transctions , [public and private ] showing the disposition of his hoard on his little quarto of papyrus rushes, then at the end of the quarter, checks his figures. He would be a most successful CFO. for any organisation.
Why should he bother? well there be seven places of accomadation that would help him satisfiy his creditors with their pound of flesh,if he failed to have the ever ready on the day of tally.
Strange that very few people show a keenness to spend less than that have.
Pedro • Link
From the Carte Papers...
W. Coventry to Ormond Date: 3 January 1664
Shelfmark: MS. Carte 47, fol(s). 416
Document type: Holograph
Mr John Tempest, bearer of this letter, is recommended, by Sir John Lawson, as a very fit person to be sent to Bristol to assist in choice of pressed men.
Second Reading
Terry Foreman • Link
The 'proper profit' would be from official fees. (Per L&M footnote)
Terry Foreman • Link
Diary of Ralph Josselin
Jan: 3. After two brown days, wherein the sun shone somewhat this day very calm clear sunshine, and frost, my dear wife abroad with me for which mercy my heart rejoices in god, Lord continue thy kindness to us, god good in the word, his presence with me therein, the quakers meetings are in great place disturbed driven from thence, and other meetings of the nonconformists much omitted. god good to me in my liberty. read the German prophesies in a book styled Lux in tenebris.
John Amos Comenius, was the last bishop of Unity of the Brethren, religious refugee, educator and author. In his Lux in tenebris he published the visions of Christopher Kotterus, Mikuláš Drabík (lat. Nicolaus Drabicius) and Christina Poniatowska. Attempting to interpret the book of Revelation, he promised the millennium in 1672, and guaranteed miraculous assistance to those who would undertake the destruction of the Pope and the house of Austria, even venturing to prophesy that Oliver Cromwell, Gustavus Adolphus, and George I Rákóczi, prince of Transylvania, would perform the task. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joh…
San Diego Sarah • Link
In 2007 Ruben asked: "Did they sleep in different rooms? Did they have a common bedroom and one more bed in their own chamber?"
In 1663/64 Elizabeth and Sam have their own rooms, with double beds in both. When Elizabeth had a companion, the companion had Elizabeth's room. From time to time they had a male guest stay over, and Sam and the male visitor stayed in his room. In those cases Elizabeth slept with her companion. Recently Elizabeth seems to be staying in her bed a lot to keep warm, while recovering from her ulcer and tooth ache.
I recall Sam in 1662 being very proud that he had a "guest bed" available. It was a sign of status.
An improvement in 1663 was the addition of a closett (office/personal room) for Elizabeth. I don't know where that was.
The three maids also have one bedroom on this floor. And when Will Hewer lived with them, there was a room for him downstairs. He had a room upstairs for a while, which upset the maids. Where that was, I don't know ... a garrett?
In "Sunday Lunch with Mr. and Mrs. Pepys" http://www.pepysdiary.com/indepth… Sue Nicholson gives a tour of Pepys' house (after the Great Fire of 1666) while they wait for Sunday dinner. You'll find it a delightful way to imagine their home.
San Diego Sarah • Link
"This evening Sir W. Pen came to invite me against next Wednesday, being Twelfth day, to his usual feast, his wedding day." Ah, caught Pepys in a mistake! It's not The Penn's wedding anniversary.
From our own encyclopedia: http://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclo…
"On 6 June 1643 William Penn married Margaret Jasper, a daughter of a wealthy Dutch merchant from Rotterdam. They had three children: Margaret (Pegg, who married Anthony Lowther), Richard and William."
San Diego Sarah • Link
It occurs to me that Elizabeth's closett probably was in Will Hewer's old room. So there were four possible bedrooms on that floor.
Louise Hudson • Link
"Lay long in bed, and then rose and with a fire in my chamber . . ."
I thought for a moment he was going to say "with a fire in my loins." As Emily Latella would say, in another century, "That's very different. Never mind."
San Diego Sarah • Link
When I was little we had a newly-designed fireplace that threw the heat out into the living room instead of letting it mostly go up the chimney. In the winter my mother always put my school clothes in front of the fire so they would be warm to put on, instead of damp (like everything is in England in the winter before central heating -- which many buildings were not designed for). A nice memory, especially hearing Pepys liked to do that too.