Monday 11 April 1664
Lay long talking with my wife, then up and to my chamber preparing papers against my father comes to lie here for discourse about country business. Dined well with my wife at home, being myself not yet thorough well, making water with some pain, but better than I was, and all my fear of an ague gone away.
In the afternoon my father came to see us, and he gone I up to my morning’s work again, and so in the evening a little to the office and to see Sir W. Batten, who is ill again, and so home to supper and to bed.
10 Annotations
First Reading
Todd Bernhardt • Link
No Monday meeting with the Duke? I wonder if it was because Sam's still not feeling himself, or if the Duke had gone away for the Easter holiday?
cape henry • Link
Sam and the Duke had a rather detailed conversation a few days back, TB, but it also may well be that your surmise about the holiday is a part of it. And, too, the walk to the Duke's might have been more than he wanted to undertake.
I'm curious about the idea of his father coming to "lie" for the "discourse" mentioned, but who appears to stay only a while in the afternoon. Wonder if this short entry could have been begun at one time and finished another?
Ruben • Link
"he gone I up to my morning's work again"
May I read this as "he gone, I went up to the third floor, where my office, to my morning's work again"...
djc • Link
preparing papers against [when] my father comes, to lie here for discourse about country business
comma may help, laying papers out on a table ready for a meeting?
cape henry • Link
The comma indeed helps, djc - thanks.
cumsalisgrano • Link
Batten : What a time to take sick when he has leave from attending The House of Commons,
JWB • Link
Pop had a painful hernia. He may have literally come to lie for discourse; then again, he may have intended to stay overnight.
Mary • Link
"against my father comes to lie here..."
The straightforward reading of this is that Sam prepares papers in anticipation of his father's staying in the house so that the two men may discuss affairs at Brampton etc. Papa has not stayed overnight today, but probably plans to do so in the near future.
Robert Gertz • Link
"Lay long talking with my wife..."
Ok, now he's just playing with us. Come on, Sam...
"So, Bess...What fantasy sexual adventure should I write in the Diary this week to jerk my future readers around?"
"Hmmn...Well, not that fat Betty Lane and the chair again. Tis getting dull...Ummn... What about that Molly Bagwell? That bit we wrote last time was tantalizing..."
"Bess? The lady's devoted to her little William."
"All the more intriquing..." grin. "It's not like she's ever gonna read this...Just some voyeurs in the distant future. Hey, I want my boy to have a rep...Like Raoul." Lick of lips at the name...
"You and those novels... People may wind up believing some of this nonsense about me and my exploits you know...Never realizing it's all the early morning doodling of a half-French would-be lady novelist. And me just an dutiful, extremely able, conscientious, if dull, naval administrator. Why can't we do more about you and Sandwich or..."
"Please you can't even say the name without getting red...Pembleton, that dolt. Besides, it's easier for me to envision you running around."
"Thank ye."
"Don't mention it."
Second Reading
San Diego Sarah • Link
We know on April 5 Batten was given a Leave of Absence by the House of Commons to work for the Duke of York for 3 weeks on an unspecified project ... I bet Pepys wanted to know what was going on. Maybe offer to help if Batten was really ill.