Friday 15 April 1664

Up and all the morning with Captain Taylor at my house talking about things of the Navy, and among other things I showed him my letters to Mr. Coventry, wherein he acknowledges that nobody to this day did ever understand so much as I have done, and I believe him, for I perceive he did very much listen to every article as things new to him, and is contented to abide by my opinion therein in his great contest with us about his and Mr. Wood’s masts. At noon to the ’Change, where I met with Mr. Hill, the little merchant, with whom, I perceive, I shall contract a musical acquaintance; but I will make it as little troublesome as I can.

Home and dined, and then with my wife by coach to the Duke’s house, and there saw “The German Princess” acted, by the woman herself; but never was any thing so well done in earnest, worse performed in jest upon the stage; and indeed the whole play, abating the drollery of him that acts her husband, is very simple, unless here and there a witty sprinkle or two. We met and sat by Dr. Clerke. Thence homewards, calling at Madam Turner’s, and thence set my wife down at my aunt Wight’s and I to my office till late, and then at 10 at night fetched her home, and so again to my office a little, and then to supper and to bed.

13 Annotations

First Reading

Bergie  •  Link

Ooh, me first in the annotation parade! All the other Americans must be working on their taxes.

Well, get on with it, then - Right. Here we go. "To at night" is a scanning error for "10 at night," I presume?

jeannine  •  Link

Bergie --You are correct-probably on both counts--the taxes, and the scanning error! As you said it should be "10 at night"

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

"where I met with Mr. Hill, the little merchant, with whom, I perceive, I shall contract a musical acquaintance; but I will make it as little troublesome as I can"

Sure, man, I'm up for jamming occasionally, but my life is just too busy to be in a band right now, you know?

Robert Gertz  •  Link

"..."The German Princess" acted, by the woman herself; but never was any thing so well done in earnest, worse performed in jest upon the stage..."

I'm assuming Sam means the true story of Mary Moders' attempting to pass herself off as the "Princess" was far more hilarious than the (her own) stage performance.

Pity, acting would seem a natural career for this lady. And spared her a grim fate as noted in the link.

Andrew Hamilton  •  Link

And spared her a grim fate as noted in the link.

Maybe acting would have spared her, but she sounds too opportunistic to have stayed long on the right side of the law:

"The rest of her life was one continued course of robbery and fraud, and in 1678 she was executed at Tyburn for stealing a piece of plate in Chancery Lane."

(See link)

Glyn  •  Link

Sorry to out him, but by vocation Todd Bernhardt is a drummer.

Rex Gordon  •  Link

The little merchant, Thomas Hill ...

Sam and Thomas Hill remained friends until Hill's death in 1675. Partly at Hill's recommendation, Sam took into his household in 1675 an accomplished musician named Cesare Morelli. It was not the right time to have Catholic musicians in your household, however, and Morelli was, in Claire Tomalin's phrase, "a risky luxury." The relationship caused Sam some difficulties during the time he was under attack by the Shaftesbury faction in Parliament.

Clement  •  Link

"...he acknowledges that nobody to this day did ever understand so much as I have done, and I believe him..."

Bravely facing forward is our man when looking down the loaded barrel of flattery.

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

"a drummer"

i.e., a deaf guy who hangs out with musicians (figured I'd beat other wags to the punch...)

cumsalisgrano  •  Link

"...I shall contract a musical acquaintance; but I will make it as little troublesome as I can..." interesting phrase. Not too many ifs and therefores, and the printing be not too petite.

Ruben  •  Link

Cesare Morelli
Manuscript Sources of English Secular Song, 1630-1665

Cambridge, Magdalen College, Pepys Library (Cmc)

MS 2803
Songs, arranged for bass voice, guitar (in tablature), and figured bass, by Cesare Morelli for Samuel Pepys; ca. 1680. Bound with an edition of Pietro Reggio's Songs (1680).2
English Song Manuscripts, Top
MS 2591
"Songs & other Compositions Light, Grave, & Sacred, for a Single Voice. Adjusted to the particular compass of mine; with a Thorough-Base on ye Ghitarr by Cesare Morelli". Songs, arranged for bass voice, guitar (in tablature), and figured bass, by Cesare Morelli for Samuel Pepys; ca. 1680.3"
see: http://ace.acadiau.ca/score/GJC/s…


Second Reading

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