Wednesday 31 August 1664
Up by five o’clock and to my office, where T. Hater and Will met me, and so we dispatched a great deal of my business as to the ordering my papers and books which were behindhand. All the morning very busy at my office. At noon home to dinner, and there my wife hath got me some pretty good oysters, which is very soon and the soonest, I think, I ever eat any. After dinner I up to hear my boy play upon a lute, which I have this day borrowed of Mr. Hunt; and indeed the boy would, with little practice, play very well upon the lute, which pleases me well. So by coach to the Tangier Committee, and there have another small business by which I may get a little small matter of money. Staid but little there, and so home and to my office, where late casting up my monthly accounts, and, blessed be God! find myself worth 1020l., which is still the most I ever was worth.
So home and to bed.
Prince Rupert I hear this day is to go to command this fleete going to Guinny against the Dutch. I doubt few will be pleased with his going, being accounted an unhappy man. My mind at good rest, only my father’s troubles with Dr. Pepys and my brother Tom’s creditors in general do trouble me.
I have got a new boy that understands musique well, as coming to me from the King’s Chappell, and I hope will prove a good boy, and my wife and I are upon having a woman, which for her content I am contented to venture upon the charge of again, and she is one that our Will finds out for us, and understands a little musique, and I think will please us well, only her friends live too near us.
Pretty well in health, since I left off wearing of a gowne within doors all day, and then go out with my legs into the cold, which brought me daily pain.
18 Annotations
First Reading
Terry F • Link
The Peepsters Garage Band takes shape: SP on vyal or theorbo; TE on lute; and EP swings lead, backed by the boys!
jeannine • Link
• Prince Rupert I hear this day is to go to command this fleete going to Guinny against the Dutch. I doubt few will be pleased with his going, being accounted an unhappy' man."
Somewhat of a general spoiler I guess. I just read Charles Spencer's (Princess Diana's brother) and Eva Scott's bios on Prince Rupert (I prefer Eva's but that's beside the point...). From his first appearance in the Diary, Sam records Rupert in an unfavorable light and proceeds to do so throughout the Diary. It's not really clear where Sam's impressions prior to the Diary actually came from, but Spencer proposes that Sam may have believed the negative Parliamentarian propaganda published about Rupert during the years he fought for Charles I. It's doubtful that Sam ever had any dealings with Rupert prior to the Diary and therefore based his opinion on something less than actual personal experience.
However, in the future years of the Diary, Sam and Rupert will be pitted against each other when Rupert is in the position of actually trying to go to battle on ships that Sam was responsible to victualize. With less than stellar supplies, in terms of quantity and quality, the men who are actually putting their lives on the line to fight for England, will be at odds with the administrator types (ie. Sam), who never actually face battle, but pocket good money in the process. As a biographer Spencer tends to see Sam in a negative light in these series of interactions (yet he does not hold Rupert harmless either).
So, from the perspective of a Diary reader, I personally feel that Sam's comments about Rupert have to be taken perhaps with a bottle of salt (as opposed to the usual grain) as he clearly comes with a bigoted bias against him which will only grow over time.
Paul Chapin • Link
The months with "R" don't start until tomorrow, so these are indeed early oysters. Hope they're OK.
Cum Grano Salis • Link
it was said, so that he could get into the OED again:
"...which is very soon and the soonest..."
c. At an early stage, date, period, etc.
1664 PEPYS Diary 31 Aug., My wife has got me some pretty good oysters, which is very soon and the soonest, I think, I ever eat any.
Terry F • Link
Rupert's unhappiness
L&M note that Sandwich had written from the Channel on 20 August about the need for speed in assembling the fleet. Rupert took the command, but his ships will not join Sandwich's until 15 October, and will never leave the channel.
Michael Robinson • Link
" ... being accounted an unhappy' man."
L&M's glossary suggests unhappy = unlucky.
Ruben • Link
Sam and Rupert
Sam is a Sandwich person (sandwich man being something else today).
Sam is very thoughful concerning others and I think will not judge impulsively.
I pressume that Sam's impression concerning Rupert may be a reflexion of his protector's attitude or words toward Rupert.
After all, Rupert was in competition with Sandwich.
JWB • Link
"unhappy = unlucky"
The man carried a lead slug in his head. That'd explain unhappy, but not equate to unlucky.
Cum Grano Salis • Link
the OED dothe say this:
un-happy, a. 1. Of persons (or animals): Causing misfortune or trouble (to oneself or others); objectionable or miserable on this account.
To some extent passing into sense 2.
b. Sc. Ill-natured; bad-tempered. Obs.{em}1
1756
2. Of persons: Unfortunate, unlucky, ill-fated; miserable in lot or circumstances. Also, in later use, wretched in mind. 1357
1655 FULLER Ch. Hist. III. vi. §40. 86 Endless it were to reckon up the indignities offered unto these Jews... A people equally unhappy at feasts, and at frays.
1726 SWIFT Gulliver II. viii, The seamen might conjecture some unhappy mortal to be shut up in the box.
c. Unsuccessful; apt to make mistakes.1651
d. Of places: Subject to, suffering from, misfortunes or evils. 1591
3. Of things: Associated with, bringing about or causing, misfortune or mishap; disastrous.
c1386 CHAUCER
607 Peele's Jests 14 The Gentle~man was..disturbed in thought at this unhappy accident.
1652 HOWELL Giraffi's Rev. Naples II. 142 An unhappy Bullet came and killed one of the principall of the Black~coats that was in Arms.
b. Inauspicious; foreboding evil.1533
c. Infelicitous; unsuccessful.1719
4. Of conditions: Marked by misfortune or mishap; miserable, wretched.
1390
5. Causing or involving trouble or mischief; objectionable, evil; naughty. Obs.
the verb:
trans. To make unhappy or unfortunate.1593
un-lucky, a.
[UN-1 7. Cf. WFris. on-, ûnlokkich, MLG. unluckich.]
1. Having an unfortunate character or issue; marked by misfortune or failure.
2. Boding or involving misfortune; ill-omened, inauspicious.
jeannine • Link
Rupert, "unhappy", "unlucky" etc.
Prior to the Diary, Rupert had a very tough life. His father 'lost' everything and the family was in dismal circumstances. At a young age, Rupert to steadfastly support Charles I and was an "in your face" relentless military personality as far as the Parliamentarians were concerned. He had early & incredible 'wins' on the behalf of CI, and developed a reputation that brought fear to others in the mere mention of his name (his 6' plus large stature didn't hurt either. The Parliamentarians responded by producing some outrageous propaganda during this time. That being said, Rupert also had some heartbreaking losses and did not fare well in the political drama played out under CI, who was less than stellar in his treatment of his devoted nephew. After CI died, Rupert lived for a few years as a privateer (to some extent) with the hopes to raise money for CII while he was in exile. He had several horrible years on the run which were full of misery, including the loss of ships, crew and, most tragically for him, the death of his beloved brother Prince Maurice.
Sam may have been influenced by the Cromwell propaganda since he initially fell on the side of Parliament and Rupert vehemently opposed this side (and folks like Monck, Sandwich, Blake, etc. who supported Cromwell) but that's probably speculation at best as nothing any of Rupert's biographers have presented (or Sam's biographer's for that matter) seems to actually record what influenced his thoughts about Rupert prior to the Diary.
Terry F • Link
Rupert's unhappiness
I was thinking of the trouble Pepys had getting 2 ships underway.
jeannine • Link
From "Samuel Pepys and the Second Dutch War" the section entitled "the Navy White Book" edited by Latham
Aug. 31. 1664. Sir W Pen about getting his daughter an annuity of 80£ per annum of Mr Falconer and his ill using of his widow when dead. It is worthy remembering Sir W.P.'s receiving of a gold watch of Mr Falconer at his getting him his place; and more than that, got a present of him to put his daughter Pegg into an estate for her life of 80£ per annum. And yet his usage most base to his widow after his death. But I think God Almighty hath punished him by taking away Mr Falconer before he could get her [Peg Penn's] life put in in the room of his former wife, for this woman [Falconer's second wife, now his widow] finds by his writings that the thing is not yet done. Vide my Journal of Aug. 1664 from Mr. Falconer's death to this day.
Roger • Link
'behindhand'....I must start using it...ie 'my garden is very behindhand'!.
Cum Grano Salis • Link
'behindhand' that reminds me of beforehand
Samuell gets his name in OED for another version of "'behindhand'" very common use in 15-16 hundreds for those that failed to pay off thy tab or wax tablet.
very painfull for those that had to wait for bread.
OED:
1. In arrear as to the discharge of one's liabilities, in a state of insolvency, in debt. (Const. with.)
1530
b. In the position of a creditor, entitled to money which is in arrear.
1666 PEPYS Diary 19 Dec., Many..are ready to starve, they being five years behind-hand for their wages.
2. Behind time, late, too late, 'after the event'; out of date, behind the times.
3. In a state of backwardness, less advanced than others (in); ill provided or prepared (with).
1542
b. In an incomplete state, unfinished.1549
3. In a state of backwardness, less advanced than others (in); ill provided or prepared (with).
1542
4. attrib. Backward, tardy, hanging back.
1611 SHAKES. Wint. T. V. i. 151 Interpreters Of my behind~hand slacknesse.
5. quasi-n. The state of being behind. Obs.
1580
83. fall behind, behindhand. See simple senses and BEHIND, BEHINDHAND.
1530 PALSGR. He is fallen behynde the hande, within this thre yere.
Robert Gertz • Link
"Pretty well in health, since I left off wearing of a gowne within doors all day, and then go out with my legs into the cold, which brought me daily pain."
"Doctor, it hurts when I do this..."
"Don't do that."
***
Robert Gertz • Link
",,, my wife and I are upon having a woman, which for her content I am contented to venture upon the charge of again, and she is one that our' Will finds out for us, and understands a little musique, and I think will please us well, only her friends live too near us."
Understands music...
("What do you mean she sings well?! I don't, I suppose!!")
Friends with Hewer...
("Well, Will...Isn't it nice someone you like so much better than me is working here?!")
Friends live near...
("Sam'l!! Every day she's slipping out to tell her friends all these wives' tales about me!!")
Uh-oh.
Second Reading
Tonyel • Link
"another small business by which I may get a little small matter of money."
No, really..... a teeny tiny amount, hardly worth mentioning.
Well, just a hundred.
mountebank • Link
The discussion of "unhappy" above puts me in mind of "hapless".