Thursday 27 October 1664
Up and to the office, where all the morning busy. At noon, Sir G. Carteret, Sir J. Minnes, Sir W. Batten, Sir W. Pen, and myself, were treated at the Dolphin by Mr. Foly, the ironmonger, where a good plain dinner, but I expected musique, the missing of which spoiled my dinner, only very good merry discourse at dinner.
Thence with Sir G. Carteret by coach to White Hall to a Committee of Tangier, and thence back to London, and ’light in Cheapside and I to Nellson’s, and there met with a rub at first, but took him out to drink, and there discoursed to my great content so far with him that I think I shall agree with him for Bewpers to serve the Navy with. So with great content home and to my office, where late, and having got a great cold in my head yesterday home to supper and to bed.
16 Annotations
First Reading
Paul Chapin • Link
"and there met with a rub at first"
OED re "rub", n.1:
3. An obstacle, impediment, hindrance, or difficulty, of a non-material nature: †a. With addition of in (or on) one's way, course, etc. Obs.
Very common from c 1590 to c 1775.
1590 Nashe Pasquil's Apol. i. Wks. (Grosart) I. 214 Some small rubs, as I heare, haue been cast in my way to hinder my comming forth, but they shall not profit. 1599 Shakes. Hen. V, ii. ii. 188 We doubt not now, But euery Rubbe is smoothed on our way. 1621 Burton Anat. Mel. iii. ii. vi. v. (1651) 580 They are well inclined to marry, but one rub or other is ever in the way. 1641 Sir R. Baker Apol. 115 The Clergie man hath+many Imployments which are as rubs in his course of Learning. 1697 J. Sergeant Solid Philos. 62 Some Rubs I have put in the way of this Pretence. 1728 Vanbr. & Cib. Prov. Husb. ii. i. 49 If it is not too far gone; at least it may be worth one's while to throw a Rub in his way. 1790 Bystander 25 If the sister throws any rub in my way, so much the worse for her.
b. In general use. Now rare or Obs.
Very common during the 17th and 18th centuries.
1607 Middleton Michaelmas Term iv. iii, I have no sense to sorrow for his death, whose life was the only rub to my affection. 1640 Sir K. Digby in Lismore Papers Ser. ii. (1888) IV. 135 Your father+is at euery rubb called vpon by the King, as yf nothing could be well done, that he did not dictate. 1686 Goad Celest. Bodies i. xviii. 116 We must look for some Rubs in pursuit of Natural Knowledge. 1724 Swift Drapier's Lett. iv. Wks. 1751 VIII. 354 Which is a great Smoother of Rubs in publick Proceedings. 1793 Smeaton Edystone L. §176 These unexpected rubs were not however insuperable. 1806 Scott 11 Feb. in Lockhart II. iii. 93 Notwithstanding some little rubs, I have been able to carry through the transaction. 1814 Lady Burghersh Lett. (1893) 179 We had then just heard of the rub which Sacken's corps, under Blücher, had received.
Paul Dyson • Link
"I to Nellson’s, and there met with a rub at first, but took him out to drink, and there discoursed to my great content so far with him that I think I shall agree with him for Bewpers to serve the Navy with."
A small historical fancy: 1664 - Mr Nelson sells fabric from which to make British ships' flags; 1805 -Admiral Nelson commands the British fleet at Trafalgar. Could there have been any genealogical connection? It's not a particularly common English surname.
Patricia • Link
“and there met with a rub at first, but took him out to drink
Thank you, Paul, for the explanation. I was puzzling over Sam having met with a "rub" in the sense of "rub-a-dub" or "rubby" as we use it here to describe a (possibly homeless) alcoholic, and having taken him (the rub) out to drink. Now I realize it was Nelson he took for a drink.
Terry F • Link
This man called "Nelson" by some here, does seem to be Mr.Nellson, as Phil has linked his name, following Pepys and L&M .
Pedro • Link
On this day...
De Ruyter and his fleet sail for Cape Palmas on the Gold Coast, El Mina being the next meeting place.
Bradford • Link
"a good plain dinner, but I expected musique": like you, Sam, the piper expects to be paid for service to the King's servants.
JWB • Link
"...I expected musique, the missing of which spoiled my dinner,..."
Just the opposite today, when we seek out & pay for respite from aural pollution, of which unwanted music so much a part.
Robert Gertz • Link
"...were treated at the Dolphin by Mr. Foly, the ironmonger, where a good plain dinner, but I expected musique, the missing of which spoiled my dinner..."
Not to mention no chorus girls hopping in laps and tickling you and the other boys under the chin. And no tasteful 'gift' or at least a plain envelope containing...Well, best not to mention it so you can deny it if ever questioned...placed on your chairs? What was this Foly thinking?
Ok, I must...Foly's folly.
Pedro • Link
John Evelyn on the 27th...
Being casually in the privy gallery at Whitehall, his Majesty gave me thanks before divers lords and noblemen for my book of Architecture, and again for my Sylva, saying they were the best designed and useful for the matter and subject, the best printed and designed (meaning the taille-douces of the Parallel of Architecture) that he had seen. He then caused me to follow him alone to one of the windows, and asked me if I had any paper about me unwritten, and a crayon; I presented him with both, and then laying it on the window-stool, he with his own hands designed to me the plot for the future building of Whitehall, together with the rooms of state, and other particulars. After this, he talked with me of several matters, asking my advice, in which I find his Majesty had an extraordinary talent becoming a magnificent prince.
The same day at Council, there being Commissioners to be made to take care of such sick and wounded and prisoners of war, as might be expected upon occasion of a succeeding war and action at sea, war being already declared against the Hollanders, his Majesty was pleased to nominate me to be one, with three other gentlemen, parliament-men, viz. Sir William Doily, Knt. and Bart., Sir Thomas Clifford,1 and Bullein Rheymes, Esq.; with a salary of 1200l. a year amongst us, besides extraordinaries for our care and attention in time of station, each of us being appointed to a particular district, mine falling out to be Kent and Sussex, with power to constitute officers, physicians, chirurgeons, provost-marshals, and to dispose of half of the hospitals through England. After the council, we kissed his Majesty's hand. At this council, I heard Mr. Solicitor Finch2 plead most elegantly for the merchants trading to the Canaries, praying for a new Charter.
cgs • Link
“and there met with a rub at first”
rub in this form was still in use mid 20th century
GrahamT • Link
"Aye, There's the rub"
I'm surprised no one quoted Hamlet's soliloquy:
"To sleep: perchance to dream: aye, there's the rub;
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come,"
Still very much in use - as a cliche - in the sense of "yes, that's the problem"
Terry Foreman • Link
"I think I shall agree with [Nellson] for Bewpers to serve the Navy with"
After a drink or two, or a three-martini post-lunch chat.
L&M note Nelson (sic) at first refused to let Pepys have pieces of cloth, protesting [as Pepys recorded in his *Navy Book*] he had 'not enough to serve his constany customers....I would not be put off...but took him to the alehouse back againm and there he and I talked caalmely and came about a conclusion.'
I wonder who was the merrier by that time?!
Mary • Link
more rubbing.
I wonder whether the current use of 'rub' in such instances as, "they manage to rub along together" is germane. It indicates a relationship which is by no means ideal but in which both parties manage to accommodate themselves to the deficiencies of the other. It seems a plausible development, but I haven't researched it.
Second Reading
Terry Foreman • Link
John Evelyn's books
Pedro: John Evelyn on the 27th...
Being casually in the privy gallery at Whitehall, his Majesty gave me thanks before divers lords and noblemen for my book of Architecture https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo… , and again for my Sylva https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syl… , saying they were the best designed and useful for the matter and subject, the best printed and designed (meaning the taille-douces of the Parallel of Architecture) that he had seen.
Bill • Link
"there met with a rub at first"
to RUB
4. to obstruct by collision.
RUB
1. Collision; hindrance; obstruction.
4. Difficulty; cause of uneasiness.
--Samuel Johnson. A Dictionary Of The English Language, 1756.
More Shakespeare:
'Twill make me think the world is full of rubs,
And that my fortune rubs against the bias.
---Richard II
The least rub in your fortunes, fall away
Like water from ye, never found again
---Henry VIII
We doubt not now
But every rub is smoothed on our way.
---Henry V
Chris Squire UK • Link
Re: ‘ . . there met with a rub at first . . ’
‘rub < Origin uncertain. .
. . 6. b. An intentional injury inflicted on the feelings of another; esp. (in later use) a minor reproof or dig, a jibe. Now rare . .
. . 1720 D. Defoe Life Capt. Singleton 192 You have always one dry Rub or another to give us . . ‘
(OED)