Friday 20 January 1664/65
Up and to Westminster, where having spoke with Sir Ph. Warwicke, I to Jervas, and there I find them all in great disorder about Jane, her mistress telling me secretly that she was sworn not to reveal anything, but she was undone. At last for all her oath she told me that she had made herself sure to a fellow that comes to their house that can only fiddle for his living, and did keep him company, and had plainly told her that she was sure to him never to leave him for any body else. Now they were this day contriving to get her presently to marry one Hayes that was there, and I did seem to persuade her to it. And at last got them to suffer me to advise privately, and by that means had her company and think I shall meet her next Sunday, but I do really doubt she will be undone in marrying this fellow. But I did give her my advice, and so let her do her pleasure, so I have now and then her company.
Thence to the Swan at noon, and there sent for a bit of meat and dined, and had my baiser of the fille of the house there, but nothing plus. So took coach and to my Lady Sandwich’s, and so to my bookseller’s, and there took home Hooke’s book of microscopy, a most excellent piece, and of which I am very proud.
So home, and by and by again abroad with my wife about several businesses, and met at the New Exchange, and there to our trouble found our pretty Doll is gone away to live they say with her father in the country, but I doubt something worse.
So homeward, in my way buying a hare and taking it home, which arose upon my discourse to-day with Mr. Batten, in Westminster Hall, who showed me my mistake that my hare’s foote hath not the joynt to it; and assures me he never had his cholique since he carried it about him: and it is a strange thing how fancy works, for I no sooner almost handled his foote but my belly began to be loose and to break wind, and whereas I was in some pain yesterday and t’other day and in fear of more to-day, I became very well, and so continue.
At home to my office a while, and so to supper, read, and to cards, and to bed.
38 Annotations
First Reading
Terry Foreman • Link
A day of skirt-chasing and superstition
"it is a strange thing how fancy works"
Indeed!!
***
"I doubt something worse"
Here "doubt" has the current meaning of "suspect."
deepfatfriar • Link
And I wonder how many of his contemporaries were trying to alleviate with a jointed hare's foot what they acquired skirt-chasing......
But they likely thought they were at the pinnacle of enlightenment, much as we do now. There's a lesson in there somewhere.....
Terry W • Link
A bit of Franglais
"and had my baiser of the fille of the house there, but nothing plus" = "and had my kiss of the girl of the house there but nothing more".
Patricia • Link
Ugh! It must have been most distressing to work in a pub and have the customers slobbering over you all the time!
I like the mental picture of Sam handling Batten's rabbit's-foot charm and immediately breaking wind. Would that we had a charm that would prevent such a thing happening, esp. at embarrassing times!
jeannine • Link
“Journals of the Earl of Sandwich” edited by R.C. Anderson
20th. Friday. A Council of War and Court Martial. This night the Blazing Star could not at all be discerned, the Moon shone bright.
Terry Foreman • Link
"a fellow that comes to their house that can only fiddle for his living"
Is this, perhaps, the one who was before referred to as Jane's "sweetheart"?
cape henry • Link
Ugh, indeed, Patricia, but women - and girls - who took work in the taverns knew what was in store for them. It would have been a regular condition of such employment and we can imagine that these women developed techniques for coping with the drunken and the lecherous. In period films we see such scenes portrayed as mutually amusing and bawdy, but I suspect that such women lived very difficult lives.
Paul Chapin • Link
"it is a strange thing how fancy works"
Sam recognizes the placebo effect.
Paul Chapin • Link
"she had made herself sure to a fellow"
"sure" here means engaged to be married.
OED:
†7. a. Engaged to be married, betrothed, affianced (to make sure, to betroth); also, joined in wedlock, married. Obs.
1470 Paston Lett. II. 393 Mestresse Gryseacresse is sure to Selenger. c1536 Songs, Carols, etc. (1907) 154 Lady Mary, þe Kyngis dowghter, was mad sure+to þe yong Kyng of Castile. 1592 Arden of Feversham i. 151 The Painter+Hath made reporte that he and Sue is sure. [1598 Shakes. Merry W. v. v. 237 She and I (long since contracted) Are now so sure that nothing can dissolue vs.] 1608 Middleton Trick to Catch Old One iii. i, I am but newly sure yet to the widow. 1632 Brome North. Lass ii. ii, I presum'd+you had beene sure, as fast as faith could bind you, man and wife. 1665 P. Henry Diaries & Lett. (1882) 175 My man william Griffith was marryd+to one of Baschurch, to whom hee had been sure since before hee came to mee.
Paul Chapin • Link
"had my baiser of the fille of the house there, but nothing plus"
In modern French, "baiser" refers to sexual intercourse. This passage shows that that was not the case in the 17th century.
cgs • Link
The customer be always right, the Better ne'er doeth lie. The Baron, he always be such an nice gent. The female was always been on the wrong end of the equality equation.
The hat pin be the only defense.
Might be rite.
It has taken centuries [ever since she got the the spare rib] for the female of the species to have a real voice.
Only since the time we have made tools that the female can wield, has there been equalizing in the the daily lives, since the blunder buss has been reduced to a Derringer, and physical strength has been replaced with power tools has progress been made.
Education was never enough.
Like all things there have been exceptions, Bodicea for one.
It is only when thee have the means to control thy food money, have one's own palliass and own 900 sq feet of covered habitat does the underdog [female usually] can thee tell the male of species to take a flying leap when required.
i.e. rich widows and good looking daughters of well healed baronials. all others have to suffer the slings of misplaced fortune.
cgs • Link
"undone" my devious mind be thinking NVI any more
2.1? just detached
OED
un_done, ppl. a.1
1. Not done; unaccomplished, uneffected.
b. As n. That which is not done.
2. Not done away, not removed.
[f. UNDO v.]
un_done, ppl. a.2
1. Brought to decay or ruin; ruined, destroyed.
Chiefly predicative, but the attributive use was not infrequent in the 17th and was common in the 18th century.
2. Unfastened, untied, detached, etc.
dirk • Link
"I shall meet her next Sunday, but I do really doubt she will be undone in marrying this fellow. But I did give her my advice, and so let her do her pleasure, so I have now and then her company."
Jane can marry whom she wants, as long as Sam gets his dues every now and then... O tempores, o mores!
Michael Robinson • Link
" ... I do really doubt she will be undone in marrying this fellow."
“John Donne, Ann Donne, Undone,” the epigram attributed to Donne after their secret marriage.
Mary • Link
Different declension.
O *tempora*, o mores
gunwale • Link
If you want to talk about topics that aren't directly related to Pepys, then the social group may be for you.
mary mcIntyre • Link
undone = loss of chastity
undone = socially or financially ruined
In the first case, I understood that Jane had it off with the fiddler, then he promised to make an honest woman of her. Or possibly vice versa...
In the second case, that Sam believed her marriage to Hayes, whoever he is, would be socially OK for Jane. Better than a fiddler, at any rate.
M
Australian Susan • Link
"..can only fiddle for his living..."
Does this literally mean he played the violin or is it a colloquial phrase meaning something like he had to "scratch around" to earn his crust? And do we think Hayes is the "sweetheart" mentioned a few days ago?
Tony Eldridge • Link
had my baiser of the fille of the house there, but nothing plus.
Paul C, baiser meant to kiss until quite recently, cf Truffaut's 1968 film Baisers Voles (Stolen Kisses).
More recently one of our political leaders, trying to make a rhetorical flourish in French said, or thought he said, "I kiss you all" to his audience which led to some sniggering.
gunwale • Link
This site is run by Phil Gyford.... If you want to talk about topics that aren't directly related to Pepys, then the social group may be for you.
language hat • Link
"In modern French, “baiser” refers to sexual intercourse."
Only as a verb; as a noun it means 'kiss' and nothing more.
gunwale, you've made your point twice. Don't be a bore.
Paul Dyson • Link
"If you want to talk about topics that aren’t directly related to Pepys, then the social group may be for you."
Thank you, gunwale; I think we noted it the first time! Perhaps you could specify which annotations today are not directly related to Pepys. A look back through the diary will show that annotators often extend the discussion, to the enjoyment and edification of one and all in the vast majority of cases.
If you are really Phil in disguise, apologies, I am sure we will all defer.
andy • Link
Paul Chapin and Language Hat are both right: reference "Baise-moi" by Virginie Despendes, it really doesn't mean "Kiss me".
But who knows, I remember ar Strasbourg Airport seeing the cover of L'Express (or similar hebdo) about the pop group "Atomic Kitten" with the caption "la Chatte Atomique" (so now I call them "Atomic Pussy"
jeannine • Link
"and there to our trouble found our pretty Doll is gone away to live they say with her father in the country, but I doubt something worse"
I went back to look at Sam's entries about Doll. In almost every case he notes her good looks. I wonder what his 'I doubt something worse' implies? I couldn't help but wonder if he thought she may be pregnant (and not married?) or some other 'shameful' situation. Now if he thought she was ugly, he probably would never have questioned her departure........
Margaret • Link
I'm just new here, but I've been reading over the archives. I agree with Paul Dyson on both counts--I find most of the annotations interesting & fun to read (and I can just skip over the others). We should (as Paul says) follow Phil Gyford's lead here, if we know what it is.
dirk • Link
Jane and her new husband to be...
January 20 is St Agnes' Eve.
"The feast of St Agnes was formerly held as in a special degree a holiday for women. Itwas thought possible for a girl, on the eve of St Agnes, to obtain, by divination, a knowledge of her future husband. She might take a row of pins, and plucking them out one after another, stick them in her sleeve, singing the whilst a paternoster; and thus insure that her dreams would that night present the person in question. [...] Lying down on her back that night, with her hands under her head, the anxious maiden was led to expect that her future spouse would appear in a dream and salute her with a kiss."
For more of the same, go to:
http://www.library.wisc.edu/etext…
- - - -
Maybe it's not a mere coincidence that Jane appears to be convinced she's finally found her true love. Superstition can be a strong motivation.
Robert Gertz • Link
Spoiler...
Tomalin discussed Jane's affair with her fiddler in detail and noted Sam's fascination with her obsession that the man represented her inescapable fate.
Wonder if Bess sometimes feels the same...
As per Doll and Jane and co...It seems some of these young women get fairly decent treatment depending on the boss' attitude in large part. Gervais, for example, seems honestly concerned for his assistant's welfare and given his request to Sam, unaware that his good customer is not entirely operating from the best motives.
Hmmn...You suppose Jane has been using Sam as cover for her rendezvous with fiddler-boy? Telling Sam she'll come and then explaining to various folks she's got to meet with our boy while all the time someone else is at that quiet corner.
Good for her...Though I hope the guy not a total loser.
***
This dabbling in the love affairs of one's lowers could have consequences though, Sam...
"Oh, Mrs. Pepys. Me and Mr. Gervais were so glad that Mr. Pepys took such an interest in our poor Jane."
"Indeed, Mrs Gervais?"
"Oh, the kindness of the man. He's offered to go and meet with her in private, to try and talk to her about her folly in taking up with the man."
"In private, you say?"
"Such a good man he is. Always did take such an interest in the girl."
"I'll bet he did." grim smile. "Mrs. Gervais, could you possibly tell me where he might be meeting Jane in private? He meant to tell me, I'm sure, but you know my busy Sam...He plain forgot. I'm sure he's anxious to have me join in giving her advice."
Australian Susan • Link
Re Jeannine's last entry - the first thing that came to my mind when reading the section about Doll was that she was pregnant and being hustled away to have the baby in the country, where, no doubt, it would be left whilst Doll returns to London. Milliners were quite respectable tradespeople, so concealing the pregnancy would be a likely action. Although, a hundred years later, the Austen family concealed Jane Austen's aunt Philadelphia's millinery apprenticeship, presumably because this was not genteel. Straddling the see-saw of respectability can have problems.
Terry Foreman • Link
"Maybe it’s not a mere coincidence that Jane appears to be convinced she’s finally found her true love. Superstition can be a strong motivation."
dirk, you're at the top of your form: Keats even. 'Tis very to have you back!
“it is a strange thing how fancy works” sez Pepys, not knowing how much it may also have applied to Jane Welch.
Todd Bernhardt • Link
"I hope the guy not a total loser."
It's not easy being married to a musician. Just ask my wife.
"We should (as Paul says) follow Phil Gyford’s lead here, if we know what it is."
Phil, who is normally a very light-handed and benevolent editor, is not shy about letting us know when we've strayed too far off the path. Mr. Gunwale is the annotator formerly known as "Capt.Petrus.S.Dorpmans"
Robert Gertz • Link
"..guy's..."
I know Todd (though of course I meant the man, not the profession), I am married to one too. Ms. Bernhardt I sympathize. Excuse me while I duck...
***
"Our pretty Doll?..."
If she is Betty Martin's (nee Lane...Hmmn Doll Lane?) sis, this suggests Bess is acquainted with Betty?
Yikes! You don't suppose Bess knows more than Sam gives out?
"Sam'l? I'm afraid those... are back. Why don't you go and have a romp with Betty Martin this afternoon?"
Such a wife I have...Sam beams.
(Heh, heh...Pembleton at three, Hayter at four, Bess grins, watching Sam toddling off, whistling a happy tune.)
***
***
Paul Chapin • Link
The last word on "baiser"
Actually, LH is more right than I was; all the examples folks have offered are consistent with his statement that "baiser" as a noun means 'kiss', as a verb means 'f...'. One more new thing I've learned from this blog.
It's interesting from a linguistic point of view that this should be so, because it is usually the case that a taboo word taints its homonyms. For example, you're very unlikely to hear the word "ass" used for a donkey. If the sexual use of the verb is fairly recent, I would predict that the use of the innocent noun will fade over time.
PHE • Link
And now for something completely different:
Sam's reference to Hooke's book on microscopy is an example of his incredibly broad interests. The Wikipedia link shows it to be a momentus book in English science history.
cgs • Link
Samuell finds the picture of a prick louse most interesting?
"...there took home Hooke’s book of microscopy, a most excellent piece, and of which I am very proud. ..."
Miriam • Link
Mr. Gunwale is the annotator formerly known as “Capt.Petrus.S.Dorpmans.”
Oh, you mean Hhomeboy is back again.
Todd Bernhardt • Link
Oh, Miriam, curse us not by mentioning Hhe Who Must Not Be Named!! :-)
Mary • Link
Mary.
Miriam, the same thought had occurred to me, but I didn't dare mention it. Pray not.
Second Reading
Terry Foreman • Link
"with Mr. Batten, in Westminster Hall, who showed me my mistake that my hare’s foote"
See https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/… and https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…