Sunday 12 March 1664/65

(Lord’s day). Up, and borrowing Sir J. Minnes’s coach, to my Lord Sandwich’s, but he was gone abroad. I sent the coach back for my wife, my Lord a second time dining at home on purpose to meet me, he having not dined once at home but those times since his coming from sea. I sat down and read over the Bishop of Chichester’s sermon upon the anniversary of the King’s death, much cried up, but, methinks, but a mean sermon. By and by comes in my Lord, and he and I to talke of many things in the Navy, one from another, in general, to see how the greatest things are committed to very ordinary men, as to parts and experience, to do; among others, my Lord Barkeley. We talked also of getting W. Howe to be put into the Muster-Mastershipp in the roome of Creed, if Creed will give way, but my Lord do it without any great gusto, calling Howe a proud coxcomb in passion. Down to dinner, where my wife in her new lace whiske, which, indeed, is very noble, and I much pleased with it, and so my Lady also. Here very pleasant my Lord was at dinner, and after dinner did look over his plate, which Burston hath brought him to-day, and is the last of the three that he will have made. After satisfied with that, he abroad, and I after much discourse with my Lady about Sir G. Carteret’s son, of whom she hath some thoughts for a husband for my Lady Jemimah, we away home by coach again, and there sang a good while very pleasantly with Mr. Andrews and Hill. They gone; we to supper, and betimes to bed.

23 Annotations

First Reading

Robert Gertz  •  Link

"...but my Lord do it without any great gusto, calling Howe a proud coxcomb in passion." Yet clearly a useful proud coxcomb if he's willing to push Creed out to make way.

One might wonder what terms his Lordship uses regards our hero on certain occasions...

Seems at least our girl has truly put on her Easter bonnet... And what a neat and true lady Jeminah is to be so free of pettiness in the presence of a beauty like Bess, given the shabby lewd Court and Sandwich's all-too-often lousy behavior. Apart from his love for Bess, his honest affection and appreciation for such a lady is perhaps Sam's most noble quality.

***

Nice hint that the music tonight included Bess...Somehow you can sense an inclusively cosy "we" throughout the last sentences at home. He was proud of her today...And she basked.

JWB  •  Link

Another case of the Bishop not living up to expectations:

Three days before he died John Donne left his unpublished manuscripts with this man, Henry King, and a good part of them, including commentary on some 14-1500 authors, vanished.
See John Stubbs's "John Donne", p 469

Michael Robinson  •  Link

" ... read over the Bishop of Chichester’s sermon upon the anniversary of the King’s death, much cried up, but, methinks, but a mean sermon. ..."

King, Henry, 1592-1669. A sermon preached the 30th of January at White-Hall, 1664. Being the anniversary commemoration of K. Charls the I, martyr’d on that day. By Henry King Lord Bishop of Chichester. Printed by His Majesties command.
London : printed for Henry Herringman, and are to be sold at his shop in the lower walk of the New-Exchange, 1665.
43 [i.e. 49], [1] p. ; 4⁰.Wing (CD-ROM, 1996), K507

Sermon on 2 Chronicles XXXV vv. 24, 25:-

35:24 His servants therefore took him out of that chariot, and put him in the second chariot that he had; and they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died, and was buried in one of the sepulchres of his fathers. And all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah.

35:25 And Jeremiah lamented for Josiah: and all the singing men and the singing women spake of Josiah in their lamentations to this day, and made them an ordinance in Israel: and, behold, they are written in the lamentations.

On one occasion King did deliver for SP:-

" ... heard Dr. King, Bishop of Chichester, make a good and eloquent sermon upon these words, “They that sow in tears, shall reap in joy.” Thence (the chappell in Lent being hung with black, and no anthem sung after sermon, as at other times), to my Lord Sandwich at Sir W. Wheeler’s."
http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…

However SP did not retain retain copies of either King's prose or verse in the library.

Michael Robinson  •  Link

and the Bishop living up to expectations ...

From Walton's Life of Donne (1640; repr. 1658):-
"A monument being resolved upon, Dr. Donne sent for a Carver to make for him in wood the figure of an Urn, giving him directions for the compass and height of it; and to bring with it a board of the just height of his body. "These being got, then without delay a choice Painter was got to be in readiness to draw his picture, which was taken as followeth. – Several charcoal fires being first made in his large study, he brought with him into that place his winding-sheet in his hand, and having put off all his clothes, had this sheet put on him, and so tied with knots at his head and feet, and his hands so placed as dead bodies are usually fitted, to be shrouded and put into their coffin or grave. Upon this Urn he thus stood, with his eyes shut, and with so much of the sheet turned aside as might show his lean, pale, and deathlike face, which was purposely turned towards the East, from whence he expected the second coming of his and our Saviour Jesus." In this posture he was drawn at his just height; and when the picture was fully finished, he caused it to be set by his bed-side, where it continued and became his hourly object till his death, and was then given to his dearest friend and executor Dr. Henry King, then chief Residentiary of St. Paul’s, who caused him to be thus carved in one entire piece of white marble, as it now stands in that Church;"
http://anglicanhistory.org/walton…

The celebrated monument of Donne in a winding-sheet, by Nicholas Stone, executed c. 1631:-
http://www.artandarchitecture.org…
http://www.artandarchitecture.org…

Spoiler
One of the few pieces of Old St. Paul's to survive, heat staining from the fire can be seen on the urn.

Michael Robinson  •  Link

the Bishop in question

Henry King, in his capacity as Donne's friend and executor.

andy  •  Link

where my wife in her new lace whiske, which, indeed, is very noble, and I much pleased with it

worth 50 quid Sam!

Tony Eldridge  •  Link

'her new lace whiske'

Do we know what a whiske is?

dirk  •  Link

Diary of the Rev. Ralph Josselin today:

"March: 12. a cold wet day. god good in the word, took my leave of Mr Eldred . the lord return him safe to us, frost at night."

JWB  •  Link

...and beyond all expectations:

Donne passed on to his son the head of Sir Thomas More.

Bradford  •  Link

"Whiske" first appears on L&M i.299, says the Companion Large Glossary: "woman's stiffened neckerchief or collar: 1654".

dirk  •  Link

Whisk(e)

"The straight, lace collar, such as is worn by Madam Padishal and shown in all portraits of this date, is, I believe, a whisk.

"The whisk was a very interesting and to us a puzzling article of attire, through the lack of precise description. It was at first called the falling-whisk, and is believed to have been simply the handsome, lace-edged, stiff, standing collar turned down over the shoulders. This collar had been both worn with the ruff and worn after it, and had been called a fall. Quicherat tells that the "whisk" came into universal use in 1644, when very low-necked gowns were worn, and that it was simply a kerchief or fichu to cover the neck.

"We have a few side-lights to help us, as to the shape of the whisk, in the form of advertisements of lost whisks. In one case (1662) it is "a cambric whisk with Flanders lace, about a quarter of a yard broad, and a lace turning up about an inch broad, with a stock in the neck and a strap hanging down before." And in 1664 "A Tiffany Whisk with a great Lace down and a little one up, of large Flowers, and open work; with a Roul for the Head and Peak." The roll and peak were part of a cap. [...]

"Madam Pepys had a white whisk in 1660 and then a "noble lace whisk."

The picture the author is referring to:
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/10….

From: "Two Centuries of Costume in America", Vol. 1 (1620-1820), by Alice Morse Earle, ca.1900
[This is a real treasure trove for 17th c costume!]

Mary  •  Link

fine feathers.

I wonder whether the whisk was being worn with the new suit of flowered, ash-coloured silk that was delivered on 8th March?

Carl in Boston  •  Link

Fine feathers, indeed. I am sure Elizabeth looked most handsome, with her whisk to protect her "neck" as she conversed in lofty terms with the Countess of Sandwich. Yes, yes, ... yes. Later in Pride and Prejudice Mary will say Lydia's lace tuck has slipped, to which her mother will say she looks very well.
I wonder how long it will be before our New York Governor's young friend will grace our magazine stalls, wearing nothing but a whisk and a lace tuck. Anybody bet Playboy has already signed her up, whisk provided?

Australian Susan  •  Link

Thanks for the correction, Michael. I wasn't paying attention.

Tony Eldridge  •  Link

Thanks to all for the whiske information and the splendid costume site.
One of the great pleasures of our Sam's site is that, almost always, there will be someone out there who knows the answer to life, the universe and everything.

Second Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

""...but my Lord do it without any great gusto, calling Howe a proud coxcomb in passion." Yet clearly a useful proud coxcomb if he's willing to push Creed out to make way."

Howe was appointed: CSPD 1664-5, p. 443. In the 1664 voyage also he and Creed had contended for the same place: http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1… (L&M footnote)

StanB  •  Link

I sat down and read over the Bishop of Chichester’s sermon upon the anniversary of the King’s death

Am I missing something here got this out of context or having a blonde moment wouldn't that be 30th Jan ?

JayW  •  Link

StanB the sermon was originally given on the anniversary. Sam is reading a published version - see Michael Robinson’s first comment above from 13 March 2008.

Chris Squire UK  •  Link

Re: ’ . . Down to dinner, where my wife in her new lace whiske, which, indeed, is very noble, . . ’

‘whisk n. < Scandinavian . .
. . II. 2. A neckerchief worn by women in the latter half of the 17th century. Obs. exc. Hist.
. . 1660 S. Pepys Diary 22 Nov. (1970) I. 299 My wife..bought her a white whiske and put it on.
1688 R. Holme Acad. Armory iii. ii. 17/1 A Womans Neck Whisk..is used both Plain and Laced, and is called of most a Gorgett or a falling Whisk . . ‘

Third Reading

Thomas M. Fiddler  •  Link

Photohraphic examples of whiskes along with more detailed information on the fashion trend.

“During the early 17th century, formal neckwear such as ruffs and starched collars needed support. The wide circles of gathered linen that made up the ruffs had to be held up at the back of the neck in order to frame the face properly. Such supports were called by a range of different names: supportasse (a French term), underpropper, pickadil, or rebato (an Italian name). A variety of materials were used to make such supports, including linen reinforced with whalebone, card, and wire. Sometimes straw was even used to create a slightly curved surface.” (199)

https://fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu…

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