Sunday 9 April 1665

(Lord’s day). To church with my wife in the morning, in her new light-coloured silk gowne, which is, with her new point, very noble. Dined at home, and in the afternoon to Fanchurch, the little church in the middle of Fanchurch Streete, where a very few people and few of any rank. Thence, after sermon, home, and in the evening walking in the garden, my Lady Pen and her daughter walked with my wife and I, and so to my house to eat with us, and very merry, and so broke up and to bed.

15 Annotations

First Reading

Martin  •  Link

Sam goes to church twice, doesn't go to the office, spends quality time with the Mrs. -- a rare Sunday.

cape henry  •  Link

Those who have been with the Diary since the beginning will recall - not so long ago - when Pepys was thrilled with a finding pound or two and receiving a word or two from just about anyone. Now it's all about arm candy and people of "rank" on a Sunday stroll. A remarkable journey about to be more so I suspect.

(Speaking of remarkable journeys: To the Annotators of Rank on this site a hearty Bravo! for the exceptional work you each have contributed over the past several weeks.)

CGS  •  Link

"...where a very few people and few of any rank...."
Was Sam in a playfull mood, as rank have two distinct meanings that could fit.
Rank ala pvt to gen etal or The status of betters to lessors, all standing in a row, or was it a pun on how they stank, unwashed like.
Rank:
OED: too long to quote in full, but it be a field day for the wordsmiths.
13. Lustful, licentious; in heat. Obs.
c1520

14. a. Gross, highly offensive or loathsome; in later use esp. grossly coarse or indecent.
b. Corrupt, foul; festering.
15. a. Of a strongly marked, violent, or virulent type; absolute, downright, gross. (Used to add force to terms implying the existence of bad qualities in a person or thing.)
The Leveller in me goes that away , while the cavalier segment says differently.

andy  •  Link

her new light-coloured silk gowne..with her new point

I'm trying to get the picture here. Light silk dress with a white lace bodice? Bess must have looked beautiful on his arm.

The light silk is presumably significant as opposed to a darker colour.

when did she buy it?

Robert Gertz  •  Link

Must have been a difficult thing for Unthankes at times to be Bess' tailor...Or rather Sam Pepys' wife's tailor. I can imagine Sam eyeing every thread with expert eye...Particularly every silk or lace thread...And not hesitating to make comments on every aspect of the production until even poor Bess, pleased as she might have been at first by his interest, begs him to hush and let the man finish.

***
"Bess? What's the matter?"

"Damnit, Sam'l...You knew I was going to show off the new dress today. Do you always have to top me?"

"What? This old thing?" Sam eyes new gold-lace cuffs of latest suit.

"Are those new shoes, too? Sam'l!"

Mary  •  Link

Her new light-coloured silk gown.

Possibly the flowered, ash-coloured gown that was mentioned on March 9th.

Mary  •  Link

Thanks for the correction - misread my own hasty scribble.

Margaret  •  Link

Could the "point" on Bess's dress refer to the custom of embellishing expensive clothes with beaten silver (or more rarely, gold)? I understand that "lace" used to refer to this metallic decoration, so I'm guessing that what we call "lace" today may have started as a poor man's substitute for the silver.

dirk  •  Link

Our good Rev. Josselin's diary entry today:

"God good in outward mercies, a gallant seed time. lord remember us with rain in season(,) the sky threatens a drought. the lord can command plenty.

[Estate:] When I come to view my estate expenses are 141li.4s.9d. receipts. 139li.4s.8d. loss. 2li.1d. and some debts less than last year. I cannot say I either lose and gain directly. yet my thoughts are my outward estate will this year appear to better. god prosper my soul."

The last sentence reminds me of the words Sam so often writes down in his diary on the last day of the month, when he makes up his balance sheet...

CGS  •  Link

yep: good husbandry required that thee balance thy books before the farthings disappear.
N.B. the difference in in monies available for getups at Easter. Here was a middling cleric having to plow his turf for the luxuries of living.

Second Reading

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"... and in the evening walking in the garden, my Lady Pen and her daughter walked with my wife and I, and so to my house to eat with us, and very merry, ..."

More implied parental approval of that nice couple next door.

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