Friday 18 August 1665
Up about 5 o’clock and dressed ourselves, and to sayle again down to the Soveraigne at the buoy of the Nore, a noble ship, now rigged and fitted and manned; we did not stay long, but to enquire after her readinesse and thence to Sheernesse, where we walked up and down, laying out the ground to be taken in for a yard to lay provisions for cleaning and repairing of ships, and a most proper place it is for the purpose. Thence with great pleasure up the Meadeway, our yacht contending with Commissioner Pett’s, wherein he met us from Chatham, and he had the best of it. Here I come by, but had not tide enough to stop at Quinbrough, a with mighty pleasure spent the day in doing all and seeing these places, which I had never done before. So to the Hill house at Chatham and there dined, and after dinner spent some time discoursing of business. Among others arguing with the Commissioner about his proposing the laying out so much money upon Sheerenesse, unless it be to the slighting of Chatham yarde, for it is much a better place than Chatham, which however the King is not at present in purse to do, though it were to be wished he were. Thence in Commissioner Pett’s coach (leaving them there). I late in the darke to Gravesend, where great is the plague, and I troubled to stay there so long for the tide. At 10 at night, having supped, I took boat alone, and slept well all the way to the Tower docke about three o’clock in the morning. So knocked up my people, and to bed.
14 Annotations
First Reading
Terry Foreman • Link
"a with mighty pleasure spent the day" ??
L&M do not transcribe an "a" here, but begin a sentence "With mighty pleasure spent the day...."
Robert Gertz • Link
"...So knocked up my people..."
With Sam...I mean one never knows.
Sorry, but how could I resist it?
CGS • Link
old expression :
knock-up, n. and a. A. n. A practice or casual game at lawn tennis, squash rackets, etc.
1884
To knock
[Late OE. cnocian, beside usual WS. cnucian; cf. ON. knoka; prob. of echoic origin. The relations between the u and o forms are obscure.]
I. 1. a. intr. To strike with a sounding blow, as with the fist or something hard; esp. to rap upon a door or gate in order to call attention or gain admittance (const. at, {dag}on, {dag}upon).
a,b,c well known
d. To copulate with; also, to make pregnant. So in phr. to knock a child (or an apple) out (of).
1598
1604 MARSTON Malcontent III. iii. sig. E2v Haue beate my Shoomaker, knockt my Sempstres, cuckold my Pottecary, and vndone my Taylor.
knock sense 2
[In sense 1, a. Gael. (also Ir.) cnoc knoll, rounded hill. With 2 cf. Danish dial. knok little hillock (Molbech).]
1. A hill; a hillock, a knoll.
2. A name given on the coast of Lincolnshire, etc., to sand-banks. Cf. Kentish Knock, a sand-bank near the mouth of the Thames; also Knock Sand.
Carl in Boston • Link
The Scottish Play, Act II, Scene III
ACT II SCENE III
Knocking within. Enter a Porter
Porter Here's a knocking indeed! If a man were porter of hell-gate, he should have old turning the key. [Knocking within.] Knock, knock, knock! Who's there, i' the name of Beelzebub? Here's a farmer, that hanged himself on the expectation of plenty: come in time; have napkins enow about you; here you'll sweat for't. [Knocking within.] Knock, knock! Who's there, in th'other devil's name? Faith, here's an equivocator, that could swear in both the scales against either scale; who committed treason enough for God's sake, yet could not equivocate to heaven: O, come in, equivocator. [Knocking within.] Knock, knock, knock! Who's there? Faith, here's an English tailor come hither, for stealing out of a French hose: come in, tailor; here you may roast your goose. [Knocking within.] Knock, knock; never at quiet! What are you? But this place is too cold for hell. I'll devil-porter it no further: I had thought to have let in some of all professions that go the primrose way to the everlasting bonfire. [Knocking within.] Anon, anon! I pray you, remember the porter. [Opens the gate.]
Ruben • Link
"Thence with great pleasure up the Meadeway,"
No cristal ball around?
Pedro • Link
On this day...
Sandwich sights Teddiman for the first time. The Yarmouth and Princess come with a convoy from the Sound of 14 sail laden with tar and cordage to arrive at Bridlington Bay.
JWB • Link
"At 10 at night, having supped, I took boat alone, and slept well all the way to the Tower docke about three o’clock..."
About 40 K, right? That's 24 miles in 5 hours or just under 5 mph.
JWB • Link
Put in a plague floater or two knocking against the prow and you've got another Conrad story.
CGS • Link
Just a few klicks SW of Mucking, be Graves end and the plague.
A. Hamilton • Link
Echoes
I've just left Charleston, where the Ashley and the Cooper Rivers flow together to form the Atlantic Ocean, as they say there, where I stayed with one whose family once owned Medway Plantation. Its history begins a little later than where we are in the diary, but the echoes of Pepys's world are strong.
Second Reading
Terry Foreman • Link
"to Sheernesse, where we walked up and down, laying out the ground to be taken in for a yard to lay provisions for cleaning and repairing of ships, and a most proper place it is for the purpose. "
L&M: An estimate for this work at the mouth of the Medway was made immediately, and a warrant ordered for payment of the cost (almost £700) on 4 November. Its fortification in early 1667 was insufficient to prevent its capture by the Dutch raid on the Medway later that year. Thereafter it was strengthened and used as an advance base in the Third Dutch War (replacing Harwich), but for long remained the smallest of the royal yards, used for repair work etc., but not for shipbuilding.
Terry Foreman • Link
"our yacht contending with Commissioner Pett’s"
L&M: The Catherine, a royal yacht built by commissioner Pett:
http://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclo…
Gerald Berg • Link
News travels. Pepys gets rumours on Bergen August 16 while Sandwich doesn’t sight his bad news till today. How does that work?
San Diego Sarah • Link
"Pepys gets rumors on Bergen August 16 while Sandwich doesn’t sight his bad news till today."
News is sent "express mail" to the Lord High Admiral, James, Duke of York, still at Whitehall. He shares with Monck, Craven, and the Navy Board. (Express mail = fast packet ships, relays of horses, etc.)
Sandwich had detached a fleet under Teddiman to go to Bergen, as he patrolled elsewhere. Sandwich got his reports from Clifford and Teddiman on August 13 as he made his way to Flamborough Head -- my guess is he got it from that packet ship, or one dispatched specifically to him. I think Sandwich heard the news first.
https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…