Monday 13 November 1665

Up, and to my office, where busy all the morning, and at noon to Captain Cocke’s to dinner as we had appointed in order to settle our business of accounts. But here came in an Alderman, a merchant, a very merry man, and we dined, and, he being gone, after dinner Cocke and I walked into the garden, and there after a little discourse he did undertake under his hand to secure me in 500l. profit, for my share of the profit of what we have bought of the prize goods. We agreed upon the terms, which were easier on my side than I expected, and so with extraordinary inward joy we parted till the evening. So I to the office and among other business prepared a deed for him to sign and seale to me about our agreement, which at night I got him to come and sign and seale, and so he and I to Glanville’s, and there he and I sat talking and playing with Mrs. Penington, whom we found undrest in her smocke and petticoats by the fireside, and there we drank and laughed, and she willingly suffered me to put my hand in her bosom very wantonly, and keep it there long. Which methought was very strange, and I looked upon myself as a man mightily deceived in a lady, for I could not have thought she could have suffered it, by her former discourse with me; so modest she seemed and I know not what. We staid here late, and so home after he and I had walked till past midnight, a bright moonshine, clear, cool night, before his door by the water, and so I home after one of the clock.

13 Annotations

First Reading

Robert Gertz  •  Link

"Which methought was very strange, and I looked upon myself as a man mightily deceived in a lady, for I could not have thought she could have suffered it, by her former discourse with me; so modest she seemed and I know not what."

Hmmn...Looks like Sam is likely to be about to have a Fred Flintstone moment.

"Heh, heh, heh...Deceived in not-so-good-as-she-should-be Diana Crisp. Heh, heh, heh, heh, deceived in Jane this-time-for-sure, meet-me-Sunday. Heh, heh, heh, heh...Deceived in the rather-too-easily-vanquished Mrs. Bagwell. Heh, heh, heh, heh...Deceived by Mrs. Pennington, the oh-so-genteel-lady. Hey! Wait a mo...!"

"BESSS!!!"

cgs  •  Link

Oh! strange eh!
"..., most witty discourse with this lady, who is a very fine witty lady, one of the best I ever heard speake, and indifferent handsome..."

http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…

Playing in front of a business partner......!!!!

Jesse  •  Link

"we drank and laughed, and she willingly..."

I'm guessing the drink contained alcohol (12 citations v. 4 in the encyclopedia ;) and that Mrs. Penington might not be as "modest [as] she seemed" when somewhat tipsy.

I don't clearly recall whether Pepys notes mild inebriation or just comments when it's all out intoxication.

Michael Robinson  •  Link

"Cocke and I walked into the garden, and there after a little discourse he did undertake under his hand to secure me in 500l. profit, for my share of the profit of what we have bought of the prize goods. We agreed upon the terms, which were easier on my side than I expected, and so with extraordinary inward joy we parted till the evening."

SP's initial expectation of the profit was much greater, 750l.:-

" ... and he [Sandwich] did consent to have us furnished with 500l., and I did get it paid to Sir Roger Cuttance and Mr. Pierce in part for above 1000l. worth of goods, Mace, Nutmegs, Cynamon, and Cloves, and he [Cocke] tells us we may hope to get 1500l. by it, which God send!"
http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…

he had refused the same offer once:-

"... In discourse, we come to mention my profit, and he [Cocke] offers me 500l. clear, and I demand 600l. for my certain profit."
http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…

his expectations had been lowered:

"I to dinner to the King’s Head with Mr. Woolly, who is come to instruct me in the business of my goods, but gives me not so good comfort as I thought I should have had. But, however, it will be well worth my time though not above 2 or 300l."
http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…

and there had been the repeated troubles with dogged pursuit by the Customs men followed by the Bill in Parliament:

" ... whither comes Sir William Batten now newly from Oxford. I can gather nothing from him about my Lord Sandwich about the business of the prizes, he being close, but he shewed me a bill which hath been read in the House making all breaking of bulke for the time to come felony, but it is a foolish Act, and will do no great matter, only is calculated to my Lord Sandwich’s case."
http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…

Andrew Hamilton  •  Link

Thanks, Michael. Helps put the bawdy moment in perspective. Sam's relieved, I suspect, to be finished with a nerve-wracking enterprise, esp.one that comes out better than his fears. I wonder if he and Capt. Cocke also entertained Mrs. P with a discourse on their discoveries in Origines Sacrae?

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

>I don’t clearly recall whether Pepys notes mild inebriation or just comments when it’s all out intoxication.<

Pretty sure it's just the latter, Jesse. I only recall Pepys calling out about those who are "foxed" or "drunk as a dogg" ... otherwise, given the prevalence of alcohol in most drinks (for safety's sake, and usually at low levels, after all), people were expected to hold their liquor...

classicist  •  Link

Not directly relevant to this page, but the Royal Society is offering free access to its digital archive until Feb. 2009. This includes the 'Philosophical Transactions' journal from 1665 onward, with notes by luminaries such as Newton, Hook and Boyle as well as many of Pepys' acquaintances. The sit is http://journals.royalsociety.org

Second Reading

psw  •  Link

in her underwear by the fireplace and the siren sings...from 2018 the metoo movement pov... plus ca change
Men are helplessly enthralled by bosoms, all curves... most, like our man here, embarrassedly nonplussed.
Naturally he blames her for not being modest as he thought.
sorry, just had to get on the other side of the see-saw

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"he and I sat talking and playing with Mrs. Penington, whom we found undrest in her smocke and petticoats by the fireside, and there we drank and laughed, and she willingly suffered me to put my hand in her bosom very wantonly, and keep it there long. Which methought was very strange, and I looked upon myself as a man mightily deceived in a lady, for I could not have thought she could have suffered it, by her former discourse with me; so modest she seemed and I know not what. "

It is night, Mrs. Penington has dressed down to her undies, there is a fire, there are candles, there is drink, good fellowship and it is plague time.

Marquess  •  Link

One could say that Sam had a handful and delighted in it.

Sallie C  •  Link

My 11th great aunt was a party girl!!!

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