Friday 13 April 1666
Up, being called up by my wife’s brother, for whom I have got a commission from the Duke of Yorke for Muster-Master of one of the divisions, of which Harman is Rere-Admirall, of which I am glad as well as he. After I had acquainted him with it, and discoursed a little of it, I went forth and took him with me by coach to the Duke of Albemarle, who being not up, I took a walk with Balty into the Parke, and to the Queene’s Chappell, it being Good Friday, where people were all upon their knees very silent; but, it seems, no masse this day. So back and waited on the Duke and received some commands of his, and so by coach to Mr. Hales’s, where it is pretty strange to see that his second doing, I mean the second time of her sitting, is less like Mrs. Pierce than the first, and yet I am confident will be most like her, for he is so curious that I do not see how it is possible for him to mistake.
Here he and I presently resolved of going to White Hall, to spend an houre in the galleries there among the pictures, and we did so to my great satisfaction, he shewing me the difference in the payntings, and when I come more and more to distinguish and observe the workmanship, I do not find so many good things as I thought there was, but yet great difference between the works of some and others; and, while my head and judgment was full of these, I would go back again to his house to see his pictures, and indeed, though, I think, at first sight some difference do open, yet very inconsiderably but that I may judge his to be very good pictures. Here we fell into discourse of my picture, and I am for his putting out the Landskipp, though he says it is very well done, yet I do judge it will be best without it, and so it shall be put out, and be made a plain sky like my wife’s picture, which will be very noble.
Thence called upon an old woman in Pannier Ally to agree for ruling of some paper for me and she will do it pretty cheap. Here I found her have a very comely black mayde to her servant, which I liked very well.
So home to dinner and to see my joiner do the bench upon my leads to my great content. After dinner I abroad to carry paper to my old woman, and so to Westminster Hall, and there beyond my intention or design did see and speak with Betty Howlett, at her father’s still, and it seems they carry her to her own house to begin the world with her young husband on Monday next, Easter Monday. I please myself with the thoughts of her neighbourhood, for I love the girl mightily.
Thence home, and thither comes Mr. Houblon and a brother, with whom I evened for the charter parties of their ships for Tangier, and paid them the third advance on their freight to full satisfaction, and so, they being gone, comes Creed and with him till past one in the morning, evening his accounts till my head aked and I was fit for nothing, however, coming at last luckily to see through and settle all to my mind, it did please me mightily, and so with my mind at rest to bed, and he with me and hard to sleep. [Continued tomorrow. P.G.]
24 Annotations
First Reading
Todd Bernhardt • Link
Friday the 13th ... yet it is Good Friday. The mind reels.
Araucaria • Link
Good Friday the 13th occurs several times a century. In the 21st century, it occurs in 2001, 2063, 2074, 2085, 2096.
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comp…
Margaret • Link
"Thence called upon an old woman in Pannier Ally to agree for ruling of some paper for me and she will do it pretty cheap"
Does this mean that he's paying someone to draw lines on paper for use in the office? Presumably cheaper than getting the clerks to do it themselves, I suppose.
cape henry • Link
"Does this mean that he’s paying someone to draw lines on paper..." In fact, it was for use in ledgers. He had been paying his wife and maid to do this work.
Michael Robinson • Link
" ... to spend an houre in the galleries there among the pictures, and we did so to my great satisfaction, he shewing me the difference in the payntings, ... and, while my head and judgment was full of these, I would go back again to his house to see his pictures, ..."
Clearly Hales has great confidence in his own abilities and skill. Its also worth observing that the attributions on many paintings in England at the time were to later eyes statements of hope and aspiration made frequently without the benefit of knowledge of known autograph works.
Michael Robinson • Link
" ... and I am for his putting out the Landskipp, though he says it is very well done, yet I do judge it will be best without it, and so it shall be put out, and be made a plain sky like my wife’s picture, which will be very noble."
After only an hours 'show and tell' tour in the Whitehall Galleries Lady Catherine de Bourgh-Pepys is in action!
Mary • Link
The putting out of the landscape.
Hales may have made a very good job of the landscape background, but Sam clearly felt that it distracted the eye from the portrait itself. I think that he had a point - no-one can deny the presence of the subject in the picture that has come down to us.
No mention of any additional payment being exacted by Hales for the additional work, injured professional pride etc. involved in this revision.
Tony Eldridge • Link
Thence called upon an old woman in Pannier Ally to agree for ruling of some paper for me and she will do it pretty cheap.
What would she use? A quill, I assume. If so she must have a steady hand for her age - or perhaps "old" just means a few years older than Sam.
A. De Araujo • Link
"putting out the landskipp"
If it was painted over there are ways to retrieve it.
Res Ipsa • Link
"but, it seems, no masse this day"
"did see and speak with Betty Howlett, at her father’s still, and it seems they carry her to her own house to begin the world with her young husband on Monday next, Easter Monday."
I don't know about the rules of the Anglican Church then or now, but I know that the Roman Catholic Church does not have a regular "mass" on Good Friday -- the only day of the year this is so. There is a service, but no Communion on this day. Also, the Church does not allow any marriages to take place during Lent. I also remember reading that before Henry VIII broke with Rome he was not allowed to have intercourse with his wife during lent.
Mary • Link
no masse this day.
The Queen's Chapel was indeed a Roman Catholic chapel, so one would not expect there to have been a Mass celebrated on Good Friday - though Sam does not appear to have realised that this would be the case. He was, after all, brought up by an apparently sectarian mother in a broadly Anglican household.
Autumn • Link
"...they carry her to her own house to begin the world with her young husband on Monday next, Easter Monday."
I think that phrase is absolutely lovely.
Terry Foreman • Link
"Mr. Houblon and a brother, with whom I evened for the charter parties of their ships for Tangier, and paid them the third advance on their freight to full satisfaction"
The Houblons's ship was paid for its freight and Pepys was paid for arranging a license for the ship to set sail. For the deal see 22 Jan and this annote.
http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
Paul Chapin • Link
Per ADA's comment, I wonder whether anyone has x-rayed Sam's portrait to look at the painted-over landscape.
I've seen a lot of those paintings with landscapes in the background, and I agree with Mary that Sam's is much more striking the way it is.
Michael Robinson • Link
I wonder whether anyone has x-rayed Sam’s portrait
L&M note X-rays taken in 1954 (and reproduce in the London: 1972 edition, vol vii opposite p. 98, the films overlapped to give a partial image of the left side of the canvas) which "did not reveal the original landscape. They showed alterations to the sitters left hand and the the sheet music with with the song 'Beauty Retire.' (Perhaps the notes were not legible enough for Pepys's taste) Less certainly, they suggested that the sheet of music was an afterthought. They also showed that Pepys's right arm and hand were originally included. ..."
Australian Susan • Link
Mass on Good Friday
We had distribution of the reserved sacrament on GF.
Second Reading
San Diego Sarah • Link
"I please myself with the thoughts of her neighbourhood, for I love the girl mightily."
Is this the first time Pepys has admitted to pleasuring himself and not always looking for a woman? I can't think of any other meaning to this sentence.
San Diego Sarah • Link
'"Thence called upon an old woman in Pannier Ally to agree for ruling of some paper for me and she will do it pretty cheap." -- What would she use? A quill, I assume.'
A good discussion about the problems of drawing grids and lines on paper can be found at
https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
which is when Elizabeth and Mercer were 'hired' to do it.
San Diego Sarah • Link
"Here I found her have a very comely black mayde to her servant, which I liked very well."
Pepys has Spring Fever by the sound of it. I wonder if this means she has black hair, or she is a person of African heritage. Perhaps we will find out ...
Background Lurker • Link
"I can't think of any other meaning to this sentence."
"I am happy with the thought of her living close to me in Thames Street, for I love the girl mightily." Perhaps?
18 March: "they are to live nearer me in Thames Streete, by the Old Swan."
When reading between the lines it's often the case we find what we are looking for. ;-)
James Morgan • Link
When I read it, I didn't read "please myself" as "pleasure myself", only as a comment that he liked the idea she would be in the neighborhood.
And most of the time the comments to the diary seem to indicate "black" in descriptions to mean brunette, per the encyclopedia
https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…
so I imagine that's the case here.
I looked up Mingo, and someone quoted At last we made Mingo, Sir W. Batten's black, and Jack, Sir W. Pen's, dance, and it was strange how the first did dance with a great deal of seeming skill.” So it seems in that case, "black" was used as a noun rather than an adjective, making it clearer that the reference is to someone of African descent.
john • Link
San Diego Sarah, the L&M large glossary states that "black" as an adjective meant of dark hair or complexion.
We never did find out what Bess and Mercer were paid to draw ledger lines nor why they were not engaged again.
San Diego Sarah • Link
"We never did find out what Bess and Mercer were paid to draw ledger lines nor why they were not engaged again."
Since Elizabeth is in Brampton working on Pall's marriage prospects, she can't draw lines. I suspect another servant has gone with her, so Mercer (who we know is still home) must be needed for other work. I suspect this will be an on-going chore, so maybe we will learn more about their wages later (especially as Pepys has had to pay an outside contractor for the same work, so he now knows the going rate).
ignaciodurant • Link
Here he and I presently resolved of going to White Hall, to spend an houre in the galleries there among the pictures, and we did so to my great satisfaction, he shewing me the difference in the payntings, and when I come more and more to distinguish and observe the workmanship, I do not find so many good things as I thought there was, but yet great difference between the works of some and others; and, while my head and judgment was full of these, I would go back again to his house to see his pictures, and indeed, though, I think, at first sight some difference do open, yet very inconsiderably but that I may judge his to be very good pictures. - Hmmmmm