Thursday 12 July 1666
[Continued from yesterday. P.G.] …but was up again by five o’clock, and was forced to rise, having much business, and so up and dressed myself (enquiring, was told that Mrs. Tooker was gone hence to live at London) and away with Poundy to the Tower, and thence, having shifted myself, but being mighty drowsy for want of sleep, I by coach to St. James’s, to Goring House, there to wait on my Lord Arlington to give him an account of my night’s worke, but he was not up, being not long since married: so, after walking up and down the house below, — being the house I was once at Hartlib’s sister’s wedding, and is a very fine house and finely furnished, — and then thinking it too much for me to lose time to wait my Lord’s rising, I away to St. James’s, and there to Sir W. Coventry, and wrote a letter to my Lord Arlington giving him an account of what I have done, and so with Sir W. Coventry into London, to the office. And all the way I observed him mightily to make mirth of the Duke of Albemarle and his people about him, saying, that he was the happiest man in the world for doing of great things by sorry instruments. And so particularized in Sir W. Clerke, and Riggs, and Halsey, and others. And then again said that the only quality eminent in him was, that he did persevere; and indeed he is a very drudge, and stands by the King’s business. And this he said, that one thing he was good at, that he never would receive an excuse if the thing was not done; listening to no reasoning for it, be it good or bad. But then I told him, what he confessed, that he would however give the man, that he employs, orders for removing of any obstruction that he thinks he shall meet with in the world, and instanced in several warrants that he issued for breaking open of houses and other outrages about the business of prizes, which people bore with either for affection or fear, which he believes would not have been borne with from the King, nor Duke, nor any man else in England, and I thinke he is in the right, but it is not from their love of him, but from something else I cannot presently say.
Sir W. Coventry did further say concerning Warcupp, his kinsman, that had the simplicity to tell Sir W. Coventry, that the Duke did intend to go to sea and to leave him his agent on shore for all things that related to the sea. But, says Sir W. Coventry, I did believe but the Duke of Yorke would expect to be his agent on shore for all sea matters. And then he begun to say what a great man Warcupp was, and something else, and what was that but a great lyer; and told me a story, how at table he did, they speaking about antipathys, say, that a rose touching his skin any where, would make it rise and pimple; and, by and by, the dessert coming, with roses upon it, the Duchesse bid him try, and they did; but they rubbed and rubbed, but nothing would do in the world, by which his lie was found at then.
He spoke contemptibly of Holmes and his mermidons, that come to take down the ships from hence, and have carried them without any necessaries, or any thing almost, that they will certainly be longer getting ready than if they had staid here.
In fine, I do observe, he hath no esteem nor kindnesse for the Duke’s matters, but, contrarily, do slight him and them; and I pray God the Kingdom do not pay too dear by this jarring; though this blockheaded Duke I did never expect better from.
At the office all the morning, at noon home and thought to have slept, my head all day being full of business and yet sleepy and out of order, and so I lay down on my bed in my gowne to sleep, but I could not, therefore about three o’clock up and to dinner and thence to the office, where Mrs. Burroughs, my pretty widow, was and so I did her business and sent her away by agreement, and presently I by coach after and took her up in Fenchurch Streete and away through the City, hiding my face as much as I could, but she being mighty pretty and well enough clad, I was not afeard, but only lest somebody should see me and think me idle. I quite through with her, and so into the fields Uxbridge way, a mile or two beyond Tyburne, and then back and then to Paddington, and then back to Lyssen green, a place the coachman led me to (I never knew in my life) and there we eat and drank and so back to Charing Crosse, and there I set her down. All the way most excellent pretty company. I had her lips as much as I would, and a mighty pretty woman she is and very modest and yet kinde in all fair ways.
All this time I passed with mighty pleasure, it being what I have for a long time wished for, and did pay this day 5s. forfeite for her company.
She being gone, I to White Hall and there to Lord Arlington’s, and met Mr. Williamson, and find there is no more need of my trouble about the Galliott, so with content departed, and went straight home, where at the office did the most at the office in that wearied and sleepy state I could, and so home to supper, and after supper falling to singing with Mercer did however sit up with her, she pleasing me with her singing of “Helpe, helpe,” ‘till past midnight and I not a whit drowsy, and so to bed.
26 Annotations
First Reading
Terry Foreman • Link
L&M decipher "his lie was found out then."
Mr. Gunning • Link
"and did pay this day 5s. forfeite for her company"
Michael Robinson • Link
" ... she pleasing me with her singing of “Helpe, helpe,”
"Help, help, O help, Divinity of Love”
by Henry Lawes, printed in “The Second Book of Ayres and Dialogues.” London (Playford), 1655. It is entitled “A Storme.” per Wheatley
L&M add the following details: “setting of Henry Hughes’s poem (referring to Henrietta-Maria’s landing in a storm at Bridlington, 1643)"
Per Paul Brewster's annotation:
http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
Michael Robinson • Link
" ... and presently I by coach after and took her up in Fenchurch Streete and away through the City, ..."
Shades of Léon and Emma Bovery ...
cgs • Link
she not a penny Annie.
Patricia • Link
" that a rose touching his skin any where, would make it rise and pimple; and, by and by, the dessert coming, with roses upon it, the Duchesse bid him try, and they did; but they rubbed and rubbed, but nothing would do in the world, by which his lie was found at then."
Poor Warcup! One may be allergic to the leaves and stems yet not to the blossoms, but surely nobody blisters up immediately? People who boast of their many allergies are bores anyway.
Muddiman • Link
London Gazette for July 12, 1666:
http://londongazette.wordpress.co…
Paul Chapin • Link
"I quite through with her ..."
In the context, this doesn't make sense in the modern meaning of the phrase. He wasn't through with her, the coach ride and the necking went on for quite a while. Does L&M have a different reading, or is there some obsolete use of the phrase at work here?
Mary • Link
"I quite through with her"
L&M has the same reading.
Perhaps Sam has telescoped the expression and means that he got right through the City with her (without being recognised) and proceeded towards open country.
Not a very convincing interpretation, I agree, but just possible.
Michael Robinson • Link
"I quite through with her, ... "
L&M text reads the same.
The only differences from L&M in the above passage concerning Mrs. Burroughs are in the use of a dash and paragraphing; both are authorial not editorial.
The 'dash':
"... took her up in Fenchurch Streete -- and away through the City,..."
The paragraphing:
"... and yet kinde in all fair ways.
All this time I passed with mighty pleasure, it being what I have for a long time wished for, and did pay this day 5s. forfeite for her company.
She being gone, I to White Hall ..."
A. Hamilton • Link
I concur with Mary's reading, and construe the thread as "away through the city...quite through...and so into the fields... then back and then to Paddington, and then back to Lyssen green"
GrahamT • Link
The City to Uxbridge, then back via Paddington to Lisson green is quite a trip. It is at least 35 miles, plus another 2 back to Whitehall. And all this after 3 pm, then back to work. The coach must have gone at quite a trot.
I am not a horseman, but I estimate at least 3-4 hours, though I am sure watering the horses and other stops must have extended that.
His excursions through Shoreditch, Hackney and Kingsland are much shorter, by distance, but he writes about them as though they are The Grand Tour and yet doesn't mention the distance covered here for the sake of a few kisses.
I assume from the lack of French and Spanish that it didn't go further than kissing.
Robert Gertz • Link
Sam should really post a list of fees:
Tickets paid for husband. 10 kisses and grope per ticket.
Money loan for widows of seamen 1 rendezvous, unlimited petting and grope. Above 2Ls ...
Job promotions. 10 rendezvous with ... per grade level.
Robert Gertz • Link
So Frances has escaped at last? Like to read poor "Mrs. Tooker's" Diary.
July 12, 1666...
Left the ole hound with 4s for me pocket and lifted the 1000Ls in gold the night before. God knows, well earned.
***
Well, one can hope...
Mary • Link
Pepys didn't go to Uxbridge.
He just travelled in the general direction of Uxbridge "a mile or two beyond Tyburn' before turning round and heading back towards London.
Robert Gertz • Link
"...she pleasing me with her singing of “Helpe, helpe..."
"I wasn't singing." Mercer frowns.
A. Hamilton • Link
Riding with Madame Bovary
I make it out to be abut 12 miles, from Fenchurch St. to Tyburn (Marble Arch) and on for a mile or two, e.g., Notting Hill Gate, then back and to Paddington, Lisson Green, Tyburn and Charing Cross. Pepys probably tipped the coachman to go slow ("lente, lente,") and may have got 3 hours dalliance.
cgs • Link
Ah! that middle age crisis, blinds down, around we go.
"...back to Lyssen green, a place the coachman led me ..." in spitting distance of modern trysting spots.
Terry Foreman • Link
Muddiman, thanks for the link to today's London Gazette. Its international coverage is recent and far-ranging -- from Boston to Leghorn!
Paul Chapin • Link
Thanks Mary, MR, and AH. The "quite through the city" interpretation sounds right.
Brian • Link
"He spoke contemptibly of Holmes and his mermidons"
From Wikipedia, The Myrmidons of Greek myth were known for their loyalty to their leaders, so that in pre-industrial Europe the word "myrmidon" carried many of the same connotations that "robot" does today. Myrmidon later came to mean "hired ruffian" (according to the Oxford English Dictionary) or "a loyal follower, especially one who executes orders without question, protest, or pity, unquestioning followers." (Dictionary.com)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myrm…
Robert Gertz • Link
Achilles' famous murder of the unarmed Hector in "Troilus and Cressida" by his Myrmidons comes to mind... "Strike, here is the man I seek."
language hat • Link
From the Gazette Muddiman so kindly linked:
Stockholm, June 22
...The Chevalier de Trelon, the French Ambassador here, has at last with much difficulty sent away for France, the Body of the famous Philosopher and Mathematician René des Cartes, wrapped up in Copper, who about twelve years since died in this City.
Second Reading
Terry Foreman • Link
"my Lord Arlington...was not up, being not long since married"
L&M: He had married a Dutchwoman, Isabella van Beverweerd, on 16 May 1666.
Terry Foreman • Link
Sir W. Coventry "told me a story, how at table [Warcupp] did, they speaking about antipathys, say, that a rose touching his skin any where, would make it rise and pimple."
L&M: Evelyn (18 June 1670) has a story of a lady who had hre cheek blistered by a rose laid upon it when she was asleep. The story derived from Kenelm Digby (cf. his Two Treatises, 1644, p. 336), but Digby was, as Evelyn says, 'a teller of strange things'. See Evelyn, iii. 550 & n.
john • Link
With regard to instant blistering, roses are not phototoxic plants but the reaction to phototoxins can be immediate. A few years ago, I was reclaiming some of our back yard and whatever I cut caused a row of blisters across my leg.