Monday 13 August 1666

Up, without being friends with my wife, nor great enemies, being both quiet and silent. So out to Colvill’s, but he not being come to town yet, I to Paul’s Church-yarde, to treat with a bookbinder, to come and gild the backs of all my books, to make them handsome, to stand in my new presses, when they come. So back again to Colvill’s, and there did end our treaty, to my full content, about my Exchequer assignment of 2600l. of Sir W. Warren’s, for which I give him 170l. to stand to the hazard of receiving it. So I shall get clear by it 230l., which is a very good jobb. God be praised for it! Having done with him, then he and I took coach, and I carried him to Westminster, and there set him down, in our way speaking of several things. I find him a bold man to say any thing of any body, and finds fault with our great ministers of state that nobody looks after any thing; and I thought it dangerous to be free with him, for I do not think he can keep counsel, because he blabs to me what hath passed between other people and him. Thence I to St. James’s, and there missed Sir W. Coventry; but taking up Mr. Robinson in my coach, I towards London, and there in the way met Sir W. Coventry, and followed him to White Hall, where a little discourse very kind, and so I away with Robinson, and set him down at the ’Change, and thence I to Stokes the goldsmith, and sent him to and again to get me 1000l. in gold; and so home to dinner, my wife and I friends, without any words almost of last night. After dinner, I abroad to Stokes, and there did receive 1000l. worth in gold, paying 18½d. [L&M say “18¾d.“. P.G.] and 19d. for others exchange. Home with them, and there to my office to business, and anon home in the evening, there to settle some of my accounts, and then to supper and to bed.

12 Annotations

First Reading

cgs  •  Link

Commish: 1.5d in 240 and 1.0d for the rest, to-day he would charge at least 2.5d for changing 'me' dollars for quids sterling.

Larry Bunce  •  Link

Blab. According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, verb attested from 1535, from the noun dating from c 1374. An older word than I would have guessed for still being considered informal.

cgs  •  Link

add on OED
Blabbe n. ‘chatterer’ occurs in Chaucer c1374, and is very common thenceforth; blab n. ‘chatter, loose talk’ is in Tale of Beryn (c1400), but has not been found elsewhere before the 16th c., when appears also blab vb. ‘to chatter’ (1535), followed in course by its agent noun blabber. But the vb. blabber is earlier than any of these; it occurs in Piers Ploughman (1362), and is (with its deriv. blabberer) very common in Wyclif; the facts thus forbid us to take blabber as a frequentative derivative of blab vb.; while no analogy exists for the formation of either (of the only two early words) blabbe n., blabber vb., from the other. It would be hardly justifiable to assume blabbe to be a 14th c. abbreviation of blabberer. For forms akin to blabber in other langs. see that word. With blabbe we have to compare a n. labbe ‘revealer of secrets, blabber,’ in Chaucer, and a vb. labbe of same age in P. Ploughman, with pple. labbyng ‘blabbing, open-mouthed,’ also in Chaucer, identical with ODu. labben to chatter ‘garrire’ (Stratm.). Blabbe might be a mixed form due to association of labbe and blabber; but may also be purely onomatop{oe}ic. Cf. BABBLE.]

1. An open-mouthed person, one who has not sufficient control over his tongue; a revealer of secrets or of what ought to be kept private; a babbler, tattler, or tell-tale; used also of the tongue. (Exceedingly common in 16th and 17th c.; unusual in literature since c 1750.)
c1374......
2. Loose talk or chatter; babbling; divulging of secrets.
c1400
1679 Observ. last Dutch Wars 8 You with your blustring blabs.

3. ? as adj. Incontinent of speech. Obs.
1552

Michael Robinson  •  Link

"So I shall get clear by it 230l., which is a very good jobb."

L&M point out that this is in addition to a 'gift' of L300 from Warren, not the L100 anticipated by SP following the initial conversation with Warren on Saturday. http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…

*********

SP has picked up L530 in 'gifts' (approx 1.5 times annual salary) between Saturday and Monday yet chooses to spend Sunday evening quarreling with his wife about her personal spending massaged through the the kitchen accounts and ruin domestic harmony for days "Though the thing is not much, yet I would not permit her begin to do so, lest worse should follow." This reminds me of the old joke about puritans being against sex because potentially it might lead to dancing: is there a danger that EP might discover that the road to domestic bliss is to agree to be over charged by butcher and baker and to receive either their cash 'gifts' or credits to her accounts with drapers and lacemakers?

Australian Susan  •  Link

In our household, the sex and dancing joke is about Methodists! Obviously a worldwide joke.

Wonder if Bess will now think to disguise her accounts and hide what she spends on lace etc. Rather like Robin Williams who said he once tried to pass off $50,000 worth of cocaine as "snacks" to his accountant.

You would have thought Sam would have noticed the new pinner at least. Maybe that's partly why Bess is piqued - she adorns herself in spactacular and up to the minute fashion and he only notices when it appears in the household accounts! Cue Mutley-like mutterings...

Robert Gertz  •  Link

"...without being friends with my wife, nor great enemies, being both quiet and silent..."

You wouldn't want Bess as an enemy.

["Just you wait, Samuel Pepys...Just you wait. You'll be sorry but your tears'll be too late."]

"Oh, Dr. Pierce...I am so ashamed of what Sam has been doing to your dear wife's reputation."

"Oh, Mr. Knipp." sob. "I can't believe your wife and my husband would..." sob.

"Oh, Your Grace...Sir William." sob. "When I think how terrible it is that Samuel has taken so much from the King in his position of trust. And wronged you and Sir William so badly..."

["You'll be broke and I'll have money. Will I help ya? Don't be funny...Just you wait, Samuel Pepys just you wait.]

"Hello gentlemen..." to angry seamen thronging outside Navy Office. "It grieves my heart to have tell you handsome, brave boys..." smile...Sad sigh... "...that it's my very own husband who's been responsible for your being pressed from your homes, badly fed, poorly clothed, robbed of your pay...While all the time in the cellar of our house..."

["Then they'll march you, Samuel Pepys, to the wall...And the King will say, 'Eliza, sound the call.' As they lift their rifle 'igher...I'll shout 'Ready, aim...'"

"Bess?...What are you muttering in French about? Lets go sing in the garden...I won't ask Mercer." arch smile.

"Bess? Wait for me..."

Mon Dieu...I am such a pushover. Sigh.

But who could resist those sweet bug's eyes...]

Robert Gertz  •  Link

"So out to Colvill’s, but he not being come to town yet, I to Paul’s Church-yarde, to treat with a bookbinder, to come and gild the backs of all my books, to make them handsome, to stand in my new presses, when they come."

Hard stare from Bess at new presses, gilded books, finally Samuel.

"What? They're...Ummn...Business expenses."

Bradford  •  Link

"[H]ome to dinner, my wife and I friends, without any words almost of last night." Almost.

And in the Mid-South U.S., A. Susan, the joke of course applies to Baptists.

cgs  •  Link

It is always that other group that sins , I mean dancing, music , hip moving, toes twinking always upsets the chemical balance and helps beget the next generation.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

"Maybe that’s partly why Bess is piqued - she adorns herself in spactacular and up to the minute fashion and he only notices when it appears in the household accounts! Cue Mutley-like mutterings…"

(If I may, Susan.)
"...thence I to Stokes the goldsmith, and sent him to and again to get me 1000l. in gold; and so home to dinner, my wife and I friends, without any words almost of last night. After dinner, I abroad to Stokes, and there did receive 1000l. worth in gold, paying 18 1/2d. and 19d. for others exchange."

The Money-Grubber's Wife.

***
"...there in the way met Sir W. Coventry, and followed him to White Hall, where a little discourse very kind..."

"Up Pepys...Good boy." rubs neck fondly.

Second Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"I to Paul’s Church-yarde, to treat with a bookbinder, to come and gild the backs of all my books, to make them handsome, to stand in my new presses, when they come. "

L&M: For Pepys's care of his books , see https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…

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