Monday 25 March 1667

(Ladyday.) Up, and with Sir W. Batten and [Sir] W. Pen by coach to Exeter House to our lawyers to have consulted about our trial to-morrow, but missed them, so parted, and [Sir] W. Pen and I to Mr. Povy’s about a little business of [Sir] W. Pen’s, where we went over Mr. Povy’s house, which lies in the same good condition as ever, which is most extraordinary fine, and he was now at work with a cabinet-maker, making of a new inlaid table. Having seen his house, we away, having in our way thither called at Mr. Lilly’s, who was working; and indeed his pictures are without doubt much beyond Mr. Hales’s, I think I may say I am convinced: but a mighty proud man he is, and full of state. So home, and to the office, and by and by to dinner, a poor dinner, my wife and I, at Sir W. Pen’s, and then he and I before to Exeter House, where I do not stay, but to the King’s playhouse; and by and by comes Mr. Lowther and his wife and mine, and into a box, forsooth, neither of them being dressed, which I was almost ashamed of. Sir W. Pen and I in the pit, and here saw “The Mayden Queene” again; which indeed the more I see the more I like, and is an excellent play, and so done by Nell, her merry part, as cannot be better done in nature, I think. Thence home, and there I find letters from my brother, which tell me that yesterday when he wrote my mother did rattle in the throat so as they did expect every moment her death, which though I have a good while expected did much surprise me, yet was obliged to sup at Sir W. Pen’s and my wife, and there counterfeited some little mirth, but my heart was sad, and so home after supper and to bed, and much troubled in my sleep of my being crying by my mother’s bedside, laying my head over hers and crying, she almost dead and dying, and so waked, but what is strange, methought she had hair over her face, and not the same kind of face as my mother really hath, but yet did not consider that, but did weep over her as my mother, whose soul God have mercy of.

27 Annotations

First Reading

cum salis grano  •  Link

The navy needs him as there are too many rumours abound of a dutch treat.

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"to Exeter House to our lawyers to have consulted about our trial to-morrow" -- the first of the ten stops Pepys makes today is where the court of Admiralty tried prize-cases.

----
RG - my thought exactly.

cape henry  •  Link

"...yet was obliged to sup at Sir W. Pen’s..."Sums it up?

Bradford  •  Link

"what is strange, methought she had hair over her face, and not the same kind of face as my mother really hath, but yet did not consider that, but did weep over her as my mother," . . . Perhaps her younger, pre-Sam self? But a prime example of how the dream process changes faces and places, and yet we are not deceived, and mourn regardless.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

Alas, poor Meg. Damnit Sam, at least send some cash in case they need it.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

Spooky dream...

Spoiler...

Since one terrible day Sam will indeed be weeping at the bedside of a dying, beloved woman, I can't help wondering if this is a premonition.

Susan Scott  •  Link

Peter Lely is THE painter of the time, the official portraitist to the King, and he and his studio of assistants are busily churning out pictures of the royal family, peers,and other grandees by the score; he's in such demand that his portrait sittings began at eight a.m. The last thing Lely likely wished was to be interrupted at his easel by chatty Sam, determined to have a bit of art appreciation. Probably accounts for Sam's huffy estimation of Mr. Lely as "mighty proud."

C.J.Darby  •  Link

Hi, Cum grano salis, I know you meant "threat" but in Ireland dutch treat means that you are invited out for dinner and then have to pay for it yourself. Perhaps it was a freudian slip.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

“Lely?!”

“Oh, no…” sigh.

“Ah, there you are…Thought I’d drop by and see how the new portraits were coming….”

“Mr. Pepys. What a blessing.”

“No problem, glad to give you the chance…Hmmn…No, no. Lelys, now we discussed this…”

“Did we, Mr. Pepys?”

“Yes, indeed. I went into no little detail about this last time I was here. You don’t want to paint my Lady Castlemaine in this light.”

“I don’t?”

“No, of course not. It totally obscures the luminous glow of her skin.”

“Luminous glow…I see.”

“Here, let me show you…”

“Mr. Pepys, if you wouldn’t mind giving me back that brush…”

“There, much better. See?”

Thank God I substituted the old practice work…Lely sighs.

“Yes, very nice, Mr. Pepys. Now if you wouldn’t mind…?”

“Of course, of course…Don’t mind me. Now what do we have here…?”

“Mr. Pepys, those pigments are priceless!”

“Hmmph…Rather dull, I would say. Now you know Halys has some wonderful bright things…”

“Susan?! Susan!!!! Susan, for the love of God!!!!“

“Anything wrong?”

“Oh, no, Mr. Pepys. Susan just doesn’t hear all that well.”

“Sir?”

“Ah, Susan. Would you mind showing Mr. Pepys our latest work…Upstairs?”

“Ah…Susan…” Sam beams.

Mary  •  Link

Why not go to Brampton?

Well, there is that little matter of the trial over the prize-goods, with the court sitting tomorrow. Sam apparently has no hope (that death-rattle, reported as having been heard yesterday) of getting to Brampton before his mother draws her last breath.

cum salis grano  •  Link

"in Ireland dutch treat means that you are invited out for dinner and then have to pay for it yourself"

In This case, ye be invited to the war party but you have to pay with thy ships.
Just a view point, always with a pinch of salt or be it pepper.

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"English rivalry with the Netherlands especially during the period of the Anglo-Dutch Wars gave rise to several phrases including Dutch that promote certain negative stereotypes. Examples include Dutch courage, Dutch uncle and Dutch wife."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goin…

A. De Araujo  •  Link

"death-rattle"
Maybe she was just snoring!

jeannine  •  Link

“and much troubled in my sleep of my being crying by my mother’s bedside, laying my head over hers and crying, she almost dead and dying, and so waked, but what is strange, methought she had hair over her face, and not the same kind of face as my mother really hath, but yet did not consider that, but did weep over her as my mother, whose soul God have mercy of.”

I feel very badly for Sam, not because he is dreaming of his mother dying, but because he isn’t with her while she is dying. There is nothing as difficult as being with someone you love as they pass on, but being beside that person to comfort them through their final moments, as wrenching as those moments may be, can be the ultimate expression of devoted love, and in the long term, a comfort to the survivor.

Australian Susan  •  Link

We normally see Sam as a man of action - dashing about in boats and coaches, writing long epistles, poking about in the dockyards to check up on things. Eager for Court gossip, visiting friends and so on. His strange inaction at this bitter news seems out of character. As has been suggested, surely he could send money - or even Bess to Brampton. A passive Sam is odd.

Linda  •  Link

Yester diary day was "Lord's Day"; and today is "Lady Day" and it is also the last time Lady Day was also considered by many to be the first day of the new year, correct? For that (probably Catholic?) contingent it is now finally 1667.

Terry Foreman  •  Link

There is at least one thing I did not know in this account!

"In Annunciation Style dating the new year started on 25 March, the feast of the Annunciation. This was used in many parts of Europe in the Middle Ages. Annunciation Style continued to be used officially in the Kingdom of Great Britain until 1 January 1752, except Scotland which changed to Circumcision Style dating on 1 January 1600, the Act being passed on 17 December 1599.[17] The rest of Great Britain changed to Circumcision Style on the 1 January preceding the conversion in Great Britain from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar on 3/14 September 1752. The UK tax year still starts on 6 April which is 25 March + 12 days, eleven for the conversion from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar plus a dropped leap day in 1900." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_…

Robert Gertz  •  Link

In fairness to Sam he may have sent money and offers of anything needed...

Spoiler...

But it is strange he or Bess are not planning to and will not go...

Harvey  •  Link

Why would he send money, when there is nothing that money can buy that will help her now?

In these circumstances, sending money would just be a salve to his concience and he doesn't seem to need that.

Second Reading

john  •  Link

"[...] forsooth, neither of them being dressed, which I was almost ashamed of."

To see and not be seen. (My wife will never let me go out in my farm clothes, mind.)

john  •  Link

jeannine wrote: "There is nothing as difficult as being with someone you love as they pass on, [..,]"

Indeed, a friend is in palliative care (expected to be gone in 2 weeks); only his wife is allowed to see him and then only rarely.

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

Sorry to hear this, John. Having gone through it a couple of years back, all I can say is that hanging out on this blog gave me mental stimulation and diversion, which helped me cope. Still does. Considered yourself hugged -- and keep on blogging.

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"... by and by comes Mr. Lowther and his wife and mine, and into a box, forsooth, neither of them being dressed, which I was almost ashamed of."

Anthony Lowther was a wealthy young man with an estate in Yorkshire. Evidently he was doing his best to fit in with the in-laws, as there's no note in his Parliamentary bio of his being anything but the good Anglican son of Royalist Cavaliers.

You think Pepys' guesses they are Quakers? In which case, why isn't he worried about Adm. Penn tainting the department with his non-conformist ways?

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

L&M note: William Coventry's salary came to an end on 25 March, 1667. His court business was his work as a Privy Councilor.

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