Thursday 23 May 1667

Up, and to the office, where we sat all the morning. At noon home, and with my father dined, and, poor man! he hath put off his travelling-clothes to-day, and is mighty spruce, and I love to see him cheerful. After dinner I to my chamber, and my wife and I to talk, and by and by they tell Mrs. Daniel would speak with me, so I down to the parlour to her, and sat down together and talked about getting her husband a place … [and here I did adventure etsi the porta etait operta para put my mano abajo su jupes two or three temps et touch her cosa con great pleasure, ella resisting pretty much, sed never the minus submitted. – L&M] I do promise, and mean to do what kindness I can to her husband. After having been there hasti je was ashamed de peur that my people pensait … [to pragma – L&M] de it, or lest they might espy us through some trees, we parted and I to the office, and presently back home again, and there was asked by my wife, I know not whether simply or with design, how I come to look as I did, car ego was in much chaleur et de body and of animi, which I put off with the heat of the season, and so to other business, but I had some fear hung upon me lest alcuno had sidi decouvert. So to the office, and then to Sir R. Viner’s about some part of my accounts now going on with him, and then home and ended my letters, and then to supper and my chamber to settle many things there, and then to bed.

This noon I was on the ’Change, where I to my astonishment hear, and it is in the Gazette, that Sir John Duncomb is sworn yesterday a Privy-councillor. This day I hear also that last night the Duke of Kendall, second son of the Duke of York, did die; and that the other, Duke of Cambridge, continues very ill still.

This afternoon I had opportunity para jouer with Mrs. Pen, tokendo her mammailles and baisando elle, being sola in the casa of her pater, and she fort willing.

19 Annotations

First Reading

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

Wow. Even with the ellipses, it seems pretty clear that Sam is bold beyond reason. It's almost like he *wants* to get caught...

Terry Foreman  •  Link

“ …. After dinner, I to my chamber and my wife and father to talk; and by and by they tell Mrs. Daniel would speak with me, so I down to the parlour to her and sat down together and talked about getting her husband a place; and here I did adventure etsi the porta etait operta para put my mano abajo su jupes two or three temps et touch her cosa con great pleasure, ella resisting pretty much, sed never the minus submitted. I do promise, and mean to do what kindness I can to her husband; and after having been there hasta yo was ashamed, de peur that my people pensaient to pragma de it, or lest they might espy nous through some trees, we parted, and I to the office and presently back home again, and there was asked by my wife, I know not whether simply or with design, how I came to look as I did, car yo was in much calor et de body and of animi; which I put off the heat of the season, and so to other business, and I had some fear hung upon me lest algo
had sido decouvert. ….”

... “ …. This afternoon I had opportunity para jouer with Mrs. Pen, tocando her mamelles and besando ella ­ being sola in the casa of her pater ­ and she fort willing.”

http://www.pepys.info/bits5.html

Terry Foreman  •  Link

The Royal Society today at Arundel House — from the Hooke Folio Online

May. 23. 1667. expt. not Ready (Dutchesse of newcastle)
[ http://www.astr.ua.edu/4000WS/CAV… ]
Dr. Kings paper about corrosion by Cider. cyder not breeding stone) Anatomy of Lobster & scales)

mr. Hooke moued that some Expts. might be [In margin]B. made to find whether it be the supply of fresh air or the motion of the lungs that keeps animalls aliue. which he sayd might be done by cutting a hole in the thorax & making an incision in the Lungs and blowing into them by the Aspira arteria. Orderd this expt. to be made as soon as conueniently it could be done. the same moued that the intestinum Rectum in some animall might be cutt off which he thought could be as easily done as the taking out of the spleen order was giuen to make this Expt. likewise.

(Expt for Entertain Dutchess of newcastle. [ http://plato.stanford.edu/entries… ]
1 of colours. 2 mixing cold liquors for producing. 3 swimming of bodys in the midst of water. 4 dissoluing meat in oyle of vitroll 5. weighing air in a Recieuer by Rarifying engine 6. flatt marble 7. magnetick Expts., as terrella driuing oft steel dust at its poles 8. good microscopors these mr Boyle & the curator were desired to prouide and take care of.

http://webapps.qmul.ac.uk/cell/Ho…

Robert Gertz  •  Link

"...there was asked by my wife, I know not whether simply or with design, how I come to look as I did, car ego was in much chaleur et de body and of animi, which I put off with the heat of the season, and so to other business, but I had some fear hung upon me lest alcuno had sidi decouvert."

You're losing it, Sam. In your parlor? With a woman who showed some resistance?

***

Heaven...

"Bess, I am truly ashamed...I..."

"Don't mention it. You should have seen what your father and I were up to while you were destroying the parlor."

Australian Susan  •  Link

So predictable. We don't even need it spelled out - just that ominous phrase " getting her husband a place" followed by those dots. Thanks for the extra bits Terry anyway!
I did wonder if, having met her in the parlour, he went outside, because of the reference to people from the household spying them through the trees.

Poor Mrs Daniel. Presumably she knew what she was about, but that doesn't mean she didn't find it distasteful.

And, for different reasons, poor Duchess of York losing her little boys, and knowing that to most, there were just pawns in the political game, not the much-loved little children they were to her (and much-loved grandsons to her father)

Robert Gertz  •  Link

I take it Meg Lowther provided sufficient proof she bore no pox after all?

Robert Gertz  •  Link

Perhaps there's a connection between Sam's sudden and rather insane fit of sexual predation and Bess' recent illness? No sex at home and no Mrs. Martin readily available on backup makes Sam a wild boy?

***
Of course what I would like to see is Daniels storming in front of poor Bess and John and kicking our hero accross the parlor and down into his house of office...But somehow Sam so far has always managed to avoid that fate, perhaps by picking those he was fairly certain would or could not resist. Mrs. Daniels' lack of cooperation may have taken him by surprise.

Todd Bernhardt  •  Link

Thanks for the full text, Terry. Could someone provide a translation? I get most of it, but like Sue, I am wondering how they got outside...

And Robert, Sam's in no danger of getting the pox from Meg, given the extent of their activities...

Robert Gertz  •  Link

Depends on the pox, actually. We assume syphilis I suppose but "pox" could cover a wide range. Yet Sam is probably extremely cautious. Though with all this chasing after women like Mrs. Daniels who may be, shall we say, not always of the most refined social condition, it's amazing he hasn't had an umpleasant surprise.

cum salis grano  •  Link

Ah! the casting couch syndrome, you want "sumat", then pay up.
"Nutin" is free, never was, never will be, Free means paying painlessly?

Robert Gertz  •  Link

"Say did you see poor Meg Lowther while you were heading to the office today? I told you she was all alone at her father's. Admiral Sir William Penn's daughter, father-in-law!" pauses to call to a frowning John.

"Girl, I'm not able to move but my hearing is just fine. What's so 'poor' about the Admiral's daughter?"

"I've heard...The pox. From her husband."

"Nonsense." Sam, hastily. "I mean, Penn would have mentioned it...Vile rumors must not be allowed to take root through us, Mrs. Pepys."

"I saw an open sore on her finger." Bess notes. "Lowther's got at least two on his hands. Maybe it's not theee...Pox, but they've both got something. Lord knows neither he nor she is ever going to find themselves giving me a kiss or hug in greeting."

"What?!! Dear God in Heaven!!!" Ummn... "I mean, what?"

"Damned fool younger generation..." John frowns.

Ruben  •  Link

What I make of today's hodge-podge:
“ …. After dinner, I to my chamber and my wife and father to talk; and by and by they tell Mrs. Daniel would speak with me, so I down to the parlour to her and sat down together and talked about getting her husband a place; and here I did adventure despite the door being open to put my hand under her skirt two or three times and touch her thing with much pleasure, she resisting pretty much, never the less submitted. I do promise, and mean to do what kindness I can to her husband; and after having been there till I was ashamed, scared what my people thought I was doing, or lest they might espy us through some trees, we parted, and I to the office and presently back home again, and there was asked by my wife, I know not whether simply or with design, how I came to look as I did, because I was in much heat of body and breath; which I put off the heat of the season, and so to other business, and I had some fear hung upon me lest something had been found out. ….”

… “ …. This afternoon I had opportunity to sport (play) with Mrs. Pen, touching her breasts and kissing her being alone in the house of her father ­ and she very willing.”

Second Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"Thanks for the full text, Terry. Could someone provide a translation? I get most of it, but like Sue, I am wondering how they got outside..."

Todd, the link below the L&M text ( http://www.pepys.info/bits5.html ) goes to a translation of the "Secretive Passages in Chronological Order" posted by Duncan Grey "In cooperation with [his] colleague Prizzlesprung"

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"I do promise, and mean to do what kindness I can to her husband."

L&M: Appointments to the summer fleet were now due; Samuel Daniel(s) appears to have been a lieutenant in the Royal Charles in 1666.

Terry Foreman  •  Link

" it is in the Gazette, that Sir John Duncomb is sworn yesterday a Privy-councillor."

L&M: London Gazette, 23 May. Duncombe's rise, from a post in the Ordinance, had been rapid. In Marvell's words: 'powder ne'er blew man up so soon so high' (Last Instructions, l. 796.) Clarendon (Life, iii. 244-5) wrongly states that he was a mere private gentleman at the time of his appointment to the Treasury commission.

Gerald Berg  •  Link

I am imagining that Mrs. Daniels thought it would be "safe" seeing the man in his home. Instead, it seems to have inflamed him recklessly. What Freud have to say about it all!

Timo  •  Link

Gerald, my first impression was that Mrs Daniels probably knew perfectly well what she was letting herself in for but was most likely resistant to being caught by his wife.

Timo  •  Link

When I began reading this diary I was expecting to get to grips with the political history of London. I had no idea we’d be getting so down and dirty with our randy little hero. It’s fascinating... Despite Roger Gertz’ frequent and stirring defences of Pepys’, frankly rather boring, wife, it seems abundantly clear to me that his marriage is lacking in something essential. I know many readers here find his activities unacceptable, but It really is no different from the way many people carry on in our world today. Except perhaps his candour.

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