Sunday 1 December 1667
(Lord’s day). Up, and after entering my journal for 2 or 3 days, I to church, where Mr. Mills, a dull sermon: and in our pew there sat a great lady, which I afterwards understood to be my Lady Carlisle, that made her husband a cuckold in Scotland, a very fine woman indeed in person. After sermon home, where W. Hewer dined with us, and after dinner he and I all the afternoon to read over our office letters to see what matters can be got for our advantage or disadvantage therein. In the evening comes Mr. Pelling and the two men that were with him formerly, the little man that sings so good a base (Wallington) and another that understands well, one Pigott, and Betty Turner come and sat and supped with us, and we spent the evening mighty well in good musique, to my great content to see myself in condition to have these and entertain them for my own pleasure only. So they gone, we to bed.
9 Annotations
First Reading
Ruben • Link
"in our pew there sat a great lady, which I afterwards understood to be my Lady Carlisle, that made her husband a cuckold in Scotland, a very fine woman indeed in person."
How did Samuel know she was "a great lady"? Probably expensively dressed, and with a lady in waiting around her.
We see Samuel immediately gathered information about her name and CV...at least what people are interested in from the days of cave dwellings till wikileaks.
Don McCahill • Link
More to the point, how did he know that she made her husband a cockold. That sounds a rather intimate detail to know of a stranger.
language hat • Link
It was presumably the subject of common gossip.
Robert Gertz • Link
"Ah, my lady Cuckold...Er Carlisle."
"The first suits me quite well, sir." extending gracious hand with smile.
And in Scotland...
Terry Foreman • Link
L&M note that the Earl of Carlisle had been away on an embassy to Russia, Sweden and Denmark in 1663-4. The cuckold story was untraced elsewhere.
John • Link
Re Sam and his love of Music,indicated in these entries there was a fine programme of his favourite music on BBC4 from Sam's own Cambridge library entitled Pepys Ipod! 4th December 2010
Mary • Link
To elaborate just a little on John's note above .....
We learnt that Pepys amassed 122 volumes either of music or about music and that he acquired an Arca Musarhythmica (a sort of 'difference machine' for enabling the user to identify orthodox four-part harmonies for a given melody-line).
The programme also presented a performance of "Beauty, retire" - very melancholy, though probably affecting if you're in that sort of mood. One can see why it didn't catch on and become a popular favourite.
Second Reading
San Diego Sarah • Link
"The cuckold story was untraced elsewhere."
Pepys judging others by himself again.
Usual male stereotyping of the 17th century.
Gerald Berg • Link
With such nice gilding -- cuckold in Scotland. I suppose the detail makes it easier to believe.