Wednesday 11 December 1667

By coach to White Hall, and there attended the Duke of York, as we are wont, who is now grown pretty well, and goes up and down White Hall, and this night will be at the Council, which I am glad of. Thence to Westminster Hall, and there walked most of the morning, and among others did there meet my cozen Roger Pepys, who intends to go to Impington on this day s’ennight, the Parliament break up the night before. Here I met Rolt and Sir John Chichly, and Harris, the player, and there we talked of many things, and particularly of “Catiline,” which is to be suddenly acted at the King’s house; and there all agree that it cannot be well done at that house, there not being good actors enow: and Burt acts Cicero, which they all conclude he will not be able to do well. The King gives them 500l. for robes, there being, as they say, to be sixteen scarlett robes. Thence home to dinner, and would have had Harris home with me, but it was too late for him to get to the playhouse after it, and so home to dinner, and spent the afternoon talking with my wife and people at home till the evening, and then comes Sir W. Warren to talk about some business of his and mine: and he, I find, would have me not to think that the Parliament, in the mind they are in, and having so many good offices in their view to dispose of, will leave any of the King’s officers in, but will rout all, though I am likely to escape as well as any, if any can escape; and I think he is in the right, and I do look for it accordingly. Then we fell to discourse of my little vessel, “The Maybolt,” and he thinks that it will be best for me to employ her for a voyage to Newcastle for coles, they being now dear, and the voyage not long, nor dangerous yet; and I think I shall go near to do so. Then, talking of his business, I away to the office, where very busy, and thither comes Sir W. Pen, and he and I walked together in the garden, and there told me what passed to-day with him in the Committee, by my Lord Sandwich’s breaking bulk of the prizes; and he do seem to me that he hath left it pretty well understood by them, he saying that what my Lord did was done at the desire, and with the advice, of the chief officers of the fleete, and that it was no more than admirals heretofore have done in like cases, which, if it be true that he said it, is very well, and did please me well. He being gone, I to my office again and there late, and so weary home.

12 Annotations

First Reading

Christopher Squire  •  Link

‘ . . on this day s’ennight,‘;

‘sennight, n.
 a. A period of seven (days and) nights; a week.
b. this day, Sunday, †Sunday come (a) or was (a), etc. sennight: a week from (this day, etc.).
. . 1644    R. Symonds Diary (1859) 50   Newes‥That Waller was at Abingdon on Tuesday last was sevenight.
1727    P. Longueville Hermit 87   Bidding him not fail coming there again that Day Sev'night . . ‘ [OED]

Robert Gertz  •  Link

"Well?" an eager Bess...Free of her embarassing indisposition at last and ready to take to sea.

"What the devil are you wearing?"

"Tis me French Bess, deadly but beautiful doxy of the scourge of the seven seas, the dread Cap't Pepys, outfit. Don't you remember from the Greyhound?"

"Bess, we never got out of harbor. It was just that one day. Hey!!..."

"Avast, you curs! Oooh, sorry." Puts swung cutlass down. "So, when we do make for the Spanish Main, cap't? Name our destination and I'm ready to make for it. Ole one-eyed Cooper gave me another navigation lesson this morning."

Ummn... "Well..."

My word she does look good in that outfit...Though those patches have got to go.

...And no reason we couldn't take a few coals from Newcastle.

"Lass, our destination be north...Where a treasure trouve of black gold awaits."

Say...Wait one minute...

"Cooper was here with you this morning?"

"Now Sam'l..."

***

ONeville  •  Link

Reading RG's tale, I can't get the figure of Captain Pugwash out of my mind.

JWB  •  Link

s’ennight
enow

Has Pepys's association w/ a thespian distorted his vocabulary in this direction?

gingerd  •  Link

strange how s'ennight has disappeared yet fortnight is still going strong (at least in UK).

Paul Chapin  •  Link

In the US, most educated people understand the word "fortnight", but hardly anyone uses it.

Australian Susan  •  Link

Fortnight is common in the UK and Australia. Sennight was in use at the start of the 19th century, but I don't know when it died out.
Thrice is hardly used nowadays and twice seems to be going that way too - advertisements keep saying "two times the enjoyment" or some such. OK, enough GOW (Grumpy Old woman) for today!

cum salis grano  •  Link

Trying the make wealth by investment, nice side line.

"...Then we fell to discourse of my little vessel, “The Maybolt,” and he thinks that it will be best for me to employ her for a voyage to Newcastle for coles, they being now dear, and the voyage not long, nor dangerous yet; and I think I shall go near to do so..."

Michael Robinson  •  Link

"The King gives them 500l. for robes, there being, as they say, to be sixteen scarlett robes. "

How unfortunate if some of the ships crews being paid by ticket were to hear this piece of gossip.

Second Reading

D. Ghatta  •  Link

"The King gives them 500l. for robes, there being, as they say, to be sixteen scarlett robes. "

Any thought as to were the robes to be worn by the conspirators, sixteen in number, by the senators in the Senate scene, or by the members of the chorus?

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"Here I met Rolt and Sir John Chichly, and Harris, the player, and there we talked of many things, and particularly of “Catiline,”"

Nicholas Burt, a leading actor at the Theatre Royal, was, in fact, much praised for his acting of Cicero. As Harris was a member of a rival company, he may have been prejudiced. (L&M note)

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