Monday 20 July 1668
Up, and to the office, where Mrs. Daniel comes … [and I could not tocar su cosa, she having hellos sobre her. – L&M] All the morning at the office. Dined at home, then with Mr. Colvill to the new Excise Office in Aldersgate Street, and thence back to the Old Exchange, to see a very noble fine lady I spied as I went through, in coming; and there took occasion to buy some gloves, and admire her, and a mighty fine fair lady indeed she was. Thence idling all the afternoon to Duck Lane, and there saw my bookseller’s moher, but get no ground there yet; and here saw Mrs. Michell’s daughter married newly to a bookseller, and she proves a comely little grave woman. So to visit my Lord Crew, who is very sick, to great danger, by an irisipulus; —[Erysipelas.]— the first day I heard of it, and so home, and took occasion to buy a rest for my espinette at the ironmonger’s by Holborn Conduit, where the fair pretty woman is that I have lately observed there, and she is pretty, and je credo vain enough. Thence home and busy till night, and so to bed.
18 Annotations
First Reading
Terry Foreman • Link
It's been almost a month since an ellipsis; L&M provide what's omitted:
"Up, and to the office, where Mrs. Daniel comes and I could not tocar su cosa, she having ellos sobre her."
Terry Foreman • Link
"very sick, to great danger, by an irisipulus"
http://www.google.com/search?hl=e…
Mae • Link
I think this is the first mention of Sam playing a piano-like instrument. He plays a few instruments now, doesn't he?
Why does Sam not write 'Je Credo' in English? It simply means 'I belive' doesn't it?
Margaret • Link
"Why does Sam not write ‘Je Credo’ in English? It simply means ‘I belive’ doesn’t it?"
I think he's thinking lecherous thoughts, and lecherous thoughts lead him naturally to write in bits of foreign languages!
Art perry • Link
What is "rest" for a piano like instrument that is made by an ironmonger? Is it a stand to support the instrument or something else?
Terry Foreman • Link
"What is “rest” for a piano like instrument that is made by an ironmonger? "
REST : wrest, tuning-key. (L&M Select Glossary)
Larry Bunce • Link
Je pence que Sam was about to write some of his innermost thoughts about the woman, then changed his mind and just wrote "vain enough." The wording could also mean he had high hopes, but she rejected his advances.
jd baltassat • Link
Larry:
"Je pense" in french,
Io credo, full spanish
"je credo" ful Sam in hubris,
and why, Mae? because to think a sin is, at least, worst (and sometimes a lot more agreeable) than to commit it…
Terry Foreman • Link
L&M transcribe "yo creo." Methinks Larry caught Pepys's sudden turnabout right.
Mae • Link
Ah, true...thankee kindly!
Carl in Boston • Link
Rest for a piano
Sam's piano was likely a little box meant to be laid on a tabletop. The iron rest would have provided legs and a way to sit at the piano comfortably. You see these little pianos and virginals in Dutch paintings resting on a carpet on a table, with a young lady posing agreeably in front.
Mary • Link
Not so sure that it is a stand for the 'piano' that Sam has bought. Such an item would probably have to be made specifically to fit the particular instrument rather than being available off the shelf, so to speak. These keyboard instruments did not necessarily come in standard sizes. The ironmonger is more likely to have provided the rest/wrest/tuning key that the L&M glossary proposes and Terry mentions.
Mary • Link
erysipelas
Poor Crew: a painful, disfiguring and dangerous (potentially lethal) infection in pre-antibiotic times.
jeannine • Link
Holy Toledo when Sam says “Je Credo”
His brains taken over by his libido!
Second Reading
Terry Foreman • Link
"here saw Mrs. Michell’s daughter married newly to a bookseller"
L&M: The Mitchells were themselves booksellers.
San Diego Sarah • Link
'Charles II: July 1668', in Calendar of State Papers Domestic: Charles II, 1667-8, ed. Mary Anne Everett Green (London, 1893), pp. 469-516. https://www.british-history.ac.uk…
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July 20. 1668
Warrant from Sec. Morice
for committal of James Cotterell to the Gatehouse for printing seditious books,
and warrant to John Wickham to carry him thither.
With note of his release, 4 August.
Minute. [S.P. Dom Entry Book 28, f. 16.]
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July 20. 1668
Lyme.
Anth. Thorold to James Hickes.
Lord Chief Justice [John] Vaughan and Judge [John] Archer visited Lyme on their return from Dorchester,
and, accompanied by the mayor and others, took a view of our Cobb, where they had several guns from the ship and fort,
and drank the King’s health,
after which they had a very noble treat at the mayor’s house,
and the same evening departed.
A vessel from St. Malo with canvas says there is a rumor there of another break with Spain.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 243, No. 81.]
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July 20. 1668
Swansea.
John Man to Williamson.
The Blessing from Minehead brought a passenger in a mean habit, with a long black periwig and black complexion, 28 or 30 years of age,
who on his arrival sent for a tailor, and put himself into a very genteel garb, and lavished out his money to the value of 20/. or 30/. by a vain strain of generosity, pretending to be the eldest son of Sir Henry Dover of Wiltshire
but his demeanor gives him to be no such person, for he acted as if he supposed himself to be a petty prince, and has since sailed for Youghall.
Some suppose him to be one that has not come well by his money,
and if it is put in the Gazette, he may be inquired after
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 243, No. 83.]
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Robert Gertz, where are you?
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July 20. 1668
Falmouth.
Thos. Holden to James Hickes.
The Industry from the Canaries reports that if rain does not speedily fall, the vintage will be bad;
also the Crown and the Star of Rouen laden with salt,
and the Fountain of Dover with salt and brandy have come in.
[S. P. Dom., Car. II. 243, No. 84.]
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No wine ... no new tax revenue!
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July 20. 1668 James Hickes to Williamson.
Cannot meet with any letters for those ladies, but if found will forward them.
Could find them more quickly if he knew from whom they were.
Sends a packet arrived from Dublin, which was overlooked yesterday.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 243, No. 85.]
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James Hickes appears to work at the post office in Bishopsgate Street, London.
LKvM • Link
The widowed Queen Victoria's Scottish ghillie and favorite, John Brown, died of erysipelas two days after he contracted it.
Third Reading
San Diego Sarah • Link
Pepys has a spuddle day.
“Spuddle: a useful verb from the 17th Century that means to work feebly or ineffectively, because your mind is elsewhere or you haven't quite woken up yet. It can also mean being extremely busy whilst achieving absolutely nothing”
https://www.google.com/search?rlz…