Sunday 28 February 1668/69
(Lord’s day). Up, and got my wife to read to me a copy of what the Surveyor offered to the Duke of York on Friday, he himself putting it into my hands to read; but, Lord! it is a poor, silly thing ever to think to bring it in practice, in the King’s Navy. It is to have the Captains to account for all stores and victuals; but upon so silly grounds, to my thinking; and ignorance of the present instructions of Officers, that I am ashamed to hear it. However, I do take a copy of it, for my future use and answering; and so to church, where, God forgive me! I did most of the time gaze on the fine milliner’s wife, in Fenchurch Street, who was at our church to-day; and so home to dinner. And after dinner to write down my Journall; and then abroad by coach with my cozens, to their father’s, where we are kindly received, but he is in great pain for his man Arthur, who, he fears, is now dead, having been desperately sick, and speaks so much of him that my cozen, his wife, and I did make mirth of it, and call him Arthur O’Bradly. After staying here a little, and eat and drank, and she gave me some ginger-bread made in cakes, like chocolate, very good, made by a friend, I carried him and her to my cozen Turner’s, where we staid, expecting her coming from church; but she coming not, I went to her husband’s chamber in the Temple, and thence fetched her, she having been there alone ever since sermon staying till the evening to walk home on foot, her horses being ill. This I did, and brought her home. And after talking there awhile, and agreeing to be all merry at my house on Tuesday next, I away home; and there spent the evening talking and reading, with my wife and Mr. Pelling, and yet much troubled with my cold, it hardly suffering me to speak, we to bed.
11 Annotations
First Reading
Allen Appel • Link
"and agreeing to be all merry at my house on Tuesday next"
What a wonderful way to put this. They're not just coming over, but they're coming over to be merry. Great stuff from a man who seems to have had a really really terrible cold for an awfully long time. And yet he goes out, entertains his guests, goes to the theater and never takes a sick day. Except when he forwent his appointment with the Duke.
Terry Foreman • Link
"[Pepys] never takes a sick day. Except when he forwent his appointment with the Duke."....and even then went to the office until dinner, and thereafter entertained.
Pauline Benson • Link
"she gave me some ginger-bread made in cakes, like chocolate"
The "Pepys at Table" book includes this entry and offers a recipe from this time that has the gingerbread cooked in a greased loaf tin. "...no raising agent and so it is quite solid when cooked. It could well be stored and cut into small lozenges like 'chocolate.' Alternatively it can be buttered and eaten like ordinary bread." The loaf tin is specified as 10 inch/25 cm.
Makes it sound like "chocolate" was made like we make brownies.
Mary • Link
"I did most of the time gaze on the fine milliner’s wife..."
Further confirmation that, though Sam's eyes bother him a great deal when it comes to close work, his long-distance sight seems to cause him little trouble.
Tony Eldridge • Link
"the fine milliner's wife"
Well put Mary, she probably took his mind off his cold as well.
john • Link
"and got my wife to read to me a copy of what the Surveyor offered to the Duke of York on Friday,"
Did he also discuss such office work with her, I wonder.
Daisy Shell • Link
The chocolate that Pepys knew was in no way comparable to today's product. These little "cakes" were flat wrapped discs of solidified drinking chocolate, which were dissolved in hot water or milk, beaten into a froth and often thickened with ground almonds. Chocolate confectionery didn't come onto the market until the early 1800s.
Robert Gertz • Link
Poor Arthur...
Terry Foreman • Link
Poor Roger -- to be teased so rudely by his wife and cousin merely for being so compassionate.
Second Reading
Terry Foreman • Link
"and got my wife to read to me a copy of what the Surveyor offered to the Duke of York on Friday,
John asks: "Did he also discuss such office work with her, I wonder."
and Pepys explains: ", he himself putting it into my hands to read; but, Lord! it is a poor, silly thing ever to think to bring it in practice, in the King’s Navy. It is to have the Captains to account for all stores and victuals; but upon so silly grounds, to my thinking; and ignorance of the present instructions of Officers, that I am ashamed to hear it."
L&M comment: Middleton's memorandum has not been traced. The experiment had been tried in 1651-5, , without success. Writing about a similar proposal made c. 1673Pepys commented, 'Tis too troublesome and small a matter for the coimmanders to be charged with finding . . . fire and candle etc.': Cat., i. 163-4: PL 2871, pp. 737-7. Cf. Thomas Wilson to Pepys (undated memo): Rawl. A 173. f. 267f.
Tonyel • Link
It is to have the Captains to account for all stores and victuals;
I get a hint of Sir Humphrey Appleby here: "Stores and victuals are a great burden on the Navy Office and we may need extra staff in due course, but - take it away? Let the captains handle it? Oh no, of course we can deal with it....."