Friday 21 May 1669
I waited with the Office upon the Duke of York in the morning. Dined at home, where Lewis Phillips the friend of his, dined with me. In the afternoon at the Office. In the evening visited by Roger Pepys and Philip Packer and so home.
13 Annotations
First Reading
Mary • Link
Not immediately relevant to today's entry, but if you are able to watch TV channel BBC4 this evening at 9 p.m. you will be able to see several pages of Pepys' personal 'scrap-book' showing his prints of the ladies of the Court, including Lady Castlemaine and Louise de Kerouaille.
The programme is presented by historian Lucy Worsley and is catchily entitled "Harlots, Housewives and Heroines: a 17th Century History for Girls."
Roy • Link
Thank you Mary, will tune in.
Mary • Link
Addendum.
Apparently this is the start of a series of three programmes that looks at the situation of women in general (not just the aristocracy) in the wake of the Restoration. Her thesis is (roughly) that the consequent realignment of society afforded a number women opportunities and outlets not previously available to them.
Bryan M • Link
"where Lewis Phillips the friend of his, dined with me."
Is this what L&M have? It implies that Phillips was a friend of the DofY which seems unlikely for a Brampton lawyer.
languagehat • Link
Should read "Lewis Phillips, with a friend of his." (N.b.: If you're suspicious about readings like this, you can paste the preceding words, between quote marks, into Google Books and see what other editions have.)
Terry Foreman • Link
Today future M.P. for Downton Sir Charles RALEIGH, (c.1652-98), of Rectory House, Downton, aged 16 matriculated Magdalen Coll. Oxf. http://www.historyofparliamentonl…
Terry Foreman • Link
(OK. so the Downton entry's a bit tongue-in-cheek, but it's not fiction.)
Terry Foreman • Link
"Today" in the posts above is 21 May 1669.
Andrew Hamilton • Link
LH, thank you for the tip.
Second Reading
San Diego Sarah • Link
Cosmo, the future Grand Duke of Turin, who visited London in the Spring of 1669.
I've standardized the spelling of names I know, corrected scanning errors I could figure out, and increased the number of paragraphs. I apologize if myn guesses are wrong:
Before leaving home on 12/22 May, 1669 his highness heard mass, and then rode in his carriage through the city, observing his customary indispensable incog.; and, attended by Sir Castiglioni and Colonel Gascoyne, went to St. James's Park, to see a machine which had been erected there by the king's order, under the direction of Sir Robert Morris, for the purpose of observing with telescopes the planet Saturn, and the satellites of Jupiter.
His majesty is much devoted to the study of mechanics, mathematics, natural history, and chemistry: on which account he sent for a skillful professor of these sciences from France, and has erected for him in St. James's Park a suitable building for carrying on his operations and experiments.
Nor is the king's curiosity confined to these pursuits; but he takes peculiar pleasure in experiments relating to navigation, of which he has a very accurate knowledge; and pays great attention to finding out what sorts of wood require the least depth of water to float them, and what shapes are the best adapted for cutting the water, and for making good sailors.
From the Park his highness went to the queen's chapel at St. James's, and afterwards returned home, and there dined with him, my Lord Philip, Henry Neville, and his own gentlemen.
Attended by Lord Philip, Neville, Gascoyne, and Castiglioni, his highness went out in his carriage to see the theatre appropriated to cock-fighting, a common amusement of the English, who even in the public streets take a delight in seeing such battles; and their partiality towards these animals is carried to such an height, that considerable bets, are made on the victory of the one or the other.
[ON DECEMBER 21, 1663, PEPYS SAYS: "I did go to Shoe Lane to see a cocke-fighting at a new pit there,..." FOR MORE INFO, SEE https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl… ]
San Diego Sarah • Link
PART 2
313
To render the cocks fit for fighting, they select the best of the breed, cut off their crests and spurs, keeping them in separate coops or walks, and mix with their usual food pepper, cloves, and other aromatics, and the yolks of eggs, to heat them, and render them more vigorous in battle; and when they want to bring them to the trial, they convey them in a bag, put on artificial spurs, of silver or steel, long and sharp, and let them out at the place appointed for the sport.
As soon as the cocks are put down, they walk round the field of battle with great animation, each watching for an opportunity to attack his rival with advantage. The first who is attacked places himself in a posture of defence, now spreading himself out, now falling, in his turn, on the assailant; and in the progress of the contest, they are inflamed to such a pitch of rage, that it is almost incredible to such as have never witnessed it with what fury each annoys his adversary, striking one another on the head with their beaks, and tearing one another with the spurs, till at length he that feels himself superior, and confident of victory, mounts on the back of his opponent, and never quits him, till he has left him dead, and then, by a natural instinct, crows in applause of his own victory.
314
This amusement was not new to his highness, for he had seen it on board ship, on his voyage from Spain to England, the two young volunteers frequently diverting themselves with making two cocks fight, which they had trained for the purpose.
Having taken a short drive through the city, ending at Hyde Park,
his highness, before he returned home, repaired to the palace, to pay his usual compliments to their majesties and royal highnesses.
@@@
In Cosmo's travelogue, “incognito” is generally shortened to "incog." and I think the meaning was "unofficial, informal", as opposed to "having one's true identity concealed" which is today's definition.
The afternoon visits were often to the wives of noblemen and ambassadors who had already met Cosmo. They seem to have kept open houses regularly for this purpose.
The visit to Hyde Park was a regular thing for the late afternoon in the springtime, see https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…
According to Cosmo, Happy Hour was a regular Court event at Whitehall and St. James’s for the nobility in 1669 (Pepys was never invited that I have seen).
From:
TRAVELS OF COSMO THE THIRD, GRAND DUKE OF TUSCANY,
THROUGH ENGLAND,
DURING THE REIGN OF KING CHARLES THE SECOND (1669)
TRANSLATED FROM THE ITALIAN MANUSCRIPT
https://archive.org/stream/travel…
His highness, Cosmo, must be considered only as a traveler. The narrator of the records was Count Lorenzo Magalotti, afterwards Secretary to the Academy del Cimento, and one of the most learned and eminent characters of the court of Ferdinand II.
San Diego Sarah • Link
You probably caught the fact that the two above postings belong 10 days ago ... my confusion with N.S./O.S. dates finally caught up with me.
I've posted a link there, so will be leaving them here. You can't read about cock fighting too often, can you?
Now to find the report that belongs here ...
San Diego Sarah • Link
A contemporary view of the law and administation of England was given by Cosmo, the future Grand Duke of Turin, who visited the Palace of Westminster today.
I've standardized the spelling of names I know, corrected scanning errors I could figure out, and increased the number of paragraphs. Sometimes I got confused making the N.S./O.S. date conversions, so I apologize if my guesses are wrong:
On 21/31 May, 1669, having finished his religious duties, his highness rode out in his carriage with the Chevalier Castiglioni and Colonel Gascoyne, and went to the Palace of Westminster, which was formerly a college of canons, re-established by Edward III, and is now used for the judicial meetings of the two houses, the upper and the lower, which together constitute the Parliament of the kingdom.
FOR HIS VISIT SEE
THE KING'S COURT:
https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…
THE UPPER AND LOWER HOUSES (Commons and Lords:
https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…
From Westminster Hall, his highness made a tour through the city to examine some paintings; and returned home at dinnertime.
Th^,r^§l,ojfjtte jfoy he passed in visits, till towards evening,
when he went to the palace, according to custom, to pay his respects to their majesties. Vii'JU . UiJ
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The afternoon visits were often to the wives of noblemen and ambassadors who had already met Cosmo socially. They seem to have kept open houses regularly for this purpose.
According to Cosmo's travelogue, Happy Hour seems to have been a regular Court event at Whitehall and St. James’s for the nobility in 1669 (Pepys was never invited that I have seen).
From:
TRAVELS OF COSMO THE THIRD, GRAND DUKE OF TUSCANY,
THROUGH ENGLAND,
DURING THE REIGN OF KING CHARLES THE SECOND (1669)
TRANSLATED FROM THE ITALIAN MANUSCRIPT
https://archive.org/stream/travel…
His highness, Cosmo, must be considered only as a traveler. Under his direction, the narrator of the records was Count Lorenzo Magalotti, afterwards Secretary to the Academy del Cimento, and one of the most learned and eminent characters of the court of Ferdinand II.