Sunday 1 July 1660

This morning came home my fine Camlett cloak,¹ with gold buttons, and a silk suit, which cost me much money, and I pray God to make me able to pay for it. I went to the cook’s and got a good joint of meat, and my wife and I dined at home alone. In the afternoon to the Abbey, where a good sermon by a stranger, but no Common Prayer yet. After sermon called in at Mrs. Crisp’s, where I saw Mynheer Roder, that is to marry Sam Hartlib’s sister, a great fortune for her to light on, she being worth nothing in the world. Here I also saw Mrs. Greenlife, who is come again to live in Axe Yard with her new husband Mr. Adams. Then to my Lord’s, where I staid a while. So to see for Mr. Creed to speak about getting a copy of Barlow’s patent. To my Lord’s, where late at night comes Mr. Morland, whom I left prating with my Lord, and so home.

Camlet was a mixed stuff of wool and silk. It was very expensive, and later Pepys gave 24l. for a suit. (See June 1st, 1664.)

Monday 2 July 1660Saturday 30 June 1660

Also on this day

Temperature: 15°C / 59°F

(Average for July 1660)

In Earls Colne, Essex

Diary of Ralph Josselin

(About this data)

Annotations

N Paul Brewster on Tue 1 Jul 2003, 11:41pm. Flag this

… the Abbey, where a good sermon by a stranger, but no Common Prayer yet.
Per L&M: “The Prayer Book came back into use gradually after the Restoration — royal chapels and cathedrals leading the way — but is was not read in all churches until use of the revised version became compulsory in August 1662.”
an interesting site on the history of the Book of Common Prayer http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bcp/
N vincent on Wed 2 Jul 2003, 03:21am. Flag this

“I went to the cook’s and got a good joint of meat, and my wife and I dined at home alone”. Do I read this correctly? went to a cook shop for a “take-out/away” of good old joint of Roast Beef(lamb,pig). Saves on the coal, ( it being kind of warm now, it being June) and not to use the oven/stove,(The trouble and stife, she will appreciate the gesture).
N Mary on Wed 2 Jul 2003, 07:03am. Flag this

the take-away joint

Small spoiler on domestic arrangements follows.

Although the Pepys’ kitchen in Seething Lane was to have an oven, Elizabeth seems to have been cooking at an open, kitchen fire in Axe Yard, as was the most common practice at the time. The cooking of a joint would have required a spit or jack and a means of turning it. Jane is, perhaps, still lame and abed, unavailable for spit-turning/joint-basting, so the cook-shop is the answer.

As a general practice, the purchase of cooked meats (not just joints, but smaller cuts as well) for home consumption remained common in cities well into the 19th Century. In many areas of London even in the early 20th Century the Christmas goose, chicken, turkey or what-have-you was taken to the baker’s the previous night to cook in the cooling bread-oven on Christmas morning.
N Paul L on Wed 2 Jul 2003, 10:59am. Flag this

“I pray God to make me able to pay for it” Is this Pepys still fretting about whether he’s going to keep his new job? (Having already spent extravagantly in anticipation)
N Andrew Hamilton on Wed 2 Jul 2003, 04:52pm. Flag this

“This morning came home my fine Camlett cloak,1 with gold buttons, and a silk suit, which cost me much money, and I pray God to make me able to pay for it.”

How very British!
N Barbara on Thu 3 Jul 2003, 11:57am. Flag this

Re Camlett cloak and suit:
since his brother had made these, and he had already paid him
N vincent on Sat 26 Jul 2003, 02:51am. Flag this

“…To my Lord’s, where late at night comes Mr. Morland, whom I left prating with my Lord, and so home….”
I would not expect two well read men to prat, ME to pout, to talk meaninglessly; does it have a wiser meaning? Morland is very mathematical, SEX Beer maybe, but not idle chatter:
N language hat on Sat 26 Jul 2003, 08:40pm. Flag this

Not “prat” but “prate”:
OED To talk, to chatter: usually dyslogistic, implying speaking much or long to little purpose; formerly also to speak insolently, boastfully, or officiously; to tell tales, blab.

I think “yakking” would be a good current equivalent. Not necessarily implying “idle chatter,” just an attitude on the part of the narrator.
N vincent on Sat 26 Jul 2003, 09:48pm. Flag this

thanks Language hat.
N vincent on Sun 27 Jul 2003, 03:54am. Flag this

“Prat” to tell tales, That I can see.