Tuesday 10 July 1660

Annotations

• N Paul Brewster on Thu 10 Jul 2003, 11:43pm

  took her to Dr. Clodius

• N Paul Miller on Thu 10 Jul 2003, 11:45pm

  “This day I put on first my new silk suit, the first that ever I wore in my life.”
  We see the euphoria of the Restoration begin to be reflected in fashion. Off with thee you rough puritan garments I’ll have silk and color now, and much more to come along this line from Samuel and the king in the next few years.

• N Eric Walla on Thu 10 Jul 2003, 11:46pm

  A fine day all around …

  Best suit, greatest beauty, and the bills ready to put before the King. Sam is feeling fine … even if the relatives are starting to crawl out of the woodwork.

• N chip on Fri 11 Jul 2003, 12:07am

  The first line of today’s entry is even more extraodinary when one remembers this is a tailor’s son writing. Any ideas out there why his bill cost him 7 pieces? I am beginning to suspect that Pepys uses the diary to relieve his conscience of any misdeeds during the day, such as his broken word to return to put the bride to bed, no matter how inconsequential. It is expiatory just writing it down.

• N Pauline on Fri 11 Jul 2003, 02:26am

  “…among all the beauties there, my wife was thought the greatest.”
  I think, chip, when your wife is thought the greatest beauty, you hurry home to bed with her.

• N john lauer on Fri 11 Jul 2003, 02:45am

  “I called my wife…” — how strange
  that sounds, twice, to us today, when it does not mean “on the phone”.

• N Mary on Fri 11 Jul 2003, 05:33am

  Sam’s silk suit

  Pepys is probably expressing his pride and excitement at the fact that he can now afford to purchase a silk suit. Although the fabric was prized for its ability to take more intense dyes than other fabrics, it was also damaged much more easily, especially by spotting with water (remember all those fine gentlemen whos suits were ruined by the wet weather at the City parade a couple of weeks ago?) and so represented a real extravagance.

  As for the bill costing seven pieces, it’s an odd enough sum to represent a set, legal fee. That said, it could just as easily be one of those sweetening ‘considerations’ that are part and parcel of government/state business at this time.

• N Colin Gravois on Fri 11 Jul 2003, 09:00am

  “not returning, as I said I would, to see the bride put to bed.”

  What was this ceremony of putting the bride to bed? And what about the groom? Imagine in those days of pre-marital abstinence (or was it really?) he’s raring to go, but what’s the skinny on this ceremony?

• N Vince on Fri 11 Jul 2003, 10:36am

  ‘Called’ probably just means ‘called on’ his wife… But ‘carried my wife’ - does that mean put in a carriage with himself or physically carried …. unlikely in a smart new suit!

• N Arbor on Fri 11 Jul 2003, 12:27pm

  The “Bedding” and excerpt from

  http://sinclair2.quarterman.org/history/mod/caithwed.html

  There were very few honeymoon jaunts to the south in those far-off days. Only a favoured few from the county could indulge in such luxuries. But little cared the home folk for that. Their idea of a glorious windup to a wedding was the “bedding” of the newly-married couple. It was announced by the ladies to the male guests that the bridal pair had retired to rest, and all were invited to the bridal chamber to wish the happy couple good-night and good luck. While this was proceeding Kirsty, the dey (dairywoman) would say to the bride “Betsy, maidal (dear), just come oot for a meenadie and hev a wee drop of’ ginger cordial,” but the bonnie blushing bride’s reply was to duck her head under the snow-white counterpane amid roars of hearty laughter. Then Geordie Up would invite the bridegroom to have just a wee “teet” o’ “Double Poltney” but Jamie remained as immovable as a graven image, and then more uproarious laughter followed this line of banter. Eventually the guests had to retire, but before doing so they were queued up and each in turn had to kiss the bride and shake hands with the bridegroom on leaving the apartment.

  A bit later, but likely something similar!

• N M.Stolzenbach on Fri 11 Jul 2003, 12:59pm

  Since he had left his wife at Mrs. Turner’s, I’d say it means he “called for” her there on his way back.

  “Carried” was discussed a few days back; in the American South, at least until recently, it still meant to take someone somewhere.

• N Colin Gravois on Fri 11 Jul 2003, 01:57pm

  Bedding of the bride.

  Thanks, Arbor, for your very enlightening annotation on the bedding of the bride. Clears it all up for us all. Now, BTW, wasn’t that a very civilized thing to do, wishing them happiness in the bridal chamber.

• N Dave* on Fri 11 Jul 2003, 04:18pm

  Bedding of the bride is known in other cultures as well. Those who have seen Ang Lee’s “The Wedding Banquet” may remember the scene where the Chinese bride and groom lunge for the door to keep out the mob approaching their honeymoon suite, but too late. Dozens of people plow in and immediately get down to mah jhong and drinking, and they don’t leave until the couple produces their clothing from under the blankets.

• N Alan Bedford on Fri 11 Jul 2003, 06:12pm

  Baron of St. Neot’s?
  Just for reference Neot was a Celt. He was a Benedictine monk of the ninth century who became a hermit in Cornwall. Tradition has him a dwarf, about 15 inches tall. There is a St. Neot’s parish in Cornwall, and a river in the area is called St. Neot’s. Sketchy bio is at: http://freepages.folklore.rootsweb.com/~hdecent/cornwall/celticsaints2.htm

  His remains were taken to what is now St. Neot’s church in Huntingdonshire (and possibly also to St. Neot’s in Cambridgeshire and the monastery of St. Bee in Normandy.)

• N vincent on Sat 12 Jul 2003, 05:51am

  St Neots Hunts/Camb : one and the same the Tax accessors like to keep the voters on their feet;