Wednesday 21 November 1660

Lay long in bed. This morning my cozen Thomas Pepys, the turner, sent me a cupp of lignum vitae¹ for a token. This morning my wife and I went to Paternoster Row, and there we bought some green watered moyre for a morning wastecoate. And after that we went to Mr. Cade’s to choose some pictures for our house. After that my wife went home, and I to Pope’s Head, and bought me an aggate hafted knife, which cost me 5s. So home to dinner, and so to the office all the afternoon, and at night to my viallin (the first time that I have played on it since I came to this house) in my dining room, and afterwards to my lute there, and I took much pleasure to have the neighbours come forth into the yard to hear me. So down to supper, and sent for the barber, who staid so long with me that he was locked into the house, and we were fain to call up Griffith, to let him out. So up to bed, leaving my wife to wash herself, and to do other things against to-morrow to go to court.

A hard, compact, black-green wood, obtained from ‘Guaiacum offcinale’, from which pestles, ship-blocks, rollers, castors, &c., are turned.

Thursday 22 November 1660Tuesday 20 November 1660

Also on this day

Temperature: 6°C / 43°F

(Average for November 1660)

In Parliament

In Earls Colne, Essex

Diary of Ralph Josselin

(About this data)

Annotations

N vincent on Sat 22 Nov 2003, 03:09am. Flag this

“…So up to bed, leaving my wife to wash herself, and to do other things against to-morrow to go to court.
…” I guess a bath and lavendar waters for the The Presentation.
N language hat on Sat 22 Nov 2003, 03:18am. Flag this

some green watered moyre for a morning wastecoate:
OED:
moire (mwar, mwO:(r), mO@(r)). Also 7 moyre. [Fr. moire, according to Fr. lexicographers an adoption of some form of Eng. mohair.]
Originally a kind of watered mohair; afterwards, any textile fabric (but usually silk) to which a watered appearance is given in the process of calendering; a watered or clouded silk. Moire antique, explained by Fr. lexicographers to mean a watered silk of large pattern, is in Eng. use practically synonymous with moire, which is apprehended as a shortened form.

1660 Pepys Diary 21 Nov., We bought some greene-watered moyre, for a morning wastecoate. 1664 Pepys Diary, 8 May, A new black cloth suit and cloak lined with silk moyre. 1751 Chesterf. Let. to Son 22 Apr. II. 136 Talk pompons, moires, &c., with Madame de Blot. 1855 Mrs. Carlyle Lett. II. 268 [Dressmaker loq.] I don’t think I ever saw so trashy a moire.
N vincent on Sat 22 Nov 2003, 03:38am. Flag this

WAISTCOAT: A garment worn by both men and women, and serving various purposes.
N vincent on Sat 22 Nov 2003, 06:21am. Flagged

“…And after that we went to Mr. Cade
N Mary on Sat 22 Nov 2003, 08:33am. Flag this

….leaving my wife to wash herself….

A special day calls for special measures. The daily routine usually called for little more than washing hands and face, perhaps with Spanish (Castile or castle) soap. Alum was a substance recognised as countering ‘stench under the armholes’ by acting as a desiccant.

There were public bath-houses, but the most frequent method of home-bathing by those who deemed it desirable was the strip-wash/stand-up-wash-down, using a cloth damped with scented water.
N J A Gioia on Sat 22 Nov 2003, 01:31pm. Flag this

… to my lute there, and I took much pleasure to have the neighbours come forth into the yard to hear me.

sam must be a pretty good player if his practicing, and singing probably, draws people out from their homes. i wish my neighbors appreciated my guitar playing so.

and the night watch locks the barber in! i am picturing row houses facing a courtyard with a single gateway in.
N Pedro on Tue 22 Jan 2008, 05:35pm. Flag this

On this day 21st November I660…

Allin is near Tangier on his voyage to Constantinople.

“This morning I clapped one Shoare (name uncertain) neck and heels for striking right over my Lieutenant, and after he laid 2 hours, the Countess (Winchilsea) begged for his release upon promise of his future good behavior.

(Journal of Sir Thomas Allin edited by RC Anderson)