Sunday 29 September 1661

Annotations

• N Bob T on Thu 30 Sep 2004, 12:05am

  I being now so out of order that I durst not read prayers, for fear of being perceived by my servants in what case I was. So to bed.

  I like this guy, because who hasn’t been there and done that?

• N daniel on Thu 30 Sep 2004, 01:44am

  hah!

  Good one, Sam!
  pity it is about two hundred years before the developement of aspirin.

• N Wim van der Meij on Thu 30 Sep 2004, 08:28am

  So much for good intentions about not drinking…
  The flesh is weak, Sam. But then, good food, good company et al…

• N AlanB on Thu 30 Sep 2004, 10:45am

  Almost foxed ….. but not quite! Is this a blood sport?

  Given the state in which Sam falls into bed he cannot be writing his journal this night either. And neither is Vincent making any postings.

• N Pedro. on Thu 30 Sep 2004, 11:37am

  “I drink I know not how, of my own accord”

  Wish I’d thought of that excuse!

  (Bem Vindo, the nome of Vincente has snuck back in on the 16th!)

• N Todd Bernhardt on Thu 30 Sep 2004, 06:41pm

  re: “I being now so out of order that I durst not read prayers, for fear of being perceived by my servants in what case I was.”

  This provides an interesting glimpse into the Sunday night routine at the Pepys household … Sam, as head of said household, apparently leads everyone, even the servants, in Sunday prayers. I had not realized this. With my more-modern view of religion as a personal matter, I’d assumed that this was something he did alone, or perhaps with Elizabeth.

  I wonder what excuse he gave to the staff? Maybe Elizabeth had to “call-in sick” for him?

  So, if he was too drunk/buzzed to lead the Sunday prayers, I wonder what the definition of “foxed” is? Passed-out/falling-down drunk?

• N Bullus Hutton on Thu 30 Sep 2004, 06:58pm

  I was even almost foxed..
  Interesting to note that the last time he admitted to being foxed was April 23 (Coronacion Day, when he was foxed to the point of actually hurling, whilst sharing a bed with the hapless Shepley) and is again contrite; he does’t seem to mind being merrily kettled most of the time, but draws the line at being totally potted!

  
  
  

• N David on Thu 30 Sep 2004, 08:15pm

  Webster’s uses this very passage to define foxed:

  Fox \Fox\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Foxed; p. pr. & vb. n. Foxing.] [See Fox, n., cf. Icel. fox imposture.] 1. To intoxicate; to stupefy with drink.

  I drank … so much wine that I was almost foxed. —Pepys.

• N Mary on Fri 1 Oct 2004, 08:06am

  Household prayers.

  This was a practice that continued well into the 20th century in some middle and upper class households in the British Isles. All household staff (no matter how few or how many) would be expected to be present for a formal, usually short, reading of prayers together, proceedings being conducted by the head of the household.