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Friday 22 November 1661

Within all the morning, and at noon with my wife, by appointment to dinner at the Dolphin, where Sir W. Batten, and his lady and daughter Matt, and Captain Cocke and his lady, a German lady, but a very great beauty, and we dined together, at the spending of some wagers won and lost between him and I; and there we had the best musique and very good songs, and were very merry and danced, but I was most of all taken with Madam Cocke and her little boy, which in mirth his father had given to me. But after all our mirth comes a reckoning of 4l., besides 40s. to the musicians, which did trouble us, but it must be paid, and so I took leave and left them there about eight at night. And on foot went to the Temple, and then took my cozen Turner’s man Roger, and went by his advice to Serjeant Fountaine and told him our case, who gives me good comfort in it, and I gave him 30s. fee. So home again and to bed. This day a good pretty maid was sent my wife by Mary Bowyer, whom my wife has hired.

Saturday 23 November 1661Thursday 21 November 1661

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  • Oh Lord, why must you tempt your servant so? Did the maid have to be pretty as well as good? Could good not have sufficed?

    And I’m not clear on the Musician business: Sam says what they must be paid, that it must be done, and that he must leave before the party breaks up. So does he pay or not?

  • 40s.

    my God! as a professional musician this is a real eye-opener! how much, out of curiosity, would this amount be in today’s circumstances?

  • An expensive evening out.

    Now Sam and party have spent as much on one evening’s entertainment as he gritted his teeth over spending on Elizabeth’s lace for the kerchief. Will a vow against wagering follow, and have as mcuh success as his frequent vows against theatre-going?

  • But after all our mirth comes a reckoning

    absolutely, Sam! Look forward to the sermon on Sunday.

  • “a German lady, but a very great beauty”

    Would this infer that Sam did not normally find that German women were attractive?

  • So, if I’m reading that site correctly, the whole evening’s entertainment cost about

  • “about

  • “and her little boy, which in mirth his father had given to me.”

    Is this a joke about his childlessness?

  • I haven’t been counting, but there seems to have been a big turnover of female servants in the Pepys’ household since Jane left. (In contrast, the male servants - Will and Wayneman - hasn’t seen any changes.) Is it just one of those things, is it because Samuel is a better boss to the boys than Elizabeth is to the girls, or could there be any other reasons?

  • partying: A party of five with muscians {“…there we had the best musique and very good songs…”} and “‘ors dervis”, champers, Lobster [maine of course ]selection of vin blanc et rouge. Ask ye monied friends? how much change, would one get from 5.0GL’s.

  • Pedro, I think he means, that even though this man’s lady is not English, ie., not one of ‘us’ she is acceptable because she is a great beauty. I wonder what Captain Cocke & Sam were betting on, & did Sam win or lose 4 pounds. The business hours of Serjeant Fountaine seem to be excessive, but then again he receives 30 shillings for his services. It would appear to have been an expensive day for Sam. Thank goodness the maid is pretty

  • “a German lady, but a very great beauty”
    I think Sam’s modest ‘but’ signals something about the way he (and Restoration society) view women:
    * Ladies are married.
    * Great beauties are not — or if married, the husband is safely stashed elsewhere (e.g. My Lady Castlemaine).
    There may also be something about how ladies dress versus beauties (I happily muse about differences in hairdo, diamond necklaces, cleavage …).

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