Wednesday 19 March 1661/62

All the morning and afternoon at my office putting things in order, and in the evening I do begin to digest my uncle the Captain’s papers into one book, which I call my Brampton book, for the clearer understanding things how they are with us. So home and supper and to bed. This noon came a letter from T. Pepys, the turner, in answer to one of mine the other day to him, wherein I did cheque him for not coming to me, as he had promised, with his and his father’s resolucion about the difference between us. But he writes to me in the very same slighting terms that I did to him, without the least respect at all, but word for word as I did him, which argues a high and noble spirit in him, though it troubles me a little that he should make no more of my anger, yet I cannot blame him for doing so, he being the elder brother’s son, and not depending upon me at all.

Thursday 20 March 1661/62Tuesday 18 March 1661/62

Also on this day

Temperature: 6°C / 43°F

(Average for March 1662)

In Parliament

(About this data)

Annotations

N vicenzo on Sun 20 Mar 2005, 01:38am. Flagged

telling words:”… he being the elder brother
N john lauer on Sun 20 Mar 2005, 01:49am. Flag this

cheque
here is apparently “4. To chide, rebuke, or reprove,” —Webster 1913
N A Hamilton on Sun 20 Mar 2005, 02:26am. Flagged

Cheque

OED:
N vicenzo on Sun 20 Mar 2005, 02:54am. Flag this

Today,the house of Lairds had an act enacted, to give The king more money to help his life style and dignity; but Rex does not get all his own way as reguards the uniform way of worship; The Lairds smell a rat and were nervous of the kings’ clause.

http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=14245
N vicenzo on Sun 20 Mar 2005, 03:00am. Flag this

for those that be interested in the difference of men of privilege and the poor constable flatfoot:
“Privilege.
Upon Information, That Mr. Broome Whorwood, a Member of this House, coming out of London last Night, was seized and detained by one Richard Chase, a Constable, and his Watch, at Bishopgate; and not suffered to pass, either in his Coach, or on Foot, although there was no Restraint put upon any other Person that had occasion to pass that Way, but only upon the said Mr. Whorwood, although the Constable was informed, that he was a Member of Parliament; and declared, that he acted by a Power that was above the Parliament, and would not permit . . to pass.
Ordered, That the Serjeant at Arms attending this House, or his Deputy, do apprehend the said RichardChase, and take him into Custody, to answer this Misdemeanor, and Breach of Privilege, objected against him, in seizing and detaining the said Mr. Whorwood; and his uncivil Usage towards him.”

From: British History Online
Source: House of Commons Journal Volume 8: 19 March 1662. Journal of the House of Commons: volume 8, (1802).
URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=26483
Date: 20/03/2005
N A. Hamilton on Sun 20 Mar 2005, 03:22am. Flag this

Cheque as a verb: OED: 11. To rebuke, reprove, reprimand. Also with off. Formerly arch. or dial. Now colloq.
N Mary on Sun 20 Mar 2005, 08:42am. Flag this

my Brampton book.

L&M note that this has not been traced amongst Pepys’ papers.
N Ruben on Sun 20 Mar 2005, 01:49pm. Flagged

his father
N language hat on Sun 20 Mar 2005, 03:06pm. Flag this

“Was it a Pepys mistake”

There was no such thing as a spelling mistake in Pepys’ day, and endings in -cion and -tion were still in flux.
N JWB on Sun 20 Mar 2005, 04:36pm. Flag this

Privileged in the USA:
“Examples of privilege may be found in all systems of law; members of congress and of the several legislatures, during a certain time, parties and witnesses while attending court; and coming to and returning from the same; electors, while going to the election, remaining on the ground, or returning from the same, are all privileged from arrest, except for treason, felony or breach of the peace.”
‘Lectric Law Library’ http://www.lectlaw.com/def2/p085.htm
N vicenzo on Sun 20 Mar 2005, 07:32pm. Flag this

Spellings be in a state of flux. To google or search different ancient texts, one must use all versions of sounds and spelling variations. The offspring will use a different spelling from Pops, possible be for many reasons besides being a reeding or riting defective. Clerk, Clark with ‘e’s’ or not. Pen, Penn. Tis why we need expert help like LH.
One I like it be, Fermour Pepis for Farmer Pepys:
N dirk on Sun 20 Mar 2005, 10:43pm. Flag this

spelling in a state of flux

A quick search through the diary entries so far gave dollowing results:

resolucion Wednesday 19 March 1661/62
stacioner Wednesday 1 January 1661/62
preparacions Saturday 26 October 1661
alteracion Monday 21 October 1661
emulacion Saturday 31 August 1661
suspicion Monday 19 August 1661
collacion Monday 29 April 1661
coronacion Tuesday 23 April 1661
coronacion Sunday 14 April 1661
coronacion Saturday 13 April 1661
coronacion Friday 12 April 1661
salutacion Wednesday 10 April 1661
collacion Wednesday 10 April 1661
coronacion Tuesday 9 April 1661
coronacion Monday 25 March 1661
imaginacions Sunday 3 March 1660/61
coronacion Friday 1 March 1660/61
coronacion Thursday 21 February 1660/61
coronacion Wednesday 30 January 1660/61
contribucion Sunday 6 January 1660/61
suspicion Sunday 16 December 1660

Note that “suspicion” is the only word in this list stiil spelled on “-cion”.
It would seem that the “-cion” spelling was fairly common (it’s unlikely that Sam was an exception).

I wonder what determined the switch to “-tion” in modern English?
N Mary on Mon 21 Mar 2005, 07:42am. Flag this

the switch to “-tion” in Mod E.

At a guess, this followed the publication of Johnson’s Dictionary. This work did more than any other to ‘fix’ English spelling, and Johnson prefers the “-tion” version of the ending.
N David on Mon 21 Mar 2005, 06:14pm. Flag this

The diarist steps outside the story …

And admires the turner’s bravado in refusing to knuckle under to the high-placed government man.
N Ruben on Mon 21 Mar 2005, 06:27pm. Flag this

explanaTION
Thank you all for the good will, the interest and exhaustive explanation.
N Rex Gordon on Mon 21 Mar 2005, 06:32pm. Flag this

On the authority of constables …

I doubt that mid-17th century constables or watchmen were much changed from Dogberry and his sorry squad in Much Ado About Nothing. Like the bumbling Chase in today’s entry, Dogberry charged his men to let any real criminals go about their business unhindered, while annoying the quieter part of the citizenry. There must have been enough truth in the Dogberry caricature to get the groundlings guffawing with recognition. The watch was generally “chosen from the dregs of the people; who have no other arms but a lanthorn and a pole; who patrol the streets, crying the hour every time the clock strikes.” They were notoriously ineffective, “coming very late to the watch, sitting down in some common place of watching, wherein some falleth on sleep by reason of labour or much drinking before, or else nature requireth a rest in the night.” Most were old codgers “whose speed will keep pace with a snail, and the strength of whose arm would not be able to arrest an old washerwoman of fourscore returned from a hard day’s fag at the washtub.” (From Ackroyd, London: The Biography, page 278.)
N language hat on Tue 22 Mar 2005, 09:03pm. Flag this

bumbling Chase?

I had entirely the opposite impression: that Chase was doing his job properly, and some outraged “Do you know who I am??” big shot got him taken into custody to answer for his insolence. Neither of us knows the facts, and I guess each of us will interpret the tale based on whether we prefer to blame the big guy or the little guy.
N Robert Gertz on Wed 23 Mar 2005, 01:52am. Flag this

Sam’s very likeable in this one, giving Tom Pepys the turner’s spirit his due as he does.

Of course he can’t help admiring such spirit in a Pepys…