Monday 7 July 1662

Annotations

• N Robert Gertz on Thu 7 Jul 2005, 11:11pm

  “My morning’s work at the office…” My god, that’s pretty much what I do on Friday and Saturday morning…

  [Out of context but of course my family’s prayers and best go out to the citizens of London.]

• N Robert Gertz on Thu 7 Jul 2005, 11:17pm

  It’s still such a shame that Sam doesn’t take an interest in dad-in-law Alexander. I’d’ve loved to have heard about his perpetual motion machine and other inventions from Sam.

• N Australian Susan on Fri 8 Jul 2005, 02:13am

  Why doesn’t Sam visit his parents-in-law? We know, and understand why, he doesn’t get on with Balthasar, but not why he doesn’t seem to want to spend time with the parents.
  As a librarian, I must commend Sam on his diligence in ordering his books! It seems the Sir Williams used the “nearest available empty surface” method of filing prior to Sam’s arrival.

• N Miss Ann on Fri 8 Jul 2005, 07:29am

  Just like Sam it’s that time of the year to finalise the last financial year’s books & papers and open new files for the 2005/2006 financial year - sticking labels on spines of folders, etc. Some things never change.

  In-laws - the unwelcome baggage that you get when you fall in love - I can understand Sam’s not wanting to waste time with the in-laws - I feel exactly the same way about my ex-in-laws - truly frightful people, the ex-husband was definitely the pick of that mob!

• N Michael Robinson on Fri 8 Jul 2005, 09:39am

  “writing on the backsides what books they be”

  Does anyone know if Pepys is writing on the spines of the books? ‘Twas often the custom early in the C 17th. to title in Mss. on the fore edge and if shelved, rather than kept in a chest or closed press, shelve volumes fore edge out: see the background in the carved monument to Dean Boys (d. 1625) in Canterbuy Cathedral where the books in his study are clearly shelved fore edge out.

• N Robert Gertz on Fri 8 Jul 2005, 10:38am

  I suppose given Balty’s pretensions to gentlemanly grandeur, Alexander, rightly or foolishly considering himself a ruined French aristocrat, looked down his nose at Sam the tailor’s son and Sam…And possibly Bess…Never forgets. Interesting that Sam took time off from the office to take Elisabeth to the parents after a blissfully happy morning with her yesterday.

  And Sam…I’d check those household accounts with the merchants. I’d bet a few of those 30 shillings are going to mum- and dad-in-law. Actually I wouldn’t…Bess is just doing her daughterly bit for the aging ps.
  

• N Cumgranissalis on Fri 8 Jul 2005, 09:41pm

  Sams In Laws be neither of wealth or of good connection, and even be, of French extraction. They could even be still upset that Sam removed their daughter at a tender age from the bidding rites of better placed suitors. Many an in Law never come to terms, that their little darling has left home.
  [Families, a myth of the father Claus variety]

• N Australian Susan on Fri 8 Jul 2005, 10:52pm

  Sam and the books
  It seems clear that we are talking about ledgers here. Maybe they were not bound. It was common in those days (and into the 19th c to buy a book unbound and then have it bound, so that you had a library of uniform books, maybe with your crest embossed on the front if you were armigerous). So Sam may have paper bound items here, so it would be easy to write on any part of them. I took “backsides” to mean spine, as if unbound, they would not actuallly have spines, but I don’t know enough about 17th c office practice. Does anyone out there?
  Incidently the Australian financial year runs from July to June, but the English is April to March so Sam has passed through that time this year! A hangover from the time when the year began at Easter. Sam still usesthis practice in his year dating.

• N Michael Robinson on Sat 9 Jul 2005, 08:46am

• N Ruben on Sat 9 Jul 2005, 09:56am

• N language hat on Sat 9 Jul 2005, 06:05pm

  I second Ruben’s thanks.
  That kind of detailed, well-informed commentary is what keeps me coming here.

• N Cumgranissalis on Sat 9 Jul 2005, 07:17pm

  Thanks for the information, excellant,
  Thanks Mr Robinson. I concur with the two previous excellant annotators.

• N pedro on Sat 18 Feb 2006, 10:00am

  This day in Portugal.

  Two regiments of horse, and two regiments of foot, comprising in all of 3000 men, landed in Portugal. They were marched straight to the front in the Alentejo.