Friday 13 March 1662/63

Up pretty early and to my office all the morning busy. At noon home to dinner expecting Ashwell’s father, who was here in the morning and promised to come but he did not, but there came in Captain Grove, and I found him to be a very stout man, at least in his discourse he would be thought so, and I do think that he is, and one that bears me great respect and deserves to be encouraged for his care in all business. Abroad by water with my wife and Ashwell, and left them at Mr. Pierce’s, and I to Whitehall and St. James’s Park (there being no Commission for Tangier sitting to-day as I looked for) where I walked an hour or two with great pleasure, it being a most pleasant day. So to Mrs. Hunt’s, and there found my wife, and so took them up by coach, and carried them to Hide Park, where store of coaches and good faces. Here till night, and so home and to my office to write by the post, and so to supper and to bed.

Saturday 14 March 1662/63Thursday 12 March 1662/63

Also on this day

Temperature: 5°C / 41°F

(Average for March 1663)

In Parliament

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Annotations

N TerryF on Mon 13 Mar 2006, 11:59pm. Flag this

“no Commission for Tangier sitting to-day as I looked for”

Has the Duke gone aglee unannounced again?
Have Pepys and the others received a message, or did he just find this out at Whitehall?
N jeannine on Tue 14 Mar 2006, 12:07am. Flag this

“where I walked an hour or two with great pleasure, it being a most pleasant day”..how many of us would love to show up for a business meeting only to find it canceled and then have 2 hours to go for a walk and enjoy a beautiful day! This type of thing rarely happens these days as most people would be scurring off to the next item on their overpacked work schedule. Good for Sam!
N Eric Walla on Tue 14 Mar 2006, 01:35am. Flag this

“… carried them to Hide Park, where store of coaches and good faces.” What a lovely phrase! A pleasant day it must have been.
N Leslie Katz on Tue 14 Mar 2006, 02:54am. Flag this

The date

I’ve done no research at all about this, but, when noticing the date of the entry, I wondered idly about Friday the 13th. When, where and why was it first thought an unlucky day? Is it a superstition common to many cultures?
N dirk on Tue 14 Mar 2006, 03:06am. Flag this

Friday the 13th

Leslie, have a look at Wim van der Meij’s annotation to Friday 13 September 1661:
http://www.pepysdiary.com/archive/1661/09/13/#c23268
N Mary on Tue 14 Mar 2006, 07:54am. Flag this

“carried them to Hide Park”

Looks to me as if Sam is trying to make a good impression on Ashwell with a view to fostering and retaining her good will on Elizabeth’s behalf, but without provoking extravagant social ambitions. Doesn’t want a repetition of the Gosnell business. There will be treats (i.e. a coach-ride in the park from time to time, so as to observe the bon ton) but no expectation of frequent visits to Court.
N jeannine on Tue 14 Mar 2006, 11:16am. Flag this

Mary,Good points and I am sure there is a line that Wheatley didn’t translate here explaining how Sam has bound Balty’s mouth shut, so hopefully Ashwell will not be led to expect more! Sounds like she has it well enough as it is.
N Wim van der Meij on Tue 14 Mar 2006, 02:31pm. Flag this

We have seen it before: Sam goes gallivanting off during the day-time and does his work at the office at night, or very early in the morning. That probably has to do with office hours that are not fixed, at least not for Sam. I wonder if that also goes for the ordinary clerk.
N Australian Susan on Tue 14 Mar 2006, 10:25pm. Flag this

Sam, leaves the ladies of his household at the Pierces’ whilst he goes off to his committee meeting. Having discovered it is off, he does not go back to the Pierces and join them (“Look! It’s me! No meeting!”), but takes time to be alone. This is quite rare - Sam walking about in the Park and not even meeting anyone to exchange news or Court gossip with. Maybe he was very glad to have such a rare space in his day to, literally, re-create himself. But, second thoughts here - where was Wayneman? And, furthermore, interesting that Sam did not hurry back to the Pierces’ and avail himself of more greedy contemplation of La Belle Pierce! (even with the sharp eyes of Elizabeth on him).
N Robert Gertz on Wed 15 Mar 2006, 12:49am. Flag this

St. James’ Park…

“Boy? Don’t dawdle.”

Hhhh…ha…Hhhhhh…ha…A gasping Wayneman struggles to hurry along at the brisk-paced Sam’s heels.

“Yessss…sir…”

“Boy, when I was a lad of your age a hearty walk like this was a rare treat. Come along, come along.”

Oh, Lord…

Still one little blessing…Wayneman glances back to see a puffing, stumbling Will Hewer staggering after them…

“Mis…ter…Pepys, sir!” Desparate flailing wave…

Hhhhhhhhh…ha…
N Leslie Katz on Wed 15 Mar 2006, 01:23am. Flag this

Friday the 13th

Thank you very much for the reference, Dirk.

Leslie
N Pauline on Thu 16 Mar 2006, 03:59am. Flag this

“carried them to Hide Park”
We might also assume an understanding on Sam’s part about what a companion to Elizabeth might hope for in joining his household. Also, Elizabeth’s interests may lie in this social parade, and Sam may feel that that can only be indulged if she is accompanied by a suitable companion.