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Sunday 11 October 1663

(Lord’s day). And was mightily pleased to see my house clean and in good condition, but something coming into my wife’s head, and mine, to be done more about bringing the green bed into our chamber, which is handsomer than the red one, though not of the colour of our hangings, my wife forebore to make herself clean to-day, but continued in a sluttish condition till to-morrow. I after the old passe, all the day within doors, … the effect of my electuary last night, and the greatest of my pain I find to come by my straining … For all this I eat with a very good stomach, and as much as I use to do, and so I did this noon, and staid at home discoursing and doing things in my chamber, altering chairs in my chamber, and set them above in the red room, they being Turkey work, and so put their green covers upon those that were above, not so handsome. At night fell to reading in the Church History of Fuller’s, and particularly Cranmer’s letter to Queen Elizabeth, which pleases me mightily for his zeal, obedience, and boldness in a cause of religion. After supper to bed as I use to be, in pain ….

Monday 12 October 1663Saturday 10 October 1663

Also on this day

Temperature: 10°C / 50°F

  • (Average for October 1663)

In Earls Colne, Essex

Annotations

  • Wheatley’s ellipses filled in

    “all the day within doors, I finding myself neither to fart nor go to stool after one stool in the morning, the effect of my electuary last night. And the greatest of my pain I find to come by my straining to get something out backwards, which strains my yard and cods, so as to put me to a great and long pain after it, and my pain and frequent desire to make water; what I must therefore forbear.” - so L&M.

  • And the last ellipsis

    “After supper to bed as I use to be, in pain, without breaking wind and shitting.”

  • Turkey work

    Red tapeestry in Turkish style.
    (Select Glossary)

    “form of knotted embroidery practiced in England from the 16th century to the mid-18th century, but especially in the 17th century. Used for upholstery and table covers, it was worked in imitation of Turkish carpets, which are known from paintings to have been imported to England from the 16th century. The designs were usually of geometrically stylized flowers.” http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9001364/Turkey-work

  • At night fell to reading in the Church History

    “Clearly, Cranmer did not write to Queen Elizabeth, and none of his extant letters to any ruler exhibit a notable combination of “zeal, obedience and boldness in a cause of religion.”

    Pepys, Fuller and an Archbishop
    B. J. Whiting Harvard Theological Review: Vol. 38, No. 1 (Jan., 1945), pp. 71-73
    http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0017-8160(194501)38%3A1%3C71%3APFAAA%3E2.0.CO%3B2-K

  • The Cranmer letter.

    L&M footnote suggests that this refers to a letter from Archbishop Grindal to Queen Elizabeth.

  • Archbishop Grindal

    http://www.stbees.org.uk/history/hist_grindal.htm

    He took issue with Queen Elizabeth, only partly patched up by a letter of apology, according to this site. I wonder if this could be the letter Sam read?

  • Ah, poor Sam, unable to “get something out backwards”! But he is a clever fellow—couldn’t he just sit down and work it out with his slide rule?

  • slide rule

    Patricia, that gets the prize for the most unsettling image in a good while! Yuck.

  • Turkey work a picture…

    http://www.oldandsold.com/articles01/article726.jpg

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