Thursday 11 May 1665
Up betimes, and at the office all the morning. At home dined, and then to the office all day till late at night, and then home to supper, weary with business, and to bed.
Daily entries from the 17th century London diary
Up betimes, and at the office all the morning. At home dined, and then to the office all day till late at night, and then home to supper, weary with business, and to bed.
Friday 12 May 1665Wednesday 10 May 1665
Time appeared to pass so slowly and now it’s jack rabbiting.
Sam appears to be having my day, except the dining at home in the middle of the day part. The working late into the night is very familiar together with the weariness — I feel we are experiencing the exact same work day. Let’s hope it gets better for all of us.
Not every meal is momentous. Sometimes the only thing that happens is we get fed. I think we all need a glass of sexy wine.
It is interesting that for all the talk of our speeded-up era, Sam seems to carry an equal burden in his…And his great advantage, having the office so close to home only increases his load just as all our wonderful gadgets-cell phone, etc tend to suck up more rather than less of our leisure. I’ll hope that I’m right about Bess spending more unacknowledged and underappreciated time with him in the office than we can judge from his comments.
What, no mention of Mom today?
Robert G makes a good point. But, the added advantage Sam seems to have over us is that his working hours are more flexible — albeit many Saturdays & Sundays, too.
Todd I agree, I’m thinking these short, short diary entries are fill-ins - Sam wrote them later in the week/month catching up on his diary entries. He seems to be in a very busy period and maybe it is because his mother is with him that daily diary entries are abandoned for the moment.
Like you, I find it odd he does not mention either his mom or the news his mom would bring from the country. There is nothing like a visit from your mom to bring you up to date on all the people you left behind in your youth especially that girl she expected you marry or that other mothers son who did take up that profession mom told you to take. And moms always have concerns on your health and why no grandchildren etc. If Sam did make this entry at night before he went to bed, it is more than suspicious that there is no mention of his mom.
“There is nothing like a visit from your mom…”
Sam’s comment yesterday…“and doating again in her discourse, through age and some trouble in her family.”
Phil’s description sounds just like that of a doating mother’s visit, if doating in the sense of “childish of old age, or to show excessive love”.
Sam would have no time to listen to that kind of talk would he!
Has there been a maternal visit like this one before? I assume Margaret Pepys is spending her time with Elizabeth and a friend or two, and can go out and about as she will. Samuel is busier than ever, now that the war is on and he has three or four full-time jobs.
Phil, since SP was reared as a youth in London, wouldn’t he have a better chance of knowing about the matters that you raise than she?