Monday 25 December 1665

Annotations

• N cgs on Fri 26 Dec 2008, 01:49am. Flag this

  “…and strange to see what delight we married people have to see these poor fools decoyed into our condition, every man and woman gazing and smiling at them…”
  and remembering the 3 rings of Marriage, engagement, wedding and the third suffer ring
  

• N Bergie on Fri 26 Dec 2008, 05:04am. Flag this

  That “strange to see …” comment must be one of the most often quoted bits of the Diary. In the top ten, at least.

• N A. De Araujo on Fri 26 Dec 2008, 10:34am. Flag this

  “these poor fools decoyed into our condition”
  Misery loves company!

• N Robert Gertz on Fri 26 Dec 2008, 04:47pm. Flag this

  Heaven…

  “I should have come to Bruncker’s dinner and strangled you with the turkey.”

  “Bess…You wanted to go home to London early. I was all alone, doing my Duty at Greenwich. Should I have spent Christmas dinner alone in my room as well?”

  “PETER?! I want the tape!”

  I swear “Heaven” is not what I expected sometimes. St Peter, sighing.

  3D-Holigraphic animated images of dinner at Lord Bruncker’s, Christmas 1665…

  “Haw-haw.” image of Sam chuckling whilst urging pretty servant to pour more wine into proffered glass. “Yes, there was that couple…” smacking kiss to pretty servant… “and I thought, as we all did, we marrieds, what happy fools! Haw-haw!”

  “Well, I am safe with Abby here.” Bruncker beams contentedly. Mrs. Williams frowning at Sam’s happy leer…”Indeed, my Lord, you have the best of all worlds, with dear Mrs. W unable to lay a claim on you as wife…Yes, as my Lord Sandwich once told me, if a man has lain with a wench…”

  Ummn…He eyes Mrs. W’s hard stare…Bruncker’s slightly distressed look.

  “…Well, an old tale…But you are fortunate to be so free, my Lord.”

  “You seem quite free, yourself, Mr. Pepys.” Abby, coldly. “Your wife is alone in London, I believe…While you continue your bachelor quarters in Greenwich.”

  “One must bare up under the burden of the King’s business, Mrs. Williams. And my wife at least knows her place is to keep to her home…Yes…” Grandiose wave of glass…”I can at least content myself that in my home, I am generally Master. Though of course I suffer at her absence, my suffering is therefore of some limit.”

  “None at all, Mrs. Pennington might say…”

  Ummn…

  “STOP TAPE!!” Bess cries.

• N cgs on Fri 26 Dec 2008, 07:08pm. Flag this

  see SP for another view of bliss.
  http://www.pepysdiary.com/archive/1660/10/07/

  
  On Marrying the Wench
  ….my Lord told me that among his father’s many old sayings that he had wrote in a book of his, this is one— that he that do get a wench with child and marry her afterwards is as if a man should —— in his hat and then clap it on his head.
  - Diary, October 7, 1660
  http://www.luminarium.org/eightlit/pepys/quotes.htm
  

• N Australian Susan on Sat 27 Dec 2008, 08:09am. Flag this

  A belated happy Christmas to all from a very hot and humid Brisbane.

• N A.Hamilton on Sat 27 Dec 2008, 01:47pm. Flag this

  And another from one who has just come from dining with a Buchan (indeed, with 5 of them).