Friday 22 June 1666
Up, and before I went out Mr. Peter Barr sent me a tierce of claret, which is very welcome. And so abroad down the river to Deptford and there did some business, and then to Westminster, and there did with much ado get my tallys (my small ones instead of one great one of 2,000l.), and so away home and there all day upon my Tangier accounts with Creed, and, he being gone, with myself, in settling other accounts till past twelve at night, and then every body being in bed, I to bed.
My father, wife, and sister late abroad upon the water, and Mercer being gone to her mother’s and staid so long she could not get into the office, which vexed me.
16 Annotations
First Reading
Australian Susan • Link
Hmmmm. Pepys Snr. Pall and Elizabeth out till late. No idea when Sam will be back. Methinks 'tis very sensible of Mercer to absent herself until she thinks it's safe to go home and be sure she's not alone in the house with Sam. Wonder if this has crossed his mind? Probably not.
Ruben • Link
159 liters of Claret!
cgs • Link
Stay out Mercer,especially with all that claret, claret is so enabling for the senses.
cgs • Link
who be everybody???? "...then every body being in bed, I to bed, my father, wife, and sister late abroad upon the water, and Mercer being gone to her mother’s and staid so long she could not get into the office, which vexed me...."
guess????, cook, scullery maide, parlar maide, the delousing maide, the maides maide, foot boy, shoe boy.......
Phoenix • Link
http://books.google.com/books?id=…
There are two references here to Peter Barr that may suggest why he would bring Sam a cask of claret.
Phoenix • Link
A search under 'Pepys' at the above link brings quite a few references to the correspondence that Sam would have handled on a daily basis.
Michael Robinson • Link
" ... Mr. Peter Barr sent me a tierce of claret, ..."
L&M (vii,175,n 2) suggest its associated with supplying provisions to the Navy at Portsmouth in April: CSPD 1665-6 p.335. -- the volume in the series immediately prior to the one linked to by Phoenix
Robert Gertz • Link
Wouldn't you like to have been a fly on the wall to hear what Mercer had to tell Mum about her dear employer's husband?
If Sam were ever murdered in an alternate universe...Highly likely if the theories are correct...The list of suspects would baffle even a Holmes or Poirot.
Carl in Boston • Link
Mercer being gone to her mother’s and staid so long she could not get into the office,
I think Mercer could push the limits of staying out at night. She knows Sam needs her to dress him in the morning and get his morning eyeful. It's comp time for romp time.
Ruben • Link
I expected to read some explanation about "Mercer could not get into the office", and still I am not sure I understand.
Which office? The Navy Office? Why would Mercer had to get into that office?
Or is it that Samuel called "Office" to all of the complex were he lived and the outside gate was closed because of the late hour, so she did not come back till the morning?
Or is it she coud not get for some reason to the "house of office"?
Mary • Link
I think the answer is that Samuel referred to the whole building, both the official and the domestic parts, as 'the office' in general. Late at night the main gateway to the buildings was closed and Mercer has claimed this as her reason for failing to return last night. Presumably she could not (or did not wish) to rouse the gate-keeper.
cgs • Link
Mary you have a point, the night watchman could be either snoring or snogging or watching the latest domestic bliss fight.
Or tapping into some fine vintage claret that could have leaked so helpfully in to the pot.
Robert Gertz • Link
Sounds like the potential for a "Seinfeld" episode on Mercer's return...
"Oh, Mr. Pepys...I so want to apolog..." low bend, cleveage on display...
Ummn...
"...ize for being so late last night. I so missed not have a...Word with you, while dressing you for bed. I hope I can make it up..." Sam dodges fast rise... "...to you tonight, sir."
Hmmn... "Not at all, Mary."
Robert Gertz • Link
"Well, Gibson?" Sam frowns at gatekeeper.
"I don't suppose you'd buy I was practicing the drunken porter scene from 'Macbeth' for Sir John's amateur production, sir?" Gibson asks, hopefully.
Terry Foreman • Link
Methinks L&M clarify this entry with a break before Pepys's habitual final paragraph relating events of the day not included in the principal narrative part of the entry:
"every body being in bed, I to bed---
"My father, wife, and sister late abroad upon the water. And Mercer being gone to her mother’s and stayed so late, she could not get into the office, which vexed me."
Second Reading
San Diego Sarah • Link
On the 20th Pepys told us that pops was leaving on the 21st. Didn't happen, apparently.
And I agree with what I think Terry says about L&M's reading:
Everyone went out for a balmy night cruise on the Thames, came home and went to bed. However, Mercer was at her mother's, came home even later and was unable to contact the guard. She probably sees his candlelight and throws stones at his window to get him to come down and let her in, which vexes him. She goes to bed. Pepys finishes his accounting and goes to bed after midnight.
And it's not even the end of the month. He must be really worried about Coventry's bad mood, plus Rupert's complaints to Charles II and the Duke of York.