Daily entries from the 17th century London diary
Up, and to the office, where all the morning sitting. At noon home to dinner, and after dinner down alone by water to Deptford, reading “Duchesse of Malfy,” the play, which is pretty good, and there did some business, and so up again, and all the evening at the office. At night home, and there find Mr. Batelier, who supped with us, and good company he is, and so after supper to bed.
Wednesday 7 November 1666Monday 5 November 1666
loyalty check today.
Lord Crewe, a Peer of this Realm, his servant in trouble, privileges invoked.
No beef from Eire.
It is pretty good, Sam. I like the evil Cardinal brother with the poisoned bible.
Deptford and no visit to Bagwell?
Maybe “so up again” is new code for a dalliance …?
how true
“Here comes Bosola,
The only court-gall; yet I observe his railing
Is not for simple love of piety:
Indeed he rails at those things which he wants;
Would be as lecherous, covetous, or proud,
Bloody, or envious, as any man,
If he had means to be so.”
choose?
gall
. 1. a. The secretion of the liver, bile. Now applied only (exc. in Comb.) to that of the lower animals, esp. to ox gall (see OX) as used in the arts. (From the earliest period often used, like L. fel, F. fiel, etc., as the type of an intensely bitter substance.)
or
1. Originally, a painful swelling, pustule, or blister, esp. in a horse (cf. WINDGALL). In later use (? influenced by GALL v.), a sore or wound produced by rubbing or chafing.
or
1. An excrescence produced on trees, especially the oak, by the action of insects, chiefly of the genus Cynips. Oak-galls are largely used in the manufacture of ink and tannin, as well as in dyeing and in medicine.
I recall an excellent production of the D of M in the ’70s at Stratford with Michael Williams (cast against type, but v.g.) as Bosola - there was much clever use of atmospheric lighting and Bosola had spurs which clinked - this sound accreted layers of suspense as the play progressed.