Monday 26 November 1660
(Office day). To it all the morning, and dined at home where my father come and dined with me, who seems to take much pleasure to have a son that is neat in his house. I being now making my new door into the entry, which he do please himself much with. After dinner to the office again, and there till night. And that being done the Comptroller and I to the Mitre to a glass of wine, when we fell into a discourse of poetry, and he did repeat some verses of his own making which were very good. Home, there hear that my Lady Batten had given my wife a visit (the first that ever she made her), which pleased me exceedingly. So after supper to bed.
vincent Link to this
'tis nice SP and his father are socializing now{Mama is with stone}
and His wife meets with approval. One can feel the pride reflected.
Mary Link to this
"and there till night"
(For overseas readers). He's not necessarily working very late; sunset in London this week is shortly before 1600h, so night arrives early. This will move steadily earlier until mid-December, when it will set at 15.52. Sunrise at present occurs at 07.40h and in mid-December will reach 07.50h before the days start lengthening again.
Roger Arbor Link to this
"Neat in his house".... Funny, I always considered Sam to be a tidy man, invariably complaining when things are not laid out to his liking. A compulsive obsessive... bringing order out of chaos. Rather a summary of his life in the service of the Royal Navy; he certainly left it in rather a better state than he found it.
Mary Link to this
Neat
In this instance would mean 'refined' or 'elegant'. cf Ben Jonson, 1601: 'a neate, fine street'; 'a neat and commodious mansion-house' described in the Gazetteer of Scotland, 1806.
vincent Link to this
"neat". Still use this form for refined, marked as tasteful simplicity; glad ` it did not mean bovine
Linda Camidge Link to this
Isn't (or wasn't there once) an Americanism - "that's really neat" - with similar meaning?
And re sunrise - it actually carries on getting later, cruelly, until early January. January mornings are darker than December mornings. Which has nought to do with Pepys, I know.