Saturday 2 September 1665
This morning I wrote letters to Mr. Hill and Andrews to come to dine with me to-morrow, and then I to the office, where busy, and thence to dine with Sir J. Minnes, where merry, but only that Sir J. Minnes who hath lately lost two coach horses, dead in the stable, has a third now a dying. After dinner I to Deptford, and there took occasion to ‘entrar a la casa de la gunaica de ma Minusier’, and did what I had a mind … To Greenwich, where wrote some letters, and home in pretty good time.
Robert Gertz Link to this
"Waste not, want not, eh, Pepys?" Sir John, beaming...
jean-paul Link to this
Now, i know the origin of the expression "Honey, I'm home!"…
Carl in Boston Link to this
who hath lately lost two coach horses, dead in the stable, has a third now a dying.
I marvel that Pepys can write so many letters and have them delivered. Evidently the Post Office delivers through fire, famine, pestilence, and plague.
A. De Araujo Link to this
"who hath lately lost two coach horses,dead in the stable,has a third now a dying."
From the Plague?
dirk Link to this
and there took occasion to ‘entrar a la casa de la gunaica de ma Minusier’, and did what I had a mind...
L&M: "and there took occasion to andar a la casa de la gunaica de mi Minusier and did what I had a mind a hazer con [ella], and volvió"
"entrar a la casa de la gunaica de ma Minusier" = "to enter the house of the Minusier (?) girl"
(guniaca = Greek - cf gynaecologist)
"and did what I had a mind a hazer con ella, and volvió" = and did what I had a mind to do with her, and returned"
Martin Link to this
gunaica - good woman (Greek)
menusier - carpenter (French)
The good woman of my carpenter.
In other words, Madame Bagwell, whose husband is a ship's carpenter.
Martin Link to this
"thence to dine with Sir J. Minnes, where merry, but only that Sir J. Minnes who hath lately lost two coach horses, dead in the stable, has a third now a dying."
I'm trying to make sense of "but only that." Does he mean "except for the fact that..."?
Mary Link to this
"but only that" = "except for the fact that" indeed.
The death of two coach horses with a further death expected represents a considerable loss of money: good coach horses did not come cheap. Although plague can be transmitted to other mammals than man I've no idea whether it is transmissible to horses. More common causes of sudden equine death are contaminated feed or careless treatment (leading to colic) by a stable-hand.
C.J.Darby Link to this
Wham,Bam,Thank you mam and home in pretty good time. I does not seem to cost him a thought or moral scruple with death looking over his shoulder.
A. De Araujo Link to this
"gunaica"
Thank you Martin;Sam should stick to french and spanish;he had me all over the internet looking for guanica(I misread it).
Robert Gertz Link to this
Mrs. B rates Greek? Is that some sort of Pepysian promotion for the favorite mistress?
Australian Susan Link to this
Sudden horse death: could be equine flu, which is very contagious. I think if it had been colic caused by poor stable management, we would have heard about the iniquity of the stable boy etc. But food supplies could have been disrupted because of the plague, so contaminated food sounds likely.