Sunday 15 September 1667

(Lord’s day). Up to my chamber, there to set some papers to rights. By and by to church, where I stood, in continual fear of Mrs. Markham’s coming to church, and offering to come into our pew, to prevent which, soon as ever I heard the great door open, I did step back, and clap my breech to our pew-door, that she might be forced to shove me to come in; but as God would have it, she did not come. Mr. Mills preached, and after sermon, by invitation, he and his wife come to dine with me, which is the first time they have been in my house; I think, these five years, I thinking it not amiss, because of their acquaintance in our country, to shew them some respect. Mr. Turner and his wife, and their son the Captain, dined with me, and I had a very good dinner for them, and very merry, and after dinner, he [Mr. Mills] was forced to go, though it rained, to Stepney, to preach. We also to church, and then home, and there comes Mr. Pelling, with two men, by promise, one Wallington and Piggott, the former whereof, being a very little fellow, did sing a most excellent bass, and yet a poor fellow, a working goldsmith, that goes without gloves to his hands. Here we sung several good things, but I am more and more confirmed that singing with many voices is not singing, but a sort of instrumental musique, the sense of the words being lost by not being heard, and especially as they set them with Fuges of words, one after another, whereas singing properly, I think, should be but with one or two voices at most and the counterpoint. They supped with me, and so broke, up, and then my wife and I to my chamber, where, through the badness of my eyes, she was forced to read to me, which she do very well, and was Mr. Boyle’s discourse upon the style of the Scripture, which is a very fine piece, and so to bed.


18 Annotations

First Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

King Charles II to Ormond
Written from: Whitehall
Date: 15 September 1667

The King has taken the seals from the Lord Chancellor Clarendon. "The argument is too big for a letter"; at present, therefore the King will but add that the Duke's former friendship for the Chancellor shall do him no prejudice with the King, who has not, in the least, diminished "the value and kindness" which he always had for the Duke. The King thinks it fit to say this, upon the present occasion, "because it is very probable that malicious people may suggest the contrary." ...

http://www.rsl.ox.ac.uk/dept/scwm…

Terry Foreman  •  Link

The Duke of Ormonde

"Ormonde's personality had always been a striking one, and he was highly regarded. He was dignified and proud of his loyalty, even when he lost royal favour, declaring, "However ill I may stand at court I am resolved to lye well in the chronicle". Ormonde soon became the mark for attack from all that was worst in the court. Buckingham especially did his utmost to undermine his influence. Ormonde's almost irresponsible government of Ireland during troubled times was open to criticism. He had billeted soldiers on civilians, and had executed martial law. He was threatened by Buckingham with impeachment."

SPOILER

By 4 November 1668, Pepys reports as fact that Ormonde "is to be declared in Council no more Deputy-Governor of Ireland" [ see http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1… ]; he was dismissed from that post on 14 March 1669 "and from the committee for Irish affairs. He made no complaint, insisted that his sons and others over whom he had influence should retain their posts, and continued to fulfil the duties of his other offices, while his character and services were recognized in his election as Chancellor of the University of Oxford on 4 August 1669."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jame…

Robert Gertz  •  Link

"...then my wife and I to my chamber, where, through the badness of my eyes, she was forced to read to me, which she do very well..." You've a good sport in that lady, Samuel.

Maurie  •  Link

.... in continual fear of Mrs. Markham’s coming to church, and offering to come into our pew

Can someone remind me of why Mrs. Markham fills Pepys with trepidation?

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"Can someone remind me of why Mrs. Markham fills Pepys with trepidation?" -- Good question, Maurie.

5 July Pepys wrote: "to the office a little and Sir W. Batten’s, where I am vexed to hear that Nan Wright, now Mrs. Markham, Sir W. Pen’s mayde and whore, is come to sit in our pew at church, and did so while my Lady Batten was there. I confess I am very much vexed at it and ashamed."
http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…

Robert Gertz  •  Link

A dangerous radical, Mrs. Markham...I like her.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

For a man whose pastimes include maid fondling on a large scale as well as sexual stalking of neighbors and forced sex for employee promotions, it's interesting to see Sam throwing maid/whore accusations about.

Larry Bunce  •  Link

...singing with many voices is not singing, but a sort of instrumental musique..
Very interesting observation on choral singing by one who sings on many occasions. Outside of church chorales, music was still very polyphonic in Pepys' time, and the words do get lost. Small groups without a conductor have a habit of singing with a dynamic range of from too loud to even louder, so the musicality of the composition gets lost.

JWB  •  Link

Who is Sam afraid of?

From the Rev. Stephen Charnock's sermon, 'The Chief of Sinners Saved' delivered in London about this time:

"...God might have kept the stock, whence Christ descended according to the flesh, pure and free from being tainted with any notorious crimes; but we find sins of a crimson dye even among them. There are no women reckoned up in Christ's geneology, but such as in scripture are noted for looseness, Mat. 1:3. Tamar who played the harlot with Judah her father-in-law, Gen. 28. Rahab, Mat. 1:5, the harlot Or Jericho. Ruth, ver. 5, a Gentile and Moabitess the root of whose generation was Lot's son, by incest with his own daughter. Bathsheba, ver. 6, David's adulteress. He chose these repenting sinners, out of whose loins Christ was to come, that the greatest sinners might not be afraid to come to him."

Art  •  Link

"Here we sung several good things, but I am more and more confirmed that singing with many voices is not singing, but a sort of instrumental musique, the sense of the words being lost by not being heard, and especially as they set them with Fuges of words, one after another, whereas singing properly, I think, should be but with one or two voices at most and the counterpoint."

I love the insight of this analysis! As a singer and chorister, I can't argue with it - although choirs I've been in pay attention to diction so words are clear to the audience.

Mary  •  Link

Sam's concern about Mrs. Markham.

Again, as with the record of two days ago (the business of Pen's coach and coachman) it is the proprieties that concern Sam.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

"...where I stood, in continual fear of Mrs. Markham’s coming to church, and offering to come into our pew, to prevent which, soon as ever I heard the great door open, I did step back, and clap my breech to our pew-door, that she might be forced to shove me to come in..."

"Good morrow, Mr. P...Excuse me."

I shall take no notice, holding firmly to my position like grim...

"Mr. Pepys, service awaits, sir..."

"Wrong pew, madam."

"Mr. Pepys, the pew is for naval office employees? And it is practically empty but for you and Mr. Hewer..." slight push...

Assorted turn of heads to witness argument...

"For senior officers, madam." They shall not pass, firm grip.

"I believe in church we're all equals before God, Mr. P. And I don't remember hearing of your knighthood, Mister...Pepys."

Chuckles...A few frowns at the radical impropriety.

"Ah, Sir Will..." Sam hopefully views the newly arrived Batten and Lady, paused to watch the fun.

Reinforcements...

"Good day, Pepys...Mrs. M..." Batten leads a smirking Lady Batten past the pew. "No need to make room there, Pepys. We're sitting back today, enjoy the service."

Traitor...Pepys glares.

But Mrs. M., triumphant look...Has seized the opening by Pepys' slight move to encourage Batten's entry to the pew...One hard shove...And...

"Hewer!" Sam calls in the reserves.

"Mr. Pepys." Mrs. Markham, glaring as she is blocked again...

All right, if the bug-eyed little skirt-chaser wants to play rough...We can play rough. She prepares an all-out assault.

More and louder chuckles...Hard laugh from one lady whom Sam notes as one he's made futile attempts on on previous Sundays...Uh-oh. She's whispering to several about her, pointing his way.

Mrs. Markham with two of her company makes another charge...Once more unto the breech, dear friends...

Hewer baring the brunt...Falling back...Only a Pepysian glare holding him.

"Let...Us...Pass..." Markham, grimly shoving.

"Wrong...Pew..." Sam, growling, shoving back...

"It's...Practically...Empty..."

"It's...For...The...Senior...Staff...Not...Someone's...Maid.."

"Listen, you little shite tailor's son!" grim hiss.

"You little whore maid..." grim hiss.

"Penn's going to regret missing this..." Batten to Lady Batten, watching in glee.

"Dearly beloved in Christ..." Mills, eyed the disruption... "Take your seats, please."

Now...Grimly staring at Sam and Mrs. M., locked in struggle, Mrs. M. now going for the periwig, which totters, precariously.

"Don't give up the ship, Pepys!" Batten...Loud whisper.

"Don't let 'im push you around, dearie." Lady Batten, loud whisper...Both chuckling.

Boys...Mills turns to the assistants...Former seamen, of large yet agile frame, not at all unhappy to deal with the situation. Having long longed for closer "association" with their dear Clerk of the Acts.

"Help them to their seats."

Sam, distracted by the approach...Clinging to periwig...Hewer desperately holding to the pew...Mrs. M sensing victory at hand...A final charge, backed by her friends...Prefering not to have it said Nan Markham needed three goons to back her up in a pew offensive. Just need to make the right point...Slam to the neither regions, groan from Sam...In her argument...

Oooh...Batten looks away. That was a low one...

Lady Batten, faint cheer, followed by phony reproving look at Markham, triumphantly pushing past Sam and a hastily retreating Hewer.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

"No woman beats Samuel Pepys out of pew!" our hero rages, groaning in the aisle...As Mrs. M does her little victory kneel, successfully ensconced in pew. Hewer grimly clinging to his seat next to a large female companion of Mrs. M.

"Hewer! Remove them!"

"Sir?" Hewer eyes the large woman next to him...Who smiles benignly.

"Sir, the minister would like for you to be quiet and take yer seat." one of the assistant thugs notes solemnly to Sam.

"Get that #@5%6& out of my pew and..."

"Or...Jackie and I will have to remove you, sir."

Jackie, a tall grim fellow with scarf covering scarred neck, eyeing Pepys out of one good eye, clearly pleased by the prospect of escorting the famed...Infamous CoA from the premises to some quiet location where the problems of the nation's seafaring men in service might be discussed at extreme length.

Hmmn...Perhaps...In the interests of proper homage to our Lord, of course...It might be best to postpone further discussion of the matter till after service. He edged to the pew to find, to his horror...

"Sorry about that, Mr. P. Full up..." Mrs M, cheerfully...

"Back there, sir." the first speaking assistant waved him to the back of the church...Batten giving friendly wave as he passed, still groaning occasionally at a new wave of pain in his nether parts.

Damn Hewer...He should have given up life and limb for his employer, the man who made him. There's no gratitude, no gentility...He looked back to Batten...They could've squeezed me in...Definitely no gentility left.

He took a spot in back by a pillar...Miserable, filthy back pillar spot...Hewer looking nervously back to him.

That's one large black mark on you, boy.

"That's 'im, Freddie..." voice of the failed attempt who been whispering about him... " 'e's the one who made for me bum last week."

"'ey, you! I'm gonna paste your nose all over your face!!"

"Unhand me, sir! A little respect for church!!"

"Should we go help the gentleman?" the first assistant asks Jackie, the second.

"Twould be our duty, if service hadn't begun..." Jackie noted quietly. "Might be well to tell 'em to take their dispute outside to the back courtyard, though."

"We might want to guard the door there, in that case, till the affair's done, eh, Jackie. There being no
other way out."

"Sounds like a fine idea."

Second Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"Mr. Mills preached, and after sermon, by invitation, he and his wife come to dine with me...I thinking it not amiss, because of their acquaintance in our country"

Milles owned property near to Brampton, Hunts., and his wife was the daughter of a neighbor of Pepys's uncle, Robert Pepys, of Brampton.
(Per L&M note)

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"We also to church, and then home, and there comes Mr. Pelling, with two men, by promise, one Wallington and Piggott"

L&M: In Playford's Catch that catch can, or The musical companion (1667) there is mention of 'the late Musick Society and Meeting, in the Old-Jury, London', which included John Pelling, citizen, Benjamin Wallington, citizen, George Piggott, gentleman, and francis Piggott, citizen. Wallington and Francis Piggottt are known to have composed songs.

Terry Foreman  •  Link

Check Pepys's logic?!

"one Wallington and Piggott, the former whereof, being a very little fellow, did sing a most excellent bass,"

Pepys's argument : Pepys is a "very little fellow" and did "sing a most excellent bass", therefore "Wallington being a very little fellow" he must "sing a most excellent bass."

Do you agree?

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

I wonder if Mrs. Markham had an "Eliza Doolittle" accent.

Okay for Pepys to be kissing behind the garden wall, but not for being publically associated with. After all, he's also a pretender.

Louise Hudson  •  Link

Robert Gertz: "For a man whose pastimes include maid fondling on a large scale as well as sexual stalking of neighbors and forced sex for employee promotions, it's interesting to see Sam throwing maid/whore accusations about."

The myth of male superiority and the double standard go hand in hand.

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