Thursday 19 March 1667/68

Up, and betimes to the Old Swan, and by water to White Hall, and thence to W. Coventry’s, where stayed but a little to talk with him, and thence by water back again, it being a mighty fine, clear spring morning. Back to the Old Swan, and drank at Michell’s, whose house goes up apace, but I could not see Betty, and thence walked all along Thames Street, which I have not done since it was burned, as far as Billingsgate; and there do see a brave street likely to be, many brave houses being built, and of them a great many by Mr. Jaggard; but the raising of the street will make it mighty fine. So to the office, where busy all the morning. At noon home to dinner, and thence to the office, very busy till five o’clock, and then to ease my eyes I took my wife out and Deb. to the ’Change, and there bought them some things, and so home again and to the office, ended my letters, and so home to read a little more in last night’s book, with much sport, it being a foolish book, and so to supper and to bed.

This afternoon I was surprized with a letter without a name to it, very well writ, in a good stile, giving me notice of my cozen Kate Joyce’s being likely to ruin herself by marriage, and by ill reports already abroad of her, and I do fear that this keeping of an inne may spoil her, being a young and pretty comely woman, and thought to be left well. I did answer the letter with thanks and good liking, and am resolved to take the advice he gives me, and go see her, and find out what I can: but if she will ruin herself, I cannot help it, though I should be troubled for it. —[This is rather fine of Pepys who “ruins” several women each week and yet considers himself on fit to judge. D.W.]

9 Annotations

First Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

The Royal Society today at Arundel House — from the Hooke Folio Online

March. 19. Some Account was giuen by Dr. Pope & mr. Hooke of the booke of florentine Expts. which was that the many subiects & Expts. treated at therein, had also been considerd & tryed here in England and euen improued beyond the contacts of that booke, yet that they were here deliuerd wth. much accuratenesse & politenesse and some of them wth. an acknowledgment of the origine whence they were deriud

(mr. boyle to be consulted about Expt. of organ pipe.)

Dr. Pope that there was found tht sound moued equally swift wth. & against the wind vizt an Italian mile in 5 second, but not soe strongly) that mr Rook had found it moue 5 miles in 20 seconds

Dr. pope account of Oxford Boy.) Mr Gregorys book. vera circuli & hyperbolae quadratura.[ http://is.gd/qut0gY ] Deliuerd to mr Hooke.

There was Read a Description of an Instrument for Collecting the wind, or for making the slower motions of the air more sensible contriued by mr. Hooke it was orderd to be registred. It being mentiond in this Description that by a somewt Like contriuance there might be made an Instrument for collecting the sounds dispersed in the air, into one small pipe to be applyed to the ear. to some for an otacousticon. It was orderd tht mr Hooke should cause a great glasse receiuer to be made for that purpose -

The Curator producd his newly contriued cyder pressing engine which being tryed but not found to goe close enough for expressing out all the Iuice of the apple at once, It was orderd that It should be made to goe closer against next day

The businesse of improuing optick glasses being againe spoken of mr Hook said that mr Cox had affirmed to him that he would make a sphericall glasse of the same power with those of mr Smethwick declared to be not sphericall which should perform the same effects of taking in as great an angle and Representing the object as distinctly and truly as mr. Smethwicks glasses. It was orderd that mr Cox should be desired by mr Hooke to make good his affirmation (Dr. King made stenos expt. wthout successe)

Anatomical tract of De graeff & van horne of Leyden about the parts of generation. as tht the testes are strings & of femalls; ouarys. [ http://embryo.asu.edu/view/embryo… ] Sr. G Ent to pervse them). The Curator produced a lamp furnace for hatching eggs in it It was orderd that the Expt. should be tryed wthout delay. Oldenb: Letter to Gr: Duke.

Expt. for N[ext] D[ay]. a glasse Receiuer to increase the sound for hearing. 2 weighing mettalline bodys -

http://webapps.qmul.ac.uk/cell/Ho…

Michael Robinson  •  Link

"This afternoon I was surprized with a letter without a name to it, ... I did answer the letter with thanks and good liking, ..."

I assume the letter was delivered by hand of an anonymous messenger who waited, or was asked to wait, for a response or reply.

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"I assume the letter was delivered by hand of an anonymous messenger who waited, or was asked to wait, for a response or reply."

Not an uncommon event at the time and after, I wot.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

Alas if only Mrs. Bagwell or Mrs. Burroughs had had a cousin Pepys to look out for her. Betty Martin on the other hand seems well able to look out for herself, she just actually seems to fancy Sam.

Hmmn...Betty Mitchell again escapes Sam's potentially ruinuous attentions...Interesting. Wonder if perhaps she's hinted to young Mitchell that "uncle" Pepys' attentions are not entirely honorable.

Mary  •  Link

Kate Joyce's situation and status are entirely different from that of these other women, of course. In the first place she is related to Sam and in the second place she stands to lose financially by an injudicious marriage - and that, too, could affect both Sam and his pocket.

JWB  •  Link

Thanks for the links MR. Rumaging around the easy to navigate site (not always case with museums) took me back to romance of science had as teenager. Pages I particularly liked:
1) http://catalogue.museogalileo.it/…
2) http://catalogue.museogalileo.it/… in that just receive 15 free compact fluorescent bulbs from electric utility
3) http://catalogue.museogalileo.it/… recalls to mind that Howard Hughes, building 'Spruce Goose', would not believe that liquids were compressible & had engineers set up a demo with hydraulic fluid, and
4) http://catalogue.museogalileo.it/… -who knew, Milton had the legs of an NFL lineman.

Second Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"walked all along Thames Street...and there do see a brave street likely to be, many brave houses being built, and of them a great many by Mr. Jaggard; but the raising of the street will make it mighty fine."

L&M note Thames St, a main thoroughfare, was now widened as well as raised. The old street had been in places only 11 ft. wide; now it was to be 30 ft. See T.F. Reddaway, Rebuilding of London, pp. 105, 299. https://archive.org/details/Rebui…

Abraham Jaggard was a wealthy grocer who often supplied navy victualing. At his death in 1694 he owned houses in both Thames St and Love Lane, Billingsgate.

psw  •  Link

[This is rather fine of Pepys who “ruins” several women each week and yet considers himself on fit to judge. D.W.] D.W. such the prude.

Side with Mary and a dish or so more: he didn't ruin the women; he was with them for years and he paid along the way. He genuinely cared for most of them which is not uncommon upon circumstances as such. These were lusty creatures in a different age... nevertheless... plus ca change.

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