Sunday 10 January 1668/69
(Lord’s day). Accidentally talking of our maids before we rose, I said a little word that did give occasion to my wife to fall out; and she did most vexatiously, almost all the morning, but ended most perfect good friends; but the thoughts of the unquiet which her ripping up of old faults will give me, did make me melancholy all day long. So about noon, past 12, we rose, and to dinner, and then to read and talk, my wife and I alone, for Balty was gone, who come to dine with us, and then in the evening comes Pelling to sit and talk with us, and so to supper and pretty merry discourse, only my mind a little vexed at the morning’s work, but yet without any appearance. So after supper to bed.
martinb Link to this
I wonder which "little word" that might have been...
martinb Link to this
"Pretty"? "Fair"? Or the one that starts with D and ends with b and has just one vowel sound in the middle?
Alex Morris Link to this
Supper and pretty "merry discourse"? Sounds like fun, although I can imagine back then all they could really do for entertainment is sing and get incredibly drunk. So much has changed since those days it's untrue.
Alex Morris Link to this
"Merry discourse"? I should imagine all they did back then for entertainment was sing and drink vast amounts of alcohol. So much has changed so those days it's untrue.
Clive Foden Link to this
Oh come on Alex, have you never spent an evening chatting, telling stories, singing?
Perhaps at school, or a camp?
Not wishing to appear a Luddite, but most of my best evenings could be described as "merrie discourse". And don't forget beer was a lot weaker then too. Hic!
Robert Gertz Link to this
"I like our maids to be pretty and..."
Cut to shot of ax falling...
Terry Foreman Link to this
In his Journall, "merry" does seem to be used by Pepys to describe occasions on which there's been drinking going on, and "very merry" even more so.