Liz has posted 67 annotations/comments since 19 February 2020.
The most recent first…
2 Jun 2022, 11:24 a.m. - Liz
Thank you, Phil, very interesting. I feel inclined to start the cycle again!
13 Oct 2021, 1:48 p.m. - Liz
The comedian Josh Widdicombe is a descendent. (‘Who do you think you are’, BBC1, 12th October 2021)
5 Aug 2021, 10:33 p.m. - Liz
Finally a 40 year itch has been scratched! I have read the Diary straight through, taking a leisurely 17.5 months (approx), something I’ve wanted to do since seeing the volumes in my local library reference section all those years ago.
Huge thanks to Phil for setting up and maintaining this site and to the annotators who have explained and amused throughout and to the great man himself for so candidly revealing what life was like for him and people back then.
5 Aug 2021, 2:52 p.m. - Liz
I do envy SP’s ability to remember the details of the past 14 days. I have trouble remembering what day of the week it is!
2 Aug 2021, 10:38 a.m. - Liz
On shaky ground: calling in sick then going to the theatre!
1 Aug 2021, 3:15 p.m. - Liz
Prorogation was a word unknown to me until 2019. And here I’m coming across it again throughout the diary courtesy of Mr P.
1 Aug 2021, 1:44 p.m. - Liz
‘ I having denied my ever kissing her’
Given what he was found doing, kissing is the least of the problems.
1 Aug 2021, 1:36 p.m. - Liz
If Deb is keeping out of the way, what is she doing all day? I’d love to be a fly on the wall in the servant’s quarters.
1 Aug 2021, 12:40 p.m. - Liz
‘when I offered to rise would have rose too, and caused a candle to be light to burn by her all night in the chimney while she ranted,’
Probably overthinking this, but what was so special about this particular ‘appeasing’ act that warranted mentioning?
1 Aug 2021, 11:49 a.m. - Liz
‘Up, and W. Batelier’s Frenchman, a perriwigg maker, comes and brings me a new one’
To replace the one that caught fire, presumably!
1 Aug 2021, 11:46 a.m. - Liz
‘she is out of herself for joy almost.’
I can imagine how excited EP is - the equivalent of my getting my first car. I was also ‘ outside of myself’.
I love examining the way English changes through the years. When did ‘outside’ become ‘beside’, I wonder?
31 Jul 2021, 12:07 p.m. - Liz
“I saw this new play my wife saw yesterday, and do not like it, it being very smutty”
This surprises me given Sam’s sexual proclivities. Could this be not wanting to admit to Elizabeth that he likes ‘that sort of thing’?
30 Jul 2021, 9:42 p.m. - Liz
“L&M: One of the twins was said to have died 'at a tate of maturity' so that 'the survivor was constrained to drag about her lifeless companion, till death released her from her horrid burden': “
I imagine this wouldn’t have taken long - necrotic tissue from the deceased would cause sepsis in the surviving twin.
28 Jul 2021, 6:58 p.m. - Liz
Can’t understand the eating of oranges at the theatre. Messy business at the best of times!
26 Jul 2021, 3:55 p.m. - Liz
“ I up, and to my Office, whither come my clerks, and so I did huddle the best I could some more notes for my discourse to-day”. I well remember ‘huddling’ with my boss and colleagues, pouring over figures, trying to think of all the things we might be asked at the Board meeting!
22 Jul 2021, 11:17 a.m. - Liz
I believe this is the first time SP has referred to Deb by her name in this context, rather than “girle”.
19 Jul 2021, 12:58 p.m. - Liz
‘here I did see her little girle my goddaughter, which will be pretty,’
I hope he is not sizing her up for future antics.
18 Jul 2021, 10:09 p.m. - Liz
‘my wife and I took coach and went twice round Bartholomew fayre; which I was glad to see again, after two years missing it by the plague,’
Know how he feels!
16 Jun 2021, 4:44 p.m. - Liz
By mistake, I read an entry for June 1668. I’m surprised at the difference in SP’s use of phrases etc. But I suppose if I went back to the beginning, I’d notice a difference there too. Just shows how we change as we get older. (btw, I’m reading straight through rather than each day. Commenced February 2020. Getting there! I have ‘The Journal of Mrs Pepys’ waiting in the wings and I want to re-read the Claire Tomalin book now that I will have soon read SP’s own words.)
13 Jun 2021, 4:39 p.m. - Liz
I continue to be amazed at how young SP actually is at this point. All that he has achieved, the goings-on that occur and that portrait put me in mind of a much older man.
Thank you, Phil, very interesting. I feel inclined to start the cycle again!
The comedian Josh Widdicombe is a descendent. (‘Who do you think you are’, BBC1, 12th October 2021)
Finally a 40 year itch has been scratched! I have read the Diary straight through, taking a leisurely 17.5 months (approx), something I’ve wanted to do since seeing the volumes in my local library reference section all those years ago. Huge thanks to Phil for setting up and maintaining this site and to the annotators who have explained and amused throughout and to the great man himself for so candidly revealing what life was like for him and people back then.
I do envy SP’s ability to remember the details of the past 14 days. I have trouble remembering what day of the week it is!
On shaky ground: calling in sick then going to the theatre!
Prorogation was a word unknown to me until 2019. And here I’m coming across it again throughout the diary courtesy of Mr P.
‘ I having denied my ever kissing her’ Given what he was found doing, kissing is the least of the problems.
If Deb is keeping out of the way, what is she doing all day? I’d love to be a fly on the wall in the servant’s quarters.
‘when I offered to rise would have rose too, and caused a candle to be light to burn by her all night in the chimney while she ranted,’ Probably overthinking this, but what was so special about this particular ‘appeasing’ act that warranted mentioning?
‘Up, and W. Batelier’s Frenchman, a perriwigg maker, comes and brings me a new one’ To replace the one that caught fire, presumably!
‘she is out of herself for joy almost.’ I can imagine how excited EP is - the equivalent of my getting my first car. I was also ‘ outside of myself’. I love examining the way English changes through the years. When did ‘outside’ become ‘beside’, I wonder?
“I saw this new play my wife saw yesterday, and do not like it, it being very smutty” This surprises me given Sam’s sexual proclivities. Could this be not wanting to admit to Elizabeth that he likes ‘that sort of thing’?
“L&M: One of the twins was said to have died 'at a tate of maturity' so that 'the survivor was constrained to drag about her lifeless companion, till death released her from her horrid burden': “ I imagine this wouldn’t have taken long - necrotic tissue from the deceased would cause sepsis in the surviving twin.
Can’t understand the eating of oranges at the theatre. Messy business at the best of times!
“ I up, and to my Office, whither come my clerks, and so I did huddle the best I could some more notes for my discourse to-day”. I well remember ‘huddling’ with my boss and colleagues, pouring over figures, trying to think of all the things we might be asked at the Board meeting!
I believe this is the first time SP has referred to Deb by her name in this context, rather than “girle”.
‘here I did see her little girle my goddaughter, which will be pretty,’ I hope he is not sizing her up for future antics.
‘my wife and I took coach and went twice round Bartholomew fayre; which I was glad to see again, after two years missing it by the plague,’ Know how he feels!
By mistake, I read an entry for June 1668. I’m surprised at the difference in SP’s use of phrases etc. But I suppose if I went back to the beginning, I’d notice a difference there too. Just shows how we change as we get older. (btw, I’m reading straight through rather than each day. Commenced February 2020. Getting there! I have ‘The Journal of Mrs Pepys’ waiting in the wings and I want to re-read the Claire Tomalin book now that I will have soon read SP’s own words.)
I continue to be amazed at how young SP actually is at this point. All that he has achieved, the goings-on that occur and that portrait put me in mind of a much older man.