“…we set out by three o’clock, it being high day” I took this to mean it was a high day meaning a holy day, and it being Lord’s day today, it might be Whit-Sunday. But since Easter Day was March 22nd this year according to The Diary and Whitsun is the seventh Sunday after Easter, which would fall on May 10th, it couldn’t be, though Pepys made no mention of Whitsun in his entry of May 10th.
“Perhaps not often heard now, but it's not so long ago that one might ask for the reckoning when wanting to pay a restaurant bill. The reckoning is generally the accumulated total of a number of items.”
Thanks Mary K, I’m sure that’s what Sam meant, when he went to settle up after their evening of fun he had a “dear reckoning” meaning he had a big bill to pay. But since he and everyone had a great time and were merry it was okay.
“This day I did first put off my waste-coate, the weather being very hot, but yet lay in it at night, and shall, for a little time.”
So Pepys did not wear pajamas to bed but slept in his clothes. Or perhaps he just wore his underwear and the waist-coat on top when it was cold. But then nobody wore underwear in the 17th century. Wouldn’t he have had cozy blankets to keep him warm, being a rich man?
“...and there walked in the garden, and then supped, and mighty merry, there being also in the house Sir Philip Howard, and some company, and had a dear reckoning, but merry, and away, it being quite night...”
Can anyone explain the meaning of the term “dear reckoning”? I know what “dead reckoning” is, but that wouldn’t make sense here. He had a reckoning of something dear to him? Or was it something dear, as in expensive?
“ Mr Pepys spends one shilling on Mrs Martin and does what he would with her. Then during or after his walk he spends one shilling on a ribbon. I wonder who that was for?”
“Here I saw a great trial of the goodness of a burning glass, made of a new figure, not spherical (by one Smithys, I think, they call him), that did burn a glove of my Lord Brouncker’s from the heat of a very little fire, which a burning glass of the old form, or much bigger, could not do, which was mighty pretty.”
Why would they demonstrate the destructive burning ability of magnifying lenses by burning a hole in a nobleman’s glove? Gloves were luxury items and probably pretty expensive. Why wouldn’t they use a block of wood or something else disposable? Wouldn’t Lord Brouncker have been a little peeved? https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…
Sarah, this is one... “ The truth is, I do indulge myself a little the more in pleasure, knowing that this is the proper age of my life to do it; and out of my observation that most men that do thrive in the world, do forget to take pleasure during the time that they are getting their estate, but reserve that till they have got one, and then it is too late for them to enjoy it with any pleasure.” https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
Do you suppose Pepys spent any time rereading his old diary entries? Does he ever mention in the diary that he’s done that? Of course he lived another thirty-three years after ending the diary so for that period we can’t know.
An amusing entry. I wonder if any of the missing gold remains, to be discovered by metal detectorists. No doubt that ground has been gone over many times by now.
Elizabeth as we know was soon to die. Samuel actually loved her, as the diary shows. He lived another thirty-some years afterward. He might’ve bitterly regretted his past behavior in these latter years.
“Here I also saw a printed account of the examinations taken, touching the burning of the City of London, shewing the plot of the Papists therein...”
I’ve found online
“A BALLAD UPON THE POPISH PLOT Written by a Lady of Quality.“
The Popish Plot came after the conclusion of the diary, but Samuel was implicated, and was even confined to the Tower for some period of time. I enjoyed reading this ballad and thought others might too. I couldn’t find any performance of the ballad, maybe I didn’t try hard enough, but it’s to the tune of “Packington’s Pound” which I did find a performance of on Apple Music. It’s a pretty tune. Here are the lyrics: http://ebba.english.ucsb.edu/ball…
There’s even a comic strip (!) drawn by Francis Barlow about the plot. “The Horrid Hellish Popish Plot” (1682).
Comments
Second Reading
About Sunday 21 June 1668
Nicolas • Link
“but merry and in good humour, which is, when all is done, the greatest felicity of all”
I like it when Sam waxes philosophical, it makes the diary come alive for me because I have the same musings.
About Sunday 24 May 1668
Nicolas • Link
“…we set out by three o’clock, it being high day”
I took this to mean it was a high day meaning a holy day, and it being Lord’s day today, it might be Whit-Sunday. But since Easter Day was March 22nd this year according to The Diary and Whitsun is the seventh Sunday after Easter, which would fall on May 10th, it couldn’t be, though Pepys made no mention of Whitsun in his entry of May 10th.
About Tuesday 21 April 1668
Nicolas • Link
“Perhaps not often heard now, but it's not so long ago that one might ask for the reckoning when wanting to pay a restaurant bill. The reckoning is generally the accumulated total of a number of items.”
Thanks Mary K, I’m sure that’s what Sam meant, when he went to settle up after their evening of fun he had a “dear reckoning” meaning he had a big bill to pay. But since he and everyone had a great time and were merry it was okay.
About Saturday 25 April 1668
Nicolas • Link
Thanks Sarah, that makes sense. Also since Bess is out of town he has to sleep alone, nobody to keep him warm.
About Saturday 25 April 1668
Nicolas • Link
“This day I did first put off my waste-coate, the weather being very hot, but yet lay in it at night, and shall, for a little time.”
So Pepys did not wear pajamas to bed but slept in his clothes. Or perhaps he just wore his underwear and the waist-coat on top when it was cold. But then nobody wore underwear in the 17th century. Wouldn’t he have had cozy blankets to keep him warm, being a rich man?
About Tuesday 21 April 1668
Nicolas • Link
“...and there walked in the garden, and then supped, and mighty merry, there being also in the house Sir Philip Howard, and some company, and had a dear reckoning, but merry, and away, it being quite night...”
Can anyone explain the meaning of the term “dear reckoning”? I know what “dead reckoning” is, but that wouldn’t make sense here. He had a reckoning of something dear to him? Or was it something dear, as in expensive?
About Thursday 16 April 1668
Nicolas • Link
“ Mr Pepys spends one shilling on Mrs Martin and does what he would with her. Then during or after his walk he spends one shilling on a ribbon. I wonder who that was for?”
Possibly as a bookmark for his new book?
About Monday 6 April 1668
Nicolas • Link
"Beauty Retire" can be heard in several performances on YouTube. I don’t much care for it myself.
About Thursday 12 March 1667/68
Nicolas • Link
“Here I saw a great trial of the goodness of a burning glass, made of a new figure, not spherical (by one Smithys, I think, they call him), that did burn a glove of my Lord Brouncker’s from the heat of a very little fire, which a burning glass of the old form, or much bigger, could not do, which was mighty pretty.”
Why would they demonstrate the destructive burning ability of magnifying lenses by burning a hole in a nobleman’s glove? Gloves were luxury items and probably pretty expensive. Why wouldn’t they use a block of wood or something else disposable? Wouldn’t Lord Brouncker have been a little peeved?
https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…
About Friday 6 March 1667/68
Nicolas • Link
And after all of these glowing accolades to think that in only eleven years’ time Sam would find himself imprisoned in the Tower.
About Monday 3 February 1667/68
Nicolas • Link
Sarah, this is one...
“ The truth is, I do indulge myself a little the more in pleasure, knowing that this is the proper age of my life to do it; and out of my observation that most men that do thrive in the world, do forget to take pleasure during the time that they are getting their estate, but reserve that till they have got one, and then it is too late for them to enjoy it with any pleasure.” https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
About Monday 23 December 1667
Nicolas • Link
I’ve been enjoying so much the comments by Robert Gertz. I wonder what’s become of him.
About Friday 18 October 1667
Nicolas • Link
No doubt only the rich could afford spectacles. Had I lived then I would’ve been a beggar on the street with a tin cup!
About Thursday 10 October 1667
Nicolas • Link
“The in-depth articles are really helpful. Enjoy.”
Thanks for the link Sarah, I had not seen this before though I did read Ms. Tomalin’s book a few years ago.
I tried to locate Mr. Godsell’s book but it’s out of print now and no used copies available anywhere.
About Friday 11 October 1667
Nicolas • Link
“... and so gives me some kind of content to remember how painful it is sometimes to keep money, as well as to get it...”
How true this is.
About Thursday 10 October 1667
Nicolas • Link
Do you suppose Pepys spent any time rereading his old diary entries? Does he ever mention in the diary that he’s done that? Of course he lived another thirty-three years after ending the diary so for that period we can’t know.
About Thursday 10 October 1667
Nicolas • Link
An amusing entry. I wonder if any of the missing gold remains, to be discovered by metal detectorists. No doubt that ground has been gone over many times by now.
About Wednesday 20 March 1666/67
Nicolas • Link
“ Forgive me if I've posted these sketches before...”
Thanks for posting, I like them too.
About Tuesday 17 September 1667
Nicolas • Link
Elizabeth as we know was soon to die. Samuel actually loved her, as the diary shows. He lived another thirty-some years afterward. He might’ve bitterly regretted his past behavior in these latter years.
About Monday 16 September 1667
Nicolas • Link
“Here I also saw a printed account of the examinations taken, touching the burning of the City of London, shewing the plot of the Papists therein...”
I’ve found online
“A BALLAD UPON THE POPISH PLOT
Written by a Lady of Quality.“
The Popish Plot came after the conclusion of the diary, but Samuel was implicated, and was even confined to the Tower for some period of time. I enjoyed reading this ballad and thought others might too. I couldn’t find any performance of the ballad, maybe I didn’t try hard enough, but it’s to the tune of “Packington’s Pound” which I did find a performance of on Apple Music. It’s a pretty tune. Here are the lyrics: http://ebba.english.ucsb.edu/ball…
There’s even a comic strip (!) drawn by Francis Barlow about the plot. “The Horrid Hellish Popish Plot” (1682).
https://web.archive.org/web/20191…