Opera-cum-heroic drama by Sir William D'Avenant, thought to have been written originally as a play, with music added later in order to circumvent the Commonwealth (see Interregnum) law against purely dramatic entertainment, and gain the Government's permission to mount it at Rutland House. The performance helped pave the way for the re-opening of the theatres, and for D'Avenant's own receipt of one of the monopoly patents as theatre manager. The action concerns the siege of Rhodes by Soleyman the Magnificent, and Duke Alphonso's unreasonable jealousy of his wife, the virtuous Ianthe, who eventually saves her husband and the island. D'Avenant said he wrote it partly to illustrate `the Characters of Vertue in the shapes of Valor and Conjugal Love'. The staging as with the earlier court masque was accompanied by lavish spectacle.
"Still so perverse and opposite, As if they worshipp'd God for spite."
The verse then uses as an example where we were yesterday:
"The self-same thing they will abhor One way, and long another for. Free-will they one way disavow, Another, nothing else allow: All piety consists therein In them, in other men all sin: Rather than fail, they will defy That which they love most tenderly; Quarrel with minc'd-pies, and disparage Their best and dearest friend, plum-porridge;" http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/ete…
If you go back to 1746 to the SE corner of this segment of the map, you will find the Navy Office east of Seething Lane across from St Olave Church, which faces north onto Hart St. http://www.motco.com/Map/81002/Se…
"Would that be Chaucer’s Knight? And this a spoof of Chaucer?"
Something like that: "Hudibras by Samuel Butler. Hudibras was written between 1660 and 1680 and is a satire on the Cromwellians and on the Presbyterian church written by a confirmed Royalist and Anglican. Hudibras, a colonel in the Cromwellian army, is involved in various comic misadventures and is shown to be stupid, greedy and dishonest. The poem is very well written in Chaucerian couplets and was popular for about 150 years, as long as its political attitudes were also popular." http://www.exclassics.com/hudibra…
Re joining “the lion’s skin to the fox’s tail” and Uncle Wight's alleged purchase -- L&M say Pepys's first phrase is confused, for he seems to intend tact; they also say the purchase was, in the end, not closed [cf. http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1… ]
During the runup to the Civil War in England, Hobbes was among many who fled to Paris, where, in "1647, Hobbes was engaged as mathematical instructor to the young Charles, Prince of Wales, who had come over from Jersey around July. This engagement lasted until 1648 when Charles went to Holland" where the *De Cive*, circulated privately since 1642 was published at the Elzevir press in Amsterdam. This defense of undivided sovereignty without divine right enabled Hobbes to be welcomed by Cromwell in 1651; in that year were published in London his English translation of it and the Puritan *Leviathan: or the Matter, Form and Power of a Commonwealth, ecclesiastical and civil*, in the Latin edition of which (1668) he made a few PC changes and declared himself a loyal subject of King Charles.
Sources: *Leviathan, Parts I and II*, "Editor's Introduction" by Herbert W. Schneider (Bobbs-Merrill, 1958) and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thom…
"to White Hall, where I intended to have received the Communion with the family" -- i.e. the professional family to which Pepys belongs (his personal family being yet at home and elsewhere).
Further context for I.A.S's note that Thomas Hobbes states in Chapter IV. of *De Cive* "That the Law of Nature is a Divine Law," cites Luke 2:14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. (KJV)” among other biblical texts to *parallel* the CLAIM that seeking PEACE is the law of nature; the *argument* therefor is provided by *Leviathan*, where the WAR of all against all prevails in a state of nature until a power that overawes compels all to recognize the prudence of seeking PEACE not WAR.
The Groom-Porter was a title granted by the king of England to the official in charge of organizing gambling in the Tudor court. Later, he also regulated English gaming halls. Eventually, the term became used for the owner, or operator of a gaming hall. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groo…
L&M say the painting in question is "The Embarkation of Henry VIII" sc. at Dover 1520 by an unnamed artist which may be viewed here http://www.alectouk.com/The%20Emb…
The Dutch church is in the lower right-hand corner of this section of the JOHN ROCQUE LONDON, WESTMINSTER AND SOUTHWARK First Edition 1746 map. http://www.motco.com/map/81002/Se…
"The Branle [Brahn-lee] is a French Renaissance dance that was well documented in the Festival of Nance in 1445,...and was a very gay and quick dance [in 4/4 time] (generally danced outdoors) by a group, either in line or circle.
"-- It was considered a Court Dance sometimes being referred to as a carole. The name comes from Branler (Shake) and Brander (Brandish). The English called the Branle 'the Brawl' and described it as 'a winging step and anterior kick and swing, the lifting of the leg, the twisting of the feet and the side fling of the foot are frills of past dances'. The dance was said to be based on the Kick of a Cow ('rû de vache').[...] The Charleston dance is said to have had its roots in the Branle" http://www.streetswing.com/histma…
Courante - Michael Praetorius (1610) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Here is a reasonably simple 2 part arrangement of this dance from 'Terpsichore'.... Learning points : - 6/8 rhythm - Binary structure" [with a midi file that allows you to click and hear the music] http://www.mtrs.co.uk/courante.htm
Comments
First Reading
About The Siege of Rhodes (Sir William Davenant)
Terry F • Link
Siege of Rhodes, The (1656), revised in (1661)
Opera-cum-heroic drama by Sir William D'Avenant, thought to have been written originally as a play, with music added later in order to circumvent the Commonwealth (see Interregnum) law against purely dramatic entertainment, and gain the Government's permission to mount it at Rutland House. The performance helped pave the way for the re-opening of the theatres, and for D'Avenant's own receipt of one of the monopoly patents as theatre manager. The action concerns the siege of Rhodes by Soleyman the Magnificent, and Duke Alphonso's unreasonable jealousy of his wife, the virtuous Ianthe, who eventually saves her husband and the island. D'Avenant said he wrote it partly to illustrate `the Characters of Vertue in the shapes of Valor and Conjugal Love'. The staging as with the earlier court masque was accompanied by lavish spectacle.
Dictionary of English Literature, Marion Wynne-Davies, Bloomsbury,1997 http://www.bloomsbury.com/ARC/det…
About Friday 26 December 1662
Terry F • Link
“The self-same thing they will abhor
One way, and long another for."
Why didn't Sam'l see that this can be 'reason' versus 'sense' --
About Friday 26 December 1662
Terry F • Link
To complete the thought in the next couplet:
"Still so perverse and opposite,
As if they worshipp'd God for spite."
The verse then uses as an example where we were yesterday:
"The self-same thing they will abhor
One way, and long another for.
Free-will they one way disavow,
Another, nothing else allow:
All piety consists therein
In them, in other men all sin:
Rather than fail, they will defy
That which they love most tenderly;
Quarrel with minc'd-pies, and disparage
Their best and dearest friend, plum-porridge;"
http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/ete…
About Pepys’ home in Seething Lane
Terry F • Link
If you go back to 1746 to the SE corner of this segment of the map, you will find the Navy Office east of Seething Lane across from St Olave Church, which faces north onto Hart St. http://www.motco.com/Map/81002/Se…
About Friday 26 December 1662
Terry F • Link
"to see whether their country carrier be in town or no, for I am resolved to keep him no more."
Some pronominal ambiguities here, mayhap:
- "their"?
- "him" (seems to be Wayneman, but might it be "their country carrier"?)
About Friday 26 December 1662
Terry F • Link
"Would that be Chaucer’s Knight? And this a spoof of Chaucer?"
Something like that:
"Hudibras by Samuel Butler.
Hudibras was written between 1660 and 1680 and is a satire on the Cromwellians and on the Presbyterian church written by a confirmed Royalist and Anglican. Hudibras, a colonel in the Cromwellian army, is involved in various comic misadventures and is shown to be stupid, greedy and dishonest. The poem is very well written in Chaucerian couplets and was popular for about 150 years, as long as its political attitudes were also popular." http://www.exclassics.com/hudibra…
About Friday 26 December 1662
Terry F • Link
Re joining “the lion’s skin to the fox’s tail” and Uncle Wight's alleged purchase --
L&M say Pepys's first phrase is confused, for he seems to intend tact; they also say the purchase was, in the end, not closed [cf. http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1… ]
About Thursday 25 December 1662
Terry F • Link
Re Bishop Morley's alleged neglect of the poor
L&M say he was well-known for his generosity to them.
About Thursday 25 December 1662
Terry F • Link
Thomas Hobbes's connection to Charles II
During the runup to the Civil War in England, Hobbes was among many who fled to Paris, where, in "1647, Hobbes was engaged as mathematical instructor to the young Charles, Prince of Wales, who had come over from Jersey around July. This engagement lasted until 1648 when Charles went to Holland" where the *De Cive*, circulated privately since 1642 was published at the Elzevir press in Amsterdam. This defense of undivided sovereignty without divine right enabled Hobbes to be welcomed by Cromwell in 1651; in that year were published in London his English translation of it and the Puritan *Leviathan: or the Matter, Form and Power of a Commonwealth, ecclesiastical and civil*, in the Latin edition of which (1668) he made a few PC changes and declared himself a loyal subject of King Charles.
Sources: *Leviathan, Parts I and II*, "Editor's Introduction" by Herbert W. Schneider (Bobbs-Merrill, 1958) and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thom…
About Thursday 25 December 1662
Terry F • Link
Martha Rosen, do you think plum porridge served as a post-Christmas purgative?
About Thursday 25 December 1662
Terry F • Link
"to White Hall, where I intended to have received the Communion with the family" -- i.e. the professional family to which Pepys belongs (his personal family being yet at home and elsewhere).
About Thursday 25 December 1662
Terry F • Link
Further context for I.A.S's note that Thomas Hobbes states in Chapter IV. of *De Cive* "That the Law of Nature is a Divine Law," cites Luke 2:14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. (KJV)” among other biblical texts to *parallel* the CLAIM that seeking PEACE is the law of nature; the *argument* therefor is provided by *Leviathan*, where the WAR of all against all prevails in a state of nature until a power that overawes compels all to recognize the prudence of seeking PEACE not WAR.
About Thursday 25 December 1662
Terry F • Link
Martha R, your lovely menu also belongs in the Background info for 'Plum Porridge' http://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclo…
About Harp and Ball (Charing Cross, Roberts's)
Terry F • Link
Charing Cross is in the center west side of this section of the 1746 map of London, Westminster and Southwark http://www.motco.com/map/81002/Se…
About Thursday 25 December 1662
Terry F • Link
The Groom-Porter was a title granted by the king of England to the official in charge of organizing gambling in the Tudor court. Later, he also regulated English gaming halls. Eventually, the term became used for the owner, or operator of a gaming hall.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groo…
About Thursday 25 December 1662
Terry F • Link
"King Henry the VIIIth’s Voyage to Bullen"
L&M say the painting in question is "The Embarkation of Henry VIII" sc. at Dover 1520 by an unnamed artist which may be viewed here http://www.alectouk.com/The%20Emb…
About Wednesday 24 December 1662
Terry F • Link
"my wife not being well, she having her months upon her."
So L&M.
About The Dutch Church
Terry F • Link
The Dutch church
is in the lower right-hand corner of this section of the JOHN ROCQUE LONDON, WESTMINSTER AND SOUTHWARK First Edition 1746 map.
http://www.motco.com/map/81002/Se…
About Branle
Terry F • Link
"The Branle [Brahn-lee] is a French Renaissance dance that was well documented in the Festival of Nance in 1445,...and was a very gay and quick dance [in 4/4 time] (generally danced outdoors) by a group, either in line or circle.
"-- It was considered a Court Dance sometimes being referred to as a carole. The name comes from Branler (Shake) and Brander (Brandish). The English called the Branle 'the Brawl' and described it as 'a winging step and anterior kick and swing, the lifting of the leg, the twisting of the feet and the side fling of the foot are frills of past dances'. The dance was said to be based on the Kick of a Cow ('rû de vache').[...] The Charleston dance is said to have had its roots in the Branle" http://www.streetswing.com/histma…
About Courante
Terry F • Link
Courante - Michael Praetorius (1610)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Here is a reasonably simple 2 part arrangement of this dance from 'Terpsichore'....
Learning points :
- 6/8 rhythm
- Binary structure"
[with a midi file that allows you to click and hear the music] http://www.mtrs.co.uk/courante.htm