As Roger Miller mentions above, "Henry the Seventh's Chapel" began life as a Lady Chapel. It's a wonder it was not destroyed the way other Lady Chapels were during the Reformation. As is shown in the Amazon Prime Videos special subscription "The Great Courses," in the lecture series entitled "The Cathedral," during Europe's wars of religion England's churches and cathedrals and especially Lady Chapels suffered much more ruin and desecration than most on the Continent. The fact that this one Lady Chapel survives as "Henry the Seventh's Chapel" is nothing short of amazing.
". . . in the afternoon we met and sat . . . ." For all who are reading the diary for the first time, when Sam says he "sat," it means that Sam and the rest were officially "in session."
Sam's ear was extraordinary, and I would imagine his voice was too. I read somewhere in these comments that he was a bass (which primarily harmonizes), but I like to think his voice is the more versatile bass-baritone and that he carried the melody as well.
I'm glad someone explained Diana's relationship to King Charles II. I have always heard about it but never knew exactly which of his many lovers and bastards had the honor.
"An attempt to enumerate the King's Head taverns of London would be an endless task." -- H. Shelley, Inns and Taverns of Old London. Would these be referring to the decapitated head of Charles I?
Regarding comments made above about Sam's "sudden rise in station, his hobnobbing with royalty," and that he "may be realising . . . that she will never be able to appreciate the world he is now moving in," it would be good to note that she is the daughter of impoverished but legitimately aristocratic Huguenot refugees from France and that her parents undoubtedly thought that when she married "ordinary Sam Pepys" she had married beneath HER station, when in fact he is now rising to it.
Per Weavethe hawk: "The "regicides" are now in for a very rough ride, starting with Maj-General Thomas Harrison. Pepys will, later in the year, give a rather cool and brief description of the man's execution. Men who were, not long ago, being honored and promoted, are now being vilified and hunted down. The turncoats are ruling the roost." The real turncoats were the Puritans.
To me it's disconcerting that Pepys continually refers to Master Edward Montagu as "the child." He's fifteen years old, almost sixteen, and is likely to have been through puberty. I realize that Pepys couldn't call him "boy" because that could imply that Edward was a servant, but "child" doesn't seem correct. The common British term "lad" seems appropriate but apparently it became common much later.
"Scheveningen, 'the best place and nearest where his Majesty is for such great shipps as ours are to ride in'" To "ride" is to lie at an anchor, i.e., to be anchored. Montagu's large ship needed a certain amount of depth and space to ride, and the closest place to the king with those conditions was to be found at Schevening.
Etymology of Jean-Paul Buquet's Fr. chirurgien, surgeon: From Latin chirurgus (“surgeon”), from Ancient Greek χειρουργός (cheirourgós, “surgeon”), from χείρ (cheír, “hand”) + ἔργον (érgon, “work”). A surgeon does manual work on a patient.
Etymology of Jean-Paul Buquet's Fr. chirurgien, surgeon From Latin chirurgus (“surgeon”), from Ancient Greek χειρουργός (cheirourgós, “surgeon”), from χείρ (cheír, “hand”) + ἔργον (érgon, “work”). A surgeon does manual work on a patient.
For a glimpse into what it all was really like for these jacks and other staunch men and passengers, Byron's poem (noted above) 150 years later: But, since life at most a jest is, As philosophers allow, Still to laugh by far the best is, Then laugh on—as I do now. 9th Laugh at all things, Great and small things, Sick or well, at sea or shore; While we’re quaffing, Let’s have laughing— Who the devil cares for more?
Nice description of the quarterdeck by Rick Ansell. It might be appropriate here to note that the ride on a ship is much, MUCH smoother the farther aft one is. That's why Nelson and his ilk had their cabins way aft, under the quarterdeck. (On sailboats, the berths under the cockpit are called quarterberths.) Re the rough ride at the bow end of a ship, see Richard Henry Dana's biographical novel *Two Years Before the Mast* about his 1834 two-year trip around Cape Horn as a low-ranking seaman who bunked in the plunging, uncomfortable area "before the mast," i.e., forward between the bow and the mast. Also, I would like to know more about Balty's reason for showing up uninvited, not to mention his status as a Reformado and why it troubled Sam. Was Balty an embarrassment?
From Sandwich's (My Lord's) journal: “26th. Monday. We fell down over against Northfleete.” (Thank you, Jeannine.) They had been anchored in Creekmouth by Barking. On this day Montagu apparently took advantage of wind blowing southeast to "fall down" (to sail easily downwind, as opposed to "beating" upwind) on Northfleet, positioning himself nearer to Gravesend and the channel. On Google Maps there is a large indentation at Northfleet (which is actually on the south side of the Thames). Its predecessor in Sam's day have been a quasi-bay where Sam's ship is safely anchored now. I just wonder why Sam didn't mention that the ship had been moved. I guess he was too much wrapped up in his anniversary of having survived "being cut for the stone."
Alter Kacker, When he stands under the outstretched arms of an unusually tall woman who was in London as a celebrity, it is mentioned that he was 5'1".
Comments
Third Reading
About Sunday 15 July 1660
LKvM • Link
As Roger Miller mentions above, "Henry the Seventh's Chapel" began life as a Lady Chapel. It's a wonder it was not destroyed the way other Lady Chapels were during the Reformation. As is shown in the Amazon Prime Videos special subscription "The Great Courses," in the lecture series entitled "The Cathedral," during Europe's wars of religion England's churches and cathedrals and especially Lady Chapels suffered much more ruin and desecration than most on the Continent.
The fact that this one Lady Chapel survives as "Henry the Seventh's Chapel" is nothing short of amazing.
About Monday 9 July 1660
LKvM • Link
". . . in the afternoon we met and sat . . . ."
For all who are reading the diary for the first time, when Sam says he "sat," it means that Sam and the rest were officially "in session."
About Thursday 28 June 1660
LKvM • Link
Sam's ear was extraordinary, and I would imagine his voice was too. I read somewhere in these comments that he was a bass (which primarily harmonizes), but I like to think his voice is the more versatile bass-baritone and that he carried the melody as well.
About Tuesday 26 June 1660
LKvM • Link
I'm glad someone explained Diana's relationship to King Charles II. I have always heard about it but never knew exactly which of his many lovers and bastards had the honor.
About Wednesday 20 June 1660
LKvM • Link
"An attempt to enumerate the King's Head taverns of London would be an endless task." -- H. Shelley, Inns and Taverns of Old London.
Would these be referring to the decapitated head of Charles I?
About Thursday 14 June 1660
LKvM • Link
Regarding comments made above about Sam's "sudden rise in station, his hobnobbing with royalty," and that he "may be realising . . . that she will never be able to appreciate the world he is now moving in," it would be good to note that she is the daughter of impoverished but legitimately aristocratic Huguenot refugees from France and that her parents undoubtedly thought that when she married "ordinary Sam Pepys" she had married beneath HER station, when in fact he is now rising to it.
About Monday 21 May 1660
LKvM • Link
Per Weavethe hawk:
"The "regicides" are now in for a very rough ride, starting with Maj-General Thomas Harrison. Pepys will, later in the year, give a rather cool and brief description of the man's execution. Men who were, not long ago, being honored and promoted, are now being vilified and hunted down. The turncoats are ruling the roost."
The real turncoats were the Puritans.
About Saturday 19 May 1660
LKvM • Link
To me it's disconcerting that Pepys continually refers to Master Edward Montagu as "the child." He's fifteen years old, almost sixteen, and is likely to have been through puberty. I realize that Pepys couldn't call him "boy" because that could imply that Edward was a servant, but "child" doesn't seem correct. The common British term "lad" seems appropriate but apparently it became common much later.
About Thursday 10 May 1660
LKvM • Link
"Scheveningen, 'the best place and nearest where his Majesty is for such great shipps as ours are to ride in'"
To "ride" is to lie at an anchor, i.e., to be anchored. Montagu's large ship needed a certain amount of depth and space to ride, and the closest place to the king with those conditions was to be found at Schevening.
About Tuesday 8 May 1660
LKvM • Link
Very politic of him to lose to My Lord.
About Sunday 29 April 1660
LKvM • Link
Etymology of Jean-Paul Buquet's Fr. chirurgien, surgeon:
From Latin chirurgus (“surgeon”),
from Ancient Greek χειρουργός (cheirourgós, “surgeon”),
from χείρ (cheír, “hand”) + ἔργον (érgon, “work”).
A surgeon does manual work on a patient.
About Sunday 29 April 1660
LKvM • Link
Etymology of Jean-Paul Buquet's Fr. chirurgien, surgeon
From Latin chirurgus (“surgeon”),
from Ancient Greek χειρουργός (cheirourgós, “surgeon”),
from χείρ (cheír, “hand”) + ἔργον (érgon, “work”).
A surgeon does manual work on a patient.
About Friday 27 April 1660
LKvM • Link
For a glimpse into what it all was really like for these jacks and other staunch men and passengers, Byron's poem (noted above) 150 years later:
But, since life at most a jest is,
As philosophers allow,
Still to laugh by far the best is,
Then laugh on—as I do now.
9th
Laugh at all things,
Great and small things,
Sick or well, at sea or shore;
While we’re quaffing,
Let’s have laughing—
Who the devil cares for more?
About Saturday 21 April 1660
LKvM • Link
I live on the coasts of Mississippi and Louisiana (USA) and am horrified at the thought of pickled oysters.
About Friday 6 April 1660
LKvM • Link
Nice description of the quarterdeck by Rick Ansell. It might be appropriate here to note that the ride on a ship is much, MUCH smoother the farther aft one is. That's why Nelson and his ilk had their cabins way aft, under the quarterdeck. (On sailboats, the berths under the cockpit are called quarterberths.)
Re the rough ride at the bow end of a ship, see Richard Henry Dana's biographical novel *Two Years Before the Mast* about his 1834 two-year trip around Cape Horn as a low-ranking seaman who bunked in the plunging, uncomfortable area "before the mast," i.e., forward between the bow and the mast.
Also, I would like to know more about Balty's reason for showing up uninvited, not to mention his status as a Reformado and why it troubled Sam. Was Balty an embarrassment?
About Tuesday 3 April 1660
LKvM • Link
JudyB asked
"Are they at anchor?"
Yes, they are at anchor a little below Gravesend.
About Saturday 31 March 1660
LKvM • Link
Admiral Lord Nelson was twelve when he first went to sea.
About Monday 26 March 1660
LKvM • Link
From Sandwich's (My Lord's) journal:
“26th. Monday. We fell down over against Northfleete.”
(Thank you, Jeannine.)
They had been anchored in Creekmouth by Barking. On this day Montagu apparently took advantage of wind blowing southeast to "fall down" (to sail easily downwind, as opposed to "beating" upwind) on Northfleet, positioning himself nearer to Gravesend and the channel.
On Google Maps there is a large indentation at Northfleet (which is actually on the south side of the Thames). Its predecessor in Sam's day have been a quasi-bay where Sam's ship is safely anchored now.
I just wonder why Sam didn't mention that the ship had been moved. I guess he was too much wrapped up in his anniversary of having survived "being cut for the stone."
About Friday 23 March 1659/60
LKvM • Link
Alter Kacker,
When he stands under the outstretched arms of an unusually tall woman who was in London as a celebrity, it is mentioned that he was 5'1".
About Friday 16 March 1659/60
LKvM • Link
He liked Hamlet and (especially) Macbeth.