Thursday 13 July 1665

Lay long, being sleepy, and then up to the office, my Lord Brunker (after his sickness) being come to the office, and did what business there was, and so I by water, at night late, to Sir G. Carteret’s, but there being no oars to carry me, I was fain to call a skuller that had a gentleman already in it, and he proved a man of love to musique, and he and I sung together the way down with great pleasure, and an incident extraordinary to be met with. There come to dinner, they haveing dined, but my Lady caused something to be brought for me, and I dined well and mighty merry, especially my Lady Slaning and I about eating of creame and brown bread, which she loves as much as I. Thence after long discourse with them and my Lady alone, I and [my] wife, who by agreement met here, took leave, and I saw my wife a little way down (it troubling me that this absence makes us a little strange instead of more fond), and so parted, and I home to some letters, and then home to bed. Above 700 died of the plague this week.


18 Annotations

First Reading

Sjoerd  •  Link

"It was very strange to observe that in this particular week (from the 4th to the 11th of July), when, as I have observed, there died near four hundred of the plague in the two parishes of St. Martin's and St.Giles-in-the-Fields[34] only, there died in the parish of Aldgate but four, in the parish of Whitechapel three, in the parish of Stepney but one."

From Daniel Defoe's "History of the Plague etc."
http://infomotions.com/etexts/gut…

Robert Gertz  •  Link

"...it troubling me that this absence makes us a little strange instead of more fond..."

Perhaps Bess has heard rumors, old boy. Sounds as though she didn't want to be shipped off despite the danger and is mad at being left alone.

Then again, perhaps Mr. Pembleton has relocated from London as well...

CGS  •  Link

Same old cover up, try and be positive about impending doom, when I be Young The Big C was whispered, but many died from pneumonia rather than from the sickness that led to pneumonia, more palatable and lowers the panic syndrome, there by creates a problem for the researcher at a later date to be able to have a true picture of problem, and so the reviewer of the facts has to get out his phial of salt.

Australian Susan  •  Link

" ...especially my Lady Slaning and I about eating of creame and brown bread, which she loves as much as I...."

Anybody else have the seduction eating scene from Tom Jones swim into one's consciousness? Or is it just me?
See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1…

JWB  •  Link

Australian Susan
I thought of Sunday suppers-brown bread & baked beans.

Martin  •  Link

Lady Slaning is apparently 25-ish (her father was born in 1618). So Sam could certainly be having seductive thoughts during this conversation, although no chance of scoring in this setting. Just wondering if Mr. Gertz will supply the dialogue for that conversation.

Australian Susan  •  Link

I'm sure RG will rise to the challenge, particularly if he watches the YouTube video!!

Brown bread and baked beans sounds nice and homely - I suppose my childhood equivalent is eating brown bread spread with beef dripping whilst watching the football results on the BBC of a Saturday early evening in winter. ("Partick Thistle 3, Hearts Nil" and so on).

I think, however, that eating fingers of bread dipped in whipped cream sounds ever so fancy and possibly slightly rude......And Sam is a sucker for a gal with a title!

Linda F  •  Link

Since you asked, I assumed the bread would be a first cousin to gingerbread, topped with unsweetened whipped cream. Don't know why.
His wife might have been less distant to Sam had he spent less of their limited time together that evening flirting with Other Ladies Present?

Pedro  •  Link

“eating brown bread spread with beef dripping whilst watching the football results on the BBC of a Saturday early evening in winter. (“Partick Thistle 3, Hearts Nil” and so on).”

The Good Old Days

Forfar 5, East Fife 4...

Len Martin…His was one of the best-known voices in Britain; the man responsible for heralding fortunes across the country. Yet few will recognise his name, even fewer would recognise him. Yesterday saw the death (21st August 1995), following a short illness, of Len Martin, aged 76, who for 37 years read the Saturday afternoon football results on BBC Television's Grandstand.

http://findarticles.com/p/article…

Robert Gertz  •  Link

"Bess?"

"What?"

"It's been a few days...And we have ten minutes before my boat comes." fixed stare.

"Bess?"

"You spent the whole night with that dim-witted idiot, Slaning. And when you weren't shoving bread into her mouth in a way that left nothing to the imagination..."

"Bess!" quick glance round.

"...you were babbling to the whole crew about how honored you were to be the unpaid wedding planner. 'Oh, Lady Sandwich...How I feel the honor I am entrusted with...'" batting eyes, simper. "And now you want to bestow ten minutes of your immensely valuable time on me for a little quick love-making at dockside? Oh, the honor, Lord Pepys...Far too great for little me. Why don't you go find out if the young lady Slaning might still be available? Or perhaps that louse-ridden trollop over there would do?" stalks off...

"Bess?!...Bess?!!" sigh. What is the matter with her? Ah, well...Women.

Hmmn...

Girl doesn't look all that louse-ridden...

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"Above 700 died of the plague this week."

L&M say 725 for the week of July 4-11.

Second Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"at night late, to Sir G. Carteret’s"

An official residence in the dockyards at Woolwich.

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"... and so I by water, at night late, to Sir G. Carteret’s, ...
There come to dinner, ..."

Is this the first time Pepys has referred to the evening meal as dinner? I believe the major meal of the day back then was called dinner, and usually served at midday.

Perhaps the disruption in people's routines and housing has resulted in some servants 'disappearing,' or they can't be accommodated at the new evacuation lodgings?

Another thought: Food must be becoming scarce in London, so if you could arrange to eat in the suburbs, that was a good idea.

I note Lady Carteret has served Pepys more meals than usual this week. As a member of the gentry with an "official" (i.e. larger than most) residence, perhaps Pepys has made an arrangement with her to eat there when he and Elizabeth can.

Perhaps this is merely a coincidence? -- will it continue?

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"fingers of bread dipped in whipped cream"
Ginger bread dunked in whipped cream sounds good to me.

arby  •  Link

Did some or all the servants relocate with Bess? That might account for Sam having to scrounge his meals this week.

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

Did some servants relocate with Bess?

Yes, see https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…

"... I by water to Woolwich, where I found my wife come, and her two maids, and very prettily accommodated they will be; and I left them going to supper, grieved in my heart to part with my wife, being worse by much without her, though some trouble there is in having the care of a family at home in this plague time, and so took leave, and I in one boat and W. Hewer in another home very late, first against tide, we having walked in the dark to Greenwich."

I'm guessing Mercer was one maid, and hopefully it was the little girl, since I can't see her being left at Seething Lane with Pepys. Of the three, I think Elizabeth is the best cook.

arby  •  Link

How quickly we (I) forget, thanks.

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