Monday 28 May 1660
Called up at two in the morning for letters for my Lord from the Duke of York, but I went to bed again till 5. Trimmed early this morning.
This morning the Captain did call over all the men in the ship (not the boys), and give every one of them a ducat of the King’s money that he gave the ship, and the officers according to their quality. I received in the Captain’s cabin, for my share, sixty ducats. The rest of the morning busy writing letters. So was my Lord that he would not come to dinner.
After dinner to write again in order to sending to London, but my Lord did not finish his, so we did not send to London to-day.
A great part of the afternoon at nine-pins with my Lord and Mr. Hetley. I lost about 4s.
Supped with my Lord, and after that to bed.
At night I had a strange dream of … [bepissing – L&M] myself, which I really did, and having kicked my clothes off, I got cold; and found myself all much wet in the morning, and had a great deal of pain … [in making water – L&M] which made me very melancholy.
34 Annotations
First Reading
A. De Araujo • Link
"At night I had a strange dream of-myself" very confusing!was it a wet dream? after all he had been away from Elisabeth for a while! but then why the pain? after effects of the surgery he had two years before?
Eric Walla • Link
"A strange dream of--myself ..."
Yes, an interesting turn of phrase. Are there subconscious torments in the Pepys soul? Does he perhaps feel the strain of rising in rank so quickly, and on the back of an as-yet-shaky Restoration?
Or did he just dream he went out on deck and forgot to put on his trousers?
language hat • Link
"A strange dream of -- myself ":
This sounds like a clear case of bowdlerization. Come on, L&M readers, give us the R-rated version!
Paul Brewster • Link
At night I had a strange dream of bepissing myself, which I really did, and having kicked my clothes off, I got cold; and found myself all muck wet in the morning, and had a great deal of pain in making water which made me very melancholy
Per L&M. Another case of Mr Wheatley at work. Note that within the same sentence he indicates deletion both with a long dash (for "bepissing") and a long dash (for "in making water"). Ah, consistency. I think the much-muck translation made be a matter of interpretation.
Paul Brewster • Link
Missed several other L&M differences in the same passage:
This night I had a strange dream of bepissing myself, which I really did, and having kicked the clothes off, I got cold and found myself all muck-wet in the morning, and had a great deal of pain in making water which made me very melancholy
sorry about that ...
Paul Brewster • Link
Where would we be without L&M?
This passage is obviously almost incomprehensible with the deletions. The full text is very real and quite haunting. It is also quite wonderfully understated. For the first time that I can remember he doesn't fully reveal to the diary the nature of his feelings. An obvious surmise is a fear of the stone's return. Less obviously it may be a worry about some form of sexually transmitted disease.
Paul Brewster • Link
I received in the Captain's cabin, for my share, sixty ducats
L&M etimates the value at 27L. Given the information elsewhere in their glossary (Ducket(t), Ducat: Spanish gold or silver coin worth 9s. 4d. and 3s. 6d. respectively) these must have been gold ducats. Note that SP was promised 30L just 2 days ago and doesn’t seem to feel he’s been shorted.
Brian McMullen • Link
Being a 'fellow of the stones' the first thing that comes to mind is a recurrence of SP's urinary problems. If this were to happen to me I would be very melancholy as well! As to the possibility of a transmitted disease has SP given any indication that he has found sexual favor from other than his wife? I remember the reference to the Dutch lady from last week but nothing else.
Sam P • Link
60 ducats or £30…. obviously just a highly variable or vague exchange rate!
Glyn • Link
(Sam P? I suspect that that's an alias.)
Surely he is justifiably concerned that it might be a symptom of something serious to do with his old wound. But look at his irregular sleep pattern again: yesterday he went to bed late, was woken at 2am and then got up at 5am for a busy day's work.
With apologies to any younger readers for raising this, but would languagehat or any other expert explain if there is any difference in meaning between “be-p…ing myself” and simply “p…ing myself” – presumably there is. But I’d be beholden to you if you would tell me what it is.
And what exactly does the prefix “be-“ mean in English words – it seems to appear in a lot of medieval words but to be becoming more rare. I suspect that it is similar to suffixes such as “monger” (i.e. “seller) which are part of older words (fishmonger, costermonger) but not used to create new ones – you wouldn’t say computermonger or itmonger, for instance.
Nix • Link
I'm no languagehat, but a quick check of OED gives the following as one of several uses of the prefix "be-" (bepiss is about two-thirds of the way down):
"4. Making verbs transitive, by adding a prepositional relation: primarily "about," as in BE-SPEAK, speak about (or for, to), BE-MOAN, moan about (or over); which sense can usually be detected under the various against, at, for, to, on, upon, over, by, etc. required by modern idiom: {dag}bebark, to bark around or at; {dag}becack, to deposit ordure on; bechatter, to environ with chattering, etc.; {dag}bechirm, to chirm (as birds) around; {dag}bechirp, to chirp about; beclang, beclatter; {dag}becrave (OE. becrafian), to crave for; becrawl, to crawl all over; becroak, to croak round or at; {dag}becry, to cry at, accuse; bedin, to fill with din or noise; bedribble, to dribble upon (e.g. as a dog); bedrivel; bedrizzle; {dag}bedwell, to dwell in or around; {dag}befleet, to flow round; {dag}befret, to fret or gnaw away; befuddle, to make stupid with tippling; begaze, to gaze at; {dag}beglide, to slip away from, escape; {dag}beglitter, to irradiate; begroan, to groan at; {dag}begruntle, to make uneasy; behoot, to hoot at; bejuggle, to get over by jugglery, to cheat; {dag}belag, to make to lag; {dag}beleap, to leap on, "cover"; {dag}bemew, {dag}bemoult, to mew or moult upon; bemurmur, to murmur at or against; {dag}bemute (of birds), to mute or drop dung on; beparse, to plague with parsing; bepiss, to piss on, wet with urine; bepreach, to preach at; bereason, to reason with, overcome by reasoning; {dag}bireme, to cry out upon; beride (OE. ber?dan), to ride beside, to override; {dag}berow, to row round; {dag}bescumber, to scumber on; beshine (OE. besc?nan), to shine on; beshit(e (OE. besc?tan) = becack (Obs. in polite use, but common in ME. and early mod.E. literature); beshout, to shout at, applaud; {dag}beshriek, to shriek at; {dag}besigh, to sigh for; {dag}besmell, to smell out; besmile, to smile on; {dag}bespew, to spew on; bestare, to stare at, to make staring; bestraddle, to straddle across, bestride; bestream, to stream over; beswarm, to swarm over; {dag}beswelter; beswim, to swim upon; bethunder; {dag}betipple, to muddle by tippling; betravel, to travel over, to overrun with travellers: bevomit, to vomit all over; bewhisper, to whisper to; bewhistle, to whistle round.”
The usage examples of bepiss in this entry are:
“1481 CAXTON Reynard (Arb.) 6 There he hath *be-pyssed my chyldren where as they laye. 1658 FORD Witch of Edm. IV. i, Ready to bepiss themselves with laughing. 1764 T. BRIDGES Homer Travest. (1797) II. 16 Ye all bepiss’d yourselves for fear.”
language hat • Link
Well done, Nix.
Yes, in this case it basically transitivizes the verb; the same happens with (be)shit.
Jenny Doughty • Link
Regarding the 'be' form of a verb - about the only contemporary example I can think of is to 'bespeak' something, and that is quite archaic now and seems only to live on in the form of a 'bespoke' suit. Am I right in thinking this verb form is connected with our linguistic heritage from Anglo-Saxon?
Tina • Link
How about beholden?...
As in "he doesn't want to feel beholden to anyone over this".
Jenny Doughty • Link
Hmm - didn't think that one through, did I? Should have used a dictionary...
sorry • Link
no wonder the bard had to ask "to be..."
jamie yeager • Link
These ducats and the earlier 30 pounds
These ducats, at about 27 pounds value, and the earlier 30 pounds, mean Sam has more than doubled his last reported net worth of 40 pounds by his service on this voyage alone...
Linda Camidge • Link
Just in case jenny Doughty is still out there, I think Anglo-Saxon equivalent is the prefix "ge", with a hard "g" so a simialr sound
Jenny Doughty • Link
Jenny Doughty is still out here, so thank you Linda.
language hat • Link
I don't know what Linda means by "hard g," but the g in the ge- prefix was pronounced like y, which is why it's disappeared. Also, it wasn't the "equivalent" of be-, they were two different Old English prefixes, with different meanings.
Mary • Link
OE, ME, ModE prefixes.
Many thanks, LH. You're absolutely right, but I'm feeling far too jet-lagged to ferret through Campbell, Mitchell and Dobson to provide germane examples.
Second Reading
Terry Foreman • Link
Journal of the House of Lords this day http://www.british-history.ac.uk/…
King desires the House to attend Him at Whitehall
The Lord Berkeley (One of the Lords Commissioners that were sent to the King) reported to this House, "That he was commanded, by the King, to let their Lordships know, that the King intends to be, Tomorrow, at Twelve of the Clock, at Whitehall; where he expects their Lordships to attend Him there in a full Assembly."
Letter from Him.
"To Our Right Trusty and Right Well-beloved the Speaker of Our House of Peers; to be communicated to the Lords there assembled.
"Charles R.
"Right Trusty and Entirely-beloved Cousins, Right Trusty and Right Well-beloved Cousins, Right Trusty and Well-beloved Cousins, and Right Trusty and Well-beloved, We Greet you well. After We had received your Invitation, We made all possible Expedition to embark, and return to Our native Kingdom. It hath pleased God to bring Us safe to Land; and We hope that Peace and Happiness shall be brought to Our Kingdoms with Us. We know Our own Heart to have nothing but Affection to the Good of Our People; and We cannot doubt of God's Blessing on Our Counsels and Endeavours for the advancing the Honour and Happiness of Our Kingdoms. We cannot distrust but that you will answer the Professions you have made of your Loyalty and Affection to Our Service. And you may be secure, that We will be deficient in nothing that becomes a Gracious Prince to His faithful Subjects. We hope shortly to see you; and do intend to set forward from hence on Monday next, and hope to arrive at London on Tuesday in the Afternoon, and will then give you timely Notice where and when to attend Us. And in the mean Time We bid you heartily Farewell.
"Given at Our Court at Canterbury, this 26th Day of May, 1660, in the Twelfth Year of Our Reign."
Dick Wilson • Link
So, why did Pepys urinate in bed?
On another subject, I read the 60 ducats as being in fact the 30 pounds that had been promised earlier, not an addition to the 30 pounds.
At least he can afford to hire someone to wash his bed linen and night clothes.
Richard Whittall • Link
This censorship is MOST annoying. Can someone direct us to an online version that isn't cut to ribbons?
Dr Nigel • Link
Poor Sam,no wonder melancholic.The episode of nocturnal urinary incontinence and painful pissing -dysuria - could be symptoms of a urinary tract infection. A UTI could herald further urinary stone formation.
I wonder if Sam or his surgeon knew then that urinary stones have an approx 50% 5 year recurrence rate.
Also stones more likely to form if you have a low urinary volume due to inadequate water intake.I wonder how plentiful fresh water supplies were on board?
Chris Squire UK • Link
RW: I think the answer is 'no': the uncensored versions are copyright and in print but not on the web.
Nick Wisniewski • Link
Just as "Dr. Nigel" suggested above, I would say that it is likely that Pepys has a UTI. The only reason I am able to say this is because I have had experienced with this before, as it is common in my family. Although I think his cause, dehydration, is very plausible, one has to wonder whether he could have contracted the UTI from promiscuous behaviour?
San Diego Sarah • Link
MEANWHILE, in Hanover, Charles II's cousin and Prince Rupert's kid sister has been in labor for 3 days.
Charles and Sophie Pfalz-Simmern, Princess of Palantine had been friends during his exile. By 1650, only Sophia and her sister Louise were living with their mother, Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Bohemia. Sophia received an invitation from her brother, Charles Lewis, who had been restored to the Rhine Palatinate, to come to Heidelberg. Sophia sailed up the Rhine with two of her ladies, but they couldn’t stay at the Heidelberg castle as it had been damaged in the war so they were lodged in a house in town. While there, Sophia caught smallpox. “That year (1650) I had an attack of smallpox which made a great breach in my beauty.”
In 1652, Ernst August, Duke of Hanover and Brunswick-Lüneburg, passed through Heidelberg. They had met once before when he was very young. “He was even handsomer than before,” Sophia wrote about him.
It wasn’t until 17 October 1658 that Sophia Pfalz-Simmern, Princess of Palantine and Ernst August, Duke of Hanover and Brunswick-Lüneburg finally married. It was three days after Sophia’s 28th birthday. She wore a wedding dress “a l’Allemagne” of silver brocade with her hair in loose curls and a “great tiara of diamonds, which belonged to the family.” Her train was carried by four maids of honor. Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Bohemia, was not present for the wedding.
Sophia and Ernst August went to live in Hanover, and they were welcomed by her mother-in-law at the Leine Schloss.
Sophia soon became pregnant and went into labor on May 25, which lasted an agonizing three days and nights, and neither mother nor child were expected to survive.
Finally, on 28 May 1660, Princess Sophia Pfalz-Simmern, Duchess of Hanover gave birth to the future King George I of Great Britain.
One day later her cousin, Charles II, made his triumphal entry into London as King. Sophia spent the next six weeks in bed.
For more of Princess Sophia's saga see:
https://www.historyofroyalwomen.c…
San Diego Sarah • Link
On Monday, May 28 Charles II left Canterbury and came to Rochester, "where the people had hung up, over the midst of the streets, as he rode, many beautiful garlands, curiously made up with costly scarves and ribbons, decked with spoons and bodkins of silver, and small plate of several sorts; and some with gold chains, in like sort as at Canterbury; each striving to outdo the other in all expressions of joy."
Charles II slept the night in the house of Colonel Gibbons, to please the army.
Info from CHARLES II AND HIS COURT
BY A. G. A. BRETT
NEW YORK: G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS
LONDON: METHUEN & GO. LTD.
1910
https://archive.org/stream/charle…
Third Reading
San Diego Sarah • Link
They don't seem to be in much of a hurry to take Charles II's letter to France. Maybe taking normal channels would have been more efficient, Charles? Or maybe Montagu delegated his orders to another ship?
Carl • Link
If a golden ducat was worth 9shillings 4pence or (9*12)+4=112d
112 *06= 6270d
240d is £ so £28 not £27
Those fourpences add up!
I also understood the 60 ducats to be in addition to to £30 but even if they are the same for our Sam it was an unexpected bonus, so why whinge.
Mountain Man • Link
Forgive me if I've missed this somewhere else, but when Pepys says he is "trimmed," does that mean he shaves himself or that he is shaved by someone else -- a servant, "boy," or a real barber?
Terry Foreman • Link
...when Pepys says he is "trimmed," does that mean he shaves himself or that he is shaved by someone else -- a servant, "boy," or a real barber?"
Good question, Mountain Man. He last remarked on being trimmed 4/22/1600: "Up very early, and now beginning to be settled in my wits again, I went about setting down my last four days’ observations this morning. After that, was trimmed by a barber that has not trimmed me yet, my Spaniard being on shore."
He has not said who has trimmed him since then, but surely gets the best to be had where he is.
Terry Foreman • Link
P.S. I think if he "shaved himself", he'd have said "trimmed myself".