Wednesday 26 September 1660
Office day. That done to the church, to consult about our gallery. So home to dinner, where I found Mrs. Hunt, who brought me a letter for me to get my Lord to sign for her husband, which I shall do for her.
At home with the workmen all the afternoon, our house being in a most sad pickle.
In the evening to the office, where I fell a-reading of Speed’s Geography for a while.
So home thinking to have found Will at home, but he not being come home but gone somewhere else I was very angry, and when he came did give him a very great check for it, and so I went to bed.
10 Annotations
First Reading
Paul Miller • Link
"where I fell a-reading of Speed's Geography”
John Speed
1552?-1629, English historian and cartographer. He abandoned his trade as a tailor to engage in mapmaking. Many of his maps of parts of England and Wales were published in The Theatre of the Empire of Great Britain (1611). His major work, The History of Great Britain, and his Genealogies Recorded in Sacred Scripture were published c.1611.
These links provide good pictures of Speed’s maps.
http://www.maphisteria.com/speed_maps.htm
http://www.btinternet.com/~nigelspencer/web-pages…
Paul Brewster • Link
brought me a letter for me to get my Lord to sign for her Husband
L&M: "Possibly a certificate of loyalty which John Hunt required in order to keep his job in the Excise."
Paul Brewster • Link
where I fell a-reading of Speed's Geography
L&M: “John Speed, ‘A prospect of the most famous parts of the world’ (1631), PL 2901 (1); or one of the two excerpts from it (‘Theatre of the empire of Great Britain’, PL 2901 (2), and ‘England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland described and abridged from a farr larger volume’), both of which had been published in several editions by 1660.” PL=Pepysian Library
Paul Brewster • Link
That done, to the church, where we did consult about our gallery.
L&M replace "to consult" with "we did consult". It seems odd for Wheatley to have interpreted it so. I almost think that not seeing any companion mentioned for this consultation at the church, he removed the "we".
Could it be that SP is taking on the 'royal we' or could it be simply that he chooses not to mention the other members of the Navy Board who had an interest in their new gallery and accompanied him on his consult at the church.
ellen • Link
What is a very great check? A beating or a scolding?
Paul Brewster • Link
per the OED, check, n1 [note the SP citation]
4. a. A reproof, reprimand, rebuke. Obs. exc. dial.
1540 Elyot Image Gou. ... The terrible checke that the good maister in the gospell gave to his idell servaunt. 1600 Hakluyt Voy. ... The Captaine had a great checke of the gouernour because he had not gone forwards. 1660 Pepys Diary 26 Sept., I was very angry, and did give him a very great check for it, and so to bed. 1679
language hat • Link
our house being in a most sad pickle:
I was delighted to see this pungent turn of phrase, and surprised to find (on consulting the OED) that it goes even further back:
1562 J. HEYWOOD Prov. & Epigr. 157 Freilties pickell. 1573 TUSSER Husb. 125 Reape barlie with sickle, that lies in ill pickle. 1585 FOXE Serm. on 2 Cor. v. 21 In this pickle lyeth man by nature, that is, all wee that be Adams children.
vincent • Link
Fatherly interest?, consciense pricking? or a delouseing session missed?
"So home thinking to have found Will at home, but he not being come home but gone somewhere else I was very angry, and when he came did give him a very great check for it, and so I went to bed."
Second Reading
Bill • Link
"our house being in a most sad pickle"
ALONSO:
And Trinculo is reeling ripe: where should they
Find this grand liquor that hath gilded 'em?
How camest thou in this pickle?
TRINCULO:
I have been in such a pickle since I
saw you last that, I fear me, will never out of
my bones: I shall not fear fly-blowing.
---The Tempest. Shakespeare.
Terry Foreman • Link
"L&M: “John Speed, ‘A prospect of the most famous parts of the world’ (1631), PL 2901 (1); or one of the two excerpts from it (‘Theatre of the empire of Great Britain’, PL 2901 (2), and ‘England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland described and abridged from a farr larger volume’)," This Wikipedia page on Speed has map images and links to websites with more.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Speed