Friday 13 June 1662

Up by 4 o’clock in the morning, and read Cicero’s Second Oration against Catiline, which pleased me exceedingly; and more I discern therein than ever I thought was to be found in him; but I perceive it was my ignorance, and that he is as good a writer as ever I read in my life.

By and by to Sir G. Carteret’s, to talk with him about yesterday’s difference at the office; and offered my service to look into any old books or papers that I have, that may make for him. He was well pleased therewith, and did much inveigh against Mr. Coventry; telling me how he had done him service in the Parliament, when Prin had drawn up things against him for taking of money for places; that he did at his desire, and upon his, letters, keep him off from doing it. And many other things he told me, as how the King was beholden to him, and in what a miserable condition his family would be, if he should die before he hath cleared his accounts. Upon the whole, I do find that he do much esteem of me, and is my friend, and I may make good use of him.

Thence to several places about business, among others to my brother’s, and there Tom Beneere the barber trimmed me.

Thence to my Lady’s, and there dined with her, Mr. Laxton, Gibbons, and Goldgroove with us, and after dinner some musique, and so home to my business, and in the evening my wife and I, and Sarah and the boy, a most pleasant walk to Halfway house, and so home and to bed.


13 Annotations

First Reading

Bradford  •  Link

"Upon the whole, I do find that he do much esteem of me, and is my friend, and I may make good use of him."

Get those priorities straight.

Dan Jones  •  Link

The World's Famous Orations.
William Jennings Bryan, Editor-in-Chief
Francis W. Halsey, Associate Editor

IV. The Second Oration Against Catiline
Cicero (106 B.C.-43 B.C.)
(63 B.C.)

http://www.bartleby.com/268/2/12.…

dirk  •  Link

"that he did at his desire, and upon his, letters, keep him off from doing it"

Anybody feels like clarifying this passage? I must admit that I haven't got the slightest idea what Sam is talking about.

Cumgranissalis  •  Link

Doth I see a change in Sam's evaluation of the Feud ?[it be the pennies] from this Kikero, Sam is made aware of the traps that have set.

daniel  •  Link

"Up by 4 o'clock in the morning, and read Cicero's”

My oh, my! How inspiring! I must try that tomorrow morning. Forget the gym!
well, I best be off to bed then.

Pauline  •  Link

"that he did at his desire, and upon his, letters, keep him off from doing it."
Carteret saying that how dare Coventry pick a contention with him after he (Carteret) had done Coventry the "service" of supporting him (and producing necessary documents/"letters") against Prin's charge that Coventry took money for places [that vague and muckish land between being paid as a civil servant and obligated to extract a fee as you went along].

Ken  •  Link

Goldgroove?
Seems to be mistake (the link leads to Mr Goldgroome), but quite a good one for a musician!

GrahamT  •  Link

"Up by 4 o'clock in the morning, and read…”
sunrise is at 03:40ish (allowing for transit times and innaccurate 17th century time keeping) on this day, just two days after the solstice, so he wouldn’t even need to light a candle to do his reading.
He has 16 hours 42 mins of daylight (plus a long twilight) to do his daily business, and have plenty of time for a pleasant walk to Half-way House. The joys of midsummer.

Stolzi  •  Link

"The World's Famous Orations.
“William Jennings Bryan, Editor-in-Chief”

No mean orator, himself.

A. De Araujo  •  Link

"Cicero's against Catilina"
I did not go beyond "quousque tandem abutere Catilina patientia nostra"
Until when,Catilina,are you going to abuse of our patience.

JWB  •  Link

Cicero
Sam ruminating on fate of Harry Vane?

Second Reading

Chris Squire UK  •  Link

Section 1 of Oratio In L. Catilinam Secvnda: Habita Ad Popvlvm:

‘Tandem aliquando, Quirites, L. Catilinam furentem audacia, scelus anhelantem, pestem patriae nefarie molientem, vobis atque huic urbi ferro flammaque minitantem ex urbe vel eiecimus vel emisimus vel ipsum egredientem verbis prosecuti sumus. Abiit, excessit, evasit, erupit.

Nulla iam pernicies a monstro illo atque prodigio moenibus ipsis intra moenia comparabitur. Atque hunc quidem unum huius belli domestici ducem sine controversia vicimus. Non enim iam inter latera nostra sica illa versabitur, non in campo, non in foro, non in curia, non denique intra domesticos parietes pertimescemus.

Loco ille motus est, cum est ex urbe depulsus. Palam iam cum hoste nullo inpediente bellum iustum geremus. Sine dubio perdidimus hominem magnificeque vicimus, cum illum ex occultis insidiis in apertum latrocinium coniecimus . . ‘

This is Google’s instant translation:

‘At length, at any time, O Romans, when Lucius Catilina was furious audacity, breathing wickedness, hath wickedly plotting mischief to his country, or you and this city out of the city with fire, and threatening to or driven out, the words coming out of him, we have pursued. He has left, absconded, escaped and disappeared.

No injury will now be compared to that monster and a prodigy, within the walls, the walls themselves. Without controversy, defeated the governor of this the one of this domestic war. For not yet has that dagger our sides, it is not in the field, not in the Forum, it is not on the court, and within our own private walls.

He was moved, when it is driven from the city. We shall now a regular war with an enemy without hinders it. Without any doubt, we ruin the man splendidly when we have driven him from secret treachery into open warfare . . ‘

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