Tuesday 5 August 1662

[continued from yesterday. P.G.] …got right again with much ado, after two or three circles and so on, and at Greenwich set in Captain Cocke, and I set forward, hailing to all the King’s ships at Deptford, but could not wake any man: so that we could have done what we would with their ships. At last waked one man; but it was a merchant ship, the Royall Catharine: so to the Towerdock and home, where the girl sat up for me. It was about three o’clock, and putting Mr. Boddam out of my bed, went to bed, and lay till nine o’clock, and so to the office, where we sat all the morning, and I did give some accounts of my service. Dined alone at home, and was glad my house is begun tiling. And to the office again all the afternoon, till it was so dark that I could not see hardly what it is that I now set down when I write this word, and so went to my chamber and to bed, being sleepy.


12 Annotations

First Reading

Bradford  •  Link

There's nothing like climbing into a bed someone else has warmed for you on a chilly August night.

daniel  •  Link

"...on a chilly August night."

Boy Howdy. I wonder what Sam would think of my sweltering August nights while in his clocked stockings and brocaded cloaks.

sleep well, Sam.

A. De Araujo  •  Link

" and putting Mr Boddam ou of my bed"
That wasn't his bed; that's Mr W.Penn's house and Mr Boddam being his clerk had as much right to the bed as Sam; he is getting very pushy!

Australian Susan  •  Link

Yes, I thought Sam was a bit rude - why couldn't they have shared the bed? Beds were usually large in those days and if it was Sir W's bed, it would probably have been quite a grand one. But maybe Sam did not want to share a bed with a mere clerk - records of him sharing beds previously have been with his peers.There is a truckle bed in this room (if we are in Sir W's chamber) which Will was sleeping on. Presumably Mr B took this. Where was Will?

dirk  •  Link

"till it was so dark that I could not see hardly what it is that I now set down when I write this word"

I think this is the first time we see Samuel writing about the fact that he's writing at the precise moment he's writing it down ... well you'll get the meaning! It's as if time stopped there for a moment. A strange experience.

Terry F.  •  Link

Another cheeky passage, with bathos:
"I set forward, hailing to all the King's ships at Deptford, but could not wake any man: so that we could have done what we would with their ships. At last waked one man; but it was a merchant ship, the Royall Catharine”

Terry F.  •  Link

(at least the merchant ship was Royall)

A. Hamilton  •  Link

and to bed, being sleepy.

My sentiments exactly. zzzz

Paul  •  Link

"and was glad my house is begun tiling"

So was I (yesterday). Nice to see we have the same upheavals in the quest for home improvements!

Second Reading

Bill  •  Link

"was glad my house is begun tiling"

Plain or thack tyles, are those in ordinary use for covering of houses. They are squeezed flat, while yet soft, in a mould. They are of an oblong figure, and by 17 Ed. IV c.4 are to be 10 1/2 inches long, and 6 1/4 broad, and half an inch and half a quarter thick. But these dimensions are not over strictly kept to. Ridge, roof, or crease tyles, are those used to cover the ridges of houses, being made circular breadth-wise, like an half cylinder; they are, by the aforesaid statute, to be 13 inches long, and of the same thickness with the plain tyles. Hip or corner tyles are those which lie on the hips or corner of roofs.
---A New and Complete Dictionary of Arts and Sciences. 1764.

Gerald Berg  •  Link

Considering how he kept an eye on the workman last time he had some renovations done on the house -- he hardly seems concerned for how they are working this time. What gives?

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

Where is Will Hewer ... last we heard of him he was fetching SP's shoes. Perhaps he got sent home for forgetting them? I don't recall him being mentioned otherwise in all these adventures.

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