Thursday 12 March 1662/63
Up betimes and to my office all the morning with Captain Cocke ending their account of their Riga contract for hemp. So home to dinner, my head full of business against the office. After dinner comes my uncle Thomas with a letter to my father, wherein, as we desire, he and his son do order their tenants to pay their rents to us, which pleases me well. In discourse he tells me my uncle Wight thinks much that I do never see them, and they have reason, but I do apprehend that they have been too far concerned with my uncle Thomas against us, so that I have had no mind hitherto, but now I shall go see them. He being gone, I to the office, where at the choice of maisters and chyrurgeons for the fleet now going out, I did my business as I could wish, both for the persons I had a mind to serve, and in getting the warrants signed drawn by my clerks, which I was afeard of.
Sat late, and having done I went home, where I found Mary Ashwell come to live with us, of whom I hope well, and pray God she may please us, which, though it cost me something, yet will give me much content. So to supper and to bed, and find by her discourse and carriage to-night that she is not proud, but will do what she is bid, but for want of being abroad knows not how to give the respect to her mistress, as she will do when she is told it, she having been used only to little children, and there was a kind of a mistress over them.
Troubled all night with my cold, I being quite hoarse with it that I could not speak to be heard at all almost.
27 Annotations
First Reading
Todd Bernhardt • Link
"and in getting the warrants signed drawn by my clerks, which I was afeard of"
He lost me there ... why was Sam "afeard"?
On another note, so begins the saga of Mary Ashwell. Fingers crossed...
Robert Gertz • Link
"...find by her discourse and carriage to-night that she is not proud, but will do what she is bid, but for want of being abroad knows not how to give the respect to her mistress, as she will do when she is told it, she having been used only to little children, and there was a kind of a mistress over them."
I sense impending doom...
Robert Gertz • Link
"...at the choice of maisters and chyrurgeons for the fleet now going out, I did my business as I could wish, both for the persons I had a mind to serve, and in getting the warrants signed drawn by my clerks, which I was afeard of."
If the warrants had not been signed by Sam's clerks, it's likely someone might have either noted a lot of members of the "Friends of Sam" club getting plum spots on ships and mentioned it to Mr. Coventry or scratched Sam's boys off and put in "Friends of Penn", "Friends of Batten", etc.
I wonder how the "persons I had a mind to serve" show their appreciation...
"You have my gratitude, Mr. Pepys. Know that I will fulfill my duties as ship's master to the best extent I can for King and Country."
"That, sir, is all Samuel Pepys asks." slight, dignified bow...
("Hewer, show the gentleman out."
"Sir." Will leads the man out...
"Next time, sir, plain brown envelope..." he hisses as the man passes him a large envelope as he heads out.)
Australian Susan • Link
We could, of course, assume the best and conclude Sam was being assiduous merely to ensure the most qualified persons secured the postings.
Australian Susan • Link
"she having only been used to little children"
Anyone else get a Joyce Grenfell type nursery school teacher swimming into their consciousness?
Will she start getting Sam to blow his nose, ask him if he's done "number two's today?" and tell him he's got to be a good boy and play nicely as he sets off to the office. ?? Sorry, flights of fancy.
Samuel!........don't do that.
jeannine • Link
Now, now, Todd, Robert and Susan, how can you doubt for a moment that this one won't turn out just fine. It reminds me of those office bets, where everyone chips in a few dollars, places their bet (on whatever) and the closest person wins the pot. The big question is should we be betting on Mary Ashwell's longevity in days, hours or minutes......
E • Link
"in getting the warrants signed drawn by my clerks, which I was afeard of.”
I read this as "getting the warrants drawn up by my clerks (at my direction, with my choice of people) signed by the big boss; which I was afraid I might not be able to push through".
Robert Gertz • Link
One hopeful sign is that Sam hasn't yet commented on Ashwell's beauty. Bess seems well attuned to Sam's flutterings and if Mary is not...Exactly devastating...There may be hope.
Stolzi • Link
"which I was afeared of"
Perhaps only fearing that the clerks couldn't get them all done in time, ready for signature.
jeannine • Link
"One hopeful sign is that Sam hasn’t yet commented on Ashwell’s beauty"...yet!
Clement • Link
Beauty of the moment
Sam's past opportunism may illustrate his agreement with Constable, the English painter of a later period: "I never saw an ugly thing in my life: for let the form of an object be what it may - light, shade, and perspective will always make it beautiful."
Though I'm sure Constable wasn't restricting his opinion to the hired help.
A. De Araujo • Link
"I being quite hoarse with it"
It is called laryngitis Sam.
Bradford • Link
As "to doubt" meant "to fear" in yesterday's entry, so today "to be afeard" means "to be in doubt about."
Joe • Link
"...but now I shall go see them"
The suit settled, family ties can be mended. Or at least attended to.
Robert Gertz • Link
No, we mustn't let rich Uncle Wight slip through our fingers...
Second Reading
Terry Foreman • Link
"all the morning with Captain Cocke ending their account of their Riga contract for hemp."
The drawing-up of this contract was begun 18 February. http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
Terry Foreman • Link
"I did my business as I could wish, both for the persons I had a mind to serve, and in getting the warrants signed drawn by my clerks, which I was afeard of."
Fees and gratuities would thereby accrue to Pepys and his clerks. (L&M note)
San Diego Sarah • Link
I wonder if Sam finally caught Sandwich's cold. It's been about 5 days since they saw each other ... about the right incubation time.
Sasha Clarkson • Link
"We could, of course, assume the best and conclude Sam was being assiduous merely to ensure the most qualified persons secured the postings."
Whether or not there is personal benefit for him, Sam, like Sandwich, is certainly concerned to promote the competent over the merely connected. This entry from last year shows how, in the opinion of M'Lord, the effectiveness of the Navy depends upon the experience of the former republican officers.
http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
Louise Hudson • Link
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A. De Araujo on 13 Mar 2006
"I being quite hoarse with it"
It is called laryngitis Sam.
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I doubt it was called that in Sam's time. The word probably hadn't yet been invented.
Louise Hudson • Link
The word laryngitis was first used in the early 19th Century.
Sasha Clarkson • Link
Quite right Louise! :)
One of the many interesting things about the diary is the light it casts on the evolution of the English language.
Sasha Clarkson • Link
Some things change, but human nature remains the same, even if social mores change. Disputes about inheritance remain as one of the most poisonous causes of family discord. The recent agreement seems to have restored good relations between Sam and Uncle Thomas. It seems also that Sam had been avoiding uncle (William) Wight because he did not trust him to be neutral in this dispute, but is now anxious to recommence normal intercourse.
We do not know why Uncle Robert disinherited his next brother Thomas, the "Heir at Law" in favour of Sam and his father: maybe the two elder brothers didn't get on, and/or perhaps Sandwich, an important neighbour at Brampton, exerted influence in favour of his protégé Sam.
There is also a suggestion (see the link below) that Wight, a half brother to John, Robert and Thomas, was hurt/disappointed that he was not left anything in the will and that he was left out of the discussions. As a non-Pepys, it's not clear that, unless some of the property came via their joint mother, he should have any legal place in the inheritance chain anyway. The family tree indicates that Robert was at least 13 years older than William and may have had very little to do with him. But it's quite understandable that Uncle Wight felt hurt if he thought that his brothers were shutting him out. Thus, as Thomas lived in London, Wight may have been very happy to be a confidant.
http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
Nick Hedley • Link
Good point Sasha. It may also be that Uncle Wight was not left anything in the will because, as a successful fishmonger, he was seen as sufficiently wealthy already and had no need of more money from Robert.
Chris Squire UK • Link
'1822 J. M. Good Study Med. I. 532 Laryngitis, or inflammation of the larynx.' (OED)
Bill • Link
Google Scholar indicates that word "laryngitis" appeared a few years before 1822 in German publications. But I guess that's not what the OED is about.
Terry Foreman • Link
"I to the office, where at the choice of maisters and chyrurgeons for the fleet now going out,"
L&M: This squadron sailed to Portugal and the Mediterranean in early May, more than a month later than expected: PRO, Adm. 106/7, no. 199; HMC, Heathcote, pp. 65-6, 80; CSPD 1663-4, p. 130.