Thursday 5 January 1664/65
Up, it being very cold and a great snow and frost tonight. To the office, and there all the morning. At noon dined at home, troubled at my wife’s being simply angry with Jane, our cook mayde (a good servant, though perhaps hath faults and is cunning), and given her warning to be gone. So to the office again, where we sat late, and then I to my office, and there very late doing business. Home to supper and to the office again, and then late home to bed.
15 Annotations
First Reading
Terry Foreman • Link
A signal development in English law is mentioned in passing, along with lesser matters, in a letter held in the Carte Collection at the Bodleian. a reply to one of 3 Jan, 1664 -- on behalf of Dirk
Ossory to Ormond
Written from: Dublin
Date: 5 January 1665
Shelfmark: MS. Carte 220, fol(s). 197-198
Document type: Holograph
Various examinations have been made of persons implicated in recent plots, some of which are now transmitted.
The most diligent effort will be made to furnish seamen, in compliance with recent orders from England. And the Bill of Registry [a Bill for the Registration of Deeds; and one of the very many seventeenth-century anticipations of nineteenth-century enactments] will now be pressed; the Deputy having such good ground to move upon as that supplied in the Duke's recent letter.
Flower, Stephens, and Worship are recommended for office as Commissioners for the sale of Prizes. http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/dept/s…
Robert Gertz • Link
Cunning, eh? Catching on to Sam's behavior, perhaps...
cgs • Link
cunning had other nicer meanings:
Robert Gertz • Link
Mmmn...I think Sam means it in a negative context.
Paul Chapin • Link
Elizabeth tends to get better press from our annotators than Sam, probably because she isn't the one sharing her private thoughts with us, but I think the frequency with which she gets angry at servants and dismisses them indicates that she must have been a hard person to work for, given to impetuous anger.
Mary • Link
simply angry.
Elizabeth is foolishly angry with Jane, there is no substantial reason for her anger - according to Sam, anyway. We don't know Elizabeth's side of the story.
Pedro • Link
And John Evelyn on this day...
"I arived at Canterbury, [6] being Epiphanie, when I went to the Cathedrall, exceedingly well repaired since his Majesties returne:"
For the History of Canterbury Cathedral...
"During the Civil War of the 1640s, the Cathedral suffered damage at the hands of the Puritans; much of the medieval stained glass was smashed and horses were stabled in the nave. After the Restoration in 1660, several years were spent in repairing the building."
http://www.canterbury-cathedral.o…
Robert Gertz • Link
Though she seems generally pleasant in manner, Bess also seems generally insecure about her command of her household which may explain her short temper. No doubt Sam's negative comments and his constant review of the accounts, etc, plus his own bustling,hyperefficient clerk's manner has some role there. I have suspected that a few servants (Sarah, etc) have been dismissed for catching her flitching a bit from the household accounts for Mom and Dad (and that Sam has turned a blind eye to such things so long as the sums were minor) but I can't see her trying to get away with anything worse given Sam's suspicious nature and the goldfish bowl state of her life. Still, one never knows and it would be nice to think, considering Sam's blase, casual infidelity, she managed a rendezvous of her own once or twice.
cgs • Link
Cunning : it is a clever [cunning, all knowing] fox that outwits the farmer so that he can have his daily dose of easy meat, thereby labeled cunning and the cunning lass be over stepping her boundary, as Jane knows all about the mark as Bess be recovering from a black and blue session.
So like the clever fox whom be damned for being the cunning that he be, by being called cunning and sly too, for not letting on where he be.
Bess be not knowing a good lawyer to fix Samuell's wandering eye etc., so who gets the cutting tongue. there nutin' worse than a sore vixen.
Samuell has to defend his turf.
Martin • Link
At the office all morning, all afternoon and all evening, late.
So, the chill continues, both outside and inside chez Pepys. The card games of the last three nights have not brought much thaw to the post-black-eye relationship.
laura k • Link
From the Better Late Than Never Department:
Happy New Year to all the Pepys annotators! Thank you all for adding so much to my understanding and enjoyment of the world. Special New Year's wishes to our esteemed host Phil.
Sorry for the late post. I've been on a short break from Pepys and am just catching up now.
jeannine • Link
“My Dearest Minette” by Ruth Norrington
Charles writes to Minette (his favorite sister) who is married to the brother of Louis XIV, the King of France. He is trying to prove Holland is the aggressor so that France will be allowed to ‘side’ with England.
5 January 1665
I have little to say to you at this time, expecting that the Treaty of commerce will be finished, that then we might enter upon the strict alliance. I perceive that Van Benninghen [ Dutch Ambassador to Paris] does use all possible artes and trieckes, to make me appeare the aggressour, but if you have read over the printed paper I sent you, you will clearly finde the contrary, and that ‘tis the Dutch hath begun with us, which now plainly appears by what de Rutter hath done in Guiny, and I am sure there is nothing in the King of France’s treaty that oblieges him to second them, if they be the attaquers, so that except he had a minde to helpe them, he is in no wayes oblieged to it by treaty. For, by the Treaty, he is only to defend them in case they be attaqued, and they are not the attacquers, so that we only defend ourselves. I say this to you, because the Ambassadour here, came to me by order from his master, and sayd many thinges to me from him, upon the subject of Holland, a little too pressing, and not in the stile Charles Berkeley was spoken to, in that matter when he was there, and I cannot chuse but observe that Monsieur de Comminges [French Ambassador] is much more eloquent when there is anything to be said that looked not so kinde towards me, than when there is any kindenesse to be expressed. I wish with all my hart that there were good occasion for Charles Berkeley to make another voyage to you, for my inclinations are to give my friendship to France, but if that cannot be had, I am not so inconsiderable but that I can make very considerable frindships elsewhere. The truth of it is I am presst at this time very much, and am offered very advantageous conditions, but I prefer the frindship of France in the first place, in case I can have it, and I assure you one of the great reasons why I do so, is because you are there. I write all this only to your selfe, though you may make what use you please, so as you do not use my name, for I would not be thought to seeke any bodys frindship, who is not ready to meet me halfe way. The wether is so colde, as I can hardly hold my penn in my hand, which you may perceeve by my scribbling, and I am affraide you will hardly reade this letter, my dearest sister, I am interely yours,
C.R.
Pedro • Link
For Jeannine
I saw the Blazing Star about 6 in the evening, being then just in the ecliptic in the 28° 30´ thereof, very dim, not better to be discerned than a star of the third magnitude, distant from the South Horn of Aries 8° 46´, a star in Ligatura Piscium of 6° 00´ declination North 8° 46´. Scarce any stream discernable.
The Journal of Edward Montagu edited by Anderson
Second Reading
San Diego Sarah • Link
Tomorrow is 12th Night. For the entire holiday season Bess has been stuck at home, cavorting with the staff. Reestablishing control and respect will take a little doing.
Chris Squire UK • Link
Re: ‘ . . my wife’s being simply angry with Jane . .
‘simply, adv < Old French
. . 5. In a foolish, silly, or stupid manner; without common sense or sagacity . .
. . 1663 S. Pepys Diary 2 Jan. (1971) IV. 2 Sir W. Batten was paying of tickets, but so simply and arbitrarily..that I was weary of it . . ‘
Re: ‘ . . a good servant, though perhaps hath faults and is cunning . . ’
‘cunning < Old English . .
. . 4. Possessing keen intelligence, wit, or insight; knowing, clever.
1671 J. Webster Metallographia vi. 106 Wiser heads, and cunninger wits.
5. a. In bad sense: Skilful in compassing one's ends by covert means; clever in circumventing; crafty, artful, guileful, sly. (The prevailing modern sense.)
. . 1653 H. Cogan tr. F. M. Pinto Voy. & Adventures xvi. 54 Like cunning thieves, desiring that the prey..should not escape out of their hands . . ‘
(OED)