Saturday 7 January 1664/65
Up and to the office all the morning. At noon dined alone, my wife and family most of them a-bed. Then to see my Lady Batten and sit with her a while, Sir W. Batten being out of town, and then to my office doing very much business very late, and then home to supper and to bed.
14 Annotations
First Reading
Terry Foreman • Link
The heritage of the execution of King Charles I in '49: Spy-work is ordered and reported in letters inventoried in the Carte Calendar (the MS # of the first is a happy one)
Ormond to Lord Dungannon
Written from: Moor Park
Date: 7 January 1665
Shelfmark: MS. Carte 49, fol(s). 290
Document type: Copy
Being most really solicitous for the good of "all unblemished '49 men", ... desires distinct information as to the "where, when, how often, and in what company" of certain words reported to have been spoken, to the effect that "the Duke cared not if they were all hanged". ...
---------------------------------------------
Statement, by John Floydd, and others, mariners, of the circumstances attendant on the embarking & disembarking of certain Quakers who had been sentenced to banishment
Date: 7 January 1665
Shelfmark: MS. Carte 81, fol(s). 256r-v
http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/dept/s…
cgs • Link
Eliza is still not having much quality family time with Master Samuell.
But Samuell is still enjoying the female adulation even if it is Mistress Batten, not long ago was not on Samuells A-list of favorites.
Michael Robinson • Link
"Then to see my Lady Batten and sit with her a while, Sir W. Batten being out of town, ..."
When and why did the name of Batten cease to be a synonym for the devil and all his works and his wife, who has been described earlier as an 'whore,' come to merit such courtesy?
Has SP's pursuit of profit lead him into alliance with the 'dark side?'
"... and after dinner had much discourse tending to profit with Sir W. Batten, how to get ourselves into the prize office or some other fair way of obliging the King to consider us in our extraordinary pains."
http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
A. De Araujo • Link
"then to see my lady Batten"
Methinks Samuel Pepys has never read his own diary otherwise he would explain or excuse the inconsistencies; seems like he was a carpe diem kinda guy.
cape henry • Link
Though neighborly relations are fluid among all persons at all times in every era, Sam's relationship with the Battens is complicated by office politics. With W. Batten out of town, my immediate thought was that he visited lady Batten to pick up what intelligence he might.
Robert Gertz • Link
I notice little or no comment thoughout the diary on Lady Batten's attractiveness...Even if he dared not make a pass, surely a beauty would earn Sam's eager praise or at least some hint of appreciation.
Robert Gertz • Link
"Remarkable..." Batten smiles, closing the journal before him.
"Any more weight, sir?" a call from the two hulking brutes currently watching a groaning, gasping Pepys suspended from rope, heavy lead weights tied to his feet gradually jerking the limbs out of their sockets...
"Hmmn...? Oh, no, no. That's quite sufficient. Pepys, I must complement you. This is an outstanding work. Minnes, were he ever to see it, would I think, even call it Shakespearian. I'm deeply grateful one of my boys learned your shorthand and brought it to my attention."
Arrghhhh...Sam's gasping response...
"Naturally, I would never wish to see the world deprived of such a masterwork. But...While I certainly have no real objection to being portrayed as a bit of a rogue and all." Merry smile. "I think it would be best if we edited out all the references to your relationship with Lady Batten for the past two years. Not quite good for the family rep, you know? I'm sure you understand...Just as I understand a young fellow like you, in his prime and my wife, still young and perhaps a bit unsettled in spirits...We can be adults about this, eh Samuel? No reason to let it intrude in our business and work relations?" Wave to the lugs to ease off the weights and ropes a bit...
Expectant look. Lady Batten beside him looking a bit sullen...
Never thought the little fellow would write down everything...
Though, some of those French passages...A little smile...
"No...Noo...Trouble...At...All...Sir Will..." Sam gasps.
"Excellent, my boy. I knew two men of the world like us could resolve this matter easily. Just the passages from 1662-4 dealing with my wife...Of course you can leave in everyday dealings with her."
"...And the entry about my breasts..." Lady Batten, unable to stop herself.
That was lovely, one of the lumpen thugs notes to himself.
"My dearest." Batten eyes her.
"It was such poetry." she sighs. As was that whole evening's romp.
"A pity. But we must think of the family's reputation, dear."
Pedro • Link
On this day...
The Royal Company, on news of their losses, had petitioned the King on the day of Holmes' arrival that his prizes be made over to them as compensation. On the 7th a warrant was issued to that effect.
(Man of War by Ollard)
cgs • Link
She be gone?
cook mayde:
Stereotyped as pleasingly plump, due to the opportunity to be tasting and making sure that it pleases the master of the house. Every one enjoys the the bio-feedback of nice compliments coming via the ear drum. And as everyone knows a good word to the Cook, gets the complimenter choices pieces.
Sam maybe over at the Battens not for the company of the Mistress Batten but for some nice titbits of food and gossip.
Miss Ann • Link
I'm a little shocked at Samuel's visiting Mrs Batten whilst her husband is at sea. When I was wed it was to a seafaring Navyman (30 very long years) and it would have caused great "interest" amongst my neighbours if I had a male visitor everytime my husband went to sea. Considering the formal niceties of relations between men and women at this time in history, and Samuel's jealousies in relation to his own wife, wouldn't these visits have raised eyebrows amongst those around him, or her?
On another matter, but still in relation to Mrs Batten - I'm sure if she was a beauty Sam would have had, or at least thought about, something licenscious (please forgive me if this is incorrectly spelt). He usually conveys his impression of most women he meets, one can only assume Mrs Batten is either plain or not very pretty.
Australian Susan • Link
On the departure of Jane
"She was a good cook, as cooks go, and as cooks go - she went"
from "Reginald on Besetting Sins" a short story published in "Reginald". Author: Saki (pseud. for Hector Hugh Munro 1870-1916) another awful casualty of WWI. His last words were "and put that bloody cigarette out" - he knew a sniper might see the red dot. Dreadful waste of talent along with Wilfrid Owen, Isaac Rosenberg and many more.
Second Reading
Louise Hudson • Link
Miss Ann, wrote, “it would have caused great "interest" amongst my neighbours if I had a male visitor everytime my husband went to sea. Considering the formal niceties.”
Mrs Batten’s neighbors would have been “interested” and also critical of her but there would have been little criticism of her visitor. Men will be men, after all.
San Diego Sarah • Link
"Mrs. Batten’s neighbors would have been “interested” and also critical of her but there would have been little criticism of her visitor."
I think it depends on how old she was (I suspect in her 50's), and how many servants were around. And Sir William has a son -- perhaps he was living there too. All in all, I think if Pepys had thought it would be misconstrued by his arch-rival Batten, he would either not have gone, or would have taken Elizabeth. He seems to be very good about stopping in on the sick or lonely.
Sasha Clarkson • Link
The fall-out with Lady Batten happened because, despite a good start to their relationship, Bess didn't want to take a socially subordinate position. The first hint of a problem in the diary was on Easter Day 1662, when Sam & Bess tried to get round the natural precedence of the pews in church.
https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
From then on, the relationship deteriorated, including complaints to Pepys about Bess' servants, and Sam formally notes on 31st December 1662 that they make themselves "a little strange" to "Lady Batten and hers"
https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
Bess' family regards itself as aristocratic, though fallen on hard times. The Battens have humbler origins, but Lady B has precedence over Bess in formal occasions, including church,, because of her husband's title. The sticking point for Bess was possibly the inclusion of Lady Batten's daughter in this precedence.
Whatever the causes, in 10th March 1663, the dispute broke out into open warfare, in which the following day Pepys "doubted", ie feared/suspected, "my wife was to blame".
https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…
I regard the problems between them as an escalated pecking order dispute between the two ladies which Bess could not win, and which damaged the relationship between their husbands. I also think that Sam made a strategic mistake by encouraging/humouring Bess in these games. The Battens remained remarkably cordial to him under the circumstances.
Anyway, today, with Bess hungover (possibly) and in bed, Sam is more free to keep the social wheels turning perhaps.