Monday 25 December 1665

(Christmas-day). To church in the morning, and there saw a wedding in the church, which I have not seen many a day; and the young people so merry one with another, and strange to see what delight we married people have to see these poor fools decoyed into our condition, every man and woman gazing and smiling at them. Here I saw again my beauty Lethulier. Thence to my Lord Bruncker’s by invitation and dined there, and so home to look over and settle my papers, both of my accounts private, and those of Tangier, which I have let go so long that it were impossible for any soul, had I died, to understand them, or ever come to any good end in them. I hope God will never suffer me to come to that disorder again.


13 Annotations

First Reading

cgs  •  Link

"...and strange to see what delight we married people have to see these poor fools decoyed into our condition, every man and woman gazing and smiling at them..."
and remembering the 3 rings of Marriage, engagement, wedding and the third suffer ring

Bergie  •  Link

That "strange to see . . ." comment must be one of the most often quoted bits of the Diary. In the top ten, at least.

A. De Araujo  •  Link

"these poor fools decoyed into our condition"
Misery loves company!

Robert Gertz  •  Link

Heaven...

"I should have come to Bruncker's dinner and strangled you with the turkey."

"Bess...You wanted to go home to London early. I was all alone, doing my Duty at Greenwich. Should I have spent Christmas dinner alone in my room as well?"

"PETER?! I want the tape!"

I swear "Heaven" is not what I expected sometimes. St Peter, sighing.

3D-Holigraphic animated images of dinner at Lord Bruncker's, Christmas 1665...

"Haw-haw." image of Sam chuckling whilst urging pretty servant to pour more wine into proffered glass. "Yes, there was that couple..." smacking kiss to pretty servant... "and I thought, as we all did, we marrieds, what happy fools! Haw-haw!"

"Well, I am safe with Abby here." Bruncker beams contentedly. Mrs. Williams frowning at Sam's happy leer..."Indeed, my Lord, you have the best of all worlds, with dear Mrs. W unable to lay a claim on you as wife...Yes, as my Lord Sandwich once told me, if a man has lain with a wench..."

Ummn...He eyes Mrs. W's hard stare...Bruncker's slightly distressed look.

"...Well, an old tale...But you are fortunate to be so free, my Lord."

"You seem quite free, yourself, Mr. Pepys." Abby, coldly. "Your wife is alone in London, I believe...While you continue your bachelor quarters in Greenwich."

"One must bare up under the burden of the King's business, Mrs. Williams. And my wife at least knows her place is to keep to her home...Yes..." Grandiose wave of glass..."I can at least content myself that in my home, I am generally Master. Though of course I suffer at her absence, my suffering is therefore of some limit."

"None at all, Mrs. Pennington might say..."

Ummn...

"STOP TAPE!!" Bess cries.

cgs  •  Link

see SP for another view of bliss.
http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…

On Marrying the Wench
....my Lord told me that among his father's many old sayings that he had wrote in a book of his, this is one— that he that do get a wench with child and marry her afterwards is as if a man should ---- in his hat and then clap it on his head.
- Diary, October 7, 1660
http://www.luminarium.org/eightli…

Australian Susan  •  Link

A belated happy Christmas to all from a very hot and humid Brisbane.

A.Hamilton  •  Link

And another from one who has just come from dining with a Buchan (indeed, with 5 of them).

Second Reading

Herbert  •  Link

I really like this entry, in the marriage comment, we get Samuel's humour & a more reflective Samuel & then we get the the torture of not balancing his books. For me there is lots of Samuel's character in this short passage

arby  •  Link

Merry Christmas to Phil, the ghosts of annotators past, and alla y'all, thanks everyone. rb

Elizabeth  •  Link

I have been reading the daily entries for months now and enjoying the annotations. I just never signed up to add my 2 cents!
So today, I want to say Happy Holidays to all the annotators and especially to Phil for all his work here. It is appreciated, even if we don't say it.

Robert Watson  •  Link

This entry is especially funny for me. I am single and after some heart-breaking events in my younger life, I am content to be alone on Christmas Day. (I am 58.) Merrie Chritemasse to all Pepysians both far and near. :-)

Robert Watson  •  Link

Sorry, couldn't get that right the first time with my ancient English spelling :

_Christemasse_

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

Merry Christmas Elizabeth, Robert and Arby ... as an elderly friend of mine who read a lot told me many years ago, "Not all of my best friends are alive."

Phil Gyford and the annotators past and present have brought an incredible group of 16th century friends alive for us. Please put your two cents' worth in anytime. You know things, have read books, visited old houses, have life experience, to share. Good questions are priceless too.

Happy 2019, and looking forward to getting to know you better.

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