Wednesday 4 April 1666

Up, and with Sir W. Pen in his coach to White Hall, in his way talking simply and fondly as he used to do, but I find myself to slight him and his simple talke, I thank God, and that my condition will enable me to do it. Thence, after doing our business with the Duke of Yorke, with Captain Cocke home to the ’Change in his coach. He promises me presently a dozen of silver salts, and proposes a business for which he hath promised Mrs. Williams for my Lord Bruncker a set of plate shall cost him 500l. and me the like, which will be a good business indeed. After done several businesses at the ’Change I home, and being washing day dined upon cold meate, and so abroad by coach to Hales’s, and there sat till night, mightily pleased with my picture, which is now almost finished. So by coach home, it being the fast day and to my chamber and so after supper to bed, consulting how to send my wife into the country to advise about Pall’s marriage, which I much desire, and my father too, and two or three offers are now in hand.

26 Annotations

First Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

The Royal Society today at Gresham College — from the Hooke Folio Online

Aprill 4. 1666. (comtee of accounts)
There was presented by mr Hooke a table of the degrees of the Loadstones attraction of a Little square oblong peice of iron at seuerall distances from the pole of the magnet, as he had found in making tryalls priuatly himself. at 6 inches. 0. at 4 inches 1/8 gr./ at 2 inches. 13/16 gr./ at 1. inch 17 6/8 gr./ at 1/2 inch. 57 6/8 gr/ at 1/4 inch 104 5/16 gr./ at 1/8. 197 4/8. which tryalls being repeated before the company held good except that insteed of the 2 13/16 at 2 inches distance the - weight was 3 3/4 graines and insteed of 17 6/8 gr. at 1 inch distance the weight was 18 7/8 gr to equall the attraction. There was also a thin plate of steel interposed at about an inch and that made the weight lesse by 14 graines. (about Capping Loadstones)
mr Ball to send vp magnetick apparatus)
mr. Palmer 95 neurinburg cupps [ Nesting Cup scale weights http://www.prices4antiques.com/to… ] .)
about husking rice qu) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice…

http://webapps.qmul.ac.uk/cell/Ho…

Margaret  •  Link

"...being washing day dined upon cold meate..."

Doing the laundry in the 17th century must have taken hours of back-breaking work--I expect the whole staff was involved, with no-one left to cook anything. So much easier today, when we can toss things in the washer, turn the knob, & go away!

Mary  •  Link

"....I thank God, and that my condition will enable me to do it."

Dear me, does anyone else hear echoes of the Pharisee's prayer here?

Mary  •  Link

"he promises me presently a dozen of silver salts"

Sam used to be scrupulous in declining to agree the nature of a 'gift' before the piece of business proposed had actually been effected. It looks as if he's relaxing that practice here. Perhaps the fact that Cocke has become a trusted friend and companion has something to do with it.

JWB  •  Link

"The inset cups shall not move or rattle if the lid is closed "

http://www.scales-and-weights.com…

In misspent youth spent 3 months studying physics of weights & the chemical balance-an outdated requirement. Covet a set of Nuremberg cups, but have irrational fear of asbestos from old gravimetric analyses lurking in interstices.

A. Hamilton  •  Link

"Up, and with Sir W. Pen in his coach to White Hall, in his way talking simply and fondly as he used to do, but I find myself to slight him and his simple talke, I thank God, and that my condition will enable me to do it."

Ah, but Sam, 'tis a gift to be simple.

Bradford  •  Link

Spot on, Mary. "The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican." (Luke 18:11) Mene, mene, tekel, upharsin.

language hat  •  Link

"...a business for which he hath promised Mrs. Williams for my Lord Bruncker a set of plate shall cost him 500l. and me the like, which will be a good business indeed."

That's a huge amount of money -- Sam's going to spend 500 pounds on a set of plate for Bruncker? Better be a really good business. Or am I misunderstanding something here?

JWB  •  Link

Loadstone @ a distance

Until 19th C. it was thought magnetic force decreased inversely with the square of distance like gravity and static electricity. Helmholtz put an end to that.

JWB  •  Link

Mene, mene, tekel, upharsin.

The thought of the writing on the wall rhymes with the thought of the Nuremberg cups- measure, division, weighing, justice-

Robert Gertz  •  Link

Perhaps the key to the plate "business" is "promised Mrs. Williams for my Lord...". Sounds like a transaction passing through the mistress to the benefit of all...

"But Abigail...A plate set costing 2000Ls? Seems a bit much..."

"Oh, my Lord...All the best homes have them now. And I would be ashamed to preside at your table if it be dressed improperly."

"But Povey told me his of the same patterns only cost 1000Ls."

"My Lord...What can I say? That was a few years ago. Middlemen, inflation...You know... And there's no better bargainers for you than our dear Cap't Cocke and our wonderful Mr. Pepys."

So this is why she gets 50 percent...Sam aside to Cocke as both wait solemnly.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

"But son. Why should I rely on that wife of yours to decide Paulina's and in part therefore, our fates?"

"Pa. Penniless pauper refugee 1655...My grande lady Pepys, heir to a 5000L estate, 1666...Now you've got to admit my Bess can pick a winner."

"Hmmn...Well..."

Brampton...One month later...

"All right, gentlemen." Bess calls.

Hmmn...Eyes line-up of local eligibles...

"Loser, loser, loser...Eh, barely possible...Loser...Hmmn...You, there?"

"Mum?" Somewhat brusque yet burly fellow...Rather hale and energetic.

"You...What's your name?"

"Jackson, mum...John Jackson..."

Hmmmn... "Put him down as a possibility, father-in-law. He's got a streak of energy to him."

Not bad...Pall eyes the rather pleased Jackson...

"But...Keep him in reserve...Next!!"

A. Hamilton  •  Link

"Up, and with Sir W. Pen in his coach to White Hall, in his way talking simply and fondly as he used to do, but I find myself to slight him and his simple talke, I thank God, and that my condition will enable me to do it."

Remember, Sam, 'tis a gift to be simple.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

Seriously as to the plate, Sam is always looking for a stable way to keep his wealth and 500Ls converted to plate may seem a good way to diversify. Though a deal with Mrs. W. and Capt C. is more fun to contemplate.

Second Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"So by coach home, it being the fast day and to my chamber and so after supper to bed"

The fast is for the Plague, it's the first Wednesday of the month in London, but what does the "so" betoken? "It's Fast day, therefore" what, exactly?

Steven Snipes  •  Link

The Royal Mint has issued a coin to commemorate the last diary entry made by Sam Pepys. I mentioned this on yesterday's entry. I'm repeating it here in case my earlier posting came too late to be seen by current readers.

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

Steven Snipes brings to our attention that on May 31, 1669 -- 350 years ago -- Pepys decides to discontinue the Diary. To mark his achievement the Royal Mint has designed a memorial coin honoring him and his historic contribution to our understanding of the times, and included it with the 2019 commemoration coins.
https://www.royalmint.com/discove…

You can order a set, but I don't see a way to get just his coin.

Steven Snipes  •  Link

I ordered 2 of the silver coins. Just click on the Shoo The Range button and then add the coins you want to the shopping cart.

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

THANK YOU ... perfect for some Christmas gifts.

Nate Lockwood  •  Link

The History Guy (THG) published a short video about John Evelyn today on YouTube. Describes who Evelyn was, his garden, and publication on trees, but zeros in on the occupation of his house by Peter The Great. Worth viewing.

Tonyel  •  Link

" and proposes a business for which he hath promised Mrs. Williams for my Lord Bruncker a set of plate shall cost him 500l. and me the like, which will be a good business indeed."

I read this as Cocke offering £500 to Bruncker AND to Sam as well. If he can lay out £1,000 in bribes it must be a spectacularly good business. We await more details......

Gerald Berg  •  Link

To me the Pharisee parable doesn't quite fit; as W. Pen, not too recently, held it over on Pepy's and made a rough going for him. Povy. To me he fits the parable.

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"So by coach home, it being the fast day and to my chamber and so after supper to bed,"

What does "So" denote the above sentence? I haven't the faintest idea ... and a fast must mean something different today than it did then. I think Pepys was scribbling an ending to his post without thinking too closely about syntax.

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