Friday 4 May 1666

Up and by water to Westminster to Charing Cross (Mr. Gregory for company with me) to Sir Ph. Warwicke’s, who was not within. So I took Gregory to White Hall, and there spoke with Joseph Williamson to have leave in the next Gazette to have a general pay for the Chest at Chatham declared upon such a day in June. Here I left Gregory, and I by coach back again to Sir Philip Warwicke’s, and in the Park met him walking, so discoursed about the business of striking a quarter’s tallys for Tangier, due this day, which he hath promised to get my Lord Treasurer’s warrant for, and so away hence, and to Mr. Hales, to see what he had done to Mrs. Pierces picture, and whatever he pretends, I do not think it will ever be so good a picture as my wife’s. Thence home to the office a little and then to dinner, and had a great fray with my wife again about Browne’s coming to teach her to paynt, and sitting with me at table, which I will not yield to. I do thoroughly believe she means no hurte in it; but very angry we were, and I resolved all into my having my will done, without disputing, be the reason what it will; and so I will have it. After dinner abroad again and to the New Exchange about play books, and to White Hall, thinking to have met Sir G. Carteret, but failed. So to the Swan at Westminster, and there spent a quarter of an hour with Jane, and thence away home, and my wife coming home by and by (having been at her mother’s to pray her to look out for a mayde for her) by coach into the fields to Bow, and so home back in the evening, late home, and after supper to bed, being much out of order for lack of somebody in the room of Su. This evening, being weary of my late idle courses, and the little good I shall do the King or myself in the office, I bound myself to very strict rules till Whitsunday next.


20 Annotations

First Reading

Michael L  •  Link

"I do thoroughly believe she means no hurte in it; but very angry we were, and I resolved all into my having my will done, without disputing, be the reason what it will; and so I will have it."

This can't go anywhere pleasant. "Because I say so" is not a good recipe for a happy marriage.

Jesse  •  Link

"great fray with my wife again"

Almost 350 years later and how many women still believe that most men think nothing more than chaste thoughts in these types of associations? Men's thoughts of course don't always follow into actions (perhaps even less so today) but as 'Dapper Dicky' surely knows, sometimes "and so I will have it" is a necessary evil, not only for the benefit of one party.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

"...there spent a quarter of an hour with Jane..."

Jane?...The barber's assistant with the crazed obsession with the married fiddler? Our dear Jane Birch?...No, no,no... A new Jane barmaid from the Swan, perhsps? Poor neglected Sarah, then.

Quarter of an hour?...Hmmn...I'm sure it was quality time. Or to be kind, perhaps he had an attack of guilt, considering the sudden desire to take Bess on a nice little make-up excursion to Bow.

***

"Almost 350 years later and how many women still believe that most men think nothing more than chaste thoughts in these types of associations? "

Yikes. On the other hand, one might note that Sam has indicated Bess fights back quite well in these encounters...Hmmn...Perhaps she was thinking other than chaste thoughts during these types of associations?

Spoiler...

After all, when the big one hits in '69...In the midst of all his misery...Sam gets quite a nice little gift.

***
Heaven...

"What the devil does he mean by that?" Bess, fuming...

"Well...Damnit girl...It was the best sex of our marriage..."

***

Louise  •  Link

"be the reason what it will" he doesn't quite explain the reason either the first time this comes up, or now. It might be sexual jealousy or snobbery or parsimony or simply a quite irrational desire to have one's table to oneself. One I must confess to sometimes. I think he senses none of these motivations are going to paint him in a good light, hence his real annoyance with his wife arguing the toss. Nobody wants to justify their segnorial whim by spelling out " but I don't want to share the meat" or " I think our social standing is too newly elevated to bear dining with artists" or " I'm afraid he will flirt with you" or " I can't relax properly having to be polite to a stranger at dinner, I want to take my wig off and belch a bit"

language hat  •  Link

"I resolved all into my having my will done, without disputing, be the reason what it will; and so I will have it."

The essence of patriarchy, distilled into one sentence.

Ruben  •  Link

In one of the best days in this blog, the 7 May 2008, we discussed Alexander Browne and the books he published.
Now, "Ars Pictoria: or an Academy Treating of Drawing, Painting, Limning, Etching" published in 1675, is sold at auction.
You can see and try to buy the book (you can not touch or smell it, like I would like) at:
http://www.skinnerinc.com/asp/ful…
for an estimated price of 300-500 $.
I presume Sam had this book in his hands sometime after the diary days. May be a copy is in Magdalene College?

Terry Foreman  •  Link

Louise, you think "Nobody wants to justify their segnorial whim by spelling out...” I think our social standing is too newly elevated to bear dining with artists”" but yesterday SP did write he was "desirous to have my house to myself without a stranger and a mechanique to be privy to all my concernments" though we don't know what he said to Bess. So guess!

Michael Robinson  •  Link

Alexander Browne and the books ...

Ruben, if SP ever purchased or were given copies of the 'Ars Pictoria,' 1669 or 1675, or 'A compendious drawing-book,' 1677, they were not part of his library when it went to Magdalene.

On the basis of a quick search of current electronic catalogs they were not books bought by, or retained by, Oxford and Cambridge College Libraries.

cgs  •  Link

to share or not share, that be the question.
When have nowt, share,
when have excess do not share.

'tis a 'uman condition,
Marriage be good when needed to share,
but when it be not required, go it alone.

'tis why "Nouveau Riche " be a condition of not liking to reminded of when thy shoe leather be missing or no not having a farthing for the lad to light thy way home when thee be imbibing too much.

'segnorial'[ seignorial ],not a word in Samuell's dictionary, I am led to believe;
of course he be fully aware of the rights of the seigneur.

just being pedantic:

Louise  •  Link

"Desirous to have my house to myself..." true enough Terry and more closely read than me. It isn't a million miles from "Because." though. I really get the impression that not only does he not want the painter, but he really doesn't want to have to defend his choice. Darned missus, won't take no, etc.
Cgs: apologies re spelling and thanks for correction, there doesn't seem to be a spill chucker robust enough for me :-)

cgs  •  Link

Louise, No need for apologies, I was just being my obnoxious self, not not knowing the word, for once, decided to check it out and found the OED an interesting aside.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

If it was poor Jane Welsh, ex-barber's assistant, it's a pity Sam couldn't find anything more to say about this curious young woman with her obsession with fate and a certain, undoubtedly charming fiddler, and a delightful ability to put Sam off. One must admit he meets some interesting ladies, including his own ex-penniless refugee wife.

Michael Robinson  •  Link

" ... and had a great fray with my wife again about Browne’s coming to teach her to paynt, and sitting with me at table, which I will not yield to."

In all but two of the prior references he is 'Browne' not 'Mr. Browne' so snobbery may be a component, however jealousy of Browne has troubled SP in the past:

" ... and there to my great trouble find my wife out of order, and she took me downstairs and there alone did tell me her falling out with both her mayds and particularly Mary, and how Mary had to her teeth told her she would tell me of something that should stop her mouth and words of that sense. Which I suspect may be about Brown, but my wife prays me to call it to examination, and this, I being of myself jealous, do make me mightily out of temper, and seeing it not fit to enter into the dispute did passionately go away, thinking to go on board again. ..."

http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…

Australian Susan  •  Link

Elizabeth first learned to paint last year during the plague times when she was living away down the river. Maybe this makeshift household arrangements encouraged greater intimacy with someone with whom Sam would not have been on social terms if this had all been taking place back home at the Navy office dwelling. Now that the status quo ante is established, Sam is not prepared to allow lax social associations to continue. Elizabeth cannot see the social line in the sand and throws tantrums over it. Sam's social position has been hardwon. He can imagine the patronising sneers of the Battens and Penns if it is known he has accepted an artisan to his dining table. To preserve this position, he needs to be hard on his rules. Sam is only a few years away from scrabbling for place and money. His father and brother were tailors, his wife has no money or social standing to her name: he is a socially insecure person still. Although the previously frequent proud references to the notice great persons have taken of him have gone, he is a tiny quivering soul still, who can only stamp his little foot and say: This is My Will to the person he could expect to obey him.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

Miscommunication I'd bet...Bess sees it as simple jealousy of Browne, whom she regards as a friend; Sam as a threat to his social standing, not to mention not wishing to have someone privy to potentially sensitive personal, even busines information ...Though perhaps some jealousy mixed in there.

cgs  •  Link

Mis-communication I’d bet, neigh

If thee see 'is work and thought how long 'is sitter sat enjoying the experience, it could cause Sam some guilt complexes of how he did memorize and not paint is viewing days???

Second Reading

Terry Foreman  •  Link

"spoke with Joseph Williamson to have leave in the next Gazette to have a general pay for the Chest at Chatham declared upon such a day in June."

L&M: The advertisement appeared in the London Gazette of 14 May (not the next, but the next-but-two) and announced a general pay at H.M.'s Pay-house at Chatham on 1 June, covering the period from Lady Day past.

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"This evening, being weary of my late idle courses, and the little good I shall do the King or myself in the office, I bound myself to very strict rules till Whitsunday next."

This confirms my observations that Pepys has given up on the monthly vows with penalties payable to the poor box. He seems to have broken the theater habit, but the afternoon's off with work in the morning and evening doesn't seem to be practical, especially in war time. With the fleet afloat, he needs to be more attentive.

I wonder why Whitsun is the cut-off. That's only a few weeks away.

David G  •  Link

"had a great fray with my wife again about Browne’s coming to teach her to paynt, and sitting with me at table, which I will not yield to. I do thoroughly believe she means no hurte in it; but very angry we were, and I resolved all into my having my will done, without disputing, be the reason what it will; and so I will have it."

Of the commentators a decade ago, I think Terry read this passage correctly: Sam did not think it appropriate to have a mere art instructor sit at the table in his house for a meal and was surprised that Bess did not understand this, and Sam put his foot down.

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