Terry Foreman on 1 Apr 2012  •  Link

The Royal Society today at Arundel House — History of the RS, Thomas Birch,

Apr. 1. 1669. -- There was tried an experiment, proposed by Dr. Goddard, to find,, whether muscles in their contraction grew bigger upon the whole, or not? The experiment was by inserting a man's arm into an artificial arm made of tin, having a glass-pipe fitted and erected in the hand of it, so as being filled with water, and the hand of the fleshy arm clutched, the water in the pipe subsided ; but being relaxed and opened, the water rose: which seemed to shew, that in contraction the muscles, upon the whole* were brought into less dimensions than in their dilatation.

Dr. Goddard was desired to bring in a full account of this experiment in writing; which he promised to do, having first repeated it

History of the Royal Society, Thomas Birch, Vol. 2, p. 356.http://goo.gl/DGq9J

Terry Foreman on 2 Apr 2012  •  Link

"what wretched doings there were among all the Commanders to ruin the Purser, and defend the Captain in all his rogueries"

L&M note "The captain was charged with assault; he counter-charged the purser with fraud. 'It appears by the captain's confession that he canned the said purser with a little Japan, which he usually carries, but not in the manner the purser pretends nor was it without intolerable pr5ovocation....He had used reproachful and provoking language, saying his caaptain durst not strike him, for, if he shouldm he would give him three blows for one....' CSPD Add. 1660-85, pp. 288. 290."

Hamish Mack on 2 Apr 2012  •  Link

Can anyone tell what this means?
"I confess I was pretty high, which did not at least the young gentlemen Commander like"

Mary on 2 Apr 2012  •  Link

HM

This, being interpreted, means:

"I confess that I spoke out strongly [was pretty high] which did not please the young gentlemen commanders at least. "

"Like" could be used as an impersonal verb at this time, meaning to please [someone]. In this case "which" would be the subject of the verb. cf sentences such as "It likes me not" which means "It doesn't please me."

The L&M text amends "commander" to "commanders".

That text also punctuates and edits the passage as follows:

"I confess I was pretty high which [they] did not, at least the young gentlemen-commanders, like."

This adds a subject for the verb [they] and changes it from impersonal use to a more familiar transitive form.

rob van hugte on 2 Apr 2012  •  Link

"and here a bad dinner, and little mirth, I being little pleased with my host"

Again stuffiung his face at the Penns even though he is not pleased with the company, where is this animosity coming from?

Andrew Hamilton on 2 Apr 2012  •  Link

Phil, there is something corrupted in the last 15 words of the March 31 entry. Also I could not post a comment there, so have copied it below.

Meanwhile Elizabeth thickens the plot with Mr. Sheres. On March 19 Sam leaves the two of them at his house while the tends to other business. And today Sam relates that Elizabeth now talks of Sheres "with mighty kindness," he having "shewn himself to be a poet." The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography entry on Henry Sheres observes that on his return from aiding Lord Sandwich in Madrid "he became intimate with Pepys, who took a strong liking for him, but his attachment cooled owing to the advances which Sheeres, who was something of a poet, made to Pepys’s wife." From the invaluable Terry Foreman: http://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclo…

Phil Gyford on 2 Apr 2012  •  Link

Thanks Andrew - a tiny typo on my part broke the end of that entry. It's fixed now.

languagehat on 2 Apr 2012  •  Link

"That text also punctuates and edits the passage as follows:
'I confess I was pretty high which [they] did not, at least the young gentlemen-commanders, like.'"

Man, that's terrible editing and makes me think less of them. You don't rewrite the text to make it more intelligible to modern readers, for Pete's sake.

Mary on 2 Apr 2012  •  Link

"that's terrible editing..."

I fully agree and can't immediately think of any similar example in their edition that has wrenched the text around in this way.

Georgiana Wickham on 2 Apr 2012  •  Link

"the names of the founders thereof, which were many, at some 5s., some 6s. per annum towards it: and had their names read in the pulpit every sermon among those holy persons that the Church do order a collect for, giving God thanks for."

I get the sense that Pepys thought immortality was obtained too cheaply?

Terry Foreman on 4 Mar 2017  •  Link

"Dr. Ball, the Parson of the Temple, who did tell me a great many pretty stories about the manner of the Parsons being paid for their preaching at Paul’s heretofore, and now, and the ground of the Lecture, and heretofore the names of the founders thereof, which were many, at some 5s., some 6s. per annum towards it: and had their names read in the pulpit every sermon among those holy persons that the Church do order a collect for, giving God thanks for."

These were sermons founded in the 14th century, preached on Sunday morning and on festivals, and regularly attended by the Lord Mayor and Corporation. The preacher (appointed by the Bishop) was paid 45s. and given four days' diet at the house of a person also appointed by the Bishop and was called 'the Shunamite'. The sermons (originally given at Paul's Cross but since 1660 in the Cathedral) attracted great crowds at Eastertide. The endowments (created largely by bequests of much greater sums than 5s. or 5s.) were controllws by the City. The sermons are still given and the City still pays the preachers. See BM, Harl. 417, f. 132; M. Maclure, Paul's Cross Sermons, 1534-1642. (L&M)

The Shunamite was hostess to Elisha: https://www.biblegateway.com/pass…

Shunamite's House, Watling street. Read the story told by Izaak Walton of Richard Hooker's coming to London in 1581 to preach at Paul's Cross, his stay at the Shunamite's House and its aftermath: https://books.google.com/books?id…'s%20house&f=false

Terry Foreman on 4 Mar 2017  •  Link

A very detail history of the role of Paul's Cross as the traditional spot for the announcement of general proclamations, civil as well as religious in nature. It was, too, the spot at which Londoners, in the management of their own affairs or in times of national crisis, assembled as if drawn thither by a natural magnet. http://www.britannia.com/history/…

St Paul's Cross (alternative spelling – "Powles Crosse") was a preaching cross and open-air pulpit in the grounds of Old St Paul's Cathedral, City of London. Bishop Thomas Kempe rebuilt the cross in the late 15th century in grand architectural form, as an open-air pulpit of mostly timber with room for 3 or 4 inside it, set on stone steps with a lead-covered roof and a low surrounding wall. From here was preached much of the English Reformation, along with many major events in London's history, with sermons preached here usually printed and thus redistributed to a wider audience. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_…'s_Cross

Terry Foreman on 25 Jul 2017  •  Link

The Puritans destroyed the cross and pulpit in 1643 during the First English Civil War.

20th century
Between 1908 and 1910 a new structure was erected near the site of Paul's Cross, from funds provided by the will of the barrister Henry Charles Richards.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_…

San Diego Sarah on 1 Apr 2022  •  Link

April Fools Day: I don't recall Pepys ever being pranked or pranking someone. But it did happen:

"One of the earliest documented references of April Fools’ Day comes from Eduard de Dene, a Flemish writer who published a poem in 1561 about a man who sent his servant on bizarre errands all day long on April 1. The servant eventually realized that he was part of an April 1 joke as the day progressed.
https://parade.com/985732/kelseyp…
"Writer John Aubrey referred to April 1 as “Fooles holy day,” in 1686.

"And just a few years later, in 1698, a newsletter reported on April 2: “Yesterday being the first of April, several persons were sent to the Tower Ditch to see the lions washed.” This broad invitation to a lion-washing ceremony was the first recorded antic of this kind, but it became a popular prank, especially against out-of-towners."

Yet he loves puns and he is a humerous fellow ... maybe Puritans didn't do that?

Stephane Chenard on 2 Apr 2022  •  Link

That a lot of luv there between Sam and the gentlemen-captain was not, could be expected. This flat-foot quill-pusher from the central admin, this vile commoner, disguised as one of them, the horror. But it also seems clear which way this court-martial would go if left to the officers' corps. In this case we wonder how widely the case may have been followed, through the grapevine, by the restless multitude of the ordinary seamen. Pray recall, from the case summary we had thought usefull to post (at https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…) that Roger Baker's plight migtht've been fairly widely known, as his ship's crew had rallied and he had apparently agitated and written around quite a bit, including to Sam. A fact which, if known to the gentlemen-captain, they might've used to plead for his recusal as a judge.

This Society has phant'sied on occasion that seamen would throw bricks through Sam's beautiful windows, as payment for all the rotten biscuits, pressing and whatnot. Sam now comes across as the lower ranks' go-to friend in London - at least for the pursers, who are perhaps not to be confused with the lumpen who furl sails. How the case will go we know not, but 'tis likely the brass knew exactly what it was doing in appointing him to the bench. It suggests the system isn't as well stacked against the tars as one may doubt, or maybe that the system was prudent, given how the fleet's full attention will be needed this summer.

Meanwhile, Sam who yesterday said "how soon I know not" when the Treasurers would deliver the cash they promised him for Tangiers, was satisfied today: The machine, which on occasion can crank fast, has spit out a "Treasury order for 1,449L. 8s. 10d. and 2,000L. to Samuel Pepys for Tangier" (at https://www.british-history.ac.uk…).

Gerald Berg on 2 Apr 2022  •  Link

Henry Fielding's Tom Thumb the Great on which I based my first opera has an insurrection occurring on April 1. Even includes a very early "And your grandmother was..."

Grizzle: Thus far our arms with victory are crowned;
G&D: For though we have not fought, yet we have found
No enemy to fight withal.
Doodle: Yet I,
Me thinks, would willingly avoid this day,
This first of April.
Grizzle: This day, of all the days of the year, I'd choose,
For on this day my grandmother was born.

San Diego Sarah on 12 May 2022  •  Link

"But, Lord! to see what wretched doings there were among all the Commanders to ruin the Purser, and defend the Captain in all his rogueries, be it to the prejudice of the King or Purser, no good man could bear! I confess I was pretty high, which did not at least the young gentlemen Commander like; and Middleton did the like. But could not bring it to any issue this day, sitting till two o’clock;"

This is about as clear as much else of Pepys' musings, My take on it:

But Lord, to see the young Commanders' conspire with Captain [Trevanion] against purser Baker, defending his cruel behavior which is to the detriment of all pursers and the King's service. I confess I was very angry, which upset the Commanders. Middleton agreed with me. We could not bring the hearing to a conclusion because we were called away at 2 o'clock.

San Diego Sarah on 30 May 2022  •  Link

In May, 1669 Cosmo, the future Grand Duke of Turin, visits London, and made these observations on the rebuilding of the city.
https://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/…

San Diego Sarah on 19 Dec 2022  •  Link

But you're getting ahead of the story of Cosmo, SDS. Today he's on his slow progress towards London.

I've standardized the spelling of names I know, corrected scanning errors I could figure out, and increased the number of paragraphs. I apologize if I guessed incorrectly:
I've standardized the spelling of names I know, corrected scanning errors I could figure out, and increased the number of paragraphs. Sometimes I got confused making the N.S./O.S. date conversions, so I apologize if they are wrong:

@@@

Early on the morning of 1/11 April, 1669, his highness departed from Dorchester, convoyed by a great many horse-soldiers belonging to the militia of the county to secure him from robbers, from which this district is not free.

The country is uneven, the greater part pastureland, with a prodigious number of sheep, and the rest under the plough.

We halted for rather more than half an hour at a small country inn.

148

Twelve miles from Dorchester, we came to Blandford, a little town of 4,000 souls, situated in a small valley watered by the river Stour; and as he passed through, his highness was saluted by the ringing of bells, which piece of respect was shewed at all the places we met with on the road.

The whole of this day's journey was 30 miles; and at the distance of about 6 miles from Salisbury, we entered the county of Wilts., of which that city is the capital.

[ Salisbury: https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl… ]

Four miles from the city, a letter was given to Col. Gascoyne, from the Earl of Pembroke, Philip Herbert, who offered his highness the use of his house at Wilton, 3 miles from Salisbury, and begged the colonel to use his interest to obtain him this honor. He therefore told the messenger to follow him to Salisbury, where he should have an answer.

[ Philip Herbert, 5th Earl of Pembroke; https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…
[ Wilton House https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl… ]

His highness found the earl at the inn, with my Lord Herbert, his son, who, not having been able to obtain the honor of lodging his highness, invited him to dinner the following morning, which invitation was accepted.

[ William Herbert, https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl… ]

His highness walked about for a long time, conversing with him; and soon afterwards, other gentlemen of the county having arrived, he entertained them all in the same room, as if it had been a private drawing-room, rather than a hall of audience.

San Diego Sarah on 19 Dec 2022  •  Link

PART 2

These being dismissed, the mayor arrived with his aldermen and bailiffs, to congratulate his highness on his arrival. They were preceded by the macebearers as usual; one of whom, on a large ball of silver, bore a royal crown, gilt, with a cross on the top: their dress differed but little from those of Exeter.

[ The mayor of Salisbury in 1668/9 was William Vyner, obviously not the one we’re familiar with. The Vyners seem to have been a large clan, and there is mention of a family home near Salisbury – ergo: probably a cousin. https://archive.org/stream/vynerf… ]

149

After this compliment, during which the mayor alone was covered, his highness took a walk through the city, and then retired.

The same evening Giles Lidyat, formerly a merchant at Leghorn, came to make his obeisance to him.

[ Ideas anyone? Probably a mis-spelling ]

@@@

From:
TRAVELS OF COSMO THE THIRD, GRAND DUKE OF TUSCANY,
THROUGH ENGLAND,
DURING THE REIGN OF KING CHARLES THE SECOND (1669)
TRANSLATED FROM THE ITALIAN MANUSCRIPT
https://archive.org/stream/travel…

His highness, Cosmo, must be considered only as a traveler. Under his direction, the narrator of the records was Count Lorenzo Magalotti, afterwards Secretary to the Academy del Cimento, and one of the most learned and eminent characters of the court of Ferdinand II.