@samuelpepys

"... word is brought that the King and Duke are come, so they all went away to show themselves, while I staid and had a little dish or two by myself."

Classic comedy, this. One of the more light-hearted scenes in my path-breaking Pepys movie (160min). Everyone rushes out to see the King and the Duke, but Sam stays behind to have a double helping of fish. Not sure whether I want him to be slightly furtive and embarrassed about his greed, or smug and cheeky about beating the system. A good actor will know how to get it right without detailed instructions.

#Pepys #FreeLunch

@samuelpepys

"After dinner in comes Captain Lambert of the Norwich, this day come from Tangier, whom I am glad to see."

Perfection. The initial inversion, "in comes Captain Lambert", makes us feel the jolt of his entrance, and we are ready for hearing that the surprise is a welcome one. The relevant framing comes from the "after dinner" and the "come from Algier". A dense piece of information that also grabs us almost physically as an experienced event. The perfect diary entry.

#Pepys #diary #style

@samuelpepys

A generous offering of fine dishes, Sam, truly glorious. Quite an achievement to get it all done in your house! Your friends will have enjoyed the event.

You invite your friends to celebrate the success of the dangerous operation that removed your bladder stone, five years earlier, and I celebrate with you. Looking mortality in the eye changes our outlook on things, doesn't it. Most people forget the lesson once the danger is over. But you keep reminding yourself of the fact that every day alive is a gift, and for that I love you, Sam.

---
I don't want to spoil it for Pepys, so I won't ask him about "a leg of mutton boiled". If boiled here means cooked in boiling water, the mutton clearly is being ruined. But perhaps he means slow-cooked or baked? I do appreciate that preparing all those varied meats and pies in his own family kitchen all at the same time may have simply left his cook with no space in the oven or over the fire.

#Pepys #mortality #feasts #mutton

@samuelpepys

" ... a most admirable, good, learned, honest and most severe [lecture], yet comicall."

Indeed, Sam. Dr Creeton seems to have gotten his exposition just right. Pretty much what I aim for in my own lectures. (And every once in a while I even achieve it!)

The "yet comicall" is the difficult bit, since it has to flow naturally out of the material. We don't want it to be forced.

#Pepys #pedagogy #lectures

@samuelpepys

Ah, forever uncertain how our seniors see us.

First, he "... used me with great respect, and discoursed upon his business as with one that he did esteem of", which we like very much.

Then, "by and by he went away, forgetting to take leave of me, my back being turned, ...". Ouch, this hurts. Must we now doubt the respect and esteem we thought we saw earlier?

It's tough to rise through the hierarchy through hard work and diligent attention to the wishes of our superiors.

And why was our back turned and we weren't paying complete attention to our senior? We were "looking upon the aviary, which is there very pretty, and the birds begin to sing well this spring." Oh, Sam, you are a good man. The beauty of the bird song asserting its primacy over your attention.

#Pepys #CareerOfTheMandarin #birdsong

@samuelpepys

" ... but am glad to be joyned with them, for I shall learn something of them."

You are a good man, Samuel.

#Pepys #learning #BeingOpen

@samuelpepys

"A very likely girl."

Oh, what a likely usage of the word likely.

#Pepys #likely

@samuelpepys

"Deane walking with me; talking of the pride and corruption of most of his fellow officers of the yard, and which I believe to be true."

Oh, I can feel with Deane. Switch the name of the employer and keep the rest: "pride and corruption of my fellow officers of the university" --- voila, I feel it.

Anthony Deane was a shipwright, acting as a trusted professional to the ambitious administrator Pepys. They were friends, the slightly older Pepys helping to get Deane established.

Deane later was knighted. He was a successful shipbuilder. Pepys and Deane were joint MPs for Harwich twice, in 1678 under Charles II (where both were accused of treason) and in 1685 under James II. They did things!

I can picture these two meritocratic pros walking by the river, talking earnestly, sharing their contempt for all the entitlement and corruption around them.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Deane_(shipwright)

#Pepys #AnthonyDeane #TheProfessionals

@samuelpepys

"a very stout man" = a trustworthy fellow? Lovely usage.

#Pepys