Samuel Pepys is a (well-dressed) dick
May. 31st, 2011 10:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pallas_athenaEveryone's posting madly about their Leipzig outfits. I am woefully behind on mine. Samuel Pepys is not making me feel any better:
Black bombazine might be just the thing for Leipzig. Since the Bachfest is the same weekend, I predict that the 17th-century outfits will be many.
Anyway, lately Pepys has begun recording his advances toward Elizabeth Knepp, a married actress in the King's Company. As usual, he makes pathetic attempts to hide any sexual references by speaking of them in a poorly-cobbled-together mixture of foreign languages.
A year-and-a-bit ago, in January 1667, Knepp came to a party at Pepys's house. She came directly from the theatre, "dressed like a country-mayde with a straw hat on [...] coming off the stage just as she acted this day in “The Goblins;” a merry jade." Midway through the party she became unwell, and Pepys sent his wife Elizabeth to put her to bed. Later:
As![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
mister_jack put it, "So not only does he pop up to grope and harass the poor ill actress but he takes along a friend's wife to watch." But apparently this doesn't count as being bold.
However, groping-while-unconscious seems to be a feature of Sam's style. A couple of weeks ago, this happened:
For a Restoration actress, allowing men like Pepys to take advantage was the path of least resistance. If the advances were unwelcome, putting up with the inconvenience was less likely to cause trouble than saying no. Pepys wasn't one of the rich, noble patrons of the theatre company; but he had the ear of men who were, and if Knepp had affronted him with a refusal, he might have been able to get her dismissed or deprived of the starring roles in which she excelled.
She did, however, set certain boundaries:
So Sam gets to make free with his hands, but has to keep his cosa to himself. Knepp probably didn't want to do anything to incur the risk of pregnancy, which would keep her off the stage; she may also have had some scruples about adultery, or an agreement with her husband that allowed certain liberties but not others. In any case, Knepp avoids Pepys for the rest of the month. (Pepys's "moved" probaby means "upset;" he may have spoken some angry words.) Then on 30 May he sees her at a friend's house, and we get this:
Of course, it was in Knepp's interest to appear unruffled. His indiscretions have given her a certain power over him now, and they both know it. If she ever exercises that power, of course, he could also make her personal and professional life difficult; but at least he'll probably listen next time she says no. Probably.
Anyway, in his new suit and well-maintained wig, Pepys will surely get someone to lay their mano upon his cosa. Or will he????
"Up, and put on a new summer black bombazin suit, and so to the office; and being come now to an agreement with my barber, to keep my perriwig in good order at 20s. a-year, I am like to go very spruce, more than I used to do."
Black bombazine might be just the thing for Leipzig. Since the Bachfest is the same weekend, I predict that the 17th-century outfits will be many.
Anyway, lately Pepys has begun recording his advances toward Elizabeth Knepp, a married actress in the King's Company. As usual, he makes pathetic attempts to hide any sexual references by speaking of them in a poorly-cobbled-together mixture of foreign languages.
21 April 1668:
"[H]ad the opportunity, the first time in my life, to be bold with Knepp by putting my hand abaxo de her coats and tocar su thighs and venter — and a little of the other thing, ella but a little opposing me; su skin very douce and I mightily pleased with with this; and so left her at home..."
A year-and-a-bit ago, in January 1667, Knepp came to a party at Pepys's house. She came directly from the theatre, "dressed like a country-mayde with a straw hat on [...] coming off the stage just as she acted this day in “The Goblins;” a merry jade." Midway through the party she became unwell, and Pepys sent his wife Elizabeth to put her to bed. Later:
The company being all gone to their homes, I up with Mrs. Pierce to Knipp, who was in bed; and we waked her, and there I handled her breasts and did ‘baiser la’, and sing a song, lying by her on the bed, and then left my wife to see Mrs. Pierce in bed to her, in our best chamber, and so to bed myself...
As
mister_jack put it, "So not only does he pop up to grope and harass the poor ill actress but he takes along a friend's wife to watch." But apparently this doesn't count as being bold.However, groping-while-unconscious seems to be a feature of Sam's style. A couple of weeks ago, this happened:
6 May 1668:
"went to Mrs. Pierce’s back again where she [Knipp] was, and there I found her asleep on a pallet in the dark, where yo did poner mi mano under her jupe and tocar su cosa and waked her..."
For a Restoration actress, allowing men like Pepys to take advantage was the path of least resistance. If the advances were unwelcome, putting up with the inconvenience was less likely to cause trouble than saying no. Pepys wasn't one of the rich, noble patrons of the theatre company; but he had the ear of men who were, and if Knepp had affronted him with a refusal, he might have been able to get her dismissed or deprived of the starring roles in which she excelled.
She did, however, set certain boundaries:
7 May 1668:
"[W]e eat and drank and stayed till 9 at night, and so home by moonshine, I all the way having mi mano abaxo la jupe de Knepp com much placer and freedom; but endeavoring afterward to tocar her con mi cosa, ella did strive against that, but yet I do not think that she did find much fault with it, but I was a little moved at my offering it and not having it. And so set Mrs. Knepp at her lodging..."
So Sam gets to make free with his hands, but has to keep his cosa to himself. Knepp probably didn't want to do anything to incur the risk of pregnancy, which would keep her off the stage; she may also have had some scruples about adultery, or an agreement with her husband that allowed certain liberties but not others. In any case, Knepp avoids Pepys for the rest of the month. (Pepys's "moved" probaby means "upset;" he may have spoken some angry words.) Then on 30 May he sees her at a friend's house, and we get this:
"Here I was freed from a fear that Knepp was angry or might take advantage to declare the essay that yo did the otra day, quand yo was con her in ponendo her mano upon mi cosa — but I saw no such thing; but as pleased as ever, and I believe she can bear with any such thing."
Of course, it was in Knepp's interest to appear unruffled. His indiscretions have given her a certain power over him now, and they both know it. If she ever exercises that power, of course, he could also make her personal and professional life difficult; but at least he'll probably listen next time she says no. Probably.
Anyway, in his new suit and well-maintained wig, Pepys will surely get someone to lay their mano upon his cosa. Or will he????