In Sickness and in Wealth
1660, Week 32
William may not agree with you, but I finally feel myself again. Actually, the berating I gave that boy this evening for being late home may have helped rekindle my spirits…
For the first half of this week, though, Elizabeth was in great pain. She recovered on Wednesday, only for me to then fall ill on Thursday. One could almost imagine she had passed her malady onto me, especially given how ‘close’ we got that Wednesday night. {;-)
But alas, there is blatant proof to the contrary. For a start, Elizabeth’s malady was due to another particularly horrid attack of womenkind’s regular affliction. Luckily her pain is not as regular as the affliction itself, but it often affects her at the most inopportune of times – as it did, for instance, in the week of our wedding.
The more likely cause of my pain from Thursday, though, was Thursday itself. After leaving Elizabeth at my Lord’s, us servants to Sandwich headed to the Rhenish winehouse for lunch. There we got very merry – as indeed I did at The Leg later with my colleagues from the Privy Seal office over dinner.
Oh, and Mrs Blackburne treated us while Elizabeth and I paid her a visit on our way back home. So yes – my illness was doubtless an excess of merriment.
Ah, but I needed it. The start of this week was just as busy as the last, with great reward from all my jobs, despite great difference in the nature of those rewards. That which I receive from my Lord is honour; from the Privy Seal, fortune; from the Navy Office? Untold angst…
Speaking of the Navy Office, Mr Man met me again on Monday night, in The Mitre on Fenchurch Street. He declared his willingness to purchase my role as Clerk of the Acts for – and I lie to you not – 1,000l! He is that keen to take from me the job of juggling the Navy’s ginormous debts…!
(That said, I haven’t actually told him about the Navy’s ginormous debts yet…)
I was sorely tempted, almost as sore as Elizabeth’s ‘chose’. However, I managed to stay my hand until discussing the matter with my Lord, whose opinion I trust in such matters far more than my own.
However, I also fear my Lord’s opinion. That’s why I failed to seek it for the remainder of the week, despite seeing my Lord every single day – even Lord’s Day, though granted that was to speak as cousins before sharing food and drink with his steward, Mr Sheply.
As such, the matter weighed heavily on my mind for the first half of the week. That may explain my behaviour on Wednesday. My wife being well, I suggested we make up for the lack of time caused by her illness and my busyness, and go about town visiting as many old friends as we could.
This we did – some such as Mrs Blackburne and Mrs Hunt who we otherwise see regularly, and others such as Mr Butler who we had never called upon before now.
While Elizabeth could enjoy complete freedom from her affliction, though, I still had work to do! Between Blackburne and Hunt, I returned to my employment with the Privy Seal – an essential aspect of which is of course a visit to The Tavern after.
Hence why Elizabeth and I were so late arriving at Mrs Hunt’s that the good woman beseeched us to stay the night at hers. I hope we didn’t keep her awake with our elation at no longer needing to share a bed with Elizabeth’s complaint…
Despite the ailment that followed, though, I ploughed on with all my employments. Yes, my purse is benefiting – but I realised the other day that my connection to the world has been suffering. It must be the first time in my life since I achieved manhood that I have gone so long without glancing at a newspaper, nor even asking another to share the latest state of the nation for me. There is also a towering pile of letters from friends and family, such as a growing number from my dear Uncle Robert in Brampton, that I have yet to read or reply to.
Maybe I’ll slow down when I sell our old home at Axe Yard. Heaven knows I have many enquiries now. But then, should I accept Mr Man’s offer, Elizabeth, Will, Jane and I will be homeless, since our current abode is a benefit of that job. So I am loathe to give up the rent on that old humble half-house of ours till I’ve made up my mind to pass on my job as Clerk of the Acts.
Or rather, beseeched my Lord Sandwich to make my mind up for me…
My purse
I am most lately 215l clear in my purse.
In return for the smiles you took from these words, please send them to a friend!
Your smiles will then be compounded twice: once for sharing joy with your friend, then again for my undying gratitude. {:-)