Saturday, May 7

          The 137^th running of the Kentucky Derby always brings out my mint julep silver cups that were an anniversary gift.  I make my mint juleps with Maker’s Mark, in my opinion the best of the Kentucky bourbons, along with fresh mint from my herb garden, sugar and branch water to taste.

                                         Sunday, May 8

          The 17^th century London diaries of Samuel Pepys written from January 1, 1660 to May 31, 1669 began going on line one entry at a time on January 1, 2003 and will presumably conclude on May 31, 2012.  Pepys took his degree from Cambridge and went on to be a secretary, clerk and Teller of the Receipt at the Exchequer.  His mundane but often candid entries provide an insight into the upper class life in commercial London.

Friday 8 May 1668

Up, and to the office, where busy all the morning. Towards noon I to Westminster and there understand that the Lords’ House did sit till eleven o’clock last night, about the business in difference between them and the Commons, in the matter of the East India Company. Here took a turn or two, and up to my Lord Crew’s, and there dined; where Mr. Case, the minister, a dull fellow in his talk, and all in the Presbyterian manner; a great deal of noise and a kind of religious tone, but very dull. After dinner my Lord and I together. He tells me he hears that there are great disputes like to be at Court, between the factions of the two women, my Lady Castlemayne and Mrs. Stewart, who is now well again, and the King hath made several public visits to her, and like to come to Court: the other is to go to Barkeshire-house, which is taken for her, and they say a Privy-Seal is passed for 5000l. for it. He believes all will come to ruin. Thence I to White Hall, where the Duke of York gone to the Lords’ House, where there is to be a conference on the Lords’ side to the Commons this afternoon, giving in their Reasons, which I would have been at, but could not; for, going by direction to the Prince’s chamber, there Brouncker, W. Pen, and Mr. Wren, and I, met, and did our business with the Duke of York. But, Lord! to see how this play of Sir Positive At-all, —[“The Impertinents.”]— in abuse of Sir Robert Howard, do take, all the Duke’s and every body’s talk being of that, and telling more stories of him, of the like nature, that it is now the town and country talk, and, they say, is most exactly true. The Duke of York himself said that of his playing at trap-ball is true, and told several other stories of him. This being done, Brouncker, Pen, and I to Brouncker’s house, and there sat and talked, I asking many questions in mathematics to my Lord, which he do me the pleasure to satisfy me in, and here we drank and so spent an hour, and so W. Pen and I home, and after being with W. Pen at his house an hour, I home and to bed.