For some time Pepys constrains himself to patience.
I do think she will come to sing pretty well, and to trill in time.[1]
Had her sing, which she begins to do with some pleasure to me, more than I expected.[2]
To bed after hearing my wife sing, who is manifestly come to be more musical in her eare than ever I thought she could have been made, which rejoices me to the heart.[3]
But these appreciations are better evidence of Pepys' kindliness than of his wife's talent. One day, when he hears a bad singer ("what a beast she is as to singing, not knowing how to sing one note in tune") this confession escapes him:
Worse than my wife a thousand times, so that it do a little reconcile me to her.[4]
The plucky little woman, in her distress, despairing of success, falls back on the flageolet.
In this Pepys encourages her. Perhaps she will produce fewer false notes on the instrument. He makes arrangements with a teacher, Greeting, and, to encourage her, takes lessons himself.[5]
So to my house … and with my wife to practice on the flageolet a little, and with great pleasure I see she can readily hit her notes.[6]
Walk an hour in the garden with my wife, whose growth in musique do begin to please me mightily.[7]
Mightily pleases with my wife's playing on the flageolet, she taking out any tune almost at first sight, and keeping time to it, which pleased me mightily.[8]
I to bed, being mightily pleased with my wife's playing so well upon the flageolet, and I am resolved she shall learn to
