Diary of Samuel Pepys ✓

[image] Sunday 26 April 1663 (Lord’s-day). Lay pretty long in bed talking with my wife … I got me ready and had a very good sermon of a country minister upon “How blessed a thing it is for brethren to live together in unity!” In the evening (my father being gone to my brother’s to lie

[image] 19 March 1664 Up and to the office, where all the morning, and at noon my wife and I alone, having a good hen, with eggs, to dinner, with great content. Then by coach to my brother’s, where I spent the afternoon in paying some of the charges of the buriall, and in looking over

[image] Saturday 6 June 1663 Lay in bed till 7 o’clock, yet rose with an opinion that it was not 5, and so continued though I heard the clock strike, till noon, and would not believe that it was so late as it truly was. I was hardly ever so mistaken in my life before. Up and to Sir G.

[image] 29 April 1664 Up betimes, and with Sir W. Rider and Cutler to White Hall…. after dinner my wife and I by coach to see my Lady Sandwich, where we find all the children and my Lord removed, and the house so melancholy that I thought my Lady had been dead, knowing that she was not

[image] Saturday 16 May 1663 Up with my mind disturbed and with my last night’s doubts upon me.* For which I deserve to be beaten if not really served as I am fearful of being, especially since God knows that I do not find honesty enough in my own mind but that upon a small temptation I

[image] 30 May 1664 Lay long, the bells ringing, it being holiday,* and then up and all the day long in my study at home studying of shipmaking with great content till the evening, and then came Mr. Howe and sat and then supped with me. He is a little conceited, but will make a discreet

[image] Thursday 4 June 1663 In the Hall to-day Dr. Pierce tells me that the Queen begins to be brisk, and play like other ladies, and is quite another woman from what she was, of which I am glad. It may make the King like her the better, and forsake his two mistresses, my Lady

[image] Monday 4 May 1663 Up betimes … Whither by and by the dancing-mastercame, whom standing by, seeing him instructing my wife, when he had done with her, he would needs have me try the steps of a coranto, and what with his desire and my wife’s importunity, I did begin, and then was

[image] 18 March 1664 Up betimes, and walked to my brother’s, where a great while putting things in order against anon; then to Madam Turner’s and eat a breakfast there, and so to Wotton, my shoemaker, and there got a pair of shoes blacked on the soles against anon for me; so to my

[image] Wednesday 6 May 1663 Up betimes and to my office a good while at my new rulers, then to business, and towards noon to the Exchange … I left them at the Exchange and walked to Paul’s Churchyard to look upon a book or two, and so back, and thence to the Trinity House, and there

[image] 17 March 1664 Up and to my brother’s, where all the morning doing business against to-morrow, and so to my cozen Stradwicke’s about the same business, and to the ’Change, and thence home to dinner … After office I to my brother’s again, and thence to Madam Turner’s, in both

[image] Tuesday 2 June 1663 Up and by water to White Hall and so to St. James’s, to Mr. Coventry; where I had an hour’s private talk with him…. And lastly, he confesses that the more of the Cavaliers are put in, the less of discipline hath followed in the fleet; and that, whenever

[image] 24 March 1664 Called up by my father, poor man, coming to advise with me about Tom’s house and other matters, and he being gone I down by water to Greenwich, it being very-foggy, and I walked very finely to Woolwich, and there did very much business at both yards, and thence

[image] Sunday 3 May 1663 (Lord’s day). Up before 5 o’clock … So made myself ready and to church, where Sir W. Pen showed me the young lady which young Dawes, that sits in the new corner-pew in the church, hath stole away from Sir Andrew Rickard, her guardian, worth 1000l. per annum

[image] 23 March 1664 So to the office, where very busy all the morning, and so to the ’Change, and off hence with Sir W. Rider to the Trinity House, and there dined very well: and good discourse among the old men of Islands now and then rising and falling again in the Sea, and that

[image] Friday 5 June 1663 Up and to read a little, and by and by the carver coming, I directed him how to make me a neat head for my viall that is making. About 10 o’clock my wife and I, not without some discontent, abroad by coach, and I set her at her father’s; but their condition

[image] 23 May 1664 Up and to the office, where Sir J. Minnes, Sir W. Batten, and myself met and did business, we being in a mighty hurry…. Towards noon I and my wife by water to Woolwich … Then to Mr. Falconer’s to a good dinner, having myself carried them a vessel of sturgeon and a

[image] 15 June 1664 Up and by appointment with Captain Witham … I home to look after things for dinner. And anon at noon comes Mr. Creed by chance, and by and by the three young ladies: and very merry we were with our pasty, very well baked; and a good dish of roasted chickens; pease,

[image] Friday 12 June 1663 Up and my office, there conning my measuring Ruler, which I shall grow a master of in a very little time. At noon to the Exchange and so home to dinner, and abroad with my wife by water to the Royall Theatre; and there saw “The Committee,” a merry but

[image] 14 June 1664 Up and to the office, where we sat all the morning … So home to dinner, and after dinner by coach to Kensington. In the way overtaking Mr. Laxton, the apothecary, with his wife and daughters, very fine young lasses, in a coach; and so both of us to my Lady

[image] Tuesday 5 May 1663 Up betimes and to my office, and there busy all the morning … Dined at home, and after dinner up to try my dance … Thence to my office busy writing letters, and then came Sir W. Warren, staying for a letter in his business by the post, and while that was

[image] Sunday 29 March 1663 (Lord’s day). Waked as I used to do betimes, but being Sunday and very cold I lay long, it raining and snowing very hard, which I did never think it would have done any more this year. Up and to church, home to dinner. After dinner in comes Mr. Moore, and

[image] 20 May 1664 Up and to my office, whither by and by comes Mr. Cholmely, and staying till the rest of the company come he told me how Mr. Edward Montagu is turned out of the Court, not [to] return again. His fault, I perceive, was his pride, and most of all his affecting to seem

[image] 18 May 1664 Up and within all the morning, being willing to keep as much as I could within doors, but receiving a very wakening letter from Mr. Coventry about fitting of ships, which speaks something like to be done, I went forth to the office …* So home again and to Sir W.

[image] 25 March 1664 (Lady-day).* Up and by water to White Hall, and there to chappell; where it was most infinite full to hear Dr. Critton. Being not knowne, some great persons in the pew I pretended to, and went in, did question my coming in. I told them my pretence; so they turned

[image] 30 April 1665 Great fears of the sickenesse here in the City, it being said that two or three houses are already shut up. God preserve as all! “the sickenesse” The Great Plague would go on to kill an estimated 100,000 people (almost a quarter of London's population) in 18

[image] Letters to Dead Authors (1886) by Andrew Lang: To Samuel Pepys, ESQ “Of bedside books, Sir, which may send a man happily to sleep, with a smile on his lips, your egregious Diary is by far the best and dearest. Compared with you, Montaigne is dry, Boswell is too full of matter;

[image] Thursday 5 March 1663 Rose this morning early, only to try with intention to begin my last summer’s course in rising betimes. So to my office a little, and then to Westminster by coach with Sir J. Minnes and Sir W. Batten … In the Hall I do hear that the Catholiques are in

[image] 16 June 1664 I lay in my drawers and stockings and wastecoate till five of the clock, and so up; and being well pleased with our frolique, walked to Knightsbridge, and there eat a messe of creame, and so to St. James’s, and there walked a little, and so I to White Hall, and took

[image] Thursday 23 April 1663 St. George’s day and Coronacion, the King and Court being at Windsor … So to dinner, and after dinner to the office, where some of us met and did a little business, and so to Sir W. Batten’s to see a little picture drawing of his by a Dutchman which is

[image] Sunday 12 April 1663 (Lord’s day). Lay till 8 o’clock, which I have not done a great while, then up and to church, where I found our pew altered by taking some of the hind pew to make ours bigger, because of the number of women, more by Sir J. Minnes company than we used to

[image] Sunday 24 May 1663 (Lord’s day). Having taken one of Mr. Holliard’s pills last night it brought a stool or two this morning, and so forebore going to church this morning, but staid at home … at noon dined, and my wife telling me that there was a pretty lady come to church with

[image] Friday 22 May 1663 Up pretty betimes … To my office, and anon one tells me that Rundall, the house-carpenter of Deptford, hath sent me a fine blackbird, which I went to see. He tells me he was offered 20s. for him as he came along, he do so whistle. So to my office, and busy

[image] Wednesday 17 June 1663 Up before 4 o’clock, which is the hour I intend now to rise at, and to my office a while, and with great pleasure I fell to my business again. Anon went with money to my tar merchant to pay for the tar, which he refuses to sell me; but now the master is

[image] Monday 1 June 1663 Begun again to rise betimes by 4 o’clock, and made an end of “The Adventures of Five Houres,” and it is a most excellent play. So to my office, where a while and then about several businesses … I with Sir J. Minnes to the Strand May-pole; and there ’light out

[image] 15 April 1664 Up and all the morning with Captain Taylor at my house talking about things of the Navy … Home and dined, and then with my wife by coach to the Duke’s house, and there saw “The German Princess” acted, by the woman herself;* but never was any thing so well done in

[image] 11 June 1664 Up and to the office, where we sat all the morning, where some discourse arose from Sir G. Carteret and Mr. Coventry, which gives me occasion to think that something like a war is expected now indeed, though upon the ’Change afterwards I hear too that an Embassador

[image] Monday 8 June 1663 Up and to my office a while … After dinner my wife and I had a little jangling, in which she did give me the lie,* which vexed me, so that finding my talking did but make her worse, and that her spirit is lately come to be other than it used to be, and now

[image] Friday 17 April 1663 Up by five o’clock as I have long done and to my office all the morning, at noon home to dinner with my father with us. Our dinner, it being Good Friday, was only sugarsopps and fish; the only time that we have had a Lenten dinner all this Lent. This morning

[image] 27 May 1664 Up, not without some pain by cold, which makes me mighty melancholy, to think of the ill state of my health. To the office, where busy till my brains ready to drop with variety of business, and vexed for all that to see the service like to suffer by other people’s

[image] Friday 8 May 1663 Up very early and to my office … Thence to my brother’s, and there took up my wife and Ashwell to the Theatre Royall, being the second day of its being opened. The house is made with extraordinary good contrivance, and yet hath some faults, as the narrowness

[image] Sunday 19 April 1663 (Easter day). Up and this day put on my close-kneed coloured suit, which, with new stockings of the colour, with belt, and new gilt-handled sword, is very handsome. To church alone, and so to dinner … after dinner to church again, my father sitting below in

[image] Friday 3 April 1663 Waked betimes and talked half an hour with my father, and so I rose and to my office, and about 9 o’clock by water from the Old Swan to White Hall and to chappell, which being most monstrous full, I could not go into my pew, but sat among the quire. Dr.

[image] 19 May 1664 Up, and it being very rayny weather, which makes it cooler than it was, by coach to Charing Cross with Sir W. Pen, who is going to Portsmouth this day, and left him going to St. James’s to take leave of the Duke, and I to White Hall to a Committee of Tangier; where

[image] Sunday 29 May 1664 (Whitsunday. King’s Birth and Restauration day). Up, and having received a letter last night desiring it from Mr. Coventry, I walked to St. James’s, and there he and I did long discourse together of the business of the office, and the warr with the Dutch; and

[image] 26 May 1664 Up to the office, where we sat, and I had some high words with Sir W. Batten about canvas, wherein I opposed him and all his experience, about seams in the middle, and the profit of having many breadths and narrow, which I opposed to good purpose, to the rejecting of

[image] 23 February 1664 This day, by the blessing of God, I have lived thirty-one years in the world; and, by the grace of God, I find myself not only in good health in every thing, and particularly as to the stone, but only pain upon taking cold, and also in a fair way of coming to a

[image] Thursday 2 April 1663 Up by very betimes and to my office, where all the morning till towards noon, and then by coach to Westminster Hall with Sir W. Pen, and while he went up to the House I walked in the Hall with Mr. Pierce, the surgeon, that I met there, talking about my

[image] Wednesday 22 April 1663 Up betimes and to my office very busy all the morning there, entering things into my Book Manuscript, which pleases me very much. So to the Change, and so to my uncle Wight’s, by invitation, whither my father, wife, and Ashwell came, where we had but a

[image] 14 April 1664 Up betimes, and after my father’s eating something, I walked out with him as far as Milk Streete, he turning down to Cripplegate to take coach … I walked on, there being never a coach to be had till I came to Charing Cross, and there Col. Froud took me up and