What do you think?
Rate this book
Passages From the Diary of Samuel Pepys: Edited and With an Introduction by Richard Le Gallienne
Excerpt from Passages From the Diary of Samuel Pepys
Vivid, unconscious writing, it is infinitely delight ful and precious, scarcely to be over-valued. One reason, of course, for this is that its writer had no idea of making a book at all. It 15 plain beyond doubt 5 that he never dreamed of human eyes falling upon his blessedly frank and naked page. The record was a secret between himself and his own soul, not for getting his God, Â whom, as will be seen, he is far from forgetting, and whom he invokes on many curi ous occasions. Most diarists have written with an eye to publication, or, at all events, with the fear before them of posthumous inspection by the family. They have, therefore, more or less posed themselves, as they would have others see them. Most of us have kept diaries in our youth. They are for most people merely the pool of Narcissus. With that dwindling sense of our own importance, as contrasted say with the planet Jupiter, which comes with maturity, most of us have abandoned them. With the abdication of the ego, they become tiresome to us, and absurdly self-important. Pepys, however, though certainly not an egoist, in our modern sense of the word, never lost interest in himself or his affairs. That may per haps be regarded as one of the many signs of that robust health of mind and body with which his diary abounds. But it is a childlike, boyish interest. It is not so much himself that interests him, nor merely the things that happen to himself, but the people about him and the things that are happening to everybody, all the time, to his nation as well as to his acquaint-7.
Vivid, unconscious writing, it is infinitely delight ful and precious, scarcely to be over-valued. One reason, of course, for this is that its writer had no idea of making a book at all. It 15 plain beyond doubt 5 that he never dreamed of human eyes falling upon his blessedly frank and naked page. The record was a secret between himself and his own soul, not for getting his God, Â whom, as will be seen, he is far from forgetting, and whom he invokes on many curi ous occasions. Most diarists have written with an eye to publication, or, at all events, with the fear before them of posthumous inspection by the family. They have, therefore, more or less posed themselves, as they would have others see them. Most of us have kept diaries in our youth. They are for most people merely the pool of Narcissus. With that dwindling sense of our own importance, as contrasted say with the planet Jupiter, which comes with maturity, most of us have abandoned them. With the abdication of the ego, they become tiresome to us, and absurdly self-important. Pepys, however, though certainly not an egoist, in our modern sense of the word, never lost interest in himself or his affairs. That may per haps be regarded as one of the many signs of that robust health of mind and body with which his diary abounds. But it is a childlike, boyish interest. It is not so much himself that interests him, nor merely the things that happen to himself, but the people about him and the things that are happening to everybody, all the time, to his nation as well as to his acquaint-7.
350 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1923
2 people are currently reading
20 people want to read
About the author
Samuel Pepys
985 books73 followersSamuel Pepys was an English naval administrator and Member of Parliament, who is now most famous for his diary. Although Pepys had no maritime experience, he rose by patronage, hard work and his talent for administration, to be the Chief Secretary to the Admiralty under King James II. His influence and reforms at the Admiralty were important in the early professionalization of the Royal Navy.
The detailed private diary he kept during 1660–1669 was first published in the nineteenth century, and is one of the most important primary sources for the English Restoration period. It provides a combination of personal revelation and eyewitness accounts of great events, such as the Great Plague of London, the Second Dutch War and the Great Fire of London.
His surname is usually pronounced /'pi:ps/ ('peeps').
The detailed private diary he kept during 1660–1669 was first published in the nineteenth century, and is one of the most important primary sources for the English Restoration period. It provides a combination of personal revelation and eyewitness accounts of great events, such as the Great Plague of London, the Second Dutch War and the Great Fire of London.
His surname is usually pronounced /'pi:ps/ ('peeps').
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 3, 2025
was entertained heartily reading his book. and so to bed.
December 19, 2019
If you look for lists of great non-fiction books, Samuel Pepys' diary nearly always can be found someplace on the list, so I thought I would check it out.
Pepys lived at an interesting time and kept a dairy faithfully for about 10 years, detailing is money troubles, his awful relationship with his wife, his numerous affairs as well as some big historical events of the 1660's including the arrival of the plague and the Great Fire of London.
He was generally an awful, lecherous human being -- even though he was much younger, I kept picturing him as the creepy Benjamin Franklin actor on an episode of the "The Office."
I generally found his dairy entries interesting but I'm glad I read an abridged version -- his job with the Navy bored me but his descriptions of historical events were particularly interesting. Overall, I'm glad I decided to read this.
Pepys lived at an interesting time and kept a dairy faithfully for about 10 years, detailing is money troubles, his awful relationship with his wife, his numerous affairs as well as some big historical events of the 1660's including the arrival of the plague and the Great Fire of London.
He was generally an awful, lecherous human being -- even though he was much younger, I kept picturing him as the creepy Benjamin Franklin actor on an episode of the "The Office."
I generally found his dairy entries interesting but I'm glad I read an abridged version -- his job with the Navy bored me but his descriptions of historical events were particularly interesting. Overall, I'm glad I decided to read this.
October 9, 2019
Wonderful little window into the English Restoration period by a middle to upper class parliament member. Accounts of the Black Plague, the London Fire, the trials of Oliver Cromwell, as well as the Dutch War- all well documented. Society is lucky to have such a treasure of a real life never to be lived again.
December 19, 2021
I have a version of Pepys on my shelf but, at 800+ pages, I won't finish it. This one, a Modern Library edition from the public library, is less than half that size with a good introduction. I found it of uneven interest. If I was to give this a third go, I would select a condensed annotated edition that included the sections on The Plague and the Great Fire of London. You can buy an unabridged, annotated version as a kindle book for just $2.50, but I would not read all that.
I have no idea what some passages mean, e.g., concerning a day at the office: “I fell upon boring holes for me to see from my closet into the great office without going forth wherein I please myself much.” He offers no explanation for what this is about.
You could read Pepys to learn about everyday life in Restoration England (1600-1669) from a somewhat limited upper-middle-class perspective. Or you could read it to picture Pepys the man – someone of rather loose morals, who makes wavering promises to himself to improve, a social climber and stolid bourgeois, somewhat money-obsessed, a lover of music and plays and company, who often beats his servants (this only makes him uneasy to the extent that a servant might tell on him to someone that matters). I don’t know how much of his behavior was typical of the era and social class and how much was due to Pepys personality.
I have no idea what some passages mean, e.g., concerning a day at the office: “I fell upon boring holes for me to see from my closet into the great office without going forth wherein I please myself much.” He offers no explanation for what this is about.
You could read Pepys to learn about everyday life in Restoration England (1600-1669) from a somewhat limited upper-middle-class perspective. Or you could read it to picture Pepys the man – someone of rather loose morals, who makes wavering promises to himself to improve, a social climber and stolid bourgeois, somewhat money-obsessed, a lover of music and plays and company, who often beats his servants (this only makes him uneasy to the extent that a servant might tell on him to someone that matters). I don’t know how much of his behavior was typical of the era and social class and how much was due to Pepys personality.
August 20, 2025
Left out all the good parts
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews