The Diary Of Samuel Pepys, Volume I: 1660

The Diary of Samuel Pepys #1

by Robert and William Matthews. Latham

Excerpt: ... and us that belong to him, to give order for our removal to-day. Some nasty Dutchmen came on board to proffer their boats to carry things from us on shore, &c., to get money by us. Before noon some gentlemen came on board from the shore to kiss my Lord's hands. And by and by Mr. North and Dr. Clerke went to kiss the Queen of Bohemia's' hands, from my Lord, with twelve attendants from on board to wait on them, among which I sent my boy, who, like myself, is with child to see any strange thing. After noon they came back again after having kissed the Queen of Bohemia's hand, and were sent again by my Lord to do the same to the Prince of Orange. Son of the Prince of Orange and Mary, eldest daughter of Charles I.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Diary, Classics, Biography, Autobiography, Historical

349 pages, Hardcover

First published March 7, 2010

Reviews

[Darwin8u · Rating 4 out of 5]

"After, that I went to walk, and meeting Mrs. Lane of Westminster Hall, I took her to my Lord’s, and did give her a bottle of wine in the garden, where Mr. Fairbrother, of Cambridge, did come and found us, and drank with us. After that I took her to my house, where I was exceeding free in dallying with her, and she not unfree to take it."
- Diary of Samuel Pepys, Sunday 12 August 1660.



The first volume (1660, with 117000 words) and first year of Samuel Pepy's famous diary. There are so many things about this book to love. As a survey of the time and place it is amazing, as a history of the English Restoration it is fascinating, as a social commentary it is priceless. Pepys' honesty and transparency (it was written in a short-hand code that took 165 years to decipher, so...) is incredible. He writes about his dalliances, worries, money, health, religion, music, the arts, sex, drinking, shit, and family with an openness that is incredibly interesting. It was informal, but detailed with so many revelations that sometimes while reading I felt like I was invading a private space, a voyeur in another's life.

The arc of the 1st volume is the return of Charles II to England and the rise of Pepys' patron Edward Montagu, 1st Earl of Sandwich. Pepys buys a new home, sees his finances improve as he rises as Lord Mountagu's secretary and is given the position of Clerk of the Acts.

My goal is now to finish the first three volumes in October (at least), read volumes 4-6 in November, and finish this wonderful beast in December.

Every time I read about Lord Sandwich, I thought of the SNL's party:

http://www.veoh.com/watch/v17990884DX...

Here are my other Pepys diary reviews:

Vol 2: 1661, 84,000 words
Vol 3: 1662, 105,000 words
Vol 4: 1663, 159,000 words
Vol 5: 1664, 132,000 words
Vol 6: 1665, 121,000 words
Vol 7: 1666, 151,000 words
Vol 8: 1667, 201,000 words
Vol 9: 1668, 128,000 words; 1669, 52,500 words

[Hon Lady Selene · Rating 5 out of 5]

The year is 1660 and England does not have a Monarch. Charles I had been beheaded, Oliver Cromwell passed away and Parliament is squabbling to retain a last shred of power. His son, Charles II, awaits for the Restoration, in semi-exile in Europe.

This is the background upon which 27 year old Samuel Pepys begins his diary, under the patronage of his Lord, Edward Montagu, first Earl of Sandwich. A busy year, as he becomes the Earl’s secretary, which puts him at a most interesting position in space and time. He is witness to all the inner workings of the English government to bring back the Monarchy. He is on the ship Nazeby that brings the King home.

Samuel is a man who respects his patron. In all entries of this first year, he always refers to the Earl as “my Lord” and nothing less. It’s easy to understand why, Samuel is a hard working man and his Lord repays him accordingly: they have private dinners, private personal conversations, Sandwich even shows him personal correspondence between him and the King. Their relationship is of mutual benefit: Samuel manages to save more money each day (which he counts on a weekly basis), whilst indulging in his passion for food, drink, music and good company and Sandwich knows he has a trustworthy man who can collect £4000 from one man and bring it to him untouched.

On their return to London, Samuel’s circumstances change, more for the better. He takes the position of Clerk of the Acts to the Navy Board, a well paid job that keeps him close to his Lord, to the King and his entourage.

Samuel is a man like any man, ever. He drinks with his friends, he is constantly vexed with the workers refurbishing his kitchen, he is bored by the sermons of the hypocritical Church, he loses his temper with the servants, and on his way to the office, he witnesses traitors being hanged, drawn and quartered at the Tower.

Samuel is a man who appreciates his wife, Elizabeth. Once he gets a raise and pays off his debts, he buys her jewellery. When she is brought to meet the Queen Mother (Henrietta of France) and the Princess Royal (Catherine FItzCharles), he is pleased to see that she is much better looking than both of them, the black patches on her face much more handsome. He is well pleased when she dines privately with his Lord’s wife, Jemima Crew and when she is given respect by the entourage of the Court. Perhaps love is too strong a word to describe Samuel’s feelings for her, him having a few mistresses around London (including one of their maids), but perhaps appreciation is a much stronger bond between spouses in Restoration England. He misses her when he is at sea. He frets and worries when she is ill. He argues with her when their bedroom is a mess and he is constantly put off by their untrained dog.

He had been suffering from kidney stones from an early age. In 1657, Pepys takes the hazardous decision to undertake surgery: on 26 March 1658, he was operated on by Thomas Hollier, without anaesthesia, with a risk of going into shock and dying, and without knowledge of infection, a surgeon’s tools often being a hotbed of bacteria. It was a success and for several years afterwards, Pepys marked the event with an anniversary dinner (which, of course, he recorded in his diary). Pepys even preserved the removed stone – which was over 4 centimetres in diameter – in a specially constructed case.

Fantastic read! So much to research, so much to discover, almost every entry is a gem of historical or socio-cultural nature. Deeply satisfying, words cannot do it justice.

Onwards to 1661!

[Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Growing up in the Midwest, I pronounced Samuel's name the way it looked to me: Peppy's, as if it were the name of a small-town diner with soft ice-cream. At that time in that place, the only editions of the Diary that were available hung out in the read-but-don't-remove collections of universities, and were usually abridged anyway, leaving lots of names and dates and politics but cutting out all the fun bits. Like his insane jealousy of his wife's dancing master (never mind his own wandering eyes and hands); like the dog defecating all over the skiff that took the dignitaries out to the new ship in His Majesty's navy "which made us all laugh very much." Like his love of fine clothes.

Fast forward a good thirty years, and the Latham Matthews edition came out. And I read 84, Charing Cross Road and saw the movie, and became determined to acquire the entire diary. I did so. And fell in love. But now the funny bits were not the overtly funny ones. What amused me most was the freshness of just about everything to do with what we might call "scientific thought" today. I mean, dude--the multiplication table was big news! The English were just discovering the circulation of the blood, transfusions, etc. Pepys was a charter member of the newly-birthed Royal Society--where, when they got bored, they did things like get a toad drunk to see what would happen! It was all new to them--kind of like the way the space program transformed our lives growing up in the 1960s. After all, that was a mere 300 years later--and look at me now, with three ebook readers, a computer, Internet access, a microwave, and no greater understanding of basic maths than dear old Pepys had.

As Helene Hanff says in the above-named book, "I'm a great fan of I-was-there books." Pepys was there, and he saw it. And he wrote it all down big for us. Well, not really for us--he wrote it all down in his own personal and private shorthand, because some of it was pretty incendiary stuff (and I'm not just talking about the Great Fire of London).

After 10 years Pepys gave up keeping a diary because he was afraid he was going blind. Writing by candle-light with a quill pen might do that to you, if you did enough of it. Fortunately he didn't go blind, but from what I can gather, he never achieved his own carriage and pair, either.

The Latham Matthews edition is masterly; not only do we have the complete text and copious glossary/notes, there is even a companion volume with explanatory articles. Read it. You'll be glad you did.

[Faye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read: Nov 2017-Jan 2018
Rating: 4/5 stars

In this first volume of the diary, Samuel Pepys is a married twenty-seven year old man with no children. He goes to work in the office every day, loves his wife, despairs of ever house-breaking the dog she was given for her birthday, oversees some work being done on his house - including getting the kitchen plastered, goes out drinking with his friends at night, and quietly nurses his hangover in the pews at church on a Sunday morning. It all sounds so normal and civilised and that makes statements such as "This afternoon, going through London, and calling at Crowe's the upholster's, in Saint Bartholomew's, I saw the limbs of some of our new traitors set upon Aldersgate, which was a sad sight to see; and a bloody week this and the last have been, there being ten hanged, drawn, and quartered." even more shocking.

It is easy to see why Pepys' diary is such an important document. It shows some of the greatest political and social events in our history, from the point of view of a man who is wealthy and important enough to be fairly close to the inner circle at parliament and at court, but who is also still just a normal man getting on with his own life.

The reason this isn't a five star read is due to the kindle version I read, which almost put me off continuing the book. The entire month of January is broken up by notes that have been inserted by the editors to explain who particular people are when Pepys mentions them. These notes went on for pages and was very off-putting but thankfully the notes stopped being so extensive after January 1660. I have only read this first volume, which covers the year 1660, but I am looking forward to reading the complete volumes over the next year or so.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is an good historic document. And quite frankly, worth reading for the name of Dr. Whores.

Pepys' writing is engaging.

[Liawèn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I unabashedly one this book. Pepys writes and I'm transported to London in the 1660s.
At first it was a bit confusing with all the people and his nicknames for them but the name regster helped quite a lot with that^^
I cannot wait to read more about my favourite clerk and his life. He's speaking his mind and telling how things are. When he had to shit, when he cheated on his wife with whom. Who looks good (his wife is always the most gorgeous in his eyes, even when he compares her to the Queen and her daughters)
It's pretty interesting how he talks about religion and criticises sermons, although he was born and raised during a time where religion was the most important aspect in life.

Let's see what 1661 brings! And so to bed.

[A.K. Frailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the book though Samuel himself sometimes horrified me. The times he lived in and his attitudes toward women, children and pets were unpleasant to say the least. But this book offered tremendous insight into the hearts and minds of people who really lived in the 1600s. It is so completely unfiltered that I can't imagine another source being as authentic. I am already reading volume II...

[Louise Culmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first volume of Pepys’s enthralling diary of his life in the 1660s is full of fascination. The first months of 1660 were a momentous time for him, as the government was in disarray and plans were afoot to bring back King Charles II from exile. Pepys spent a great deal of time aboard ship (often whiling the time away playing ninepins) and then he was with the party who brought King Charles II and his brothers back to England. Pepys was much moved by hearing stories of the King��s escape after the battle of Worcester. Then, when they are going ashore, a favourite dog of the king’s “shit in the boat, which made us laugh and me think that a King and all that belong to him are but just as others are”. There are entertaining minor incidents among the great ones, like the mystery of the chocolate “When I came home I found a Quantity of Chocolate left for me, but I know nto from whom”. And then there is the expense of his new clothes “This morning came home my fine Camlott cloak with gold buttons - and a silk suit, which cost me much money and I pray God to make me able to pay for it.” And there’s his first taste of tea “And afterwards did send of a Cupp of Tee (a China drink) of which I never had drank before). There’s the occasional disagreement with Mrs Pepys, but they always make it up. Endlessly entertaining, delightful to think that there are another nine volumes to go.

[Drinkinwookie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic- the next best thing to actual time travel. I highly recommend the audiobook read by Leighton Pugh. An excellent performance that also helps with some of the challenges inherent to reading such an old and and dense manuscript. Another trick for this one is to read along on Pepysdiary.com. The combination of reading and listening maximizes your comprehension- and you can pause to mouse over word that need explanations- particulary the names of people and places. This is definitely not for everyone but for the right person, especially if they are willing to put in a lot of effort, it is one of the more deeply rewarding reading experiences you will have in your life.

Each volume offers its own unique circumstances- this review really goes for them all.

[Dayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

And so, to bed.
Knowing that it took 185 years to decipher the 5 different codes that Samuel Pepys used to write the diary, one shouldn’t be surprised that he includes his bowel movements at times, and a good deal of his out of marriage affections, including his drunken kisses to any maiden, young daughter, female worker or other female aristocrat whose husbands mirrored Pepys own behavior.

Pepys accuses his wife and her maid of "Sluttery" or being "whores" when they burn the food . Pepys is so addicted to seeing all the plays that come to town. One week, he went to see the same play 3 times. And who doesn't love to hear about "Lord Sandwich."

I loved reading about the constant comings and goings of the Dauphin, one of the most popular pubs of its time, where Pepys regularly stopped by to have a "morning draft."

But, in looking back on history where The king’s father, CHARLES I, was beheaded 10 years earlier before Pepys’ diary entries, by some anti-monarchists, it would seem unwise to provide honest opinions in a document that could prove a recipe for the author’s own beheading. This the codes.

It took 150 years before the entire diaries were translated. Pepys wrote the bulk of his diary in a shorthand devised by Thomas Shelton, with only a few words, such as names of people and places, written longhand. It should therefore be remembered that this is not Pepys’ diary as he wrote it, but a 19th century transcription.

[Ronald Wise · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first of nine volumes of a diary kept during the 1660s by English public servant Samuel Pepys while he was in his late 20's and early 30's. Determined to understand every word in the text, I kept reading notes of all unfamiliar words and usages which, though tedious at first, proved useful as the year progressed, as I learned much of the vernacular at that time, as well as some etymological background for words still in use today. I tried creating a family tree of his family based on information found on a genealogical site on the Web, but his family was so extensive with too many cousins of the same name, and soon learned why Pepys himself had trouble keeping track of his cousins. A wonderfully detailed look at what everyday life was like in 17th-century London. Also informative as to the political and personal tensions during the restoration of the Stuart monarchy — King Charles II — following the death of Cromwell. I learned of this diary through a tribute to Pepys's birthday (23 February 1633) on Garrison Keillor's Writer's Almanac.

[Ria · Rating 5 out of 5]

A first hand account of some major changes and events in British history, Pepys wrote from 1660 - 1669 and gave a fascinating view of life in Restoration Britain.
So many facets of life at this time is included, his work life, personal life and in this volume glimpses of the turmoil in government, the Interregnum, the Rump parliament, navy and domestic policy is all covered in great depth and it is like living through the periods described due to the immediacy of the text being a personal journal giving an actual person's thoughts and feelings to the events and dramas unfolding day by day.
Definitley worth reading but not to be attempted unless you either have an interest or a foreknowledge of the period as at times the text is very deep and to a casual reader not an easy read, also this work is not a stand alone volume and is a waste of time unless you go on to read the following volumes as you get an incomplete picture of the time period as the information is narrated as it happens and not an encapsulation of the era.

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

So satisfying.

[Franc · Rating 4 out of 5]

"All the evening at my book, and so to supper and to bed."

[voxandtomes · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Diary of Samuel Pepys #voxandtomes #voxhub
Finally bought a set of Samuel Pepys diaries consisting of 1660-1669 volumes. I finished this 1660 book and found it quite challenging to read with its Old English texts. I got the hang of it after a few pages, and it brought me straight to the world of Pepys. This 1660 book talks about the Restoration of Charles ll on the throne of England from his exile and the punishment of Oliver Cromwell for being a usurper. Pepys started small in the world by being a clerk in the Exchequer then he was absorbed into the Royal Navy and did a lot of administerial jobs and was duly rewarded. This book also tackled how the people of London went about their day by meeting friends and having sack in the pub, a barrel of oysters, a chine of beef and morning draughts. Also, Pepys' Sunday routine considered as the Lord's Day was repeatedly observed by going to the church in the m [book: The Diary of Samuel Pepys, Vol 1: 1660 morning and in the afternoon too. The rise of theatre shows and operas were described. Pepys was so fond of watching these shows. Overall, this is a satisfying first-hand account of 17th century London.

This book is hardback composed of green calf skin cover with a portrait of Pepys at the front. This is his most popular portrait that survived. This is an edition by Robert Latham and William Matthews. Sadly, Mr. Matthews passed away before this set was published.

[Bert Corluy]

This edition of the diary of arguably one of the most interesting persons you never heard of is very well done. it gives you plenty of information about the time and the events he lived in, about the setting of the city of London in those days, about the language, idiom, terms, customs etc. without dumbing it down.
The diary itself is a window into another time. You get the everyday hustle of a family that is very near the thick of the great events happening in that time without them being the stars of it all. a privileged spectator, at the edges of the inner circle. of course Pepys was a biased spectator, and his opinions are his own, but when you take into account his stances, you still end up with a very objective first hand account of how people perceived the restoration, the execution of the regicides, the posturing of parliament and the way the royal family and entourage behaved during the flow of those events. You get an interesting view on how people in Pepys' circles actually lived in London at that time, how society worked. Very interesting to see how they considered as routine and customary what we today would consider rampant corruption.
I can heartily recommend this edition of the diary to everyone interested in this period in English history. You'll not find an more honest first hand account of life in London at this time period than the diary of Samuel Pepys.

[James Spencer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first volume, of Pepys diary covering the 1660’s, this year includes the restoration of Charles II to the thrown and Pepys appointment to the Naval Office. I’ve read a fair amount about 17th century England and suspect a lot of my enjoyment in reading this comes from the knowledge of political events I already had. However my main reason for rating this so highly is the presentation of this edition which along with an excellent Companion volume includes fabulous editorial information: glossaries, footnotes, maps and biographical information. I’m not going to jump into volume II right away but am looking forward to it.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

The intro is excellent, talking about the diary's discovery and the difficulty of its transcription - the original is written in shorthand, even if neatly. 1660 talks about the historical events of the day: Pepys had a front row seat to the restoration of Charles II (400 years later we are on Charles III), and literally to the then routine method for dealing with losers in the political game - hung, drawn and quartered. Several volumes more to read, may be one or two per year?

[Eduardo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book felt like a time travelers journey it’s so detailed in the very things we now might be interested about day to day affairs then. This is to such a degree that this reader at times wondered about its authenticity. That said, such a great read.

[Lizzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but not enough to keep me reading. Quit.

[Chris Nagel · Rating 3 out of 5]

The butler did it.

[Carolyn Hanson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating. Highly recommend if you are interested in history.

[Haneen A. Hijjawi]

The portion of Pepys's Diary included here deals largely with the Great Fire of London, which started on September 2, 1666, and raged out of control for almost a week. Before it was extinguished, it had destroyed two-thirds of London. More than thirteen thousand houses were burned, plus other buildings, including eighty-nine churches. Miraculously, only six people lost their lives, but 250,000 were homeless, camping out in makeshift tents in the fields adjacent to London. It is difficult to comprehend what the burning of London meant in its day. Pepys helps us to realize some of this through his vivid eyewitness descriptions. One thing, however, he does not tell us, for he did not know it: never again was London paralyzed by the plague, for the fire destroyed the rats that carried the plague as well as the old buildings that harbored them.

[Josiah]

Starting over with my Pepys now that I have the unexpurgated version. Just this once, ignoring my own rule about not reading the forwards. About 50 pages in, the first forward contained a quick overview of his life and times. Currently on a section about the physical diaries themselves, ie how they were bound, etc. Apparently, they are very consistent in hand writing, leading some to believe that they were recopied at some point in preparation for being bound. But the experts disagree, pointing out, for instance, that he clearly left pages blank and then filled them in later and that he tended to cram in more writing at the bottom of a page rather than start a new one.

[Willa Guadalupe Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yep there are ten (count 'em 10) volumes & worth every bit of time it will take you to read them. The very first ever diarist as we know the term & witness to some of the most interesting & entertaining history in the world. His personal life & beliefs were (to me) surprisingly modern for a 17th century guy.

[Ellee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took awhile reading it in the format that I did (in a reader on my iPhone). I enjoyed reading about the everyday life portions: what they ate, how they got sick, drank too much, and how differently business was conducted then. It was also really exciting that he went to see at least one of Shakespeare's plays performed. Very cool!

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant. So readable and full of things both of national historical importance and the details of everyday life in 17th century London, which sounds a really interesting place even if the sanitary arrangements sometimes left something to be desired. Funny, too! This volume covers the actual Restoration (Pepys was on the ship which went to collect the King). Very intrigued by his marriage!

[David Lumpkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fascinating view into the every day life of this man that lived three hundred and fifty years ago He was born a commoner and had access to those that were not. He was diligent in his business and loyal. Pepys can be very straight forward at times.

[Brian Engelhardt]

One of the world's most famous diarists and father of the modern Navy. A project in 9 volumes, we'll see how far I get.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not a book to rush through. It provides a clear picture of London life during the time of the plague, the great fire, and other major events of the Restoration.