The Diary of Samuel Pepys

The Diary of Samuel Pepys, a record of daily life kept by an English government official in the 1660s, is one of the most famous diaries in English literature. Pepys (pronounced “peeps”) kept the journal over a period of 10 years between the ages of 26 and 36, writing the text in shorthand. Later in life, he had his diary bound in six volumes—running to over a million words—but there is no evidence that he intended it to be read by anyone during his lifetime. In the 1820s, a British scholar deciphered Pepys’s shorthand and published the first edition of The Diary of Samuel Pepys; it became an immediate success and is now considered a literary classic.

The diary is valued today as a firsthand document of upper-class life in Restoration England, an eventful period in which Pepys himself played a key role as naval administrator, member of Parliament, and confidant of two of England’s kings. Pepys makes note of what time he got up each morning, his daily schedule of work and leisure, what he ate, and the people he met—many of them belonging to the cream of London society. He presents his candid observations on famous personalities (from the king and queen on down), events both great and small, the theater, music, architecture, science, and fashions, among many other topics. For modern readers, the diary often gives fascinating insight into social and cultural changes; for example, in the diary’s first year Pepys notes the arrival in England of a new drink, “tee” (tea).

As a diarist, Pepys is honest about his own faults and failings, including his sometimes-uncontrolled temper and his extramarital dalliances. Many of the racier passages of the diary describing Pepys’s love life were expurgated in published editions over the years, and a complete, uncensored version of the book did not appear until the late 20th century. Most widely read editions of The Diary of Samuel Pepys, including the one used in this guide, present only selections from the massive work.

Pepys’s narrative style is simple, informal, and spontaneous, recording “impressions of the moment […] without much respect for formal grammar” (Robert Latham, The Illustrated Pepys). Despite this, The Diary of Samuel Pepys is considered a significant work of 17th-century literature, particularly well-known for its colorful descriptions of the coronation of King Charles II, the Great Plague, and the Great Fire of London. Pepys places these great public events side by side with personal experiences that readers of any era can understand: struggles to save money and advance in a career, domestic troubles of various kinds, and the everyday joys of music, food, and companionship.  

This guide refers to The Diary of Samuel Pepys: Selections edited by O. F. Morshead. This edition is organized into 10 large sections corresponding to the 10 years from 1660 to 1669, with individual entries corresponding to various days. At the end of the Diary, Pepys announces his intention to discontinue writing it due to his failing eyesight.

Summary

Despite being a spontaneous record of daily occurrences, the Diary builds to a number of narrative peaks almost in the manner of a novel. At the beginning of the book, Samuel Pepys is a clerk in the British Navy office and lives a fairly comfortable middle-class life with his wife and servants in post-Cromwell-era London. A turning point comes to Pepys during the First Year when the exiled King Charles II reconciles with parliament and prepares to return to the throne. In the spring, Pepys accompanies his patron Edward Lord Montagu on a sea voyage to Holland to pick up the king and enjoys the festivities of the king’s coronation back in London in April of the Second Year.

During the sea journey, Pepys is promoted to Treasurer of the Navy, a large step up for him in the government. His career rise continues that year with an appointment to the Privy Seal and being placed on the Tangier Commission (a gold-finding mission in Africa).

Back at home, Pepys and his wife Elizabeth enjoy a companionable marriage yet one beset with tensions. Pepys is prone to become angry with his wife and sometimes to strike her; however, he always shows remorse, and the two quickly reconcile. One particularly intense episode in the Fourth Year leads to an enraged Pepys tearing up and burning all of Elizabeth’s letters. The marriage is further tested by Pepys’s jealousy at Elizabeth’s relationship with her dancing master, Mr. Pembleton in the Fourth Year and by Pepys’s dalliances with other women, of which Elizabeth becomes aware in the Ninth Year. This culminates in October of the Ninth Year, when Elizabeth is shocked to discover her husband making love to her maidservant, Deb Willet. Pepys releases Deb from her job and promises his wife not to see any other women and to pray to God frequently about his temptations.

Other temptations to which Pepys finds himself susceptible are those toward drinking, entertainment (especially playgoing), and spending money on fine things. Throughout the book he comments on his need to curb these tendencies and live within his means—an attitude toward which he attempts to influence Elizabeth as well. On the other hand, Pepys looks kindly on the innocent pleasures of music, food and drink, and companionship with friends, believing we should enjoy the good things of life while we can.

Temptations of pleasure and irresponsibility affect King Charles’s court as well during its first year of reign, and the profligate behavior of many of the royals compromises the trust of the people and leads to a general discontent. Pepys himself confronts his patron Montagu about his frivolous lifestyle in November of the Fourth Year.

The English people endure some very trying circumstances toward the middle of the Diary. In the Fifth Year, England goes to war with Holland over naval supremacy, putting England in danger of invasion and severely trying the resources and capabilities of Pepys’s office. That same year the bubonic plague hits London, killing one fourth of the city’s population before its conclusion in the Sixth Year. Pepys and his family take refuge in a district outside of the main city and thus are able to escape infection.

Another disaster comes in the Seventh Year in the form of the Great Fire of London, which spreads quickly in early September and destroys a good portion of the city. Pepys and his family again escape to a remote district and are able to save their possessions from the flames. Pepys himself plays a role in directing the authorities on how best to stop the fire’s spread. The culmination of Pepys’s career comes in the Ninth Year when he gives a well-received speech to parliament defending the activities of the Navy office.

By the end of the book the Pepyses and the English people as a whole have made it through some of the greatest challenges of their lives. Toward the end of the Diary, Pepys is becoming aware that his eyesight is deteriorating, and he fears eventually going blind. He therefore ceases writing the Diary in May of the Tenth Year and bids farewell to his readers, hoping that God will assist him in the challenges that lie ahead.