THE DIARY OF SAMUEL PEPYS VOLUME I 1659-1664

The Diary of Samuel Pepys #1

by Samuel Pepys

Pepys's Diary covers the years 1660 to 1669, and is one of the most vivid and minute authorities for the events of the Restoration period, ranging from the manners and scandals of the court to Pepys's own interests and weaknesses. Pepys himself was closely concerned with contemporary events in his employment at the Admiralty, where, although he began in a minor position, he eventually effected drastic and far-reaching reforms. No less a part of the interest of the Diary lies however in the way it allows us to share in Pepys's home and social life, his interests and ambitions, friends and acquaintances.Volume 1 covers the period from its beginning in January 1660 to March 1664, thus covering an interesting stage of Pepys's career, since it was in July 1660 that he became a clerk of the Privy Seal and clerk of the 'Acts of the Navy'.In his selection of the material the editor has been guided by its human appeal and historic interest, and has preserved intact the drama of Pepys's public and private life. The text of this edition is based on that of the Rev. Mynors Bright, published in 1875-1879 from his own typescript. Lord Braybrooke's notes have been retained with minor corrections whenever they appeared useful, identifying persons, places and obscure words.

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1906

About the author

Samuel 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').

Reviews

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this more interesting than expected. I usually skip through prefaces, but I read all 159 pages of this one. 1660 was an interesting year: the year Charles II returned. I had assumed that this was just a swing back towards the Royalists, but Pepys makes it clear that, for many people, it was a return to democracy, which the elitist Rump parliament had been denying the country for so long. So - not just a return of a king (which as we know, led to other problems), but a return to more or less representative parliament.
We also see Pepys's rapid rise in the Civil Service. From being little more than an accountant for Lord Montagu, later the first Earl of Sandwich, in this year of 1660, he begins his meteoric rise to where he will eventually virtually run the Navy.
I did have a few problems with the copious footnotes which not only told me many things I didn't really want to know, but omitted to tell me things that I had to Google. For example, on Page 254 we are told how the King knighted Sir Richard Stayner and the note tells us how he was previously knighted under Cromwell. This is clearly of interest, although Pepys provides evidence of numerous Cromwell supporters who have changed sides and yet prospered under the King, including Sandwich himself. But I was struck by a line above that: "My Lord told me how the ship that brought the Princesse and him did knock six times upon the Kentish Knock..." - would it really have been that hard to have included a footnote telling us what the Kentish Knock is? (apparently a shoal near the mouth of the Thames). Nevertheless, the whole thing is admirably researched.

[Ricki · Rating 5 out of 5]

When one considers that Pepys was not yet 27 when this diary begins, the luck of having it in existence is even more overwhelming. To read of his being, though not commenting at the quality, of the first performance of 2 of Jonson's plays, let alone on the ships that brought Charles II back to England lent a vividness to the history of the period. It isn't a quick read as mulling over the who's who in the book required some thought - somewhere after a hundred pages or so I realised that the Sir W. Pen he referred to was the father of William Penn. The social history as well as the diplomatic/military history that it covers is fascinating.