Volume III 1662. ( )

My first impression was that this volume 1662 was less interesting than the first two ones. (Pepys is much more serious and begins to report extensively about his work; even in August, when I expected him to take good time because of Elizabeth's absence, he works all day long.) However, the passages I marked as interesting or funny are at least as numerous as for 1660 or 1661. Pepys shows himself very interested in money, to the point of losing sleep sometimes when things do not go as he wishes. I think I wouldn't have liked to have him for friend finally...

1 JANUARY. Waking this morning out of my sleep on a sudden, I did with my elbow hit my wife a great blow over her face and nose, which waked her with pain — at which I was sorry. And to sleep again (…)

28 FEBRUARY. (…) Home; and to be as good as my word, I bid Will get me a rod, and he and I called the boy up to one of the up-per rooms of the Controllers house toward the garden, and there I reckoned all his faults and whipped him soundly; but the rods were so small that I fear they did not much hurt to him, but only to my arme, which I am already, within a Quarter of an houre, not able to stir almost. (…)

22 APRIL. (…) He, among other Storys, telling us a story of the monkey that got hold of the young lady’s cunt as she went to stool to shit, and run from under her coats and got upon the table, which was ready laid for supper after dancing was done. (…)

23 APRIL. (…) In the morning, concluding him to be the eldest blood and house of the Clerkes, because all the fleas came to him and not to me.

26 APRIL. (…) At Southampton we went to the Mayors and there dined, and had Sturgeon of their own catching the last week, which doth not happen in 20 year, and it was well ordered. They brought us also some Cavear, which I attempted to order, but all to no purpose, for they had neither given it salt enough nor are the seeds of the roe broke, but are all in berryes. (…)

21 MAY. My wife and I by water to Westminster; and after she had seen her father (of whom lately I have heard nothing at all what he does, or her mother), she came to me to my Lord’s Lodgeings, where she and I stayed, walking into White-hall garden; and in the privy Garden saw the finest smocks and linen petticoats of my Lady Castle-maynes, laced with rich lace at the bottomes, that ever I saw; and did me good to look upon them. (…)

31 MAY. (…) And I did also in a sudden fit cut off all my beard, which I have been a great while bringing up, only that I may with my pumice-stone do my whole face, as I now do my chin, and so save time — which I find a very easy way and gentile. (…)

8 JUNE. (…) Thence walked to my Lady’s and there supped with her; and merry, among other things, with the Parrett which my Lord hath brought form [sic] sea, which speaks very well and cries “Pall” so pleasantly that made my Lord give it my Lady Paulina; but my Lady her mother doth not like it. (…)

26 JUNE. Up and took physique, but such as to go abroad with, only to loosen me, for I am bound. (…) and then took Comissioner Pett home with me to dinner, where my stomach was turned when my sturgeon came to table, upon which I saw very many little worms creep-ing, which I suppose was through the staleness of the pickle. (…)

Crime de lèse-majesté
27 JUNE. (…) But they say that there are such bawdy articles against him as never was heard of. one, that he should upon his knees drink the King and Queenes health at Lisbon, wishing that the King’s pintle were in the Queenes cunt up to her heart, that it might cry “Knack, knock” again. (…)

Pepys has no heart
2 JULY. (…) and there we went into the Store-house and viewd, first the provisions there and then his books (but Mr. Davis himself was not there, he having a kinswoman in the house dead; for which, when by and by I saw him, he doth trouble him-self most ridiculously, as if there was never another woman in the world); (…)

19 JULY. (…) It raining hard upon the water, I put ashore and sheltered myself while the King came by his barge, going toward the Downes to meet the Queene, the Duke being gone yesterday. But methought it lessened my esteem of a king, that he should not be able to command the rain. (…)

Pepys is a masochist
31 JULY. (…) I drank two glasses of wine this day, and yet it makes my head ake all night, and indisposed me all the next day — of which I am glad. (…)

Sales ‘by inch of candle’
3 SEPTEMBER. (…) And here I observed one man cun-ninger than the rest, that was sure to bid the last man and to carry it; and enquiring the reason, he told me that just as the flame goes out the smoke descends, which is a thing I never observed before, and by that he doth know the instant when to bid last — which is very pretty. (…)

Bloody stories at the Tsar’s court
5 SEPTEMBER. (…) And among other pretty discourse, some was of Sir Jerom Bowes, Embassador from Queen Elizabeth to the Emperor of Russia — who, because some of the noblemen there would go up the stairs to the Emperor before him, he would not go up till the Emperor had ordered those two men to be dragged downstairs, with their heads knocking upon every stair till they were killed. And when he was come up, they demanded his sword of him before he entered the room; he told them, if they would have his sword, they should have his boots too; and so caused his boots to be pulled off and his night-gown and night-cap and slippers to be sent for, and made the Emperor stay till he could go in his night-dress, since he might not go as a soldier. And lastly, when the Emperor in contempt, to show his command over his subjects, did command one to leap from the window down and broke his neck in the sight of our Embassador, he replied that his mistress did set more by and did make better use of the necks of her subjects: (…) For which, at this very day, the name of Sir Jer. Bowes is fa-mous and honoured there. (…)
Note 1 by Latham and Matthews: (…) Ivan once rewarded the French envoy’s boldness in remaining covered in the royal presence by nailing his hat to his head. Bowes, at his next interview, defiantly wore his hat and in answer to the Tsar’s threats, announced that he represented ‘not a cowardly king of France… but the invincible Queen of England, who does not vail her Bonnet, nor bare her Head to any Prince living’.

23 SEPTEMBER. (…) In our coming home, Sir G. Carteret told me how in most Cabaretts in France they have writ upon the walls, in fair letters to be read, Dieu te regarde, as a good lesson to be in every man’s mind. (…)

Pepys dislikes the French
2 OCTOBER. (…) The company that came in with me into the box were all Frenchmen that could speak no English; but Lord, what sport they made to ask a pretty lady that they got among them, that understood both French and English — to make her tell them what the actors said. (…)

Pepys is very delicate
11 OCTOBER. Up betimes; and after a little breakfast and a very poor one, like our supper and such as I cannot feed on, because of my she-Cosen Claxton’s gouty hands (…)

A funny habit to own a spitting-sheet by one's bed-side...
21 NOVEMBER. (…) At night to supper and to bed — this night having first put up a spitting-sheet, which I find very convenient. (…)

Drastic measures
30 DECEMBER. (…) With the officers I had good discourse, perticularly of the people at the Cape of Good Hope — of whom they of their own knowledge do tell me these one or two things. viz., that when they come to age, the men do cut off one of the stones of each other, which they hold doth help them to get children the better and to grow fat. (…) ( )

Pepys kept detailed accounts of his life - from the high court governmental circles to which he had access by virtue of his position to the low and common husband at home with his wife and their servant. His high, important connections make interesting reading as glimpses into the human and personal workings of history. But for me, the most interesting parts are the everyday details, the minutiae of daily life. The technology and specific tools change, but human nature - its needs, wants, hopes, and dreams are persistent. ( )