Produced by David Widger

THE DIARY OF SAMUEL PEPYS M.A. F.R.S.

CLERK OF THE ACTS AND SECRETARY TO THE ADMIRALTY

TRANSCRIBED FROM THE SHORTHAND MANUSCRIPT IN THE PEPYSIAN LIBRARY MAGDALENE COLLEGE CAMBRIDGE BY THE REV. MYNORS BRIGHT M.A. LATE FELLOW AND PRESIDENT OF THE COLLEGE

(Unabridged)

WITH LORD BRAYBROOKE'S NOTES

EDITED WITH ADDITIONS BY

HENRY B. WHEATLEY F.S.A.

                          DIARY OF SAMUEL PEPYS.
                                  MARCH
                                1666-1667

March 1st. Up, it being very cold weather again after a good deal of warmsummer weather, and to the office, where I settled to do much businessto-day. By and by sent for to Sir G. Carteret to discourse of thebusiness of the Navy, and our wants, and the best way of bestowing thelittle money we have, which is about L30,000, but, God knows, we have needof ten times as much, which do make my life uncomfortable, I confess, onthe King's behalf, though it is well enough as to my own particular, butthe King's service is undone by it. Having done with him, back again tothe office, and in the streets, in Mark Lane, I do observe, it being St.David's day, the picture of a man dressed like a Welchman, hanging by theneck upon one of the poles that stand out at the top of one of themerchants' houses, in full proportion, and very handsomely done; which isone of the oddest sights I have seen a good while, for it was so like aman that one would have thought it was indeed a man.

[From "Poor Robin's Almanack" for 1757 it appears that, in former times in England, a Welshman was burnt in effigy on this anniversary. Mr. W. C. Hazlitt, in his edition of Brand's "Popular Antiquities," adds "The practice to which Pepys refers . . . was very common at one time; and till very lately bakers made gingerbread Welshmen, called taffies, on St. David's day, which were made to represent a man skewered" (vol. i., pp. 60,61).]

Being returned home, I find Greeting, the flageolet-master, come, andteaching my wife; and I do think my wife will take pleasure in it, and itwill be easy for her, and pleasant. So I, as I am well content with thecharge it will occasion me. So to the office till dinner-time, and thenhome to dinner, and before dinner making my wife to sing. Poor wretch!her ear is so bad that it made me angry, till the poor wretch cried to seeme so vexed at her, that I think I shall not discourage her so much again,but will endeavour to make her understand sounds, and do her good thatway; for she hath a great mind to learn, only to please me; and,therefore, I am mighty unjust to her in discouraging her so much, but wewere good friends, and to dinner, and had she not been ill with those andthat it were not Friday (on which in Lent there are no plays) I hadcarried her to a play, but she not being fit to go abroad, I to theoffice, where all the afternoon close examining the collection of mypapers of the accounts of the Navy since this war to my great content, andso at night home to talk and sing with my-wife, and then to supper and soto bed with great pleasure. But I cannot but remember that just beforedinner one of my people come up to me, and told me a man come fromHuntingdon would speak with me, how my heart come into my mouth doubtingthat my father, who has been long sicke, was dead. It put me into atrembling, but, blessed be [God]! it

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