The　Diary　of　Samuel　Pepys
  by　Samuel　Pepys
  FROM　1659　TO　1669
  WITH　MEMOIR
  Edited　by　LORD　BRAYBROOKE
  PREFACE　TO　THE　PRESENT　EDITION
  The　Celebrated　work　here　presented　to　the　public　under　peculiar　advantages　may　require　a　few　introductory　remarks。
  By　the　publication；　during　the　last　half　century；　of　autobiographies；　Diaries；　and　Records　of　Personal　Character；　this　class　of　literature　has　been　largely　enriched；　not　only　with　works　calculated　for　the　benefit　of　the　student；　but　for　that　larger　class　of　readersthe　people；　who　in　the　byeways　of　History　and　Biography　which　these　works　present；　gather　much　of　the　national　life　at　many　periods；　and　pictures　of　manners　and　customs；　habits　and　amusements；　such　as　are　not　so　readily　to　be　found　in　more　elaborate　works。
  The　Diary　and　Correspondence　of　John　Evelyn；　published　in　the　year　1817；　is　the　first　of　the　class　of　books　to　which　special　reference　is　here　made。　　This　was　followed　by　the　publication；　in　1825；　of　the　Diary　and　Correspondence　of　Samuel　Pepys；　a　work　of　a　more　entertaining　character　than　that　of　Evelyn。　　There　is；　moreover；　another　distinction　between　the　two：　　the　Diary　of　Pepys　was　written　〃at　the　end　of　each　succeeding　day；〃　whereas　the　Diary　of　Evelyn　is　more　the　result　of　leisure　and　after…　thought；　and　partakes　more　of　the　character　of　history。
  Pepys's　account　of　the　Great　Fire　of　London　in　1666　is　full　as　minute　as　that　of　Evelyn；　but　it　is　mingled　with　a　greater　number　of　personal　and　official　circumstances；　of　popular　interest：　　the　scene　of　dismay　and　confusion　which　it　exhibits　is　almost　beyond　parallel。　　〃It　is　observed　and　is　true　in　the　late　Fire　of　London；〃　says　Pepys；　〃that　the　fire　burned　just　as　many　parish　churches　as　there　were　hours　from　the　beginning　to　the　end　of　the　fire；　and　next；　that　there　were　just　as　many　churches　left　standing　in　the　rest　of　the　city　that　was　not　burned；　being；　I　think；　thirteen　in　all　of　each；　which　is　pretty　to　observe。〃　Again；　Pepys　was　at　this　time　clerk　of　the　Acts　of　the　Navy；　his　house　and　office　were　in　Seething…lane；　Crutched　Friars；　he　was　called　up　at　three　in　the　morning；　Sept。　2；　by　his　maid　Jane；　and　so　rose　and　slipped　on　his　nightgown；　and　went　to　her　window；　but　thought　the　fire　far　enough　off；　and　so　went　to　bed　again；　and　to　sleep。　　Next　morning；　Jane　told　him　that　she　heard　above　300　houses　had　been　burnt　down　by　the　fire　they　saw；　and　that　it　was　then　burning　down　all　Fish…street；　by　London　Bridge。　　〃So；〃　Pepys　writes；　〃I　made　myself　ready　presently；　and　walked　to　the　Tower；　and　there　got　upon　one　of　the　high　places；　and　saw　the　houses　at　that　end　of　the　bridge　all　on　fire；　and　an　infinite　great　fire　at　the　other　end　of　the　bridge。〃　　On　Sept。　5；　he　notes；　〃About　two　in　the　morning　my　wife　calls　me　up；　and　tells　me　of　new　cries　of　fire；　it　being　come　to　Barking　Church；　which　is　at　the　bottom　of　our　lane。〃　　The　fire　was；　however；　stopped；　〃as　well　at　Mark…lane　end　as　ours；　it　having　only　burned　the　dyall　of　Barking　Church；　and　part　of　the　porch；　and　there　was　quenched。〃　　This　narrative　has　all　the　advantage　of　being　written　at　the　time　of　the　event；　which　kind　of　record　has　been　pronounced　preferable　to　〃a　cart…　load　of　pencillings。〃　　Of　this　very　attractive　particularity　is　the　Diary　of　Pepys；　which　is　here　submitted　to　the　reader　in　the　most　elegant　and　economical　as　well　as　complete　form。
  Of　the　origin　of　this　work；　details　are　given　the　accompanying　Preface；　by　the　noble　EditorLord　Braybrooke。　　The　diaristMr。　Secretary　Pepyswas　a　great　virtuoso　in　collections　of　English　history；　both　by　land　and　sea；　much　relating　to　the　admiralty　and　maritime　affairs。　　He　gathered　very　much　from　records　in　the　Tower；　had　many　fine　models；　and　new　inventions　of　ships；　and　historical　paintings　of　them；　had　many　books　of　mathematics　and　other　sciences；　many　very　costly　curiosities　relating　to　the　City　of　London；　as　views；　maps；　palaces；　churches；　coronations；　funerals；　mayoralties；　habits；　heads　of　all　our　famous　men；　drawn　as　well　as　painted；　the　most　complete　collection　of　anything　of　its　kind。　　He　was　a　man　whose　free　and　generous　spirit　appeared　in　his　pen；　and　his　ingenious　fancy　at　his　finger's　end。
  The　original　MS。　of　the　Diary；　which　gives　so　vivid　a　picture　of　manners　in　the　reign　of　Charles　II。；　is　preserved　in　Magdalene　College；　Cambridge；　it　is　in　six　volumes；　containing　upwards　of　3000　pages；　closely　written　in　Rich's　system　of　shorthand；　which　Pepys　doubtless　adopted　from　the　possibility　of　his　journal　falling　into　unfriendly　hands　during　his　life；　or　being　rashly　communicated　to　the　public　after　his　death。　　The　original　spelling　of　every　word　in　the　Diary；　it　is　believed；　has　been　carefully　preserved　by　the　gentleman　who　deciphered　it；　and　although　Pepys's　grammar　has　been　objected　to；　it　is　thought　that　the　entries　derive　additional　interest　from　the　quaint　terms　in　which　they　are　expressed。
  The　period　of　the　Diary　was　one　of　the　most　interesting　and　eventful　decades　in　our　history。　　We　have　here　the　joyous　pictures　of　the　Restoration；　as　well　as　much　about　〃the　merry　monarch；〃　his　gaieties　and　his　intrigues。　　The　Plague　of　1665；　with　the　appalling　episodes　of　this　national　calamity；　is　followed　by　the　life…like　record　of　the　Great　Fire；　and　the　rebuilding　of　London。　　Then；　what　an　attractive　period　is　that　of　the　history　of　the　London　theatres；　dating　from　the　Restoration；　with　piquant　sketches　of　the　actors　and　actresses　of　that　day。　Pepys；　in　his　love　of　wit　and　admiration　of　beauty；　finds　room　to　love　and　admire　Nell　Gwyn；　whose　name　still　carries　an　odd　fascination　with　it　after　so　many　generations。　　In　those　busy　times　coffee…houses　were　new；　and　we　find　Pepys　dropping　in　at　Will's；　where　he　never　was　before；　and　where　he　saw　Dryden　and　all　the　wits　of　the　town。　　The　Diarist　records　sending　for　〃a　cup　of　tea；　a　China　drink　he　had　not　before　tasted。〃　　Here　we　find　the　earliest　account　of　a　Lord　Mayor's　dinner　in　the　Guildhall；　and　Wood's；　Pepys's　〃old　house　for　clubbing；　in　Pell　Mell；〃all　pictures　in　little　of　social　life；　with　innumerable　traits　of　statesmen；　politicians；　wits　and　poets；　authors；　artists；　and　actors；　and　men；　and　women　of　wit　and　pleasure；　such　as　the　town；　court；　and　city　have　scarcely　presented　at　any　other　period。
  Shortly　after　the　publication　of　the　Diary；　there　appeared　in　the　Quarterly　Review；　No。　66；　a　charming　paper　from　the　accomplished　pen　of　Sir　Walter　Scott；　upon　this　very　curious　contribution　to　our　reminiscent　literature。　　Sir　Walter's　parallel　of　Pepys　and　Evelyn　is　very　nicely　drawn。　　〃Early　necessity　made　Pepys　laborious；　studious；　and　careful。　　But　his　natural　propensities　were　those　of　a　man　of　pleasure。　　He　appears　to　have　been　ardent　in　quest　of　amusement；　especially　where　anything　odd　or　uncommon　was　to　be　witnessed。　　To　this　thirst　after　novelty；　the　consequence　of　which　has　given　great　and　varied　interest　to　his　Diary；　Pepys　added　a　love　of　public　amusements；　which　he　himself　seems　to　have　considered　as　excessive。〃　　〃Our　diarist　must　not　be　too　severely　judged。　　He　lived　in　a　time　when　the　worst　examples　abounded；　a　time　of　court　intrigue　and　state　revolution；　when　nothing　was　certain　for　a　moment；　and　when　all　who　were　possessed　of　any　opportunity　to　make　profit；　used　it　with　the　most　shameless　avidity；　lest　the　golden　minutes　should　pass　away　unimproved。
  〃In　quitting　the　broad　path　of　history；〃　says　Sir　Walter；　〃we　seek　for　minute　information　concerning　ancient　manners　and　customs；　the　progress　of　arts　and　sciences；　and　the　various　branches　of　antiquity。　　We　have　never　seen　a　mine　so　rich　as　the　volumes　before　us。　　The　　variety　of　Pepys's　tastes　and　pursuits　led　him　into　almost　every　department　of　life。　　He　was　a　man　of　business；　a　man　of　information　if　not　of　learning；　a　man　of　taste；　a　man　of　whim；　and　to　a　certain　degree　a　man　of　pleasure。　He　was　a　statesman；　a　BEL　ESPRIT；　a　virtuoso；　and　a　connoisseur。　His　curiosity　made　him　an　unwearied　as　well　as　an　universal　learner；　and　whatever　he　saw　found　its　way　into　his　tables。　Thus；　his　Diary　absolutely　resembles　the　genial　cauldrons　at　the　wedding　of　Camacho；　a　souse　into　which　was　sure　to　bring　forth　at　once　abundance　and　variety　of　whatever　could　gratify　the　most　eccentric　appetite。
  〃If　the　curious；　affect　dramatic　antiquitiesa　line　which　has　special　charms　for　the　present　ageno　book　published　in　our　time　has　thrown　so　much　light　upon　plays；　playwrights；　and　play…　actors。
  〃Then　those　who　desire　to　be　aware　of　the　earliest　discoveries；　as　well　in　sciences；　as　in　the　useful　arts；　may　read　in　Pepys's　Memoirs；　how　a　slice　of　roast　mutton　was　converted　into　pure　blood；　and　of　those　philosophical　glass　crackers；　which　explode　when　the　tail　is　broken　off　（Rupert's　Drops）　of　AURUM　FULMINANS；　applied　to　the　purpose　of　blowing　ships　out　of　the　water；　and　of　a　newly　contrived　gun；　which　was　to　change　the　whole　system　of　the　art　of　war；　but　which　has　left　it　pretty　much　upon　the　old　footing。　　A　lover　of　antique　scandal　which　taketh　away　the　character；　and　committeth　SCANDALUM　MAGNATUM　against　the　nobility　of　the　seventeenth　century；　will　find　in　this　work　an　untouched　treasure　of　curious　anecdote　for　the　accomplishment　of　his　purpose。〃
  PR