PREFACE　TO　THE　ORIGINAL　EDITION
  In　submitting　the　following　pages　to　the　Public；　I　feel　that　it　is　incumbent　upon　me　to　explain　by　what　circumstances　the　materials　from　which　the　Work　has　been　compiled　were　placed　at　my　disposal。　　The　original　Diary；　comprehending　six　volumes；　closely　written　in　short…hand　by　Mr。　Pepys　himself；　belonged　to　the　valuable　collection　of　books　and　prints；　bequeathed　by　him　to　Magdalene　College；　Cambridge；　and　had　remained　there　unexamined；　till　the　appointment　of　my　Brother；　the　present　Master；　under　whose　auspices　the　MS。　was　deciphered　by　Mr。　John　Smith；　with　a　view　to　its　publication。
  My　Brother's　time；　however；　being　too　much　engrossed　by　more　important　duties　to　admit　of　his　editing　the　work；　the　task　of　preparing　it　for　the　press　was　undertaken　by　me　at　his　request。
  The　Diary　commences　January　1st；　1659…60　and　after　being　regularly　kept　for　ten　years；　it　is　brought　to　a　sudden　conclusion；　owing　to　the　weak　state　of　Mr。　Pepys's　eyes；　which　precluded　him　from　continuing　or　resuming　the　occupation。　　As　he　was　in　the　habit　of　recording　the　most　trifling　occurrences　of　his　life；　it　became　absolutely　necessary　to　curtail　the　MS。　materially；　and　in　many　instances　to　condense　the　matter；　but　the　greatest　care　has　been　taken　to　preserve　the　original　meaning；　without　making　a　single　addition；　excepting　where；　from　the　short…hand　being　defective；　some　alteration　appeared　absolutely　necessary。　　It　may　be　objected　by　those　who　are　not　aware　how　little　is　known　from　authentic　sources　of　the　History　of　the　Stage　about　the　period　of　the　Restoration；　that　the　notices　of　theatrical　performances　occur　too　frequently；　but　as　many　of　the　incidents　recorded；　connected　with　this　subject；　are　not　to　be　met　with　elsewhere；　I　thought　myself　justified　in　retaining　them；　at　the　risk　of　fatiguing　those　readers　who　have　no　taste　for　the　concerns　of　the　Drama。　　The　general　details　may　also；　in　some　instances；　even　in　their　abridged　form；　be　considered　as　too　minute；　nor　is　it　an　easy　task；　in　an　undertaking　of　this　sort；　to　please　everybody's　taste：　　my　principal　study　in　making　the　selection；　however；　has　been　to　omit　nothing　of　public　interest；　and　to　introduce　at　the　same　time　a　great　variety　of　other　topics；　less　important；　perhaps；　put　tending　in　some　degree　to　illustrate　the　manners　and　habits　of　the　age。
  In　justice　to　Mr。　Pepys's　literary　reputation；　the　reader　is　forewarned　that　he　is　not　to　expect　to　find　in　the　Diary　accuracy　of　style　or　finished　composition。　　We　should　rather　consider　the　Work　as　a　collection　of　reminiscences　hastily　thrown　together　at　the　end　of　each　succeeding　day；　for　the　exclusive　perusal　of　the　Author。
  The　Journal　contains　the　most　unquestionable　evidences　of　veracity；　and；　as　the　writer　made　no　scruple　of　committing　his　most　secret　thoughts　to　paper；　encouraged　no　doubt　by　the　confidence　which　he　derived　from　the　use　of　short…hand；　perhaps　there　never　was　a　publication　more　implicitly　to　be　relied　upon　for　the　authenticity　of　its　statements　and　the　exactness　with　which　every　fact　is　detailed。　　Upon　this　point；　I　can　venture　to　speak　with　the　less　hesitation；　having；　in　preparing　the　sheets　for　the　press；　had　occasion　to　compare　many　parts　of　the　Diary　with　different　accounts　of　the　same　transactions　recorded　elsewhere；　and　in　no　instance　could　I　detect　any　material　error　or　wilful　misrepresentation。
  The　Notes　at　the　bottom　of　the　pages　were　introduced　to　elucidate　obscure　passages；　and　I　have　been　tempted　occasionally　to　insert　short　Biographical　Sketches　of　the　principal　persons　who　are　named；　accompanied　by　such　references　as　will　enable　the　curious　reader　to　inform　himself　more　fully　respecting　them。　　In　some　instances　I　experienced　considerable　difficulty　in　identifying　the　individuals；　but　I　trust　that　the　notices　will　be　found；　on　the　whole；　sufficiently　correct　to　answer　the　object　intended。
  In　justice　to　the　Reverend　John　Smith；　（with　whom　I　am　not　personally　acquainted；）　it　may　be　added；　that　he　appears　to　have　performed　the　task　allotted　to　him；　of　deciphering　the　short…hand　Diary；　with　diligence　and　fidelity；　and　to　have　spared　neither　time　nor　trouble　in　the　undertaking。
  The　best　account　of　Mr。　Pepys　occurs　in　the　Supplement　to　Collier's　Historical　Dictionary；　published　soon　after　his　death；　and　written；　as　I　have　reason　to　believe；　by　his　relative　Roger　Gale。　　Some　particulars　may　also　be　obtained　from　Knight's　Life　of　Dean　Colet；　Chalmers's　Biographical　Dictionary；　Cole's　MSS。　in　the　British　Museum：　　the　MSS　in　the　Bodleian　and　Pepysian　Libraries；　and　the　Cockerell　Papers。
  BRAYBROOKE。　　　　　　Audley　End；　May　14th；　1825
  MEMOIR　OF　SAMUEL　PEPYS
  Samuel　Pepys；　the　author　of　the　Diary　here　presented　to　the　reader　was　descended　from　the　family　of　Pepys　originally　seated　at　Diss；　in　Norfolk；　and　who　settled　at　Cottenham；　in　Cambridgeshire；　early　in　the　sixteenth　century。　　His　father；　John　Pepys；　followed　for　some　time　the　trade　of　a　tailor；　and　the　reader　may　hereafter　notice　the　influence　which　this　genealogy　seems　to　have　exercised　over　the　style　and　sentiments　of　his　son's　Diary。　　The　father　retired　to　Brampton；　in　Huntingdonshire；　where　he　ended　his　days　in　1680。　　His　wife；　Margaret；　died　in　1666…7；　having　had　a　family　of　six　sons　and　five　daughters。　Samuel　was　born　February　23；　1632；　most　probably　in　London；　but　by　some　it　is　thought　at　Brampton；　he　certainly　passed　his　boyish　days　in　the　Metropolis；　and　was　educated　regularly　at　St。　Paul's　School；　and　afterwards　at　the　University　of　Cambridge；　and　probably　went　through　his　studies　with　success。　　But　little　is　known　of　him　as　an　undergraduate。　　One　record；　however；　remains　which　proves　that　in　his　early　life；　as　in　later　years；　he　was　a　BON　VIVANT。　　The　following　appears　in　the　register　book　of　the　college　respecting　his　pranks　when　there：〃October　21；　1653。　Mem。　That　Peapys　and　Hind　were　solemnly　admonished　by　myself　and　Mr。　Hill　for　having　been　scandalously　over…served　with　drink　ye　night　before。　　This　was　done　in　the　presence　of　all　the　fellows　then　resident；　in　Mr。　Hill's　chamber　（Signed）　John　Wood；　Registrar。〃　　Early　in　life；　Pepys　took　one　of　those　decided　steps　which　tend；　according　to　circumstances；　to　a　man's　marring　or　making。　　He　appears　to　have　married　Elizabeth　St。　Michel；　a　beautiful　girl　of　fifteen；　when　he　himself　was　only　about　twenty…　three。　　She　was　of　good　family　her　mother　being　descended　from　the　Cliffords　of　Cumberland；　and　her　daughter　had　only　just　quitted　the　convent　in　which　she　was　educated。　　She　brought　her　husband　no　fortune；　but　the　patronage　of　Pepys's　relation；　Sir　Edward　Montagu；　afterwards　first　Earl　of　Sandwich；　prevented　the　ill　consequences　with　such　a　step　might　naturally　have　been　attended；　and　young　Pepys's　aptitude　for　business　soon　came　to　render　him　useful。　　The　distresses　of　the　young　couple　at　this　period　were　subjects　of　pleasant　reflexion　during　their　prosperityas　recorded　in　the　Diary；　25th　February；　1667。
  But　better　times　were　approaching　Mr。　Pepys：　　he　accompanied　Sir　Edward　Montagu　upon　his　Expedition　to　the　Sound；　in　March；　1658；　and　upon　his　return　obtained　a　clerkship　in　the　Exchequer。　Through　the　interest　of　the　Earl　of　Sandwich；　Mr。　Pepys　was　nominated　Clerk　of　the　Acts：　　this　was　the　commencement　of　his　connexion　with　a　great　national　establishment；　to　which　in　the　sequel　his　diligence　and　acuteness　were　of　the　highest　service。　From　his　Papers；　still　extant　（says　Lord　Braybrooke）；　we　gather　that　he　never　lost　sight　of　the　public　good；　that　he　spared　no　pains　to　check　the　rapacity　of　contractors；　by　whom　the　naval　stores　were　then　supplied；　that　he　studied　order　and　economy　in　the　dockyards；　advocated　the　promotion　of　old…established　officers　in　the　Navy；　and　resisted　to　the　utmost　the　infamous　system　of　selling　places；　then　most　unblushingly　practised。　His　zeal　and　industry　acquired　for　him　the　esteem　of　the　Duke　of　York；　with　whom；　as　Lord　High　Admiral；　he　had　almost　daily　intercourse。　　At　the　time　of　his　entering　upon　this　employment；　he　resided　in　Seething…lane；　Crutched　Friars。　　He　continued　in　this　office　till　1673；　and　during　those　great　events；　the　Plague；　the　Fire　of　London；　and　the　Dutch　War；　the　care　of　the　Navy　in　a　great　measure　rested　upon　Pepys　alone。　　He　behaved　with　calm　and　deliberate　courage　and　integrity。　　Nevertheless；　he　had　the　misfortune　to　experience　some　part　of　the　calumnies　of　the　time　of　〃the　Popish　Plot。〃　　The　Earl　of　Shaftesbury；　the　foster…father　of　this　most　wicked　delusion；　showed　a　great　desire　to　implicate　Pepys　in　a　charge　of　Catholicism；　and　went　so　far　as　to　spread　a　report　that　the　Clerk　of　the　Acts　had　in　his　house　an　altar　and　a　crucifix。　　The　absence　not　only　of　evidence；　but　even　of　ground　of　suspicion；　did　not　prevent　Pepys　being　committed　to　the　Tower　on　the　charge　of　being　an　aider　and　abettor　of　the　plot；　and　he　was；　for　a　time；　removed　from　the　Navy　Board。　　He　was　afterwards　allowed；　with　Sir　Anthony　Deane；　who　had　been　committed　with　him；　to　find　security　in　30；000l。；　and　upon　the　withdrawal　of　the　deposition　against　him；　he　was　discharged。　　He　was　soon；　by　the　special　command　of　Charles　II。；　replaced　in　a　situation　where　his　skill　and　experience　could　not　be　well　dispensed　with