Samuel Pepys (1633–1703)
The Diary of
Samuel Pepys contains firsthand accounts of some of the most important
historical events of 17th-century England. Yet it is Pepys’s candor in
recording the minutiae of his private life— what he ate for dinner, a squabble
with his wife, his childlike excitement over a new watch—that prompted his
biographer Claire Tomalin to declare him “both the most ordinary and the most
extraordinary writer you will ever meet.”
An
Insatiable Curiosity
Pepys had an insatiable curiosity and attempted to learn all that he could
about every subject. It was undoubtedly this fascination with life that
inspired him, at the age of 26, to begin keeping a diary in which he would
eventually set down more than 1.2 million words. At the age of 35, he abandoned
his diary, fearing it was straining his eyes so much that he might go blind.
“The Right
Hand of the Navy”
Shortly
after starting his diary, Pepys became a clerk in the Royal Navy office and
worked hard at rooting out corruption and streamlining management. Acknowledged
as “the right hand of the Navy,” in 1684 he was appointed the secretary of the
admiralty. In that capacity, he doubled the number of battleships and restored
the Royal Navy as a major sea power.
A Confidante of Kings
During his
years of public service, Pepys enjoyed a close relationship with King Charles
II and his successor, James II. However, Pepys also made enemies in his rise to
power. In 1678, some of his adversaries tried unsuccessfully to ruin his
reputation, falsely accusing him of murder and treason. Although Pepys was
imprisoned briefly, the intervention of Charles II kept him from further
punishment.
A Scholarly
Retirement
Pepys lived
in retirement for the last 14 years of his life. He spent his time amassing a
large personal library, corresponding with various artists and scholars, and
collecting material for a history of the navy, which he never completed. He
bequeathed his large library, including his diary, to Cambridge University.
Postponed
Publication
Written in
shorthand, the diary was not transcribed until the early 19th century. An
abridged version—with his romantic dalliances and other details that “could not
possibly be printed” removed—was published in 1825. The full, uncensored
version did not appear until 1970.