The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1891-05-25
PEPYS' DIARY IN 1857.
he Didn't Think Much of Shakspeare's
Plays.

To say anything in favor of "Pepys'
Diary" would, observes the London
Graphic, be to gid refined gold or paint
the lily. Its merits are so universally
recognized by readers, and it's value as a
truthful picture of the time of Charles II.
by historians, that it is needless to add
anything by way of commentator.
Pepysi was not, however, merely an ex-
act and pleasing chronicler, but writer
Of more or less serious works, and a book
lover as well. He wrote the memoirs
Relating to the Royal Navy of England
and book entitled ga Relation of the
Troubles in the Court of Portugal in 1867
and 1868, by s. p" is generally ascribed
to him. "A romance written in his youth
full days, called 'Lovea Cheate," he, with
his accustomed modesty, destroyed with
out publishing. He left to Magdalen
College collection of MS, naval me-
moirs, prints, and ancient English po-
etry, which has often been overhauled
with considerable profit by students and
writers. The most valuable part is, per-
haps, collection of English ballads, in
five large folio volumes, begun by the
learned Selden, to which Bishop Percy is
indebted for many of his "reliqueS." Sir
Walter Scott says of him: "He was man
of business; a man of information, if not
of learning; man of taste; a man of
whim; and, to certain degree, man of
pleasure. He was statesman, bel-es-
prit, a virtuoso and a connoisseur. His
curiosity made him an unwearied as we'll
as universal learner. and whatever he
saw found its way into his tables.''
December 10, 1893, there is the follow
ing entry: "To st. PauPs Churchyard,
to my booksellers, and could not tell
whether to lay out my money for books
of pleasure, as plays. which my nature
was most earnest in; but, at last, after
seeing Chaucer, Dugdales History of st,
Paul's, Slows London Gesner's His
tory of Trent besides Shakespeare,
Johnson and Beaumont's plays, at last
chose DR.. Fuller's 'Worth's,' the 'Cabbala,
or Collection of Letters of State and a
little book, 'Delices de Hollande,' with
another little book or two, all of good
use or serious pleasures; and 'Hudibras.'
both parts. the book now in greatest fash
ion for Grollery, though l cannot, / con-
TESS, see enough where the wit lies"
just twelve months before this date he
had bought a copy of "Hudibras," and
he says: ct cost me Is Cd. But when
came to read it, it is so silly and abuse of
the Presbyter knight going to the wars
that am ashamed of 1t, and by and by,
meeting friend at Mr.. Townsend's at
dinner, / sold it to him for 1Sd.r
August II, 1867, there is an entry of the
purchase of Reginald, SCOTS ,'Discourses
of Witches'-one of the first books writ
ten to oppose the absurd notions then
prevalent as to witchcraft. While wait
ing in the shop for it Pepys saw the
Bishop of Winchester, who lamented the
recent death of Crowley, and considered
him the best poet of "our nation and as
good a man." This was the year of the
publication of Paradise Lost" and it
might be said that the contemporary
opinion was on the side of Waller, who
used the famous, or rather infamous,
words: 'The old blind schoolmaster,
John Milton, hath published a tedious
poem on the Fall of Man, if it's length
be not considered as it's merit, it has no
other.'
Neither was Shakespeare considered so
superior to all other poets as he is to-day.
Pepys went so far as to say that Macbeth
is pretty good play and ''most ex-
cellent play for variety" and with Ham
let he was nightly pleased" but the
Midsummer Nights Dream he consid-
cred most insipid, ridiculous play"
and The Tanning of the Shrew "a silly
play and an old one"
While going to Deptford he read Othello,
which, he says: 81 heretofore considered
a mighty good play, but having so re-
Gently read the Adventures of Five
Houres, it seems a mean thing" The
latter play, which Pepys also saw acted,
was translation by Sir George luke
from the Spanish of Calderon.