New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-10-06
PEPYS'S DIARY.
IN THE TIMES OF THE DECLINE OF
CHARLES II.

THE DIARY OF SAMUEL PEPlS. NJ: A. r.,
Il. $ Clerk Of the Acts and Secretary to d tns
Manuscript In the Pepysian Library Magnn,
lene College. Cambridge by the icy osi m4 Of
he College. with Lord Braybrookes Notes
Edited with Additions by Henry =, Whea''eS'
F. 5. a. Vol VI PIP. 3S5. Macmillan ~ 90
The omissions in the new edition of Pepyss DIARY
characterize the sixth volume as well as IT'S pre-
dccessors. As they are for the most part due to a
sirg;e cause readers instinctlvey condone them
Pepvs really improved in many ways as ne gre"
older When he began to count his fortune py
the thousand pounds instead Of by the huhdreu'
contentment fell upon him. He began 10 ieel MS
strength as a public man. and at home ne iouhn MS
wife more comparionable 1t no longer cost him
nane TO waste a few shi.lings. He began 10 pride
himself on the dinners he gave and when ne could
mako some one else uncomfortable by the display
NJ his prosperity he downright happy Tor
whole day together. A new set OF plate IN the year
1866 was the occasion for unprecedented hperany
on his part In the matter Of dnner-givirg' ne pe
gan to despise the economy OF Sir William rem
household which he had perhaps enved before
Not that he forgets the cost OF things ON April
1857 he had twelve at table "and most neat
and excellent but dear dinner That WORD dear
seems 20 have a heartache In it, But II was repair
many times over by the glances when MS guests
bestowed on his treasure To their envy OF all
his fine plate was pleasant. He made the very peSt
he cOull-nOt
things but ito take down the pride OF Mrs.
Clarke who thinks herself very great" The com
many sat long at dinner. and then took coaches 10
see the piav but were too late twinge OF the ola
pain at parting with his money was caused oy
rho eoperness with which his friends planned a
new expedition in place Of the theatre. / thoush'
he remarks all the charge ought not 10 De ihlhe'
and therefore I endeavored 10 part from the COM
nany" successfully as 1t happened; and then ne
nj
hour. went to the theatre later to Pohchineno and
later still home to sing in his own eardeh anu ~
he'd nightly pleased with this days pleasure IL
was something delightful to remember that ne hau
taken down the naughty Mrs. clerhe
The cause of his growing domestic happiness
was not due TO himself much as TO the ihteiI-
CONT MANAGEMENT Of his wife. She no longer trIed
70 oppose on the contrary she took more ana
more pains to suit herself TO MS tastes
particularly in the study OF music he began
to see as he says, that II they hved' the'
would be more and companonabe as the
wears went by Nevertheless. he was capable OF as
much angry rudeness now as he ever had been
when her conduct irritated him. The most inno-
cent thing on her part caused storm. Az my
accounts all the afternoon" he wrote on May ~
1851 .beinR n;tle lost in them to reckoning
interest" One can him tuning and fretting
over his figures. when down comes Mrs. Pepys not
in the full mourning to which he had of late been
ing. with her black mayre wastcoat and short
petticoat laced with silver lace losely that he
could not endure TO see her. and with laced nmhs
which WAS too SOON according to his notion Of
the prophecies He was 'horrid angry ana went
away TO his Office in a fever OF rage such that he
would not even answer when she sent humbly 10
ask how she should dress to please him There
was IL IS true { reservation in her humility. She
wouId wear anything but her cloth gown and
that was probably the only thing he had made a
point OF her putting on. The tempest was all over
by next day Instead OF sukng, as they had
known themselves to do for days together, they
were as good friends by the morning
This volume belongs TO the time when all England
uas di.abused OF its romantic attachment to
Charles H. The King was Industrious about moth
ing except the effort TO squeeze money from MS
subjects The navy. which he had been really am
bilious to make even better than Cromwell had
left IT, suffered shamefully for lack OF funds. while
he snent millions on himself and his favortes
pepys became full OF this subject. Here and there
a sentence shows how much he missed the busl-
nesslIke MANAGEMENT OF the man whom for form 8
sake he called rebel. With experience he had
become capable OF plain speaking lie dsmayed
Prince Rupert by his account OF the fleet after II
had returned from an expedition In which the
Prince thought he had taken wonderful care OF
his ship Pepys longer lay awake nights think
ing how he could impress those above him by
seeming TO know something about matters o! which
he was ignorant. He had done enough OF that
when the vexed question Of dipping foreign colors
TO the British flag In the Channel was under Dis
cusslon. He had then gone TO the trouble OF max
Ing up a tradition as to what the great Selden said
on the subject in imaginary conversation Now
he has no occasion TO leave the field OF his
knowledge. lie IL familiar with every line OF the
official routine and he finds II easy to make his
figures convincing. But the task has become hope
less. The King Is wilfully blind TO the himat ons
through lack Of discipline There Is no money to
pay the men They starve before ones eyes. Pepys
sees II all. and when he hears about the drunken