The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-02-23
BIRTHDAY OF SAMUEL PEPYS, GREATEST
 OF ALL DIARISTS

Or all the pictures Of EnglandS past which have been handed down as a heritage to the present genera ton, perhaps the clearest and most interesting was the literary work of a man who had no thought of writ ing literature, and who doubtless new CT entertained the idea that his words would ever be perused by any but himself. Samuel Pepys. the greatest of ali diarists, was born 283 years ago today, Feb. 23,, 1882, and died in 1703. He was secretary to the admiralty in the reign of Charles IT., satin tsev- eraf parliaments, and attained great wealth. Yet he would long since. have been forgotten save for that frank and funreserved chronicle of his daily life, set forth in his diary, in which he gives us so. clear and amusing a picture of the English people, court and customs of the sew enteenth century. The Restoration the first Dutch war. the London fire and plague and other great events are mentioned in his diary, but far more interesting are his entertaining g I observations on more transient mat ters.
 Shakespeare had been in his grave l but sixteen years when Pepys was born. and the board of Avon had not yet become an object of veneration. l Of Midsummer Nights Dream MT. Peys wrote: Tt is the most insipid, ridiculous play that ever I saw in ! my Ifa'' Again he wrote: ssTo 1 Deptford by water reading 'sOthel1o, Moor of Venice,'' which [ have ever l heretofore esteemed a mighty good l play; but having so lately read the I fsAdYentures of Five Hours it seems I a mean thing.''
 l Pepys was a faithful public servant | a churchman of Presbyterian inclin- lations, and a very respectable cfti- I zen@but also bit too fond of pret- l ty ladies, although married to a wo- I man he adored He admits that his I attendance at church was often as
 much inspired by a desire to gaze up- I on lovely girls as by religious aspira- I tions. When his wife accompanied I him to the sacred edif1ce, however, he he apparently did not find the con- I gregatipn so interesting, for he
 again my wife and I, where we had II g dull sermon, which made me sleep
 I { Ministers had sermon barrels in
 those days it seems: T heard a good sermon of pr. Bucks, one never
 heard before. 2
 Mr. Pepys, like we moderns, had I his troubles with the cook: My wife I and I alone to a leg of mutton, the sauce of which being made sweet, ]
 was angry at it, and ate none.'' But
 he found consolation: ttAt dinner and
 supper I drank, I know not how, o1
 my own accord, so much wine, thai I I was even almost foxed, and my
 head ached all night 2
 Il MT. Pepys visited Greye's Inn walk
 with his wife and t'saw many
 beauties of nature.'' Then, ..I tc
 Greye's Inn walk all alone, and witf
 great pleasure. seeing the fine ladies
 walk there.''
 The diarist did not hesitate to crit
 icise the simple -1ninded'' monarch
 with whom he was often brought in.
 to contact. Touching for the king.
 evil was still in voguetfan ugly of E fee and a simple one,,s it seemed te
 Afr. Pepys The diarist was z
 chronic gossip, and many of tn,
 great ladies of the period obtained
 dubious Immortality in the pages O.
 his diary. Thus, the Duke of Rich
 nond arranged that the king
 cousin, 'fthe fair Frances Stewart I should leave the court privfly. ant join him at the Beare at the Bridge
 foot, where a coach was ready. ant
 they are stole away into Kent, with out the kings 1eave.''
 Fortunate it was for MT. Pepys, ant
 for. postertty, that Mrs. Pepys neve found that hidden diary. Doubles