Evening star., 1927-04-02
THE LIBRARY TABLE
By the BookIorer.

The publication of Everybody 8
Pepys," a skillfully abridged edltion
of the lengthy diary" OF Samuel
Pepys, has stimulated many former
and new readers to dip into the record
of the daily life of that diligent em.
ploye of the British Navy office and
assiduous man-about-town during the
reign of Charles II. The son of
poor tailor and an ex-domestic serv-
ant, Samuel Pepys managed, by in
dustry or luck, to take a degree from
Cambridge, to become secretary to the
Earl of Sandwich and later, under the
earl, clerk of the acts in the navy
office. and to attain a capital OF over
5000 and keep his own coach. Thrift
and love of luxury were mingled in
the character of Samuel Pepys. A
handsomely furnished house. good eat
ing, abundant wines, fine clothes,
music, dancing, books, the theater,
society, were all loved by Pepys. He
spent lavishly and drank too freely
at times, then had fits of economy
and remorse. when he made "VoWes'
which, like many another man, he
did not always keep. On January 2,
/ 1864, he wrote 81 come to new
vowe, that / will not see above one
play in a month at any of the publique
theatres till the sum of so shiilings be
spent, and then none before New
Years day next, unless that l do
become worth fl 900 sooner than
them On July 26, 1861, he writes:
Having the beginning of this week
made q vowe to myself to drink no
wine this week (finding it to unfit me
to look after business), and this day
breaking of it against my will, / am
much troubled for it. but I hope God
will forgive me-"
Eating was one of the most popular
recreations in the reign of Charles III
and Pepys was in this respect, as in
others, a man of his time. ie feasted,
both at home and abroad. and all the
delicacies of the day were familiar to
his palate. The pages of his diary
are full of references to barrels of
oysters, Holsters, trout, prawns, cray
fish, cells, carp, herrings, sturgeon,
pullets, pigeons, larks, rabbits, ribs of
beef, legs of mutton, sausages. veni-
son. heats tongue, hogs harslet, ba-
con, meat pies, radishes, cOwcumbers,
sparagus sometimes sparrograss), car
rots, pease. onions, Strawberries, plum
pOrridge, mince pies, cakes, tarts,
custards. chocolate, cream, cheese and
cheese cakes, sugarloaf, sweet -meates,
nuts, syllabub, brandy and wines.
Certainly he had no restricted menu.
He writes: 'Home to dinner with my
wife, to a good hogs harslet (heart,
liver and other edible offaD, a piece
of meat | love, but have not eat of,
think, these seven years." He was
proud of his own table entertainment.
He says, Il had for them, after
oysters, as first course hash of rab-
hi 1e.N, nj aI,t, <nf
Next a great dish of roasted fowl, cost
me about 80 shillings. and a tart, and
then fruit and cheese. My dinner
was noble and enough" Sometimes
his fastidious taste was offended, as
when he dined at Sir W. PENS ION
a damned venison pastry that stunk
like a devil" At least during the
period covered by the diary Pepys
was not on a reduction diet. One of
his dinners he itemizes as follows: "a
dish of marrow bones. a leg of NUT
ton, 81 loin of veal, a dish of fowl,
three pullets and two dozen of larks
tongue, a dish OF anchoyies, a dish
of prawns and cheese"
X X " \
Samuel Pepys at 20 married a gay,
capricious girl of Is. 1t seems to have
been genuine love match, in a time
when marriages were usually ar
ranged for economic and social rea-
sons. Their married life of IA years
was enlivened by frequent quarrels,
which were always quickly over. En-
tries are common in the diary such
as finding my wifes clothes lie care
lessly laid up, / was angry with her,
which | was troubled for and Il
took occasion to be angry with my
wife before I rose about her putting
up of half a crown of mine in paper
box, which she had forgot where she
had lain it. But we were friends
again as we are always" Pepys,
though himself fond of kissing elegant
ladies and pretty "wenches," had a
jealous disposition and demanded
great circumspection of his wife. Sus-
pecting her of too great interest in
her dancing master, he discontinued
her dancing lessons, but was chagrined
that the dancing master knew of his
jealousy. He writes: Il perceive to
my trouble that he knows ALL and
may do me the disgrace to publish it
as much as he can. Which / take
very i'll, and if too much provoked
shall witness it to her. His wife
spent % shillings for a pair of ear
rings (which did vex me and brought
:.
very foule words from her to me.
such as trouble me to think she should
have in her mouth; and rejecting
upon our old differences, which l hate
to have remembered. He vowed to
break them or make her sell them;
but, finding that she had sent her
maid to return them to the jeweler
and get her money back, he inter-
cepted the maid and sent the earrings
back to his wife, being satisfied that
she yielded" Occasionally Mrs. Pepys
took the offensive, as when she de-
manded that Pepys cease keeping
company" with a certain Mrs. knipp
in return for her giving up powdered
hair. Pepys preferred being the die
tator himself. for he records: This
vexed me, but I restrained myself
from saying anything, but do think
never TO see this woman tat least, to
have her here) more. But by and by
] did give her money to buy lace and
she promised to wear no more white
locks while I lived, and so all very
good friends as ever
The beautiful drawings, some of
them in color, explain and justify the
relative expense of George Wharton
Edwards Spain" The text is an ex-
cellent discussion of Spanish archi-
lecture and painting. The medieval
and more modern sculptured beauties
of Burgos. Madrid, Toledo, Tara
gona, Zaragoza and Barcelona. and
the treasures Of painting in the Prado
Gallery in Madrid are enthusiastically
described and artistically portrayed in
text and pictures. Mr.. Edwards gives
only casual attention to the Spanish
people and the life they lead, but he
d. naf
to relate some pleasant experience or
to eulogize some Spanish traits. Es-
pecially. being human man, does he
grow eloquent over the delights of