On May 31, 1669, Samuel Pepys wrote the last entry in his diary.
That diary provides a remarkable record of ten years of Pepys’ life and times in 17th century London. He commenced writing it on Jan. 1, 1660. By May 31, 1669, he had amassed over a million words.
He wrote frankly about himself, his weaknesses, finances, diet and women. And being an Englishman he regularly commented on the English weather. Importantly, he accurately documented major events such as the end of the Commonwealth, the restoration of the monarchy, the Anglo-Dutch war, the Great Plague, and the Great Fire of London.
Pepys was no mere spectator. He was at the center of things. Among many matters his diary tells of his accompanying the fleet to the Netherlands in 1669…
