Samuel Pepys Quotes

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• Strange to say what delight we married people have to see these poor fools decoyed into our condition.

  Samuel Pepys

  Love, Funny, Marriage

  'Diary' 25 December 1665

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• As happy a man as any in the world, for the whole world seems to smile upon me!

  Samuel Pepys

  Happiness, Smile, Men

  Samuel Pepys (1997). “The Concise Pepys”, p.173, Wordsworth Editions

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• Fight the good fight; and always call to mind that it is not you who are mortal, but this body of ours. For your true being is not discerned by perceiving your physical appearance. But 'what a man's mind is, that is what he is' not that individual human shape that we identify through our senses.

  Samuel Pepys

  Fighting, Men, Mind

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• Strange to see how a good dinner and feasting reconciles everybody.

  Samuel Pepys

  Inspirational, Dinner, Strange

  'Diary' 9 November 1665

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• Thanks be to God, since my leaving drinking of wine, I do find myself much better, and do mind my business better, and do spend less money, and less time lost in idle company.

  Samuel Pepys

  God, Drinking, Wine

  Diary 26 January (1662)

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• The truth is, I do indulge myself a little the more in pleasure, knowing that this is the proper age of my life to do it; and, out of my observation that most men that do thrive in the world do forget to take pleasure during the time that they are getting their estate, but reserve that till they have got one, and then it is too late for them to enjoy it.

  Samuel Pepys

  Men, Knowing, Age

  Samuel Pepys (2012). “Diary of Samuel Pepys: Selected Passages”, p.143, Courier Corporation

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• I went out to Charing Cross to see Major General Harrison hanged, drawn, and quartered; which was done there, he looking as cheerful as any man could in that condition.

  Samuel Pepys

  Happiness, Men, Cheerful

  'Diary' 13 October 1660

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• I do still see that my nature is not to be quite conquered, but will esteem pleasure above all things, though yet in the middle of it, it has reluctances after my business, which is neglected by my following my pleasure. However musique and women I cannot but give way to, whatever my business is.

  Samuel Pepys

  Business, Giving, Way

  Diary, 9 Mar. 1666

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• I went home and took my wife and went to my Cosen Tho. Pepys's and found them just sat down to dinner, which was very good; only the venison pasty was palpable beef, which was not handsome.

  Samuel Pepys

  Food, Home, Wife

  Samuel Pepys (2000). “The Diary of Samuel Pepys”, p.9, Univ of California Press

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• Unlike God the artist does not start with nothing and make something of it. He starts with himself as nothing and makes something of the nothing with the things at hand.

  Samuel Pepys

  Artist, Hands, Doe

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• Before I went to bed, I sat up till 2 a-clock in my chamber, reading of Mr. Hooke's Microscopical Observations, the most ingenious book that I ever read in my life.

  Samuel Pepys

  Book, Reading, Bed

  Samuel Pepys, Robert Latham (1985). “The Shorter Pepys”, p.464, Univ of California Press

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• Music [is] a science peculiarly productive of a pleasure that no state of life, publick or private, secular or sacred; no difference of age or season; no temper of mind or condition of health exempt from present anguish; nor, lastly, distinction of quality, renders either improper, untimely, or unentertaining.

  Samuel Pepys

  Differences, Mind, Age

  Samuel Pepys, Robert Latham (1983). “The Diary of Samuel Pepys: Companion”, p.259, Univ of California Press

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• I know not how to abstain from reading.

  Samuel Pepys

  Reading, Knows

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• The best of a bad bargain.

  Samuel Pepys

  Bargains

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• Poorpeoplestaying intheir houses aslong astill thevery fire touched them, and then running into boats or clambering from one pair of stair by the waterside to another. And among other things, the poor pigeons I perceive were loath to leave their houses, but hovered about the windows and balconies till they were some of them burned, their wings, and fell down.

  Samuel Pepys

  Running, Fire, Wings

  1666 Diary entry, 2 Sep.The Great Fire of London continued for four days, destroying four-fifths of the total area of the city.

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• At the Royall Oake Taverne, I drank a sort of French wine called Ho Bryan, that hath a good and most particular taste that I never met with.

  Samuel Pepys

  Wine, Taste, Mets

  Samuel Pepys (1876). “Diary and Correspondence of Samuel Pepys, Esq., F. R. S.: From His Ms. Cypher in the Pepysian Library, with a Life and Notes by Richard Lord Braybrooke. Deciphered, with Additional Notes, by Rev. Mynors Bright ...”, p.183

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• Did satisfy myself mighty fair in the truth of the saying that the world do not grow old at all, but is in as good condition in all respects as ever it was.

  Samuel Pepys

  World, Grows, Fairs

  Samuel PEPYS (1858). “Diary and correspondance of Samuel Pepys, F.R.S.,secretary to the admiralty in the Reigns of Charles II and James II”, p.57

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• But Lord! To see the absurd nature of Englishmen that cannot forbear laughing and jeering at everything that looks strange.

  Samuel Pepys

  Laughing, Looks, Jeering

  'Diary' 27 November 1662

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• To church in the morning, and there saw a wedding in the church, which I have not seen many a day; and the young people so merry one with another, and strange to see what delight we married people have to see these poor fools decoyed into our condition, every man and woman gazing and smiling at them.

  Samuel Pepys

  Morning, Men, People

  'Diary' 25 December 1665

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• It having been a very cold night last night I had got some cold, and so in pain by wind, and a sure precursor of pain is sudden letting off farts, and when that stops, then my passages stop and my pain begins

  Samuel Pepys

  Pain, Night, Wind

  Samuel Pepys, Robert Latham (1985). “The Shorter Pepys”, p.397, Univ of California Press

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• Mighty proud I am that I am able to have a spare bed for my friends.

  Samuel Pepys

  Friendship, Real Friends, Bed

  Samuel Pepys, Robert Latham (1985). “The Shorter Pepys”, p.651, Univ of California Press

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• I see it is impossible for the King to have things done as cheap as other men.

  Samuel Pepys

  Kings, Men, Done

  'Diary' 21 July 1662

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• My wife, who, poor wretch, is troubled with her lonely life.

  Samuel Pepys

  Lonely, Wife, Poor

  'Diary' 19 December 1662

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• But it is pretty to see what money will do.

  Samuel Pepys

  'Diary' 21 March 1667

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• But me thought it lessened my esteem of a king, that he should not be able to command the rain.

  Samuel Pepys

  Leadership, Kings, Rain

  'Diary' 19 July 1662

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