Samuel Pepys Quotes

57 Sourced Quotes

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 do in that condition.

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

Samuel Pepys
As happy a man as any in the world, for the whole world seems to smile upon me.

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

Samuel Pepys
But to think of the clatter they make with his coach, and his own fine clothes, and yet how meanly they live within doors, and nastily, and borrowing everything of neighbors.

Samuel Pepys
Up, and at my chamber all the morning and the office doing business, and also reading a little of L'escholle des filles, which is a mighty lewd book, but yet not amiss for a sober man once to read over to inform himself in the villainy of the world.

Samuel Pepys
I saw a dead corpse in a coffin lie in the close unburied—and a watch is constantly kept there, night and day, to keep the people in—the plague making us cruel as dogs one to another.

Samuel Pepys
Musick is the thing of the world that I love most.

Samuel Pepys
Musique and women I cannot but give way to, whatever my business is.

Samuel Pepys
To church; and with my mourning, very handsome, and new periwig, make a great show.

Samuel Pepys
But methought it lessened my esteem of a king, that he should not be able to command the rain.

Samuel Pepys
Great fear of the sicknesses here in the City, it being said that two or three houses are already shut up. God preserve us all.

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

Samuel Pepys
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
Whose red nose makes me ashamed to be seen with him.

Samuel Pepys
Musick and women I cannot but give way to, whatever my business is.

Samuel Pepys
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
To this very day, I cannot sleep at night, without great terrors of fire.

Samuel Pepys
He that will not stoop for a pin will never be worth a pound.

Samuel Pepys
And it is a wonder what will be the fashion after the plagueisdoneastoperiwigs, fornobody will daretobuy any haire for fear of the infectionthat it had been cut off the heads of people dead of the plague.

Samuel Pepys
In the heighth of it [the plague]…bold people there were to go in sport to one another's burials. And in spite to well people, would breathe in the faces…of well people going by.

Samuel Pepys
In appearance, at least, he being on all occasions glad to be at friendship with me, though we hate one another, and know it on both sides.

Samuel Pepys
We to a little ale-house on the Bankside, over against the Three Cranes, and there stayed till it was dark almost, and saw the fire grow; and, as it grew darker, appeared more and more, and in corners and upon steeples, and between churches and houses, as far as we could see up the hill of the City, in a most horrid malicious bloody flame, not like the fine flame of an ordinary fire. Barbary and her husband away before us. We stayed till, it being darkish, we saw the fire as only one entire arch of fire from this to the other side the bridge, and in a bow up the hill for an arch of above a mile long: it made me weep to see it.

Samuel Pepys
"By god", says he, "I think the Devil shits Dutchmen"

Samuel Pepys
The town grows very sickly, and people to be afeared of it — there dying this last week of the plague 112, from 43 the week before — whereof, one in Fanchurch-street and one in Broadstreete by the Treasurer's office.

Samuel Pepys