see the instrument for perspective made by Dr. Wren,
of which I have one making by Browne; and the sight
of this do please me mightily. At noon my wife
come to me at my tailor’s, and I sent her home
and myself and Tom dined at Hercules’ Pillars;
and so about our business again, and particularly to
Lilly’s, the varnisher about my prints, whereof
some of them are pasted upon the boards, and to my
full content. Thence to the frame-maker’s
one Morris, in Long Acre, who shewed me several forms
of frames to choose by, which was pretty, in little
bits of mouldings, to choose by. This done, I
to my coach-maker’s, and there vexed to see
nothing yet done to my coach, at three in the afternoon;
but I set it in doing, and stood by it till eight
at night, and saw the painter varnish which is pretty
to see how every doing it over do make it more and
more yellow; and it dries as fast in the sun as it
can be laid on almost; and most coaches are, now-a-days
done so, and it is very pretty when laid on well,
and not pale, as some are, even to shew the silver.
Here I did make the workmen drink, and saw my coach
cleaned and oyled; and, staying among poor people there
in the alley, did hear them call their fat child Punch,
which pleased me mightily that word being become a
word of common use for all that is thick and short.
At night home, and there find my wife hath been making
herself clean against to-morrow; and, late as it was,
I did send my coachman and horses to fetch home the
coach to-night, and so we to supper, myself most weary
with walking and standing so much, to see all things
fine against to-morrow, and so to bed. God give
a blessing to it! Meeting with Mr. Sheres, he
went with me up and down to several places, and, among
others, to buy a perriwig, but I bought none; and
also to Dancre’s, where he was about my picture
of Windsor, which is mighty pretty, and so will the
prospect of Rome be.
THE DIARY OF SAMUEL PEPYS M.A. F.R.S.
CLERK OF THE ACTS AND SECRETARY TO THE ADMIRALTY
Transcribed from the
shorthand manuscript in the Pepysian
library
Magdalene college Cambridge by
the Rev. Mynors bright M.A.
Late fellow
and president of
the college
(Unabridged)
WITH LORD BRAYBROOKE’S NOTES
EDITED WITH ADDITIONS BY
HenryB. Wheatley F.S.A.
Diaryof Samuel Pepys.
May
1669