Samuel Pepys Quotes

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

I know not how to abstain from reading.

The best of a bad bargain.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

But it is pretty to see what money will do.

I find my wife hath something in her gizzard, that only waits an opportunity of being provoked to bring up; but I will not, for my content-sake, give it.

I did this night promise my wife never to go to bed without calling upon God, upon my knees, in prayer.

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

Now public business takes up so much of my time that I must get time a Sundays or a nights to look after my own matters.

However, music and women I cannot but give way to, whatever my business is.

Find myself £43 worse than I was the last month ... chiefly arisen from my layings-out in clothes for myself and wife; viz., for her, about £12, and for myself, £55 or thereabouts.

Saw a wedding in the church. It was strange to see what delight we married people have to see these poor fools decoyed into our condition.

Music and women I cannot but give way to whatever my business is.

I did this night promise my wife never to go to bed without calling upon God upon my knees in prayer.

Strange, to see what delight we married people have to see these poor fools decoyed into our condition, every man and wife gazing and smiling at them.