Diary of Samuel Pepys — Complete 1665 N.S.

Listeners are invited into the bustling world of a mid‑17th‑century London clerk whose diary records every ordinary and extraordinary moment. From careful tallies of household expenses to spontaneous feasts of venison and turkey, the entries reveal a man preoccupied with both work and pleasure. Social visits to the Duke, lively evenings at the Swan, and flirtations in Bow Street illustrate the vibrant network of friends and acquaintances that surrounded him. Amid these personal details, Pepys notes the arrival of Robert Hooke’s groundbreaking microscope book, hinting at the era’s growing fascination with science.

The diary unfolds against the backdrop of a city on the brink of disaster, with the cold January frost, the looming threat of disease, and the restless chatter of the Royal Society. Pepys’s voice is candid and witty, offering modern ears a rare glimpse of Restoration London’s bureaucracy, its culinary indulgences, and its early modern curiosities. By listening, you’ll hear history spoken in the language of daily life, making a distant century feel remarkably immediate.