Diary of Samuel Pepys — Volume 10: April/May 1661

In this lively portion of the legendary 17th‑century diary, listeners are invited into the bustling world of London in the spring of 1661. Pepys, a clerk of the Privy Seal, records his daily routine—early mornings with workmen, hurried trips to the office, and evenings spent at taverns and the theatre—painting a vivid picture of public service and private ambition.

Beyond his bureaucratic duties, the entries reveal a man juggling family tensions, fashionable pastimes, and the social pulse of the Restoration court. He watches the Duke of York play a new sport in St. James’s Park, enjoys the comedy of The Little Thief, and navigates disputes over household staff with his parents. The diary captures his candid humor, occasional overindulgence in wine, and the curious mix of politics and pleasure that defined his life, offering an intimate glimpse of the era’s ordinary and extraordinary moments.