Diary of Samuel Pepys — Volume 38: September 1665

In the thick of September 1665, the diarist records a bustling London where personal appointments, naval gossip, and the creeping threat of plague intertwine. He moves from a leisurely breakfast with friends in Ropeyarde to hurried trips by water to Greenwich and the Duke of Albemarle’s house, where whispered discussions of a republican plot surface amid the clink of armor and the murmur of courtiers.

Beyond the political undercurrents, the narrative shines a vivid light on everyday concerns: fashion anxieties about silk suits and periwigs, the loss of a coach horse, and the simple pleasure of sharing pictures with his family. The listener will hear candid observations on a city straining under disease, the king’s apparent indifference, and the tangled finances of the navy—all filtered through the diarist’s sharp, witty eye that makes history feel immediate and human.