Diary of Samuel Pepys — Volume 51: March 1666-67

In this lively slice of a seventeenth‑century diary, the chronicler records a March in which London’s chill contrasts with the bustle of his office, where he wrestles with the navy’s meagre budget and the endless paperwork of war. He meets with senior officials, debates the allocation of a modest £30,000, and notes the odd customs of the city—like a wooden effigy of a Welshman hanging on a merchant’s house for St. David’s Day.

At home, the entries turn more intimate: a flageolet‑playing tutor arrives, his wife’s attempts at music spark gentle frustration, and the couple’s evening routine of singing and conversation offers a warm counterpoint to the day’s official duties. Along the way, Pepys peppered his notes with gossip about court entertainments, a surgeon’s untimely death, and the occasional rumor that hints at the larger upheavals awaiting England later that year.