Diary of Samuel Pepys — Volume 68: September/October 1668

Step into the bustling world of 1668 London through the eyes of its most meticulous chronicler. In these pages Pepys balances the demands of his Admiralty office with the pleasures of fairgrounds, puppet shows, and lively meals with his wife and friends. His entries capture the rhythm of daily life—meetings with commissioners, negotiations over victualling contracts, and the simple thrill of spotting a curious horse at the market. Interwoven are candid moments of social intrigue, from flirtations with street vendors to the occasional shilling given to a wandering wench.

Beyond the personal, Pepys offers a snapshot of the era’s intellectual currents, noting his search for a copy of Hobbes’s controversial “Leviathan” and his reflections on the theater’s satire of Puritanism. His observations blend bureaucracy, commerce, and culture, painting a vivid portrait of a city still healing from fire yet eager for entertainment. Listeners will hear the cadence of his shorthand, the humor of his anecdotes, and the earnest curiosity that makes his diary a timeless window onto Restoration England.