The Diary · Chapter
June 1665 explained
Pepys navigates the escalating plague, Tangier treasury troubles, and naval affairs while managing personal finances, social engagements, and family concerns.
What happens
Pepys navigates the escalating plague, Tangier treasury troubles, and naval affairs while managing personal finances, social engagements, and family concerns. He secures bail for Mr. Hater, observes the burial of Sir Thomas Viner, and notes the Duke of York's return from sea. The chapter ends with preparations to move his wife to Woolwich amid the growing sickness.
Themes in this chapter
Naval Administration and Corruption
Pepys deals with office business, Tangier treasury troubles, and the release of Mr. Hater; naval command changes and Captain Holmes's torn commission highlight administrative tensions.
Daily Life and Domesticity
Pepys details his new suit, lace bands, visits to Kate Joyce's, and plans to move his wife to Woolwich; domestic routines amid the plague.
Money, Debt, and Economy
Pepys manages tallies with Colvill and Viner, secures credit, and worries about Tangier payments; the cost of his new suit (£24) and bail expenses are noted.
Characters to notice
- Samuel Pepys
Records daily life, business at the office, Tangier treasury worries, and personal pleasures; secures bail for Mr. Hater and plans to move his wife to Woolwich due to the plague.
- Elizabeth Pepys
Accompanies Pepys to Deptford and Woolwich; learns painting with pleasure and success; prepares to move to Mr. Sheldon's house.
- Edward Montagu, Earl of Sandwich
Praised for courage and service in the naval victory; a letter from Captain Ferrers does him great right in the newsbook.
- Sir William Coventry
Rejoins Pepys at Whitehall; they discuss Lord Sandwich's honorable service and other naval matters.
- Sir George Carteret
Assists Pepys in securing Mr. Hater's release on bail; involved in a match between his eldest son and Lady Jemimah Montagu.
- Mr. Hewer
Stays with Pepys for dinner and helps draw up a petition for Mr. Hater's troublesome powder business.
- Mr. Creed
Accompanies Pepys to Westminster and Goldsmiths' Hall; discusses Tangier business and other matters.
- Mr. Povy
Meets Pepys at Sir Thomas Viner's funeral and engages in discourse.
Key passages
“All our discourse in our way was Sir J. Minnes’s telling me passages of the late King’s and his father’s, which I was mightily pleased to hear for information, though the pride of some persons and vice of most was but a sad story to tell how that brought the whole kingdom and King to ruin.”
Sir J. Minnes recounted stories of the late King and his father, which Pepys found informative but lamented as a tale of pride and vice leading to the kingdom's ruin.
Reflects on the moral decay that contributed to the downfall of the monarchy.
“The town grows very sickly, and people to be afeard of it; there dying this last week of the plague 112, from 43 the week before, whereof but [one] in Fenchurch Street, and one in Broad Street, by the Treasurer’s office.”
The plague is worsening rapidly, with deaths rising from 43 to 112 in a week, though few are in the City itself.
Highlights the escalating plague crisis and its uneven distribution across London.
“I put on my new silke camlet suit; the best that ever I wore in my life, the suit costing me above £24.”
Pepys wore his finest new silk camlet suit, which cost over £24, marking a personal indulgence.
Illustrates Pepys's pride in appearance and his financial expenditure on clothing.
