The Diary · Chapter
September 1665 explained
Pepys navigates the plague-ridden landscape of September 1665, balancing naval administration, personal finances, and social engagements.
What happens
Pepys navigates the plague-ridden landscape of September 1665, balancing naval administration, personal finances, and social engagements. He visits his new lodging, dines with colleagues, and overhears examinations of a plot against the King. He wears a new periwig despite plague fears, discusses the kingdom's mismanagement with Captain Cocke, and travels to Nonsuch for Exchequer business. The chapter captures the tension between public duty and private anxiety amid the ongoing epidemic.
Themes in this chapter
Naval Administration and Corruption
Pepys's office work, discussions about fleet funding, and observations of mismanagement highlight the challenges of naval administration during war and plague.
Daily Life and Domesticity
Pepys's domestic arrangements, including moving goods, his wife's activities, and the death of servants from plague, reflect everyday life under crisis.
Political Intrigue and Restoration
The examination of a plot against the King and discussions of the kingdom's governance underscore ongoing political tensions.
Characters to notice
- Samuel Pepys
Records his daily activities, including visits, office work, and personal reflections on the plague and governance.
- Elizabeth Pepys
Shows her pictures to Lady Penn and Pegg; goes out with Captain Cocke to see his boy at school, causing Pepys some concern.
- Sir William Batten
Dines with Pepys and others; his maid-servant falls ill, prompting his return to Walthamstow.
- Sir William Penn
Walks with Pepys and discusses observations of France; disputes the meaning of a French song phrase.
- Lord Brouncker
Provides his coach for Pepys's journey to Nonsuch; dines and sups with Pepys and Captain Cocke.
- Captain Cocke
Dines with Pepys, discusses the kingdom's ill government, and takes Elizabeth to see his boy at school.
- Mr. Hewer
Accompanies Pepys to Nonsuch; is in mourning for his father who died of the plague.
Key passages
“Up; and put on my coloured silk suit very fine, and my new periwig, bought a good while since, but durst not wear, because the plague was in Westminster when I bought it; and it is a wonder what will be the fashion after the plague is done, as to periwigs, for nobody will dare to buy any haire, for fear of the infection, that it had been cut off of the heads of people dead of the plague.”
Pepys dresses in his fine colored silk suit and a new wig he had bought earlier but hesitated to wear due to the plague in Westminster. He wonders about post-plague wig fashions, fearing people will avoid buying hair that might have come from plague victims.
Reflects Pepys's concern with appearance and the practical fears surrounding the plague's impact on everyday items.
“talking of the ill government of our Kingdom, nobody setting to heart the business of the Kingdom, but everybody minding their particular profit or pleasures, the King himself minding nothing but his ease, and so we let things go to rack.”
Pepys and Captain Cocke discuss the poor state of governance, noting that everyone pursues personal gain or pleasure while the King focuses on his own comfort, leading to neglect of the kingdom's affairs.
Highlights Pepys's critical view of leadership during a time of war and plague.