The Diary · Chapter
September 1666 explained
In September 1666, Pepys records the Great Fire of London, its devastating spread, and his own efforts to assist the King and Duke of York.
What happens
In September 1666, Pepys records the Great Fire of London, its devastating spread, and his own efforts to assist the King and Duke of York. He also deals with personal concerns, including his wife's spending, the loss of books, and the state of the fleet. The chapter captures the chaos of the fire, the political and social aftermath, and Pepys's ongoing anxieties about money, reputation, and domestic life.
Themes in this chapter
Naval Administration and Corruption
Pepys deals with complaints about lack of money for the fleet, parliamentary scrutiny of accounts, and discussions about timber and privateering to raise funds.
Daily Life and Domesticity
Pepys manages household affairs, including his wife's gown purchase, the loss of books, and the cleaning and furnishing of his house after the fire.
Money, Debt, and Economy
Pepys worries about the cost of rebuilding, the financial losses from the fire, and potential profits from timber and privateering.
Political Intrigue and Restoration
The King and Duke of York are involved in fire response; Pepys reports to them, and there is concern about the nobility's absence and lack of support for the monarchy.
Characters to notice
- Samuel Pepys
Pepys witnesses the Great Fire, reports to the King and Duke of York, and later deals with the aftermath, including concerns about his books and the fleet.
- Elizabeth Pepys
Pepys's wife buys an expensive gown and is troubled by the sight of the ruins; she also suffers from illness and hair loss.
- Sir William Batten
Pepys discusses with Batten the parliamentary inquiry into their accounts and the potential for trouble.
- Sir William Penn
Penn walks with Pepys in the garden, discussing timber trade and privateering opportunities.
- Edward Montagu, Earl of Sandwich
Mentioned indirectly as part of the naval command; Pepys worries about the fleet under an unlucky commander.
- Sir William Coventry
Coventry discusses accounts with Pepys and shares news about the fleet and De Ruyter's reported death.
Key passages
“I did see the houses at that end of the bridge all on fire, and an infinite great fire on this and the other side the end of the bridge; which, among other people, did trouble me for poor little Michell and our Sarah on the bridge.”
Pepys saw the fire consuming houses at the bridge and worried about his friends Michell and Sarah who lived there.
Pepys's personal concern for acquaintances amid the disaster.
“I to Whitehall, and there up to the Kings closet in the Chapel, where people come about me, and did give them an account dismayed them all, and word was carried in to the King.”
Pepys went to Whitehall and reported the fire to the King, causing dismay.
Pepys's role as an informant to the King during the crisis.
“He tells me how the fleet is come into the Downs. Nothing done, nor French fleet seen: we drove all from our anchors. But he says news is come that De Ruyter is dead, or very near it, of a hurt in his mouth, upon the discharge of one of his own guns; which put him into a fever, and he likely to die, if not already dead.”
Coventry reported that the fleet had returned to the Downs without engaging the French, and that the Dutch admiral De Ruyter was reportedly dying from a self-inflicted gun injury.
Naval news and the rumored death of a key enemy commander.
