Fat Tuesday

(Lord’s day): Mr. Woodcocke preached at our church a very good sermon upon the imaginacions of the thoughts of man’s heart being only evil. So home, where being told that my Lord had sent for me I went, and got there to dine with my Lord, who is to go into the country tomorrow. I did give up the mortgage made to me by Sir R. Parkhurst for 2,000l.
In the Abby all the afternoon. Then at Mr. Pierces the surgeon, where Shepley and I supped. So to my Lord’s, who comes in late and tells us how news is come to-day of Mazarin’s being dead, which is very great news and of great consequence.
I lay tonight with Mr. Shepley here, because of my Lord’s going to-morrow.

In the heart, only evil—
tomorrow I give up the urge.
Late news is dead news.
A great lay tonight
because of tomorrow.


Erasure poem derived from The Diary of Samuel Pepys, Sunday 3 March 1660/61.

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