Listen to yourself

Up, and at the office hard all the morning, and at noon resolved with Sir W. Pen to go see “The Tempest,” an old play of Shakespeare’s, acted, I hear, the first day; and so my wife, and girl, and W. Hewer by themselves, and Sir W. Pen and I afterwards by ourselves; and forced to sit in the side balcone over against the musique-room at the Duke’s house, close by my Lady Dorset and a great many great ones. The house mighty full; the King and Court there and the most innocent play that ever I saw; and a curious piece of musique in an echo of half sentences, the echo repeating the former half, while the man goes on to the latter; which is mighty pretty. The play no great wit, but yet good, above ordinary plays. Thence home with W. Pen, and there all mightily pleased with the play; and so to supper and to bed, after having done at the office.

hard to hear ourselves
to sit inside the music of us
half echo
half mango
to go
off

Erasure poem derived from The Diary of Samuel Pepys, Thursday 7 November 1667.

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