Thanatos

Old East comes to me in the morning with letters, and I did give him a bottle of Northdown ale, which made the poor man almost drunk.
In the afternoon my wife went to the burial of a child of my cozen Scott’s, and it is observable that within this month my Aunt Wight was brought to bed of two girls, my cozen Stradwick of a girl and a boy, and my cozen Scott of a boy, and all died.
In the afternoon to Westminster, where Mr. Dalton was ready with his money to pay me for my house, but our writings not being drawn it could not be done to-day. I met with Mr. Hawly, who was removing his things from Mr. Bowyer’s, where he has lodged a great while, and I took him and W. Bowyer to the Swan and drank, and Mr. Hawly did give me a little black rattoon, painted and gilt.
Home by water.
This day the Duke of Gloucester died of the small-pox, by the great negligence of the doctors.

after the burial
of a child in the afternoon

her little black
and gilt negligee


Erasure poem derived from The Diary of Samuel Pepys, Thursday 13 September 1660.

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