Category: Pepys Diary erasure project

(Sunday). Lay long. Roger Pepys and his son come, and to Church with me, where W. Pen was, and did endeavour to shew himself to the Church. Then home to dinner, and Roger Pepys did tell me the whole story of Harman, how he prevaricated, and hath undoubtedly been imposed on, and wheedled; and he is called the miller’s man that, in Richard the Third’s time, was hanged for his master. So after dinner I took them by water to White Hall, taking in a very pretty woman at Paul’s Wharf, and there landed we, and I left Roger Pepys and to St. Margaret’s Church, and there saw Betty, and so to walk in the Abbey with Sir John Talbot, who would fain have pumped me about the prizes, but I would not let him, and so to walk towards Michell’s to see her, but could not, and so to Martin’s, and her husband was at home, and so took coach and to the Park, and thence home and to bed betimes.
Item Cost
Water 1s.
coach 5s.
Balty borrowed 2l.

I hew to the hole
of doubt called
the hanged man

there land we
who would walk
to see the cost

Erasure poem derived from The Diary of Samuel Pepys: unfinished entry for Sunday 19 April 1668

(Saturday). Up, and my bookseller brought home books, bound — the binding comes to 17s.
Advanced to my maid Bridget 1l.
Sir W. Pen at the Office, seemingly merry. Do hear this morning that Harman is committed by the Parliament last night, the day he come up, which is hard; but he took all upon himself first, and then when a witness come in to say otherwise, he would have retracted; and the House took it so ill, they would commit him. Thence home to dinner with my clerks, and so to White Hall by water, 1s.
and there a short Committee for Tangier, and so I to the King’s playhouse, 1s.
and to the play of the “Duke of Lerma,” 2s. 6d.
and oranges, 1s.
Thence by coach to Westminster, 1s.
and the House just up, having been about money business, 1s.
So home by coach, 3s.
calling in Duck Lane, and did get Des Cartes’ Musique in English, and so home and wrote my letters, and then to my chamber to save my eyes, and to bed.

my books
brought home books

my ear is a witness
to other water

I play orange music
to save my eyes

Erasure poem derived from The Diary of Samuel Pepys: unfinished entry for Saturday 18 April 1668

(Friday). Called up by Balty’s coming, who gives me a good account of his voyage, and pleases me well, and I hope hath got something. This morning paid the Royall Society, 1l. 6s.
and so to the office all the morning. At noon home to dinner with my people, and there much pretty discourse of Balty’s. So by coach to White Hall: the coachman on Ludgate Hill ‘lighted, and beat a fellow with a sword, 2s. 6d.
Did little business with the Duke of York. Hear that the House is upon the business of Harman, who, they say, takes all on himself. Thence, with Brouncker, to the King’s house, and saw “The Surprizall,” where base singing, only Knepp, who come, after her song in the clouds, to me in the pit, and there, oranges, 2s.
After the play, she, and I, and Rolt, by coach, 6s. 6d.
to Kensington, and there to the Grotto, and had admirable pleasure with their singing, and fine ladies listening to us: with infinite pleasure, I enjoyed myself: so to the tavern there, and did spend 16s. 6d.
and the gardener 2s.
Mighty merry, and sang all the way to the town, a most pleasant evening, moonshine, and set them at her house in Covent Garden, and I home and to bed.

who gives me hope
some society fellow with a sword
who takes on the clouds

or the fine ladies listening
with pleasure to a gardener
all the way to the moon

Erasure poem derived from The Diary of Samuel Pepys: unfinished entry for Friday 17 April 1668

Th[ursday].
Greeting’s book, 1s.
Begun this day to learn the Recorder. To the office, where all the morning. Dined with my clerks: and merry at Sir W. Pen’s crying yesterday, as they say, to the King, that he was his martyr.
So to White Hall by coach to Commissioners of [the] Treasury about certificates, but they met not, 2s.
To Westminster by water. To Westminster Hall, where I hear W. Pen is ordered to be impeached, 6d.
There spoke with many, and particularly with G. Montagu: and went with him and Creed to his house, where he told how W. Pen hath been severe to Lord Sandwich; but the Coventrys both labouring to save him, by laying it on Lord Sandwich, which our friends cry out upon, and I am silent, but do believe they did it as the only way to save him. It could not be carried to commit him. It is thought the House do coole: W. Coventry’s being for him, provoked Sir R. Howard and his party; Court, all for W. Pen. Thence to White Hall, but no meeting of the Commissioners, and there met Mr. Hunt, and thence to Mrs. Martin’s, and, there did what I would, she troubled for want of employ for her husband,
spent on her 1s.
Thence to the Hall to walk awhile and ribbon, spent 1s.
So [to] Lord Crew’s, and there with G. Carteret and my Lord to talk, and they look upon our matters much the better, and by this and that time is got, 1s.
So to the Temple late, and by water, by moonshine, home, 1s.
books, 6d.
Wrote my letters to my Lady Sandwich, and so home, where displeased to have my maid bring her brother, a countryman, to lye there, and so to bed.

greetings o gun of a martyr
I hear each reed cry out

and I am silent
as a house in war

I hunt for a better moon
to lie to

Erasure poem derived from The Diary of Samuel Pepys: unfinished entry for Thursday 16 April 1668

After playing a little upon my new little flageolet, that is so soft that pleases me mightily, betimes to my office, where most of the morning.
Then by coach, 1s.
and meeting Lord Brouncker, ’light at the Exchange, and thence by water to White Hall, 1s.
and there to the Chapel, expecting wind musick and to the Harp-and-Ball, and drank all alone, 2d.
Back, and to the fiddling concert, and heard a practice mighty good of Grebus, and thence to Westminster Hall, where all cry out that the House will be severe with Pen; but do hope well concerning the buyers, that we shall have no difficulty, which God grant! Here met Creed, and, about noon, he and I, and Sir P. Neale to the Quaker’s, and there dined with a silly Executor of Bishop Juxon’s, and cozen Roger Pepys. Business of money goes on slowly in the House. Thence to White Hall by water, and there with the Duke of York a little, but stayed not, but saw him and his lady at his little pretty chapel, where I never was before: but silly devotion, God knows! Thence I left Creed, and to the King’s playhouse, into a corner of the 18d. box, and there saw “The Maid’s Tragedy,” a good play.
Coach, 1s.
play and oranges, 2s. 6d.
Creed come, dropping presently here, but he did not see me, and come to the same place, nor would I be seen by him. Thence to my Lord Crew’s, and there he come also after, and there with Sir T. Crew bemoaning my Lord’s folly in leaving his old interest, by which he hath now lost all. An ill discourse in the morning of my Lord’s being killed, but this evening Godolphin tells us here that my Lord is well.
Thence with Creed to the Cock ale-house, and there spent 6d.
and so by coach home, 2s. 6d.
and so to bed.

new flag
soft as the morning light

expecting wind music
I hear a cry

God goes to stay
at his pretty playhouse

tragedy and oranges drop
into the same old well

Erasure poem derived from The Diary of Samuel Pepys: unfinished entry for Wednesday 15 April 1668

(Tuesday). Up betimes by water to the Temple. In the way read the Narrative about prizes; and so to Lord Crew’s bedside, and then to Westminster, where I hear Pen is, and sent for by messenger last night. Thence to Commissioners of Accounts and there examined, and so back to Westminster Hall, where all the talk of committing all to the Tower, and Creed and I to the Quaker’s, dined together. Thence to the House, where rose about four o’clock; and, with much ado, Pen got to Thursday to bring in his answer; so my Lord escapes to-day. Thence with Godage and G. Montagu to G. Carteret’s, and there sat their dinner-time: and hear myself, by many Parliament-men, mightily commended. Thence to a play, “Love’s Cruelty,” and so to my Lord Crew’s, who glad of this day’s time got, and so home, and there office, and then home to supper and to bed, my eyes being the better upon leaving drinking at night.
Water, 1s.
Porter, 6d.
Water, 6d.
Dinner, 3s. 6d.
Play part, 2s.
Oranges, 1s.
Home coach, 1s. 6d.

the last night of a mine
we all talk
of where to escape

love’s cruelty
a daytime office
a home to drink in

Erasure poem derived from The Diary of Samuel Pepys: unfinished entry for Tuesday 14 April 1668

(Monday).
Spent at Michel’s
6d.
in the Folly,
1s.
oysters,
1s.
coach to W. Coventry about Mrs. Pett
1s.
thence to Commissioners of Treasury, and so to Westminster Hall by water,
6d.
With G. Montagu and Roger Pepys, and spoke with Birch and Vaughan, all in trouble about the prize business. So to Lord Crew’s (calling for a low pipe by the way), where Creed and G. M. and G. C. come,
1s.
So with Creed to a play. Little Thief,
4s.
Thence towards the Park by coach,
2s. 6d.
Come home, met with order of Commissioners of Accounts, which put together with the rest vexed me, and so home to supper and to bed.

oyster out of water
I poke all about

a low way to lay
little thief

together with
the rest-vexed bed

Erasure poem derived from The Diary of Samuel Pepys: unfinished entry for Monday 13 April 1668

News of Peace. Conning my gamut.

*

(Sunday). Dined at Brouncker’s, and saw the new book. Peace. Cutting away sails.

news
of peace

o I am sun in sand
the new cut in a sail

Erasure poem derived from The Diary of Samuel Pepys: unfinished entries for Saturday 11 April and Sunday 12 April 1668

(Friday) All the morning at Office. At noon with W. Pen to Duke of York, and attended Council. So to piper and Duck Lane, and there kissed bookseller’s wife, and bought Legend. So home, coach. Sailor. Mrs. Hannam dead.

Friday off
o pen

tend to the books
if I am dead

Erasure poem derived from The Diary of Samuel Pepys, Friday 10 April 1668

Up, and to the office, where all the morning sitting, then at noon home to dinner with my people, and so to the office again writing of my letters, and then abroad to my bookseller’s, and up and down to the Duke of York’s playhouse, there to see, which I did, Sir W. Davenant’s corpse carried out towards Westminster, there to be buried. Here were many coaches and six horses, and many hacknies, that made it look, methought, as if it were the buriall of a poor poet. He seemed to have many children, by five or six in the first mourning-coach, all boys. And there I left them coming forth, and I to the New Exchange, there to meet Mrs. Burroughs, and did take her in a carosse and carry elle towards the Park, kissing her and tocanda su breast, so as to make myself do; but did not go into any house, but come back and set her down at White Hall, and did give her wrapt in paper for my Valentine’s gift for the last year before this, which I never did yet give her anything for, twelve half-crowns, and so back home and there to my office, where come a packet from the Downes from my brother Balty, who, with Harman, is arrived there, of which this day come the first news. And now the Parliament will be satisfied, I suppose, about the business they have so long desired between Brouncker and Harman about not prosecuting the first victory. Balty is very well, and I hope hath performed his work well, that I may get him into future employment. I wrote to him this night, and so home, and there to the perfecting my getting the scale of musique without book, which I have done to perfection backward and forward, and so to supper and to bed.

where I sit writing
an ant’s corpse

carried out as if it were
the burial of a poor poet

I make myself a house
wrapped in paper

my Valentine’s gift
for the last year

a book done to perfection
for a bed

Erasure poem derived from The Diary of Samuel Pepys, Thursday 9 April 1668