Pepys' World

The Pepys Library

Pepys bequeathed his library of 3000 books and manuscripts to Magadalene College, Cambridge, where he had been a student.

Magdalene College, Cambridge

Official site, with a description of the collection and information for visitors

Exhibitions in the tercentenary year

Several institutions in and around London hold material relating to Pepys. Most of them have arranged special displays to mark the 300th anniversay of his death.

Guildhall Library

Samuel Pepys at Leisure

Sample images and information about an exhibition of prints, drawings, books and manuscripts, 10 February 2003 - 7 June 2003

National Portrait Gallery

Restoration Lives: Samuel Pepys and his circle

Short description of an exhibition, 31 March - 28 September, 2003

Public Records Office

Pepys - the Civil Servant

Notice about a small display of documents, 5 February - Saturday 31 May, 2003

Other tercentenary events

The Samuel Pepys Club

The club’s website includes a list of all events in the tercentenary year.

National Maritime Museum

Samuel Pepys: a celebrated life

Seminar, 31 May 2003

St Olave’s church, London

Celebration events, principally during the period 27 – 30 May 2003

Pepys’ diary

Pepys used shorthand to write his diary. For the past 200 years, scholars have been attempting to produce an accurate ‘English’ version that translates every symbol with precision.

The latest, and by far the best, edition is Robert Latham & William Matthews, The Diary of Samuel Pepys (11 volumes), Bell & Hyman, London 1970-83. The text is contained within the first nine volumes. The tenth is an invaluable Companion, with detailed notes on people, places and topics of interest. The 11th is an Index. All quotations on this website have been taken from Latham & Matthews’ edition, by permission of the Master and Fellows, Magdalene College, Cambridge. There is no online version, since the edition is still in copyright.

To produce online versions, publishers have used earlier, out-of-copyright editions. The most common of these is H B Wheatley (ed), The diary of Samuel Pepys (10 volumes), London, 1893-9. Wheatley’s version was based on an earlier ‘translation’ (by Mynors Bright, 1875-9) and contains a number of major omissions. Many, but not all, of these omitted passages contain strong or bawdy language, which 19th-century readers found offensive. In some places, Bright and Wheatley deliberately ‘softened’ offensive words.

Online editions

Gutenberg Project: The Pepys Diaries

Wheatley edition, available in different formats. This is part of a large project by the University of Pennsylvania Library to publish online a wide range of out-of-copyright books.

Samuel Pepys Diary

Wheatley/Bright edition (derived from Gutenberg Project). The site is maintained by a former schoolmaster. Besides the full text, it includes ‘highlights’ for each year and extracts on a wide range of themes.

The Samuel Pepys Diaries

Wheatley edition (derived from Gutenberg Project). This site opened on 1 January 2003. The aim is to publish each day the corresponding diary entry for that date (starting in 1660).

Biblomania, Pepy’s (sic) Diary

Appears to be based on the Braybrooke edition (1825), which contains a very large number of omissions and mistakes. The main interest of this online version is that it contains pop-up glossary entries for people and places, but their source is unknown and they may contain inaccuracies.

Miscellaneous

BBC History: Samuel Pepys

Channel 4 History: Fire

Information about the Great Fire of 1666, with links to companion sites on the Plague and Civil War

Exhibition/ Acknowledgements/ Copyright statement/ Contact us





Pepys' World The Pepys Library Pepys bequeathed his library of 3000 books and manuscripts to Magadalene College, Cambridge, where he had been a student. Magdalene College, Cambridge Official site, with a description of the collection and information for visitors Exhibitions in the tercentenary year Several institutions in and around London hold material relating to Pepys. Most of them have arranged special displays to mark the 300th anniversay of his death. Guildhall Library Samuel Pepys at Leisure Sample images and information about an exhibition of prints, drawings, books and manuscripts, 10 February 2003 - 7 June 2003 National Portrait Gallery Restoration Lives: Samuel Pepys and his circle Short description of an exhibition, 31 March - 28 September, 2003 Public Records Office Pepys - the Civil Servant Notice about a small display of documents, 5 February - Saturday 31 May, 2003 Other tercentenary events The Samuel Pepys Club The club’s website includes a list of all events in the tercentenary year. National Maritime Museum Samuel Pepys: a celebrated life Seminar, 31 May 2003 St Olave’s church, London Celebration events, principally during the period 27 – 30 May 2003 Pepys’ diary Pepys used shorthand to write his diary. For the past 200 years, scholars have been attempting to produce an accurate ‘English’ version that translates every symbol with precision. The latest, and by far the best, edition is Robert Latham & William Matthews, The Diary of Samuel Pepys (11 volumes), Bell & Hyman, London 1970-83. The text is contained within the first nine volumes. The tenth is an invaluable Companion, with detailed notes on people, places and topics of interest. The 11th is an Index. All quotations on this website have been taken from Latham & Matthews’ edition, by permission of the Master and Fellows, Magdalene College, Cambridge. There is no online version, since the edition is still in copyright. To produce online versions, publishers have used earlier, out-of-copyright editions. The most common of these is H B Wheatley (ed), The diary of Samuel Pepys (10 volumes), London, 1893-9. Wheatley’s version was based on an earlier ‘translation’ (by Mynors Bright, 1875-9) and contains a number of major omissions. Many, but not all, of these omitted passages contain strong or bawdy language, which 19th-century readers found offensive. In some places, Bright and Wheatley deliberately ‘softened’ offensive words. Online editions Gutenberg Project: The Pepys Diaries Wheatley edition, available in different formats. This is part of a large project by the University of Pennsylvania Library to publish online a wide range of out-of-copyright books. Samuel Pepys Diary Wheatley/Bright edition (derived from Gutenberg Project). The site is maintained by a former schoolmaster. Besides the full text, it includes ‘highlights’ for each year and extracts on a wide range of themes. The Samuel Pepys Diaries Wheatley edition (derived from Gutenberg Project). This site opened on 1 January 2003. The aim is to publish each day the corresponding diary entry for that date (starting in 1660). Biblomania, Pepy’s (sic) Diary Appears to be based on the Braybrooke edition (1825), which contains a very large number of omissions and mistakes. The main interest of this online version is that it contains pop-up glossary entries for people and places, but their source is unknown and they may contain inaccuracies. Miscellaneous BBC History: Samuel Pepys Channel 4 History: Fire Information about the Great Fire of 1666, with links to companion sites on the Plague and Civil War
Exhibition/ Acknowledgements/ Copyright statement/ Contact us This website is maintained by the Museum of London Systems Team.