The Diary of Samuel Pepys

This year, Pepys witnesses the execution of several men for their role in the execution of King Charles I on January 27, April 19, and June 14. The April group “die defending what they did to the King to be just,” which Pepys finds “very strange” (111). It is apparent that England is now moving on from the legacy of the Civil War, regicide, and Puritan Commonwealth. The fact that a new era is beginning is signaled by the punishment of the king’s executioners.

Pepys shares with his wife his intention to live frugally, with the hopes that he will eventually be able to become a knight and live a more affluent lifestyle. Elizabeth is particularly pleased at the prospect of owning a coach. Throughout the Diary Pepys struggles against his tendency to spend a lot of money and tries to achieve a better material existence through self-discipline and frugal living.

Yet Pepys balances this against his conviction that it is good to enjoy pleasures when one has the “health, money, and opportunity” (114) to do so. Among the pleasurable outings mentioned in the Second Year are a visit to the zoo of London Tower with the children of one of Pepys’s associates, and a day at Foxhall (Vauxhall) Gardens (a pleasure park) on the king’s birthday.