Top 40 Samuel Pepys Quotes (2025 Update)

1. “I know not how to abstain from reading.”

— Samuel Pepys

2. “Strange to see how a good dinner and feasting reconciles everybody.”

— Samuel Pepys

3. “Music and woman I cannot but give way to, whatever my business is.”

— Samuel Pepys

4. “Thanks be to God, since my leaving drinking of wine, I do find myself much better, and do mind my business better, and do spend less money, and less time lost in idle company.”

— Samuel Pepys

5. “And it is a wonder what will be the fashion after the plagueisdoneastoperiwigs, fornobody will daretobuy any haire for fear of the infectionthat it had been cut off the heads of people dead of the plague.”

— Samuel Pepys

6. “Fight the good fight; and always call to mind that it is not you who are mortal, but this body of ours. For your true being is not discerned by perceiving your physical appearance. But ‘what a man’s mind is, that is what he is’ not that individual human shape that we identify through our senses.”

— Samuel Pepys

7. “My wife, who, poor wretch, is troubled with her lonely life.”

— Samuel Pepys

8. “It having been a very cold night last night I had got some cold, and so in pain by wind, and a sure precursor of pain is sudden letting off farts, and when that stops, then my passages stop and my pain begins.”

— Samuel Pepys

9. “But it is pretty to see what money will do.”

— Samuel Pepys

10. “He that will not stoop for a pin will never be worth a pound.”

— Samuel Pepys

11. “I find my wife hath something in her gizzard, that only waits an opportunity of being provoked to bring up; but I will not, for my content-sake, give it.”

— Samuel Pepys

12. “I went out to Charing Cross to see Major General Harrison hanged, drawn, and quartered; which was done there, he looking as cheerful as any man could in that condition.”

— Samuel Pepys

13. “And here je did baiser elle, but had not opportunity para hazer some with her as I would have offered if je had had it.”

— Samuel Pepys

14. “I to church, and with my mourning, very handsome, and new periwigg, make a great shew.”

— Samuel Pepys

15. “The best of a bad bargain.”

— Samuel Pepys

16. “Mighty proud I am that I am able to have a spare bed for my friends.”

— Samuel Pepys

17. “He showed me a black boy that he had, that died of a consumption, and being dead, he caused him to be dried in an oven, and lies there entire in a box.”

— Samuel Pepys

18. “I see it is impossible for the King to have things done as cheap as other men.”

— Samuel Pepys

19. “Strange to say what delight we married people have to see these poor fools decoyed into our condition.”

— Samuel Pepys

20. “But me thought it lessened my esteem of a king, that he should not be able to command the rain.”

— Samuel Pepys

21. “I did this night promise my wife never to go to bed without calling upon God, upon my knees, in prayer.”

— Samuel Pepys

22. “Unlike God the artist does not start with nothing and make something of it. He starts with himself as nothing and makes something of the nothing with the things at hand.”

— Samuel Pepys

23. “But Lord! To see the absurd nature of Englishmen that cannot forbear laughing and jeering at everything that looks strange.”

— Samuel Pepys

24. “As happy a man as any in the world, for the whole world seems to smile upon me!”

— Samuel Pepys

25. “Before I went to bed, I sat up till 2 a-clock in my chamber, reading of Mr. Hooke’s Microscopical Observations, the most ingenious book that I ever read in my life.”

— Samuel Pepys

26. “I do find myself to become more and more thoughtful about getting of money than ever heretofore.”

— Samuel Pepys

27. “At the Royall Oake Taverne, I drank a sort of French wine called Ho Bryan, that hath a good and most particular taste that I never met with.”

— Samuel Pepys

28. “I do still see that my nature is not to be quite conquered, but will esteem pleasure above all things, though yet in the middle of it, it has reluctances after my business, which is neglected by my following my pleasure. However musique and women I cannot but give way to, whatever my business is.”

— Samuel Pepys

29. “Up and with my wife to church, where Mr. Mills made an unnecessary sermon on Original Sin, neither understood by himself, nor the people.”

— Samuel Pepys

30. “Did satisfy myself mighty fair in the truth of the saying that the world do not grow old at all, but is in as good condition in all respects as ever it was.”

— Samuel Pepys

31. “I do find by my riding a little swelling to rise just by my anus. I had the same the last time I rode, and then it fell again, and now it is up again about the bigness of the bag of a silkworm, makes me fearful of a rupture.”

— Samuel Pepys

32. “I went home and took my wife and went to my Cosen Tho. Pepys’s and found them just sat down to dinner, which was very good; only the venison pasty was palpable beef, which was not handsome.”

— Samuel Pepys

33. “Lord of Sandwich came in, but whether it be my doubt or no I cannot tell, but I do not find that he made any sign of kindnesse or respect to me, which troubles me more than any thing in the world.”

— Samuel Pepys

34. “All our physicians cannot tell what an ague is, and all our arithmetique is not able to number the days of a man;” which, God knows, is not the fault of arithmetique, but that our understandings reach not the thing.”

— Samuel Pepys

35. “But I could not stay with him myself, for having got a great cold by my playing the fool in the water yesterday I was in great pain, and so went home by coach to bed, and went not to the office at all, and by keeping myself warm, I broke wind and so came to some ease. Rose and eat some supper, and so to bed again.”

— Samuel Pepys

36. “Now public business takes up so much of my time that I must get time a Sundays or a nights to look after my own matters.”

— Samuel Pepys

37. “It is strange what weather we have had all this winter; no cold at all; but the ways are dusty, and the flyes fly up and down, and the rose-bushes are full of leaves, such a time of the year as was never known in this world before here.”

— Samuel Pepys

38. “I saw the girl of the house, being very pretty, go into a chamber, and I went in after her and kissed her.”

— Samuel Pepys

39. “I did to my trouble see all the way that ‘elle’ did get as close ‘a su marido’ as ‘elle’ could, and turn her ‘mains’ away ‘quand je’ did endeavour to take one... So that I had no pleasure at all ‘con elle ce’ night. When we landed I did take occasion to send him back a the bateau while I did get a ‘baiser’ or two, and would have taken ‘la’ by ‘la’ hand, but ‘elle’ did turn away, and ‘quand’ I said shall I not ‘toucher’ to answered ‘ego’ no love touching, in a slight mood.”

— Samuel Pepys

40. “This day I have the news that my sister was married on Thursday last to Mr. Jackson; so that work is, I hope, well over.”

— Samuel Pepys

41. “But I do not see much thorough joy, but only an indifferent one, in the hearts of people, who are much discontented at the pride and luxury of the Court, and running in debt.”

— Samuel Pepys

42. “He tells me we are like to receive some shame about the business of his bastarde with Jack Noble; but no matter, so it cost us no money.”

— Samuel Pepys

43. “I find it a hard matter to settle to business after so much leisure and pleasure.”

— Samuel Pepys

44. “I did answer the letter.”

— Samuel Pepys