A strange way to deliver messages
4 FEBRUARY. (…) Among other at table, he told us a very handsome passage of the King’s sending him his message about holding out the town of Newarke, of which he was then governor for the King. This message he sent in a Slugg=bullet, being writ in Cypher and wrapped up in lead and swallowed. So the messenger came to my Lord and told him he had a message from the King, but it was yet in his belly; so they did gave him some physic, and out it came. (…)

At least one gentle thought for France…
1 MARCH. (…) Among others, a very particular account of the making of the several sorts of bread in France, which is accounted the best place for bread in the world. (…)

10 MARCH. (…) Here Captain Cooke met me and did seem discontented about my boy Tom’s having no time to mind his singing nor Lute; which I answered him fully in, that he desired me that I would baste his coate. (…)

The first passage I find where Pepys used Greek, and I do not see to which purpose, given that άλλω χ[ρ]όνω does not seem very reprehensible…
24 AUGUST. (…) And jo haze ella metre so mano upon my pragma hasta hazerme hazer la cosa in su mano. Pero ella no voulut permettre que je ponebam meam manum a ella, but I do not doubt but άλλω χ[ρ]όνω de obtenir le. (…)

A funny experience
7 SEPTEMBER. (…) He showed me a black boy that he had that died of a consumption; and being dead, he caused him to be dried in a Oven, and lies there entire in a box. (…)

Twice in the chimny
28 SEPTEMBER. (…) And so I to bed, and in the night was mightily troubled with a looseness (I suppose from the fresh damp Lin-nen that I put on this night); and feeling for a chamber pott, there was none, I having called the maid out of her bed, she had forgot I suppose to put one there; so I was forced in this strange house to rise and shit in the Chimny twice; and so to bed and was very well again, and to sleep till 5 a-clock, when it is now very dark; (…)

Pepys likes hearing people snoar
1 OCTOBER. (…) But Lord, the mirth which it caused to me to be waked in the night by their Snoaring round about me — I did laugh till I was ready to burst, and waked one of the two companions of Temple, who could not a good while tell where he was, that he heard one laugh so, till he recollected himself and I told him what it was at; and so to sleep again, they still Snoaring.

Pepys prefer men rather horses for drawing timber
2 OCTOBER. (…) And among other things, a Team of four horses came close by us, he being with me, drawing a piece of timber that I am confident one man would easily have carried upon his back; I made the horses be taken away and a man or two take the timber away with their hands. This the Comissioner did see, but said nothing; but I think had cause to be ashamed of. (…)

A problem with a wet bed, not to speak of the smell
5 NOVEMBER. (…) After an hour’s talk, we to bed — the lady mightily troubled about a little pretty bitch she hath, which is very sick and will eat nothing. And the jest was, I could hear her in her chamber bemoaning the bitch; and by and by taking her to bed with her, the bitch pissed and shit abed, and she was fain to rise and had coals out of my chamber to dry the bed again. (…)

Very merry at others’ mishaps
24 DECEMBER. (…) and very merry at a mischance her young son had, in tearing of his new coat quite down the outside of his sleeve in the whole cloth — one of the strangest mishaps that ever I saw in my life. (…)

Incredible: can one read while walking in the dark?
27 DECEMBER. (…) and thence I walked quite over the fields home, by light of link, one of my watermen carrying it and I reading by the light of it, it being a very fine clear dry night. (…) ( )