Secrecy, Scheming, and Samuel Pepys’s Diary

Annual Will & Lois Matthews Samuel Pepys Lecture –

Samuel Pepys began his diary of the 1660s in shorthand, a measure designed to protect its contents from prying eyes in dangerous times. This proved a wise move, for, as a rising man in Restoration London, his journal was to be full of his private schemes, good and bad. The ‘bad’ make for impressive reading; they include adulterous designs, corrupt dealings, and Machiavellian ploys designed to advance him in Charles II’s government. Pepys’ frankness has made him a key source on late seventeenth-century society, yet his diary also shows him to be a man with a growing talent for duplicity. Through the themes of secrecy and plotting, this talk by Dr. Kate Loveman (Associate Professor in English Literature 1600-1789, University of Leicester) examines the diary’s role in Pepys’ schemes and its value as a source on his society.

Advance registration is required. Please click here to complete the short registration form. No fee. Limited seating.