'He was interested in everything ... (with a) robust appreciation of life, its canvas ... crowded with detail ... there was nothing too trivial to be passed over.'
'Trivia' - ring any bells?
'His wife, his friends ... his habits, his ideas, his emotions; the domestic routine of his household; his books, his pictures, his music ... the food he ate ...'
Especially the food he ate.
This latter was ' ... a treasure house of information ... what he bought and what he paid for it. He told us when the food was good, when it was bad and when it was beyond endurance. ... He had the habit of switching from events grave and gay to the food consumed when he contemplated them.'
And why wouldn't you? The food is always more interesting than the event. Occasionally he is too busy to write:
'Infinity of business to do, which makes my head full ...'
Not good for a blogger to go without posting. He had, however, an eye for fine detail. His first entry:
'Dined at home in the Garrett, where my wife dressed the remains of a turkey and in the doing of it she burned her hand.'
He was no blogger. He was Mr Samuel Pepys, diarist. That entry was written on January 1, 1660.
*
Quoted extracts from And so to Dine subtitled A brief account of the food and drink of Mr Pepys based on his diary. by S. A. E. Strom, George Allen and Unwin, 1955.
'Trivia' - ring any bells?
'His wife, his friends ... his habits, his ideas, his emotions; the domestic routine of his household; his books, his pictures, his music ... the food he ate ...'
Especially the food he ate.
This latter was ' ... a treasure house of information ... what he bought and what he paid for it. He told us when the food was good, when it was bad and when it was beyond endurance. ... He had the habit of switching from events grave and gay to the food consumed when he contemplated them.'
And why wouldn't you? The food is always more interesting than the event. Occasionally he is too busy to write:
'Infinity of business to do, which makes my head full ...'
Not good for a blogger to go without posting. He had, however, an eye for fine detail. His first entry:
'Dined at home in the Garrett, where my wife dressed the remains of a turkey and in the doing of it she burned her hand.'
He was no blogger. He was Mr Samuel Pepys, diarist. That entry was written on January 1, 1660.
*
Quoted extracts from And so to Dine subtitled A brief account of the food and drink of Mr Pepys based on his diary. by S. A. E. Strom, George Allen and Unwin, 1955.
Let's call him a proto-blogger.
ReplyDeleteLucette, the irony is that he apparently did not want his diaries to be read let alone published yet he's the most famous diarist in history; whilst here we all are shooting observations off into the ether with comments boxes open like a giant ear waiting for a response.
ReplyDeleteI like that giant ear simile.
ReplyDeleteI love similes, Lucette, I'm glad you liked that one. I'm simile-mad, like a ... like a ...
ReplyDelete