William Matthews

Samuel Pepys was born in London in 1633 and died in 1703. He was highly esteemed for his achievements as a public servant in the Admiralty, while in his private life he was known in intellectual circles as an accomplished musician and scholar. Hisgreatest fame, however, lies in the shorthand diary he kept between 1660 and 1669. First published in 1825, the diary is a unique evocation of life in 17th-century London and remains one of the best-known and best-loved books in the English language.