incidents recorded, connected with this subject, are not to be
met with elsewhere, I thought myself justified in retaining them,
at the risk of fatiguing those readers who have no taste for the
concerns of the Drama. The general details may also, in some
instances, even in their abridged form, be considered as too
minute; nor is it an easy task, in an undertaking of this sort,
to please everybody's taste: my principal study in making the
selection, however, has been to omit nothing of public interest;
and to introduce at the same time a great variety of other
topics, less important, perhaps, put tending in some degree to
illustrate the manners and habits of the age.

In justice to Mr. Pepys's literary reputation, the reader is
forewarned that he is not to expect to find in the Diary accuracy
of style or finished composition. We should rather consider the
Work as a collection of reminiscences hastily thrown together at
the end of each succeeding day, for the exclusive perusal of the
Author.

The Journal contains the most unquestionable evidences of
veracity; and, as the writer made no scruple of committing his
most secret thoughts to paper, encouraged no doubt by the
confidence which he derived from the use of short-hand, perhaps
there never was a publication more implicitly to be relied upon
for the authenticity of its statements and the exactness with
which every fact is detailed. Upon this point, I can venture to
speak with the less hesitation, having, in preparing the sheets
for the press, had occasion to compare many parts of the Diary
with different accounts of the same transactions recorded
elsewhere; and in no instance could I detect any material error