At the office all the morning. Dined at home and Mr. Hater with me, and so I did make even with him for the last quarter. After dinner he and I to look upon the instructions of my Lord Northumberland’s, but we were interrupted by Mr. Salisbury’s coming in, who came to see me and to show me my Lord’s picture in little, of his doing. And truly it is strange to what a perfection he is come in a year’s time. From thence to Paul’s Churchyard about books, and so back again home. This night comes two cages, which I bought this evening for my canary birds, which Captain Rooth this day sent me. So to bed.
I hate to look upon
the land—to see how
strange a perfection
is a year’s time.
From the yard
this night comes.
Age is my canary,
a root sent to bed.
Erasure poem derived from The Diary of Samuel Pepys, Friday 25 January 1660/61.