Casualty

Being at Will’s with Captain Barker, who hath paid me 300l. this morning at my office, in comes my father, and with him I walked, and leave him at W. Joyce’s, and went myself to Mr. Crew’s, but came too late to dine, and therefore after a game at shittle-cock with Mr. Walgrave and Mr. Edward, I returned to my father, and taking him from W. Joyce’s, who was not abroad himself, we inquired of a porter, and by his direction went to an alehouse, where after a cup or two we parted. I went towards London, and in my way went in to see Crowly, who was now grown a very great loon and very tame. Thence to Mr. Steven’s with a pair of silver snuffers, and bought a pair of shears to cut silver, and so homeward again.
From home I went to see Mrs. Jem, who was in bed, and now granted to have the small-pox.
Back again, and went to the Coffee-house, but tarried not, and so home.

a captain comes
too late to the grave

turned fat himself
and his war grown tame

a silver snuffer
a pair of shears


Erasure poem derived from The Diary of Samuel Pepys, Wednesday 11 January 1659/60. (See the 2015 version.)

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