A story through the diary · The man
The failing light
From tired eyes by candlelight to the fear of blindness that ended the diary.
182 days across 10 years, 1660–1669 · 23 steps in its story
Pepys often worked at the office late into the night, reading and writing by candlelight. From 1663 he noted that his eyes tired and ached after long evenings of writing; by late 1667 they troubled him week after week, and by 1668 he hardly dared read or write.
He tried one remedy after another: green spectacles, the advice of the spectacle-maker Turlington, a physician's physic and drops, bleeding, paper tubes, and at last a mask fitted with a tube. Elizabeth and his boy read aloud to him. On 31 May 1669 he stopped the diary, believing he was going blind. The page's Ending tells what came after.
The story in 23 steps
Step 1 · Thursday 19 February 1663
He works at the office till midnight copying Navy figures, and goes to bed weary, sleepy and with his eyes beginning to fail from long work by candlelight.
my eyes begin to fail me, looking so long by candlelight upon white paper
19 Feb 1663Step 2 · Tuesday 19 January 1664
After a late night at the office his eyes fail him and hurt, with a pain he says he has not felt till now. He blames sitting up late writing and reading by candlelight.
my eyes began to fail me, and be in pain which I never felt to now-a-days, which I impute to sitting up late writing and reading by candle-light
19 Jan 1664Step 3 · Thursday 5 May 1664
He notices that his eyes are less able each day to bear long reading or writing, even by daylight, something he says he never observed till now.
my eyes beginning every day to grow less and less able to bear with long reading or writing, though it be by daylight; which I never observed till now
5 May 1664Step 4 · Wednesday 5 October 1664
He talks with the writing-master Cocker about Cocker's writing and eyesight, and asks how he might get some glass to help his own eyes by candlelight. Cocker promises to bring and show him the aids he uses.
how I shall do to get some glasse or other to helpe my eyes by candlelight
5 Oct 1664Step 5 · Tuesday 25 July 1665
One eye troubles him all day. He keeps it covered with his handkerchief and bathes it now and then in cold water, and by night it is better.
my eye only troubling me, which by keeping a little covered with my handkercher and washing now and then with cold water grew better by night
25 Jul 1665Step 6 · Tuesday 26 June 1666
With the Dutch fleet out, he spends the morning getting the English fleet to sea and works on at the office until his eyes are too sore to write any more.
there till night, that my eyes were sore, that I could not write no longer
26 Jun 1666Step 7 · Monday 24 December 1666
Snow and candlelight make his overworked eyes very bad. Lord Brouncker recommends green spectacles as a certain cure, and that evening he buys a pair to try.
I this evening did buy me a pair of green spectacles, to see whether they will help my eyes or no
24 Dec 1666Step 8 · Friday 18 January 1667
He finishes copying his journal of the Fire from loose papers into the diary, writing until he can hardly see.
writing till my eyes were almost blind therewith to make an end of it
18 Jan 1667Step 9 · Monday 19 August 1667
He knows he should spare his eyes, which are getting worse every day from overuse, but he cannot stop himself reading a little before bed.
which I cannot refrain, though I have all the reason in the world to favour my eyes, which every day grow worse and worse by over-using them
19 Aug 1667Step 10 · Sunday 8 September 1667
He admits that his bad eyes, which make him unfit to read or write for long, are also his excuse for other pleasures and pastimes that his vows should keep him from.
the badness of my eyes, making me unfit to read or write long, is my excuse, and do put me upon other pleasures and employment which I should refrain from in observation of my vowes
8 Sep 1667Step 11 · Sunday 15 September 1667
After an evening of singing with friends, his eyes are too bad for reading, so Elizabeth reads to him, and he says she does it very well.
through the badness of my eyes, she was forced to read to me, which she do very well
15 Sep 1667Step 12 · Monday 4 November 1667
He goes to Turlington, the spectacle-maker, for advice. Turlington tells him to use young spectacles, not old ones, and warns that strongly magnifying reading-glasses would harm his eyes more than anything.
nothing can wrong my eyes more than for me to use reading-glasses, which do magnify much
4 Nov 1667Step 13 · Thursday 30 April 1668
Summing up the month, he is more troubled for his eyes than for Sandwich's troubles in Parliament: they are worse every day, and he hardly dares read or write.
more for my eyes, which are daily worse and worse, that I dare not write or read almost any thing
30 Apr 1668Step 14 · Saturday 20 June 1668
Unable to do anything by candlelight, he decides he must get advice at once or go blind, and goes to bed grieving for his eyes.
my eyes being now constantly so bad that I must take present advice or be blind
20 Jun 1668Step 15 · Monday 29 June 1668
Dr Turberville gives him directions for some physic and a glass of something to drop into his eyes, and gives him hope that he may do well.
a glass of something to drop into my eyes: who gives me hopes that I may do well
29 Jun 1668Step 16 · Monday 13 July 1668
As part of the cure for his eyes, he is bled about fourteen ounces.
This morning I was let blood, and did bleed about fourteen ounces, towards curing my eyes
13 Jul 1668Step 17 · Sunday 2 August 1668
On a Sunday trip up the river to Putney and Barn Elms, he has his boy Tom read to him: he can no longer read more than two lines himself before his eyes grow weary.
being now-a-days unable to read myself anything, for above two lines together, but my eyes grow weary
2 Aug 1668Step 18 · Tuesday 11 August 1668
He tries a spectacle made of a paper tube with his right eye, and is delighted with the result.
being mightily pleased with a little trial I have made of the use of a tube-spectacall of paper, tried with my right eye
11 Aug 1668Step 19 · Monday 30 November 1668
Everyone expects the Navy Board to be turned out, but he is untroubled: his eyes, he writes, are no longer fit for the work, and his wife wishes it too.
But my eyes are come to that condition that I am not able to work
30 Nov 1668Step 20 · Tuesday 16 February 1669
Bright candlelight the night before has left his eyes sore all day, and he is now sure that too much light is the cause. Even so, he uses his tube to write up five or six days of the diary.
it is only too much light that do make my eyes sore
16 Feb 1669Step 21 · Sunday 25 April 1669
Lead, the vizard-maker, brings the mask back with a tube fastened in it for both eyes, and suggests a glass in the tube. He writes up twelve days of the diary with it and finds it very manageable; only time will show if it helps.
did it with the help of my vizard and tube fixed to it, and do find it mighty manageable
25 Apr 1669Step 22 · Wednesday 19 May 1669
The Duke of York receives his petition, talks with him about his eyes and pities him. He agrees to Pepys leaving the office for a time, approves a trip to Holland, and gets the King's consent.
received my petition, and discoursed about my eyes, and pitied me
19 May 1669Step 23 · Monday 31 May 1669
He closes the diary: writing it now hurts his eyes almost every time he takes up a pen. He resolves to have it kept in longhand by his people from now on, and fears he is going blind.
having done now so long as to undo my eyes almost every time that I take a pen in my hand
31 May 1669
See all 182 days on the mood grid
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