The ever excellent John Gushue (no relation) notes today is the 383rd birthday of Samuel Pepys, the diarist and Minister of the English government in the 1660s. He also notes the live blogging of his famous diary. Yesterday, 344 years ago, Sammy had a bad day but one that interestingly illustrates the problem of avoiding the service of a warrant of sorts circa 1662:

One time I went up to the top of Sir W. Batten’s house, and out of one of their windows spoke to my wife out of one of ours; which methought, though I did it in mirth, yet I was sad to think what a sad thing it would be for me to be really in that condition. By and by comes Sir J. Minnes, who (like himself and all that he do) tells us that he can do no good, but that my Lord Chancellor wonders that we did not cause the seamen to fall about their ears: which we wished we could have done without our being seen in it; and Captain Grove being there, he did give them some affront, and would have got some seamen to have drubbed them, but he had not time, nor did we think it fit to have done it, they having executed their commission...