Author: Samuel Pepys. Edited with life and notes by Richard Lord Braybrooke.
Title: Diary and Correspondence of Samuel Pepys, F.R.S.
Publisher: London, Bell & Daldy, York Street, Covent Garden, 1869.
Language: Text in English.
Size: 7 x 5 inches.
Pages: Over 2000 pages in four volumes.
Binding: Attractive and very good handsome 19th-century half navy morocco binding over marbled boards, spines richly gilt with red morocco labels titled “Pepys’ Diary” and volume numbers (hinges fine, overall slightly worn and scuffed - as shown) under a protective removable mylar cover. All edges marbled.
Content: Very good to near fine set (bright, tight and clean, rare light foxing or staining - as shown). 
Illustrations: Complete with engraved portraits (including Samuel and Elizabeth Pepys) and a folding map; finely executed plates typical of Victorian historical editions.

Estimate: (USD 250–350).

The book: The celebrated Diary of Samuel Pepys remains one of the most vivid eyewitness records of Restoration England, chronicling daily life, court intrigues, the Great Plague, and the Great Fire of London with unmatched immediacy. This 1869 Bell & Daldy “New Edition” in four volumes reflects the Victorian revival of interest in Pepys following the deciphering of his shorthand manuscript earlier in the century. Compact yet substantial, this edition offers a richly annotated reading text, enhanced by engraved portraits and a folding map that situates Pepys’ London. Its tasteful half morocco binding with marbled boards and edges gives the set both scholarly authority and decorative appeal on the shelf.

The author: Samuel Pepys (1633–1703), naval administrator and Member of Parliament, rose to become Secretary to the Admiralty under Charles II and James II. His private diary, kept from 1660 to 1669 in a personal shorthand, offers an unparalleled account of Restoration society, politics, theatre, and naval affairs. Rediscovered and deciphered in the 19th century, Pepys’ journal has since become a cornerstone of English historical literature.