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MORE PEPYSIANA. By Walter H. Whitear. (Simpkins, 15s.)—For the lovers of Pepys—and they are myriad—this small volume is infinite riches in a little room, for it clears up , scores of points which even the researches of a-Wheatley have left " ropt in mistry." For instance, the long' and faithful 'investigations of Mr. Whitear—and their extent may be measured by the fact that he once searched- through all the
• wills proved in London to elucidate one single point—have
• found out for us where Samuel Pepys was born : it was at what is now the ' White Swan ' in Salisbury Court, while at the font now existing in St. Bride's Church over the way he was christened. The maiden name of the diarist's mother has -always been a puzzle, but Mr. Whitear has proved it to lie Kite or Kight, with which family was connected Peg Kite, that " troublesome carrion," who gave cousin Samuel so much annoyance over an executorship. The mysterious rela- tionship of Uncle and Aunt Wight is now made clear, and we even get light on one Jinny,. a parish child of St. Bride's, who Lifter " being cleansed of lice this day by my wife, and good, new clothes put on her back," was ungrateful enough to run away from service the same night. She was caught, however, and whipped by the public authority, and Mr. Whitear has discovered in St. Bride's records the entry of 6d. paid to the " Staffman " who caught her. Mr. Whitear appends to his absolutely invaluable book a Pepys pedigree which corrects .many errors made by Lord Braybrooke and otherS, but one point is missing in it. Who was Cozen Gumbleton, whom Samuel mentions as " a good humoured fat young gentleman"? How clearly we see Mr. Gumbleton with a face like a good- looking bun, but we should like to know who he was. The 'annotator pleads for a new transcript of the Diary, and we join him in the plea. Is it also too much to ask that any new 'edition should le unbowdlerized ?
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