The night before Christmas 1666

24th December 1666

"...I did this evening buy me a pair of green spectacles, to see whether they will help my eyes or no.  So to the Change, and went to the Upper Change, which is almost as good as the old one; only shops are but on one side.  Then home to the office and did  business till my eyes begun to be bad; and so home to supper (my people being busy making mince pies) and so to bed....


25. Christmas Day.  Lay pretty long in bed.  And then rise, leaving my wife desirous to sleep, having sat up till 4 this morning seeing her maids make mince pies. ..."

The Diary of Samuel Pepys  ed. Robert Latham

A Dorset squire at home

"The windows which were very large, served for places to lay his arrows, crossbows, stonebows, and other such like accoutrements; the corners of the room full of the best chose hunting and hawking poles; an oyster table at the lower end, which was of constant use twice a day all the year round, for he never failed to eat oysters before dinner and supper through all seasons: the neighbouring town of Poole supplied him with them.  The upper part of the room had two small tables and a desk, on the one side of which was a Church Bible, on the other the Book of Martyrs; on the table were hawks' hoods, bells, and such like, and two or three old green hats with their crowns thrust in so as to hold ten or a dozen eggs, which were of a pheasant kind of poultry he took much care of and fed himself; tables, dice, cards and boxes were not wanting.  In the hole of the desk were store of tobacco pipes that had been used.

....He lived to a hundred, never lost his eyesight, but always writ and read without spectacles,  and got to horse without help.  Until past fourscore he rode to the death of a stag as well as any."

Memoirs  Antony Ashley Cooper,  2nd Earl of Shaftesbury
PRO 30/24