Also humorous is a misfired gun in the entry of 23 October, 1660. The last few years of diary entries include references to historical events including the skirmishes with the Dutch, the London plague, and the London fire. Therefore, the Samuel Pepys diary has become a vital piece of historiography, offering firsthand accounts of events that did affect people in their daily lives. Readers will find these accounts compelling, as Samuel Pepys writes about them with specific details. What makes Samuel Pepys' account seem modern and contemporary here is that he writes about serious historical events in plain language. Pepys is not attempting to be a journalist any more than a modern blogger is....

Yet just as a modern blogger does try to achieve honesty in self-expression, Pepys also understands the notion of creating a valuable diary entry. Whether or not Pepys intended for his diary to become a historical text is unsure. What is sure is that Pepys approaches journaling with a modern sensibility. Because his diary was not intended for a scholarly audience, Pepys does not censor himself. He writes about how much wine and beer he drinks, including the "morning drafts." He mentions specific numbers for his salaries as well as gambling escapades. Pepys even describes what people wore. Pepys can easily be considered one of the world's first bloggers, who just happened to not have at his…