Mr Pepys His Valentine
:
SAINT VALENTINE'S DAY
:
Good Stories For Great Holidays
AS RELATED BY HIMSELF IN 1666
(ADAPTED)
This morning, came up to my wife's bedside, I being up dressing myself,
little Will Mercer, to be her valentine; and brought her name writ upon
blue paper in gold letters, done by himself, very pretty; and we were
both well pleased with it.
But I am also this year my wife's valentine; and it will cost me five
pounds; but that I must have laid out if we had not been valentines.
I find also that Mrs. Pierce's little girl is my valentine, she having
drawn me; which I am not sorry for, it easing me of something more that
I must have given to others.
But here I do first observe the fashion of drawing of mottoes as well as
names; so that Pierce, who drew my wife, did draw also a motto, and this
girl drew another for me. What mine was I have forgot, but my wife's
was: "Most virtuous and most fair," which, as it may be used, or an
anagram made upon each name, might be; very pretty.