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=B. Summary of Evidence (500-600 words) Tips]=

Samuel Pepys was born in 1633 and died in 1703, being most famous for keeping his daily diary for nine years between the years of 1660 to 1669. He began writing it when he was a This diary was kept on a daily basis, providing key insight into this turbulent time period and has become one on the main primary sources on the Great Plague, the Great Fire of London and the Second Anglo-Dutch War, when the Dutch sailed up the Thames to destroy the English fleet docked in Medway.. However, as Pepys kept his diary every day, it also contains his day to day activities and his often frank opinions such as when he went to see A Midsummer Night's Dream, "which [he has] never seen before, nor shall ever again," going on to call it the most "ridiculous play [he has] ever seen." (p113 PA)This gives a great personal insight into the man himself as well as providing an image of the way of life for someone living during the times of the restoration. Pepys was also involved in the Navy from the early days of Charles II’s reign in 1660 until eventually becoming Secretary to the Lord High Admiral and being elected to the houses of parliament in 1673. He was arrested twice during his life and sent to the Tower of London on both occasions, first in 1976 when he was accused of selling naval secrets to the French and again in 1690 when he was arrested on suspicion of trying to restore the Catholic James II back to the English throne; both arrests ended with the case being dropped against him But none of this was documented because Pepys stopped keeping his diary in 1669 because he was losing his eyesight and feared that continuing to keep the diary would potentially cause blindness. In total he kept his diary for nine years and five months.It was this period that was characterized by the disagreements between Charles II and his parliament. Prior to the restoration of Charles to the throne, England had been a republic after the defeat of Charles I in the English Civil War in 1649.