St. Valentine's In 1667

Pepys in hia famou diary lias eomething to say about St. Valèntine's day, 1667. "This mornlng carne up to ray wife bedside (1 being up dressing myself ) üttle Will Mercer to ba lier valentine, and brought her name ritten on blue paper in gold letters done by himself very pretty, and we were botli well pleased with it. "But I am also this ycar rny wife'i Talentine and it wili cost me LS, but that 1 "must have laid out if we had not been valentinos." Two days after he adds: "I find . that Mrs. Pierce's Httle girl Is ny valentine, she having drawn me, which I was not eorry for, it easing me of sometliing tuore than I must Lave given to others. But hero I do first observe the fashion of drawing mottoes as well as nanies, 60 tliat Pierce, who drew my wife, tüd draw also a motto, and this girl drew another for me. What mine was I forgot. but my wife's was, 'most courtcous and most fair,' which, as it may be used as an anagTam upon eacli name, might he vtry pretty."