Diary, August 1665 | Page 7

dined, I home by water, where by appointment I met Dr. Twisden, Mr.
Povy, Mr. Lawson, and Stockdale about settling their business of
money; but such confusion I never met with, nor could anything be
agreed on, but parted like a company of fools, I vexed to lose so much
time and pains to no purpose. They gone, comes Rayner, the boatmaker,
about some business, and brings a piece of plate with him, which I
refused to take of him, thinking indeed that the poor man hath no
reason nor encouragement from our dealings with him to give any of us
any presents. He gone, there comes Luellin, about Mr. Deering's
business of planke, to have the contract perfected, and offers me twenty
pieces in gold, as Deering had done some time since himself, but I both
then and now refused it, resolving not to be bribed to dispatch business,
but will have it done however out of hand forthwith. So he gone, I to
supper and to bed.

8th. Up and to the office, where all the morning we sat. At noon I home
to dinner alone, and after dinner Bagwell's wife waited at the door, and
went with me to my office . . . . So parted, and I to Sir W. Batten's, and
there sat the most of the afternoon talking and drinking too much with
my Lord Bruncker, Sir G. Smith, G. Cocke and others very merry. I
drunk a little mixed, but yet more than I should do. So to my office a
little, and then to the Duke of Albemarle's about some business. The
streets mighty empty all the way, now even in London, which is a sad
sight. And to Westminster Hall, where talking, hearing very sad stories
from Mrs. Mumford; among others, of Mrs. Michell's son's family. And
poor Will, that used to sell us ale at the Hall-door, his wife and three
children died, all, I think, in a day. So home through the City again,
wishing I may have taken no ill in going; but I will go, I think, no more
thither. Late at the office, and then home to supper, having taken a
pullet home with me, and then to bed. The news of De Kuyter's coming
home is certain; and told to the great disadvantage of our fleete, and the
praise of De Kuyter; but it cannot be helped, nor do I know what to say
to it.

9th. Up betimes to my office, where Tom Hater to the writing of letters
with me, which have for a good while been in arreare, and we close at it
all day till night, only made a little step out for half an houre in the
morning to the Exchequer about striking of tallys, but no good done
therein, people being most out of towne. At noon T. Hater dined with
me, and so at it all the afternoon. At night home and supped, and after
reading a little in Cowley's poems, my head being disturbed with
overmuch business to-day, I to bed.

10th. Up betimes, and called upon early by my she-cozen Porter, the
turner's wife, to tell me that her husband was carried to the Tower, for
buying of some of the King's powder, and would have my helpe, but I
could give her none, not daring any more to appear in the business,
having too much trouble lately therein. By and by to the office, where
we sat all the morning; in great trouble to see the Bill this week rise so
high, to above 4,000 in all, and of them above 3,000 of the plague. And
an odd story of Alderman Bence's stumbling at night over a dead corps
in the streete, and going home and telling his wife, she at the fright,
being with child, fell sicke and died of the plague. We sat late, and then
by invitation my Lord Brunker, Sir J. Minnes, Sir W. Batten and I to
Sir G. Smith's to dinner, where very good company and good cheer.
Captain Cocke was there and Jacke Fenn, but to our great wonder
Alderman Bence, and tells us that not a word of all this is true, and
others said so too, but by his owne story his wife hath been ill, and he
fain to leave his house and comes not to her, which continuing a trouble
to me all the time I was there. Thence to the office and, after writing
letters, home, to draw- over anew my will, which I had bound myself
by oath to dispatch by to-morrow night; the town growing so unhealthy,
that a man cannot depend upon living two days to an end. So having
done something of it, I to bed.