Greenwich, and there fitted myself in several
businesses to go to London, where I have not been now a pretty while.
But before I went from the office newes is brought by word of mouth that
letters are now just now brought from the fleete of our taking a great
many more of the Dutch fleete, in which I did never more plainly see my
command of my temper in my not admitting myself to receive any kind of
joy from it till I had heard the certainty of it, and therefore went by
water directly to the Duke of Albemarle, where I find a letter of the
Lath from Solebay, from my Lord Sandwich, of the fleete's meeting with
about eighteen more of the Dutch fleete, and his taking of most of them;
and the messenger says, they had taken three after the letter was wrote
and sealed; which being twenty-one, and the fourteen took the other day,
is forty-five sail; some of which are good, and others rich ships,
which is so great a cause of joy in us all that my Lord and everybody
is highly joyed thereat. And having taken a copy of my Lord's letter, I
away back again to the Beare at the Bridge foot, being full of wind and
out of order, and there called for a biscuit and a piece of cheese and
gill of sacke, being forced to walk over the Bridge, toward the 'Change,
and the plague being all thereabouts. Here my news was highly welcome,
and I did wonder to see the 'Change so full, I believe 200 people; but
not a man or merchant of any fashion, but plain men all. And Lord! to
see how I did endeavour all I could to talk with as few as I could,
there being now no observation of shutting up of houses infected, that
to be sure we do converse and meet with people that have the plague upon
them. I to Sir Robert Viner's, where my main business was about settling
the business of Debusty's L5000 tallys, which I did for the present to
enable me to have some money, and so home, buying some things for
my wife in the way. So home, and put up several things to carry to
Woolwich, and upon serious thoughts I am advised by W. Griffin to let
my money and plate rest there, as being as safe as any place, nobody
imagining that people would leave money in their houses now, when all
their families are gone. So for the present that being my opinion, I did
leave them there still. But, Lord! to see the trouble that it puts a man
to, to keep safe what with pain a man hath been getting together, and
there is good reason for it. Down to the office, and there wrote letters
to and