ght from the
Lord Mayor; that it is encreased about 600 more than the last, which is
quite contrary to all our hopes and expectations, from the coldness of the
late season. For the whole general number is 8,297, and of them the
plague 7,165; which is more in the whole by above 50, than the biggest
Bill yet; which is very grievous to us all. I find here a design in my
Lord Bruncker and Captain Cocke to have had my Lord Bruncker chosen as one
of us to have been sent aboard one of the East Indiamen, and Captain Cocke
as a merchant to be joined with him, and Sir J. Minnes for the other, and
Sir G. Smith to be joined with him. But I did order it so that my Lord
Bruncker and Sir J. Minnes were ordered, but I did stop the merchants to
be added, which would have been a most pernicious thing to the King I am
sure. In this I did, I think, a very good office, though I cannot acquit
myself from some envy of mine in the business to have the profitable
business done by another hand while I lay wholly imployed in the trouble
of the office. Thence back again by my Lord's coach to my Lord Bruncker's
house, where I find my Lady Batten, who is become very great with Mrs.
Williams (my Lord Bruncker's whore), and there we dined and were mighty
merry. After dinner I to the office there to write letters, to fit myself
for a journey to-morrow to Nonsuch to the Exchequer by appointment. That
being done I to Sir J. Minnes where I find Sir W. Batten and his Lady gone
home to Walthamstow in great snuffe as to Sir J. Minnes, but yet with some
necessity, hearing that a mayde-servant of theirs is taken ill. Here I
staid and resolved of my going in my Lord Bruncker's coach which he would
have me to take, though himself cannot go with me as he intended, and so
to my last night's lodging to bed very weary.

21st. Up between five and six o'clock; and by the time I was ready, my
Lord's coach comes for me; and taking Will Hewer with me, who is all in
mourning for his father, who is lately dead of the plague, as my boy Tom's
is also, I set out, and took about L100 with me to pay the fees there, and
so rode in some fear of robbing. When I come thither, I find only Mr.
Ward, who led me to Burgess's bedside, and Spicer's, who, watching of the
house, as it is their turns every night, did lie long in bed to-day, and I
find nothing at all done in my business, which vexed me. But not seeing
how to helpe it I did walk up and down with Mr. Ward to see the ho