great persons." Through Lord Sandwich's influence Pepys was made one of
these.

The time was now arriving when Pepys's general ability and devotion to
business brought him prominently into notice. During the Dutch war the
unreadiness of the ships, more particularly in respect to victualling, was
the cause of great trouble. The Clerk of the Acts did his utmost to set
things right, and he was appointed Surveyor-General of the Victualling
Office. The kind way in which Mr. Coventry proposed him as "the fittest
man in England" for the office, and the Duke of York's expressed approval,
greatly pleased him.

During the fearful period when the Plague was raging, Pepys stuck to his
business, and the chief management of naval affairs devolved upon him, for
the meetings at the Navy Office were but thinly attended. In a letter to
Coventry he wrote:--

"The sickness in general thickens round us, and particularly upon
our neighbourhood. You, sir, took your turn of the sword; I must
not, therefore, grudge to take mine of the pestilence."

At this time his wife was living at Woolwich, and he himself with his
clerks at Greenwich; one maid only remained in the house in London.

Pepys rendered special service at the time of the Fire of London. He
communicated the king's wishes to the Lord Mayor, and he saved the Navy
Office by having up workmen from Woolwich and Deptford Dockyards to pull
down the houses around, and so prevent the spread of the flames.

When peace was at length concluded with the Dutch, and people had time to