there. But yet I do not hear by my Lord Berkeley, who is one of them,
that any thing is like to come of it. Thence back again homewards, and
Sir W. Batten and I to the Coffee-house, but no newes, only the plague is
very hot still, and encreases among the Dutch. Home to dinner, and after
dinner walked forth, and do what I could I could not keep myself from
going through Fleet Lane, but had the sense of safety and honour not to go
in, and the rather being a holiday I feared I might meet with some people
that might know me. Thence to Charing Cross, and there called at
Unthanke's to see what I owed, but found nothing, and here being a couple
of pretty ladies, lodgers in the kitchen, I staid a little there. Thence
to my barber Gervas, who this day buries his child, which it seems was
born without a passage behind, so that it never voided any thing in the
week or fortnight that it has been born. Thence to Mr. Reeves, it coming
just now in my head to buy a microscope, but he was not within, so I
walked all round that end of the town among the loathsome people and
houses, but, God be thanked! had no desire to visit any of them. So
home, where I met Mr. Lanyon, who tells me Mr. Alsop is past hopes, which
will mightily disappoint me in my hopes there, and yet it may be not. I
shall think whether it will be safe for me to venture myself or no, and
come in as an adventurer. He gone, Mr. Cole (my old Jack Cole) comes to
see and speak with me, and his errand in short to tell me that he is
giving over his trade; he can do no good in it, and will turn what he has
into money and go to sea, his father being dead and leaving him little, if
any thing. This I was sorry to hear, he being a man of good parts, but, I
fear, debauched. I promised him all the friendship I can do him, which
will end in little, though I truly mean it, and so I made him stay with me
till 11 at night, talking of old school stories, and very pleasing ones,
and truly I find that we did spend our time and thoughts then otherwise
than I think boys do now, and I think as well as methinks that the best
are now. He supped with me, and so away, and I to bed. And strange to