very modest man; and I think verily of mighty good nature, and pretty
understanding. He did give me a good account of the fight with the Dutch.
My Lady Sandwich dined in her chamber. About three o'clock I, leaving my
wife there, took boat and home, and there shifted myself into my black
silke suit, and having promised Harman yesterday, I to his house, which I
find very mean, and mean company. His wife very ill; I could not see her.
Here I, with her father and Kate Joyce, who was also very ill, were
godfathers and godmother to his boy, and was christened Will. Mr. Meriton
christened him. The most observable thing I found there to my content,
was to hear him and his clerk tell me that in this parish of Michell's,
Cornhill, one of the middlemost parishes and a great one of the towne,
there hath, notwithstanding this sickliness, been buried of any disease,
man, woman, or child, not one for thirteen months last past; which [is]
very strange. And the like in a good degree in most other parishes, I
hear, saving only of the plague in them, but in this neither the plague
nor any other disease. So back again home and reshifted myself, and so
down to my Lady Carteret's, where mighty merry and great pleasantnesse
between my Lady Sandwich and the young ladies and me, and all of us mighty
merry, there never having been in the world sure a greater business of
general content than this match proposed between Mr. Carteret and my Lady
Jemimah. But withal it is mighty pretty to think how my poor Lady
Sandwich, between her and me, is doubtfull whether her daughter will like
of it or no, and how troubled she is for fear of it, which I do not fear
at all, and desire her not to do it, but her fear is the most discreet and
pretty that ever I did see. Late here, and then my wife and I, with most
hearty kindnesse from my Lady Carteret by boat to Woolwich, come thither
about 12 at night, and so to bed.

10th. Up, and with great pleasure looking over a nest of puppies of Mr.
Shelden's, with which my wife is most extraordinary pleased, and one of