plague time, merely for want of room and now none, but such as are able to
pay dear for it, can be buried there.

19th. Up and to the office, and thence presently to the Exchequer, and
there with much trouble got my tallys, and afterwards took Mr. Falconer,
Spicer, and another or two to the Leg and there give them a dinner, and so
with my tallys and about 30 dozen of bags, which it seems are my due,
having paid the fees as if I had received the money I away home, and after
a little stay down by water to Deptford, where I find all full of joy, and
preparing to go to Dagenhams to-morrow. To supper, and after supper to
talk without end. Very late I went away, it raining, but I had a design
'pour aller a la femme de Bagwell' and did so . . . . So away about
12, and it raining hard I back to Sir G. Carteret and there called up the
page, and to bed there, being all in a most violent sweat.

20th. Up, in a boat among other people to the Tower, and there to the
office, where we sat all the morning. So down to Deptford and there
dined, and after dinner saw my Lady Sandwich and Mr. Carteret and his two
sisters over the water, going to Dagenhams, and my Lady Carteret towards
Cranburne.

[The royal lodge of that name in Windsor Forest, occupied by Sir
George Carteret as Vice-Chamberlain to the King.--B.]

So all the company broke up in most extraordinary joy, wherein I am mighty
contented that I have had the good fortune to be so instrumental, and I
think it will be of good use to me. So walked to Redriffe, where I hear
the sickness is, and indeed is scattered almost every where, there dying
1089 of the plague this week. My Lady Carteret did this day give me a
bottle of plague-water home with me. So home to write letters late, and