Greenwich, I had heard was 2,020 of the plague, and 3,000 and odd of all
diseases; but methought it was a sad question to be so often asked me.
Coming to Dagenhams, I there met our company coming out of the house,
having staid as long as they could for me; so I let them go a little
before, and went and took leave of my Lady Sandwich, good woman, who seems
very sensible of my service in this late business, and having her
directions in some things, among others, to get Sir G. Carteret and my
Lord to settle the portion, and what Sir G. Carteret is to settle, into
land, soon as may be, she not liking that it should lie long undone, for
fear of death on either side. So took leave of her, and then down to the
buttery, and eat a piece of cold venison pie, and drank and took some
bread and cheese in my hand; and so mounted after them, Mr. Marr very
kindly staying to lead me the way. By and by met my Lord Crew returning,
after having accompanied them a little way, and so after them, Mr. Marr
telling me by the way how a mayde servant of Mr. John Wright's (who lives
thereabouts) falling sick of the plague, she was removed to an out-house,
and a nurse appointed to look to her; who, being once absent, the mayde
got out of the house at the window, and run away. The nurse coming and
knocking, and having no answer, believed she was dead, and went and told
Mr. Wright so; who and his lady were in great strait what to do to get her
buried. At last resolved to go to Burntwood hard by, being in the parish,
and there get people to do it. But they would not; so he went home full
of trouble, and in the way met the wench walking over the common, which
frighted him worse than before; and was forced to send people to take her,
which he did; and they got one of the pest coaches and put her into it to
carry her to a pest house. And passing in a narrow lane, Sir Anthony
Browne, with his brother and some friends in the coach, met this coach
with the curtains drawn close. The brother being a young man, and
believing there might be some lady in it that would not be seen, and the
way being narrow, he thrust his head out of his own into her coach, and to