that put us into this great melancholy, was newes brought to-day, which
Captain Cocke reports as a certain truth, that all the Dutch fleete,
men-of-war and merchant East India ships, are got every one in from Bergen
the 3d of this month, Sunday last; which will make us all ridiculous. The
fleete come home with shame to require a great deale of money, which is
not to be had, to discharge many men that must get the plague then or
continue at greater charge on shipboard, nothing done by them to encourage
the Parliament to give money, nor the Kingdom able to spare any money, if
they would, at this time of the plague, so that, as things look at
present, the whole state must come to ruine. Full of these melancholy
thoughts, to bed; where, though I lay the softest I ever did in my life,
with a downe bed, after the Danish manner, upon me, yet I slept very ill,
chiefly through the thoughts of my Lord Sandwich's concernment in all this
ill successe at sea.

10th (Lord's day). Walked home; being forced thereto by one of my
watermen falling sick yesterday, and it was God's great mercy I did not go
by water with them yesterday, for he fell sick on Saturday night, and it
is to be feared of the plague. So I sent him away to London with his
fellow; but another boat come to me this morning, whom I sent to
Blackewall for Mr. Andrews. I walked to Woolwich, and there find Mr.
Hill, and he and I all the morning at musique and a song he hath set of
three parts, methinks, very good. Anon comes Mr. Andrews, though it be a
very ill day, and so after dinner we to musique and sang till about 4 or 5
o'clock, it blowing very hard, and now and then raining, and wind and tide
being against us, Andrews and I took leave and walked to Greenwich. My
wife before I come out telling me the ill news that she hears that her
father is very ill, and then I told her I feared of the plague, for that
the house is shut up. And so she much troubled she did desire me to send
them something; and I said I would, and will do so. But before I come out