particular patients were most gone out of towne, and they left at liberty;
and a great deal more, &c. But what, among other fine discourse pleased
me most, was Sir G. Ent about Respiration; that it is not to this day
known, or concluded on among physicians, nor to be done either, how the
action is managed by nature, or for what use it is. Here late till poor
Dr. Merriot was drunk, and so all home, and I to bed.

23rd. Up and to the office and then to dinner. After dinner to the
office again all the afternoon, and much business with me. Good newes
beyond all expectation of the decrease of the plague, being now but 79,
and the whole but 272. So home with comfort to bed. A most furious
storme all night and morning.

24th. By agreement my Lord Bruncker called me up, and though it was a
very foule, windy, and rainy morning, yet down to the waterside we went,
but no boat could go, the storme continued so. So my Lord to stay till
fairer weather carried me into the Tower to Mr. Hore's and there we staid
talking an houre, but at last we found no boats yet could go, so we to the
office, where we met upon an occasion extraordinary of examining abuses of
our clerkes in taking money for examining of tickets, but nothing done in
it. Thence my Lord and I, the weather being a little fairer, by water to
Deptford to Sir G. Carteret's house, where W. Howe met us, and there we
opened the chests, and saw the poor sorry rubys which have caused all this
ado to the undoing of W. Howe; though I am not much sorry for it, because
of his pride and ill nature. About 200 of these very small stones, and a
cod of muske (which it is strange I was not able to smell) is all we could
find; so locked them up again, and my Lord and I, the wind being again
very furious, so as we durst not go by water, walked to London quite round
the bridge, no boat being able to stirre; and, Lord! what a dirty walk we
had, and so strong the wind, that in the fields we many times could not