rs。　Stewart　are　told　the　King。　　So　that　all　is　like　to　be　nought　among　them。
  22nd。　　I　was　very　glad　to　hear　that　the　plague　is　come　very　low；　that　is；　the　whole　under　1000；　and　the　plague　800　and　odd：　　and　great　hopes　of　a　further　decrease；　because　of　this　day's　being　a　very　exceeding　hard　frost；　and　continues　freezing。　　This　day　the　first　of　the　Oxford　Gazettes　come　out；　which　is　very　pretty；　full　of　news；　and　no　folly　in　it。　　Wrote　by　Williamson。　　It　pleased　me　to　have　it　demonstrated；　that　a　purser　without　professed　cheating　is　a　professed　loser；　twice　as　much　as　he　gets。
  23rd。　　Captn。　Cuttance　tells　me　how　W。　How　is　laid　by　the　heels；　and　confined　to　the　Royall　Katharin；　and　his　things　all　seized。
  24th。　　To　the　'Change；　where　very　busy　with　several　people；　and　mightily　glad　to　see　the　'Change　so　full；　and　hopes　of　another　abatement　still　the　next　week。　　Visited　Mr。　Evelyn；　where　most　excellent　discourse　with　him；　among　other　things　he　showed　me　a　lieger　of　a　Treasurer　of　the　Navy；　his　great　grandfather；　just　100　years　old；　which　I　seemed　mighty　fond　of；　and　he　did　present　me　with　it；　which　I　take　as　a　great　rarity；　and　he　hopes　to　find　me　more；　older　than　it。　　He　also　showed　us　several　letters　of　the　old　Lord　of　Leicester's　＇There　are　some　letters　and　papers　answering　to　this　description　in　the　Pepysian　Library；　and　amongst　them　an　account　of　the　Coroner's　Inquest　held　upon　the　Countess　of　Leicester　at　Cumnor。＇　　in　Queen　Elizabeth's　time；　under　the　very　hand…writing　of　Queen　Elizabeth；　and　Queen　Mary；　Queen　of　Scotts；　and　others；　very　venerable　names。　　But；　Lord！　how　poorly；　methinks；　they　wrote　in　those　days；　and　in　what　plain　uncut　paper。
  27th。　　With　Sir　G。　Carteret；　who　tells　me　that　my　Lord　hath　received　still　worse　and　worse　usage　from　some　base　people　about　the　Court。　　But　the　King　is　very　kind；　and　the　Duke　do　not　appear　the　contrary；　and　my　Lord　Chancellor　swore　to　him　〃by　　I　will　not　forsake　my　Lord　of　Sandwich。〃　　I　into　London；　it　being　dark　night；　by　a　hackny　coach；　the　first　I　have　durst　to　go　in　many　a　day；　and　with　great　pain　now　for　fear。　　But　it　being　unsafe　to　go　by　water　in　the　dark　and　frosty　cold；　and　unable　being　weary　with　my　morning　walk　to　go　on　foot；　this　was　my　only　way。　　Few　people　yet　in　the　streets；　nor　shops　open；　here　and　there　twenty　in　a　place　almost；　though　not　above　five　or　six　o'clock　at　night。
  30th。　　Great　joy　we　have　this　week　in　the　weekly　Bill；　it　being　come　to　544　in　all；　and　but　333　of　the　plague　so　that　we　are　encouraged　to　get　to　London　soon　as　we　can。　　And　my　father　writes　as　great　news　of　joy　to　them；　that　he　saw　York's　waggon　go　again　this　week　to　London；　and　full　of　passengers；　and　tells　me　that　my　aunt　Bell　hath　been　dead　of　the　plague　these　seven　weeks。
  December　3；　1665。　　To　Captn。　Cocke's；　and　there　dined　with　him；　and　Colonell　Wyndham；　a　worthy　gentleman；　whose　wife　was　nurse　to　the　present　King；　and　one　that　while　she　lived　governed　him　and　every　thing　else；　as　Cocke　says；　as　a　minister　of　state；　the　old　King　putting　mighty　weight　and　trust　upon　her。　　They　talked　much　of　matters　of　State　and　persons；　and　particularly　how　my　Lord　Barkeley　hath　all　along　been　a　fortunate；　though　a　passionate　and　but　weak　man　as　to　policy；　but　as　a　kinsman　brought　in　and　promoted　by　my　Lord　of　St。　Alban's；　and　one　that　is　the　greatest　vapourer　in　the　world；　this　Colonell　Wyndham　says；　and　to　whom　only；　with　Jacke　Ashburne　＇This　should　be　Ashburnham。＇　　and　Colonel　Legg；　＇William　Legge；　Groom　of　the　Bedchamber　to　Charles　I。；　and　father　to　the　first　Lord　Dartmouth。　　He　was　M。P。　for　Southampton。　　Ob；　1672。＇　　the　King's　removal　to　the　Isle　of　Wight　from　Hampton　Court　was　communicated；　and　（though　betrayed　by　their　knavery；　or　at　best　by　their　ignorance；　insomuch　that　they　have　all　solemnly　charged　one　another　with　their　failures　therein；　and　have　been　at　daggers…drawing　publickly　about　it。）　yet　now　none　greater　friends　in　the　world。
  4th。　　Upon　the　'Change　to…day　Colvill　tells　me；　from　Oxford；　that　the　King　in　person　hath　justified　my　Lord　Sandwich　to　the　highest　degree；　and　is　right　in　his　favour　to　the　uttermost。
  6th。　　Up　betimes；　it　being　fast…day；　and　by　water　to　the　Duke　of　Albemarle；　who　come　to　town　from　Oxford　last　night。　　He　is　mighty　brisk；　and　very　kind　to　me；　and　asks　my　advice　principally　in　every　thing。　　He　surprises　me　with　the　news　that　my　Lord　Sandwich　goes　Embassador　to　Spayne　speedily；　though　I　know　not　whence　this　arises；　yet　I　am　heartily　glad　of　it。　　The　King　hath　done　my　Lord　Sandwich　all　the　right　imaginable；　by　showing　him　his　countenance　before　all　the　world　on　every　occasion；　to　remove　thoughts　of　discontent；　and　he　is　to　go　Embassador；　and　the　Duke　of　York　is　made　generall　of　all　forces　by　land　and　sea　and　the　Duke　of　Albemarle；　lieutenant…generall。
  8th。　　To　White　Hall；　where　we　found　Sir　G。　Carteret　with　the　Duke；　and　also　Sir　G。　Downing；　whom　I　had　not　seen　in　many　years　before。　　He　greeted　me　very　kindly；　and　I　him；　though　methinks　I　am　touched　that　it　should　be　said　that　he　was　my　master　heretofore；　as　doubtless　he　will。
  9th。　　My　Lord　Brouncker　and　I　dined　with　the　Duke　of　Albemarle。　At　table　the　Duchesse；　a　very　ill…looked　woman；　complaining　of　her　Lord's　going　to　sea　the　next　year；　said　these　cursed　words：　〃If　my　Lord　had　been　a　coward　he　had　gone　to　sea　no　more：　　it　may　be　then　he　might　have　been　excused；　and　made　an　embassador；〃　（meaning　my　Lord　Sandwich）。　　This　made　me　mad；　and　I　believed　she　perceived　my　countenance　change；　and　blushed　herself　very　much。　I　was　in　hopes　others　had　not　minded　it；　but　my　Lord　Brouncker；　after　we　were　come　away；　took　notice　of　the　words　to　me；　with　displeasure。
  11th。　　That　I　may　remember　it　the　more　particularly；　I　thought　fit　to　insert　this　memorandum　of　Temple's　discourse　this　night　with　me；　which　I　took　in　writing　from　his　mouth。　　Before　the　Harp　and　Crosse　money　was　cried　down；　he　and　his　fellow　goldsmiths　did　make　some　particular　trials　what　proportion　that　money　bore　to　the　old　King's　money；　and　they　found　that　generally　it　come　to；　one　with　another；　about　25l。　in　every　100l。　　Of　this　money　there　was　upon　the　calling　of　it　in；　650；000l。　at　least　brought　into　the　Tower；　and　from　thence　he　computes　that　the　whole　money　of　England　must　be　full　16；250；000l。　　But　for　all　this　believes　that　there　is　about　30；000；000l。；　he　supposing　that　about　the　King's　coming　in　（when　he　begun　to　observe　the　quantity　of　the　new　money）　people　begun　to　be　fearful　of　this　money's　being　cried　down；　and　so　picked　it　out　and　set　it　a…going　as　fast　as　they　could；　to　be　rid　of　it；　and　he　thinks　30；000；000l。　the　rather；　because　if　there　were　but　16；250；000l。　the　King　having　2；000；000l。　every　year；　would　have　the　whole　money　of　the　kingdom　in　his　hands　in　eight　years。　　He　tells　me　about　350；000l。　sterling　was　coined　out　of　the　French　money；　the　proceeds　of　Dunkirke；　so　that；　with　what　was　coined　of　the　Cross　money；　there　is　new　coined　about　1；000；000l。　besides　the　gold；　which　is　guessed　at　500；000l。　　He　tells　me；　that；　though　the　King　did　deposit　the　French　money　in　pawn　all　the　while　for　the　350；000l。　he　was　forced　to　borrow　thereupon　till　the　tools　could　be　made　for　the　new　Minting　in　the　present　form。　　Yet　the　interest　he　paid　for　that　time　come　to　35；000l。　　Viner　having　to　his　knowledge　10；000l。　for　the　use　of　100；000l。　of　it。
  13th。　　Away　to　the　'Change；　and　there　hear　the　ill　news；　to　my　great　and　all　our　great　trouble；　that　the　plague　is　encreased　again　this　week；　notwithstanding　there　hath　been　a　long　day　or　two　great　frosts；　but　we　hope　it　is　only　the　effects　of　the　late　close　warm　weather；　and　if　the　frost　continue　the　next　week；　may　fall　again；　but　the　towne　do　thicken　so　much　with　people；　that　it　is　much　if　the　plague　do　not　grow　again　upon　us。
  15th。　　Met　with　Sir　James　Bunch；　＇Probably　James　Bunce；　an　Alderman　of　London；　1660。＇　　〃This　is　the　time　for　you；〃　says　he；　〃that；　were　for　Oliver　heretofore；　you　are　full　of　employment；　and　we　poor　Cavaliers　sit　still　and　can　get　nothing；〃　which　was　a　pretty　reproach　I　thought；　but　answered　nothing　to　it；　for　fear　of　making　it　worse。
  22nd。　　I　to　my　Lord　Brouncker's；　and　there　spent　the　evening　by　my　desire　in　seeing　his　Lordship　open　to　pieces　and　make　up　again　his　watch；　thereby　being　taught　what　I　never　knew　before；　and　it　is　a　thing　very　well　worth　my　having　seen；　and　am　mightily　pleased　and　satisfied　with　it。
  25th　（Christmas　day）。　　To　church　in　the　morning；　and　there　saw　a　wedding　in　the　church；　which　I　have　not　seen　many　a　day；　and　the　young　people　so　merry　one　with　another；　and　strange　to　see　what　delight　we　married　people　have　to　see　these　poor　fools　decoyed　into　our　condition；　every　man　and　woman　gazing　and　smiling　at　them。
  26th。　　Saw　some　fine　writing　work　and　flourishing　of　Mr。　Hore；　with　one　that　I　knew　long　ago；　an　acquaintance　of　Mr。　Tomson's；　at　Westminster；　that　is　this　man's　clerk。　　It　is　the　story　of　the　several　Archbishops　of　Canterbury；　engrossed　in　vellum；　to　hang　up　in　Canterbury　Cathedrall　in　tables；　in　lieu　of　the　old　ones；　which　are　almost　worn　out。
  30th。　　All　the　afternoon　to　my　accounts；　and　there　find　myself；　to　my　great　joy；　a　great　deal　worth　above　4000l。　for　which　the　Lord　be　praised！　　and　is　principally　occasioned　by　my　getting　500l。