me; but yet I must remember it is a Court, and indeed where most are strangers: but, however, Cutler carried me to Mr Marriott’s the house-keeper, and there we had a very good dinner and good company, among others Lilly, the painter.

24th I find Mr Carteret yet as backward almost in his caresses, as he was the first day.

25th Sad the story of the plague in the City, it growing mightily This day my Lord Brouncker did give me Mr Grant’s book upon the Bills of Mortality, new printed and enlarged This day come a letter to me from Paris, from my Lord Hinchingbroke, about his coming over; and I have sent this night an order from the Duke of Albemarle for a ship of 36 guns to go to Calais to fetch him.

26th To Greenwich to the Park, where I heard the King and Duke are come by water this morn from Hampton Court They asked me several questions The King mightily pleased with his new buildings there I followed them to Castle’s ship in building, and there met Sir W Batten, and thence to Sir G Carteret’s, where all the morning with them; they not having any but the Duke of Monmouth, and Sir W Killigrew,³⁹ and one gentleman, and a page more Great variety of talk, and was often led to speak to the King and Duke By and by they to dinner, and all to dinner and sat down to the King saving myself The King having dined, he came down, and I went in the barge with him, I sitting at the door Down to Woolwich (and there I just saw and kissed my wife, and saw some of her painting, which is very curious; and away again to the King,) and back again with him in the barge, hearing him and the Duke talk, and seeing and observing their manner of discourse And God forgive me! though I admire them with all the duty possible, yet the more a man considers and observes them, the less he finds of difference between them and other men, though (blessed be God!) they are both princes of great nobleness and spirits The Duke of Monmouth is the most skittish leaping gallant that ever I saw, always in action, vaulting or leaping, or clambering Sad news of the death of so many in the parish of the plague, forty last night The bell always going This day poor Robin Shaw at Backewell’s died, and Backewell himself in Flanders The King himself asked about Shaw, and being told he was dead, said he was very sorry for it The sickness is got into our parish this week, and is got, indeed, every where: so that I begin to think of setting things in order, which I pray God enable me to put both as to soul and body.

27th To Hampton Court, where I saw the King and Queene set out towards Salisbury, and after them the Duke and Duchesse, whose hands I did kiss And it was the first time I did ever, or did see any body else, kiss her hand, and it was a most fine white and fat hand But it was pretty to see the young pretty ladies dressed like men, in velvet coats, caps with ribbands, and with laced bands, just like men Only the Duchesse herself it did not become At home met the weekly Bill, where above 100 encreased in the Bill, and of them, in all about 1700 of the plague, which hath made the officers this day resolve of sitting at Deptford, which puts me to some consideration what to do!

28th Set out with my Lady Sandwich all alone with her with six horses to Dagenhams; going by water to the Ferry And a pleasant going, and a good discourse; and when there very merry, and the young couple now well acquainted But Lord! to see in what fear all the people here do live How they are afraid of us that come to them, insomuch that I am troubled at it, and wish myself away But some cause they have; for the chaplin, with whom but a week or two ago we were here mighty high disputing, is since fallen into a fever and dead, being gone hence to a friend’s good way off A sober and a healthful man These considerations make us all hasten the marriage, and resolve it upon Monday next.

30th It was a sad noise to hear our bell to toll and ring so often to-day, either for death or burials: I think five or six times.

31st Up; and very betimes by six o’clock at Deptford, and there find Sir G Carteret, and my Lady ready to go: I being in my new coloured silk suit, and coat trimmed with gold buttons and gold broad lace round my hands, very rich and fine By water to the Ferry, where, when we come, no coach there; and tide of ebb so far spent as the horse-boat could not get off on the other side the river to bring away the coach So we were fain to stay there in the unlucky Isle of Doggs, in a chill place, the morning cool, and wind