he should never go out with the fleet again. That Sir W. Coventry is most kind to Pen still; and says nothing nor do any thing openly to the prejudice of my Lord. He agrees with me, that it is impossible for the King to set out a fleet again the next year; and that he fears all will come to ruine, there being no money in prospect but these prizes, which will bring, it may be £20,000, but that will signify nothing in the world for it.

9th. The Bill of Mortality, to all our griefs, is encreased 399 this week, and the encrease generally through the whole City and suburbs, which makes us all sad.

14th. Captain Cocke and I in his coach through Kent-streete, (a sad place through the plague, people sitting sick and with plaisters about them in the street begging).

15th. The plague, blessed be God! is decreased 400; making the whole this week but 1300 and odd: for which the Lord be praised!

16th. To Eriffe; where after making a little visit to Madam Williams, she did give me information of W. How’s having bought eight bags of precious stones taken from about the Dutch Vice-admirall’s neck, of which there were eight dyamonds which cost him £4000 sterling, in India, and hoped to have made £12,000 here for them. And that this is told by one that sold him one of the bags, which hath nothing but rubys in it, which he had for 35s.; and that it will be proved he hath made £125 of one stone that he bought. This she desired, and I resolved I would give my Lord Sandwich notice of. So I on board my Lord Brouncker; and there he and Sir Edmund Pooly carried me down into the hold of the India shipp, and there did show me the greatest wealth lie in confusion that a man can see in the world. Pepper scattered through every chink, you trod upon it; and in cloves and nutmegs, I walked above the knees: whole rooms full. And silk in bales, and boxes of copper-plate, one of which I saw opened. Having seen this, which was as noble a sight as ever I saw in my life, I away on board the other ship in despair to get the pleasure-boat of the gentlemen there to carry me to the fleet. They were Mr Ashburnham⁶⁰ and Colonell Wyndham; but pleading the King’s business, they did presently agree I should have it. So I presently on board, and got under sail, and had a good bedd by the shift, of Wyndham’s; and so sailed all night, and got down to Quinbrough water, where all the great ships are now come, and there on board my Lord, and was soon received with great content. And after some little discourse, he and I on board Sir W. Pen; and there held a council of Warr about many wants of the fleet; and so followed my Lord Sandwich, who was gone a little before me on board the Royall James. And there spent an hour, my Lord playing upon the gittarr, which he now commends above all musique in the world. As an infinite secret, my Lord tells me, the factions are high between the King and the Duke, and all the Court are in an uproar with their loose amours; the Duke of York being in love desperately with Mrs Stewart. Nay, that the Duchesse herself is fallen in love with her new Master of the Horse, one Harry Sidney,⁶¹ and another, Harry Savill.⁶² So that God knows what will be the end of it. And that the Duke is not so obsequious as he used to be, but very high of late; and would be glad to be in the head of an army as Generall; and that it is said that he do propose to go and command under the King of Spayne, in Flanders. That his amours to Mrs 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 600 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,