the coast of Holland,
in sight of the Dutch, within the Texel. Great fears of the sickenesse
here in the City, it being said that two or three houses are already
shut up. God preserve as all!

MAY 1665

May 1st. Up and to Mr. Povy's, and by his bedside talked a good while.
Among other things he do much insist I perceive upon the difficulty of
getting of money, and would fain have me to concur in the thinking of
some other way of disposing of the place of Treasurer to one Mr. Bell,
but I did seem slight of it, and resolved to try to do the best or to
give it up. Thence to the Duke of Albemarle, where I was sorry to find
myself to come a little late, and so home, and at noon going to the
'Change I met my Lord Brunkard, Sir Robert Murry, Deane Wilkins, and Mr.
Hooke, going by coach to Colonell Blunts to dinner. So they stopped and
took me with them. Landed at the Tower-wharf, and thence by water to
Greenwich; and there coaches met us; and to his house, a very stately
sight for situation and brave plantations; and among others, a vineyard,
the first that ever I did see. No extraordinary dinner, nor any
other entertainment good; but only after dinner to the tryall of some
experiments about making of coaches easy. And several we tried; but one
did prove mighty easy (not here for me to describe, but the whole body
of the coach lies upon one long spring), and we all, one after another,
rid in it; and it is very fine and likely to take. These experiments
were the intent of their coming, and pretty they are. Thence back by
coach to Greenwich, and in his pleasure boat to Deptford, and there
stopped and in to Mr. Evelyn's,--[Sayes Court, the well-known residence
of John Evelyn.]--which is a most beautiful place; but it being dark
and late, I staid not; but Deane Wilkins and Mr. Hooke and I walked to
Redriffe; and noble discourse all day long did please me, and it
being late did take them to my house to drink, and did give them some
sweetmeats, and thence sent them with a lanthorn home, two worthy
persons as are in England, I think, or the world. So to my Lady Batten,
where my wife is tonight, and so after some merry talk home and to bed.

2nd. Up and to the office all day, where sat late, and then to the
office again, and by and by Sir W. Batten and my Lady and my wife and I
by appointment yesterday (my Lady Pen failed us, who ought to have been
with us) to the Rhenish winehouse at the Steelyard, and there eat a
couple of