ough the greatness of the heat. Then despairing of her coming home,
I to bed. This day, much against my will, I did in Drury Lane see two
or three houses marked with a red cross upon the doors, and "Lord have
mercy upon us" writ there; which was a sad sight to me, being the first
of the kind that, to my remembrance, I ever saw. It put me into an ill
conception of myself and my smell, so that I was forced to buy some
roll-tobacco to smell to and chaw, which took away the apprehension.

8th. About five o'clock my wife come home, it having lightened all night
hard, and one great shower of rain. She come and lay upon the bed; I up
and to the office, where all the morning. Alone at home to dinner, my
wife, mother, and Mercer dining at W. Joyce's; I giving her a caution to
go round by the Half Moone to his house, because of the plague. I to
my Lord Treasurer's by appointment of Sir Thomas Ingram's, to meet the
Goldsmiths; where I met with the great news at last newly come, brought
by Bab May' from the Duke of Yorke, that we have totally routed the
Dutch; that the Duke himself, the Prince, my Lord Sandwich, and Mr.
Coventry are all well: which did put me into such joy, that I forgot
almost all other thoughts. The particulars I shall set down by and
by. By and by comes Alderman Maynell and Mr. Viner, and there my Lord
Treasurer did intreat them to furnish me with money upon my tallys, Sir
Philip Warwicke before my Lord declaring the King's changing of the hand
from Mr. Povy to me, whom he called a very sober person, and one whom
the Lord Treasurer would owne in all things that I should concern myself
with them in the business of money. They did at present declare they
could not part with money at present. My Lord did press them very hard,
and I hope upon their considering we shall get some of them. Thence with
great joy to the Cocke-pitt; where the Duke of Albemarle, like a man out
of himself with content, new-told me all; and by and by comes a letter
from Mr. Coventry's own hand to him, which he never opened (which was a
strange thing), but did give it me to open and read, and consider what
was fit for our office to do in it, and leave the letter with Sir W.
Clerke; which upon such a time and occasion was a strange piece of
indifference, hardly pardonable. I copied out the letter, and did also
take minutes out of Sir W. Clerke's other letters; and the sum of the
newes is:

VICTORY OVER THE DUTCH, JUNE 3RD, 166