g me in discourse that she lived
lately at my neighbour's, Mr. Knightly, which made me forbear further
discourse. This end of the towne every day grows very bad of the plague.
The Mortality Bill is come to 267;

[According to the Bills of Mortality, the total number of deaths in
London for the week ending June 27th was 684, of which number 267
were deaths from the plague. The number of deaths rose week by week
until September 19th, when the total was 8,297, and the deaths from
the plague 7,165. On September 26th the total had fallen to 6,460,
and deaths from the plague to 5,533 The number fell gradually, week
by week, till October 31st, when the total was 1,388, and deaths
from the plague 1,031. On November 7th there was a rise to 1,787
and 1,414 respectively. On November 14th the numbers had gone down
to 1,359 and 1,050 respectively. On December 12th the total had
fallen to 442, and deaths from the plague to 243. On December 19th
there was a rise to 525 and 281 respectively. The total of burials
in 1665 was 97,506, of which number the plague claimed 68,596
victims.]

which is about ninety more than the last: and of these but four in the
City, which is a great blessing to us. Thence to Creed, and with him up
and down about Tangier business, to no purpose. Took leave again of Mr.
Coventry; though I hope the Duke has not gone to stay, and so do others
too. So home, calling at Somersett House, where all are packing up
too: the Queene-Mother setting out for France this day to drink Bourbon
waters this year, she being in a consumption; and intends not to come
till winter come twelvemonths.

[The Queen-Mother never came to England again. She retired to her
chateau at Colombes, near Paris, where she died in August, 1669,
after a long illness; the immediate cause of her death being an
opiate ordered by her physicians. She was buried, September 12th,
in the church of St. Denis. Her funeral sermon was preached by
Bossuet. Sir John Reresby speaks of Queen Henrietta Maria in high
terms. He says that in the winter, 1659-60, although the Court of
France was very splendid, there was a greater resort to the Palais
Royal, "the good humour and wit of our Queen Mother, and the beauty
of the Princess [Henrietta] her daughter, giving greater invitation
than the more particular humour of the French Queen,