tizens, walking to and again to enquire
how the plague is in the City this week by the Bill; which by chance, at
Greenwich, I had heard was 2,020 of the plague, and 3,000 and odd of all
diseases; but methought it was a sad question to be so often asked me.
Coming to Dagenhams, I there met our company coming out of the house,
having staid as long as they could for me; so I let them go a little
before, and went and took leave of my Lady Sandwich, good woman, who
seems very sensible of my service in this late business, and having her
directions in some things, among others, to get Sir G. Carteret and my
Lord to settle the portion, and what Sir G. Carteret is to settle, into
land, soon as may be, she not liking that it should lie long undone, for
fear of death on either side. So took leave of her, and then down to the
buttery, and eat a piece of cold venison pie, and drank and took some
bread and cheese in my hand; and so mounted after them, Mr. Marr very
kindly staying to lead me the way. By and by met my Lord Crew returning,
after having accompanied them a little way, and so after them, Mr. Marr
telling me by the way how a mayde servant of Mr. John Wright's (who
lives thereabouts) falling sick of the plague, she was removed to an
out-house, and a nurse appointed to look to her; who, being once absent,
the mayde got out of the house at the window, and run away. The nurse
coming and knocking, and having no answer, believed she was dead, and
went and told Mr. Wright so; who and his lady were in great strait what
to do to get her buried. At last resolved to go to Burntwood hard by,
being in the parish, and there get people to do it. But they would not;
so he went home full of trouble, and in the way met the wench walking
over the common, which frighted him worse than before; and was forced
to send people to take her, which he did; and they got one of the pest
coaches and put her into it to carry her to a pest house. And passing in
a narrow lane, Sir Anthony Browne, with his brother and some friends
in the coach, met this coach with the curtains drawn close. The brother
being a young man, and believing there might be some lady in it that
would not be seen, and the way being narrow, he thrust his head out of
his own into her coach, and to look, and there saw somebody look very
ill, and in a sick dress, and stunk mightily; which the coachman also
cried out upon. And presently they come up to some people that stood
looking after it