hem, and she talks mightily of her fear of the sicknesse, and
so a deale of tittle tattle and I left them and to my office where late,
and so home to supper and to bed. This day I hear my Uncle Talbot Pepys
died the last week, and was buried. All the news now is, that Sir
Jeremy Smith is at Cales--[Cadiz]--with his fleete, and Mings in the
Elve.--[Elbe]--The King is come this noon to towne from Audly End, with
the Duke of Yorke and a fine train of gentlemen.

13th. Up betimes, and to the office, where busy sitting all the morning,
and I begin to find a little convenience by holding up my head to Sir
W. Pen, for he is come to be more supple. At noon to dinner, and then
to the office again, where mighty business, doing a great deale till
midnight and then home to supper and to bed. The plague encreased this
week 29 from 28, though the total fallen from 238 to 207, which do never
a whit please me.

14th. Up, and met by 6 o'clock in my chamber Mr. Povy (from White Hall)
about evening reckonings between him and me, on our Tangier business,
and at it hard till toward eight o'clock, and he then carried me in his
chariot to White Hall, where by and by my fellow officers met me, and
we had a meeting before the Duke. Thence with my Lord Bruncker towards
London, and in our way called in Covent Garden, and took in Sir John
(formerly Dr.) Baber; who hath this humour that he will not enter into
discourse while any stranger is in company, till he be told who he is
that seems a stranger to him. This he did declare openly to me,
and asked my Lord who I was, giving this reason, that he has been
inconvenienced by being too free in discourse till he knew who all the
company were. Thence to Guildhall (in our way taking in Dr. Wilkins),
and there my Lord and I had full and large discourse with Sir Thomas
Player, the Chamberlain of the City (a man I have much heard of for his
credit and punctuality in the City, and on that score I had a desire to
be made known to him), about the credit of our tallys, which are lodged
there for security to such as should lend money thereon to the use of
the Navy. And I had great satisfaction therein: and the truth is, I find
all our matters of credit to be in an ill condition. Thence, I being in
a little haste walked before and to the 'Change a little and then home,
and presently to Trinity house to dinner, where Captain Cox made his
Elder Brother's dinner. But it seemed to me a very poor sorry dinner. I
havi