with my wife and me and Mrs. Barbary, whom my wife brings along
with her from Woolwich for as long as she stays here. In the afternoon
to the office, and there very late writing letters and then home, my
wife and people sitting up for me, and after supper to bed. Great joy we
have this week in the weekly Bill, it being come to 544 in all, and but
333 of the plague; so that we are encouraged to get to London soon as
we can. And my father writes as great news of joy to them, that he saw
Yorke's waggon go again this week to London, and was full of passengers;
and tells me that my aunt Bell hath been dead of the plague these seven
weeks.

DECEMBER 1665

December 1st. This morning to the office, full of resolution to spend
the whole day at business, and there, among other things, I did agree
with Poynter to be my clerke for my Victualling business, and so all
alone all the day long shut up in my little closett at my office,
drawing up instructions, which I should long since have done for my
Surveyours of the Ports, Sir W. Coventry desiring much to have them, and
he might well have expected them long since. After dinner to it again,
and at night had long discourse with Gibson, who is for Yarmouth, who
makes me understand so much of the victualling business and the pursers'
trade, that I am ashamed I should go about the concerning myself in a
business which I understand so very very little of, and made me distrust
all I had been doing to-day. So I did lay it by till to-morrow morning
to think of it afresh, and so home by promise to my wife, to have mirth
there. So we had our neighbours, little Miss Tooker and Mrs. Daniels, to
dance, and after supper I to bed, and left them merry below, which they
did not part from till two or three in the morning.

2nd. Up, and discoursing with my wife, who is resolved to go to London
for good and all this day, we did agree upon giving Mr. Sheldon L10, and
Mrs. Barbary two pieces, and so I left her to go down thither to fetch
away the rest of the things and pay him the money, and so I to the
office, where very busy setting Mr. Poynter to write out my last night's
worke, which pleases me this day, but yet it is pretty to reflect how
much I am out of confidence with what I had done upon Gibson's discourse
with me, for fear I should have done it sillily, but Poynter likes them,
and Mr. Hater also, but yet I am afeard lest they should do it out of
flattery, so conscious I am of my ignoranc