of Mr. Tomson's at Westminster, that is this
man's clerk. It is the story of the several Archbishops of Canterbury,
engrossed in vellum, to hang up in Canterbury Cathedrall in tables, in
lieu of the old ones, which are almost worn out. Thence to the office a
while, and so to Captain Cocke's and there talked, and home to look over
my papers, and so to bed.

27th. Up, and with Cocke, by coach to London, there home to my wife, and
angry about her desiring a mayde yet, before the plague is quite over.
It seems Mercer is troubled that she hath not one under her, but I will
not venture my family by increasing it before it be safe. Thence about
many businesses, particularly with Sir W. Warren on the 'Change, and
he and I dined together and settled our Tangier matters, wherein I get
above L200 presently. We dined together at the Pope's Head to do this,
and thence to the goldsmiths, I to examine the state of my matters there
too, and so with him to my house, but my wife was gone abroad to Mrs.
Mercer's, so we took boat, and it being darke and the thaw having broke
the ice, but not carried it quite away, the boat did pass through so
much of it all along, and that with the crackling and noise that it
made me fearfull indeed. So I forced the watermen to land us on Redriffe
side, and so walked together till Sir W. Warren and I parted near his
house and thence I walked quite over the fields home by light of linke,
one of my watermen carrying it, and I reading by the light of it, it
being a very fine, clear, dry night. So to Captain Cocke's, and there
sat and talked, especially with his Counsellor, about his prize goods,
that hath done him good turne, being of the company with Captain Fisher,
his name Godderson; here I supped and so home to bed, with great content
that the plague is decreased to 152, the whole being but 330.

28th. Up and to the office, and thence with a great deal of business
in my head, dined alone with Cocke. So home alone strictly about my
accounts, wherein I made a good beginning, and so, after letters wrote
by the post, to bed.

29th. Up betimes, and all day long within doors upon my accounts,
publique and private, and find the ill effect of letting them go so
long without evening, that no soul could have ever understood them but
myself, and I with much ado. But, however, my regularity in all I did
and spent do helpe me, and I hope to find them well. Late at them and to
bed.

30th. Up and to the office, at n