ty solicitous, as I find many about the City
that live near the churchyards, to have the churchyards covered with
lime, and I think it is needfull, and ours I hope will be done. Good
pleasant discourse at dinner of the practices of merchants to cheate the
"Customers," occasioned by Mr. Moore's being with much trouble freed of
his prize goods, which he bought, which fell into the Customers' hands,
and with much ado hath cleared them. Mr. Knightly being gone, my cozen
Pepys and Moore and I to our business, being the clearing of my Lord
Sandwich's bond wherein I am bound with him to my cozen for L1000 I have
at last by my dexterity got my Lord's consent to have it paid out of
the money raised by his prizes. So the bond is cancelled, and he paid
by having a note upon Sir Robert Viner, in whose hands I had lodged
my Lord's money, by which I am to my extraordinary comfort eased of a
liablenesse to pay the sum in case of my Lord's death, or troubles in
estate, or my Lord's greater fall, which God defend! Having settled this
matter at Sir R. Viner's, I took up Mr. Moore (my cozen going home) and
to my Lord Chancellor's new house which he is building, only to view
it, hearing so much from Mr. Evelyn of it; and, indeed, it is the finest
pile I ever did see in my life, and will be a glorious house. Thence
to the Duke of Albemarle, who tells me Mr. Coventry is come to town
and directs me to go to him about some business in hand, whether out of
displeasure or desire of ease I know not; but I asked him not the reason
of it but went to White Hall, but could not find him there, though to my
great joy people begin to bustle up and down there, the King holding
his resolution to be in towne to-morrow, and hath good encouragement,
blessed be God! to do so, the plague being decreased this week to 56,
and the total to 227. So after going to the Swan in the Palace, and sent
for Spicer to discourse about my last Tangier tallys that have some of
the words washed out with the rain, to have them new writ, I home, and
there did some business and at the office, and so home to supper, and to
bed.

FEBRUARY 1665-1666

February 1st. Up and to the office, where all the morning till late,
and Mr. Coventry with us, the first time since before the plague, then
hearing my wife was gone abroad to buy things and see her mother and
father, whom she hath not seen since before the plague, and no dinner
provided for me ready, I walked to Captain Cocke's,