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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, and told our gallants that
it was a mayde of Mr. Wright's carried away sick of the plague; which put
the young gentleman into a fright had almost cost him his life, but is now
well again. I, overtaking our young people, 'light, and into the coach to
them, where mighty merry all the way; and anon come to the Blockehouse,
over against Gravesend, where we staid a great while, in a little
drinking-house. Sent back our coaches to Dagenhams. I, by and by, by
boat to Gravesend, where no newes of Sir G. Carteret come yet; so back
again, and fetched them all over, but the two saddle-horses that were to
go with us, which could not be brought over in the horseboat, the wind and
tide being against us, without towing; so we had some difference with some
watermen, who would not tow them over under 20s., whereupon I swore to
send one of them to sea and will do it. Anon some others come to me and
did it for 10s. By and by comes Sir G. Carteret, and so we set out for
Chatham: in my way overtaking some company, wherein was a lady, very
pretty, riding singly, her husband in company with her. We fel