r the Bridge, toward the 'Change, and the
plague being all thereabouts. Here my news was highly welcome, and I did
wonder to see the 'Change so full, I believe 200 people; but not a man or
merchant of any fashion, but plain men all. And Lord! to see how I did
endeavour all I could to talk with as few as I could, there being now no
observation of shutting up of houses infected, that to be sure we do
converse and meet with people that have the plague upon them. I to Sir
Robert Viner's, where my main business was about settling the business of
Debusty's L5000 tallys, which I did for the present to enable me to have
some money, and so home, buying some things for my wife in the way. So
home, and put up several things to carry to Woolwich, and upon serious
thoughts I am advised by W. Griffin to let my money and plate rest there,
as being as safe as any place, nobody imagining that people would leave
money in their houses now, when all their families are gone. So for the
present that being my opinion, I did leave them there still. But, Lord!
to see the trouble that it puts a man to, to keep safe what with pain a
man hath been getting together, and there is good reason for it. Down to
the office, and there wrote letters to and again about this good newes of
our victory, and so by water home late. Where, when I come home I spent
some thoughts upon the occurrences of this day, giving matter for as much
content on one hand and melancholy on another, as any day in all my life.
For the first; the finding of my money and plate, and all safe at London,
and speeding in my business of money this day. The hearing of this good
news to such excess, after so great a despair of my Lord's doing anything
this year; adding to that, the decrease of 500 and more, which is the
first decrease we have yet had in the sickness since it begun: and great
hopes that the next week it will be greater. Then, on the other side, my
finding that though the Bill in general is abated, yet the City within the
walls is encreased, and likely to continue so, and is close to our house
there. My meeting dead corpses of the plague, carried to be buried close
to me at noon-day through the City in Fanchurch-street. To see a person
sick of the sores, carried close by me by Gracechurch in a hackney-coach.
My finding the Angell tavern, at the lower end of Tower-hill, shut up, and
more than that, the alehouse at the Tower-stairs, and more than that, the
person was