the messenger says, they had taken three after the letter was wrote and sealed; which being twenty-one, and the fourteen took the other day, is forty-five sail; some of which are good, and others rich ships, which is so great a cause of joy in us all that my Lord and everybody is highly joyed thereat.  And having taken a copy of my Lord’s letter, I away back again to the Beare at the Bridge foot, being full of wind and out of order, and there called for a biscuit and a piece of cheese and gill of sacke, being forced to walk over 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 then dying of the