13th.  Up, and all the morning at the office.  At noon to the ’Change, and thence after business dined at the Sheriffe’s [Hooker], being carried by Mr. Lethulier, where to my heart’s content I met with his wife, a most beautifull fat woman.  But all the house melancholy upon the sickness of a daughter of the house in childbed, Mr. Vaughan’s lady.  So all of them undressed, but however this lady a very fine woman.  I had a salute of her, and after dinner some discourse the Sheriffe and I about a parcel of tallow I am buying for the office of him.  I away home, and there at the office all the afternoon till late at night, and then away home to supper and to bed.  Ill newes this night that the plague is encreased this week, and in many places else about the towne, and at Chatham and elsewhere.  This day my wife wanting a chambermaid with much ado got our old little Jane to be found out, who come to see her and hath lived all this while in one place, but is so well that we will not desire her removal, but are mighty glad to see the poor wench, who is very well and do well.

14th (St. Valentine’s day).  This morning called up by Mr. Hill, who, my wife thought, had been come to be her Valentine; she, it seems, having drawne him last night, but it proved not.  However, calling him up to our bed-side, my wife challenged him.  I up, and made myself ready, and so with him by coach to my Lord Sandwich’s by appointment to deliver Mr. Howe’s accounts to my Lord.  Which done, my Lord did give me hearty and large studied thanks for all my kindnesse to him and care of him and his business.  I after profession of all duty to his Lordship took occasion to bemoane myself that I should fall into such a difficulty about Sir G. Carteret, as not to be for him, but I must be against Sir W. Coventry, and therefore desired to be neutrall, which my Lord approved and confessed reasonable, but desired me to befriend him privately.  Having done in private with my Lord I brought Mr. Hill to kisse his hands, to whom my Lord professed great respect upon my score.  My Lord being gone, I took Mr. Hill to my Lord Chancellor’s new house that is building, and went with trouble up to the top of it, and there is there the noblest prospect that ever I saw in my life, Greenwich being nothing to it; and in every thing is a beautiful house, and most strongly built in every respect; and as if, as it hath, it had the Chancellor for its master.  Thence with him to his paynter, Mr. Hales, who is drawing his picture, which will be mighty like him, and pleased me so, that I am resolved presently to have my wife’s and mine done by him, he having a very masterly hand.  So with mighty satisfaction to the ’Change and thence home, and after dinner abroad, taking Mrs. Mary Batelier with us, who was just come to see my wife, and they set me down at my Lord Treasurer’s, and themselves went with the coach into the fields to take the ayre.  I staid a meeting of the Duke of Yorke’s, and the officers of the Navy and