a good one for me when I shall be in need. I intend to be wary about my house, but stay here I cannot, without hazard of my health; the rooms being so cold, and my landlord gone, and, besides, so covetous, that I could never get him to make necessary repairs. I intend to content myself with hanging one room, where I lie; and to let the rest alone till I can meet with a fair opportunity, that will be safe also, to furnish myself. I consider, indeed, it is an unfit time to trim houses, when we are like to quit these tabernacles wherein we are; but necessity has no rules of that nature wherein it can be confined. I am sorry to hear some of your family are so ill. I pray for an amendment, and that God will give you, my friend, contentedness in all conditions, and strengthen you with might in the inner man, to do and bear what he requires. A proclamation came out this week for the proroguing the meeting of parliament from the 3d of October to the 9th, and then they are to assemble at Oxford, and strictly required so to do, to "proceed to those weighty and urgent affairs which are then to be handled:" so the words run. I pray accept of this script, which I cannot enlarge.

65. The same to the same.

Sept. 30, 1665. MY FRIEND,-I received one from you last night; and I hope before this time you have mine, which let you know that I was soon satisfied in my desires of knowing how you do, by the receipt of one from you not long after I had writ a former letter. I pray, do not straiten yourself in any of your occasions to perform this office. I may well suppose you are

in good health, in a place more remote from danger than where I am. I cannot endure you should disorder your affairs at all, or put yourself to any trouble on my account, to avoid which it was (as you guess) that I have not told you many things that have happened here. I know the tenderness of your spirit, and the strength of your fancy; which two together may much disturb you, if you should be presented continually with frightful objects. I told you therefore long ago, if you remember, that you must not expect particulars from me; which I did on purpose that I might consult your peace and composure, which I do sincerely wish and study. But since you do demand an account of one thing, and I shall speak of that which is past, I will satisfy you; and hope, now you see me preserved still when others are gone, you will be rather thankful than troubled about me. You inquire what ministers are dead; for you heard of some, and would know the truth. There are more, to tell you plainly, than the number you name. . . .

The last week gave us great encouragement to hope for the restoration of better health; but I am something afraid this week will raise again a little : for we have fifteen or sixteen dead already, and had but nineteen last week in all. It is fit, perhaps, that it should be so, lest men impute all to the cold weather, and nothing to God's goodness. The more inscrutable this disease is, and beyond the account of men, the more are they directed to acknowledge a Supreme Power, that chastises men, and corrects their disobedience. There are persons who rely upon pitiful things, as certain tokens of its going away shortly. I have been told more than once of the falling out of the clapper of the great bell at Westminster, which, they say, it did before the last great plague ended; and this they take for a very comfortable

sign. Others speak of the daws more frequenting the palace and abbey, which, if true, is a better sign, supposing the air to have been infected; for the books I read tell me that the going away of birds is the forerunner of the plague; and that one shall see few in a plague-year. The death of birds in houses where they are caged ordinarily precedes the death of the inhabitants; for these airy creatures feel the alteration of that element sooner than we. Thus you see how desirous all are for " some token for good," and how they catch at the smallest shadows for it. But the best sign of all, I doubt, is much wanting, and that is, the reformation of men's manners, of which I hear little; unless that those come to church who did not before. I think often of a saying in the 2d Book of Esdras, which describes the temper of the world exactly (xvi. 19, 20): "Behold! famine, and plague, and tribulation, and anguish, are sent as scourges for amendment; but for all these things they shall not turn from their wickedness, nor be always mindful of Thy scourges." A sad thing that the event of these judgments proves no better. But so it commonly falls out, and men soon forget both their smart and also the good resolutions which it formed. I hope, my friend, the hand of God will not be without its instruction to us, and that we shall be careful, if he let us live, to improve it as we ought. I cannot but acknowledge a great wisdom as well as justice in this restraint which I now suffer; and therefore I thankfully accept it, and entreat you to assist me with your prayers, that I may both understand the meaning of it, and likewise make the right use which God intends. I must ever also acknowledge a wonderful kindness of God to me mixed with this; for I am well and cheerful, to my admiration and astonishment.

66. The same to the same.

October 31, 1665.

MY FRIEND,-Your last brought me a great deal of good news, and made amends for the post before, which brought me none. I told you, if we can stay a little, all will be well. Patience is never badly paid. It seems a very dull virtue, but it is rewarded with great joy in the issue. "It is a good thing," says Jeremiah in his Lamentations, "to hope, and quietly to wait for the salvation of the Lord." I pray God give us more of this grace, for we have great need of it in this world of troubles and cares; and I beseech him also to endue us with such a grateful sense of what is past, that we may more cheerfully wait upon him for the time to come. I very much rejoice with you at present, to hear that he has dealt so graciously with you and your infant of late; and I hope all such things will not slip out of my mind, but accompany me to my grave. I am sometimes very much amazed at the thoughts of God's goodness towards my own particular person of late, for it seems stupendous; and I would fain be filled with greater admiration of it; and it receives no small increase, when I add all the kindnesses that he has done me in my friends, which are very wonderful also. Both together furnish me with abundance of matter for my meditation. I can never want company (you may well think), who have so many mercies to call to mind and entertain myself withal. And truly these thoughts and my books are most of the society which I have; unless my brother sometimes comes, or I go to him; but one of our best neighbours at Battersea (Mrs. Bryne, whom you have often heard me speak of) I doubt will shortly leave us, and go to another world: she hath been in

a languishing condition many weeks, and now cannot move herself nor scarcely speak; and, which adds to the affliction, their eldest daughter is dead, not without strong suspicion of the plague. We have now very great hopes that the sickness will go away, and make room for the return of our neighbours again. There is a great decrease again in most places, as is generally said; which very much revives the spirits of the people, who have been very greatly dejected.

67. The same to the same.

Nov. 9, 1665.

MY DEAR FRIEND,-I suppose you will hear before this can reach you, that the sickness did not decrease so much last week but it is increased as much in this week that is newly past. I have walked to Battersea and back again with a good deal of ease this day. They have had none die there this fortnight, but at Wandsworth there is still a great mortality there are twelve dead since Sunday, as one of the parish tells me. You may think that the increase of this sickness comes from the access of more people; but I think it otherwise: for it is much increased in Lambeth and Wandsworth (as I told you), from whence people rather run away. It

is to be ascribed rather to the unseasonable weather which has been of late; and most of all to the wise goodness of God, who intends to shew that we are not yet so safe as secure sinners imagine. I observe that people grow remiss already, and their fervours are already cooled. We had nothing so good a congregation yesterday as we used to have; and therefore God may in mercy quicken us again to mind our duty and rouse up our dull souls by this new