The latter urged, that there must be some faults, and that the Admiral
must be found to have done his part. I did say an unhappy word, which
I was sorry for, when he complained of want of oares for the boats:
and there was, it seems, enough, and good enough, to carry away all the
boats with from the King's occasions. He said he used never a boat till
they were all gone but one; and that was to carry away things of great
value, and these were his models of ships; which, when the Council, some
of them, had said they wished that the Dutch had had them instead of the
King's ships, he answered, he did believe the Dutch would have made more
advantage of the models than of the ships, and that the King had had
greater loss thereby; this they all laughed at. After having heard him
for an hour or more, they bid him withdraw. I all this while showing him
no respect, but rather against him, for which God forgive me! for I
mean no hurt to him, but only find that these Lords are upon their own
purgation, and it is necessary I should be so in behalf of the office.
He being gone, they caused Sir Richard Browne to read over his minutes;
and then my Lord Arlington moved that they might be put into my hands to
put into form, I being more acquainted with such business; and they were
so. So I away back with my books and papers; and when I got into the
Court it was pretty to see how people gazed upon me, that I thought
myself obliged to salute people and to smile, lest they should think I
was a prisoner too; but afterwards I found that most did take me to
be there to bear evidence against P. Pett; but my fear was such, at my
going in, of the success of the day, that at my going in I did think fit
to give T. Hater, whom I took with me, to wait the event, my closet-key
and directions where to find L500 and more in silver and gold, and my
tallys, to remove, in case of any misfortune to me. Thence to Sir
G. Carteret's to take my leave of my Lady Jem, who is going into the
country tomorrow; but she being now at prayers with my Lady and family,
and hearing here by Yorke, the carrier, that my wife is coming to towne,
I did make haste home to see her, that she might not find me abroad,
it being the first minute I have been abroad since yesterday was
se'ennight. It is pretty to see how strange it is to be abroad to see
people, as it used to be after a month or two's absence, and I have
brought myself so to it, that I have no great mind to be abroad, which
I could not have believed of myself. I got home, and after being there
a little, she come, and two of her fellow-travellers with her, with whom
we drunk: a couple of merchant-like men, I think, but have friends in
our country. They being gone, I and my wife to talk, who did give me
so bad an account of her and my father's method in burying of our gold,
that made me mad: and she herself is not pleased with it, she believing
that my sister knows of it. My father and she did it on Sunday, when
they were gone to church, in open daylight, in the midst of the garden;
where, for aught they knew, many eyes might see them: which put me into
such trouble, that I was almost mad about it, and presently cast about,
how to have it back again to secure it here, the times being a little
better now; at least at White Hall they seem as if they were, but one
way or other I am resolved to free them from the place if I can get
them. Such was my trouble at this, that I fell out with my wife, that
though new come to towne, I did not sup with her, nor speak to her
tonight, but to bed and sleep.
20th. Up, without any respect to my wife, only answering her a question
or two, without any anger though, and so to the office, where all the
morning busy, and among other things Mr. Barber come to me (one of the
clerks of the Ticket office) to get me to sign some tickets, and told me
that all the discourse yesterday, about that part of the town where he
was, was that Mr. Pett and I were in the Tower; and I did hear the
same before. At noon, home to dinner, and there my wife and I very good
friends; the care of my gold being somewhat over, considering it was in
their hands that have as much cause to secure it as myself almost, and
so if they will be mad, let them. But yet I do intend to, send for it
away. Here dined Mercer with us, and after dinner she cut my hair, and
then I into my closet and there slept a little, as I do now almost every
day after dinner; and then, after dallying a little with Nell, which I
am ashamed to think of, away to the office. Busy all the afternoon; in
the evening did treat with, and in the end agree; but by some kind of
compulsion, with the owners of six merchant ships, to serve the King as
men-of-war. But, Lord! to see how against the hair it is with these men
and every body to trust us and the King; and how unreasonable it is to
expect they should be willing to lend their ships, and lay out 2 or L300
a man to fit their ships for new voyages, when we have not paid them
half of what we owe them for their old services! I did write so to Sir
W. Coventry this night. At night my wife and I to walk and talk
again about our gold, which I am not quiet in my mind to be safe, and
therefore will think of some way to remove it, it troubling me very
much. So home with my wife to supper and to bed, miserable hot weather
all night it was.
21st. Up and by water to White Hall, there to discourse with [Sir] G.
Carteret and Mr. Fenn about office business. I found them all aground,
and no money to do anything with. Thence homewards, calling at my
Tailor's to bespeak some coloured clothes, and thence to Hercules
Pillars, all alone, and there spent 6d. on myself, and so home and
busy all the morning. At noon to dinner, home, where my wife shows me a
letter from her father, who is going over sea, and this afternoon would
take his leave of her. I sent him by her three Jacobuses in gold,
having real pity for him and her. So I to my office, and there all the
afternoon. This day comes news from Harwich that the Dutch fleete are
all in sight, near 100 sail great and small, they think, coming towards
them; where, they think, they shall be able to oppose them; but do cry
out of the falling back of the seamen, few standing by them, and those
with much faintness. The like they write from Portsmouth, and their
letters this post are worth reading. Sir H. Cholmly come to me this day,
and tells me the Court is as mad as ever; and that the night the Dutch
burned our ships the King did sup with my Lady Castlemayne, at the
Duchess of Monmouth's, and there were all mad in hunting of a poor moth.
All the Court afraid of a Parliament; but he thinks nothing can save us
but the King's giving up all to a Parliament. Busy at the office all
the afternoon, and did much business to my great content. In the evening
sent for home, and there I find my Lady Pen and Mrs. Lowther, and Mrs.
Turner and my wife eating some victuals, and there I sat and laughed
with them a little, and so to the office again, and in the evening
walked with my wife in the garden, and did give Sir W. Pen at his
lodgings (being just come from Deptford from attending the dispatch of
the fire-ships there) an account of what passed the other day at Council
touching Commissioner Pett, and so home to supper and to bed.
22nd. Up, and to my office, where busy, and there comes Mrs. Daniel...
At the office I all the morning busy. At noon home to dinner, where Mr.
Lewes Phillips, by invitation of my wife, comes, he coming up to town
with her in the coach this week, and she expected another gentleman, a
fellow-traveller, and I perceive the feast was for him, though she do
not say it, but by some mistake he come not, so there was a good dinner
lost. Here we had the two Mercers, and pretty merry. Much talk with Mr.
Phillips about country business, among others that there is no way for
me to purchase any severall lands in Brampton, or making any severall
that is not so, without much trouble and cost, and, it may be, not do
it neither, so that there is no more ground to be laid to our Brampton
house. After dinner I left them, and to the office, and thence to Sir W.
Pen's, there to talk with Mrs. Lowther, and by and by we hearing Mercer
and my boy singing at my house, making exceeding good musique, to the
joy of my heart, that I should be the master of it, I took her to my
office and there merry a while, and then I left them, and at the office
busy all the afternoon, and sleepy after a great dinner. In the evening
come Captain Hart and Haywood to me about the six merchant-ships now
taken up for men-of-war; and in talk they told me about the taking of
"The Royal Charles;" that nothing but carelessness lost the ship, for
they might have saved her the very tide that the Dutch come up, if they
would have but used means and had had but boats: and that the want of
boats plainly lost all the other ships. That the Dutch did take her with
a boat of nine men, who found not a man on board her, and her laying so
near them was a main temptation to them to come on; and presently a man
went up and struck her flag and jacke, and a trumpeter sounded upon her
"Joan's placket is torn," that they did carry her down at a time,
both for tides and wind, when the best pilot in Chatham would not have
undertaken it, they heeling her on one side to make her draw little
water: and so carried her away safe. They being gone, by and by comes
Sir W. Pen home, and he and I together talking. He hath been at Court;
and in the first place, I hear the Duke of Cambridge is dead; a which is
a great loss to the nation, having, I think, never an heyre male now of
the King's or Duke's to succeed to the Crown. He tells me that they do
begin already to damn the Dutch, and call them cowards at White Hall,
and think of them and their business no better than they used to do;
which is very sad. The King did tell him himself, which is so, I was
told, here in the City, that the City, hath lent him L10,000, to be laid
out towards securing of the River of Thames; which, methinks, is a very
poor thing, that we should be induced to borrow by such mean sums.
He tells me that it is most manifest that one great thing making it
impossible for us to have set out a fleete this year, if we could have
done it for money or stores, was the liberty given the beginning of the
year for the setting out of merchant-men, which did take up, as is
said, above ten, if not fifteen thousand seamen: and this the other day
Captain Cocke tells me appears in the council-books, that is the number
of seamen required to man the merchant ships that had passes to go
abroad. By and by, my wife being here, they sat down and eat a bit of
their nasty victuals, and so parted and we to bed.
23rd (Lord's day). Up to my chamber, and there all the morning reading
in my Lord Coke's Pleas of the Crowne, very fine noble reading. After
church time comes my wife and Sir W. Pen his lady and daughter; and Mrs.
Markham and Captain Harrison (who come to dine with them), by invitation
end dined with me, they as good as inviting themselves. I confess I hate
their company and tricks, and so had no great pleasure in [it], but a
good dinner lost. After dinner they all to church, and I by water alone
to Woolwich, and there called on Mr. Bodham: and he and I to see the
batterys newly raised; which, indeed, are good works to command the
River below the ships that are sunk, but not above them. Here I met with
Captain Cocke and Matt. Wren, Fenn, and Charles Porter, and Temple and
his wife. Here I fell in with these, and to Bodham's with them, and
there we sat and laughed and drank in his arbour, Wren making much and
kissing all the day of Temple's wife. It is a sad sight to see so many
good ships there sunk in the River, while we would be thought to be
masters of the sea. Cocke says the bankers cannot, till peace returns,
ever hope to have credit again; so that they can pay no more money, but
people must be contented to take publick security such as they can give
them; and if so, and they do live to receive the money thereupon, the
bankers will be happy men. Fenn read me an order of council passed the
17th instant, directing all the Treasurers of any part of the King's
revenue to make no payments but such as shall be approved by the present
Lords Commissioners; which will, I think, spoil the credit of all his
Majesty's service, when people cannot depend upon payment any where.
But the King's declaration in behalf of the bankers, to make good their
assignments for money, is very good, and will, I hope, secure me. Cocke
says, that he hears it is come to it now, that the King will try what
he can soon do for a peace; and if he cannot, that then he will cast all
upon the Parliament to do as they see fit: and in doing so, perhaps, he
may save us all. The King of France, it is believed, is engaged for this
year;
[Louis XIV. was at this time in Flanders, with his queen, his
mistresses, and all his Court. Turenne commanded under him. Whilst
Charles was hunting moths at Lady Castlemaine's, and the English
fleet was burning, Louis was carrying on the campaign with vigour.
Armentieres was taken on the 28th May; Charleroi on the 2nd June,
St. Winox on the 6th, Fumes on the 12th, Ath on the 16th, Toumay on
the 24th; the Escarpe on the 6th July, Courtray on the 18th,
Audenarde on the 31st; and Lisle on the 27th August.--B.]
so that we shall be safe as to him. The great misery the City and
kingdom is like to suffer for want of coals in a little time is very
visible, and, is feared, will breed a mutiny; for we are not in any
prospect to command the sea for our colliers to come, but rather, it is
feared, the Dutch may go and burn all our colliers at Newcastle; though
others do say that they lie safe enough there. No news at all of late
from Bredagh what our Treaters do. By and by, all by water in three
boats to Greenwich, there to Cocke's, where we supped well, and then
late, Wren, Fenn, and I home by water, set me in at the Tower, and they
to White Hall, and so I home, and after a little talk with my wife to
bed.
24th. Up, and to the office, where much business upon me by the coming
of people of all sorts about the dispatch of one business or other of
the fire-ships, or other ships to be set out now. This morning Greeting
come, and I with him at my flageolet. At noon dined at home with my wife
alone, and then in the afternoon all the day at my office. Troubled a
little at a letter from my father, which tells me of an idle companion,
one Coleman, who went down with him and my wife in the coach, and come
up again with my wife, a pensioner of the King's Guard, and one that
my wife, indeed, made the feast for on Saturday last, though he did
not come; but if he knows nothing of our money I will prevent any other
inconvenience. In the evening comes Mr. Povy about business; and he and
I to walk in the garden an hour or two, and to talk of State matters.
He tells me his opinion that it is out of possibility for us to escape
being undone, there being nothing in our power to do that is necessary
for the saving us: a lazy Prince, no Council, no money, no reputation at
home or abroad. He says that to this day the King do follow the women as
much as ever he did; that the Duke of York hath not got Mrs. Middleton,
as I was told the other day: but says that he wants not her, for he hath
others, and hath always had, and that he [Povy] hath known them brought
through the Matted Gallery at White Hall into his [the Duke's] closet;
nay, he hath come out of his wife's bed, and gone to others laid in
bed for him: that Mr. Bruncker is not the only pimp, but that the whole
family is of the same strain, and will do anything to please him: that,
besides the death of the two Princes lately, the family is in horrible
disorder by being in debt by spending above L60,000 per. annum, when he
hath not L40,000: that the Duchesse is not only the proudest woman
in the world, but the most expensefull; and that the Duke of York's
marriage with her hath undone the kingdom, by making the Chancellor so
great above reach, who otherwise would have been but an ordinary man, to
have been dealt with by other people; and he would have been careful of
managing things well, for fear of being called to account; whereas, now
he is secure, and hath let things run to rack, as they now appear. That
at a certain time Mr. Povy did carry him an account of the state of the
Duke of York's estate, showing in faithfullness how he spent more than
his estate would bear, by above L20,000 per annum, and asked my Lord's
opinion of it; to which he answered that no man that loved the King or
kingdom durst own the writing of that paper; at which Povy was startled,
and reckoned himself undone for this good service, and found it
necessary then to show it to the Duke of York's Commissioners; who read,
examined, and approved of it, so as to cause it to be put into form, and
signed it, and gave it the Duke. Now the end of the Chancellor was, for
fear that his daughter's ill housewifery should be condemned. He [Povy]
tells me that the other day, upon this ill newes of the Dutch being upon
us, White Hall was shut up, and the Council called and sat close; and,
by the way, he do assure me, from the mouth of some Privy-councillors,
that at this day the Privy-council in general do know no more what the
state of the kingdom as to peace and war is, than he or I; nor knows who
manages it, nor upon whom it depends; and there my Lord Chancellor did
make a speech to them, saying that they knew well that he was no friend
to the war from the beginning, and therefore had concerned himself
little in, nor could say much to it; and a great deal of that kind, to
discharge himself of the fault of the war. Upon which my Lord Anglesey
rose up and told his Majesty that he thought their coming now together
was not to enquire who was, or was not, the cause of the war, but to
enquire what was, or could be, done in the business of making a peace,
and in whose hands that was, and where it was stopped or forwarded; and
went on very highly to have all made open to them: and, by the way, I
remember that Captain Cocke did the other day tell me that this Lord
Anglesey hath said, within few days, that he would willingly give
L10,000 of his estate that he was well secured of the rest, such
apprehensions he hath of the sequel of things, as giving all over for
lost. He tells me, speaking of the horrid effeminacy of the King, that
the King hath taken ten times more care and pains in making friends
between my Lady Castlemayne and Mrs. Stewart, when they have fallen out,
than ever he did to save his kingdom; nay, that upon any falling out
between my Lady Castlemayne's nurse and her woman, my Lady hath often
said she would make the King to make them friends, and they would be
friends and be quiet; which the King hath been fain to do: that the King
is, at this day, every night in Hyde Park with the Duchesse of Monmouth,
or with my Lady Castlemaine: that he [Povy] is concerned of late by my
Lord Arlington in the looking after some buildings that he is about in
Norfolke, where my Lord is laying out a great deal of money; and that
he, Mr. Povy, considering the unsafeness of laying out money at such a
time as this, and, besides, the enviousness of the particular county,
as well as all the kingdom, to find him building and employing workmen,
while all the ordinary people of the country are carried down to the
seasides for securing the land, he thought it becoming him to go to my
Lord Arlington (Sir Thomas Clifford by), and give it as his advice to
hold his hands a little; but my Lord would not, but would have him go
on, and so Sir Thomas Clifford advised also, which one would think, if
he were a statesman worth a fart should be a sign of his foreseeing that
all shall do well. But I do forbear concluding any such thing from them.
He tells me that there is not so great confidence between any two men
of power in the nation at this day, that he knows of, as between my Lord
Arlington and Sir Thomas Clifford; and that it arises by accident only,
there being no relation nor acquaintance between them, but only Sir
Thomas Clifford's coming to him, and applying himself to him for
favours, when he come first up to town to be a Parliament-man. He tells
me that he do not think there is anything in the world for us possibly
to be saved by but the King of France's generousnesse to stand by us
against the Dutch, and getting us a tolerable peace, it may be, upon our
giving him Tangier and the islands he hath taken, and other things
he shall please to ask. He confirms me in the several grounds I have
conceived of fearing that we shall shortly fall into mutinys and
outrages among ourselves, and that therefore he, as a Treasurer, and
therefore much more myself, I say, as being not only a Treasurer but an
officer of the Navy, on whom, for all the world knows, the faults of all
our evils are to be laid, do fear to be seized on by some rude hands as
having money to answer for, which will make me the more desirous to get
off of this Treasurership as soon as I can, as I had before in my mind
resolved. Having done all this discourse, and concluded the kingdom in
a desperate condition, we parted; and I to my wife, with whom was Mercer
and Betty Michell, poor woman, come with her husband to see us after
the death of her little girle. We sat in the garden together a while,
it being night, and then Mercer and I a song or two, and then in (the
Michell's home), my wife, Mercer, and I to supper, and then parted and
to bed.
25th. Up, and with Sir W. Pen in his new chariot (which indeed is plain,
but pretty and more fashionable in shape than any coach he hath, and yet
do not cost him, harness and all, above L32) to White Hall; where staid
a very little: and thence to St. James's to [Sir] W. Coventry, whom I
have not seen since before the coming of the Dutch into the river, nor
did indeed know how well to go see him, for shame either to him or me,
or both of us, to find ourselves in so much misery. I find that he and
his fellow-Treasurers are in the utmost want of money, and do find fault
with Sir G. Carteret, that, having kept the mystery of borrowing money
to himself so long, to the ruin of the nation, as [Sir] W. Coventry said
in words to [Sir] W. Pen and me, he should now lay it aside and come to
them for money for every penny he hath, declaring that he can raise no
more: which, I confess, do appear to me the most like ill-will of any
thing that I have observed of [Sir] W. Coventry, when he himself did
tell us, on another occasion at the same time, that the bankers who used
to furnish them money are not able to lend a farthing, and he knows well
enough that that was all the mystery [Sir] G. Carteret did use, that is,
only his credit with them. He told us the masters and owners of the
two ships that I had complained of, for not readily setting forth their
ships, which we had taken up to make men-of-war, had been yesterday with
the King and Council, and had made their case so well understood, that
the King did owe them for what they had earned the last year, that they
could not set them out again without some money or stores out of the
King's Yards; the latter of which [Sir] W. Coventry said must be done,
for that they were not able to raise money for them, though it was but
L200 a ship: which do skew us our condition to be so bad, that I am in
a total despair of ever having the nation do well. After talking awhile,
and all out of heart with stories of want of seamen, and seamen's
running away, and their demanding a month's advance, and our being
forced to give seamen 3s. a-day to go hence to work at Chatham, and
other things that show nothing but destruction upon us; for it is
certain that, as it now is, the seamen of England, in my conscience,
would, if they could, go over and serve the King of France or Holland
rather than us. Up to the Duke of York to his chamber, where he seems to
be pretty easy, and now and then merry; but yet one may perceive in
all their minds there is something of trouble and care, and with good
reason. Thence to White Hall, and with Sir W. Pen, by chariot; and there
in the Court met with my Lord Anglesey: and he to talk with [Sir]
W. Pen, and told him of the masters of ships being with the Council
yesterday, and that we were not in condition, though the men were
willing, to furnish them with L200 of money, already due to them as
earned by them the last year, to enable them to set out their ships
again this year for the King: which he is amazed at; and when I told
him, "My Lord, this is a sad instance of the condition we are in," he
answered, that it was so indeed, and sighed: and so parted: and he up to
the Council-chamber, where I perceive they sit every morning, and I to
Westminster Hall, where it is Term time. I met with none I knew, nor
did desire it, but only past through the-Hall and so back again, and
by coach home to dinner, being weary indeed of seeing the world, and
thinking it high time for me to provide against the foul weather that is
certainly coming upon us. So to the office, and there [Sir] W. Pen and
I did some business, and then home to dinner, where my wife pleases
me mightily with what she can do upon the flageolet, and then I to the
office again, and busy all the afternoon, and it is worth noting that
the King and Council, in their order of the 23rd instant, for unloading
three merchant-ships taken up for the King's service for men-of-war, do
call the late coming of the Dutch "an invasion." I was told, yesterday,
that Mr. Oldenburg, our Secretary at Gresham College, is put into
the Tower, for writing newes to a virtuoso in France, with whom he
constantly corresponds in philosophical matters; which makes it very
unsafe at this time to write, or almost do any thing. Several captains
come to the office yesterday and to-day, complaining that their men come
and go when they will, and will not be commanded, though they are paid
every night, or may be. Nay, this afternoon comes Harry Russell from
Gravesend, telling us that the money carried down yesterday for the
Chest at Chatham had like to have been seized upon yesterday, in the
barge there, by seamen, who did beat our watermen: and what men should
these be but the boat's crew of Sir Fretcheville Hollis, who used to
brag so much of the goodness and order of his men, and his command over
them. Busy all the afternoon at the office. Towards night I with Mr.
Kinaston to White Hall about a Tangier order, but lost our labour, only
met Sir H. Cholmly there, and he tells me great newes; that this day
in Council the King hath declared that he will call his Parliament in
thirty days: which is the best newes I have heard a great while, and
will, if any thing, save the kingdom. How the King come to be advised to
this, I know not; but he tells me that it was against the Duke of
York's mind flatly, who did rather advise the King to raise money as
he pleased; and against the Chancellor's, who told the King that Queen
Elizabeth did do all her business in eighty-eight without calling a
Parliament, and so might he do, for anything he saw. But, blessed be
God! it is done; and pray God it may hold, though some of us must surely
go to the pot, for all must be flung up to them, or nothing will be
done. So back home, and my wife down by water, I sent her, with Mrs.
Hewer and her son, W. Hewer, to see the sunk ships, while I staid at the
office, and in the evening was visited by Mr. Roberts the merchant by us
about the getting him a ship cleared from serving the King as a man of
war, which I will endeavour to do. So home to supper and to bed.
26th. Up, and in dressing myself in my dressing chamber comes up Nell,
and I did play with her.... So being ready I to White Hall by water, and
there to the Lords Treasurers' chamber, and there wait, and here it is
every body's discourse that the Parliament is ordered to meet the 25th
of July, being, as they say, St. James's day; which every creature is
glad of. But it is pretty to consider how, walking to the Old Swan
from my house, I met Sir Thomas Harvy, whom, asking the newes of the
Parliament's meeting, he told me it was true, and they would certainly
make a great rout among us. I answered, I did not care for my part,
though I was ruined, so that the Commonwealth might escape ruin by it.
He answered, that is a good one, in faith; for you know yourself to be
secure, in being necessary to the office; but for my part, says he, I
must look to be removed; but then, says he, I doubt not but I shall have
amends made me; for all the world knows upon what terms I come in; which
is a saying that a wise man would not unnecessarily have said, I
think, to any body, meaning his buying his place of my Lord Barkely
[of Stratton]. So we parted, and I to White Hall, as I said before, and
there met with Sir Stephen Fox and Mr. Scawen, who both confirm the news
of the Parliament's meeting. Here I staid for an order for my Tangier
money, L30,000, upon the 11 months' tax, and so away to my Lord
Arlington's office, and there spoke to him about Mr. Lanyon's business,
and received a good answer, and thence to Westminster Hall and there
walked a little, and there met with Colonell Reames, who tells me of a
letter come last night, or the day before, from my Lord St. Albans, out
of France, wherein he says, that the King of France did lately fall out
with him, giving him ill names, saying that he had belied him to our
King, by saying that he had promised to assist our King, and to forward
the peace; saying that indeed he had offered to forward the peace at
such a time, but it was not accepted of, and so he thinks himself not
obliged, and would do what was fit for him; and so made him to go out
of his sight in great displeasure: and he hath given this account to the
King, which, Colonell Reymes tells me, puts them into new melancholy
at Court, and he believes hath forwarded the resolution of calling the
Parliament. Wherewith for all this I am very well contented, and so
parted and to the Exchequer, but Mr. Burgess was not in his office; so
alone to the Swan, and thither come Mr. Kinaston to me, and he and I
into a room and there drank and discoursed, and I am mightily pleased
with him for a most diligent and methodical man in all his business.
By and by to Burgess, and did as much as we could with him about our
Tangier order, though we met with unexpected delays in it, but such as
are not to be avoided by reason of the form of the Act and the disorders
which the King's necessities do put upon it, and therefore away by
coach, and at White Hall spied Mr. Povy, who tells me, as a great
secret, which none knows but himself, that Sir G. Carteret hath
parted with his place of Treasurer of the Navy, by consent, to my Lord
Anglesey, and is to be Treasurer of Ireland in his stead; but upon what
terms it is I know not, but Mr. Povy tells it is so, and that it is in
his power to bring me to as great a friendship and confidence in my Lord
Anglesey as ever I was with [Sir] W. Coventry, which I am glad of, and
so parted, and I to my tailor's about turning my old silk suit and cloak
into a suit and vest, and thence with Mr. Kinaston (whom I had set down
in the Strand and took up again at the Temple gate) home, and there to
dinner, mightily pleased with my wife's playing on the flageolet, and so
after dinner to the office. Such is the want already of coals, and the
despair of having any supply, by reason of the enemy's being abroad, and
no fleete of ours to secure, that they are come, as Mr. Kinaston tells
me, at this day to L5 10s. per chaldron. All the afternoon busy at
the office. In the evening with my wife and Mercer took coach and to
Islington to the Old House, and there eat and drank and sang with great
pleasure, and then round by Hackney home with great pleasure, and when
come home to bed, my stomach not being well pleased with the cream we
had to-night.
27th. Wakened this morning, about three o'clock, by Mr. Griffin with a
letter from Sir W. Coventry to W. Pen, which W. Pen sent me to see,
that the Dutch are come up to the Nore again, and he knows not whether
further or no, and would have, therefore, several things done: ships
sunk, and I know not what--which Sir W. Pen (who it seems is very ill
this night, or would be thought so) hath directed Griffin to carry to
the Trinity House; so he went away with the letter, and I tried and with
much ado did get a little sleep more, and so up about six o'clock, full
of thought what to do with the little money I have left and my plate,
wishing with all my heart that that was all secured. So to the office,
where much business all the morning, and the more by my brethren being
all out of the way; Sir W. Pen this night taken so ill cannot stir;
[Sir] W. Batten ill at Walthamstow; Sir J. Minnes the like at Chatham,
and my Lord Bruncker there also upon business. Horrible trouble with the
backwardness of the merchants to let us have their ships, and seamen's
running away, and not to be got or kept without money. It is worth
turning to our letters this day to Sir W. Coventry about these matters.
At noon to dinner, having a haunch of venison boiled; and all my clerks
at dinner with me; and mightily taken with Mr. Gibson's discourse of the
faults of this war in its management compared [with] that in the last
war, which I will get him to put into writing. Thence, after dinner, to
the office again, and there I saw the proclamations come out this day
for the Parliament to meet the 25th of next month; for which God be
praised! and another to invite seamen to bring in their complaints, of
their being ill-used in the getting their tickets and money, there being
a Committee of the Council appointed to receive their complaints. This
noon W. Hewer and T. Hater both tell me that it is all over the town,
and Mr. Pierce tells me also, this afternoon coming to me, that for
certain Sir G. Carteret hath parted with his Treasurer's place, and that
my Lord Anglesey is in it upon agreement and change of places, though
the latter part I do not think. This Povy told me yesterday, and I think
it is a wise act of [Sir] G. Carteret. Pierce tells me that he hears for
certain fresh at Court, that France and we shall agree; and more, that
yesterday was damned at the Council, the Canary Company; and also that
my Lord Mordaunt hath laid down his Commission, both good things to
please the Parliament, which I hope will do good. Pierce tells me that
all the town do cry out of our office, for a pack of fools and knaves;
but says that everybody speaks either well, or at least the best of me,
which is my great comfort, and think I do deserve it, and shall shew I
have; but yet do think, and he also, that the Parliament will send us
all going; and I shall be well contented with it, God knows! But he
tells me how Matt. Wren should say that he was told that I should say
that W. Coventry was guilty of the miscarriage at Chatham, though I
myself, as he confesses, did tell him otherwise, and that it was wholly
Pett's fault. This do trouble me, not only as untrue, but as a design
in some [one] or other to do me hurt; for, as the thing is false, so it
never entered into my mouth or thought, nor ever shall. He says that he
hath rectified Wren in his belief of this, and so all is well. He gone,
I to business till the evening, and then by chance home, and find the
fellow that come up with my wife, Coleman, last from Brampton, a silly
rogue, but one that would seem a gentleman; but I did not stay with him.
So to the office, where late, busy, and then to walk a little in the
garden, and so home to supper and to bed. News this tide, that about 80
sail of the Dutch, great and small were seen coming up the river this
morning; and this tide some of them to the upper end of the Hope.
28th. Up, and hear Sir W. Batten is come to town: I to see him; he is
very ill of his fever, and come to town only for advice. Sir J. Minnes,
I hear also, is very ill all this night, worse than before. Thence I
going out met at the gate Sir H. Cholmly coming to me, and I to him
in the coach, and both of us presently to St. James's, by the way
discoursing of some Tangier business about money, which the want of I
see will certainly bring the place into a bad condition. We find the
Duke of York and [Sir] W. Coventry gone this morning, by two o'clock, to
Chatham, to come home to-night: and it is fine to observe how both the
King and Duke of York have, in their several late journeys to and again,
done them in the night for coolnesse. Thence with him to the Treasury
Chamber, and then to the Exchequer to inform ourselves a little about
our warrant for L30,000 for Tangier, which vexes us that it is so far
off in time of payment. Having walked two or three turns with him in the
Hall we parted, and I home by coach, and did business at the office till
noon, and then by water to White Hall to dinner to Sir G. Carteret,
but he not at home, but I dined with my Lady and good company, and good
dinner. My Lady and the family in very good humour upon this business
of his parting with his place of Treasurer of the Navy, which I perceive
they do own, and we did talk of it with satisfaction. They do here tell
me that the Duke of Buckingham hath surrendered himself to Secretary
Morrice, and is going to the Tower. Mr. Fenn, at the table, says that he
hath been taken by the watch two or three times of late, at unseasonable
hours, but so disguised that they could not know him: and when I come
home, by and by, Mr. Lowther tells me that the Duke of Buckingham do
dine publickly this day at Wadlow's, at the Sun Tavern; and is mighty
merry, and sent word to the Lieutenant of the Tower, that he would come
to him as soon as he had dined. Now, how sad a thing it is, when we
come to make sport of proclaiming men traitors, and banishing them, and
putting them out of their offices, and Privy Council, and of sending to
and going to the Tower: God have mercy on us! At table, my Lady and Sir
Philip Carteret have great and good discourse of the greatness of the
present King of France--what great things he hath done, that a man may
pass, at any hour in the night, all over that wild city [Paris], with a
purse in his hand and no danger: that there is not a beggar to be seen
in it, nor dirt lying in it; that he hath married two of Colbert's
daughters to two of the greatest princes of France, and given them
portions--bought the greatest dukedom in France, and given it to
Colbert;
[The Carterets appear to have mystified Pepys, who eagerly believed
all that was told him. At this time Paris was notoriously unsafe,
infested with robbers and beggars, and abominably unclean. Colbert
had three daughters, of whom the eldest was just married when Pepys
wrote, viz., Jean Marie Therese, to the Duc de Chevreuse, on the 3rd
February, 1667. The second daughter, Henriette Louise, was not
married to the Duc de St. Aignan till January 21st, 1671; and the
third, Marie Anne, to the Duc de Mortemart, February 14th, 1679.
Colbert himself was never made a duke. His highest title was
Marquis de Seignelay.--B.]
and ne'er a prince in France dare whisper against it, whereas here our
King cannot do any such thing, but everybody's mouth is open against
him for it, and the man that hath the favour also. That to several
commanders that had not money to set them out to the present campagne,
he did of his own accord--send them L1000 sterling a-piece, to
equip themselves. But then they did enlarge upon the slavery of the
people--that they are taxed more than the real estates they have; nay,
it is an ordinary thing for people to desire to give the King all their
land that they have, and themselves become only his tenants, and pay him
rent to the full value of it: so they may have but their earnings, But
this will not be granted; but he shall give the value of his rent,
and part of his labour too. That there is not a petty governor of a
province--nay, of a town, but he will take the daughter from the richest
man in the town under him, that hath got anything, and give her to his
footman for a wife if he pleases, and the King of France will do the
like to the best man in his kingdom--take his daughter from him, and
give her to his footman, or whom he pleases. It is said that he do make
a sport of us now; and says, that he knows no reason why his cozen, the
King of England, should not be as willing to let him have his kingdom,
as that the Dutch should take it from him, which is a most wretched
thing that ever we should live to be in this most contemptible
condition. After dinner Sir G. Carteret come in, and I to him and my
Lady, and there he did tell me that the business was done between him
and my Lord Anglesey; that himself is to have the other's place of
Deputy Treasurer of Ireland, which is a place of honour and great
profit, being far better, I know not for what reason, but a reason there
is, than the Treasurer's, my Lord of Corke's, and to give the other his,
of Treasurer of the Navy; that the King, at his earnest entreaty, did,
with much unwillingness, but with owning of great obligations to
him, for his faithfulness and long service to him and his father, and
therefore was willing to grant his desire. That the Duke of York hath
given him the same kind words, so that it is done with all the good
manner that could be, and he I perceive do look upon it, and so do I,
I confess, as a great good fortune to him to meet with one of my Lord
Anglesey's quality willing to receive it at this time. Sir W. Coventry
he hath not yet made acquainted with it, nor do intend it, it being done
purely to ease himself of the many troubles and plagues which he thinks
the perverseness and unkindness of Sir W. Coventry and others by
his means have and is likely every day to bring upon him, and the
Parliament's envy, and lastly to put himself into a condition of making
up his accounts, which he is, he says, afeard he shall never otherwise
be. My Lord Chancellor, I perceive, is his friend in it. I remember I
did in the morning tell Sir H. Cholmly of this business: and he answered
me, he was sorry for it; for, whatever Sir G. Carteret was, he is
confident my Lord Anglesey is one of the greatest knaves in the world,
which is news to me, but I shall make my use of it. Having done this
discourse with Sir G. Carteret, and signified my great satisfaction in
it, which they seem to look upon as something, I went away and by coach
home, and there find my wife making of tea, a drink which Mr. Pelling,
the Potticary, tells her is good for her cold and defluxions. I to the
office (whither come Mr. Carcasse to me to sue for my favour to him),
and Sir W. Pen's, where I find Mr. Lowther come to town after the
journey, and after a small visit to him, I to the office to do much
business, and then in the evening to Sir W. Batten's, to see how he did;
and he is better than he was. He told me how Mrs. Lowther had her train
held up yesterday by her page, at his house in the country; which is so
ridiculous a piece of pride as I am ashamed of. He told me also how he
hears by somebody that my Lord Bruncker's maid hath told that her
lady Mrs. Williams had sold her jewels and clothes to raise money for
something or other; and indeed the last night a letter was sent from her
to me, to send to my Lord, with about five pieces of gold in it, which
methought at the time was but a poor supply. I then to Sir W. Pen, who
continues a little ill, or dissembles it, the latter of which I am apt
to believe. Here I staid but little, not meaning much kindness in it;
and so to the office, and dispatched more business; and then home
at night, and to supper with my wife, and who should come in but Mr.
Pelling, and supped with us, and told us the news of the town; how the
officers of the Navy are cried out upon, and a great many greater
men; but do think that I shall do well enough; and I think, if I have
justice, I shall. He tells me of my Lord Duke of Buckingham, his dining
to-day at the Sun, and that he was mighty merry; and, what is strange,
tells me that really he is at this day a very popular man, the world
reckoning him to suffer upon no other account than that he did propound
in Parliament to have all the questions that had to do with the receipt
of the taxes and prizes; but they must be very silly that do think
he can do any thing out of good intention. After a great deal of
tittle-tattle with this honest man, he gone we to bed. We hear that the
Dutch are gone down again; and thanks be to God! the trouble they give
us this second time is not very considerable.
29th. Up, having had many ugly dreams to-night of my father and my
sister and mother's coming to us, and meeting my wife and me at the gate
of the office going out, they all in laced suits, and come, they told
me, to be with me this May day. My mother told me she lacked a pair of
gloves, and I remembered a pair of my wife's in my chamber, and resolved
she should have them, but then recollected how my mother come to be here
when I was in mourning for her, and so thinking it to be a mistake in
our thinking her all this while dead, I did contrive that it should
be said to any that enquired that it was my mother-in-law, my wife's
mother, that was dead, and we in mourning for. This dream troubled me
and I waked.... These dreams did trouble me mightily all night. Up, and
by coach to St. James's, and there find Sir W. Coventry and Sir W. Pen
above stairs, and then we to discourse about making up our accounts
against the Parliament; and Sir W. Coventry did give us the best advice
he could for us to provide for our own justification, believing, as
everybody do, that they will fall heavily upon us all, though he lay all
upon want of money, only a little, he says (if the Parliament be in any
temper), may be laid upon themselves for not providing money sooner,
they being expressly and industriously warned thereof by him, he says,
even to the troubling them, that some of them did afterwards tell him
that he had frighted them. He says he do prepare to justify himself,
and that he hears that my Lord Chancellor, my Lord Arlington, the Vice
Chamberlain and himself are reported all up and down the Coffee houses
to be the four sacrifices that must be made to atone the people. Then we
to talk of the loss of all affection and obedience, now in the seamen,
so that all power is lost. He told us that he do concur in thinking that
want of money do do the most of it, but that that is not all, but the
having of gentlemen Captains, who discourage all Tarpaulins, and have
given out that they would in a little time bring it to that pass that a
Tarpaulin should not dare to aspire to more than to be a Boatswain or
a gunner. That this makes the Sea Captains to lose their own good
affections to the service, and to instil it into the seamen also, and
that the seamen do see it themselves and resent it; and tells us that
it is notorious, even to his bearing of great ill will at Court, that he
hath been the opposer of gentlemen Captains; and Sir W. Pen did put in,
and said that he was esteemed to have been the man that did instil it
into Sir W. Coventry, which Sir W. Coventry did owne also, and says that
he hath always told the Gentlemen Captains his opinion of them, and
that himself who had now served to the business of the sea 6 or 7 years
should know a little, and as much as them that had never almost been at
sea, and that yet he found himself fitter to be a Bishop or Pope than
to be a Sea-Commander, and so indeed he is. I begun to tell him of the
experience I had of the great brags made by Sir F. Hollis the other day,
and the little proof either of the command or interest he had in his
men, which Sir W. Pen seconded by saying Sir Fr. Hollis had told him
that there was not a pilot to be got the other day for his fire-ships,
and so was forced to carry them down himself, which Sir W. Coventry
says, in my conscience, he knows no more to do and understand the River
no more than he do Tiber or Ganges. Thence I away with Sir W. Pen to
White Hall, to the Treasury Chamber, but to no purpose, and so by coach
home, and there to my office to business, and then home to dinner,
and to pipe with my wife, and so to the office again, having taken a
resolution to take a turn to Chatham to-morrow, indeed to do business of
the King's, but also to give myself the satisfaction of seeing the place
after the Dutch have been here. I have sent to and got Creed to go with
me by coach betimes to-morrow morning. After having done my business at
the office I home, and there I found Coleman come again to my house,
and with my wife in our great chamber, which vexed me, there being a bed
therein. I staid there awhile, and then to my study vexed, showing no
civility to the man. But he comes on a compliment to receive my wife's
commands into the country, whither he is going, and it being Saturday
my wife told me there was no other room for her to bring him in, and so
much is truth. But I staid vexed in my closet till by and by my cozen
Thomas Pepys, of Hatcham, come to see me, and he up to my closet, and
there sat talking an hour or two of the sad state of the times, whereof
we did talk very freely, and he thinks nothing but a union of religious
interests will ever settle us; and I do think that, and the Parliament's
taking the whole management of things into their hands, and severe
inquisitions into our miscarriages; will help us. After we had bewailed
ourselves and the kingdom very freely one to another (wherein I do blame
myself for my freedom of speech to anybody), he gone, and Coleman gone
also before, I to the office, whither Creed come by my desire, and
he and I to my wife, to whom I now propose the going to Chatham, who,
mightily pleased with it, sent for Mercer to go with her, but she could
not go, having friends at home, which vexed my wife and me; and the poor
wretch would have had anybody else to have gone, but I would like nobody
else, so was contented to stay at home, on condition to go to Ispsum
next Sunday, which I will do, and so I to the office to dispatch my
business, and then home to supper with Creed, and then Creed and I
together to bed, very pleasant in discourse. This day talking with Sir
W. Batten, he did give me an account how ill the King and Duke of York
was advised to send orders for our frigates and fire-ships to come from
Gravesend, soon as ever news come of the Dutch being returned into the
river, wherein no seamen, he believes, was advised with; for, says he,
we might have done just as Warwicke did, when he, W. Batten; come with
the King and the like fleete, in the late wars, into the river: for
Warwicke did not run away from them, but sailed before them when they
sailed, and come to anchor when they come to anchor, and always kept in
a small distance from them: so as to be able to take any opportunity
of any of their ships running aground, or change of wind, or any thing
else, to his advantage. So might we have done with our fire-ships, and
we have lost an opportunity of taking or burning a good ship of their's,
which was run aground about Holehaven, I think he said, with the wind
so as their ships could not get her away; but we might have done what we
would with her, and, it may be, done them mischief, too, with the wind.
This seems very probable, and I believe was not considered.
30th (Lord's day). Up about three o'clock, and Creed and I got ourselves
ready, and took coach at our gate, it being very fine weather, and the
cool of the morning, and with much pleasure, without any stop, got to
Rochester about ten of the clock, all the way having mighty pleasant
talk of the fate that is over all we do, that it seems as if we were
designed in every thing, by land by sea, to undo ourselves. At the foot
of Rochester bridge, at the landing-place, I met my Lord Bruncker and my
Lord Douglas, and all the officers of the soldiers in the town, waiting
there for the Duke of York, whom they heard was coming thither this day;
by and by comes my Lord Middleton, the first time I remember to have
seen him, well mounted, who had been to meet him, but come back without
him; he seems a fine soldier, and so every body says he is; and a
man, like my Lord Teviott, and indeed most of the Scotch gentry, as I
observe, of few words. After staying here by the water-side and seeing
the boats come up from Chatham, with them that rowed with bandeleeres
about their shoulders, and muskets in their boats, they being the
workmen of the Yard, who have promised to redeem their credit, lost by
their deserting the service when the Dutch were there, my Lord Bruncker
went with Lord Middleton to his inne, the Crowne, to dinner, which I
took unkindly, but he was slightly invited. So I and Creed down by boat
to Chatham-yard (our watermen having their bandeleeres about them all
the way), and to Commissioner Pett's house, where my Lord Bruncker told
me that I should meet with his dinner two dishes of meat, but did not,
but however by the help of Mr. Wiles had some beer and ale brought me,
and a good piece of roast beef from somebody's table, and eat well at
two, and after dinner into the garden to shew Creed, and I must confess
it must needs be thought a sorrowful thing for a man that hath taken so
much pains to make a place neat to lose it as Commissioner Pett must now
this. Thence to see the batteries made; which, indeed, are very fine,
and guns placed so as one would think the River should be very secure.
I was glad, as also it was new to me, to see so many fortifications as I
have of late seen, and so up to the top of the Hill, there to look, and
could see towards Sheerenesse, to spy the Dutch fleete, but could make
[out] none but one vessel, they being all gone. But here I was told,
that, in all the late attempt, there was but one man that they knew
killed on shore: and that was a man that had laid himself upon his
belly upon one of the hills, on the other side of the River, to see the
action; and a bullet come, took the ground away just under his belly,
and ripped up his belly, and so was killed. Thence back to the docke,
and in my way saw how they are fain to take the deals of the rope-house
to supply other occasions, and how sillily the country troopers look,
that stand upon the passes there; and, methinks, as if they were more
willing to run away than to fight, and it is said that the country
soldiers did first run at Sheerenesse, but that then my Lord Douglas's
men did run also; but it is excused that there was no defence for them
towards the sea, that so the very beach did fly in their faces as the
bullets come, and annoyed them, they having, after all this preparation
of the officers of the ordnance, only done something towards the land,
and nothing at all towards the sea. The people here everywhere do speak
very badly of Sir Edward Spragge, as not behaving himself as he should
have done in that business, going away with the first, and that old
Captain Pyne, who, I am here told, and no sooner, is Master-Gunner of
England, was the last that staid there. Thence by barge, it raining
hard, down to the chaine; and in our way did see the sad wrackes of the
poor "Royall Oake," "James," and "London;"
["The bottom of the 'Royal James' is got afloat, and those of the
'Loyal London' and 'Royal Oak' soon will be so. Many men are at work
to put Sheerness in a posture of defence, and a boom is being fitted
over the river by Upnor Castle, which with the good fortifications
will leave nothing to fear."--Calendar of State Papers, 1667, p.
285.]
and several other of our ships by us sunk, and several of the enemy's,
whereof three men-of-war that they could not get off, and so burned. We
did also see several dead bodies lie by the side of the water. I do not
see that Upnor Castle hath received any hurt by them, though they played
long against it; and they themselves shot till they had hardly a gun
left upon the carriages, so badly provided they were: they have now
made two batteries on that side, which will be very good, and do good
service. So to the chaine, and there saw it fast at the end on Upnor
side of the River; very fast, and borne up upon the several stages
across the River; and where it is broke nobody can tell me. I went on
shore on Upnor side to look upon the end of the chaine; and caused
the link to be measured, and it was six inches and one-fourth in
circumference. They have burned the Crane House that was to hawl it
taught. It seems very remarkable to me, and of great honour to the
Dutch, that those of them that did go on shore to Gillingham, though
they went in fear of their lives, and were some of them killed; and,
notwithstanding their provocation at Schelling, yet killed none of our
people nor plundered their houses, but did take some things of easy
carriage, and left the rest, and not a house burned; and, which is to
our eternal disgrace, that what my Lord Douglas's men, who come after
them, found there, they plundered and took all away; and the watermen
that carried us did further tell us, that our own soldiers are far more
terrible to those people of the country-towns than the Dutch themselves.
We were told at the batteries, upon my seeing of the field-guns that
were there, that, had they come a day sooner, they had been able to have
saved all; but they had no orders, and lay lingering upon the way, and
did not come forward for want of direction. Commissioner Pett's house
was all unfurnished, he having carried away all his goods. I met with no
satisfaction whereabouts the chaine was broke, but do confess I met with
nobody that I could well expect to have satisfaction [from], it being
Sunday; and the officers of the Yard most of them abroad, or at the Hill
house, at the pay of the Chest, which they did make use of to day to do
part in. Several complaints, I hear, of the Monmouth's coming away too
soon from the chaine, where she was placed with the two guard-ships to
secure it; and Captain Robert Clerke, my friend, is blamed for so
doing there, but I hear nothing of him at London about it; but Captain
Brookes's running aground with the "Sancta Maria," which was one of the
three ships that were ordered to be sunk to have dammed up the River
at the chaine, is mightily cried against, and with reason, he being the
chief man to approve of the abilities of other men, and the other two
slips did get safe thither and he run aground; but yet I do hear that
though he be blameable, yet if she had been there, she nor two more to
them three would have been able to have commanded the river all over. I
find that here, as it hath been in our river, fire-ships, when fitted,
have been sunk afterwards, and particularly those here at the Mussle,
where they did no good at all. Our great ships that were run aground
and sunk are all well raised but the "Vanguard," which they go about to
raise to-morrow. "The Henery," being let loose to drive up the river of
herself, did run up as high as the bridge, and broke down some of the
rails of the bridge, and so back again with the tide, and up again, and
then berthed himself so well as no pilot could ever have done better;
and Punnet says he would not, for his life, have undertaken to have done
it, with all his skill. I find it is true that the Dutch did heele "The
Charles" to get her down, and yet run aground twice or thrice, and yet
got her safe away, and have her, with a great many good guns in
her, which none of our pilots would ever have undertaken. It is very
considerable the quantity of goods, which the making of these platforms
and batterys do take out of the King's stores: so that we shall have
little left there, and, God knows! no credit to buy any; besides, the
taking away and spending of (it is possible) several goods that would
have been either rejected or abatement made for them before used. It
is a strange thing to see that, while my Lords Douglas and Middleton do
ride up and down upon single horses, my Lord Bruncker do go up and down
with his hackney-coach and six horses at the King's charge, which will
do, for all this time, and the time that he is likely to stay, must
amount to a great deal. But I do not see that he hath any command over
the seamen, he being affronted by three or four seamen before my very
face, which he took sillily, methought; and is not able to do so much
good as a good boatswain in this business. My Lord Bruncker, I perceive,
do endeavour to speak well of Commissioner Pett, saying that he did
exercise great care and pains while he was there, but do not undertake
to answer for his not carrying up of the great ships. Back again to
Rochester, and there walked to the Cathedral as they were beginning of
the service, but would not be seen to stay to church there, besides had
no mind, but rather to go to our inne, the White Hart, where we drank
and were fain (the towne being so full of soldiers) to have a bed corded
for us to lie in, I being unwilling to lie at the Hill house for one
night, being desirous to be near our coach to be gone betimes to-morrow
morning. Here in the streets, I did hear the Scotch march beat by the
drums before the soldiers, which is very odde. Thence to the Castle, and
viewed it with Creed, and had good satisfaction from him that showed it
us touching the history of it. Then into the fields, a fine walk, and
there saw Sir Francis Clerke's house, which is a pretty seat, and then
back to our inne and bespoke supper, and so back to the fields and into
the Cherry garden, where we had them fresh gathered, and here met with a
young, plain, silly shopkeeper, and his wife, a pretty young woman, the
man's name Hawkins, and I did kiss her, and we talked (and the woman of
the house is a very talking bawdy jade), and eat cherries together, and
then to walk in the fields till it was late, and did kiss her, and I
believe had I had a fit time and place I might have done what I would
with her. Walked back and left them at their house near our inne, and
then to our inne, where, I hear, my Lord Bruncker hath sent for me to
speak with me before I go: so I took his coach, which stands there with
two horses, and to him and to his bedside, where he was in bed, and
hath a watchman with a halbert at his door; and to him, and did talk a
little, and find him a very weak man for this business that he is upon;
and do pity the King's service, that is no better handled, and his folly
to call away Pett before we could have found a better man to have staid
in his stead; so took leave of him, and with Creed back again, it being
now about 10 at night, and to our inne to supper, and then to bed,
being both sleepy, but could get no sheets to our bed, only linen to our
mouths, and so to sleep, merrily talking of Hawkins and his wife, and
troubled that Creed did see so much of my dalliance, though very little.