June 1st. Up and to the office, where sat all the morning, at noon to
the ‘Change, and there did some business, and home to dinner, whither
Creed comes, and after dinner I put on my new silke camelott sute; the
best that ever I wore in my life, the sute costing me above L24. In
this I went with Creed to Goldsmiths’ Hall, to the burial of Sir Thomas
Viner; which Hall, and Haberdashers also, was so full of people, that
we were fain for ease and coolness to go forth to Pater Noster Row, to
choose a silke to make me a plain ordinary suit. That done, we walked to
Cornehill, and there at Mr. Cade’s’ stood in the balcon and saw all
the funeral, which was with the blue-coat boys and old men, all the
Aldermen, and Lord Mayor, &c., and the number of the company very great;
the greatest I ever did see for a taverne. Hither come up to us Dr.
Allen, and then Mr. Povy and Mr. Fox. The show being over, and my
discourse with Mr. Povy, I took coach and to Westminster Hall, where
I took the fairest flower, and by coach to Tothill Fields for the ayre
till it was dark. I ‘light, and in with the fairest flower to eat a
cake, and there did do as much as was safe with my flower, and that was
enough on my part. Broke up, and away without any notice, and, after
delivering the rose where it should be, I to the Temple and ‘light, and
come to the middle door, and there took another coach, and so home to
write letters, but very few, God knows, being by my pleasure made to
forget everything that is. The coachman that carried [us] cannot know me
again, nor the people at the house where we were. Home to bed, certain
news being come that our fleete is in sight of the Dutch ships.
2nd. Lay troubled in mind abed a good while, thinking of my Tangier and
victualling business, which I doubt will fall. Up and to the Duke
of Albemarle, but missed him. Thence to the Harp and Ball and to
Westminster Hall, where I visited “the flowers” in each place, and so
met with Mr. Creed, and he and I to Mrs. Croft’s to drink and did, but
saw not her daughter Borroughes. I away home, and there dined and did
business. In the afternoon went with my tallys, made a fair end with
Colvill and Viner, delivering them L5000 tallys to each and very quietly
had credit given me upon other tallys of Mr. Colvill for L2000 and
good words for more, and of Mr. Viner too. Thence to visit the Duke of
Albemarle, and thence my Lady Sandwich and Lord Crew. Thence home, and
there met an expresse from Sir W. Batten at Harwich, that the fleete is
all sailed from Solebay, having spied the Dutch fleete at sea, and that,
if the calmes hinder not, they must needs now be engaged with them.
Another letter also come to me from Mr. Hater, committed by the Council
this afternoon to the Gate House, upon the misfortune of having his name
used by one, without his knowledge or privity, for the receiving of
some powder that he had bought. Up to Court about these two, and for the
former was led up to my Lady Castlemayne’s lodgings, where the King and
she and others were at supper, and there I read the letter and returned;
and then to Sir G. Carteret about Hater, and shall have him released
to-morrow, upon my giving bail for his appearance, which I have promised
to do. Sir G. Carteret did go on purpose to the King to ask this, and it
was granted. So home at past 12, almost one o’clock in the morning. To
my office till past two, and then home to supper and to bed.
3rd. Up and to White Hall, where Sir G. Carteret did go with me to
Secretary Morris, and prevailed with him to let Mr. Hater be released
upon bail for his appearance. So I at a loss how to get another besides
myself, and got Mr. Hunt, who did patiently stay with me all the morning
at Secretary Morris’s chamber, Mr. Hater being sent for with his
keeper, and at noon comes in the Secretary, and upon entering [into]
recognizances, he for L200, and Mr. Hunt and I for L100 each for his
appearance upon demand, he was released, it costing him, I think, above
L3. I thence home, vexed to be kept from the office all the morning,
which I had not been in many months before, if not some years. At home
to dinner, and all the afternoon at the office, where late at night, and
much business done, then home to supper and to bed. All this day by all
people upon the River, and almost every where else hereabout were heard
the guns, our two fleets for certain being engaged; which was confirmed
by letters from Harwich, but nothing particular: and all our hearts full
of concernment for the Duke, and I particularly for my Lord Sandwich and
Mr. Coventry after his Royall Highnesse.
4th (Sunday). Up and at my chamber all the forenoon, at evening my
accounts, which I could not do sooner, for the last month, and, blessed
be God! am worth L1400 odd money, something more than ever I was yet in
the world. Dined very well at noon, and then to my office, and there
and in the garden discoursed with several people about business, among
others Mr. Howell, the turner, who did give me so good a discourse about
the practices of the Paymaster J. Fenn that I thought fit to recollect
all when he was gone, and have entered it down to be for ever
remembered. Thence to my chamber again to settle my Tangier accounts
against tomorrow and some other things, and with great joy ended them,
and so to supper, where a good fowl and tansy, and so to bed. Newes
being come that our fleete is pursuing the Dutch, who, either by
cunning, or by being worsted, do give ground, but nothing more for
certain. Late to bed upon my papers being quite finished.
5th. Up very betimes to look some other papers, and then to White
Hall to a Committee of Tangier, where I offered my accounts with great
acceptation, and so had some good words and honour by it, and one or two
things done to my content in my business of Treasurer, but I do clearly
see that we shall lose our business of victualling, Sir Thomas Ingram
undertaking that it shall be done by persons there as cheap as we do
it, and give the seamen their full allowance and themselves give good
security here for performance of contract, upon which terms there is no
opposing it. This would trouble me, but that I hope when that fails to
spend my time to some good advantage other ways, and so shall permit it
all to God Almighty’s pleasure. Thence home to dinner, after ‘Change,
where great talke of the Dutch being fled and we in pursuit of them, and
that our ship Charity
[Sir William Coventry and Sir William Penn to the Navy
Commissioners, June 4th: “Engaged yesterday with the Dutch; they
began to stand away at 3 p.m. Chased them all the rest of the day
and night; 20 considerable ships are destroyed and taken; we have
only lost the Great Charity. The Earl of Marlborough, Rear-Admiral
Sansum, and Captain Kirby are slain, and Sir John Lawson wounded”
(“Calendar of State Papers,” Domestic, 1664-65, p. 406).]
is lost upon our Captain’s, Wilkinson, and Lieutenant’s yielding, but of
this there is no certainty, save the report of some of the sicke men of
the Charity, turned adrift in a boat out of the Charity and taken up and
brought on shore yesterday to Sole Bay, and the newes hereof brought by
Sir Henry Felton. Home to dinner, and Creed with me. Then he and I down
to Deptford, did some business, and back again at night. He home, and
I to my office, and so to supper and to bed. This morning I had great
discourse with my Lord Barkeley about Mr. Hater, towards whom from a
great passion reproaching him with being a fanatique and dangerous for
me to keepe, I did bring him to be mighty calme and to ask me pardons
for what he had thought of him and to desire me to ask his pardon of
Hater himself for the ill words he did give him the other day alone at
White Hall (which was, that he had always thought him a man that was no
good friend to the King, but did never think it would breake out in a
thing of this nature), and did advise him to declare his innocence to
the Council and pray for his examination and vindication. Of which I
shall consider and say no more, but remember one compliment that in
great kindness to me he did give me, extolling my care and diligence,
that he did love me heartily for my owne sake, and more that he did will
me whatsoever I thought for Mr. Coventry’s sake, for though the world
did think them enemies, and to have an ill aspect, one to another, yet
he did love him with all his heart, which was a strange manner of noble
compliment, confessing his owning me as a confidant and favourite of Mr.
Coventry’s.
6th. Waked in the morning before 4 o’clock with great pain to piss, and
great pain in pissing by having, I think, drank too great a draught of
cold drink before going to bed. But by and by to sleep again, and then
rose and to the office, where very busy all the morning, and at noon
to dinner with Sir G. Carteret to his house with all our Board, where a
good pasty and brave discourse. But our great fear was some fresh news
of the fleete, but not from the fleete, all being said to be well and
beaten the Dutch, but I do not give much belief to it, and indeed the
news come from Sir W. Batten at Harwich, and writ so simply that we
all made good mirth of it. Thence to the office, where upon Sir G.
Carteret’s accounts, to my great vexation there being nothing done by
the Controller to right the King therein. I thence to my office and
wrote letters all the afternoon, and in the evening by coach to Sir Ph.
Warwicke’s about my Tangier business to get money, and so to my Lady
Sandwich’s, who, poor lady, expects every hour to hear of my Lord; but
in the best temper, neither confident nor troubled with fear, that
I ever did see in my life. She tells me my Lord Rochester is now
declaredly out of hopes of Mrs. Mallett, and now she is to receive
notice in a day or two how the King stands inclined to the giving leave
for my Lord Hinchingbroke to look after her, and that being done to
bring it to an end shortly. Thence by coach home, and to my office a
little, and so before 12 o’clock home and to bed.
7th. This morning my wife and mother rose about two o’clock; and with
Mercer, Mary, the boy, and W. Hewer, as they had designed, took boat
and down to refresh themselves on the water to Gravesend. Lay till
7 o’clock, then up and to the office upon Sir G. Carteret’s accounts
again, where very busy; thence abroad and to the ‘Change, no news of
certainty being yet come from the fleete. Thence to the Dolphin Taverne,
where Sir J. Minnes, Lord Brunkard, Sir Thomas Harvy, and myself dined,
upon Sir G. Carteret’s charge, and very merry we were, Sir Thomas Harvy
being a very drolle. Thence to the office, and meeting Creed away with
him to my Lord Treasurer’s, there thinking to have met the goldsmiths,
at White Hall, but did not, and so appointed another time for my Lord to
speak to them to advance us some money. Thence, it being the hottest day
that ever I felt in my life, and it is confessed so by all other people
the hottest they ever knew in England in the beginning of June, we to
the New Exchange, and there drunk whey, with much entreaty getting it
for our money, and [they] would not be entreated to let us have one
glasse more. So took water and to Fox-Hall, to the Spring garden, and
there walked an houre or two with great pleasure, saving our minds ill
at ease concerning the fleete and my Lord Sandwich, that we have no
newes of them, and ill reports run up and down of his being killed, but
without ground. Here staid pleasantly walking and spending but 6d. till
nine at night, and then by water to White Hall, and there I stopped
to hear news of the fleete, but none come, which is strange, and so by
water home, where, weary with walking and with the mighty heat of the
weather, and for my wife’s not coming home, I staying walking in the
garden till twelve at night, when it begun to lighten exceedingly,
through the greatness of the heat. Then despairing of her coming home,
I to bed. This day, much against my will, I did in Drury Lane see two
or three houses marked with a red cross upon the doors, and “Lord have
mercy upon us” writ there; which was a sad sight to me, being the first
of the kind that, to my remembrance, I ever saw. It put me into an ill
conception of myself and my smell, so that I was forced to buy some
roll-tobacco to smell to and chaw, which took away the apprehension.
8th. About five o’clock my wife come home, it having lightened all night
hard, and one great shower of rain. She come and lay upon the bed; I up
and to the office, where all the morning. Alone at home to dinner, my
wife, mother, and Mercer dining at W. Joyce’s; I giving her a caution to
go round by the Half Moone to his house, because of the plague. I to
my Lord Treasurer’s by appointment of Sir Thomas Ingram’s, to meet the
Goldsmiths; where I met with the great news at last newly come, brought
by Bab May’ from the Duke of Yorke, that we have totally routed the
Dutch; that the Duke himself, the Prince, my Lord Sandwich, and Mr.
Coventry are all well: which did put me into such joy, that I forgot
almost all other thoughts. The particulars I shall set down by and
by. By and by comes Alderman Maynell and Mr. Viner, and there my Lord
Treasurer did intreat them to furnish me with money upon my tallys, Sir
Philip Warwicke before my Lord declaring the King’s changing of the hand
from Mr. Povy to me, whom he called a very sober person, and one whom
the Lord Treasurer would owne in all things that I should concern myself
with them in the business of money. They did at present declare they
could not part with money at present. My Lord did press them very hard,
and I hope upon their considering we shall get some of them. Thence with
great joy to the Cocke-pitt; where the Duke of Albemarle, like a man out
of himself with content, new-told me all; and by and by comes a letter
from Mr. Coventry’s own hand to him, which he never opened (which was a
strange thing), but did give it me to open and read, and consider what
was fit for our office to do in it, and leave the letter with Sir W.
Clerke; which upon such a time and occasion was a strange piece of
indifference, hardly pardonable. I copied out the letter, and did also
take minutes out of Sir W. Clerke’s other letters; and the sum of the
newes is: