October 1st (Lord’s day). Called up about 4 of the clock and so dressed
myself and so on board the Bezan, and there finding all my company
asleep I would not wake them, but it beginning to be break of day I
did stay upon the decke walking, and then into the Maister’s cabbin
and there laid and slept a little, and so at last was waked by Captain
Cocke’s calling of me, and so I turned out, and then to chat and talk
and laugh, and mighty merry. We spent most of the morning talking and
reading of “The Siege of Rhodes,” which is certainly (the more I read it
the more I think so) the best poem that ever was wrote. We breakfasted
betimes and come to the fleete about two of the clock in the afternoon,
having a fine day and a fine winde. My Lord received us mighty kindly,
and after discourse with us in general left us to our business, and he
to his officers, having called a council of wary, we in the meantime
settling of papers with Mr. Pierce and everybody else, and by and by
with Captain Cuttance. Anon called down to my Lord, and there with him
till supper talking and discourse; among other things, to my great joy,
he did assure me that he had wrote to the King and Duke about these
prize-goods, and told me that they did approve of what he had done, and
that he would owne what he had done, and would have me to tell all the
world so, and did, under his hand, give Cocke and me his certificate of
our bargains, and giving us full power of disposal of what we have so
bought. This do ease my mind of all my fear, and makes my heart lighter
by L100 than it was before. He did discourse to us of the Dutch fleete
being abroad, eighty-five of them still, and are now at the Texell, he
believes, in expectation of our Eastland ships coming home with masts
and hempe, and our loaden Hambrough ships going to Hambrough. He
discoursed against them that would have us yield to no conditions but
conquest over the Dutch, and seems to believe that the Dutch will call
for the protection of the King of France and come under his power, which
were to be wished they might be brought to do under ours by fair means,
and to that end would have all Dutch men and familys, that would come
hither and settled, to be declared denizens; and my Lord did whisper
to me alone that things here must break in pieces, nobody minding any
thing, but every man his owne business of profit or pleasure, and the
King some little designs of his owne, and that certainly the kingdom
could not stand in this condition long, which I fear and believe is very
true. So to supper and there my Lord the kindest man to me, before all
the table talking of me to my advantage and with tenderness too that it
overjoyed me. So after supper Captain Cocke and I and Temple on board
the Bezan, and there to cards for a while and then to read again in
“Rhodes” and so to sleep. But, Lord! the mirth which it caused me to be
waked in the night by their snoaring round about me; I did laugh till I
was ready to burst, and waked one of the two companions of Temple, who
could not a good while tell where he was that he heard one laugh so,
till he recollected himself, and I told him what it was at, and so to
sleep again, they still snoaring.
2nd. We having sailed all night (and I do wonder how they in the dark
could find the way) we got by morning to Gillingham, and thence all
walked to Chatham; and there with Commissioner Pett viewed the Yard; and
among other things, a teame of four horses come close by us, he being
with me, drawing a piece of timber that I am confident one man could
easily have carried upon his back. I made the horses be taken away,
and a man or two to take the timber away with their hands. This the
Commissioner did see, but said nothing, but I think had cause to be
ashamed of. We walked, he and I and Cocke, to the Hill-house, where
we find Sir W. Pen in bed and there much talke and much dissembling of
kindnesse from him, but he is a false rogue, and I shall not trust him,
but my being there did procure his consent to have his silk carried away
before the money received, which he would not have done for Cocke I am
sure. Thence to Rochester, walked to the Crowne, and while dinner was
getting ready, I did there walk to visit the old Castle ruines, which
hath been a noble place, and there going up I did upon the stairs
overtake three pretty mayds or women and took them up with me, and I
did ‘baiser sur mouches et toucher leur mains’ and necks to my great
pleasure: but, Lord! to see what a dreadfull thing it is to look down
the precipices, for it did fright me mightily, and hinder me of much
pleasure which I would have made to myself in the company of these
three, if it had not been for that. The place hath been very noble and
great and strong in former ages. So to walk up and down the Cathedral,
and thence to the Crowne, whither Mr. Fowler, the Mayor of the towne,
was come in his gowne, and is a very reverend magistrate. After I had
eat a bit, not staying to eat with them, I went away, and so took horses
and to Gravesend, and there staid not, but got a boat, the sicknesse
being very much in the towne still, and so called on board my Lord
Bruncker and Sir John Minnes, on board one of the East Indiamen at
Erith, and there do find them full of envious complaints for the
pillageing of the ships, but I did pacify them, and discoursed about
making money of some of the goods, and do hope to be the better by it
honestly. So took leave (Madam Williams being here also with my Lord),
and about 8 o’clock got to Woolwich and there supped and mighty pleasant
with my wife, who is, for ought I see, all friends with her mayds, and
so in great joy and content to bed.
3rd. Up, and to my great content visited betimes by Mr. Woolly, my uncle
Wight’s cozen, who comes to see what work I have for him about these
East India goods, and I do find that this fellow might have been of
great use, and hereafter may be of very great use to me, in this trade
of prize goods, and glad I am fully of his coming hither. While I
dressed myself, and afterwards in walking to Greenwich we did discourse
over all the business of the prize goods, and he puts me in hopes I may
get some money in what I have done, but not so much as I expected, but
that I may hereafter do more. We have laid a design of getting more, and
are to talk again of it a few days hence. To the office, where nobody to
meet me, Sir W. Batten being the only man and he gone this day to meet
to adjourne the Parliament to Oxford. Anon by appointment comes one
to tell me my Lord Rutherford is come; so I to the King’s Head to him,
where I find his lady, a fine young Scotch lady, pretty handsome and
plain. My wife also, and Mercer, by and by comes, Creed bringing
them; and so presently to dinner and very merry; and after to even our
accounts, and I to give him tallys, where he do allow me L100, of
which to my grief the rogue Creed has trepanned me out of L50. But I do
foresee a way how it may be I may get a greater sum of my Lord to his
content by getting him allowance of interest upon his tallys. That being
done, and some musique and other diversions, at last away goes my
Lord and Lady, and I sent my wife to visit Mrs. Pierce, and so I to my
office, where wrote important letters to the Court, and at night (Creed
having clownishly left my wife), I to Mrs. Pierces and brought her and
Mrs. Pierce to the King’s Head and there spent a piece upon a supper for
her and mighty merry and pretty discourse, she being as pretty as ever,
most of our mirth being upon “my Cozen” (meaning my Lord Bruncker’s ugly
mistress, whom he calls cozen), and to my trouble she tells me that the
fine Mrs. Middleton is noted for carrying about her body a continued
sour base smell, that is very offensive, especially if she be a little
hot. Here some bad musique to close the night and so away and all of us
saw Mrs. Belle Pierce (as pretty as ever she was almost) home, and so
walked to Will’s lodging where I used to lie, and there made shift for a
bed for Mercer, and mighty pleasantly to bed. This night I hear that
of our two watermen that use to carry our letters, and were well on
Saturday last, one is dead, and the other dying sick of the plague. The
plague, though decreasing elsewhere, yet being greater about the Tower
and thereabouts.
4th. Up and to my office, where Mr. Andrews comes, and reckoning with
him I get L64 of him. By and by comes Mr. Gawden, and reckoning with him
he gives me L60 in his account, which is a great mercy to me. Then both
of them met and discoursed the business of the first man’s resigning and
the other’s taking up the business of the victualling of Tangier, and
I do not think that I shall be able to do as well under Mr. Gawden as
under these men, or within a little as to profit and less care upon me.
Thence to the King’s Head to dinner, where we three and Creed and my
wife and her woman dined mighty merry and sat long talking, and so in
the afternoon broke up, and I led my wife to our lodging again, and I to
the office where did much business, and so to my wife. This night comes
Sir George Smith to see me at the office, and tells me how the plague is
decreased this week 740, for which God be praised! but that it encreases
at our end of the town still, and says how all the towne is full of
Captain Cocke’s being in some ill condition about prize-goods, his goods
being taken from him, and I know not what. But though this troubles me
to have it said, and that it is likely to be a business in Parliament,
yet I am not much concerned at it, because yet I believe this newes is
all false, for he would have wrote to me sure about it. Being come to my
wife, at our lodging, I did go to bed, and left my wife with her people
to laugh and dance and I to sleep.
5th. Lay long in bed talking among other things of my sister Pall, and
my wife of herself is very willing that I should give her L400 to her
portion, and would have her married soon as we could; but this great
sicknesse time do make it unfit to send for her up. I abroad to the
office and thence to the Duke of Albemarle, all my way reading a book of
Mr. Evelyn’s translating and sending me as a present, about directions
for gathering a Library;
[Instructions concerning erecting of a Library, presented to my
Lord the President De Mesme by Gilbert Naudeus, and now interpreted
by Jo. Evelyn, Esquire. London, 1661: This little book was
dedicated to Lord Clarendon by the translator. It was printed while
Evelyn was abroad, and is full of typographical errors; these are
corrected in a copy mentioned in Evelyn’s “Miscellaneous Writings,”
1825, p. xii, where a letter to Dr. Godolphin on the subject is
printed.]
but the book is above my reach, but his epistle to my Lord Chancellor is
a very fine piece. When I come to the Duke it was about the victuallers’
business, to put it into other hands, or more hands, which I do advise
in, but I hope to do myself a jobb of work in it. So I walked through
Westminster to my old house the Swan, and there did pass some time with
Sarah, and so down by water to Deptford and there to my Valentine.
[A Mrs. Bagwell. See ante, February 14th, 1664-65]
Round about and next door on every side is the plague, but I did not
value it, but there did what I would ‘con elle’, and so away to Mr.
Evelyn’s to discourse of our confounded business of prisoners, and sick
and wounded seamen, wherein he and we are so much put out of order.
[Each of the Commissioners for the Sick and Wounded was appointed to
a particular district, and Evelyn’s district was Kent and Sussex.
On September 25th, 1665, Evelyn wrote in his Diary: “My Lord Admiral
being come from ye fleete to Greenewich, I went thence with him to
ye Cockpit to consult with the Duke of Albemarle. I was peremptory
that unlesse we had L10,000 immediately, the prisoners would starve,
and ‘twas proposed it should be rais’d out of the E. India prizes
now taken by Lord Sandwich. They being but two of ye Commission,
and so not impower’d to determine, sent an expresse to his Majesty
and Council to know what they should do.”]
And here he showed me his gardens, which are for variety of evergreens,
and hedge of holly, the finest things I ever saw in my life.
[Evelyn purchased Sayes Court, Deptford, in 1653, and laid out his
gardens, walks, groves, enclosures, and plantations, which
afterwards became famous for their beauty. When he took the place
in hand it was nothing but an open field of one hundred acres, with
scarcely a hedge in it.]
Thence in his coach to Greenwich, and there to my office, all the way
having fine discourse of trees and the nature of vegetables. And so to
write letters, I very late to Sir W. Coventry of great concernment, and
so to my last night’s lodging, but my wife is gone home to Woolwich. The
Bill, blessed be God! is less this week by 740 of what it was the last
week. Being come to my lodging I got something to eat, having eat little
all the day, and so to bed, having this night renewed my promises of
observing my vowes as I used to do; for I find that, since I left them
off, my mind is run a’wool-gathering and my business neglected.
6th. Up, and having sent for Mr. Gawden he come to me, and he and I
largely discoursed the business of his Victualling, in order to the
adding of partners to him or other ways of altering it, wherein I find
him ready to do anything the King would have him do. So he and I took
his coach and to Lambeth and to the Duke of Albemarle about it, and so
back again, where he left me. In our way discoursing of the business
and contracting a great friendship with him, and I find he is a man most
worthy to be made a friend, being very honest and gratefull, and in the
freedom of our discourse he did tell me his opinion and knowledge of Sir
W. Pen to be, what I know him to be, as false a man as ever was born,
for so, it seems, he hath been to him. He did also tell me, discoursing
how things are governed as to the King’s treasure, that, having occasion
for money in the country, he did offer Alderman Maynell to pay him down
money here, to be paid by the Receiver in some county in the country,
upon whom Maynell had assignments, in whose hands the money also lay
ready. But Maynell refused it, saying that he could have his money when
he would, and had rather it should lie where it do than receive it here
in towne this sickly time, where he hath no occasion for it. But now
the evil is that he hath lent this money upon tallys which are become
payable, but he finds that nobody looks after it, how long the money is
unpaid, and whether it lies dead in the Receiver’s hands or no, so the
King he pays Maynell 10 per cent. while the money lies in his Receiver’s
hands to no purpose but the benefit of the Receiver. I to dinner to the
King’s Head with Mr. Woolly, who is come to instruct me in the business
of my goods, but gives me not so good comfort as I thought I should have
had. But, however, it will be well worth my time though not above 2 or
L300. He gone I to my office, where very busy drawing up a letter by
way of discourse to the Duke of Albemarle about my conception how the
business of the Victualling should be ordered, wherein I have taken
great pains, and I think have hitt the right if they will but follow it.
At this very late and so home to our lodgings to bed.
7th. Up and to the office along with Mr. Childe, whom I sent for
to discourse about the victualling business, who will not come into
partnership (no more will Captain Beckford ), but I do find him a mighty
understanding man, and one I will keep a knowledge of. Did business,
though not much, at the office; because of the horrible crowd and
lamentable moan of the poor seamen that lie starving in the streets for
lack of money. Which do trouble and perplex me to the heart; and more at
noon when we were to go through them, for then a whole hundred of them
followed us; some cursing, some swearing, and some praying to us. And
that that made me more troubled was a letter come this afternoon from
the Duke of Albemarle, signifying the Dutch to be in sight, with 80
sayle, yesterday morning, off of Solebay, coming right into the bay. God
knows what they will and may do to us, we having no force abroad able to
oppose them, but to be sacrificed to them. Here come Sir W. Rider to me,
whom I sent for about the victualling business also, but he neither will
not come into partnership, but desires to be of the Commission if there
be one. Thence back the back way to my office, where very late, very
busy. But most of all when at night come two waggons from Rochester
with more goods from Captain Cocke; and in houseing them at Mr. Tooker’s
lodgings come two of the Custome-house to seize them, and did seize
them but I showed them my ‘Transire’. However, after some hot and angry
words, we locked them up, and sealed up the key, and did give it to the
constable to keep till Monday, and so parted. But, Lord! to think how
the poor constable come to me in the dark going home; “Sir,” says he, “I
have the key, and if you would have me do any service for you, send for
me betimes to-morrow morning, and I will do what you would have me.”
Whether the fellow do this out of kindness or knavery, I cannot tell;
but it is pretty to observe. Talking with him in the high way, come
close by the bearers with a dead corpse of the plague; but, Lord! to see
what custom is, that I am come almost to think nothing of it. So to my
lodging, and there, with Mr. Hater and Will, ending a business of the
state of the last six months’ charge of the Navy, which we bring to
L1,000,000 and above, and I think we do not enlarge much in it if
anything. So to bed.
8th (Lord’s day). Up and, after being trimmed, to the office, whither I
upon a letter from the Duke of Albemarle to me, to order as many ships
forth out of the river as I can presently, to joyne to meet the Dutch;
having ordered all the Captains of the ships in the river to come to me,
I did some business with them, and so to Captain Cocke’s to dinner, he
being in the country. But here his brother Solomon was, and, for guests,
myself, Sir G. Smith, and a very fine lady, one Mrs. Penington, and
two more gentlemen. But, both [before] and after dinner, most witty
discourse with this lady, who is a very fine witty lady, one of the best
I ever heard speake, and indifferent handsome. There after dinner an
houre or two, and so to the office, where ended my business with the
Captains; and I think of twenty-two ships we shall make shift to get out
seven. (God helpe us! men being sick, or provisions lacking.) And so to
write letters to Sir Ph. Warwicke, Sir W. Coventry, and Sir G. Carteret
to Court about the last six months’ accounts, and sent away by
an express to-night. This day I hear the Pope is dead;--[a false
report]--and one said, that the newes is, that the King of France is
stabbed, but that the former is very true, which will do great things
sure, as to the troubling of that part of the world, the King of Spayne
[Philip IV., King of Spain, who succeeded to the throne in 1621,
died in 1665. He was succeeded by his son Charles II.]
being so lately dead. And one thing more, Sir Martin Noell’s lady is
dead with griefe for the death of her husband and nothing else, as they
say, in the world; but it seems nobody can make anything of his estate,
whether he be dead worth anything or no, he having dealt in so many
things, publique and private, as nobody can understand whereabouts his
estate is, which is the fate of these great dealers at everything. So
after my business being done I home to my lodging and to bed,
9th. Up, my head full of business, and called upon also by Sir John
Shaw, to whom I did give a civil answer about our prize goods, that all
his dues as one of the Farmers of the Customes are paid, and showed
him our Transire; with which he was satisfied, and parted, ordering his
servants to see the weight of them. I to the office, and there found an
order for my coming presently to the Duke of Albemarle, and what should
it be, but to tell me, that, if my Lord Sandwich do not come to towne,
he do resolve to go with the fleete to sea himself, the Dutch, as he
thinks, being in the Downes, and so desired me to get a pleasure boat
for to take him in to-morrow morning, and do many other things, and with
a great liking of me, and my management especially, as that coxcombe
my Lord Craven do tell me, and I perceive it, and I am sure take pains
enough to deserve it. Thence away and to the office at London, where I
did some business about my money and private accounts, and there eat
a bit of goose of Mr. Griffin’s, and so by water, it raining most
miserably, to Greenwich, calling on several vessels in my passage. Being
come there I hear another seizure hath been made of our goods by one
Captain Fisher that hath been at Chatham by warrant of the Duke of
Albemarle, and is come in my absence to Tooker’s and viewed them,
demanding the key of the constable, and so sealed up the door. I to the
house, but there being no officers nor constable could do nothing,
but back to my office full of trouble about this, and there late about
business, vexed to see myself fall into this trouble and concernment in
a thing that I want instruction from my Lord Sandwich whether I should
appear in it or no, and so home to bed, having spent two hours, I and
my boy, at Mr. Glanvill’s removing of faggots to make room to remove our
goods to, but when done I thought it not fit to use it. The newes of the
killing of the [King of] France is wholly untrue, and they say that of
the Pope too.
10th. Up, and receive a stop from the Duke of Albemarle of setting out
any more ships, or providing a pleasure boat for himself, which I am
glad of, and do see, what I thought yesterday, that this resolution of
his was a sudden one and silly. By and by comes Captain Cocke’s Jacob
to tell me that he is come from Chatham this morning, and that there
are four waggons of goods at hand coming to towne, which troubles me.
I directed him to bring them to his master’s house. But before I could
send him away to bring them thither, newes is brought me that they are
seized on in the towne by this Captain Fisher and they will carry them
to another place. So I to them and found our four waggons in the streete
stopped by the church by this Fisher and company and 100 or 200 people
in the streetes gazing. I did give them good words, and made modest
desires of carrying the goods to Captain Cocke’s, but they would have
them to a house of their hiring, where in a barne the goods were laid. I
had transires to show for all, and the tale was right, and there I spent
all the morning seeing this done. At which Fisher was vexed that I would
not let it be done by any body else for the merchant, and that I must
needs be concerned therein, which I did not think fit to owne. So that
being done, I left the goods to be watched by men on their part and
ours, and so to the office by noon, whither by and by comes Captain
Cocke, whom I had with great care sent for by expresse the last night,
and so I with him to his house and there eat a bit, and so by coach to
Lambeth, and I took occasion first to go to the Duke of Albemarle to
acquaint him with some thing of what had been done this morning in
behalf of a friend absent, which did give a good entrance and prevented
their possessing the Duke with anything of evil of me by their report,
and by and by in comes. Captain Cocke and tells his whole story. So an
order was made for the putting him in possession upon giving security
to, be accountable for the goods, which for the present did satisfy us,
and so away, giving Locke that drew the order a piece. (Lord! to see how
unhappily a man may fall into a necessity of bribing people to do him
right in a thing, wherein he hath done nothing but fair, and bought
dear.) So to the office, there to write my letters, and Cocke comes to
tell me that Fisher is come to him, and that he doubts not to cajole
Fisher and his companion and make them friends with drink and a bribe.
This night comes Sir Christopher Mings to towne, and I went to see him,
and by and by he being then out of the town comes to see me. He is newly
come from Court, and carries direction for the making a show of getting
out the fleete again to go fight the Dutch, but that it will end in a
fleete of 20 good sayling frigates to go to the Northward or Southward,
and that will be all. I enquired, but he would not be to know that he
had heard any thing at Oxford about the business of the prize goods,
which I did suspect, but he being gone, anon comes Cocke and tells me
that he hath been with him a great while, and that he finds him sullen
and speaking very high what disrespect he had received of my Lord,
saying that he hath walked 3 or 4 hours together at that Earle’s cabbin
door for audience and could not be received, which, if true, I am sorry
for. He tells me that Sir G. Ascue says, that he did from the beginning
declare against these [prize] goods, and would not receive his dividend;
and that he and Sir W. Pen are at odds about it, and that he fears Mings
hath been doing ill offices to my Lord. I did to-night give my Lord an
account of all this, and so home and to bed.
11th. Up, and so in my chamber staid all the morning doing something
toward my Tangier accounts, for the stating of them, and also comes up
my landlady, Mrs. Clerke, to make an agreement for the time to come; and
I, for the having room enough, and to keepe out strangers, and to have
a place to retreat to for my wife, if the sicknesse should come
to Woolwich, am contented to pay dear; so for three rooms and a
dining-room, and for linen and bread and beer and butter, at nights and
mornings, I am to give her L5 10s. per month, and I wrote and we signed
to an agreement. By and by comes Cocke to tell me that Fisher and his
fellow were last night mightily satisfied and promised all friendship,
but this morning he finds them to have new tricks and shall be troubled
with them. So he being to go down to Erith with them this afternoon
about giving security, I advised him to let them go by land, and so he
and I (having eat something at his house) by water to Erith, but
they got thither before us, and there we met Mr. Seymour, one of the
Commissioners for Prizes, and a Parliament-man, and he was mighty high,
and had now seized our goods on their behalf; and he mighty imperiously
would have all forfeited, and I know not what. I thought I was in the
right in a thing I said and spoke somewhat earnestly, so we took up one
another very smartly, for which I was sorry afterwards, shewing thereby
myself too much concerned, but nothing passed that I valued at all.
But I could not but think [it odd] that a Parliament-man, in a serious
discourse before such persons as we and my Lord Bruncker, and Sir John
Minnes, should quote Hudibras, as being the book I doubt he hath read
most. They I doubt will stand hard for high security, and Cocke would
have had me bound with him for his appearing, but I did stagger at it,
besides Seymour do stop the doing it at all till he has been with the
Duke of Albemarle. So there will be another demurre. It growing late,
and I having something to do at home, took my leave alone, leaving Cocke
there for all night, and so against tide and in the darke and very cold
weather to Woolwich, where we had appointed to keepe the night merrily;
and so, by Captain Cocke’s coach, had brought a very pretty child, a
daughter of one Mrs. Tooker’s, next door to my lodging, and so she,
and a daughter and kinsman of Mrs. Pett’s made up a fine company at my
lodgings at Woolwich, where my wife and Mercer, and Mrs. Barbara danced,
and mighty merry we were, but especially at Mercer’s dancing a jigg,
which she does the best I ever did see, having the most natural way of
it, and keeps time the most perfectly I ever did see. This night is kept
in lieu of yesterday, for my wedding day of ten years; for which God be
praised! being now in an extreme good condition of health and estate and
honour, and a way of getting more money, though at this houre under some
discomposure, rather than damage, about some prize goods that I have
bought off the fleete, in partnership with Captain Cocke; and for the
discourse about the world concerning my Lord Sandwich, that he hath done
a thing so bad; and indeed it must needs have been a very rash act; and
the rather because of a Parliament now newly met to give money, and will
have some account of what hath already been spent, besides the precedent
for a General to take what prizes he pleases, and the giving a pretence
to take away much more than he intended, and all will lie upon him; and
not giving to all the Commanders, as well as the Flaggs, he displeases
all them, and offends even some of them, thinking others to be better
served than themselves; and lastly, puts himself out of a power of
begging anything again a great while of the King. Having danced with my
people as long as I saw fit to sit up, I to bed and left them to do what
they would. I forgot that we had W. Hewer there, and Tom, and Golding,
my barber at Greenwich, for our fiddler, to whom I did give 10s.
12th. Called up before day, and so I dressed myself and down, it being
horrid cold, by water to my Lord Bruncker’s ship, who advised me to do
so, and it was civilly to show me what the King had commanded about
the prize-goods, to examine most severely all that had been done in
the taking out any with or without order, without respect to my
Lord Sandwich at all, and that he had been doing of it, and find him
examining one man, and I do find that extreme ill use was made of my
Lord’s order. For they did toss and tumble and spoil, and breake things
in hold to a great losse and shame to come at the fine goods, and did
take a man that knows where the fine goods were, and did this over and
over again for many days, Sir W. Berkeley being the chief hand that did
it, but others did the like at other times, and they did say in doing it
that my Lord Sandwich’s back was broad enough to bear it. Having learned
as much as I could, which was, that the King and Duke were very
severe in this point, whatever order they before had given my Lord in
approbation of what he had done, and that all will come out and the King
see, by the entries at the Custome House, what all do amount to that
had been taken, and so I took leave, and by water, very cold, and to
Woolwich where it was now noon, and so I staid dinner and talking part
of the afternoon, and then by coach, Captain Cocke’s, to Greenwich,
taking the young lady home, and so to Cocke, and he tells me that he
hath cajolled with Seymour, who will be our friend; but that, above all,
Seymour tells him, that my Lord Duke did shew him to-day an order from
Court, for having all respect paid to the Earle of Sandwich, and what
goods had been delivered by his order, which do overjoy us, and that
to-morrow our goods shall be weighed, and he doubts not possession
to-morrow or next day. Being overjoyed at this I to write my letters,
and at it very late. Good newes this week that there are about 600 less
dead of the plague than the last. So home to bed.