late orders, what men they please. So that he fears, and I do no less, that God Almighty cannot bless us while we keep in this disorder that we are in: he observing to me, too, that there is no man of council or advice in the fleet; and, the truth is, that the gentlemen-captains will undo us, for they are not to be kept in order, their friends about the King and Duke, and their own houses, are so free, that it is not for any person but the Duke himself to have any command over them.

22d. Walked to White Hall, where saw nobody almost, but walked up and down with Hugh May, who is a very ingenious man. Among other things, discoursing of the present fashion of gardens to make them plain, that we have the best walks of gravell in the world, France having none, nor Italy; and our green of our bowling allies is better than any they have. So our business here being ayre, this is the best way, only with a little mixture of statues, or pots, which may be handsome, and so filled with another pot of such or such a flower or greene, as the season of the year will bear. And then for flowers, they are best seen in a little plat by themselves: besides, their borders spoil the walks of another garden: and then for fruit, the best way is to have walls built circularly one within another, to the South, on purpose for fruit, and leave the walking garden only for that use.. Thence walked through the House, where most people mighty hush, and, methinks, melancholy. I see not a smiling face through the whole Court: and, in my conscience, they are doubtfull of the conduct again of the Generals, and I pray God they may not make their fears reasonable. Sir Richard Fanshaw is lately dead at Madrid. The

fleet cannot get clear of the River, but expect the first wind to be out, and then to be sure to fight. The Queene and Maids of Honour are at Tunbridge.

23d. Comes Simpson, the Joyner; and he and I, with great pains, contriving presses to put my books up in: they now growing numerous, and lying one upon another on my chairs, I lose the use to avoid the trouble of removing them, when I would open a book. All full of expectation of the fleet's engagement, but it is not yet. Sir W. Coventry says they are eighty-nine menof-war, but one fifth-rate; and that, the Sweepstakes, which carries forty guns. They are most infinitely manned. He tells me the Loyal London, Sir J. Smith, which, by the by, he commends to be the best ship in the world, large and small, hath above eight hundred men; and, moreover, takes notice, which is worth notice, that the fleet hath lain now near fourteen days without any demand for a farthing-worth of any thing of any kind, but only to get men. He also observes, that, with this excess of men, nevertheless, they have thought fit to leave behind them sixteen ships, which they have robbed of their men, which certainly might have been manned, and they have been serviceable in the fight, and yet the fleet well manned, according to the excess of supernumeraries, which we hear they have. At least, two or three of them might have been left manned, and sent away with the Gottenburgh ships. They conclude this to be much the best fleet, for force of guns, greatness and number of ships and men, that ever England did see; being, as Sir W. Coventry reckons, besides those left behind, eighty-nine men-ofwar, and twenty fire-ships, though we cannot hear that

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they have with them above eighteen. The French are not yet joined with the Dutch, which do dissatisfy the Hollanders; and, if they should have a defeat, will undo De Witt; the people generally of Holland do hate this league with France.

24th. Busy very late, till midnight, drawing up a representation of the state of my victualling business to the Duke in writing, I now having had the advantage of having had two fleets despatched in better condition than ever any fleets were yet, I believe—at least, with less complaint; and by this means I shall with the better confidence get my bills out for my salary.

25th. At White Hall; we find the Court gone to Chapel, it being St. James's-day. And, by the by, while they are at chapel, and we waiting chapel being done, come people out of the Park, telling us that the guns are heard plainly. And so every body to the Park, and by and by the chapel done; and the King and Duke into the bowling-green, and upon the leads, whither I went, and there the guns were plain to be heard; though it was pretty to hear how confident some would be in the loudnesse of the guns, which it was as much as ever I could do to hear them. By and by the King to dinner, and I waited there his dining; but, Lord! how little I should be pleased, I think, to have so many people crowding about me; and, among other things, it astonished me to see my Lord Barkeshire1 waiting at table, and serving the King drink, in that dirty pickle as I never saw man in my life. Here I met Mr. Williams, who would have me to dine where he

1 Thomas Howard, second son of Thomas first Earl of Suffolk, *created Earl of Berkshire 1625-6, K. G. Ob. 1669, aged nearly 90.

was invited to dine, at the Backe-stayres. So, after the King's meat was taken away, we thither; but he could not stay, but left me there among two or three of the King's servants, where we dined with the meat that come from his table; which was most excellent, with most brave drink cooled in ice, which, at this hot time, was welcome; and I, drinking no wine, had metheglin for the King's own drinking, which did please me mightily.

26th. Dined at home: Mr. Hunt and his wife, who is very gallant, and newly come from Cambridge, because of the sickness, with us. With my wife and Mercer to my Lord Chancellor's new house, and there carried them up to the leads, where I find my Lord Chamberlain, Lauderdale, Sir Robert Murray, and others, and do find it the most delightful place for prospect that ever was in the world, it even abashing me; and that is all, in short, I can say of it. To the office, but no news at all from the Fleet.

27th. To White Hall. The waterman tells me that news is come that our ship Resolution is burnt, and that we had sunk four or five of the enemy's ships. To Sir W. Coventry's lodging, and there he showed me Captain Talbot's letter, wherein he says that the fight begun on the 25th: that our White Squadron begun with one of the Dutch squadrons, and then the Red with another-so hot, that we put them both to giving way; and so they continued in pursuit all the day, and as long as he stayed with them: that the blow fell to the Zealand squadron; and, after a long dispute, he against two or three great ships, received eight or nine dangerous shots, and so come away; and says, he saw

the Resolution burned by one of their fire-ships, and four or five of the enemy's; but says that two or three of our great ships were in danger of being fired by our fire-ships, which Sir W. Coventry and I cannot understand. But, upon the whole, he and I walked two or three turns in the Park under the great trees; and do doubt that this Gallant is come away a little too soon, having lost never a mast nor sail. And then we did begin to discourse of the young genteel captains, which he was very free with me in speaking his mind of the unruliness of them; and what a loss the King hath of his old men; and now of this Hannam, of the Resolution, if he be dead. He told me how he is disturbed to hear the commanders at sea called cowards here on shore, and that he was yesterday concerned publickly at a dinner to defend them, against somebody that said that not above twenty of them fought as they should do, and indeed it is derived from the Duke of Albemarle himself, who wrote so to the King and Duke, and that he told them how they fought four days-two of them with great disadvantage. The Count de Guiche, who was on board De Ruyter, writing his narrative home in French of the fight, do lay all the honour that may be upon the English courage above the Dutch, and that he himself2 was sent down from the King and Duke of York after the fight, to pray them to spare none that they thought had not done their parts, and that they had removed but four, whereof Du Tell is one, of whom he would say nothing; but, it seems, the Duke of York hath been much displeased at his removal, and hath

1 Eldest son of the Duke de Grammont.

2 Sir W. Coventry.

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