hat　she　feared　the　King　did　take　cold；　by　staying　so　late　abroad　at　her　house。　　She　answered　before　them　all；　that　he　did　not　stay　so　late　abroad　with　her；　for　he　went　betimes　thence；　（though　he　do　not　before　one；　two；　or　three　in　the　morning；）　but　must　stay　somewhere　else。　　The　King　then　coming　in　and　overhearing；　did　whisper　in　the　eare　aside；　and　told　her　she　was　a　bold　impertinent　woman；　and　bid　her　to　be　gone　out　of　the　Court；　and　not　to　come　again　till　he　sent　for　her；　which　she　did　presently；　and　went　to　a　lodging　in　the　Pell　Mell；　and　kept　there　two　or　three　days；　and　then　sent　to　the　King　to　know　whether　she　might　send　for　her　things　away　out　of　her　house。　　The　King　went　to　her；　she　must　first　come　and　view　them：　　and　so　she　come；　and　the　King　went　to　her；　and　all　friends　again。　　He　tells　me　she　did；　in　her　anger；　say　she　would　be　even　with　the　King；　and　print　his　letters　to　her。　　So　putting　all　together；　we　are　and　are　like　to　be　in　a　sad　condition。　　We　are　endeavouring　to　raise　money　by　borrowing　it　of　the　City；　but　I　do　not　think　the　City　will　lend　a　farthing。　　Sir　G。　Carteret　and　I　walked　an　hour　in　the　church…yard；　under　Henry　the　Seventh's　Chapel；　he　being　lately　come　from　the　fleet；　and　tells　me；　as　I　hear　from　every　body　else；　that　the　management　in　the　late　fight　was　bad　from　top　to　bottom。　　That　several　said　that　this　would　not　have　been　if　my　Lord　Sandwich　had　had　the　ordering　of　it。　　Nay；　he　tells　me　that　certainly　had　my　Lord　Sandwich　had　the　misfortune　to　have　done　as　they　have　done；　the　King　could　not　have　saved　him。　　There　is；　too；　nothing　but　discontent　among　the　officers；　and　all　the　old　experienced　men　are　slighted。　　He　tells　me　to　my　question；　（but　as　a　great　secret；）　that　the　dividing　of　the　fleet　did　proceed　first　from　a　proposition　from　the　fleet；　though　agreed　to　hence。　　But　he　confesses　it　arose　from　want　of　due　intelligence。　He　do；　however；　call　the　fleet's　retreat　on　Sunday　a　very　honourable　one；　and　that　the　Duke　of　Albemarle　did　do　well　in　it；　and　would　have　been　well　if　he　had　done　it　sooner；　rather　than　venture　the　loss　of　the　fleet　and　crown；　as　he　must　have　done　if　the　Prince　had　not　come。　　He　was　surprised　when　I　told　him　I　heard　that　the　King　did　intend　to　borrow　some　money　of　the　City；　and　would　know　who　had　spoke　of　it　to　me；　I　told　him　Sir　Ellis　Layton　this　afternoon。　He　says　it　is　a　dangerous　discourse；　for　that　the　City　certainly　will　not　be　invited　to　do　it；　and　then　for　the　King　to　ask　it　and　be　denied；　will　be　the　beginning　of　our　sorrow。　　He　seems　to　fear　we　shall　all　fall　to　pieces　among　ourselves。　　This　evening　we　hear　that　Sir　Christopher　Mings　is　dead　of　his　late　wounds；　and　Sir　W。　Coventry　did　commend　him　to　me　in　a　most　extraordinary　manner。　　But　this　day；　after　three　days'　trial　in　vain；　and　the　hazard　of　the　spoiling　of　the　ship　in　lying　till　next　spring；　besides　the　disgrace　of　it；　news　is　brought　that　the　Loyall　London　is　launched　at　Deptford。
  11th。　　I　with　my　Lady　Pen　and　her　daughter　to　see　Harman；　whom　we　find　lame　in　bed。　　His　bones　of　his　ancle　are　broke；　but　he　hopes　to　do　well　soon；　and　a　fine　person　by　his　discourse　he　seems　to　be：　　and　he　did　plainly　tell　me　that　at　the　Council　of　War　before　the　fight；　it　was　against　his　reason　to　begin　the　fight　then；　and　the　reasons　of　most　sober　men　there；　the　wind　being　such；　and　we　to　windward；　that　they　could　not　use　their　lower　tier　of　guns。　Late　comes　Sir　Jo。　Bankes　to　see　me；　who　tells　me　that　coming　up　from　Rochester　he　overtook　three　or　four　hundred　seamen；　and　he　believes　every　day　they　come　flocking　from　the　fleet　in　like　numbers；　which　is　a　sad　neglect　there；　when　it　will　be　impossible　to　get　others；　and　we　have　little　reason　to　think　these　will　return　presently　again。　　Walking　in　the　galleries　at　White　Hall；　I　find　the　Ladies　of　Honour　dressed　in　their　riding　garbs；　with　coats　and　doublets　with　deep　skirts；　just　for　all　the　world　like　mine；　and　buttoned　their　doublets　up　the　breast；　with　perriwigs　and　with　hats；　so　that；　only　for　a　long　petticoat　dragging　under　their　men's　coats；　nobody　could　take　them　for　women　in　any　point　whatever；　which　was　an　odde　sight；　and　a　sight　did　not　please　me。　It　was　Mrs。　Wells　and　another　fine　lady　that　I　saw　thus。
  13th。　　Sir　H。　C。　Cholmly　＇Sir　Hugh　Cholmely　of　Whitby；　Yorkshire；　Bart。；　was　employed　in　constructing　the　Mole　at　Tangier；　and　resided　there　some　years。　　Ob。　1688。＇　　tells　me　there　are　great　jarrs　between　the　Duke　of　York　and　the　Duke　of　Albemarle；　about　the　latter's　turning　out　one　or　two　of　the　commanders　put　in　by　the　Duke　of　York。　　Among　others；　Captain　Du　Tell；　a　Frenchman；　put　in　by　the　Duke　of　York；　and　mightily　defended　by　him；　and　is　therein　led　by　Monsieur　Blancford；　that　it　seems　hath　the　same　command　over　the　Duke　of　York　as　Sir　W。　Coventry　hath；　which　raises　ill　blood　between　them。　　And　I　do　in　several　little　things　observe　that　Sir　W。　Coventry　hath　of　late；　by　the　by；　reflected　on　the　Duke　of　Albemarle　and　his　captains；　particularly　in　that　of　old　Teddiman；　who　did　deserve　to　be　turned　out　this　fight；　and　was　so；　but　I　heard　Sir　W。　Coventry　say　that　the　Duke　of　Albemarle　put　in　one　as　bad　as　he　in　his　room；　and　one　that　did　as　little。　　Invited　to　Sir　Christopher　Mings's　funeral；　but　find　them　gone　to　church。　　However　I　into　the　church　（which　is　a　fair　large　church；　and　a　great　chapel）　and　there　heard　the　service；　and　staid　till　they　buried　him；　and　then　out。　　And　there　met　with　Sir　W。　Coventry　（who　was　there　out　of　great　generosity；　and　no　person　of　quality　there　but　he）　and　went　with　him　into　his　coach；　and　being　in　it　with　him　there　happened　this　extraordinary　case；　one　of　the　most　romantique　that　ever　I　heard　in　my　life；　and　could　not　have　believed；　but　that　I　did　see　it；　which　was　this。　About　a　dozen　able；　lusty；　proper　men　come　to　the　coach…side　with　tears　in　their　eyes；　and　one　of　them　that　spoke　for　the　rest　begun　and　said　to　Sir　W。　Coventry；　〃We　are　here　a　dozen　of　us；　that　have　long　known　and　loved；　and　served　our　dead　commander；　Sir　Christopher　Mings；　and　have　now　done　the　last　office　of　laying　him　in　the　ground。　　We　would　be　glad　we　had　any　other　to　offer　after　him；　and　in　revenge　of　him。　　All　we　have　is　our　lives；　if　you　will　please　to　get　His　Royal　Highness　to　give　us　a　fire…ship　among　us　all；　here　are　a　dozen　of　us；　out　of　all　which　choose　you　one　to　be　commander；　and　the　rest　of　us；　whoever　he　is；　will　serve　him；　and；　if　possible；　do　that　which　shall　show　our　memory　of　our　dead　commander；　and　our　revenge。〃　　Sir　W。　Coventry　was　herewith　much　moved；　（as　well　as　I；　who　could　hardly　abstain　from　weeping；）　and　took　their　names；　and　so　parted；　telling　me　that　he　would　move　his　Royal　Highness　as　in　a　thing　very　extraordinary。　　The　truth　is；　Sir　Christopher　Mings　was　a　very　stout　man；　and　a　man　of　great　parts；　and　most　excellent　tongue　among　ordinary　men：　　and　as　Sir　W。　Coventry　says；　could　have　been　the　most　useful　man　at　such　a　pinch　of　time　as　this。　He　was　come　into　great　renowne　here　at　home；　and　more　abroad　in　the　West　Indys。　　He　had　brought　his　family　into　a　way　of　being　great；　but　dying　at　this　time；　his　memory　and　name　（his　father　being　always　and　at　this　day　a　shoemaker；　and　his　mother　a　hoyman's　daughter；　of　which　he　was　used　frequently　to　boast）　will　be　quite　forgot　in　a　few　months　as　if　he　had　never　been；　nor　any　of　his　name　be　the　better　by　it；　he　having　not　had　time　to　will　any　estate；　but　is　dead　poor　rather　than　rich。　　So　we　left　the　church　and　crowd。
  14th。　　With　my　wife　and　father　to　Hales's；　and　there　looked　only　on　my　father's　picture；　（which　is　mighty　like）；　and　so　away　to　White　Hall　to　a　committee　for　Tangier。　　Where　the　Duke　of　York　was；　and　Sir　W。　Coventry；　and　a　very　full　committee：　　and　instead　of　having　a　very　prejudiced　meeting；　they　did；　though　inclined　against　Yeabsly；　yield　to　the　greatest　part　of　his　account；　so　as　to　allow　of　his　demands　to　the　value　of　7000l。　and　more；　and　only　give　time　for　him　to　make　good　his　pretence　to　the　rest；　which　was　mighty　joy　to　me：　　and　so　we　rose　up。　　But　I　must　observe　the　force　of　money；　which　did　make　my　Lord　Ashly　to　argue　and　behave　himself　in　the　business　with　the　greatest　friendship；　and　yet　with　all　the　discretion　imaginable；　and　it　will　be　a　business　of　admonition　and　instruction　to　me　concerning　him　（and　other　men；　too；　for　aught　I　know）　as　long　as　I　live。
  16th。　　The　King；　Duke　of　York；　and　Sir　W。　Coventry　are　gone　down　to　the　fleet。　　It　seems　the　Dutch　do　mightily　insult　of　their　victory；　and　they　have　great　reason。　　Sir　William　Barkeley　was　killed　before　his　ship　taken；　and　there　he　lies　dead　in　a　sugar…　chest；　for　every　body　to　see；　with　his　flag　standing　up　by　him。　And　Sir　George　Ascue　is　carried　up　and　down　the　Hague　for　people　to　see。
  18th。　　Sir　W。　Coventry　is　returned　this　night　from　the　fleet；　he　being　the　activest　man；　in　the　world；　and　we　all　（myself　particularly）　more　afraid　of　him　than　of　the　King　or　his　service；　for　aught　I　see；　God　forgive　us！　　This　day　the　great　news　is　come　of　the　French；　their　taking　the　island　of　St。　Christopher　from　us；　and　it　is　to　be　feared　they　have　done　the　like　of　all　those　islands　thereabouts：　　this　makes　me　mad。
  19th。　　I　to　Sir　G。　Carteret's　by　appointment；　where　I　perceive　by　him　the　King　is　going　to　borrow　some　money　of　the