26th。　　In　the　morning　come　Mr。　Chichly　＇Mr。；　afterwards　Sir　Thomas　Chicheley；　a　Privy…Counsellor　and　Commissioner　of　the　Ordnance。＇　　to　Sir　W。　Coventry；　to　tell　him　the　ill　success　of　the　guns　made　for　the　Loyall　London；　which　is；　that　in　the　trial　every　one　of　the　great　guns；　the　whole　cannon　of　seven　（as　I　take　it）；　broke　in　pieces。
  27th。　　To　Sir　W。　Coventry's　chamber　（where　I　saw　his　father　my　Lord　Coventry's　picture　hung　up；　done　by　Stone；　who　then　brought　it　home。　　It　is　a　good　picture；　drawn　in　his　judge's　robes；　and　the　great　seal　by　him。　　And　while　it　was　hanging　up；　〃This；〃　says　Sir　W。　Coventry；　merrily；　〃is　the　use　we　make　of　our　fathers。〃）　But　what　I　observed　most　from　the　discourse　was　this　of　Sir　W。　Coventry；　that　he　do　look　upon　ourselves　in　a　desperate　condition。　　The　issue　of　all　standing　upon　this　one　point；　that　by　the　next　fight；　if　we　beat；　the　Dutch　will　certainly　be　content　to　take　eggs　for　their　money；　（that　was　his　expression）；　or　if　we　be　beaten；　we　must　be　contented　to　make　peace；　and　glad　if　we　can　have　it　without　paying　too　dear　for　it。　　And　withall　we　do　rely　wholly　upon　the　Parliament's　giving　us　more　money　the　next　sitting；　or　else　we　are　undone。　　I　did　this　afternoon　visit　my　Lord　Bellasses；　who　professes　all　imaginable　satisfaction　in　me。　　My　Lord　is　going　down　to　his　garrison　to　Hull；　by　the　King's　command；　to　put　it　in　order　for　fear　of　an　invasion：　　which　course　I　perceive　is　taken　upon　the　sea…coasts　round；　for　we　have　a　real　apprehension　of　the　King　of　France's　invading　us。
  28th。　　The　Dutch　are　now　known　to　be　out；　and　we　may　expect　them　every　hour　upon　our　coast。　　But　our　fleet　is　in　pretty　good　readiness　for　them。
  29th。　　To　the　office；　where　I　met　with　a　letter　from　Dover；　which　tells　me　（and　it　did　come　by　express）　that　news　is　brought　over　by　a　gentleman　from　Callice　that　the　Dutch　fleet；　130　sail；　are　come　upon　the　French　coast；　and　that　the　country　is　bringing　in　picke…axes；　and　shovells；　and　wheel…barrows　into　Callice；　that　there　are　6000　men　armed　with　head；　back；　and　breast；　（Frenchmen）　ready　to　go　on　board　the　Dutch　fleet；　and　will　be　followed　by　1200　more。　　That　they　pretend　they　are　to　come　to　Dover；　and　that　thereupon　the　Governor　of　Dover　Castle　is　getting　the　victuallers'　provision　out　of　the　town　into　the　Castle　to　secure　it。　　But　I　do　think　this　is　a　ridiculous　conceit；　but　a　little　time　will　show。
  30th。　　Mightily　troubled　all　this　morning　with　going　to　my　Lord　Mayor；　（Sir　Thomas　Bludworth；　a　silly　man　I　think；　＇As　his　conduct　during　the　Great　Fire　fully　proved。＇）　　and　other　places；　about　getting　shipped　some　men　that　they　have　these　two　last　nights　pressed　in　the　City　out　of　houses：　　the　persons　wholly　unfit　for　sea；　and　many　of　them　people　of　very　good　fashion；　which　is　a　shame　to　think　of；　and　carried　to　Bridewell　they　are；　yet　without　being　impressed　with　money　legally　as　they　ought　to　be。　　But　to　see　how　the　King's　business　is　done；　my　Lord　Mayor　himself　did　scruple　at　this　time　of　extremity　to　do　this　thing；　because　he　had　not　money　to　pay　the　pressed…money　to　the　men。　　I　did　out　of　my　own　purse　disburse　15l。　to　pay　for　their　pressing　and　diet　last　night　and　this　morning；　which　is　a　thing　worth　record　of　my　Lord　Mayor。　　Busy　about　this　all　the　morning；　and　about　the　getting　off　men　pressed　by　our　officers　of　the　fleet　into　the　service；　even　our　own　men　that　are　at　the　office；　and　the　boats　that　carry　us。　　So　that　it　is　now　become　impossible　to　have　so　much　as　a　letter　carried　from　place　to　place；　or　any　message　done　for　us：　　nay；　out　of　Victualling　ships　full　loaden　to　go　down　to　the　fleet；　and　out　of　the　vessels　of　the　officers　of　the　Ordnance；　they　press　men；　so　that　for　want　of　discipline　in　this　respect　I　do　fear　all　will　be　undone。
  July　1；　1666。　　Comes　Sir　W。　Pen　to　town；　which　I　little　expected；　having　invited　my　Lady　and　her　daughter　Pegg　to　dine　with　me　to…　day；　which　at　noon　they　did；　and　Sir　W。　Pen　with　them：　　and　pretty　merry　we　were。　　And　though　I　do　not　love　him；　yet　I　find　it　necessary　to　keep　in　with　him：　　his　good　service　at　Shearnesse　in　getting　out　the　fleet　being　much　taken　notice　of；　and　reported　to　the　King　and　Duke；　even　from　the　Prince　and　Duke　of　Albemarle　themselves；　and　made　the　most　of　to　me　and　them　by　Sir　W。　Coventry；　therefore　I　think　it　discretion；　great　and　necessary　discretion；　to　keep　in　with　him。　　To　the　Tower　several　times；　about　the　business　of　the　pressed　men；　and　late　at　it　till　twelve　at　night　shipping　of　them。　　But；　Lord！　　how　some　poor　women　did　cry；　and　in　my　life　I　never　did　see　such　natural　expression　of　passion　as　I　did　here　in　some　women's　bewailing　themselves；　and　running　to　every　parcel　of　men　that　were　brought；　one　after　another；　to　look　for　their　husbands；　and　wept　over　every　vessel　that　went　off；　thinking　they　might　be　there；　and　looking　after　the　ship　as　far　as　ever　they　could　by　moone…light；　that　it　grieved　me　to　the　heart　to　hear　them。　　Besides；　to　see　poor　patient　labouring　men　and　housekeepers　leaving　poor　wives　and　families；　taken　up　on　a　sudden　by　strangers；　was　very　hard；　and　that　without　press…money；　but　forced　against　all　law　to　be　gone。　It　is　a　great　tyranny。
  2nd。　　Up　betimes；　and　forced　to　go　to　my　Lord　Mayor's；　about　the　business　of　the　pressed　men；　and　indeed　I　find　him　a　mean　man　of　understanding　and　dispatch　of　any　publick　business。　　Thence　out　of　curiosity　to　Bridewell　to　see　the　pressed　men；　where　there　are　about　300；　but　so　unruly　that　I　durst　not　go　among　them：　　and　they　have　reason　to　be　so；　having　been　kept　these　three　days　prisoners；　with　little　or　no　victuals；　and　pressed　out　and　contrary　to　all　course　of　law；　without　press…money；　and　men　that　are　not　liable　to　it。　　Were　I　met　with　prating　Colonel　Cox；　one　of　the　City　collonells；　heretofore　a　great　presbyter：　　but　to　hear　how　the　fellow　did　commend　himself；　and　the　service　he　do　the　King；　and；　like　an　asse；　at　Paul's　did　take　me　out　of　my　way　on　purpose　to　show　me　the　gate；　（the　little　north　gate）　where　he　had　two　men　shot　close　by　him　on　each　time；　and　his　own　hair　burnt　by　a　bullet…shot　in　the　insurrection　of　Venner；　and　himself　escaped。　I　found　one　of　the　vessels　loaden　with　the　Bridewell　birds　in　a　great　mutiny；　and　they　would　not　sail；　not　they；　but　with　good　words；　and　cajoling　the　ringleader　into　the　Tower；　（where；　when　he　was　come；　he　was　clapped　up　in　the　Hole）　they　were　got　very　quietly；　but　I　think　it　is　much　if　they　do　not　run　the　vessel　on　ground。
  3rd。　　Mr。　Finch；　one　of　the　Commissioners　of　Excise；　and　I　fell　to　discourse　of　the　Parliament；　and　the　great　men　there；　and　among　others；　Mr。　Vaughan；　whom　he　reports　as　a　man　of　excellent　judgement　and　learning；　but　most　passionate　and　opiniastre。　　He　had　done　himself　the　most　wrong　（though　he　values　it　not）；　that　is；　the　displeasure　of　the　King　in　his　standing　so　long　against　the　breaking　of　the　Act　for　a　triennial　parliament；　but　yet　do　believe　him　to　be　a　most　loyall　gentleman。　　He　told　me　Mr。　Prin's　character；　that　he　is　a　man　of　mighty　labour　and　reading；　and　memory；　but　the　worst　judge　of　matters；　or　layer　together　of　what　he　hath　read；　in　the　world；　（which　I　do　not；　however；　believe　him　in；）　that　he　believes　him　very　true　to　the　King　in　his　heart；　but　can　never　be　reconciled　to　episcopacy；　that　the　House　do　not　lay　much　weight　upon　him；　or　any　thing　he　says。　　News　came　yesterday　from　Harwich；　that　the　Dutch　had　appeared　upon　our　coast　with　their　fleet；　and　we　believe　did　go　to　the　Gun…fleete；　and　they　are　supposed　to　be　there　now；　but　I　have　heard　nothing　of　them　to…day。　　Yesterday　Dr。　Whistler；　at　Sir　W。　Pen's；　told　me　that　Alexander　Broome；　＇Alexander　Broome；　an　attorney　in　the　Lord　Mayor's　Court；　author　of　〃Loyal　Songs　and　Madrigals；〃　much　sung　by　the　Cavaliers；　and　of　a　translation　of　Horace。　　He　was　regretted　as　an　agreeable　companion。＇　　the　great　song…maker；　is　lately　dead。
  4th。　　Thanks　be　to　God；　the　plague　is；　as　I　hear；　encreased　but　two　this　week；　but　in　the　country　in　several　places　it　rages　mightily；　and　particularly　in　Colchester；　where　it　hath；　long　been；　and　is　believed　will　quite　depopulate　the　place。　　With　the　Duke；　all　of　us　discoursing　about　the　places　where　to　build　ten　great　ships：　　the　King　and　Council　have　resolved　on　none　to　be　under　third…rates；　but　it　is　impossible　to　do　it；　unless　we　have　more　money　towards　the　doing　it　than　yet　we　have　in　any　view。　But；　however；　the　show　must　be　made　to　the　world。　　In　the　evening　Sir　W。　Pen　came　to　me；　and　we　walked　together；　and　talked　of　the　late　fight。　　I　find　him　very　plain；　that　the　whole　conduct　of　the　late　fight　was　ill；　that　two…thirds　of　the　commanders　of　the　whole　fleet　have　told　him　so：　　they　all　saying；　that　they　durst　not　oppose　it　at　the　Council　of　War；　for　fear　of　being　called　cowards；　though　it　was　wholly　against　their　judgement　to　fight　that　day　with　the　disproportion　of　force；　and　then　we　not　being　able　to　use　one　gun　of　our　lower　tier；　which　was　a　greater　disproportion　than　the　other。　　Besides；　we　might　very　well　have　staid　in　the　Downs　without　fighting；　or　any　where　else；　till　the　Prince　could　have　come　up　to　them；　or　at　least　till　the　weather　was　fair；　that　we　might　have　the　benefit　of　our　whole　force　in　the　ships　that　we　had。　　He　says　three　things　must　be　remedied；　or　else　we　shall