ls　me　that　captains　carry；　for　all　the　late　orders；　what　men　they　please。　　So　that　he　fears；　and　I　do　no　less；　that　God　Almighty　can　bless　us　while　we　keep　in　this　disorder　that　we　are　in：　　he　observing　to　me　too；　that　there　is　no　man　of　counsel　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。
  22nd。　　Walked　to　White　Hall；　where　saw　nobody　almost；　but　walked　up　and　down　with　Hugh　May；　＇An　architect；　and　Comptroller　of　the　works　at　Windsor　Castle。　　Ob　1684。＇　　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。　　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。
  23rd。　　All　full　of　expectation　of　the　fleet's　engagement；　but　it　is　not　yet。　　Sir　W。　Coventry　says　they　are　eighty…nine　men…of…　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　way；　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…of…war；　and　twenty…five　ships；　though　we　cannot　hear　that　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。
  25th。　　At　White　Hall；　we　find　the　Court　gone　to　Chapel；　it　being　St。　James's…day。　　And　by　and　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　lowdnesse　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　Barkeshire　＇Thomas　Howard；　second　son　of　Thomas　first　Earl　of　Suffolk　created　Earl　of　Berkshire　1625…6；　K。G。　Ob。　1669；　aged　nearly　90。＇　　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　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。
  27th。　　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　nor　I　cannot　understand。　　But　upon　the　whole；　he　and　I　walked　two　or　three　turns　in　the　Park　under　the　great　trees；　and　no　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。
  28th。　　To　my　Lord　Lauderdale's；　where　we　find　some　Scotch　people　at　supper。　　Pretty　odd　company；　though　my　Lord　Brouncker　tells　me；　my　Lord　Lauderdale　is　a　man　of　mighty　good　reason　and　judgement。　　But　at　supper　there　played　one　of　their　servants　upon　the　viallin　some　Scotch　tunes　only；　several；　and　the　best　of　their　country；　as　they　seemed　to　esteem　them；　by　their　praising　and　admiring　them：　　but；　Lord！　　the　strangest　ayre　that　ever　I　heard　in　my　life；　and　all　of　one　cast。　　But　strange　to　hear　my　Lord　Lauderdale　say　himself　that　he　had　rather　hear　a　cat　mew　than　the　best　musique　in　the　world；　and　the　better　the　musique；　the　more　sick　it　makes　him；　and　that　of　all　instruments；　he　hates　the　lute　most；　and　next　to　that；　the　baggpipe。
  29th。　　All　the　town　is　full　of　a　victory。　　By　and　by　a　letter　from　Sir　W。　Coventry　tells　me　that　we　have　the　victory。　　Beat　them　into　the　Weelings：　　had　taken　two　of　their　great　ships；　but　by　the　orders　of　the　Generalls　they　are　burned。　　This　being；　methought；　but　a　poor　result　after　the　fighting　of　two　so　great　fleets；　and　four　days　having　no　tidings　of　them：　　I　was　still　impatient；　but　could　know　no　more。　　I　to　Sir　W。　Batten；　where　the　Lieutenant　of　the　Tower　was；　and　Sir　John　Minnes；　and　the　news　I　find　is　what　I　had　heard　before；　only　that　our　Blue　squadron；　it　seems；　was　pursued　the　most　of　the　time；　having　more　ships；　a　great　many；　than　its　number　allotted　to　its　share。　　Young　Seamour　is　killed；　the　only　captain　slain。　　The　Resolution　burned；　but；　as　they　say；　most　of　her　crew　and　commander　saved。　　This　is　all；　only　we　keep　the　sea；　which　denotes　a　victory；　or　at　least　that　we　are　not　beaten；　but　no　great　matters　to　brag　of；　God　knows。
  30th。　　To　Sir　W。　Coventry；　at　St。　James's；　where　I　find　him　in　his　new　closet；　which　is　very　fine；　and　well　supplied　with　handsome　books。　　I　find　him　speak　very　slightly　of　the　late　victory：　　dislikes　their　staying　with　the　fleet　up　their　coast；　believing　that　the　Dutch　will　come　out　in　fourteen　days；　and　then　we　with　our　unready　fleet；　by　reason　of　some　of　the　ships　being　maymed；　shall　be　in　bad　condition　to　fight　them　upon　their　own　coast：　　is　much　dissatisfied　with　the　great　number　of　men；　and　their　fresh　demands　of　twenty…four　victualling　ships；　they　going　out　the　other　day　as　full　as　they　could　stow。　　He　spoke　slightly　of　the　Duke　of　Albemarle；　saying；　when　De　Ruyter　come　to　give　him　a　broadside〃Now；〃　says　he；　（chewing　of　tobacco　the　while）　〃will　this　fellow　come　and　give　me　two　broadsides；　and　then　he　shall　run；〃　but　it　seems　he　held　him　to　it　two　hours；　till　the　Duke　himself　was　forced　to　retreat　to　refit；　and　was　towed　off；　and　De　Ruyter　staid　for　him　till　he　come　back　again　to　fight。　　One　in　the　ship　saying　to　the　Duke；　〃Sir；　methinks　De　Ruyter　hath　given　us　more　than　two　broadsides；〃　〃Well；〃　says　the　Duke；　〃but　you　shall　find　him　run　by　and　by；〃　and　so　he　did；　says　Sir　W。　Coventry；　but　after　the　Duke　himself　had　been　first　made　to　fall　off。　　The　Resolution　had　all　brass　guns；　being　the　same　that　Sir　J。　Lawson　had　in　her　in　the　Straights。　　It　is　observed；　that　the　two　fleets　were　even　in　number　to　one　ship。　　Thence　home；　and　to　sing　with　my　wife　and　Mercer　＇Mrs。　Pepys's　maid。＇　　in　the　garden；　and　coming　in　I　find　my　wife　plainly　dissatisfie