Diary, August 1667 | Page 5

Coleman I
know not. But I do not do well to let these beginnings of discontents
take so much root between us.

3rd. Up, and to the office, where busy all the morning. Then at noon to
dinner, and to the office again, there to enable myself, by finishing our
great account, to give it to the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury;
which I did, and there was called in to them, to tell them only the total
of our debt of the Navy on the 25th of May last, which is above
L950,000. Here I find them mighty hot in their answer to the
Council-board about our Treasurer's threepences of the Victualling, and
also against the present farm of the Customes, which they do most
highly inveigh against. So home again by coach, and there hard to work
till very late and my eyes began to fail me, which now upon very little
overworking them they do, which grieves me much. Late home, to
supper, and to bed.

4th (Lord's day). Busy at my Office from morning till night, in writing
with my own hand fair our large general account of the expence and
debt of the Navy, which lasted me till night to do, that I was almost

blind, and Mr. Gibson with me all day long, and dined with me, and
excellent discourse I had with him, he understanding all the business of
the Navy most admirably. To walk a little with my wife at night in the
garden, it being very hot weather again, and so to supper and to bed.

5th. Up, and with Sir W. Batten in the morning to St. James's, where
we did our ordinary business with the Duke of York, where I perceive
they have taken the highest resolution in the world to become good
husbands, and to retrench all charge; and to that end we are
commanded to give him an account of the establishment in the seventh
year of the late King's reign, and how offices and salaries have been
increased since; and I hope it will end in the taking away some of our
Commissioners, though it may be to the lessening of some of our
salaries also. After done with the Duke of York, and coming out
through his dressing-room, I there spied Signor Francisco tuning his
gittar, and Monsieur de Puy with him, who did make him play to me,
which he did most admirably--so well as I was mightily troubled that
all that pains should have been taken upon so bad an instrument.
Walked over the Park with Mr. Gawden, end with him by coach home,
and to the Exchange, where I hear the ill news of our loss lately of four
rich ships, two from Guinea, one from Gallipoly, all with rich oyles;
and the other from Barbadoes, worth, as is guessed, L80,000. But here
is strong talk, as if Harman had taken some of the Dutch East India
ships, but I dare not yet believe it, and brought them into Lisbon.
["Sept. 6, 1667. John Clarke to James Hickes. A vessel arrived from
Harwich brings news that the English lost 600 to 700 men in the
attempt on St. Christopher; that Sir John Harman was not then there,
but going with 11 ships, and left a ketch at Barbadoes to bring more
soldiers after him; that the ketch met a French sloop with a packet from
St. Christopher to their fleet at Martinico, and took her, whereupon Sir
John Harman sailed there and fell upon their fleet of 27 sail, 25 of
which he sank, and burnt the others, save two which escaped; also that
he left three of his fleet there, and went with the rest to Nevis, to make
another attempt on St. Christopher. "Calendar of State Payers, 1667, p.
447]
Home, and dined with my wife at Sir W. Pen's, where a very good
pasty of venison, better than we expected, the last stinking basely, and

after dinner he and my wife and I to the Duke of York's house, and
there saw "Love Trickes, or the School of Compliments;" a silly play,
only Miss [Davis's] dancing in a shepherd's clothes did please us
mightily. Thence without much pleasure home and to my Office, so
home, to supper, and to bed. My wife mighty angry with Nell, who is
turned a very gossip, and gads abroad as soon as our backs are turned,
and will put her away tomorrow, which I am not sorry for.

6th. Up, and to the office, where all the morning very full of business.
A full Board. Here, talking of news, my Lord Anglesey did tell us that
the Dutch do make a further bogle with us about two or three things,
which